Media.Knet.Ca

K-Net staff showcased a number of applications to the  Institute for Connectivity of the Americas' Hemispheric Advisory Board. Representatives from South and North America learned about Cal Kenny's wilderness trip with the elders and their families up the Severn River and Jesse Fiddler's work with the Native Language and legends web sites. The value and investment from Industry Canada's programs including tthe First Nations Schoolnet program, FedNor, Smart, CAP,  BRAND and NSI were highlighted by the different applications that were showcased. KO Telehealth, the Keewaytinook Internet High School, the Grade 8 Supplementary program, the portals and other on-line services were presented to the   board members.

The group were meeting in Ottawa at the Smart Central video conferencing facility. The entire session was webcast live and is now archived at http://webcast.knet.ca/schoolnet. This archive includes a presentation by Gerald Chouinard from the Communications Research Centre (just skip the first 24
minutes of waiting for everyone).

The full version of the K-Net presentation is also available as a Windows Media version that is 47MB and is available by clicking here.

Keewaytinook Internet High School (KiHS) invites applicants for the 2004-2005 school year. We will be looking for 4 teacher to fill positions in English, Science, Careers & Guidance & Social Studies. If you are looking for an innovative, cutting edge approach to educations, KiHS may be the place for you. Check out our website at www.kihs.knet.ca.

These positions are available in 4 First Nations communities in Northwestern Ontario; Poplar Hill, North Spirit Lake, Cat Lake & Keewaywin. The teacher will live in one community, and tutor/mentor students while delivering one online course to the remaining students in the other 12 communities, using our Internet platform. We are looking for certified teachers who have basic word processing and internet navigation skills.

If you are interested please send your resume to darrinpotter@knet.ca or you can fax it to (807)735-1383.

Sioux Lookout Principals learned how to create and maintain web pages for their schools using Post Nuke on the evening of April 22. Once again, SLAAMB kindly provided access to their board room for this training session. The six principals who attended this special evening session were part of a larger group attending the Principal training session being coordinated by the Kwayaciiwin Educational Resource Centre.

Click here to views some pictures from the session.

The Northern Ontario Medical School's web site provides regular updates about its developments. Check the links to:

• Northern Passages: the Spring 2004 Newsletter
• the Dean's Column

Past and future webcasts of video conferenced sessions are also available. Be sure to sign up for the upcoming April 29 symposium ...

A Progress Report on the Northern Ontario Medical School

Since the last update the Northern Ontario Medical School has seen significant advancement. Dr. Roger Strasser and the Medical School team will review developments to date and introduce plans for the future:

• progressing towards achieving accreditation
• developing partnerships with NOMP and NOMEC
• piloting the undergraduate medical curriculum appointment of faculty
• delivery of faculty development programs
• identification of distributed clinical learning sites
• preparation to recruit students

The "Ontario's Far North Study: Broadband Best Practices in Fort Severn and Big Trout Lake" report is the third in a series of cross Canada case studies, commissioned by Industry Canada's Broadband Office, examining the benefits of broadband. This report is a collaborative effort between the Connect Ontario: Broadband Regional Access (COBRA) and the Broadband Office.

The "Ontario's Far North Study: Broadband Best Practices in Fort Severn and Big Trout Lake" is a comparative study that examines the best practices and benefits associated with the planning and implementation of broadband infrastructure in Fort Severn and Big Trout Lake. New jobs and new spending, improvements in health care, young people acquiring skills more easily, e-Banking, video conferencing for training and increases in the effectiveness of band management are only some of the benefits realized in the two broadband-served communities which this study documents.  You may access this study directly through the following link:
http://www.broadband.ic.gc.ca/pub/program/case_studies/ontario/index.html

Click here to read the entire report (PDF - 234KB)

Executive Summary

Fort Severn and Big Trout Lake have gained experience in broadband that other communities can benefit from. Best practices identified include the following:

1. Clear and far-reaching vision
2. Strategic planning
3. Effective leadership
4. Community engagement
5. Local control
6. Cost-effective infrastructure
7. Technical innovation
8. Creation of informed users
9. On-line services
10. Performance measurement and sustainability.

Both communities developed a clear and far-reaching vision and engaged in the planning and execution of effective implementation strategies. Residents of both communities were fully engaged in the planning and execution of their broadband systems and these systems are now owned locally and provide reliable service. Users are well-informed about the capabilities.

These and the other best practices identified, have led to significant benefits for each community. The benefits include advances in health care for residents, the availability of videoconferencing, better access to research, improved training opportunities and reductions in outlays for air travel.

The Guinness World Records Ltd issued a Certificate stating:

The 'Wapusk Trail" road
(752 km (467 miles) in length)
constructed each year between
Gillam, Manitoba, and Peawanuk,
Ontario, Canada,
is thought to be the longest
seasonal winter road
in the world

signed by: Keeper of the Records, GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS LTD

Industry Canada's National Satellite Initiative recently announced the List of Selected Applicants for the Round 1 allocation of the second Telesat C-Band public benefit transponder. See http://smart.knet.ca/satellite for additional information about the first transponder that included a 12.5 mhz allocation for Keewaytinook Okimakanak.

Over the past couple of years KO staff worked with a number of different partners, in particular FedNor, to support the development of the C-Band satellite infrastructure that supports communities required to use this type of connection. The Kativik Regional Government in Northern Quebec and the Keewatin Tribal Council in Northern Manitoba are partnering with KO to deliver these connectivity solutions in their member communities.

The following pages from the Industry Canada web site provide details about each of the selected applicants for the first round of transponder space allocation by the National Satellite Initiative program. It includes contact names and numbers of  the successful applicant. In addition, a map of the general area of the proposal is provided. The shaded area encompasses communities that are suggested in the proposal along with immediately surrounding regions, and is meant as a general guide only. Click on a dot to view more details about that community.

British Columbia: British Columbia Satellite Network

Manitoba: Sustainable Northern Connectivity Strategy

Ontario: Asubpeeschoseewagong Netum Anishnabek Broadband

Quebec: Kativik Regional Government

The final report of the National Selection Committee, an arm's-length advisory group for the Broadband for Rural and Northern Development Pilot Program (BRAND), was submitted to the Minister of Industry for consideration on March 31, 2004.  

Click here to read the Final Report PDF version (379 KB)

RECOMMENDATION 1: Making Broadband a National Priority

Deploying broadband networks, developing broadband services, and achieving affordable broadband access for all Canadians should be national priorities.

As of  April 20, 2004,  we have had a lot of visitors check out our website.  The website has been up and running since April 5, 2004 when a bunch of Eabamet Lakers were involved in a website development training workshop. Thanks to our trainer, J. F. and K-Net.  

I will be updating  the website on a regular basis with the help of some computer experts in the community.

Come and check out our website anytime you're browsing the internet! Check it out at http://eabametoong.firstnation.ca

On Sunday evening, Maori leaders from across New Zealand met to discuss among other things how video conferencing can be utilized to support training and economic development opportunities for their communities. The following message was sent from New Zealand following the meeting ...

---------------------------- Original Message ----------------------------
Subject: Re: A big fat THANKS!!
From:    "Tom Winitana"
Date:    Sun, April 18, 2004 9:33 pm
--------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hello again Brian,  :-)

I would like to once again express on behalf of our organisation and  our Marae Based Studies office, many many thanks for the giving of your  weekend and precious family time to speak to our people via video conferencing.  They will have seen a small example of an application in  action.  It will also give them some  appreciation of the technology  available when our team travel to these marae for engaging and consulting with the kaumatua (elders) and whanau (families) of the  marae.  Well Brian, the mind "boggles" just thinking about how far our  people and your people have come in terms of ICT.

Until we meet (VC) again, may your summer be a warm one and hopefully  any grass that you have left after the snow has melted will turn "Green"  :-D  

Cheers for now

Tom