(Baie d' Espoire) Honorable Roger Simmons and Honorable Judy Foote spent a pleasing day in the Baie d' Espoire area Friday. Among their activities were two ribbon cutting ceremonies officially opening two new community access Internet sites.
Community leaders also turned up at the St. Alban's Library and Milltown's Greenwood Academy for a look and a little bit of hands on activity at the Bay's newest Internet access for community members as well as witness the ribbon cutting ceremonies.
The access centers are part of a national program, funded by Industry Canada and in this province at least, operated by the provincial public libraries board. The object of the program is to make the Internet accessible to as many Canadians as possible.
These sites are especially significant for the Baie d' Espoire community in that they provide a new lesson in "partnership" for the area. Funding for the program had been lined up earlier in the year. The people involved who were working on the program knew that one obstacle stood in their way to making the project a true success. That was the poor phone system out of the "Bay". No matter how good a Internet provider they got, they knew the performance over the lines would be aggravating to say the least.
So it was a relief to all when Miawpukek First Nation's Se'tanewe Kegnamokwom (Conne River's Saint Ann's School) came up with the idea to use some new technology just recent on the market, namely Cancom's Internet Outpost Service. Se'tanewe' Kegnamokwom was able to come up with the funding for the Cancom package which included a satellite dish and other equipment.
Both St. Alban's and Milltown then "rolled over" their funding to supplement Miawpukek's initiative and thus ensure it's success.
August access is free to community members, but after that it will cost a modest fee. Community members all expressed their enthusiasm for the access. The access sites succeeds a previous service offered by DSI International, who quietly pulled up stakes last month and moved to Marystown, taking with them over $150,000.00 worth of government funded machinery and equipment as well as the three jobs it provided.
(St. Alban's) The Regional Economic Development Board for Zone 13 or "The Coast of Bays", signed their Phase One Performance Contract Friday. Attending the signing were Hon. Roger Simmons and Hon. Judy Foote, as well as a large number of local public and dignitaries.
This signing now makes the formation of the Coast of Bays Regional Economic Development Board official. Sixteen of the twenty designated economic development boards in the province have now signed their performance contracts. Performance contracts are now the accepted way for economic development boards to do business with the province. It means the boards will now have to perform or face losing their funding.
The overall zone covered by the board encompasses all of Baie d' Espoire, the Connaigre Peninsula and part of fortune bay. It includes the communities of Belleoram, Conne River (Miawpukek), Gaultois, Harbour Breton, Hermitage, McCallum, Milltown-Head of Baie d' Espoire, Morrisville, Poole's Cove, Rencontre East, Seal Cove, St. Veronica's, St. Joseph's Cove, St. Alban's and St. Jacques-Coombs Cove. The board has fifteen members representing all the stakeholders in the area.
In a pamphlet released before the signing, Tracy Perry, recently hired Executive Director for the board, pointed out many of the areas local success stories as well reiterating her board's goals for the next six months, one of which includes researching the zone's needs and aspirations. She encourages all stakeholders to come forth with their suggestions and concerns.
Before the signing, members of the provisional board which spearheaded the organizing of the present board were thanked for their contributions and awarded certificates of appreciation.
Signing along with Mr. Simmons and Ms. Foote, were, for the board; Andy Rubiniche, Chairperson of the Board and witness Simeon Buffett of Baie d' Espoire Development Association.
In his speech before the signing Hon. Roger Simmons said, " The establishment of Regional Economic Development Boards throughout the province is a significant milestone in our development history". He went on to say that he thought the sense of cooperation he felt now existed between all the stakeholders in the area was something that was positive and he hoped it would grow more so in the future.
In her speech to the assembled, Hon. Judy Foote said that, "...while the Bay of Fundy produces about $100 million worth of salmon a year, Newfoundland's South Coast has an area of water roughly four times that of the Bay of Fundy." She stated further that, "This area is considered by many to have the greatest potential in the province for finfish aquaculture."
A press release covering the signing states: With the formation of permanent Regional Economic Development Boards the focus of attention now shifts from the creation of new community-based organizations, to the action phase of identifying, prioritizing and implementing new development initiatives that will see all the regions of the province strengthen economically.
Financial support for the economic zone process comes from SRD COOPERATION Agreement, cost shared on a 70/30 percent basis by the federal and provincial governments. The agreement is administered federally by the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency and provincially by the Department of Development and Rural Renewal (D2R2!)
Workers continue their efforts to repair a very serious washout on the main road into the Miawpukek First Nation. Heavy rains of the past few weeks caused a large landslide which took out a huge chunk of this one section of road. Their government did some quick repairs and reopened the road soon after, but more serious repairs are now being made. The work involves building a large concrete wall near the foot of the landslide, refilling the area and then reconstructing the road. Work had been expected to commence on paving the First Nation roads including this section early in August, so it is not yet known if this will affect that schedule or not. Costs for the repairs are also an issue being negotiated between various groups and governments, but no further information is available at this time.
(Conne Pond) At first look , it seems like the chaperones are having just as much fun as the participants. One of them is with a passenger skimming over the pond waters on a Sea doo. Another is turning circles on a motorcycle. Still another is taking a leisure walk along the shore. Meanwhile a bunch of teenagers frolic in the nearby swimming hole as today's music reverbs over the scene from a large music system.
On closer inspection though, one immediately begins to feel the confidence that these kids are in good hands. Cst. Clint Jeddore, NNADAP Supervisor Howard Jeddore, and NNADAP Counselor Irene Jeddore are everywhere and they know what they are doing. Ann Drakes is in the kitchen making bread. The sun is out. Friends are being made. It looks like this is going to be a fun weekend.
Sponsored by the Canada Drug Strategy program of Health Canada's Medical Services Branch, this has become an annual event for Miawpukek's National Native Alcohol and Drug Abuse Program (NNADAP), a division of Conne River Health and Social Services Department.
Youth from Miawpukek (Conne River) and surrounding communities, and one from Utshimasits (Davis Inlet) have come here for a weekend of fun and frolic, but also to discuss some serious business.
Besides having fun, the highlight of the weekend was a workshop held on Sunday night. Titled, How a Person's Low Self-esteem Leads to Substance Abuse, the workshop addressed one aspect of concern for local teenagers in the area.
This year's event wasn't like your regular workshop, where the supervisors did all the talking and directing. This year's event was planned and organized mostly by the youth themselves, and April Hinks, past president of the Youth group, was the workshop leader. Although special guests were present and the NNADAP people were there, this was a totally youth thing.
The retreat clued up Monday, but don't expect the participants to be all bubbly with excitement about the weekend. As far as they are concerned, this weekend was too good to share. If they tell anyone else, everyone will want to be there next year.
(Miawpukek/Conne River) It's finally happening. The main roads and byways in the community of Miawpukek are now being paved.
On Monday afternoon the first slab of asphalt was laid. Beginning at the western end of the community, Western Construction Ltd. began laying the first kilometer of asphalt on the 7.2 kilometer main road through the community. People have been told that within one week, they will be driving on pavement the full length of the reserve.
Upgrading and preparing the community roads for this paving program began two summers ago. The cursing and swearing over the road conditions while getting to this phase of the project can now be left behind, or brought back again when residents have to travel over the logging road connecting them to the Baie d' Espoire Highway.
But the section of road within the community is a welcome sight. And it's getting a lot of attraction by residents. Residents keep showing up to see the work and the workers are kept busy keeping the tire tracks off the road where the paving is being done. And it doesn't help either that the largest general store on the reserve is at this extreme end of the road. But everyone knows what they are doing and work is progressing with minimal interruption and seemingly, to everyone's satisfaction.
As with every big project such as this, some drama attached itself to the project the week leading up to the start of paving. Some residents shuddered in disappointment and even expressed some rage when a rumor floated through town that paving would be delayed, because "someone" dared to express some concern for the environmental issues surrounding the project.
Everything got worked out however, and peace reigns and now people can hardly wait for the project to finish. Many residents have also put their money down to have their driveways paved as well. In conjunction with the paving the government of the first nation reserve will be erecting new speed limit and stop signs throughout the community and maybe even naming some of the roads and byways and erecting signs there as well.
Miawpukek has once again overcome another hurdle in it's quest to rise above being the downtrodden community it became a long time ago when being Mi'kmaq was something people hid or denied. This paving is the cumulative result of work begun in the early 1970's when people like Melvin Jeddore and the late Martin Jeddore dared to ask that their community be given rights due to them because of their Mi'kmaq heritage. It's a tribute to them and the SAQAMA'Q (Chiefs) that followed and took up the cause for their people and fought and suffered to get things for their people..