Project – Salmon Management Plan

The Listuguj Mi’gmaq Government (LMG) mandated a review of the Listuguj salmon fishery with the long-term goal of developing an updated salmon management plan for the Restigouche River (estuary and watershed).

As part of phase one of this project, Chief and Council recommended that a ‘Salmon Fishery Advisory Committee’ be established to assist and guide the development of the updated salmon management plan (harvesting component).

The LMG has hosted several information sessions where community members were invited to be part of the Salmon Fisheries Advisory Committee (SFAC). The SFCA will bring together youth, Elders and fishers to participate and contribute to the development of the harvesting component of the Salmon Management Plan.

The role of the SFAC is to ensure that community concerns about the salmon fishery are addressed in the harvesting component of the Salmon Management Plan. Secondly, the role of the SFAC is to ensure that Mi’gmaq perspectives (traditions, protocols and processes) are integrated in the harvesting component of the Salmon Management Plan.

Currently, the Listuguj fishery is managed in accordance with the Listuguj Mi’gmaq First Nation Law on Fisheries and Fishing, which is generally referred to as the “Listuguj Salmon Law”.

 

Listuguj Honors it's Police and Firemen

[singlepic id=9 w=320 h=240 float=right]On February 26, Listuguj gave six officers a standing ovation and a plaque for their exemplary service. “Our administration recognizes their bravery and their contribution towards our community,” said Allison Metallic, Chief of the Listuguj Mi’gmaq Government, addressing a room filled with Councilors, community members and Band office staff. “Over the years they proved their bravery here and also when our neighbors call for support”,  he concluded, referring to an event early this year where the officers helped rescue a man from the freezing waters of the Bay of Chaleur.

On January 6, 2012, the Listuguj Police and the Listuguj Fire Department responded to an emergency call from the Campbellton RCMP requesting help to rescue a fisherman in the McLeods area. The 47 year-old man, from Kedgwick, N.B. was ice-fishing off Trepannier Beach when the ice he was standing on broke away from the shoreline and drifted away around 100 meters.

“The call came in from the Campbellton RCMP at around dinner time. The weather was clear, cold, with a little wind”, remembers Cst. George Martin.  “It was difficult to get the boat into the water because the road was snow-covered.  We needed to take the boat off the trailer and push it a few hundred meters down hill.  Eleven officers – four from the RCMP and CFD, and seven from the LPD and LFD – together pushed that boat to get it into the water and bring the man to safety unharmed.  That part of the operation took almost 30 minutes. Once the fisherman was back on land and safe it was a great feeling, we were all happy to see that man safe and able to go home to his family”, continued Cst. Martin.  “After the rescue an RCMP vehicle had to be hauled out of the snow, the road had to be cleared of snow and the LFD boat had to be winched back up the hill by Mundle’s towing service.”

Last year, Listuguj responded to two river rescues and the Listuguj Fire Department decided to purchase a boat for incidents like this.

The ceremony honoring the officers was new in Listuguj. “It’s time to start recognizing them.  We don’t do that enough.” said Wallace Barnaby who came to support this initiative.

According to Cst. Martin, with 21 years of service, “After the ceremony we all shook hands and told each other ‘Good Job’ but It’s about the call of duty.”

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IMPORTANT NOTICE Regarding Objection to the Quebec Health Contributions

If you filed you Quebec Taxes in 2011 and received a Notice of Quebec Health Contribution for $100.00 you are advised to read the following (pdf).

After reading that document, you should consider filing a Notice of Objection contained in this Important Notice.

If you do intend to file, please take note that:

Forms are available from the LMG.  If you require help, please inquire at the Band Office.
Upon filing, please include the completed documentation AND a copy of your 2011 Quebec Tax Assessment which demonstrates your tax contribution.

You do not have to fill in the section entitled, “Relevant facts and reasons for the objection”.  Simply write “Please See Attached”

By attaching the signed letter of “Relevant facts and reasons for the objection” you will have completed the section.

For all inquiries, please phone the Listuguj Mi’gmaq Government.

Click here to view the official memo. (pdf)

LIstuguj Mussel Farm

Listuguj has been operating a mussel farm operation of the shore of Carleton for some years. The Listuguj Mussel Farm has been undergoing a reorganization phase with the goal of harvesting mussels to sell on the market. A new business plan and strategy has been implemented, and we have also accessed additional funding to purchase a variety of equipment that will aid in the harvesting. This include a new 28′ bayrunner boat that will be used for day-to-day operations.

Recently, the barge has been getting repaired.

With the reorganization, and addition of new equipment, we thought it was a good time to name “the Barge” as well as the new boat. Both these vessels should have new names in time for the next harvesting season in spring 2012.

We are asking for the community’s input into the naming of the 2 vessels.

The names should be representative of our Mi’ gmaq culture and heritage. A prize will be awarded to the person whose winning name is chosen.

Names should be submitted in a sealed envelopes to:

Allen Ritchie, Aquaculture Site Manager Listuguj Fisheries 44 Dundee Road, Listuguj

Deadline for submission is: February 24, 2012. For Additional information,

please call Allen at 416.788.3022


Community Services is Evaluating its Summer Youth Recreation Camp

For the past two summers, the LMG’s Community Services, through the Listuguj Youth and Family Center, has offered a summer camp: the Mi’gma’ji’jg Nipgewei Wiguomuow / Mi’gmaq Summer Youth Recreation Camp.

While summer may seem far away, Community Services is currently taking the time to evaluate its summer camp program to make certain that each child who attends camp will have a positive experience.

The goal for the youth summer camp is “promoting and improving the healthy lifestyles of youth in the community through their involvement in sports, recreation and leisure activities.”

For the past two years, many of our youth had the opportunity to attend the camp. Some of the activities included trips to the lake, walks around Sugarloaf Mountain, canoeing, picking sweet grass, and learning to make Mi’gmaq crafts. There were also excursions – to the movies, go-carting, and the beach.

Community Services would like to hear from the families and youth who participated in the Mi’gmaq Youth Recreation Camp. We would like to find out what you (or your child) enjoyed the most about summer camp? Which activities worked and how can the camp be improved to meet the needs of our youth?

With your input, suggestions and ideas, Community Services will be able to better plan and implement activities that will encourage our youth to keep active and stay healthy. This project is made possible with funding from Health Canada’s Aboriginal Diabetes Initiative Regional Evaluation and Innovation Fund (REIF).

If you would like to find out more about the Summer Camp Evaluation Project and to share your thoughts and ideas about the camp, contact
Sheila Swasson, Manager (Community Services) at 788-2136 or by e-mail sheilaswasson@gmail.com

 

Listuguj launches its new website!

The Listuguj Mi’gmaq Government is pleased to announce the launching of our new website at the Alaqsite’w Gitpu School on December 13, 2011 at 10 a.m. Please join us, and everyone is welcome!

Community Planning Session Held in Listuguj

     The Aboriginal Financial Officers Association of Canada held a professional development workshop in Listuguj on Monday, July 18, 2011, entitled “Comprehensive Community Planning.”  The CCP was facilitated by Mr. Harold Tarbell a Mohawk from Akwesasne and Ms. Sheila Howard, project event coordinator from Southern Alberta.  Originally designed as a 15 week on-line course provided through AFOA the two day event provided community builders information regarding the scope, purpose and function of a CCP.     Approximately 17 community representatives gathered during the two day workshop.  At present were Chief Allison Metallic, Councillors Mr. Dean Vicaire, Ms. Brenda Miller, Ms. Delphine Metallic, Ms. Wanda Metallic, and Mr. Chad Gideon.  Including community representatives from a range of governmental departments such as, Listuguj Health, Education, Public Security, Natural Resources, Gespegewag Mi’gmaq Resource Council, Community & Social Services, Listuguj Mi’gmaq Development Centre and LMG Administration.

Comprehensive Community Planning from a First Nation’s point of view are considered less program driven and more community driven.  It is a multi-staged planning process that require years of development through an intensive community consultation process.  For Listuguj First Nation to create and implement their own CCP would require their own unique perspective.

“It’s time we have a comprehensive community planning session,” said Chief Allison Metallic.  “We need need to know where we are going in the next 15 to 25 years.  We need to protect our treaties and aboriginal rights through our Mi’gmaq way of thinking,” he said.

“For me, what I think it offers is an opportunity for people to take a moment to try to take a look at the big picture, and it’s a way of organizing the million things that we have to do as community members, as program staff, and as Chief and Council.  So all of that stuff we get a chance to take a step back and figure out how we might want to reorganize this.  To me I think that’s probably the most valuable piece of having a comprehensive community plan,” said Harold Tarbell, workshop facilitator.

Tarbell mentioned that as CCP’s touch on virtually every sector from governance, band management structure, health, education, social, culture & language, to economic development and housing. Planning a CCP maintains that government respond to both the needs and diversities of communities.

“We are seeing that governments are able to respond whether it’s Health Canada responding to the health component or the Economic Program responding to the economic component within a given CCP.  The third piece is that you are encouraged to look for other funders other than the normal go to funders, so I think that has a certain value,” said Tarbell.

Among the various models presented towards developing a CCP the Dalhousie University model was most popular among Atlantic Canada’s First Nation communities, others consisted of the INAC, Bopp & Bopp and the CCP Handbook models currently available.  CCP’s represent the vision of a particular community based on the needs of the community and reflect their cultural values.

“What we’ve also heard from communities as the most valuable piece of a CCP is what it offers as a bit of a marketing tool and a tool for people to, in a sense, provide resources and supports to the community, so that’s been quite valuable.  I think the process can be quite useful,” said Tarbell.

Harold Tarbell has been facilitating programs with First Nation communities and their leaders for many years.  He worked alongside with Buffy Sainte-Marie during her “Cradleboard” project in 1996 among other things, and currently sits as Deputy Speaker for the Assembly of First Nations during their annual gatherings.  He has developed a knack for helping others work towards reaching their goals.

“Because I’ve had the ability to work in every sector mostly as a facilitator in Economic Development, Education, Health, Governance, Management, Evaluation, Communications, Youth Development, I’ve had a chance to work in all of those.  So for me when AFOA offered me an opportunity to work a few years ago it was a natural thing for me.  I’ve always been into strategic planning, having my first experience in 1990 and later as an independent facilitator since 1996.  I’ve been doing it ever since.”

The Comprehensive Community Planning Workshop took place at the Listuguj Natural Resource Centre Conference Room from July 18th to the 19th, 2011.