Radio Briefs

Vale and USW Heading Back to the Table

2011-01-05T10:57:00.000-08:00

Vale and the United Steelworkers Local 9508headed back to the table this morning.

The two parties are meeting today in Happy Valley-Goose Bay.

The return to the table comes shortly after phase one of the industrial inquiry commission report was released.

Phase one addresses items one and six contained in a terms of reference.

The report has been given to the two parties involved.

A media blackout has been placed on the negotiations.

Nalujuk's Day

2011-01-05T10:55:00.000-08:00

Children will hang their stockings this evening in hopes that Nalujuks will bring them some goodies.

Tomorrow is Nalujuk’s Day.

Nalujuk’s Day is a very significant holiday within the Moravian Church in Labrador.

It is also known as Old Christmas Day or Epiphany.

It is still celebrated to the fullest at the Moravian Church in Nain.

They hold three church services throughout the day.

At 10 a.m., will be the Nalujuk’s Day address.

At 3 p.m., is a Love-feast when tea and biscuits are served to the congregation.

And 5 p.m., is the closing service for Christmas with an Inuktitut Liturgy.

The evening brings Nalujuks who are usually in town chasing young people and making visits to people’s homes.

But, looking at the weather, it’s hard to tell if they’ll be able to make the commute.

People seem to be forgetting the significance of the Nalujuk’s Day holiday.

Facebook is littered with comments from concerned parents about the school being open on Nalujuk’s Day.

The concerns have prompted a memo to parents from the Jens Haven Memorial School today.

The school will open one hour later on Nalujuk’s Day and parents and guardians may keep their children home altogether if they like.

Students are also permitted to leave school to attend church services.

Nain Elder Appointed to Provincial Advisory Council

2011-01-04T10:37:00.000-08:00

A Nain elder has been appointed to the Provincial Advisory Council on Aging and Seniors.

The announcement was made by the provincial Minister of Health and Community Services, Jerome Kennedy, December 30.

Alice Harris has been appointed to the committee.

Harris will be responsible to provide input and concerns from this region to the committee.

The input gathered from the council will be used when the provincial government develops programming and policies relating to seniors.

The Provincial Advisory Council on Aging and Seniors was created in 2005.

It consists of 15 members.

Harris has been active in many senior’s gatherings and meetings in Nunatsiavut.

Hopedale Safe House Continues Search for Funds

2011-01-04T10:35:00.000-08:00

The search for funds for Hopedale’s safe house continues into 2011.

Beverly Hunter is the President for the safe house.

She says they are continuing to search for funds for a new facility.

The former safe house closed its doors last summer.

The foundation was deemed unstable following an inspection from the Torngat Regional Housing Association.

Hunter adds there is no alternative for women seeking the services of the safe house.

For now they have to stay with family and friends in the community.

She adds the safe house employed six staff in the community when it operated.

Vale and USW Heading Back to the Table

2011-01-04T10:33:00.000-08:00

Vale and the United Steelworkers Local 9508 will be heading back to the bargaining table this week.

The two parties are scheduled to meet tomorrow in Happy Valley-Goose Bay.

The return to the table comes shortly after phase one of the industrial inquiry commission report was released.

Phase one addresses items one and six contained in a terms of reference.

The report has been given to the two parties involved.

It will be made public on Thursday.

A media blackout has been placed on the negotiations.

Industrial Inquiry Commission Submits Phase One of Report

2010-12-31T09:05:00.000-08:00

The Industrial Inquiry Commission has submitted phase one of their report on the ongoing strike at Voisey’s Bay.

The report was received by the provincial government on December 23.

Phase one of the report addresses items one and six contained in a terms of reference.

The remaining items will be addressed in phase two of the report.

The second phase is to be handed in no later than February 25.

The provincial government approved the submission of the report in two phases in October.

A copy of the report has been given to the United Steelworkers Local 9508 and Vale for review.

The first phase of the report will be made public on January 7.

Dunderdale to Run For Premier

2010-12-31T09:04:00.000-08:00

Kathy Dunderdale will be running for the permanent position of Premier of Newfoundland and Labrador.

She made the announcement at the Confederation Building today.

The election is scheduled for October, 2011.

Dunderdale has been serving as interim Premier since Danny Williams left the post at the beginning of this month.

Ice Knocks-Out Internet and Phone Services

2010-12-31T09:01:00.000-08:00

Many Labradorians are left without internet and long-distance phone services over the past couple of days.

Ice buildup on a tower near Happy Valley-Goose Bay has knocked out the service to several locations in Labrador.

The problems began yesterday and continued into today.

Bell Aliant is hoping to have crews clear the built up ice today.

Hopedale Funding for Play Ground

2010-12-23T10:06:00.000-08:00

The children of Hopedale received an early Christmas present this year.

The provincial government has announced funding to improve the community’s playground.

Wayne Piercy is the AngajukKâk for the Hopedale Inuit Community Government.

He says the Provincial government has announced $15,000 for improvements to the community’s playground.

The funds come through the province’s 2010 Capital Grant Program.

It will be used to install fencing and new equipment.

The playground is located next to the Amos Comenius Memorial School.

Piercy adds they will discuss when to install the new equipment when they have their council meeting in January.

Abel Preliminary Inquiry Decision to be Made Today

2010-12-23T10:04:00.000-08:00

The decision of whether or not to proceed with the murder charges against Lucas Abel will be made today.

The decision will be announced in Provincial Court in Happy Valley-Goose Bay this afternoon.

Judge John Joy will decide if the matter will go before the Supreme Court of Canada.

He will be making his decision following a four-day preliminary inquiry into the matter.

The inquiry was held in Nain earlier this month.

26-year-old Lucas Abel was charged with first-degree murder in January.

Nutrition North Advisory Board Member Talks New Program

2010-12-22T11:10:00.000-08:00

The Food Mail Program will be replaced a new program in April.

Nutrition North Canada will be the program responsible for getting perishable foods into northern communities.

Michelle Wood was appointed as the Advisory Board Member for Nutrition North Canada in Labrador.

She says she will be responsible to bring forth any concerns or recommendations on the program from Labrador.

Wood says the new program will create more transparency compared to the Food Mail Program.

She adds that Nutrition North Canada will create more savings for consumers in our region.

Torngat Fishery Update

2010-12-22T11:08:00.000-08:00

Nain residents were surprised to see activity taking place at the community’s fish plant recently.

Torngat Fish Producers Cooperative (TFPC) had opened the plant to smoke some char.

Keith Watts is the General Manager for the cooperative.

He says they recently ran out of smoked char in Happy Valley-Goose Bay.

They flew 3,000 pounds of char to Nain for smoking.

Watts says all of the char has been smoked.

TFPC is now in the process of shipping the product back to Goose Bay.

Watts says they held their regular pre-Christmas board meeting last week.

Agenda items included this summer’s fishery, plans for next summer and further discussions on forming a single fishing entity.

The board and staff were treated to a supper to celebrate TFPC’s 30th Anniversary.

The cooperative celebrated thirty years of operation on December 4.

Watts adds that he would like to send Christmas greetings and best wishes for a new year to residents of Nunatsiavut and Upper Lake Melville from TFPC’s board and staff.

Stranded Mud Lake Residents Get Help

2010-12-22T11:06:00.000-08:00

The residents of Mud Lake are finally getting help after being stranded for almost three weeks.

Dave Raeburn is a resident of the community.

He says due to the mild temperatures the river opened-up and residents weren’t able to get across.

There was too much ice to get across by speedboat and too little ice to make the trip by snowmobile.

Raeburn says a helicopter has been stationed in the community since yesterday.

The provincial government provided the chopper to aid the community’s residents.

He says supplies are being flown in twice a day.

The helicopter is also carrying 5 to 6 passengers to Happy Valley-Goose Bay for Christmas shopping.

Raeburn says students will be flown into the community for the holidays on Friday.

Report Says Northern Communities Lack Basic Attributes to Thrive

2010-12-21T09:58:00.000-08:00

A report has been released which details how northern communities often do not have the basic attributes needed to thrive.

The report was released by the Centre for the North.

Derrick Hynes is the Director for the centre.

He says the Centre for the North focuses on research and dialogue around adding insight towards sustainable prosperity across Canada’s North.

One of their reports is titled “Northern Communities Often Lack the Basic Attributes Needed to thrive”.

This report details how many Northern Communities are not thriving.

The report also shows that there are reasons for optimism as we head into the future.

Nain's Community Christmas Tree has Arrived

2010-12-21T09:57:00.000-08:00

It’s beginning to feel a little more like Christmas in Nain.

There’s a fresh coat of snow on the ground and the community’s Christmas tree has arrived.

Isabella Pain is a member of the Ulapitsaijet Committee.

The committee was the group who arranged the purchase of the new tree.

Pain says the tree has finally arrived after travelling halfway around the country.

The lighting ceremony is scheduled to take place at 6:30 this evening.

The ceremony will take place at the Nunatsiavut Government office where the 20-foot artificial tree has been erected.

The Nain Moravian Church Choir will be on hand to help with ceremonies.

Paine says they are also hoping to get the JHMS school band involved as well.

She says you can be sure to expect the singing of Napatule during the ceremony.

Nain residents are also invited to stick around after the ceremony for Timbits and hot chocolate.

Makkovik runs out of Cigarettes

2010-12-21T09:55:00.000-08:00

There are a lot of Makkovik residents on edge the past few days.

The community has been without cigarettes since Friday.

An order was placed for the tobacco products by Labrador Investments about a week ago.

They haven’t seen any of the cigarettes yet.

Calls have been coming in to Labrador Investments from residents wondering when the cigarettes will be arriving.

A store clerk tells us that people seem to be coping well while they wait for their nicotine fix.

Nain Residents Gets View of Rare Eclipse

2010-12-21T09:53:00.000-08:00

A very rare event took place in the skies early this morning.

Residents of the northern hemisphere were able to view a lunar eclipse if weather conditions allowed.

But this wasn’t just any lunar eclipse.

For the first time in 372 years the eclipse fell on the winter solstice.

The winter solstice is the first day of winter and also the shortest day of the year.

Beni Merkeratsuk of Nain was lucky enough to catch a glimpse of the rare occasion.

She says she viewed the eclipse shortly after 5a.m.

Merkeratsuk says the clouds sometimes blocked her view of the eclipse during the 15-20 minutes that she viewed it.

She says nearly half of the moon turned red during the phenomenon.

Merkeratsuk adds this was her first time witnessing a lunar eclipse.

LFC Director Talks Turkeys

2010-12-20T11:34:00.000-08:00

The turkeys are rolling into the Labrador Friendship Centre (LFC) in Happy Valley-Goose Bay.

The turkeys are collected as part of their annual Turkey Drive.

Stan Oliver is the Executive Director for the centre.

He says the LFC organizes the drive in cooperation with the Ministerial Association of Upper Lake Melville, the Roland Sears Hamper Fund and CBC.

Oliver says they received about 300 turkeys so far.

They also received around $3,000 in cash which will go toward the centre’s food bank.

Things Looking Up for LIDC

2010-12-20T11:33:00.000-08:00

Things are starting to look up for the Labrador Inuit Development Corporation (LIDC).

Chris Webb is the Assistant General Manager for LIDC.

He says in light of all the challenges the LIDC has faced in the 2010 season, a corner has been turned.

Webb says despite some major decisions to suspend some major operations, it has been a busy year for the LIDC.

The LIDC is currently undergoing corporate restructuring and a governance review.

He says operations for their core businesses have been successful.

They include the base camp at the Torngat Mountains National Park, Postmill Lumber and their tugs and barges operations.

Webb says each of these operations are well positioned and moving forward.

He says the management team is continuing to draft the budget and business plan for 2011/2012.

The plan will assess the viability of the operations at the Ten Mile Bay Quarry and Hopedale Stone Plant.

Duplexes for Nain and Makkovik Nearing Completion

2010-12-20T11:32:00.000-08:00

Residents of Nunatsiavut know all too well how hard it is to find a place to rent.

Well the chances of finding a place will be increased with the construction of two duplexes in Nain and Makkovik.

William Lucy is the coordinator for the Torngat Regional Housing Association.

He says crews are still busy constructing the duplexes in both communities.

Lucy says both duplexes will not be completed until after the holiday season.

He anticipates the work to continue into the new year.

Nain Craft Sale a Success

2010-12-20T11:31:00.000-08:00

Participants of the Nain Inuit Community Government’s (NICG) community enhancement program sold some of their work through a craft sale.

Gina Dicker is the Office Administrator for the NICG.

She says the sale was held on Friday.

Items for sale included push boxes, toy boxes, gun racks, kamiks, church caps and Kamutiks.

She says they raised $595 through the sale.

The funds raised will be used to buy more materials.

Dicker adds they still have more items for sale.

They can be viewed at the old fire hall.

Nain Church Update

2010-12-17T10:54:00.000-08:00

For the first time in its history, the Moravian Church in Nain will not be holding their Candle Services at the Church.

This year the Candle Services will have to be held at the Jens Haven Memorial School Gym.

Gordon Obed Sr. is with the Moravian Church in Nain.

He says the church leaders received a letter this morning prompting them to not use the church for the Candle Service this year.

Engineers are recommending the church not be used for any large gathering of people.

In fact, it is recommended that occupancy be kept to a minimum.

It has also been recommended that no one be in the church if there is snow on the roof.

Obed adds the church leaders have decided to use the school instead of cancelling the Candle Services altogether.

But they won’t be able to light the candles for the service.

Torngat Park Open House

2010-12-17T10:53:00.000-08:00

The Torngat Mountains National Park (TMNP) celebrated its fifth anniversary on December 1.

An open house is taking place at the Parks Canada office in Nain today to mark the milestone.

Gary Baikie is the Visitor Experience Manager for Parks Canada.

He says there will be displays of photographs of the park for people to view.

There will also be information on visitors of the park.

Baikie says everyone can pay a visit to their office from 1:30-4pm.

He adds their new office is located on the lower floor of the former Nunatsiavut Government building.

Students Weather-bound in Goose Bay

2010-12-17T10:51:00.000-08:00

Christmas is just around the corner and many students are on their way home.

Unfortunately the weather is causing a delay for some students.

Abigail Webb is a post-secondary student trying to make it to Nain for the holidays.

But right now she’s stranded at the Goose Bay airport.

She says she’s been there since 6:30 this morning.

She says she hopes this year won’t be a repeat of the last one.

The weather conditions stranded Webb at the Goose Bay airport for six days last year.

Some lucky Postville students were the only ones to make it home today as of 1pm.

And looking at the forecast, the students may be in Goose Bay for a while.

Santa Claus is coming to Town

2010-12-17T10:49:00.000-08:00

Santa Claus will give his reindeer a bit of a rest and visit some Nunatsiavut communities by plane.

Debbie Brandt is the Executive Assistant for Air Labrador.

She says Santa will be leaving Goose-Bay for the north coast tomorrow.

Mr. Claus will be going to three communities this year.

He’ll be arriving in Hopedale at 10:30am and then on to Makkovik at 11:30am.

Santa’s last stop will be in Postville at noon.

Hopefully the conditions will improve for Santa's visit.