Archive - Mar 23, 2005

Health Canada officials meet with K-Net team

K-Net staff met with Health Canada officials on Monday, March 21 to discuss connectivity solutions in the First Nation Health Centres across the Sioux Lookout Health Zone. Visitors to Sioux Lookout from Health Canada included

  • Lynda Pedley, Director, Informatics Services, FNIHB
  • Bob Conarroe, Manitoba Regional Director, Information Technology,
  • Roy Hart, Ontario Regional Director, Information Technology

Discussions included the development of the IP telephone service for the health centres, high speed data connections and telehealth applications.

NAN Summer Literacy camps staff positions available

Program Manager
Lieutenant Governor’s Aboriginal Literacy Summer Camps (LGALSC) Project

Location:                      Toronto, Ontario
Term Position:              May 2005- October 31, 2005
Salary Range:               $30,000.00 – 35,000.00  for 6 – month contract
Placement Date:            May 2, 2005
______________________________________________________________

Nature and Scope:

Planned in collaboration with the Nishnawbe Aski Nation (NAN), the LGALSC Project is a three–week summer camp for 75 Aboriginal youth ages 8-14 that will be offered in five remote First Nations communities in northern Ontario during July and August 2005. The goal of the LGALSC is to improve literacy rates among young people through participation in a summer camp program that focuses on fostering within participants insights, feelings, knowledge, and skills about the learning process.
The LGALSC is a collaborative project of the NAN, the Office of the Lieutenant Governor of Ontario, Scouts Canada, National Indigenous Literacy Association, World Literacy of Canada, Frontier College, Toronto District School Board, and YMCA Ontario (the Steering Committee). The Steering Committee considers the LGALSC to be a pilot program, with potential to be continued after 2005.
While the position will operate out of Scouts Canada’s Toronto’s office, the Program Manager will be expected to be based in northern Ontario during the summer months. A relocation allowance will be provided during the summer months.

Responsibilities:

  • Reporting to the Steering Committee, the Program Manager is responsible for the overall management of the five summer camps, ensuring a high standard of program development and delivery.
  • Develops the pilot program operational policies and procedures.
  • Monitors all aspects of the summer camps operations including camper care, site administration, food service, and staffing.
  • Recruits, hires, trains, coaches, and leads a team of five Camp Directors and youth camp counselors from Aboriginal communities and Southern Ontario.
  • Manages the summer camp budget.
  • Designs and monitors a risk management program to ensure the health and safety of each camp participant.
  • Attends all Steering Committee meetings.

Qualifications:

  • Knowledge of project management tools, techniques, principles and practices  
  • Demonstrated experience volunteering or working in an Aboriginal context.
  • Demonstrated planning and problem-solving skills
  • Post-secondary degree or diploma in recreation, education or related field
  • Successful record of managing large implementation projects
  • Successful completion of a criminal reference check.

Preferred Qualifications:

  • Supervisory/management role in a summer camp or similar youth-focused organization.
  • Demonstrated knowledge and experience of youth Aboriginal issues.
  • Demonstrated knowledge and experience with First Nations communities

Competencies:

  • Leadership: Motivates and inspires self and others to take action to achieve desired outcomes.
  • Relationship Building and Collaboration:  Builds positive interactions both internally and externally to achieve work-related goals.
  • Creativity and Innovation: Develops new ways or adapts existing ideas to help achieve desired results.
  • Planning and Organizing: Establishes a clearly defined and effective course of action for self and others to accomplish short and long-term goals.
  • Results-Oriented: Ability to manage and lead to achieve and exceed identified goals.
  • Concern for Health and Safety: Acknowledges and understands how to manage and educate others of risk and harm reduction
  • Tolerance for Ambiguity: Functions effectively in situations of less than perfect or incomplete information.

_______________________________

Curriculum Developer
Lieutenant Governor’s Aboriginal Literacy Summer Camps (LGALSC) Project

Location:                      Toronto, Ontario
Term Position:              May 2005- September 15, 2005
Salary Range:               $22,500.00 to 27,500.00 for 6-month contract
Placement Date:           May 2, 2005
______________________________________________________________

Nature and Scope:
Planned in collaboration with the Nishnawbe Aski Nation (NAN), the LGALSC Project is a three–week summer camp for 75 Aboriginal youth ages 8-14 that will be offered in five First Nations communities in northern Ontario during July and August 2005. The goal of the LGALSC is to improve literacy rates among young people through participation in a summer camp program that focuses on fostering within participants insights, feelings, knowledge, and skills about the learning process.
The LGALSC is a collaborative project of the NAN, the Office of the Lieutenant Governor of Ontario, Scouts Canada, National Indigenous Literacy Association, World Literacy of Canada, Frontier College, Toronto District School Board, and YMCA Ontario (the Steering Committee). The Steering Committee considers the LGALSC to be a pilot program, with potential to be continued after 2005.
While the position will operate out of Scouts Canada’s Toronto office, the Curriculum Developer will be expected to be based in northern Ontario during the summer months. A relocation allowance will be provided during the summer months.

Responsibilities:

  • Reporting to the Program Manager, the major responsibility of the Curriculum Developer is to coordinate the development of the summer camp literacy curriculum, in consultation with the partner organizations and the Program Manager.
  • Based on the defined goals and objectives of the camp curriculum, develops and organizes training sessions for camp directors and youth counselors, in consultation with the partner organizations and the Program Manager.
  • Develops future summer camp leaders through a focus on mentorship approaches and programming.
  • Assists the Program Manager in directing camp operations including camper care, site operations, health and safety matters, and supervising and coaching camp directors, as required.

Qualifications:

  • Demonstrated experience in curriculum planning.
  • Minimum of two years in a supervisory/management role in a summer camp or similar youth-focused organization.
  • Demonstrated experience volunteering or working in an Aboriginal context.
  • Demonstrated ability to work closely with and share leadership with other managers.
  • Post-secondary degree or diploma in education, recreation or related field 
  • Possesses or has the capacity to obtain a valid CPR and First Aid certification
  • Successful completion of a criminal reference check.

Preferred Qualifications:

  • Demonstrated knowledge of literacy issues
  • Demonstrated knowledge and experience of youth Aboriginal issues.
  • Demonstrated knowledge and experience with First Nations communities.

Competencies:

  • Leadership: Motivates and inspires self and others to take action to achieve desired outcomes.
  • Relationship Building and Collaboration:  Builds positive interactions both internally and externally to achieve work-related goals.
  • Communications: Ability to speak, write, listen and secure information in a variety of settings.
  • Planning and Organizing: Establishes a clearly defined and effective course of action for self and others to accomplish short and long-term goals.
  • Teamwork: Participates actively and positively in teams and teambuilding for maximum organizational effectiveness.
  • Results-Oriented: Ability to manage and lead to achieve and exceed identified goals.
  • Tolerance for Ambiguity: Functions effectively in situations of less than perfect or incomplete information.

A letter of application and resume should be sent by April 1st to:
Scouts Canada
Central Ontario
265 Yorkland Blvd.
2nd Floor
Toronto, Ontario M2J 5C7
FAX:    416-490-6911
Email:  psundborg@scouts.ca
We would prefer to receive your letter of application and resume via email

Attn:   Peter Sundborg
          Executive Director

"Duty to consult" supreme court ruling being put to the test

Haida set up blockades on Queen Charlottes

http://www.cbc.ca/story/canada/national/2005/03/23/haida-logging-050323.html

Last Updated Wed, 23 Mar 2005 12:03:11 EST
CBC News

PRINCE RUPERT, B.C. - The Haida Nation has set up blockades around B.C.'s Queen Charlotte Islands, demanding it be consulted over forestry operations and land-use issues.

More than 100 protesters blocked roads to logging camps, disrupted barge traffic and forced the provincial forestry office in Queen Charlotte City to shut down, Port Clements Mayor Dale Lore said Wednesday.

The protesters said they're are upset by the B.C. government's refusal to consult with the Haida Nation over Weyerhaeuser's recent sale of private coastal forest land and Crown timber rights to Brascan Corp.

Haida spokesperson Gilbert Parnell said they want to stop logging in environmentally sensitive areas and said they want to block the $1.2-billion deal – scheduled to be completed in June – until those concerns are dealt with.

Last November, the Supreme Court of Canada ruled that governments must consult meaningfully with natives and consider their concerns about projects that could infringe on aboriginal land claims.

But the court's ruling doesn't force governments to forge agreement with the affected bands and it doesn't extend to developers.

Haida asks Governor General to intervene

Council of the Haida Nation President Guujaaw said the logging company and the province are ignoring not only the Supreme Court ruling, but also community concerns.

"There is an opportunity now to ... create a sustainable economy on this island, but if it keeps on going the way it is now we are going to lose that."

Guujaaw said the provincial government is not dealing honourably with First Nations in B.C., and has asked Gov. Gen. Adrienne Clarkson to intervene. He said it is the duty of the Governor General to oversee the moral authority of the Crown.

An official with the Ministry of Forests said it is willing to talk to the Haida, but cannot stop the transfer of logging rights from Weyerhauser to Brascan.

Protesters may shut down all logging

If the government doesn't budge, Lore said there is widespread support amongst the Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal communities for a complete shutdown of all logging on the islands by the weekend.

He said he's repeatedly urged provincial officials to consult with the Haida, telling them they'd be defying a Supreme Court order if they did not. "My town is going to get caught in the middle," Lore said.

Weyerhaeuser spokesperson Sarah Goodman said it's not the company's responsibility to consult with the Haida about the timber licence sale to Brascan.

"The Supreme Court was very clear that businesses such as Weyerhaeuser do not have duty to consult and accommodate First Nations," she said.

"It makes good sense to work with First Nations. They are our neighbours. And we believe the government has in place many processes to consult with the Haida and will continue to do so, regardless of who holds the licence."