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The Poplar Hill Tournament is now completed. It began on Thursday, August 22, 2002. There were four local teams, one team from Cat Lake, one team from Deer Lake and two teams from Paungassi. Three other teams planning to attend were not able to make the trip to Poplar Hill. The Winners were Poplar Hill WolfPac as the A-side Champs. Runner up was Paungassi team 1. B-side champs were Cat Lake with the runners up being the Paungassi team 2. Paungassi nearly did the same thing Poplar Hill did in the Deer Lake tournament where they won both A and B side. But after a shaky start both the Poplar Hill and Cat Lake teams prevailed and won their final games in their divisions. Even so, both the Paungassi teams played to the top of their games, giving the winners a good run for their money.

The Keewaytinook Internet High School is starting its third year of operation with its annual teacher orientation / training workshop in Balmertown the week of August 26 to 30, 2002. Thirteen KiHS teachers are gathering the tools and the information they require to travel into the First Nations that are hosting this year's KiHS classrooms. Check out their workshop pictures.

KO Telehealth is launched during Keewaytinook Okimakanak's 10th Anniversary Celebration in Balmertown on August 22. Geordi Kakepetum, KO’s Executive Director, welcomed everyone to the 10th Anniversary celebration and launch. He related how our telehealth initiative began about four years ago. Our Keewaytinook Okimakanak Chiefs were watching a videoconference between a physician at the Ottawa Heart Institute and a patient in the Northwest Territories. Since then telehealth has been part of the KO wellness strategy. Orpah McKenzie, Director of KO Health Services, acknowledged Keewaytinook Okimakanak’s Health Services work with health partners including the NORTH Network, Industry Canada/FedNor, CHIPP, Northern Ontario Heritage Fund, the Red Lake Margaret Cochenour Memorial Hospital, the Zone Hospital and others to create telehealth and keep it running. Orpah then introduced the telehealth coordinators in each of our KO communities: Lily Sawanas in Deer Lake, Jessie Mathews in Fort Severn, Mary Kakekagumick in Keewaywin, Julie Meekis in North Spirit, and Rita Wassaykeesic in Poplar Hill. Orpah introduced the KO Telehealth Project team of Dr. Aaron Feldstein, Dr. Claudette Chase and Dr. Mark Polle, the KO Telehealth’s Regional Medical Directors, John Rowlandson (Project Manager), Christine Penner Polle (Regional Coordinator), Donna Williams (Informatics Educator), and Gibbet Stevens (Communications Coordinator). This was followed by a ribbon cutting ceremony to launch our telehealth project. Carl Seibel from FedNor assisted Orpah McKenzie and Geordi Kakepetum in cutting the ribbon. A presentation, gift and award ceremony was made via videoconferencing to Starsky Suggashie at the Keewaywin E-Centre for being the first “telehealth consult.” James Kakapetum, Health Director for Keewaywin, accepted the award on Starsky’s behalf. Donna Williams, KO Telehealth’s educator/trainer then connected with coordinator, Julie Meekis in North Spirit Lake by videoconference. Along with Julie’s grandson, Samuel and Laurie Rae, the Prenatal Nutrition worker, they helped to demonstrate some of the telehealth equipment for the audience. Julie used the exam camera to check Samuel’s feeding and breathing tubes and then used the otoscope to look inside Laurie’s ear. It was a very successful launch and for everyone who made it possible – THANK YOU and CONGRATULATIONS! See the first photo album of the launch and also in the second photo album

Deer Lake Celebrated KO's 10th anniversary along with North Spirit, Poplar Hill, Keewaywin, Fort Severn and Balmertown through our Video Conferencing connections. The Celebration took place at Deer Lake's E-Center. Community Members were invited to come to the celebration. Snacks and Refreshments were served. See the pictures here.

Oshki-Pimache-O-Win Education and Training Institute is currently accepting resumes for the positions of Computer Skills and Web Development Instuctor, Project Team Leader and three Assistants for the Canada's Aboriginal Digital Opportunities program. For more information , please visit our website at www.oshki.ca

North Spirit Lake celebrated KO's tenth year anniversary at the local e-Centre. Several community members showed up for this event. The food along with refreshments were enjoyed by all. You can see the pictures here.

Keewaytinook Okimakanak Telehealth was in Sandy Lake on Monday August 19th and Tuesday August 20th to talk about the KO Telehealth Initiative . Sandy Lake First Nation, Health Director, John McKay, invited KO Telehealth so that people in his community could learn more about telemedicine services. On Monday evening, KO Telehealth Project Manager, John Rowlandson, lead a discussion about telehealth services with resident and visiting clinical staff. On Tuesday morning, Rowlandson, presented to Elders and the Sandy Lake Band Council. Nurses and physicians who attended Monday night were enthusiastic about the ways that telemedicine could be used in a remote First Nation like Sandy Lake. They were interested to hear about how it was working in other KO communities and what was involved in delivering and supporting telemedicine services. Similarly, Elders and Council members said they enjoyed the presentation and that they had a better idea about what telehealth is and how it might work in Sandy Lake. Broadband services -- such as high speed internet and videoconferencing are now being implemented throughout the community.

The ladies of Poplar Hill quickly organized a mini tournament over the weekend. It all worked out well with the guys out to the Deer Lake men's tournament.They had the baseball field to themselves. The weather was not too good on Saturday but the tournament still went on. A team from Manitoba came to challage our ladies (Paungassi Bomers), 3 local teams, Ladyhawks, Ladybugs and Thunderhearts. The team from Manitoba (Paungassi Bomers) took the first prize ($1200 cash prize) and the Ladyhawks came in second taking $800 cash prize.

Presents August 21 - 24, 2002 4th Annual Softball Tournament Championship: $10,000 Finalists: $3000 Colsolation: $2000 Runner up: $1000 Division A Big Trout Lake Wunnumin Lake Dirty Dozen Sachigo Team 2 Neskantaga Opashka Braves Kasabonika Division B Weagamow Sachigo Warriors Kingfisher Lake Young Gunns Fort Hope Wunnumin Lake Hoyas RAFFLE DRAW Prized include: Panasonic DVD Player Cell Phone Fish Finder XBOX Barbeque Grill 20" TV 1$ per ticket Plus Many more... WC14 Aluminum Boat Race 1st Prize: $800 2nd Prize: $600 3rd Prize: $400 If weather permits. Contact: Matt Winter or Lott Sainnawap @ 532 2067 NIGHTLY SQUARE DANCING & RAP DANCE Bingo Bingo Bingo Bingo every evening at the Field. Saturday: Jackpot 1999 4x4 Dodge Truck Extended Cab. $14,000 Split for 2 or more winners. These are just some of the Activities that will be happening. For more information or Accommodationgs, Call the Band Office @ 807 532 2067 ask for one of the following; Roy Sainnawap, James Mamakwa, Sol Mamakwa, Matt Winter, Lott Sainnawap.

Please come and join the KO Telehealth Team in celebrating our telehealth launch in Balmertown as part of the Keewaytinook Okimakanak Tenth Anniversary celebration! We will be formally introducing telehealth - a new way of delivering health care in the KO Region. Present will be people in this region who are working to bring this new health service to the North. Festivities will include a cake cutting ceremony and demonstrations of the new telehealth equipment. Hope to see you there! To see the official invitation to all interested groups and individuals CLICK HERE. To find out more about the Keewaytinook Okimakanak Telehealth Initiative, CLICK HERE.