Media.Knet.Ca

The May issue of the VolunteersOnline.ca e-newsletter included K-Net and KiHS as one of their selection of "a handful of Canadian non-profit and charity websites that show voluntary sector expertise with technology." Click here to read the newsletter.

Click here to read the K-Net story by the newsletter editors.

Eugene Roman, Group President of Bell Systems and Technology along with Rebecca Shipman (Associate Director), Nathalie Micucci (K-Net Sales Account, Ottawa), Steve Burton (Sales Manager, Ottawa) and Gary Martin (Engineer, Sudbury) with Bell hosted a meeting on May 18 at their downtown Toronto office with representatives from FedNor and K-Net. Carl Seibel, Telecom Officer with FedNor along with K-Net staff (Dan and Brian) joined the Bell Canada team to discuss our work over the past few years in developing telecom network in Northwestern Ontario. The meeting provided an opportunity to examine areas of common interest and further the Bell and K-Net partnership in developing telecom infrastructure and services in First Nations across Ontario.

A tour of Bell exCITE! Co-lab provided the team with an opportunity to observe and share strategic planning and engagement workshop strategies with each other.

Thomas Harper of Koocheching First Nation successfully made a call to K-Net Services from the Koocheching school on May 28. What was unique about this call was that it was completed using a computer and a two-way satellite internet service supplied by Industry Canada's First Nations SchoolNet program along with the Skype VOIP software. Of special significance is the fact that Koocheching First Nation remains one of the last Nishnawbe Aski Nation communities that has only a single radio phone serving the entire community.

Koocheching FN applied to the BRAND and FedNor programs for financial support to install a broadband connection to their community. BRAND rejected the portion of the Windigo First Nations Council's proposal that included Koocheching (even though they included them on their graphical presentation to the rest of the world). The Chief and Council are now working with FedNor in the hope that they will support their application to develop an adequate broadband connection to serve their community.

In the meantime, the Chief and Council are now investing in an interim local solution that will try to use the two-way satellite internet service at the school to deliver a connection for the families and all the buildings presently located in Koocheching. A local wireless solution is being purchased by the band that will hopefully be able to reach all the homes and deliver a connection to the rest of the world.

The VOIP software that can connect everyone to Koocheching and others is available free at http://www.skype.com ... you need a sound charge with speakers along with a microphone to be able to use this software and connect with others. A headset with a microphone will provide you with a little more privacy (these cost about $20). After loading the software, you are ready to make some calls using this on-line service. It is a good idea to write e-mail messages to everyone letting them know your username. The K-Net Helpdesk has three people connected to the Skype service ...

• John Moreau (Skype username = johnknet)
• Jamie Ray (jamie-knet)
• Jeannie Carpenter (jeannie)

The computer in the Koocheching school has Thomas Skype's username on it (tomharper). Give it a try ...

On Tuesday, May 18, Joe Lance, Executive Director at Kativik Regional  Government (KRG), Denis Beaudouin, Satellite Technical Consultant and KRG Advisor, along with Mike Collins, Account Manager and Elaine Robichaud, Associate Director of Government and Carrier Sales with Telesat Canada met in Toronto with Carl Seibel, Telecom Officer with FedNor and two K-Net staff. Topics discussed included:

• Background (history of partnership and developments)
• Research
• C-Band Public Benefit Transponder space
• Telesat and Ka bandwidth
• Access Agreement
• Transponder Space allocation
• Other Partners
• Infrastructure
• Transfer of clients and contracts
• Follow-up

The spring issue of Canada Connects celebrates the innovative work being done across Canada in the field of eHealth. The on-line version of the magazine that is scheduled to be on the news stands in June is now available. The centre spread recognizes the work being done by Keewaytinook Okimakanak in developing telehealth services in the Nishnawbe Aski Nation communities north of Sioux Lookout.

Check out the KO telehealth story on-line and the two KO visionaries who worked to develop these services (Geordi Kakepetum and Orpah McKenzie). The magazine and the KO Telehealth story also features other KO partners in the development of these innovative services (FedNor, Health Canada, NORTH Network, Bell Canada and others).

The Canadian Research Alliance For Community Innovation And Networking (CRACIN) workshop in Montreal is being attended by two Keewaytinook Okimakanak staff members. Click here for the meeting agenda.

Brian Walmark, KO's Special Projects Coordinator, is working with a number of post-secondary partners and organizations to develop the Keewaytinook Okimakanak Research Institute as directed by the Chiefs of Keewaytinook Okimakanak. Click here to view the briefing note describing this new KO initiative.

KO's K-Net Services is working with CRACIN as one of the seven case studies to research community networking in First Nation. Adam Fiser, a PhD graduate student at the University of Toronto is developing his thesis proposal to gather information about the work being completed to support First Nation schools in their efforts to get connected to broadband infrastructure and applications.

Chief Raymond Mason, Keewaywin First Nation and Dan Pellerin, K-Net's Network Manager, are attending Industry Canada's First Nations SchoolNet (FNS) program bi-annual gathering that is taking place in Halifax. These meetings provide an opportunity for the six Regional Management Organizations to meet with Industry Canada's Information Highway Applications Branch (IHAB) team to share stories and develop strategic plans to support First Nation schools across Canada.

Video conferencing connections are in place using KO's video bridge to connect all the members of the FNS team that includes the RMO's across Canada (click here to see the six different RMO hosts supporting all First Nation schools in Canada). Jesse Fiddler, K-Net's Multi-media Manager, was scheduled to attend this conference but weather prevented his attendance in person. He was still able to participate in the meeting and complete his prepared presentation using the video conference facilities. The meeting is being webcast and archived for others to learn about this work.

Meeting agenda follows:

4th FNS National Program Meeting
May 12th, 13th and 14th, 2004
Casino Nova Scotia Hotel, Halifax, Nova Scotia

Lunch speaker: Paul Swinwood (day to be determined)

Keewaytinook Okimakanak K-Net team members travelled to Rainy River First Nation last week to work with their staff in the development of their new community web portal. Click here to see the Rainy River First Nation web portal.

As well, the T1 connection installed as part of the First Nation SchoolNet video conferencing pilot project in their community library, was extended using a DSL connection to the Band Office. Rainy River First Nation is working with K-Net staff to identify strategies to extend their broadband connection to other organizations and community members. Pictures and more information about this work is available at http://firstnationschools.ca

National Chief Phil Fontaine from the Assembly of First Nations tried to get to the Keewaytinook Okimakanak Balmertown office today but the weather would not cooperate. Chief Fontaine and his team got as far as Winnipeg where the KO staff were able to work with the Keewatin Tribal Council's SchoolNet Regional Management Organization to have Chief Fontaine meet with the KO team via video conference. Along with the connections to the KO Balmertown office, the KO Sioux Lookout office, and the Manitoba RMO office, special guests from the Maori KWoR institute, Tom Winitana and Graeme Everton joined us from New Zealand to meet Chief Fontaine and share some of their work with KO.

A series of Briefing Notes on some of the ongoing work at Keewaytinook Okimakanak was presented to Chief Fontaine with the hope that he will work on behalf of Keewaytinook Okimakanak to address some of our issues on the following matters. Click on the topic below to see the PDF version of the briefing note delivered to Chief Fontaine during this video conference meeting:

1. Kuhkenah Broadband Network Briefing Note
2. KO First Nations SchoolNet RMO Briefing Note
3. K-Net SMART Communities Briefing Note
4. KIHS Briefing Note
5. KO Telehealth Briefing Note
6. KO Research Institute Briefing Note
7. KO Health Services Briefing Note
8. KO National Satellite Initiative Briefing Note

One outcome from the meeting was a commitment from Chief Fontaine to complete his visit to Balmertown sometime in the next month.