Minister of State for Public Health visits Keewaytinook Okimakanak
On November 20, 2004, the Honourable Carolyn Bennett, Minister of State for Public Health, visited the Keewaytinook Okimakanak office in Sioux Lookout.
Roger Valley, MP, hosted the Minister during her visit to the Kenora riding. On Saturday, Minister Bennett and Roger drove from Dryden in a snow storm to participate in the planned session.
After meeting the K-Net team at the Keewaytinook Okimakanak office, a driving tour of the Kuhkenah Network including the new 7.3M satellite earthstation provided the minister with an orientation about the work being done in delivering community based connectivity solutions for remote communities across northern Ontario. The tour included the community’s health care facilities with presentations and demonstrations at the Teleheath and Teleradiology facilities at Menoyawin Health Care Centre.
Returning to the Keewaytinook Okimakanak office building, a virtual Minister’s Roundtable on Public Health and Technology took place. This was accomplished through a video conference, linking Sioux Lookout with Balmertown, Thunder Bay and Keewaywin First Nation. The event included presentations on programs including: Telehealth; Diabetes; Aboriginal Head Start; Tobacco and the proposed KO Virtual Health Access Centre.
Participants in the roundtable discussion and presentations included representatives from the Keewaytinook Okimakanak’s (KO) Balmertown office and their Teleheath Program (Penny Carpenter) and Research Institute in Thunder Bay (Brian Walmark). As well as representatives from Keewaywin First Nation (Chief Raymond Mason and his team of health care providers) and Lac Seul First Nation (Chief David Gordon and Jennifer Manitowabi); Sioux Lookout First Nations Health Authority (Janet Gordon), SLAAMB (Sam Manitowabi), Northern Ontario School of Medicine (Orpah McKenzie, Aboriginal Affairs Director and Dr. Dan Hunt, Western Campus Dean) and Health Canada (Mike Lovett, Zone Director).
The roundtable meeting was followed by a traditional feast of wild food (goose, wild rice, moose, fish, deer, bannock, blueberry pie, etc) that was coordinated by Jeannie Carpenter and Tabatha Jourdain.
Geordi Kakepetum, Executive Director of Keewaytinook Okimakanak commented in the Nov 10 press release, “it is always a pleasure to showcase and celebrate with government officials and our partners, the work that has been achieved with their strategic investments in First Nations communities and organizations.”
“It is a privilege to have the Honourable Carolyn Bennett, Minister of State for Public Health, visit the Kenora riding. The Minister has expressed a keen interest to learn more about the uniqueness of the Kenora riding in terms of public health issues as well as the use of technology to address public health needs” added Roger Valley, MP, Kenora.
For further information contact:
Trudy Griffiths, Executive Assistant, Roger Valley, MP (807) 221-7060