Media.Knet.Ca

Oscar Meekis, Deer Lake's local network manager, has been setting up IP phones in each of the local offices throughout his community. He submitted the following report and pictures showcasing how these units are working for his community. Click here to see the pictures of the IP phones in Deer Lake.

Here is an update on the IP phone installations in Deer Lake. So far a total of 44 IP phones were installed (or will be installed). There are some IP phones that are not installed due to renovations, construction or buildings been moved to another location. The places where the IP phones were successfully installed include the Band Office, Head Start Children Centre, Deer Lake Nursing Station, the Health program offices and Deer Lake School. Places that still needs installation due to modems not available yet (on order) are Deer Lake Warehouse, Deer Lake Garage and Deer Lake Water Treatment Plant and Radio Station. The Health Office building is being moved to another location near its original location.

I gathered some comments from various local organizations about what they like about their new IP phones. Some of the comments include:

Band Office Resource Worker/EDO - Donald Meekis - "I use the phone quite a bit. The clarity of the phone is better than the regular phones. The dialing is better with less numbers. It needs to be expanded more. Funding Agencies should have these phones."

Deer Lake Councillor - Cory J. Meekis - "It's not long distance, free of charge and it's direct lines to other offices. They are being answered right away."

Deer Lake School - Principal Ross Little - "They are GREAT!!!"

Deer Lake Nursing Station - R/N Madonna Kerfont - "Very convenient, less time and very cost effective. The Referral Clerk uses the IP phone a lot."

Deer Lake Education Director's comment (Roy Dale Meekis). When i got to his office to install the IP phone, he asked "what are you installing now?" I replied, "an IP phone." He asked again, what are they going to think of next? Pretty soon I will just say "beam me up!" :)

Community meetings are now being held across Northwestern Ontario to gather information for the Integrated Health Services Plan for Northwestern Ontario. Everyone is welcomed to attend these sessions or provide your stories and information on-line at www.nwodhc.com

The Northwestern Ontario District Health Council (NWODHC) is working with Tom Closson and the HayGroup who are providing support to Mr. Closson and the Steering Committee.

Mr. Closson is inviting members of the public to community consultation sessions (see information above) conducted by the HayGroup so that you may:

For additional information on this project, please see www.nwodhc.com or call (807) 623-6131 or 1-888-227-3519.

Maurice Montreuil, Director, Broadband Initiatives, Energy science & Technology with the Manitoba provincial government, traveled to Sioux Lookout yesterday to meet with K-Net staff. Some of the discussions were about how the remote communities in Northern Manitoba might benefit from the infrastructure resources that are part of the Kuhkenah Network. In particular the services in place to support the satellite served First Nations in Northern Ontario and Quebec were of interest to Maurice.

A video conference with Chief Roy Gray and his council from their band office in Fort Severn provided both an effective demonstration of the operation of the network as well as some answers concerning the development and sharing of applications serving these remote communities. Quick tours of the telehealth and teleradiology sites at Menoyawin Health Centre (thanks to Carol Woods and Dermot McLoughlin) provided Maurice with a clear picture of the potential for developing the proper infrastructure to support these types of applications.

High school students in Attawapiskat attending Vezina Secondary School are now sharing the limited space available at the local elementary school due to flooding caused by a broken water pipe. The elementary school consists of portables that have been in place for four years, ever since the local elementary school was closed due to contaminants at that site were making the students sick. Click here to read the story posted in the Timmins' Daily Press.

This is the fourth First Nation school closing reported this fall. Fort Severn First Nation students have been without a school since May, 2004 due to extensive mould contamination. Pikangikum First Nation had to close their school due to roofing problems and over crowded conditions. Neskantaga First Nation had to close their school due to polluted drinking water.

Carolyn Anderson, from the provinicial South Australia government, was in Ottawa last week as participating in a federal government sponsored event. Meetings were arranged with Industry Canada's First Nations SchoolNet program to discuss how the federal government is supporting First Nations to develop broadband infrastructure and local applications. On her return trip, she was able to spend a day in Toronto meeting with NORTH Network and the KO Telehealth project in the morning. In the afternoon, she met with the Education Network of Ontario and the K-Net team to discuss the network and educational applications.

Her co-worker in Australia had read the "The K-Net Story, Community ICT Development Work" in the current issue of the Community Informatics Journal (www.ci-journal.net). She began writing to K-Net asking questions about our work. Her comments and the responses can be read at the end of the article in the COMMENTS section. The South Australia Government is interested in investing in the development of broadband infrastructure for the remote and rural communities across their region. Wendy pointed us to an information web site about some of the Aboriginal communities in her region at www.wangkawilurrara.com.

Thanks to our partners at NORTH Network and the Education Network of Ontario for being such great hosts on such short notice and for including Keewaytinook Okimakanak in this opportunity to share our story.

As part of the First Nation SchoolNet / RMO initiative, Cal Kenny has been working with different First Nation schools and communities to gather and prepare various video material for presentation on-line. His latest production was created from interviews and footage he was able to obtain during last month's Pelican Falls Residential School Gathering that was hosted by Northern Nishnawbe Education Council.

This is a five and a half minute video clip that provides a special perspective from several residential school survivors. To watch this video click on the address below:

• http://streaming.knet.ca/pelican_falls_100k.wmv (low speed)
• http://streaming.knet.ca/pelican_falls_300k.wmv (high speed)

Cal has posted several video clips from different gatherings that include traditional land-based activities to traditional gatherings. Most of his productions can be found linked from his personal homepage located at http://calkenny.myknet.org ... click on MY ARCHIVE

                     3rd Annual Little Bands Youth Hockey Tournament 2005

                                            March 5 & 6 , 2005

                                           Sioux Lookout Arena

4 Divisions and limit to 3 teams per division :

• Atoms Division    - 9 to 10 yrs old
• Peewee Divsion  - 11 to 12 yrs old
• Bantam Division  - 13 to 14 yrs old
• Midget Division   - 15 to 16 yrs old

Entry fee Deadline : December 15 , 2004

for more information : Steven Fiddler   (807)737-2152

                                 Ziggy Beardy   (807)737-3398

Support our Native youth

web page : www.littlebandshockey.myknet.org

BC Chief Ron Ignace, the chair of the Aboriginal Language Initiative (ALI) was impressed with the work of KO with ICTs during the Sweetgrass Language Conference...

Dan Pellerin, K-Net Network Manager and Brian Beaton, K-Net Coordinator presented information abpit K-Net to the National Rural Conference 2004 participants via video conference. The presentation is entitled "Using Broadband Connections for Rural and Remote Community Development". Click here to see the powerpoint presentation.

From the conference web site at http://www.rural.gc.ca/conference/index_e.phtml

National Rural Conference 2004

Publications prepared for the conference will be posted on this site to ensure interested Canadians have access to this information. Please visit this site again in the fall as we begin posting documents. Further reports will be added following the event. Attendance at the third National Rural Conference is by invitation only