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The project leaders from the twelve Smart Communities Demonstration projects were linked together via video conference for a four and a half hour meeting. Discussion areas included:

• project sustainability with presenatations from K-Net, Manitoba, Alberta and BC.
• project impacts with presentations from PEI, Saskatchewan, Quebec and Nova Scotia.

People are invited to watch and listen to this meeting on-line at:

http://streaming.knet.ca/SC-Oct20-meeting.wmv (requires Windows Media Player, 4.5 hours in length, 499MB)

After spending two years talking to key players, including people on the streets, Elders, Chiefs and Councils, service providers, and the general public, the Sioux Lookout Committee will join efforts with Sioux Lookout's Out of the Cold Committee to open the doors of a new homeless shelter and drop-in centre.

"Drop-in Centres are reported by homeless shelters in larger urban areas," says Deb Sider, the project's Principal Researcher, "as key points of entry, or links to more specific support services.  Services may include housing support, mental health, life skills, or addictions, for example." This is the model, this type of transition program, the Sioux Lookout Homelessness Committee proposes to coordinate within the new building.

On November 1, the Sioux Lookout Homelessness Committee and the Out of the Cold Program will open its doors at 25 Fair Street in Sioux Lookout.  "It's an ideal building," says committee member Susan Barclay.  "We had envisioned something very similar, even sketched it out on paper, before being presented with the opportunity to purchase the building on Fair Street."  The building will function as the Out of the Cold Shelter at night and house the drop-in centre throughout the day, complete with a food bank and soup kitchen.  What made the building perfect, according to Barclay, is the availability of transitional rooms for rent on the second floor and office space for rent in the basement.  Transition rooms are available anytime after October 17 at a rate of $25.00 per night or at a flexible monthly rate, based on income or shelter allowance.  Rooms are available to anyone in need.  Revenues will help make the programs sustainable.

"Yet, volunteer support will continue to be a vital component of the project's success," adds Barclay.  Rental revenues and grant dollars will not cover the entire cost of the programs.

The Sioux Lookout Homelessness Committee wants to take this opportunity to suggest there are many ways to support the initiative.  Anyone who does not have spare time to volunteer at the shelter may want to consider organizing a fundraising event within the workplace, or consider asking for non-perishable food items at your next community event and make a donation to the food bank.

The committee also proposes a new name for itself and the building on Fair Street.  Since project implementation, for the lack of a better word, the committee has used the term 'homeless' to refer to the project and the committee.  The term is inappropriate because most people who end up on the streets of Sioux Lookout do have homes in other communities.  Wii-chi way - E sha da win, which means helping "home" in Oji-cree was recently proposed.  The committee is pleased with the name because it encompasses the concept of safety, security, warmth, food, support, and sleep that it wishes to convey.  If you have comments or suggestions, or would like more information about the project you may call 807-737-7499 or 1-866-331-3389.

Industry Canada's First Nations SchoolNet program teams from across Canada are meeting today and tomorrow near Sydney, Nova Scotia. The meeting is being streamed and archived for everyone to watch and learn about the plans and tools that are being developed and implemented across the country.

Click here to watch the archived version of the Saturday portion of the meeting. (requires Windows Media, 426MB, 3.5 hours)

Darlene Rae, North Spirit Lake's e-Centre Manager, along with Jesse Fiddler, K-Net Multi-media Coordinator and Dan Pellerin, K-Net's Network Manager travelled over to Nova Scotia to attend this meeting. Others participants from across the country joined the meeting via video conferencing.

Local gospel music artist, Lynda Beardy, launches her website!

The Sioux Lookout resident who sells her music through mail-orders and singing tours had her website developed by her husband via Homestead and carried through the GOOGLE search engine.

Check it out at www.lyndajbeardy.com

The October 16 issue of Wawatay News contains three more news stories about the work being completed within the Kuh-ke-nah Network of Smart First Nations demonstration project.

This week's issue of the Kuh-ke-nah page in Wawatay News include the following articles:

• Organizations and groups @ myknet.org: Different First Nation groups and local organizations are now using myknet.org to establish their own web sites and post information about their work and services. In this article, Lenny Rizzo from the Outsiders band talks about his band's web site. Other groups and organizations from different First Nations are now producing and maintaining their own web sites.
• More First Nation organizations apply to develop broadband connections and applications: Developing the business cases and raising the funds required to build broadband infrastructure requires many different partners. In this article, Ernie Buswa from Windigo, Carl Seibel from FedNor and Ed Hoshizaki discuss the work it takes to prepare these funding proposals to bring broadband connectivity to remote First Nations.
• K-Net Showcase - contains photos from the K-Net photo gallery at http://photos.knet.ca with images of the some of the Chiefs of Keewaytinook Okimakanak meeting to review and direct the work and staff of their organization.

Rick Garrick is researching additional stories for future articles. If you have a story that you want to share about this project and the work that is happening in your community to get connected, please send us an e-mail.

Fifteen people spent twelve days travelling in their traditional territories, visiting and restoring old gravesites and the buildings at the former community of Rocksands. Several elders, youth and community leaders worked with two staff from Keewaytinook Okimakanak to record the stories and knowledge being shared during this trip.

Pictures from the trip are now being posted on-line. Click here to view the pictures that Cal Kenny, K-Net's Graphic Design Producer took in between filming as much of the trip as possible.

Watch for the video clips from this journey into the traditional lands of the people from Fort Severn First Nation. These are being edited and stored on-line for everyone to view.

We are pleased to once again tell you of our upcoming event which will be happening at the New Life Center here in Weagamow Lake.

We invite everyone to our annual Indoor "Hallelujah" Church Meetings on October 31, November 1 & 2 with guest speakers Evangelist John T. Wood of Winnipeg, and Evangelist Robert Lavallee of Rockridge, Manitoba.

Along with David Mamakwa as a special singer, The Singing Benson's, The New Life Ladies Group, and more...

For more info, please email newlifecenter@knet.ca or contact Colin/Nora Kanate.

This week’s issue of Wawatay (October 16) marks another milestone, with the fiftieth story being published on the Kuh-ke-nah page of the newspaper. Each of the 17 issues contains two stories researched and written by Rick Garrick, a First Nations journalist, about how people across the region are using and supporting the on-line resources and services made available by Keewaytinook Okimakanak. The sidebar contained in 16 of these issues is produced by K-Net staff to highlight different on-line applications and services created under Industry Canada’s Smart Communities initiative.

September 4, 2003

• Learning video production in their communities
• KIHS well prepared for another on-line school year
• Broadband connectivity in remote First Nations – http://tech.knet.ca/photos

Bruce K. Beardy, Manager of Culture, Language and Education programs at Oshki-Pimache-O-Win Education and Training Institute, is being awarded a lifetime achievement award by the Sweetgrass First Nations Language Council Inc.

As stated on their website (http://www.woodland-centre.on.ca/SGpage.html), "The Language Council works with teachers and other language professionals and educators by organizing professional development workshops, conferences and forging partnerships with a variety of domestic and international institutions and individuals who want to assist us in our struggle to retain our languages."

The presentation will take place on October 17 in London, Ontario, at the Language Council's fall conference.

Congratulations, Bruce!

Brian Walmark recently accepted the challenge with Keewaytinook Okimakanak to help in the development of the First Nations SchoolNet program as part of the Ontario Regional Management Organization (RMO). Brian moved from his position as NAN's Education Advisor to take on this new position as the RMO's Special Projects Facilitator.

This week, Brian met with the KO Management team and the KO Chiefs in Dryden and then travelled to Sioux Lookout to meet with the K-Net team that will be working with him in completing all these different projects. Watch for all the latest initiatives and developments in this project at http://firstnationschools.ca