Would you like to save lives, assist in search and rescue missions, patrol Canadian waters, support scientific surveys, and help deal with pollution in our oceans? These are some of the functions of the Canadian Coast Guard and through their Officer Training Program (OTP), you can become a Ship’s Officer and join the Fleet.

The OTP provides training in Marine Engineering and Marine Navigation over a 45-month training period.  Your education, text books, training costs, room and board are provided for, and participants are entitled to Federal Public Servant Benefits like medical, dental, vacation, pension and a monthly allowance.

The Qalipu Education and Training Department is committed to sharing opportunities that will help our members succeed and realize their full potential.  The OTP looks like an exciting opportunity to train and work toward making a real difference on Canada’s waters.  If this sounds interesting to you, find more information about the program here: http://www.cgc.gc.ca/

If this program isn’t for you, maybe something else is calling your name.  Please, feel free to talk to us about our programs and services including wage subsidies, grad incentive programs, employment and training opportunities and education funding.

Find contact information for our team here: https://qalipu.ca/about/office-and-e-mail-addresses/ and follow us on Facebook to stay in the know on valuable information about your benefits, as well as current opportunities, and announcements.

On October 19, the Long-range Small Business Week Committee held their Annual Business Awards Dinner at the Caribou Curling Club in Stephenville.  The sell-out event hosted many business owners/operators, along with industry stakeholders, to pay homage to their efforts throughout the past year. Qalipu First Nation is very active in providing business support to member businesses throughout our regions and, as such, are very proud to present an award to one Qalipu Business Network member each year from the Stephenville and surrounding area.

After careful consideration, this year’s Qalipu Business Network Award was presented to Cecil Ryan of Amgwes Safety Incorporated.  Amgwes Safety Inc. is a certified NCSO / CSO safety management & consulting firm located in Stephenville. Mr. Ryan, owner/operator, of the firm and has over 34 years in the construction industry, with the last 20 of those heavily focussed on safety.

Mr. Ryan started his company 4 years ago.  He said, “I anticipated 50 clients the first year, 100 the second and 150 during the third.  Amgwes safety served 180 clients in the first year, 410 in the second and today has over 1000 from many different parts of the island.”

Mr. Ryan is a proud member of the Qalipu First Nations Band. The word Amgwes is a Mi’kmaq word that means first as in “First and Foremost”

Email from Bruce Hollett, President & CEO, College of the North Atlantic

The Government of Newfoundland and Labrador, through the Department of Advanced Education, Skills and Labour, is undertaking a review of post-secondary education in this province. Preliminary discussions with the administration of College of the North Atlantic have served as input towards a draft Terms of Reference on this initiative.

Now, as a first step in the college’s role in this process, we are seeking your input and that of your members on the draft Terms of Reference.

Please share this email with the Qalipu membership and also take some time to visit our website (see link below), review the draft Terms of Reference, and email us with your feedback and recommendations on these Terms. Your insights and views will help shape the Terms of Reference for the future of CNA and post-secondary education in the Province.

As this process moves forward, we will provide you with further opportunities for your thoughts and feedback on this initiative. Your input will be used to help inform the college’s official submission to the commission appointed to lead this process. As always, we look forward to hearing from you and working together for a brighter future for our province.

Post-Secondary Review Process:

http://www.cna.nl.ca/about/psereview

It has come to our attention that some members are confused about the process for completing their mail-in ballot.  Please see below for a copy of the instructions that were sent out, with additional information added in red.  We hope this helps! Please let us know if you have any other issues.

20.5 (1)          On receipt of the mail in ballot, the Elector shall mark the ballot with a pen or pencil or any color within the space on the mail in ballot containing the name of the candidate for whom he or she intends to vote.

(2)       After marking the mail in ballot, the Elector shall

(a)   place the marked ballot in an envelope marked “BALLOT”;

(b)    seal the envelope marked “BALLOT”;

(c)   place the envelope marked “BALLOT” in an envelope marked “DECLARATION ENVELOPE”   and containing the following words on the face of the envelope:

I, _________________________________________, hereby declare that this envelope contains a mail in ballot that I have marked.

____________________________________
Signed

 

(d)   Complete all sections on face of envelope marked “DECLARATION ENVELOPE”. (print your name, sign your name, fill in your band registration number (the ten-digit number, starting with 034, found on your Secure Certificate of Indian Status) and your Ward)

(e)   seal the envelope marked “DECLARATION ENVELOPE” and place it in the return envelope; and

(f)   seal the envelope and mail or deliver it to the Electoral Officer.

20.6    All mail in ballots must be received by the Electoral Officer no later than 4:00 p.m. on the day preceding the day before the polling day or otherwise will not be counted.   This means the Electoral Officer must have your ballot received by 4:00 pm on Sunday, October 21^st, 2018.

20.7       Your mail-in ballot package includes the Amendment Vote question “Do you agree with the changes to the Custom Rules Governing Qalipu Mi’kmaq First Nation Band Elections?” and you are asked to mark Yes or No.  For more information on what this means, please visit our website (www.qalipu.ca).  Under the tab marked “Election 2018” you will see “Amendment Vote” which contains a complete copy of the amended custom rules, and a summary and Q & A of what the changes mean.

 

If you intend to vote by mail-in ballot in the upcoming election, request your ballot now!

The latest date by which you can request the ballot is October 9, and you must have your ballot mailed back and received by the Electoral Officer by 4:00 PM on October 21 in order to have your vote counted.

We have made it easier than ever to request your mail-in ballot. Simply click this link to access the application, complete all the required fields and then click send. Your mail-in ballot will then arrive in the mail at the address you have provided.

For more on the Qalipu Election 2018, including details on the Amendment Vote, Polling Locations and Candidates, please visit our website www.qalipu.ca and explore the menu item called “Election 2018”.

Amended Custom Rules Governing Qalipu Mi’kmaq First Nation Band Elections Now Online

The amended Custom Rules Governing Qalipu Mi’kmaq First Nation Band Elections are now available on our website. Members will be asked to vote Yes or No to accept these changes via Mail-in Ballots, at the polls October 23 and at the Advance Poll on October 16. Please click here to view the amended Custom Rules.

To view a summary of what this Amendment Vote means, please check out the Amendment Vote Q & A by clicking here.

Mi’kmaq Matters hosts a debate of the three candidates for chief of the Qalipu First Nation this Thursday (October 4) at 6 pm in the main floor lecture room of the College of the North Atlantic on O’Connell Drive in Corner Brook.

Brendan Mitchell, Clyde Russell and Hayward Young will take questions from Mi’kmaq Matters host Glenn Wheeler and from a live audience.

Media plug-ins will be available.

Glenn Wheeler can be reached at 647-280-7968.