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Micmacs of Gesgapegiag Band Newsletter
2016
AUGUST & SEPTEMBER
Photo Credit : Maxine Bergeron
Credits
Contributing Writers
Denise Larocque, Tammy Martin,
Maxime Jr. Condo,
Francoise Gideon, Patsy Jerome,
Natalie Jerome, Jeremy Speller,
Andrew Jerome, Sheila Gedeon,
Courtney Jerome, Bianca Martin,
Raven Larocque,
Patrick Paré-Martin, James Melisek
Photographs
Kayla Caplin
Design & Layout
Kayla Caplin
Editor
Fred Vicaire
Sue-Helen Caplin
Index
1
2
Basic Home Maintenance
Old Debt Repayment
3
Mr. Remi Masse Visits Gesgapegiag
Pre-School Program
Congratulations Letter
4
Back To School Information
5&6
7
GHRDC
8
Gesgapegiag Adult Education Center
Service Technician
9&10
Gesgapegiag Education Services
Last Page
Important Notice & Healing Lodge Services
A big thank you goes out to our staff of this year’s Summer Camp and Cultural Camp workers of 2016.
With lots of hard work and planning we are happy say that this year event was one of our biggest and highest
numbers we had. 193 participants, another successful year.
Thank you everyone from all staff and volunteers!
From: Patsy Jerome
Natalie Jerome
Andrew Martin
Jeremy Speller
Basic Home Maintenance
Is home maintenance a mystery?
Don’t know where to start or how to identify potential problems?
This one-three day workshop will take the mystery out of these issues.
WHAT will I learn?
You will learn how to identify
and deal with day-to-day home
repairs and basic home
maintenance. For example, you
will learn how to prevent mold
from becoming a major problem
in your home, how to fix a leaky
faucet, how to repair damaged
drywall, and so on.
There will be door prizes
(electronics; gift cards;
hand tools) for the
participants and meals
(lunch).
To qualify for the door
prizes, the participants
must attend the three day
workshop.
WHAT are the benefits?
At the end of the session, you will have a
better understanding of how to prevent
mold and how to do basic home
maintenance .
Properly maintained homes are also
healthier places to live. You and your
community will benefit because properly
maintained homes last longer. It costs less
money to find and repair problems before
they get out of hand.
Date to be determined.
HOW many participants?
Between 8 and 40 participants.
WHO should attend?
Community members.
WHAT are the requirements?
There are none.
HOW long is the session?
Usually one day, depending on community needs.
Please note: At the end of the session, you will receive a free copy of CMHC’s
Basic Home Maintenance: Home Occupants Guide.
Sign-up sheets are available at the Band Office.
1
For more information, please call Maxime Condo Jr at
(418) 759-3441.
There will be
door prizes
to be won!
Social Assistance
OLD DEBT REPAYMENT
Arriving in the social assistance office in most cases, is, because, it is the person’s last resort. Our unemployment
has run out, we are waiting for our unemployment benefits, old- age pension or family allowance to kick in. Four
weeks without an income can be scary when we need to eat or have bills to pay.
In the event you need to borrow while waiting on some form of Government subsidy, you sign a paper that
states;
You are borrowing the money and are promising to repay.
This is debt stays in the system and will eventually have to be repaid.
Sadly enough, no one returns to social assistance to pay this debt, and when they return on Social Assistance
with no Job or income they are left to repay this debt with an already a small amount to live on.
Deductions are made for rent on band housing, past debt, in some cases Hydro and old furniture debt.
(As of 2016 there is no more borrowing for Furniture.)
BREAKING DOWN THE INCOME
(Not all cases will look like this; this is the worst case scenario)
Social Assistance;
Basic allowance is
Rent if band home
Old debt; waiting on E.I
Furniture
Electric (Depends)
$623.
-$125.
- $56.
- $50.
- $91.
Balance $301
With the balance you still have to pay for food, phone, cable, car and other bills.
Pay Debt when you have the funds to do so, to help prevent what already will be a difficult time from becoming
more difficult.
There may be a misconception that this is free money, but debt can stay in the system from up to ten years.
Consider setting money aside before you weeks are up on your job to avoid adding to old debt.
Letters have been sent out; asking that you come in to make arrangements to pay this debt off whether it was old
furniture debt or money borrowed while waiting on old age pension, family allowance or unemployment
Benefits.
Thank you,
Denise Larocque
Social Assistance Coordinator
2
The Federal MP for the riding of Avignon – La Mitis – Matane –
Matapedia, Mr. Remi Masse, visited the community of
Gesgapegiag on August 9th, 2016.
He got to meet with the directors and program administrators
who got an opportunity to ask questions and raise concerns on
a variety of programs and services that Gesgapegiag offer to its
members. Mr. Masse is also a member of the Standing Committee
on Indigenous and Northern Affairs.
From left to right in the picture: John Martin (Director of Education), Jessica Poirier (Human Resource Manager),
Francoise Gideon (Director of Social Services), Maxime Condo Jr (Housing Coordinator),
Franklin Condo (Director of Public Security), Francine Ross (Financial Controller),
Amanda Larocque (Director of Health), and Frederic Vicaire (Director General).
Our Pre-School Program at Wejgwapniag School
Did you Know that?
1. Average time offered for Pre-K program in the Province and in most of the Gaspe Coast schools is 2 hours per
week. In Wejgwapniag school offers a Pre-K program for 10 hours and 50 minutes.
2. Most of the Provincial School don’t offer transportation for Pre-K students. Wejgwapniag school does!
3. That young children learn better from mimicking older students and they socialize better when they learn
from older children. This is why we have combined Pre-K and Kindergarten. Pre-Kindergarten students will
benefit from 5 years old students who have already spent an entire year at school.
4. When our Pre-Kindergarten will be in the classroom, in the afternoon, there will be two teachers in the class
to help students acquire the readiness skills.
Congratulations to Miss Mary Caplin who successfully completed her Bachelor of Education
in UNB.
We are all very proud of your achievement Mary and we hope that Wejgwapniag School will be able to benefit for
a long time for your professionalism and caring attitude toward our students! You are definitely a huge asset to
our school and our community!
We would also love to proudly announce that two of our staff members who are now working as Special
Education Assistants were accept in McGill University to complete a 4 year Bachelor of Education Program.
As you know, it is difficult to be accept in McGill University, so we are all VERY proud of Hank Gromelski and
Christine Jerome. You both can count on our support to make your university experience a successful one!
3
2016-2017
BACK-TO-SCHOOL
INFORMATION
SCHOOL CALENDAR
•
•
•
All staff members will be taking part in CPI (Crisis Prevention Intervention)
Training before students begin
Students begin regular classes on August 25th 2016
If you have not registered your child yet, please do
o Registration forms are available at the school
SCHEDULE CHANGES
•
•
We have recently made changes to our school day:
o Due to the highway construction, the bus will begin
going around at 7:30 AM for morning pick-up
o Students will begin classes at 7:55 AM and finish at 2:35 PM
o This new timetable applies to all grade levels, with the exception of
Pre-Kindergarten
Pre-Kindergarten will be taking place in the afternoon from 12:25 – 2:35 PM
o For these students, the bus will begin pick-up at 12:00 PM
SPORTS
•
•
Wejgwapniag School will be included in all ESSB (Eastern Shores School
Board) sports events
Wejgwapniag School will be hosting a Mini-Soccer
activity on October 14th 2016
Wejgwapniag School will participate in the FNEC Inter-School Games
The games will be in May, however
information will be sent out to
parents by the end of August or early
September
Photo credit:
Jeux interscolaires CEPN - FNEC Inter-school Games
Facebook page
IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR CONCERNS,
PLEASE FEEL FREE TO CONTACT THE SCHOOL AT (418) 759-3422
4
Workforce Profile of Gesgapegiag
Why a workforce profile?




Identify personal barriers to education and employment
Improve education, employment, training services and
programs
Identify the needs of our active community members
Help our youth develop strategies to improve in school
and/or in training
Let’s make a difference!
Why should you participate?



Your opinion counts
It will benefit you and our
community members
It will help us improve our services
Target Population
15 to 64
For more information or to make an appointment please
contact our data collection clerks:
Rolande Mallette (Robin) or Alex Jerome
Gesgapegiag Human Resources Development Commission
10A School Street
Gesgapegiag (Quebec) G0C 1Y1
Tel.: 418-759-5424
Our financial partners for this project:
5
GRAND
PRIZE
DRAW IPAD
SECRETARIAL STUDIES
Are you interested in working in an office, writing, working in communication and information? Do you enjoy
working or want to work in administration. If the answer is YES, then attaining a secretarial certification is for
you!
ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS:
A Secondary School Diploma or its recognized equivalent OR be as 16 years of age and have earned secondary IV credits in English, French, Mathematics, Or have been recognized for equivalent learning OR Be as of
18 years of age and have completed the following prerequisites: General Development Test and ENG-3070-3,
Mathematics MTH-2101-3, or recognition or equivalent learning OR have completed Secondary III credits in
English, French and Mathematics and who will continue their education courses.
HOME CARE ASSISTANCE
Are you interested in working with people? Do you enjoy helping others with their basic health care? Do you
have empathy? If the answer is YES, then attaining the home care assistance certification is for you!
Admission Requirements: A Secondary School Diploma or its recognized equivalent OR be at least 16 years of
age on September 30th and have earned the Secondary III credits in English, French and Mathematics or have
been granted recognition of equivalent learning OR Be at least 18 years of age and have the following functional
prerequisites: the successful completion of the General Development Test and the course ENG-3071-3, or recognition of equivalent learning.
SECRETRIAL STUDIES/HOME CARE ASSISTANCE
Are you interested in both the secretarial and home care assistance?
How can you register? What information will I need?
DEADLINE TO REGISTER:
th
September 16 2016
**Based on the enrollment numbers, it may be possible to start any one of
these programs in Fall at the Adult Education Center in Gesgapegiag.**
YOUR GOALS ARE WITHIN REACH! REGISTER TODAY!
Contact: GHRDC (418) 759-5424 OR Email: [email protected]
6
Senvion Canada Inc. is the Canadian subsidiary of the German turbine manufacturer Sevion GmbH. Founded in
2007, Senvion Canada Inc. is based in Montreal, Quebec with a sales office in Toronto, Ontario. The
mechanical engineering company develops produces, and markets wind turbines with rated outputs of
1.8 up to 6.15 MW and rotor diameter of 82 meters to 126 meters for almost any location.
7
First Nations
Adult Education Centre in
Gesgapegiag
“INVESTING IN YOUR FUTURE”
Registra8on Star8ng August 30, 2016 to September 6, 2016
Visit GHRDC to Register
PROGRAMS OFFERED
* Mi’gmaq Language
* Mi’gmaq History
* English Language Art
* French Second Language
* Science
* Social Sciences
* Computers
* Personal & Social Development
* Mi’gmaq Culture
* Others
Eligibility
Students who are at least sixteen (16) years of age on July 1 are eligible to apply for admission to one of First Na8on Regional Adult Educa8on Centers.
Fall Semester
Starting Date:
September 6, 2016
Call GHRDC 418-­‐759-­‐5424 for more informa8on
Monday, 22 August, 16
8
Gesgapegiag Education Services
Education Services invited our post-secondary students to write about
their summer job/internship related to their program of studies.
I am employed under Tourism Wendake where I work three different locations: a
tourist information desk at the entrance of the Hotel-Musée Premières-Nations,
a Tourism Wendake kiosk in the Information Centre in downtown Old Québec,
and at a tourist information desk at the entrance of a bistro located in Wendake.
My job consisted of answering questions from clients, ensuring kiosks were well
stocked with information pamphlets, selling packages and tickets for Wendake’s
tourism industry, responding to phone calls and emails regarding Wendake and
its tourist attractions, and correcting errors within documentation.This
employment has allowed me to gain experience and knowledge in many fields
including customer service, communications, tourism services, sales
representation, and so forth.
In addition, I’ve had the opportunity to meet clients from across the globe and
work with a very diverse team consisting not only of First Nation people from Wendake, but also coworkers from
France, Mexico, and Italy. I’ve improved my French greatly and had to speak both English and French on a daily
basis. This was an incredible experience which broadened my horizons regarding my interests and my
employment opportunities. I am currently studying Arts Administration and want to pursue graduate studies in
Human Resources.
Thanks,
Bianca Martin
My name is James Melisek, and I am about to enter my third year studying
Mechatronic Systems Engineering at the University of Western Ontario. This
summer I worked at Toronto Hydro, an electricity distribution company in Ontario.
Mechatronic Engineering is a multidisciplinary program that combines many
aspects of Electrical, Mechanical, and Control System Engineering fields.
At Toronto Hydro, many old systems and methods of delivering power to
customers are improved every day, in favour of newer, digital, computerized systems. It was very interesting to apply concepts learned in class to problems dealing
with improving technology in the field. It was also very rewarding to help with
projects with the engineers, and then later see the changes made in the real world.
9
This picture is me on a visit to one of the electricity substations in downtown
Toronto that I was working on. (Please ignore the sling; I broke my collarbone
a couple weeks earlier)
James Melisek
My summer job with the tiny humans
Since I was just a little girl, I knew I wanted to be a mommy, my love for
children was immense. I grew up in a very big family, so kids and baby’s
were constantly running around and in my entourage. At a very young age,
I started baby sitting, slowly taking my life in my own hands. Making some
pocket money and having my own little job never felt so awesome. For me,
caring and watching children was the best job in the world, what could be
better than loving and playing with a little human being?
I chose to work at Gesgapegiag daycare centre because my love for children
never changed. There is this thing that pulls me to want to teach and care for
kids. And why not help my community while doing it. It was my
second year working at the daycare this summer and I loved it even more!
My coworkers are fantastic, always ready to help me or give me tips in order
to make me a better educator. Also, the kids are lovable and treat me with
respect. People say kids teach adults too, well I agree. I have learnt to speak
the truth, to forgive, to live life fully and be happy, to dream big and to never
doubt myself. Kids throw themselves off playground and climb fences even if they won’t know how to climb off,
they are carefree and that’s how adult should see the world sometimes. We need to stop worrying about what
people think and live life at 100%. Every day is different, some days the kids won’t listen and jump on the walls,
some days they’re quiet and like to have serious conversations with you. But no matter how hard the day might
be, and no mater how bad I would like to stay in my bed and sleep, they bring joy in my heart. It’s the little things
that make me love this job, like how they like to cuddle after nap, or how they share their toy with you, or how
they love seeing you walk by their class room and run in your arms.
So this has been another great year, a great experience that I will forever keep in my heart and mind. So many
memories have been made as well as many friendships. I will miss every single one of them. I hope they won’t
forget me because I will most definitely never forget them.
Until next time.
Raven Larocque
Hi, my name is Patrick Paré-Martin and I’m currently studying in Mechanical
Engineering at École de Technologie Supérieure (ÉTS) in Montreal. This summer I got
the chance to do an internship in the engineering team of ACM composites (http://
www.acmcomposites.com/).
In this company I got the chance to use my previous experience that I gained with my
CEGEP degree in composites materials processing (Ex. Carbon fiber parts
manufacturing) to work on really interesting projects. Some of the projects include the
development of new manufacturing methods and new technologies for hockey goalie
sticks, testing of military vehicle parts and the development of manufacturing methods
for jet ski parts.
For me the highlight of my job was to work on the development of pro NHL hockey goalie stick for CCM since
we introduce a lot of great technologies and that the stick we developed was probably going to be played by the
best goalies of the NHL such as Carey Price.
Patrick Paré-Martin
10
Please note:
This will be the last newsletter given out to the community. We will no longer print the
newsletters, as it is costly to have printed monthly. We will still have our newsletters available
to the community but through the Facebook page and our website (www.gesgapegiag.ca).
The elders will each get a printed copy of the newsletter but in black and white and delivered
to their home starting next month when the October newsletter is completed.
If you would like a digital copy of the newsletter, please send me your email address and I
will send you the newsletter every month. In order to receive the digital copy, you will need
to email me requesting to have it monthly at ([email protected]).
Also, if you have any questions about the changes or the newsletters, please contact
Kayla Caplin at the band office. (418) 759-3441.
Micmacs of Gesgapegiag Band Council
Family Group Conferencing
(family group decision-making circle)
This workshop provides individuals with foundational knowledge and basic skills for facilitating restorative
circles as well as practice in Family Group Conference.
Learning objectives are:
- To learn how circle process forms a foundational restorative approach for addressing issues of concern in families, schools and communities.
- To deepen our collective understanding regarding the intention of family group conferencing for
families dealing with current or potential child protection issues.
- To gain competency in planning and facilitating Family Group Conferences.
- To increase understanding of historical impacts and intergenerational trauma for Indigenous peoples which are contributing to the over-representation of this population on many social indicators including kids in government care.
- To learn how this process can offer an invitation to family healing and decolonization therapy for
Indigenous families.
- To examine components and techniques of the facilitator (circle keeper) role, including cross-cultural competency and empowerment based strategies.
One of the recommendation of the evaluation of social services that was conducted earlier this year was to
implement Family Group Conferencing as part of our practice in working with families. We are in the process of
getting quotes from a learning center in Alberta (Bleu Quills) to have this training given here in Gesgapegiag
instead of just sending a select few. They could give a 3-day training to 25 people. Who is this training for?
Quotation from their pamphlet, “child protection workers, family enhanced workers, community agencies,
community leaders, school liaison workers, elders, other resource people and any one interested in restorative
practices and circle applications”.
Should you be interested in this type of Training (Workshop), please give your name at the Healing Lodge.
We will keep you posted as to when, and where it will take place once we get the ok. for the funding and
training.
Benoit Lamarche