Media.Knet.Ca

Webequie First Nation Healing Empowerment Conference and Traditional Pow-Wow

The Healing Empowerment Conference is scheduled to take place in Webequie on August 30 - September 1, 2005. The theme of the conference is " Opening & Creating Healing Trails".

A Traditional Pow-Wow is also scheduled to take place after the Healing Empowerment Conference. The dates of the Pow-Wow is September 1 - 3, 2005.

Visitors are welcomed to come and participate in the events.

For more information :

contact ::

Lillian Suganaqueb @ 807-353-6531 or @ home 807-353-1196

Susan Okeese @ 807-353-1264 or @ home 807-353-1398

Bob Wabasse @ 807-353-1270

From their new web site at http://www.aboriginallanguagestaskforce.ca/e/e_index.html ...

In December 2003, as the Task Force on Aboriginal Languages and Cultures, we were mandated to conduct research and make recommendations to the Minister of Canadian Heritage on the preservation, revitalization and promotion of Aboriginal (First Nation, Inuit and Métis) languages. We have completed this work.

On June 28, 2005 during an Honouring Feast in Winnipeg, we met with our Elders to celebrate our journey over these past months and to seek blessing for the work that remains to be done.

On June 29, 2005 in Ottawa we met with The Honourable Liza Frulla, Minister of Canadian Heritage and submitted to her our Foundational Report.

This Foundational Report represents a first step – a first step in a long journey to revive and restore the richness and the diversity of our First Nation, Inuit and Métis languages given to us by the Creator. All our languages are sacred – each one deserving of honour and respect. We have heard the wisdom of our Elders, of our Leaders and the many hopeful voices in our communities. We look to you, to our youth, to everyone to join the next leg of the journey towards a new beginning and the re-birth of our languages.

We hope that you take the time to read our Foundational Report and/or the Executive Summary.

Click here to see the recommendations from the task force in a previous KNews story

Several short notices have been posted this past week on the Network News items concerning the complex move of all the circuits and equipment serving the Kuhkenah Network partner communities. All the routers, switches and connections have now been successfully relocated from the Education Network of Ontario's server room at 20 Toronto Street over to the Teleco vault at 151 Front Street.

Posted by danpellerin on Tuesday August 02, 2005:
Circuit move from 20 Toronto to 151 Front is now completed.

Posted by adilinden on Tuesday July 26, 2005:
Cutover the Bell access to 151 Front Street. Move of the PVCs went smooth. However, some circuits are experiencing significant packet loss. Problem is being addressed by Bell tester.

We appreciate all the K-Net users' support and patience as we completed this move and apologize to everyone who might have experienced any brief interruptions to their service during this move.

This strategic move opens up more opportunities for Kuhkenah Network partner communities to be able to access other networks easily. Most major networks including Bell, Telus, AllStream, CANARIE, etc are located in this same facility providing direct routes to their partners, when proper arrangements are made.

An example of how this move will benefit K-Net is our direct fibre connection to the NORTH Network from 20 Toronto Street will eventually no longer be required resulting in significant cost savings. Another direct route to NORTH Network can now be established from the co-location facilities at 151 Front Street.

Thanks to Dan and Adi who have been working hard over the past few months to arrange this relatively seamless but critical transition of the Kuhkenah Network! Whenever K-Net users barely know that such a major achievement has been successful implemented without any interruption to their services, everyone can rest assure that we are in good hands.

A new member of the National Indigenous Community Satellite Network (NICSN) completed their community connections this past week with the assistance of Dan Pellerin, K-Net's Network Manager. Obedjiwan (or Opitciwan) First Nation with the assistance of the First Nations SchoolNet program's Quebec Regional Management Organization (the First Nations Education Council) successfully installed two roof mounted 2.4M C-Band satellite dishes to begin providing broadband applications for their community members.

Click on the links below for information about Opitciwan

• http://cepn-fnec.com/communautes/eng/index.html
• http://cepn-fnec.com/communautes/eng/opitciwan.html
• Miskisiw School (high and professional school) - 321 students
• Niska School (pre-school and elementary) - 346 students
• Aboriginal portal connectivity information

In addition to the speeches given that day by the First Nation leaders during the morning and afternoon sessions (click here for the links to these video clips), the team from Keewaytinook Okimakanak were able to interview a number of key people during the event. Together with these interviews and speeches, a lot of great video material was captured. This material is being put together into a production that will be used in the First Nation schools to tell the true story of this treaty for future generations. A new web page containing all the video material from this gathering is now available at http://treatyninecommemoration.on.ca/video.html

Click here to see the introduction to the upcoming production.

Click here to watch the interview with elder Edward Sutherland and his granddaughter Carrie.

Click here for Ontario Regional Chief Angus Toulouse's interview.

Starting in September 2005

Oshki-Pimache-O-Win Education and Training Institute In partnership with Confederation/Negahneewin College

The ACSWP is a four semester program that provides a comprehensive and culturally relevant educational experience.

The distance delivery format of the Aboriginal Community Services Worker Program allows students to remain employed in the social service field within their home community thorughout the training.  The program is also available to anyone interested in beginning a career in social services.

ACSWP graduates pursue the folowing career opportunities:

• Program Coordinators
• Alcohol Workers
• Mental health Workers
• Community  Health Representatives
• Health Liaison Workers

Please contact us for further delivery details!

Joan Hardy, Program Coordinator, Phone: 1-807-2784, Fax: 1-807-2924, email: jhardy@oshki.ca

Slate Falls First Nation Invites you to participate in the

1st Annual Mixed Slow Pitch Tournament
in
Slate Falls, Ontario
August 18 – 21, 2005

Entry Fee  $500

For more info contact:

• Colleen Carpenter     (w) 1 807 737 5757
                                 (h)    1 807 737 5732
• Cecilia Spence           ( w) 1807 737 5757
                                   (h) 1 807 737 5720
• Lana Bighead           (w) 1 807 737 5700
                                 (h) 1 807 737 5712

Native Early Childhood Education Diploma Program

Starting in September 2005

In partnership with Cambrian College

The NECEP is a two-year, four semester preogram that provides a comprehensive and culturally relevant education experience.

Students will:

• travel to Thunder Bay to participate in two-2-week on-campus sessions per semester
• earn their ECE certification for employment in licensed child care settings.
• develop knowledge and skills to orgainize and maintain a safte, stimulating learning environment to ensure the child's total development.

Graduates may be eligible for advanced standings when entering other diploma or degree programs.  The doduclar delivery provides students with the flexibility of learning a NECE diploma while remaining employed in their home community.  Oshki-Pimache-O-Win provides students with support services to help ensure studnet success.

Enroll Now!!

For further information contact:

Joan Hardy, Program Coordinator, Phone: 1-807-346-2784, Fax: 1-807-345-2924, email: jhardy@oshki.ca.

or

Oshki-Pimache-O-Win Eduation and Training Institute, 107 Johnson Avenue, Thunder Bay, Ontario, P7B 2V9, Phone: 1-807-346-2770, Fax: 1-807-345-2924, email: info@oshki.ca

Ontario Government Receives I&IT Task Force Report Recommendations That Will Help Ensure Large I&IT Projects Are Well Managed

    TORONTO, July 28 /CNW/ - The report of a special task force on large-scale government information and information technology (I&IT) projects will help ensure future government I&IT initiatives are managed more effectively and efficiently, said Government Services Minister Gerry Phillips after receiving the report today.

"I would like to thank the task force members for the considerable amount of time and energy they put into this initiative," said Phillips. "We very much agree with the overall thrust of the report, and we think it provides an important blueprint for action."

Large-scale I&IT projects are defined as being multi-million dollar in scope that require significant system development and have a major impact on the delivery of government business. The purpose of this report was to provide recommendations to the government that will help ensure the right steps are in place to manage future I&IT initiatives.

The task force was formed last fall and was led by L. Denis Desautels, former auditor general of Canada. Other members of the task force were Carol Stephenson, dean of the Richard Ivey School of Business at the University of Western Ontario, David Johnston, president of the University of Waterloo and Howard Dickson, Government Chief Information Officer for the Government of Hong Kong, Special Administration Region.

"We agree with the Task Force's overarching recommendation that major business transformations need strong executive leadership and project management," said Phillips. "Our recent appointment of a Deputy Minister responsible for business transformation and public service modernization is an indication of how seriously we take this priority."

The government will study the report and its recommendations in detail and will respond in full in three months. Minister Phillips announced that as an initial and immediate response to the report the government will also:

• Create a portfolio management approach of major I&IT projects currently underway in the government 
• Design and implement a "scorecard" system for all I&IT submissions to Management Board of Cabinet (MBC) to assess risk, business case readiness and alignment with government priorities
• Institute quarterly status reports to MBC on major I&IT projects
• Adopt a "gateway review process" for projects under development to ensure that projects stay on track and do not proceed before they are ready
• Implement a standardized training program for project managers and a standardized project management methodology and require all large I&IT projects to use a consistent methodology
• Ensure that all large I&IT projects undergo a post-mortem within three months of the end of the project. This information will be reported to MBC on a quarterly basis and shared with all project management and OPS leaders.

"Large-scale I&IT projects are complex by their very nature and all organizations face challenges with the management of these projects," said Phillips. "Our goal is to improve our project management capacity so we can receive value for money while providing the best possible services to the people of Ontario."

Report of Ontario's Special Task Force on the Management of Large-Scale Information & Information Technology Projects - PDF

The task force report is available on the Ministry of Government Services' website at www.mgs.gov.on.ca.