COMMUNITY RELEASE
All NEW Listuguj members must register by April 30, 2015 to receive Settlement Funds
March 13, 2015 (Listuguj, Gespe’gewa’gi) –All NEW Listuguj members have until April 30, 2015 to register and ensure their name is on the Listuguj band list in order to receive a per capita distribution from the Settlement Agreement. This does not apply if you are already a registered member.
As ratified by community members, $60 million from the Settlement Agreement will be distributed to all Listuguj members who are alive as of the “Effective Date”. The “Effective Date” is the date that Canada signs the Agreement. LMG has been assured that Canada will sign the Agreement in early April. LMG will provide a grace period of several weeks and a cut-off date of April 30, 2015 to finalize and confirm membership registration. LMG will calculate the per capita distribution based on the number of members on the band list on April 30, 2015.
LMG wants to ensure all new members are registered. This can include babies who are born up to or on the “Effective Date” but who are not yet registered. It can also include anyone currently registering with Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada (AANDC).
Please note the following important details regarding member registration as it relates to the Settlement Agreement per capita distribution:
- If you are the parents of a baby born in Québec, the certificate of live birth is sent by the hospital to Services Québec. You must fill out the Application for Simplified Access to Birth-related Government Programs and Services so that Services Québec can send the birth certificate to the federal department of Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development (AANDC). AANDC will then send you an application for registration for Listuguj membership. You must ensure you have submitted this application and confirm that your child is on the band list by April 30, 2015.
- To speed up this process, parents of newborns can pick up their child’s birth certificate in person at the provincial Vital Statistics Office (for Québec births, the office is in Québec City, for New Brunswick births, the office is in Fredericton), then have it delivered to the band office. Parents need to fill out the Child Application for Registration under the Indian Act-Parental Consent form. The band office will then send the information to the Québec regional office. The Québec regional office will inform the band office when the newborn is to be added to the band list.
- Getting a birth certificate can also be obtained quickly over the Internet. If the baby was born in Québec, see the Québec Ministere du Travail, de l’Emploi et de la Solidarité sociale web site for instructions.
- If you are the parents of a baby born in another province, you must ensure you fill out the required paperwork so that the birth information is sent from the provincial ministry to the AANDC head office in Gatineau, Québec
- If you are the parents of a baby born outside Canada or an individual who is registering for Listuguj membership and you live outside Canada, you must register directly through the AANDC head office in Gatineau, Québec
- Bill C-3 applicants must fill out the required application forms online, by mail or in person at a regional AANDC office or the AANDC head office in Gatineau, Québec. Bill C-3 applicants could also go to the LMG office with their long form birth certificate and identification and get application forms. Please note, this process takes time. If someone is just starting this process, it is unlikely that membership will be approved before April 30, 2015
- For all other individuals who want to be considered for Listuguj membership, email, call or visit the LMG office for more information or to apply
Please note that anyone with an application for membership that is still pending from AANDC after April 30, 2015 will not be eligible for the per capita distribution.
LMG will be contacting AANDC to explain the situation regarding Listuguj membership, the per capita distribution and the cut-off date of April 30, 2015. LMG will urge AANDC to make Listuguj membership registrations a priority.
If you are having difficulty getting your Listuguj membership confirmed, please contact Gino Clement at the LMG office.
For more information on the per capita distribution, please contact:
Mike Isaac, Communications Officer
lmghr@listuguj.ca or 418-788-2136 www.listuguj.ca
