Sandy Lake Old-Timers Hockey Tournament

Sandy Lake Recreational 35 years and over Old-Timers Hockey Tourmament, orginally scheduled for February 19 to 21/04, has been moved to March 25, 26, & 28/04...

So you still have time to register your team in...Please phone Ringo Fiddler @ 807-774-5531 or Kennedy Fiddler -  807-774-5121...

Entry Fee-$600.00                                     Prizes: 1st: $3000.00.....

                                                           2nd: $1,500.00.....3rd: $600.00

No checking allowed,

Accommodations provided....Please try to bring your own sleeping  gears...

KO First Nation SMART teams prepare for International On-line Conference

The Keewaytinook Okimakanak SMART team is working together to plan and host the upcoming Indigenous SMART International Virtual Conference that will be happening on March 17 and 18, 2004. Conference information, updates and  activities are being posted at http://smart.knet.ca/international

Everyone is invited to register on-line for this event. Click here for the on-line registration form.

We look forward to learning about different innovative ICT efforts being made by other Indigenous groups from around the world as well as showcasing the work accomplished over the past three years of the Kuhkenah Network of Smart First Nations demonstration project.

Please mark these dates on your calendar and plan to join us for this international event where everyone will have a chance to showcase their work and efforts in using ICTs in their homes, work and communities.

Guests on Pelican radiothon...

Pelican Falls First Nations High School Travel Club

is hosting a

R A D I O T H O N

Please support our fund raising efforts so we can visit New York City this spring!

To make YOUR pledge, call:

-Local-

807-737-1488

807-737-4017

807-737-2971

-Toll-Free-

1-800-465-7144

1-800-667-3708

1-877-636-0667

--Special Guests Include--

Don Burnstick

Tina Keeper

Phil Fontaine

Barry McLoughlin

Matthew Angees

Paul Beardy

Freddie Kakegamic

Darren Lentz

... and others...

Please tune in and make a pledge!

Radiothon starts February 13 at 6:00 p.m. sharp and airs until 12 midnight. Tune into 91.9 FM on your local radio channel or Wahsa on Bell ExpressVu channel 972.

Ontario government looks for public input on their Budget Town Hall web site

The Ontario government created an on-line "Budget Town Hall" to support "an unprecedented dialogue with Ontarians" as they prepare their budget. Check it out and contribute some thoughts about what the government's priorities should include.

There are several ways to ensure your thoughts and advice on the budget are conveyed to the government:

  • At http://townhallontario.gov.on.ca you will be able to fill out an online survey. You can also send in your own ideas and advice electronically at this site.
  • You can read and fill out the Budget Town Hall 2004 Discussion Guide (PDF - 442kb), available at your local Government Information Centre or by calling the toll-free hotline at 1-866-608-4824 (TTY Line 1-800-268-7095).
  • You can fax in your advice to 416-326-5348.
  • You can mail in your advice to:
    Delivering Change - Budget Town Hall 2004
    PO Box #40
    77 Wellesley Street West
    Toronto, ON M7A 1N3

Launch of SmartCapital.ca includes a video link with Keewaytinook Okimakanak

Early Tuesday morning, 200 people gathered at City Hall in Ottawa to celebrate the launch of the SmartCapital.ca portal and recognize the numerous achievements of the Ontario Smart Communities Demonstration project. Included in the celebrations was the Kuh-ke-nah Network of Smart First Nation project via video conference. Click here to see the pictures.

Media Release
Ottawa and SmartCapital: World Leaders in Online Service Delivery

OTTAWA, February 10, 2004 - Ottawa Mayor Bob Chiarelli joined representatives from the federal and provincial governments to officially launch the SmartCapital.ca gateway, an initiative that has helped secure Ottawa's status as the most connected city in the world.

The Ottawa Centre for Research and Innovation's (OCRI) SmartCapital.ca gateway initiative boasts 12 online service projects, the engagement of over 50 development partners, and the ability to define, develop and deliver multiple services to online users.

Since 1999, the SmartCapital program has been accelerating the development of online services for all sectors of the region. Today's launch of the SmartCapital.ca gateway will showcase many of these services and will demonstrate how information technology is transforming the way in which Ottawans interact with one another, with public and private institutions and with the world.

"This is a perfect example of how partnerships can benefit everyone," said Ottawa Mayor Bob Chiarelli. "Here we have municipal government, community groups, public sector organizations including schools, hospitals and universities plus the business sector all working collaboratively to create seamless access to information resources for each and every citizen in Ottawa."

The SmartCapital.ca gateway is being used by city residents to do everything from helping entrepreneurs start and grow their business to accessing many of the City of Ottawa's essential services such as booking ice time, paying parking tickets and participating in city council meetings.

SmartCapital's Executive Director, Paul Wilker, explains that the initiative is about more than just convenience; it is about economic development - providing a higher quality of life and ensuring that the region remains globally competitive for years to come.

"We are creating the conditions that allow residents and businesses to integrate technology into daily living," Wilker continues. "The primary objectives of the SmartCapital initiative are to build a world leading broadband infrastructure; provide services and applications; and provide access to these services to the entire community. As we are demonstrating to the community today - we are succeeding in meeting these goals."

News of SmartCapital's success has traveled far beyond Ottawa as Wilker learned last week. SmartCapital has been named one of 24 finalists in the e-Government category of the Stockholm Challenge - a major clearinghouse for the best and brightest ideas in the area of information technology for community service delivery. Nearly 900 projects from 107 countries entered the competition. Winners from each category will be announced in Stockholm, Sweden on May 13, 2004.

SmartCapital.ca services include community access programs to ensure residents have free access to computers, computer training, the internet and software.

The City of Ottawa municipal government offers advanced information services, transactional capability for bill payment, and video streaming for e-democracy initiatives.

A SmartCapital program, AltogetherOTTAWA, provides free advanced collaborative software to all residents and businesses to build online communities.

Community partners provide: library services, a learning portal, affordable internet access for all university students, provision of 150 public access sites, and entrepreneurship tutorials.

SmartCapital.ca involves a suite of on-line services that are accessible free of charge to all Ottawa residents. These services facilitate interaction between and among governments, businesses and citizens and improve the efficiency of on-line transactions and services. At the same time, they provide city residents with a one-stop source of information, as well as a forum for on-line discussion and collaboration.

-30-

About SmartCapital
SmartCapital is an initiative to accelerate the development of online services for all sectors of the City of Ottawa. Working in collaboration with numerous partners, SmartCapital is launching services that are transforming the way in which citizens interact with one another, with public and private institutions, and with the world. For more information, please visit http://www.smartcapital.ca.

About OCRI
The Ottawa Centre for Research and Innovation (OCRI) is Ottawa's economic development corporation. OCRI is the rallying point to bring business, education and research together to create the winning economic conditions that allow Ottawa's technology companies to thrive locally and compete globally. At OCRI we promote sustainable economic development to maintain our high quality of life. For more information on OCRI visit our website at www.ocri.ca and for more information on the Ottawa Region please visit www.ottawaregion.com.

About Canada's Smart Communities
Smart Communities is a worldwide phenomenon that encourages villages, towns and cities to use information and communications technologies in innovative ways to empower their residents, institutions and regions as a whole. In Canada, the movement is growing thanks to the establishment of a national network of smart communities under the Government of Canada's Smart Community Program. The expertise of these 12 smart community demonstration projects - one in each province, one in the North, and one Aboriginal community - is helping other communities, both in Canada and abroad, effectively use technology for economic, social and cultural development.

For more information contact:

Meghan Pettipas
Manager, Marketing and Communications,
OCRI
Tel: 592-8160 ext. 256
Cell: 613-291-9232
mpettipas@ocri.ca

Felix Fontaine Memorial Recreation Hockey Tournament in Sagkeeng FN

Felix Fontaine Memorial First Nations Recreation Hockey Tournament

March 12th,13th & 14th

All players must have First Nations Status Card

Sagkeeng First Nations Multiplex

Double Knockout Format

Entry Fee  $600.00

1st Prize  $4000.00 plus trophy

2nd Prize $2000.00 plus trophy

3rd Prize  $1000.00 plus trophy

Indivdual trophies for:  Best Defense, Best Goalie, Top Scorer, M.V.P., Best R.W. , Best L.W., Best Centreman, Best Coach

Deadline for entry is March 8, Draw to made March 10, 2:00 p.m.

Please make certified cheque or money order to

Felix Fontaine Memorial

Contact    Lorna Chippeway   204 367-2285

   or          Claude Guimond     204 367-2588

Pelican Falls Radiothon on February 13... 6:00pm-12:00am

Pelican Falls First Nations High School Travel Club

is hosting a

R A D I O T H O N

Please support our fund raising efforts so we can visit New York City this spring!

Radiothon starts February 13 at 6:00 p.m. sharp and airs until 12 midnight. Tune into 91.9 FM on your local radio channel or Wahsa on Bell ExpressVu channel 972.

More information to come soon...

KO staff meet with Health Canada, NORTH Network and Education Network of Ontario

On Monday, Dan Pellerin, K-Net's Network Manager and Roy Hart, Health Canada's Regional IT Director, met with NORTH Network team members and toured their facilities in Toronto. Afterwards, Dan and Roy visited the team at the Education Network of Ontario and discussed network opportunities.

KO staff meet with Industry Canada's National Satellite Initiative

The National Satellite Initiative is a new program within Industry Canada's Broadband for Rural and Northern Development (BRAND) program. On Friday, February 6, Dan Pellerin, K-Net's Network Manager attended a meeting for the Satellite Service Providers in Ottawa. For more information about the purpose of this meeting, click here.

The National Satellite Initiative was created to lower the cost of broadband access for communities in the Far to mid-north, and in isolated and remote areas of Canada, where satellite is the only reasonable means of providing broadband access.

Infrastructure Canada, through the Canada Strategic Infrastructure Fund (CSIF), Industry Canada, and the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) are funding partners of this $155 million initiative.

Video production training and taping continues this winter in KO First Nations

Balmertown, Poplar Hill and Deer Lake are the designation points for the winter video taping that is now being completed as part of the KO Smart Communities Demonstration project evaluation process. George Ferreira is working with the Telecommons Development Group, the University of Guelph and the team at Keewaytinook Okimakanak to capture local stories and experiences using ICTs on video. The winter road experience is now also going to be included in these stories through these efforts.

George traveled from Guelph to Toronto and took the train to Winnipeg with all his gear. In Winnipeg, he rented a suburban and drove to Balmertown on Feb 1. He met and videotaped the KO team in Balmertown and participated in a Chiefs' Board meeting during his stay there. Then on Feb 5, he and Cal Kenny drove to Stormer Lake and videotaped some of the activities taking place there. From there, they took the winter road to Poplar Hill where they met with and videotaped different people and local activities. From Poplar Hill, George is going to drive to Deer Lake with Steven Zussino to work with the local smart team members in that community.