Media.Knet.Ca

http://healthyontario.com provides Ontarians with a world-leading web destination for trusted health information, services and advice for healthier living. HealthyOntario.com annually receives over 2 million visits and is increasing as more people feel empowered to manage their health, discover their options, and connect to services and people that can help them on their path to wellness.

HealthyOntario.com provides quick and easy access to health information. The Ontario Ministry of Health Promotion created HealthyOntario.com, which launched in October 2002, as way to demonstrate the ministry's commitment to providing trusted health information to help the people of Ontario to live healthier lives.

This is from a media release from Ontario's Health Promotion Minister Jim Watson ....

http://ogov.newswire.ca/ontario/GPOE/2006/09/15/c6514.html?lmatch=&lang=_e.html

Ontarians can now access information on nutrition and healthy eating through a new, province-wide online service called EatRight Ontario, part of the existing, highly-acclaimed website, http://HealthyOntario.com. EatRight Ontario includes an online resource which will allow people to ask specific nutrition related questions and receive feedback.

"Access to reliable nutrition information is key to promoting good health," said Minister Watson. "In addition to programs such as the Northern Fruit and Vegetable Pilot Program, which has a strong educational component, we are also developing additional information resources for Ontarians who are seeking to improve their health and quality of life through healthy, nutritious eating."

"This pilot project supports our local agri-food industry by promoting the consumption of fresh, high quality Ontario produce," said Leona Dombrowsky, Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs. "It also gives schoolchildren the opportunity to choose healthier snacks."

"Fruit and vegetable consumption is associated with better health. Research indicates that it's important to develop healthy eating habits early in life," said Dianne Oickle, Chair, Ontario Society of Nutrition Professionals in Public Health. According to the recent Canadian Community Health Survey, the 59 per cent of Canadian children and youth aged 2 to 17 who reported consuming fruit and vegetables less than five times a day were significantly more likely to be overweight or obese than those who ate fruit and vegetables more frequently."

The Northern Fruit and Vegetable Pilot Program is one of the new programs that has come out of Ontario's Action Plan for Healthy Eating and Active Living, launched by the government in June. The Action Plan responds to key findings in the Chief Medical Officer of Health's report entitled Healthy Weights, Healthy Lives, which called for a broad, province-wide effort across sectors and communities to combat obesity. The government's $10 million action plan offers new programs and strategies, and builds on existing ones to support healthy eating and active living in Ontario.

G8 Program Registration is Now Open
 
The G8 Supplementary Courses Program ("G8 Program") was created to help First Nation students prepare for the demands of high school. This program provides First Nation grade 8 classrooms with online courses that highlight key skills and knowledge in the areas of Science, Math and English Literacy as outlined by the Ontario Ministry of Education.

All courses are free and run for about 2 months. It is important to stress that these courses are supplementary in nature. While a number of grade 8 curriculum expectations are covered throughout this program, these courses are not meant to act as a substitute to the regular classroom instruction. 

The first course (English Literacy) will run from Oct 8, 2006 to Jan 26, 2007. Students are required to be online for at least 3 hours per week (anytime). Registration is now open. 
 
The goals of the G8 Program are as follows:

• Promote academic skills and knowledge in the core subjects of Science, Math and English Literacy.
• Promote an understanding the high school system (ex. What is a credit?  What is the difference between elective and compulsory courses? How are different courses connected to different career paths? Etc.)
• Promote pride and awareness in First Nation communities, issues and people
• Promote computer literacy (file management, word processing, Internet research, graphics editing).
• Promote communication between students and teachers in remote and rural First Nation schools.
• Provide teachers with practical examples of how computers and the Internet can be used to enrich the learning of their students.

The courses are delivered via a secure online platform that was adapted to showcase First Nations communities across Ontario.  Students and teachers can use their online profile to exchange messages, chat and share pictures.  Students are asked to log in three times per week (the local teacher determines the actual day and hour). During this time, students review lessons and complete assignments.  The flexibility of the G8 Program allows teachers to make the program fit their local schedule. The course content is geared explicitly for Aboriginal students. Lessons often use subjects, places and situations that promote or reflect First Nations topics and environments. To find out more about the G8 Program, please visit www.g8.firstnationschools.ca.

FINAL ROUND VOTING HAS BEGUN

VOTE NOW!
Until 11:59 PM CDT, October 13th, 2006

Click here to see the APCMA NOMINEES

The APC Music Awards (http://aboriginalpeopleschoice.com) is the only event where you, the fans, have the opportunity to choose which artist will be honoured in each category. Be a part of Canadian Aboriginal music history - sign up today to cast your vote. Online voting, world wide, begsn September 13, 2006.

The Aboriginal Peoples Choice Music Awards is the first awards show of its kind. It provides an opportunity to showcase Aboriginal music to the rest of the world and to expose Aboriginal recording artists to a national fan base, music industry, and media.

This inaugural event will serve to give Aboriginal artists increased profile, and bring the artists, industry and fans closer together. A four-year plan is in place for Manito Ahbee and the Aboriginal Peoples Choice Music Awards.

The Awards show will take place at the MTS Centre in Winnipeg, MB on Friday Nov 3, 2006 starting at 7:00 PM (click here for online ticket purchases). Manitoba Lotteries is the Presenting Sponsor in the inaugural year, with a financial commitment towards the festival and awards show.

Click here to learn more about the 109 music artists profiled on the site (listen to clips of their music)

From http://www.kenoradailyminerandnews.com./story.php?id=254733

National Chief appalled by conditions at Whitedog school

By Mike Aiken - Miner and News - September 15, 2006

National Chief Phil Fontaine blasted the federal government for its inaction Thursday during a visit to Wabaseemoong (Whitedog) First Nation.

With up to 20 students using the front room of a teacher’s residence for a classroom, delays at Wabaseemoong School are shameful, Fontaine said.

“It’s a terrible situation. I’m absolutely appalled,” he said, during a tour of the facility.

Fontaine was looking around at the unfinished floor and makeshift table, which doubled for desks in the temporary setting.

“The students must be simply outstanding to be where they are and the government should be ashamed, simply ashamed,” he said.

Overcrowding at the 34 year-old building has caused up to 60 teenagers to turn their backs on their education, said vice-principal Gaye McDonald.

“They say ‘We’re not going to get the attention we need.’ So they don’t come back,” she said.

Draft designs and proposals have been flying back and forth for years between band council and the federal government. At one point, the community thought they had approval for a plan to have construction completed on the project by 2007.

However, the latest word from Indian and Northern Affairs suggests they may not even start construction on the $18-million building until next year.

“We don’t need another study to figure out what needs to be done,” said principal Orvil Traverse, who presented a list of defects to the national chief.

Teachers have already lost their staff room and prep time.

Shops for technical trades and home economics have also been taken over, and the warped floorboards in the gym leave the future of intramural sports in doubt.

Flooding started last Christmas, after the heating system failed and the pipes burst. Parts for the furnace have to be machined, because they’re so old, and administrators are always afraid of more damage due to freezing during the winter months.

The crumbling wall has been braced by wooden trusses, which make elementary classrooms look more like construction sites.

Maintenance staff have also reported sparks coming from the electrical panel, due to heaving as the foundation shifts and settles on its clay base.

Student council president Mauricio Diaz admitted the conditions are a distraction. Due to overcrowding, not all students have access to seats or desks.

Donations of books to the library remain in boxes, because there isn’t enough room to put them on shelves. The resource centre has also been remodelled into a classroom.

“All of these issues which I’ve discussed are seriously affecting our learning every single day,” said Diaz, during his speech for the national chief.

Treaty 3 Grand Chief Arnold Gardner joined Fontaine on his trip to Whitedog, and they both pledged to take the students’ message to Ottawa where they hoped to convince the Minister of Indian Affairs changes are urgently needed.

The chairman of Abinoojii Ojibway Child and Family Services, Isaac Mandamin, added the community had another 200 children in care, and they would have trouble fitting into the school if they were able to return to their First Nation.

School staff note 70 per cent of their 300 students are under the age of 11, and current conditions don’t allow them to pursue plans for adult education courses.

EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY
Community Liaison & Student Recruitment Officer

The Oshki-Pimache-O-Win Education & Training Institute established by Nishnawbe Aski Nation (NAN) offers post-secondary education and training programs.  We offer choice, accessibility, flexibility, opportunities and support services for our students.  Still in it early stages, OSHKI is an innovative, independent institution that currently offers accredited courses in business, social services, and early childhood education.  New programs are also in the works.

We are looking for a highly, energetic and dynamic individual for the Community Liaison & Student Recruitment Officer position.  This is an exciting opportunity to help NAN members and other learners to increase their educational growth and successes.  The successful candidate will liaise with individuals, educators and leaders of the NAN communities and organizations and will actively promote OSHKI’s education and training programs to achieve or exceed minimum enrollment numbers for our programs.  Responsibilities also include: 

• Promptly contacting new learners referred by community agencies, and making timely responses to enquiries from prospective students
• Provide counseling and information services to prospective students regarding career and educational options and choices to ensure students are recruited into programs appropriate to their interests and needs.
• Liaise with colleagues at OSHKI and with partner institutions to clarify program goals, expectations and requirements in order to assist interested individuals in making informed decisions regarding entry into programs.
• Communicate course and program requirements, application processes, and funding options and eligibility criteria to prospective students
• Work with students, community-based agencies and partners to facilitate student entry into programs, by scheduling required testing and arranging for local invigilators.

Qualifications for this position include:

• Possess a diploma in Business Administration, Social Services or related program;
• One to three years of Marketing, placement, career clarification or guidance experience;
• Experience in one or more of:  student recruitment; administration of enrolment, registration or application processes; adult education or training;
• Excellent verbal communication and active listening skills;
• Presentation and public speaking skills;
• Demonstrated ability to build relationships with First Nation communities and organizations.
• Ability to travel to the First Nations;  both remote and road access;
• Fluency in either Oji-Cree or Cree would be an asset.

Interested candidates are invited to submit a letter of interest and a resume, with three references, to:
Executive Director
Oshki-Pimache-O-Win Education & Training Institute
106 Centennial Square, 3rd Floor
Thunder Bay, ON  P7E 1H3
Fax:  (807) 622-1818
Email:  info@oshki.ca

Closing date: Friday, September 22, 2006 at 12:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time

While we appreciate all applications for this position, only those who are selected for an interview will be contacted.

Leonor Slavsky (leonorslavsky@yahoo.com.ar) is working with the National Institute of Anthropology (National Culture Secretariat) in Argentina.  She is also working with an IDRC-ICA support community project to develop connectivity services in the Indigenous communities across Argentina. The project web site can be seen at www.lofdigital.org.ar.

She is in Ottawa doing research on the Canadian cultural policies towards indigenous peoples. She is also networking with potential partners for developing broadband connectivity solutions for the rural and remote communities in her country. Luis Barnola, Senior Program Specialist at the Institute for Connectivity in the Americas/IDRC (http://icamericas.net) introduced Leonor to the work K-Net is doing. The 2003 ICA funded publication, "Harnessing ICTs: A Canadian First Nations experience - K-Net Program", detailing the K-Net story are available online at http://www.icamericas.net/Cases_Reports/K-Net/KNET-Final%20light%20ENG.pdf (it is also available in Spanish).

Leonor is spending a month in Ottawa learning about the cultural policies towards indigenous peoples on a grant from the Canadian Government. Working with Industry Canada's First Nation SchoolNet team, Leonor was able to connect via video conference with the K-Net team on Sioux Lookout on Thursday, Sept 14.

On Tuesday and Wednesday, Sept 12 and 13), I travelled over to Grassy Narrows and Wabaseemoong First Nations to meet with local officials to identify strategies to develop local broadband connectivity solutions.

Grassy Narrows First Nation is working with North One Communications (http://northone.ca) to develop their community connections to the internet. Robert Williamson, Project Manager is overseeing the development of this local resource for Grassy Narrows. A local wireless network is now operational with both businesses and homes being connected to it by a local team of technicians trained by Richard Lajeunesse (Richard5205@northone.ca). Richard is the owner of North One and is a Grassy Narrows band member.

Industry Canada's FedNor's Telecommunication program is funding K-Net to support First Nations across northern Ontario to develop local community broadband solutions. One investment of these funds was to fund North One and the Crescive network to install two radios on Bell towers that would connect Grassy Narrows to the Kuhkenah Network. This construction work was successfully completed over this past spring and summer, connecting the community to a broadband network that supports video conferencing and high speed internet access.

The K-Net visit provided everyone the opportunity to learn about how the connections are working and how Grassy Narrows can begin working to develop local economic initiatives using these connections. Trevor Ashopenace is working at the local school under Industry Canada's First Nations SchoolNet program. He is now working with Richard's and K-Net's team to get the video conferencing equipment and connections working at the school.

A meeting with the Wabaseemoong Independent Nation Chief and Council was an opportunity to introduce the concept for bringing a Bell Canada T1 connection into their community. An interest in working with Richard's team at North One and arranging a visit to Grassy Narrows to learn about their connectivity development work was expressed. Glen Cameron, Public Works Manager, is leading this work on behalf of the council.

Keewaytinook Okimakanak's K-Net team is working with Matawa First Nations Management in the construction of local community broadband networks in four Nishnawbe Aski Nation communities.

Constance Lake, Marten Falls, Pikangikum and Sandy Lake First Nations will be seeing local cable systems being installed throughout their communities over the next few months.

Meetings last week with K-Net and Matawa staff clarified roles and responsibilities as the Matawa team leads this community broadband network construction project.

Each First Nation is contributing support for the development of their community network. Matawa was successful in obtaining over $900,000 from Industry Canada's Broadband for Rural and Northern Development. Keewaytinook Okamakanak's K-Net Services received funding from Industry Canada's FedNor program to help support the purchase of the network equipment and support the construction work.

The initial meeting with Thunder Bay Telephone on Friday, Sept 8, resulted in many new exciting opportunities for the various projects that Keewaytinook Okimakanak and their First Nation partners are undertaking. Angela Crozier of NAN, Rob Wesley of Matawa, Franz Seibel of KORI, Brian Beaton and Adi Linden of K-Net, along with Carl Seibel of FedNor were able to meet with several key Thunder Bay Telephone officials (including John Lyon from Superior Wireless who is now on contract with T.Bay Tel for the transition period) to discuss the various initiatives that K-Net and our partners are developing.

Thunder Bay Telephone officially took over ownership of all Superior Wireless assets on September 1, 2006.

The Superior Wireless team was working over the past few years with the K-Net team to develop broadband connectivity solutions in a number of First Nations and locsl organizations. All indications from our initial meeting with Thunder Bay Telephone, is that everything will "business as usual" with our new partner.

All the staff and resources from Superior Wireless are now moved into the Thunder Bay Telephone resulting in many more options and efficiencies in how best to design and deliver the planned connections. Some of the planned work will now be able to migrate to existing fibre connections.

Existing connections will be maintained and developed in partnership with Thunder Bay Telephone, the new owners of Superior Wireless. All new connections will be developed in partnership with Thunder Bay Telephone and their partners. One example of this is the new fibre interconnection at the water tower in Sioux Lookout. This new connection that was installed last week will now support a redundant route for K-Net’s existing 100Mb connection back to Thunder Bay.

The K-Net team is looking forward to working with Thunder Bay Telephone to develop these opportunities for improved broadband connectivity in the First Nations.

Forest fires moving to within 10km of Deer Lake are forcing the evacuation of more residents. There are now only 100 to 150 people left in Deer Lake, a community of one thousand, reports Jeremy Sawanas.

People with breathing problems are also being evacuated from Sandy Lake and Keewaywin.

The two stories below describe the challenges for everyone.

From http://www.cbc.ca/story/canada/national/2006/09/13/ontario-fires.html

700 leave homes as Ontario forest fires burn
Sept 13 2006

Hundreds of people have left their homes in "bone-dry" northwestern Ontario, where fire crews are struggling to control more than 300 fires burning in the region.

 Ontario Thunder Bay Deer Lake Sandy Lake Lightning strikes have caused most of the fires burning in the area northwest of Thunder Bay, including the 60 new fires that started on Tuesday, said Debbie MacLean, with the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources.

"Currently, there are about 300 fires burning," she said of the region north of Lake Superior, stretching from Thunder Bay to Rainy River. "It's bone-dry in Central Canada."

About 700 people have left their homes in the northern communities of Deer Lake, Sandy Lake and Keewaywin because of heavy smoke from the fires.

The evacuees, who include children, seniors and people with respiratory problems, are being housed in various communities in the municipality of Greenstone, said its mayor, Michael Power.

"It's a terrible thing to say but we're old hands at this," said Power. "For many years the community of Geraldton in Greenstone has been doing this, acting as a host to people who flee their homes from fires."

Power said nurses from the various communities travelled to Greenstone with the evacuees to look after their daily needs.

Dozens of new fires daily

The influx is a challenge for Greenstone's resources and public employees, he said, but it's something they feel they have to do.

"You can't stand by and see your fellow human being in a time of need not being welcomed and not do everything you possibly can to ease the stress they face when they flee their home and they don’t know what they're going back to," Power said.

He said the municipality is expecting additional evacuees as emergencies are called in other communities.

MacLean said local fire crews are working long hours to battle the dozens of small blazes popping up daily. Firefighters are managing to contain about 40 fires per day, but anywhere from 60 to 100 new fires start daily, she said.

"The sheer number of fires is outpacing the resources we have," said MacLean.

Heavy smoke a problem

David Cleaveley, a fire officer with the Natural Resources Department, said the situation is one of the worst department staff can remember this late in the year.

Many of the problems in the northern communities are caused by heavy smoke from the fires.

"The smoke is so thick we can't even land planes there to talk to the people," Cleaveley said.

He said 21 heavy water bombers are being used to fight the fires.

Local crews were cut in half after student firefighters returned to school, Cleaveley said, but crews are starting to trickle in from other provinces, including Saskatchewan and Quebec.

++++++++++++

From http://www.tbsource.com/localnews/index.asp?cid=86672

Wildfires are straining resources
Tb News Source - 9/12/2006

Fire concerns continue to grow across the northwest and have now led to more evacuations.

Almost 300 residents of the remote community of Deer Lake were flown to Geraldton Monday and more are on the way.

Smoke from nearby fires has been drifting into the community, located about 600 kilometres northwest of Thunder Bay, for over a week but the fires have moved to within ten kilometres of the town, forcing even more residents out.

Plans call for about 260 more residents to be flown out Tuesday and Wednesday.

About 70 residents of Sandy Lake and 120 from Keewaywin are also being flown to Geraldton because of smoke concerns. All this comes as fire crews continue to battle the large numbers of new fire outbreaks. There were 54 new starts recorded Monday and are now over 250 active fires across the region, burning over 30,000 hectares.

Fire information officer Deb MacLean says bone-dry conditions have created a critical situation and warns that any one fire could become a ``big problem.''

MacLean says the fires are straining firefighting resources to the limit and a depleted staff is unable to keep up with the workload. Quebec has sent in crews to help out, but she says most other provinces face similar challenges and don't have anyone to spare.