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From Keewaytinook Okimakanak's boardroom in Balmertown, Roger Valley announced several Federal government funded initiatives. The announcement was web cast and is available at http://streaming.knet.ca/RogerValleyannounce.wmv

The Government of Canada, through Indian and Northern Affairs Canada, has provided a total of almost $11 million for four major projects being managed by northwestern Ontario First Nations:

• $5.4 million for a new water treatment plant at Kasabonika Lake First Nation (construction is expected to begin in June 2005 and be complete in early 2006);
• $4.1 million for a new water treatment plant at the Ojibways of Onigaming First Nation (construction began in October 2004, and the plant is expected to be operational by September 2005);
• $1.3 million for a new wastewater treatment lagoon at Fort Severn First Nation, (operational since the Fall of 2004); and
• $162,000 to the Nibinamik First Nation, to be used by Nibinamik working with Wunnumin Lake First Nation to negotiate an impact benefit agreement with De Beers Canada, a mining company interested in exploration in their traditional territories.

For more details read the complete news release at the INAC web site ... Northwestern Ontario First Nations Moving Forward on Capital and Economic Development Projects

• Backgrounder - First Nation Water/Wastewater Improvements and Economic Development in Northwestern Ontario

David Meekis Memorial School is using Information and Communication Technologies and the Deer Lake First Nation broadband cable service for their telephone, data and video connections. Dan Pellerin, K-Net's Network Manager, is working with Jeremy Sawanas, the school's IT Technician and the school administration to develop and maintain these systems. He travelled to Deer Lake this week to provide training and technical support for Jeremy and the school.

Adam Fiser, the University of Toronto PhD candidate, accompanied Dan on this visit. Adam is under contract with the First Nations SchoolNet Regional Management Organization to produce a report about the SchoolNet youth employment initiative being delivered by Keewaytinook Okimakanak.

Peter Campbell, KO Public Works Manager and Kevin Houghton, KO Telehealth Manager are attending this week's Nishnawbe Aski Nation Chiefs' Assembly being held in Timmins. As well, chiefs from KO First Nations attending this assembly include Chief Archie Meekis from Deer Lake, Chief Roy Gray from Fort Severn and Chief Raymond Mason from Keewaywin. Peter is acting as a proxy for chief Jimmy Rae from North Spirit Lake.

Some Assembly highlights include the second of three fundraising discussion dinners commemorating the centennial of the James Bay Treaty (Treaty No. 9) and the official Grand Opening of the NAN Eastern Office.

Click here for meeting details.

Click here for a draft agenda of the three day Assembly.

In preparation for the second United Nations' World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS II) that is happening in Tunis in November, 2005, the Canadian Commission for UNESCO is hosting a gathering in Winnipeg on May 13 - 15, 2005. The title of the conference is "Paving the Road to Tunis - WSIS II: The Views of Canada's Civil Society on the Geneva Plan of Action and the Prospects for Phase II". Click here for the draft agenda.

Two on-line resources with a wealth of information about WSIS and Civil Society are:

1. World Summit on the Information Society: Civil Society http://www.wsis-cs.org
2. World Summit on the Information Society - Heinrich Boll Foundation site at http://www.worldsummit2005.org/

From the UNESCO letter of invitation describing Keewaytinook Okimakanak's presentation, we will "focus on innovative services offered by community partners working with the Kuhkenah Network and how the network supports Aboriginal communities to develop.  It is our opportunity for the K-Net team and our organization to assess the accomplishments made at the regional and national levels and identify areas of improvement."

The full text of the K-Net presentation is now being plan so it can be delivered to UNESCO prior or at the time of the conference. This document will be included in the final report of the conference.  The report will be distributed at the 33rd UNESCO General Conference in Paris, France, in October 2005 and at the Summit in Tunis in November 2005.

Keewaytinook Okimakanak will be setting up a display at this gathering to showcase some of the work being done in partnership with the First Nations across the region and the country. We would like to invite all our First Nation partners (communities, organizations, schools, health centres, etc) to join with us to present their information and stories at this gathering by contributing to the presentation and/or providing information packages that you would like to see distributed at this gathering. Please send digital copies of your material to brian.beaton@knet.ca

Thank you for your interest and support in developing the Kuhkenah Network story that will be shared with the world! 

Phil Carr, publisher of the Canada Connects magazine, was the guest speaker in a number of business classes at Carleton University. As part of his presentation, he connected with the K-Net office in Sioux Lookout using the Breeze meeting on-line platform for presentations about the telehealth and internet high school work being supported by Keewaytinook Okimakanak.

Jesse Fiddler, KO's former multi-media manager, travelled to Yellowknife this past week to share the Kuhkenah Network development and operations story. Conference participants from across the Territories gathered to learn about their broadband connectivity program that is about to be deployed over this coming summer. Jesse worked with other young people from remote communities, sharing his story and work.

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.

National Chief Phil Fontaine of the Assembly of First Nations and Grand Chief Stan Beardy of Nishnawbe Aski Nation visited Keewaytinook Okimakanak on Monday, March 21. The Municipality of Red Lake hosted the luncheon and members of the community joined the guests and the Keewaytinook Okimakanak team for a special supper. Click here to see some pictures from this event.

Presentations and demonstrations involving several remote First Nation communities across the north were provided to showcase the Kuhkenah Network (K-Net), the internet high school and the KO Telehealth initative.

Other guests travelling with the National Chief included Jerry Fontaine, Marsha Smoke and Dean Fontaine.

Nine First Nation youth workers from the Keewaytinook Okimakanak First Nations SchoolNet project met at the Fort William First Nation Learning Centre to prepare for the weekend Chiefs of Ontario Youth Symposium on Social Development.

The youth include:

• Tabatha Jourdain, KO Youth Project Coordinator, Couchiching FN
• Aaron Hardy, Cisco Academy ITE1 Instructor, KiHS Classroom Assistant, Fort William FN
• Curtis Drake and Selina Meekis, Sandy Lake FN
• Stephanie Tookenay, Pic Mobert FN
• Kristin Doxtator, Oneida Nation
• Chessa Syrette, Batchewana FN
• Richard Debassige, MChigeeng FN
• Tanya Gray, Aamjiwnaang FN

Lead by Keewaywin First Nation Chief Raymond Mason, Penny Carpenter (KO's Finance Manager and Acting Health Director), Darrin Potter (KIHS Principal), Donna Williams (KO Telehealth Regional Coordinator), Craig Hardy (KIHS teacher, Fort William First Nation) and Natasha Francis (Youth Worker, Akwesasne) travelled to Ottawa for the Connecting Aboriginal Canadians gathering (March 14, 15, 16) and the World Summit of the Information Society international preparatory workshop (March 17, 18). Carl Seibel, FedNor's Telecom Project Officer attended the WSIS workshop.

Meetings and presentations filled everyone's agenda during this week. Feedback from conference participants indicate that Keewaytinook Okimakanak's work in connecting remote and rural First Nations is being recognized by many people attending this event.