First Nations Resource Magazine - Winter 2011

FN FIRST NATIONS RESOURCE MAGAZINE

OCCCI MAKING INROADS WITH ONTARIO HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS

AFN MENTAL WELLNESS: IT STARTS HERE

ESSO’S

NATIVE INTERNSHIP PROGRAM

WENDY GRANT-JOHN ’

DELOITTE S NEWEST SENIOR ADVISOR TO NATIONAL ABORIGINAL SERVICES

HOPEFORTHEFUTURE . CA

contents GIRL GUIDES OF CANADA pay it forward

Agency Chiefs Child & Family Services culture camps

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Ontario Power Generation generating jobs and clean energy on the lower mattagami

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Esso’s Native Internship Program providing paid on-the-job training for aboriginal people

BROCK UNIVERSITY a revolution of consciousness and knowing Canadian Construction Association career opportunities abound in the non residential construction industry

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University of Saskatchewan pre-law program leads to success

SNC Lavalin partnering for success

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ON THE COVER DELOITTE WELCOMES WENDY GRANT-JOHN

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AFN mental wellness... ...it all starts here

Canadian Coast Guard College launching a career with the canadian coast guard fleet

GRAND RIVER EMPLOYMENT AND TRAINING building partnerships

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The Aboriginal Enriched Support Program celebrates 10 year anniversary Ontario Civil Construction Careers Institute making inroads with ontario high school students

The Academy of Learning be job ready in under a year

Katimavik back to school ...not for everyone

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The Maritime Plaza Hotel the hotel of choice for aboriginal travellors hopeforthefuture.ca

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FROM the EDITOR What is the importance of high education? Many 18 year olds have asked their friends, their family, and themselves this question. One important answer to their question is opportunity. As opposed to generations of the past, high school graduates are unable to obtain their idea high paying jobs that were once available.

If you are still asking yourself why you should go to college, it is important to remember the significant amount of opportunity available to college graduates. The global economy is becoming increasingly more competitive, so you need to give yourself the best chance for a well paying job and the key to a better life.

Editor & Publisher Jacques Beauchamp former regional police officer - jacques@vantagepublishing.ca

Executive Assistant Christine Panasuk - christine@vantagepublishing.ca Assistant EDITOR Joyce Li - joyce.li@vantagepublishing.ca Circulation / Production Joyce Li - joyce.li@vantagepublishing.ca Graphics & Art DESIGNit.CA Printed in Ontario, Canada Dollco Printing Senior Web Manager Jonathan Beauchamp - jon.beauchamp@vantagepublishing.ca Production Co Ordinator Jonathan Beauchamp - jon.beauchamp@vantagepublishing.ca Columnists Christine Harris Victoria Salvador

As mentioned, with globalization taking over, the job market has become more competitive. Now a person not only has to compete for a job with the people from their own community, but also with those who have immigrated to Canada from other counties. It is your experience and education that will distinguish you from all of your competition.

Of course, the higher the level of education received, the higher your salary tends to be. As well, people with higher education are more likely to get jobs which give more benefits, and room for advancement.

There are additional reasons as to why it is important to go to college. When students experience a post secondary education, they have the opportunity to read books and listen to lectures from top experts in their fields. This stimulation encourages students to think, ask questions, and explore new ideas which allow for additional growth and development. This is what provides college graduates the edge in the job market over those who have not experienced high education.

ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES Donn Holt • Thomas Easton • Dan Cole @creatinghopefor

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irst Nations Resource Magazine distributed free, all rights reserved. Contents and photographs may not be reprinted without written permission. The statements, opinions and points of view expressed in articles published in this magazine are those of the authors. The publisher accepts no responsibility for unsolicited manuscripts, photographs, transparencies or other materials. (613) 724-9957.

www.vantagepublishing.ca • info@vantagepublishing.ca

Jacques Beauchamp Editor-in-Chief

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©copyright iStockphoto.com | Miranda1066

So, why should you go to college? Well, that is a good question. Let’s just say that a college degree is the key to a better life. The importance of a college education has become quite evident in terms of earning potential within today’s economy. The years spent in college help foster moral principles, help construct your value system, and start your new journey on the path to a better life. So go ahead and grab the opportunity to turn your life around by getting a higher level of education.

All the best,

share your thoughts with us!

Send your feedback, ideas, stories, and suggestions to: share@hopeforthefuture.ca or by mail to: 33-174 Colonnade Rd. South, Ottawa, ON K2E 7J5

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GGC offers funding for new Units through the national office and for girls through provincial offices.

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irl Guides of Canada-Guides du Canada (GGC) relies on the dedication of over 18,000 women to offer fun and relevant programming and inspire greatness in 70,000 girls across the country. The true impact of the organization, however, is most tangible at the local and personal level. It is seen in the commitment of volunteers who selflessly share their time, energy and passion to shape the leaders of tomorrow. It is felt by girls who grow into confident, courageous and resourceful women. Guider Luci S. Johnson embodies the spirit of making a difference in the lives of girls and in her community with her time, energy and passion.

Five years ago, Luci established a Girl Guide Unit on the Samson Cree Nation reserve in the small, rural community

of Hobbema, Alberta. A resident employed as both a court and community worker in Hobbema, Luci wanted to deliver empowering programming to kids to help keep them out of the legal system. “So much of the news out of Hobbema is negative and I wanted to create a positive environment where kids can be kids.�

With this resolve, she took on yet another service to the community and created a multi-branch Unit serving girls of all ages: Sparks (ages 5-6), Brownies (ages 7-8), Guides (ages 9-11), Pathfinders (ages 12-14) and Rangers (ages 15-17+).

This Unit also caters to all four nations on the reserve: Samson Cree Nation, Ermineskin Cree Nation, Montana First Nation and Louis Bull Tribe. hopeforthefuture.ca

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There are several inherent challenges that Luci faces in sustaining a multi-branch Unit in the small rural area. One is funding.

Very few of the girls’ families can afford membership fees, so Luci has committed herself to finding funding from a provincial government program on an annual basis.

It has become a mandate of hers to obtain funding to pay for membership fees and uniforms for the girls. Transportation is also a challenge, so the meetings are at an accessible location and a convenient time.

Girls are buddied with other moms if they need help with transportation.

Luci and her Sparks Luci comes from an intergenerational Guiding family and understands the impact Girl Guides can have – her mother was a Girl Guide, as was she, and her three daughters also participated in the program. She was the leader of her eldest daughter, Paula’s Brownie Unit. Now, Paula has returned from college to become the leader of the same Unit.

As a First Nation Guider of a Unit of First Nation girls, Luci has tailored the Guiding program to meet the unique needs of her community. This first becomes apparent in the Unit name: Maskwacis Girl Guides.

“Maskwacis” is Hobbema’s traditional territorial name in Cree, and means “Bear Hills.” The distinct Guiding experience that Luci offers incorporates Cree language, culture and values into the program.

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Maskwacis Girl Guides

Kirsten was selected to attend this trip and the entire community united in their support and excitement for her. The opportunity to leave the reserve, Alberta and Canada was the opportunity of a lifetime, one that does not come often for a girl in Hobbema. Luci says that Kirsten’s selection “made [her] year.”* When appealing for women to volunteer with the organization GGC uses the tag “Make a difference in the lives of girls and they’ll make a great difference in yours.” Luci’s experience with the Maskwacis Girl Guide Unit personifies this impact in the most passionate of ways.

Luci, her mother and now her daughter are imparting the very same Cree teachings and impactful Guiding experiences that they had as girls because she recognizes the importance of “returning the gift of volunteering to them as I once had as a youth.”

Elders (including her mother) are invited to meetings to teach the girls rites of passage as they transition into women and help incorporate Cree culture in the badges that they earn.When the girls undertake the cooking badge, they are taught how to make traditional bannock bread. Moccasins are included with other clothing articles in the sewing badge, and powwow dancing is also incorporated into the program.

*Note: due to extenuating personal circumstances, Kirsten was unable to attend the trip to Honduras.

Girl Guides Of Canada-Guides Du Canada 1-800-565-8111 girlguides.ca

When Luci speaks about her Unit, her values of caring and giving back to the community are apparent. All Unit decisions are made collectively. Girls are asked what they want to do for the year at the beginning of the Guiding year and take an active role in shaping the Guiding program that is delivered.

The Unit recognizes the importance of giving back to the Maskwacis community and on International Women’s Day the girls delivered care kits to the women who were residing in the local women’s shelter after experiencing violence at home. They also made smaller children’s kits and wrote cards because, as they told Luci, “we can’t forget the little ones.”

When building the Unit, Luci invited Kirsten, a 15 yearold Ranger who was completing the Guiding program independently, to be a Junior Leader with the Unit. Kirsten has been with the Maskwacis Guides for three years now. Last December, the national Girl Guides of Canada office held a staff fundraiser to fund a national service trip to Honduras.

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ith sites located approximately 70 km north of Kapuskasing and 200 km south of Moose Factory, the Lower Mattagami project is the largest northern hydroelectric generating construction project in 40 years. It will increase Ontario’s supply of clean, renewable power by about 440 MW and create hundreds of jobs. Ontario Power Generation’s partner, the Moose Cree First Nation, will have up to a 25 per cent equity share in the project.

Construction of the Lower Mattagami project is providing both training and job opportunities for First Nation and Métis people. OPG, in partnership with the Moose Cree First Nation, is adding additional generating units to three hydroelectric generating stations, Harmon, Kipling and Little Long, and replacing the existing Smoky Falls station with a new one.

The Lower Mattagami project puts into action OPG’s First Nation and Métis policy, which states: “Where appropriate, OPG will pursue prospective generation related developments with First Nations and Métis communities that can provide the basis for long term mutually beneficial commercial arrangements.”

In total, the project will add new clean renewable hydro power without creating new dams on other rivers. This reduces the environmental impacts that would otherwise be caused by new developments. Hydro stations typically remain in service for 90 years or more. Hydro electricity is crucial to the electricity system because it can provide clean, renewable energy on demand when it’s needed most.

Over the five year construction period the project will create about 2,600 person years of construction employment.

Trades and job categories most in demand include: • Form setters and cement workers • Carpenters • Heavy equipment operators • Drillers and blasters • Labourers • Mechanical installation workers • Project support staff (camp, catering, administration, etc.)

• Electrical installation staff: electricians, engineers, construction superintendents and quality control personnel Construction work is being done by Kiewit Alarie Partnership, a designbuild contractor experienced in building hydroelectric facilities.

All hiring is being done by Kiewit Alarie Partnership or its contracted companies. Construction workers are hired in accordance with the agreements OPG has with construction unions and the Moose Cree First Nation.

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Work is progressing well

A year into the project, work is progressing well at all four sites. Close to 1,000 people are currently employed with the project, including about 200 members of First Nation and Métis communities. The number of employees on site is expected to increase as construction operations accelerate.

Training linked to career opportunities

One of the great success stories on the project is the Sibi Employment and Training initiative. Established in 2010 as a not for profit corporation, the Sibi initiative (Sibi is the Cree word for river), provides training-to-employment services to the community members of Moose Cree First Nation, MoCreebec, Taykwa Tagamou Nation and Métis persons in the Lower Moose River Basin.

Sibi provides a variety of classroom and on-the-job training directly linked to entry level and advanced level career opportunities on the Lower Mattagami River project, and with other local employers. The types of training being offered include: employment readiness, health and safety regulatory courses, business, technical and professional certificate courses, as well as on-the-job learning through funded work placements. Between June 2010 and March 2011 the program graduated 337 Aboriginal students.

Sibi operates primarily on funding achieved by Moose Cree from Human Resources and Skills Development Canada through the Aboriginal Skills and Employment Partnership program. Sibi also receives matching funding from OPG in cooperation with OPG’s Design-Build Contractor, Kiewit-Alarie, a partnership through the Lower Mattagami Redevelopment Project.

Additional support has been provided through partnerships with the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities, and the Building Trades Unions from North Eastern Ontario.

Camp meals include traditional foods

Due to the remote location of the project a camp was built to house workers. Since workers live and work on-site with no restaurants or grocery stores in the area, the camp kitchen remains open 24 hours a day.

“A happy worker is a safe and productive one,” said Project Construction Manager, Lulian Radu. The kitchen at Smoky Falls, where the bulk of the construction work is taking place, is staffed by approximately 30 workers, most of which are members of area First Nation communities.

Workers also have several traditional First Nation meal options including bannock and pickerel. “We recognize that we have a number of First Nation members working on the project and we want to make sure we give them a little taste of home,” said Radu. “It also provides an opportunity for our First Nation partners to share some of their culture and traditions with other workers on the project.”

Ontario Power Generation Corporate Head Office 700 University Avenue Toronto, Ontario M5G 1X6

Main Switchboard: (416) 592-2555 Toll Free: (877) 592-2555 General Inquiries: webmaster@opg.com Website: www.opg.com hopeforthefuture.ca

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few short years ago, Dan Prevost was logging long, lonely hours on the road.

The program provides paid on-the-job training for Aboriginal people for up to two years with graduates gaining valuable technical experience working in field or plant operations.

As a 31-year-old truck driver with a high school education, he sacrificed family time with his two young children - his career options limited - with no real idea what his future would hold.

Then he found Imperial Oil’s Native Internship Program, and began training as a field production operator at the company’s Cold Lake operation.

That’s why Imperial Oil founded the Imperial Network in the early 1990s to develop supportive relationships with Aboriginal communities.

“The internship program changed my life,” said Prevost. “I knew I wanted to do something more challenging, but I couldn’t realistically go back to school and become a student with a family at home.”

The Native Internship Program is an initiative that helps Aboriginal people obtain the necessary education and training for long-term careers. It was created in 1998 by members of the Network in collaboration with management and with the First Nations and Métis communities in the Cold Lake region. The program provides paid on-the-job training for Aboriginal people for up to two years with graduates gaining valuable technical experience working in field or plant operations. Interns complete a comprehensive program including onsite training and a post-secondary power engineering course.

While Alberta’s oil and gas industry has provided many with employment opportunities over the years, those from local Aboriginal communities were often left behind. People such as Prevost experience a number of challenges associated with leaving home - and their existing social and community network - to obtain the necessary education and experience needed to benefit from “the boom” and become gainfully employed.

Prevost is now able to earn a living to support his family while building his career.

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“Imperial values the opportunity to build long-term relationships with Aboriginal peoples and this program provides a context for mutual respect and benefit,” said Fred Cardinal, production operator, Cold Lake Operations, network member and program member.

One unique feature of the program is that it allows Aboriginals to continue to reside in their local communities throughout the training process and provides the ability to earn while they learn.

Since the program was introduced, Imperial has hired 24 program participants, including Prevost, who started his full time position last fall after completing his internship.

“Imperial’s Native Internship Program is a unique training initiative that breaks down barriers by eliminating common challenges experienced by Aboriginals who want to obtain technical careers in the oil and gas industry,” says Rick Janvier, human resources manager, Cold Lake First Nations and a program partner.

It is a program developed and managed by Aboriginal people for Aboriginal people within their community. Formal mentorships from Aboriginal employees throughout the participants’ training help them adjust to the workforce environment and culture and contribute to the successful completion of the program.

“One of the most rewarding benefits is the positive impact program graduates have on their local community by being role models. The opportunities that Imperial Oil brings to the region have helped decrease our local unemployment rate. I’d definitely call that progress,” said Janvier.

The stability provided by long-term employment positively impacts the whole community. Participants are paid to learn, and this education leads to their future employment and growth. Local communities benefit from the employment opportunities and corporations tackle the labour shortage issues head on. Many of Imperial’s current and past interns are active in their own communities, sharing their experiences and encouraging others to follow in their footsteps.

“We see the change in interns every year - in how they view themselves and in how they are viewed by the community - earning a steady income to provide for their family and gaining oil and gas experience and knowledge,” said Paula McMillan, human resources manager, Cold Lake Operations.

Current program partners include seven First Nations, four Métis settlements and the Métis Nation of Alberta Region II. The Alberta Government has also supported Imperial’s Native Internship Program by providing financial support.

Imperial recently received the Rewarding Partnership Award from the Alberta Chamber of Resources and the Alberta Ministry of International, Intergovernmental and Aboriginal Relations for its collaborative partnership with First Nations and Métis communities.

“It’s a very worthwhile initiative and one that offers career choices, opportunity, a better lifestyle and a better life,” said Janvier.

For more information on Imperial’s Native Internship Program and other Aboriginal workforce development initiatives, please see imperialoil.ca/CanadaEnglish/community_aboriginal_work.aspx on the company’s website.

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Grand River Employment and Training (GREAT) is a community based non-profit organization situated in Six Nations of the Grand River Territory. It was incorporated in 1992 to provide training and employment programs and services to citizens of Six Nations, regardless of residence. With 10,150 visits to GREAT in the last fiscal year, it has become known as the place to go to find a job, make a career choice, training, or business development.

PARTNERSHIP BUILDING

One of the pillars in GREAT’s five year strategic plan is to build partnerships with employers including private business, unions, and the public sector. By doing so, GREAT will be in a better position to connect job ready individuals to employers who are seeking to hire. To this end, GREAT has taken on several initiatives including: Integrating Fun and Learning. An Employer Corporate Challenge is held annually to promote GREAT throughout the corporate community, increase cultural awareness, and integrate Six Nations skilled workforce into the broader corporate community in Ontario. Each year GREAT sponsors an employer golf tournament where employers are recognized for hiring and training Six Nations labour force.

Apprenticeship Coordinator Position. This position is responsible for educating and promoting the various apprenticeship trades within the community and linking with trade unions and learning about their recruitment process. Factors such as Canada’s aging population and the retirement rate, point to the fact that jobs within the trades will be in high demand.

Employer and Job Seeker Database. A database of employers and job seekers has been developed. This database expedites the process of connecting the two sides of the labour market together.

Resources and Services for Employers. These resources include cultural education workshops for employers with an interest to learn more about the Haudenosaunee culture within Six Nations, training incentives and mentoring and coaching for new hires, access to GREAT’s job board, and recruitment services to fill vacancies.

DEMAND DRIVEN SKILL DEVELOPMENT

Another pillar within GREAT’s strategic plan is demand driven skill development. To gain an understanding of the skills needs within the labour force, GREAT meets with employers and, in turn, delivers training to meet those needs. GREAT’s Ogwehoweh Skills and Trades Centre was established to deliver training within Six Nations by Six Nation instructors and includes: Renewable Energy, General Educational Development, Apprenticeship Technical Support Agent, Pre-Apprenticeship Electrical, Welding, Computer Training, Driver Education, and Business Plan Development.

OTHER INITIATIVES

GREAT has taken on several initiatives that help address the barriers to employment for Aboriginal people. The following lists a few of the initiatives outside of the training and employment counseling functions within GREAT: • Transportation Feasibility Study • Publishing a book entitled “What Grandma Says About Haudenosauee Values and Work Ethics”.

• Green Conference and Green Job Fair • Community Think Tanks on Six Nations Labour Force Development • Quarterly Labour Force Surveys • Establishing Social Enterprises to Create Jobs

Laurie’s Story

Laurie came to GREAT with a goal of someday owning and managing a home inspection business. In response, GREAT sponsored her in a 6-week business plan course. After graduating, Laurie applied for funding under GREAT’s Self Employed Assistance Program and then went on to establish her business which includes mold and indoor air quality testing. She named her business, Eagle Eye Property Consultant.

Laurie has continued to upgrade herself by taking week-end courses. In 2010, she enrolled in GREAT’s Renewable Energy Course and completed a four week placement with Niagara Windpower Inc. where she earned a designation as a “Renewable Energy Associate” and “Certified Energy Advisor”.

Laurie’s business is growing. She recently won a contract inspecting approximately 100 homes for the Urban Native Homes in Hamilton. Congratulations Laurie.

For more success stories go to www.greatsn.com

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Council of the Cree Nation of Mistissini Conseil de la Nation Crie de Mistissini 187 Main, Mistissini Lake, QuĂŠbec, G0W 1C0

Tel.: (418) 923-3461 Fax: (418) 923-3115

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At the Tecumseh Centre and beyond, we learn and grow together through our enhanced research, teaching and learning involving narrative, oral history, and the rich cultural traditions of our Aboriginal/ FN peoples in Canada.

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pproved by Brock University Senate in the fall of 2004, The Tecumseh Centre for Aboriginal Research and Education is one of the few multidisciplinary research entities in Ontario that builds educational programming around the expressed needs and requirements of Aboriginal communities.

Today, the Centre draws growing numbers of Aboriginal undergraduate and graduate scholars working to create cooperative networks, and seek out support and training as they envision their research and their place in the struggle to promote healthy communities. The Centre is a place where Aboriginal communities and University researchers from diverse disciplines, guided

by Aboriginal peoples, share their expertise to build a deeper understanding of the needs of Aboriginal communities. It is where the idea of research is demystified and connected to educational programming and the potential for change is transplanted into community. It is where Aboriginal theory is discussed, crafted, and enacted for the benefit of all communities. The Tecumseh Centre is a place of being, becoming, and a place of convergence.

“The Tecumseh Centre for Aboriginal Studies and Research is committed to working with our Aboriginal partners to create educational and research opportunities and partnerships which will benefit us locally, provincially, nationally and internationally,” says Dr. Fiona Blaikie, Dean of the Faculty of Education at Brock University. “We value and have much to learn from Aboriginal ways of knowing and being in the world. At the Tecumseh Centre and beyond, we learn and grow together through our enhanced research, teaching and learning involving narrative, oral history, and the rich cultural traditions of our Aboriginal/FN peoples in Canada. This is why the Tecumseh Centre is burgeoning – and we are thrilled to have a strong team of faculty, researchers and support staff committed to these ideals.”

In addition to offering university degree and certificate programs in Aboriginal Education, the Centre’s activities include creating research training and support for Aboriginal students and opportunities for Aboriginal and non-aboriginal scholars to conference, share resources and knowledge, collaborative on research proposals and foster intra-institutional communications relevant to Aboriginal issues, values, experience and the contributions of Aboriginal peoples globally.

“The Tecumseh Centre works to advance the awareness of provincial policy related to Aboriginal Peoples and education,” explains Dr. Lorenzo Cherubini. A professor in the Faculty of Education and a renowned scholar, Dr. Cherubini is the current Director of the Tecumseh Centre. “It [the Tecumseh Centre] stands as an example of vital educational programs and services that extend into urban Aboriginal communities in Ontario allowing outcomes to be shared locally and internationally.”

The vision of the centre, continues Cherubini, is to continue to establish a research focus at Brock University that connects Aboriginal and mainstream scholars, researchers, post-doctoral, graduate and undergraduate students to Aboriginal peoples and communities in a culturally appropriate manner. This collective vision aims to further the understanding of the complex educational, health, socio-economic and socio-cultural realities of Aboriginal peoples, and to create new and innovative educational programming that promotes and encourages the transformation of those same realities through policy and practice. A direct connection between ‘research’ and ‘programming’ reflects the holistic nature of Aboriginal epistemologies.

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Placing the Aboriginal Community at the Centre of the Research Enterprise The Brock community is connected to the Aboriginal community via research and educational programming; thus, the Aboriginal community moves away from being the subject of research and becomes a full participant.

Conceived as an organic multidisciplinary, interdisciplinary, international and collaborative research and educational entity, the Centre has the ability to expand to include Brock faculties and other universities as needs are identified, relationships established and resources become available.

This approach to expansion encourages the participation of a diverse array of researchers, scholars, students and community

members dedicated to the creation of the intellectual critical mass that is necessary to encourage societal change.

The Centre is committed to making a significant contribution in the development of the next generation of Aboriginal researchers and scholars. This commitment, states Dr. Cherubini, is achieved through three strategic initiatives.

The two worlds curriculum, respects both the Aboriginal and mainstream cultures which infuses the knowledge and values of both worlds and is designed for Aboriginal teacher candidates who may in the future teach in urban settings or in First Nation communities.

“The first is initiative is to connect Aboriginal undergraduate and graduate students to training opportunities in Aboriginal research ethics and methodologies. Secondly, we support access to research funding, the latest software developments relevant to research, and encourage a wider conception of Aboriginal research and scholarship by connecting undergraduate and graduate students to local, national and international speaker series, colloquia and conferences. We then provide handson opportunities for Aboriginal graduate students to participate in the Tecumseh Centre’s research projects through graduate internships.”

Bachelor of Education Degree and Certificate in Aboriginal Adult Education Program Addressing the learning and professional needs of a variety of learners, the Tecumseh Centre for Aboriginal Research and Education offers two degree programs, three certificate programs as well as a variety of Aboriginal studies courses.

The Centre’s Bachelor of Education (part-time) program provides a unique opportunity to experience Adult Education from the perspective of Aboriginal peoples. Curriculum draws on the experiences, knowledge, culture, traditions, epistemologies, and ontologies, of Aboriginal people, including their written academic work, as well as, engaging in the community through speakers, or attending community events. If applicants have an existing university degree, they need to complete the five core courses in order to receive a second degree.

The Certificate in Aboriginal Adult Education allows individuals working in related fields who are not interested in pursuing a degree the opportunity to further their education. Offered face-to-face at community venues across

the province, classes are usually located at Native institutes, colleges or universities, or similar locations in both urban and rural setting. Courses are taken on a part-time basis and classes are small to give students valuable personal attention, and allow for more student interaction when participating in discussions. Each course results in one full university credit. Additional credits can be taken at any accredited university in Ontario, as well as online through Athabasca University (with a Letter of Permission).

The program began in 2001 and continues to be a stepping stone for many Aboriginal people.

Bachelor of Education Primary/Junior (Aboriginal) The Bachelor of Education Primary/junior (Aboriginal) is offered in conjunction with the Northern Nishnawbe Education Council in the Sioux Lookout District. This teacher education program facilitates a two-worlds approach to teacher training, which incorporates mainstream and Nishnawbek worldviews to produce teachers that have been grounded in two diverse ways of knowing. The two worlds curriculum, respects both the Aboriginal and mainstream cultures which infuses the knowledge and values of both worlds and is designed for Aboriginal teacher candidates who may in the future teach in urban settings or in First Nation communities. Academically, three sources underlie the program: Nishnawbek traditional knowledge, mainstream disciplines and knowledge, and the Faculty of Education teacher education model. hopeforthefuture.ca

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The program is community-based, with an emphasis on education for Aboriginal teacher candidates. It is designed to respond to the educational and cultural needs of Aboriginal learners and to enable them to attain educational success. The purpose of the program is to enable Aboriginal teacher candidates from remote communities in Northwestern Ontario to earn a Bachelor of Education degree thereby enabling them to establish their eligibility to apply for a Certificate of Qualification and Registration and in turn apply for membership to the Ontario College of Teachers.

The courses, comprised of 22 credits, are delivered in a variety of ways: through face-to-face classes at locations near Sioux Lookout, a summer institute on the Brock University main campus and utilizing distanceeducation methods using electronic communications media.

skills to successfully transition into a variety of undergraduate degree programs offered at Brock University. The certificate will be awarded upon completion of the following courses: Introduction to Aboriginal Studies; Traditional Aboriginal Families, Communities and Schools; Decolonizing Aboriginal Women’s Identities through Education; Technology in Aboriginal Communities and Schools; Aboriginal Spirituality; and Reclaiming Aboriginal Women’s Literacy Traditions and Educational Aspirations. These courses includes curriculum that focuses on decolonizing and reclaiming Aboriginal women’s identities, program outcomes that encourage balance between two worldviews; traditional and academic, and the application of cultural traditions to modern contexts. Students will benefit from a classroom community that promotes positive self-images while fostering a support network to embrace the realities of Aboriginal women and their families.

Undergraduate Courses in …..

A Revolution of Consciousness and Knowing

The ABST program and courses offered by Tecumseh Centre for Aboriginal Research and Education are designed to address the educational neglect of the importance of recognizing the place that Aboriginal Culture, language and customs have played in the formation of not only the U.S. and Canada but all of the countries around the world. A neglect that is and has become very apparent when children go to study the histories of at least theses two countries and are not taught anything of value in regards to Aboriginal people and Aboriginal issues. Without Aboriginal people’s involvement there would be no Canada, no United States, countries in Europe would be less developed than they are now in areas of medicine, food, athletics, forms of travel, democratic forms of governance, law, etc. The courses offered at Brock by Tecumseh are all designed to teach the appropriateness of inclusion of these cultures to help people better recognize the important contributions of Aboriginal societies and communities that has led to the better development of the world for all peoples.

Aboriginal people are experiencing a revolution of consciousness and knowing whereby the excesses and failures of the colonial project are connected to contemporary realities. Such a revolution cannot be understated, since it represents a profound expansion of consciousness.

Indigenous knowledges and methodologies that are grounded in culture, as well as meaningful community involvement, are understood to be critical to that end. This revolution of consciousness is not an isolated reality to the Aboriginal community alone.

Language courses are taught to help with the revitalization of these dwindling languages such as the Iroquoian languages to make sure they will survive. Aboriginal Spirituality courses are taught to help educate people on the importance of respect for the land, people, and natural law and the created order. Intro to Aboriginal Studies examines how myths and stereotypes of Aboriginal people came to be accepted as the norm and Intro to Aboriginal Culture allows students to get as close a view into Aboriginal life and living as much as they can to create better understandings between peoples

Women’s Access Program The Gidayaamin Aboriginal Women’s Certificate Program is a new and unique culturally-based program designed to offer a holistic response to the immediate and specific realities of Aboriginal women wishing to pursue university studies. Embedded within a holistic system of support this program bridges the gap between academic programming and student services honouring the emotional, physical, spiritual and intellectual needs of Aboriginal women and their families. In this light, cultural and familial realities of Aboriginal women are embraced promoting a safe environment for students to fully engage in their studies.

Through culturally relevant programming and academic rigour the newly designed curriculum is intended to promote the development of strong cultural identities and encourage Aboriginal women to achieve their full academic potential. In this spirit, the program offers first-year university accreditation providing students with

After extensive consultation involving the Aboriginal community, the Social Science and Humanities Research Council adopted a strategic theme that signals a significant paradigm shift in relation to Aboriginal research. The underlying motive of this shift is best understood in the context of ‘more research by and with Aboriginal peoples-not more research on or for Aboriginal peoples.’ This direction is actuated through various administrative measures and new programming designed to strengthen Aboriginal research across the Tri-Council which will in turn significantly change the research culture in Canada to better reflect Aboriginal cultural norms and address contemporary needs.

Universities that align their research enterprise with this relatively new paradigm will play a key role in its unfolding. Brock University and the Tecumseh Centre for Aboriginal Research and Education have assumed a lead role in this process.

The Centre welcomes any inquiry from Aboriginal peoples, communities, service providers with a research interest in their disciplines. Contact us and let’s talk!

Information for future students in our Aboriginal education programs can be found throughout the Future Students section of our website http://www.brocku.ca/education/futurestudents/aboriginal Enrolled students in our Aboriginal education programs are encouraged to visit the Current Students section of our website http:// www.brocku.ca/education/currentstudents/aboriginaled Students and applicants requiring any forms, applications or letters of permission please go to the Forms page on the website or contact Janie Hodson at (905) 688-5550 ext.3971 hopeforthefuture.ca

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Construction Is One of Canada’s Largest Industries

As the strength of the aboriginal population in contributing to increasing Canada’s economic productivity continues to grow, it is shaping the focus of industry initiatives. According to the Centre for the Study of Living Standards, the aboriginal population has the potential to increase Canada’s GDP by $401 billion by the year 2026.

Non-residential construction is a unique and far-reaching industry, encompassing a broad expanse of services. It includes industrial, commercial, and institutional construction (ICI) as well as the roadbuilding and heavy construction sectors (civil engineering). Companies are responsible for the construction and maintenance of oil refineries, power plants, smelters, airports, military bases, office towers, shopping centres, hospitals, schools, as well as the entire core infrastructure that helps run these facilities such as water systems, sewers, roads, highways, and electrical grids. The industry serves both the public and private sectors across Canada.

The average age for most advanced skills professions within the sector is now just over 40 years of age and increasing year over year, despite the influx of temporary construction personnel brought into the country under temporary foreign worker and provincial nominee programs.

In terms of jobs, construction companies directly employ more than 1.2 million Canadians, or 1 out of every 16 working Canadians. Construction accounts for over 6% of Canada’s GDP, amounting to more than $150 billion worth of economic activity annually. 90-95% of construction firms active in Canada are small to medium-sized businesses. The vast majority of these businesses are Canadian-owned and many are family-owned businesses.

What Does Construction Have to Offer to Aboriginal People?

Aboriginal people are well-positioned to play a leadership role in the future of the non-residential construction industry, and thereby create opportunities to strengthen and enrich their communities. Almost a quarter of today’s construction workforce – the baby boomers – will retire over the next decade.

Many shortages are at the middle management level – mid-level managers, technologists, estimators, and superintendents in the residential/non-residential and service sectors. The top trades/occupations in demand include: boilermakers, construction managers and supervisors, construction millwrights, crane operators, heavy equipment operators, insulators, ironworkers, pipefitters, and welders. hopeforthefuture.ca

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Aboriginal leadership in the construction industry is longstanding.

Historically, for more than 100 years, Aboriginal communities across Canada have been producing top-notch ironworkers, starting with the Canadian Pacific Railway bridge across the St. Lawrence River in 1886.

Today, aboriginal youth are increasingly well-positioned to enter the industry: in Canadian cities, school attendance, rates of high school completion, and the percentage of adults with college or university credentials all increased between 1981 and 2001.

Infrastructure Investment a Priority for Aboriginal Communities and CCA There is a natural partnership that stands to be renewed and strengthened between aboriginal people and the non-residential construction industry. The objectives of the CCA vis-à-vis infrastructure development clearly serve the imperative of aboriginal community infrastructure development.

One of the most important goals of the CCA is to advocate for greater investment by governments into public infrastructure across Canada. In 2007, a report issued by the Federation of Canadian Municipalities estimated that municipal governments were sitting on a $123 billion infrastructure deficit. In August 2008, a further study by the University of Waterloo found that the actual costs of modernization and expansion were closer to $200 billion, and that without a sizeable reinvestment on the part of governments everywhere, the costs of infrastructure renewal could soon outpace the capacity of governments to keep up.

Following the worldwide collapse of capital markets in the autumn of 2008 that marked the beginning of the current global recession, the federal government heeded the call, and committed to stimulate the economy through the investment of some $2 billion in infrastructure projects across Canada.

First Nations communities received funds to develop and maintain community infrastructure on reserves, which is critical for the delivery of basic services to these communities. The broader impact has been job creation and economic development. Funding has been allocated through various programs.

What Role Does CCA Play Canadian Construction Association is a not-for-profit incorporated entity representing the interests of the non-residential construction industry. It was established in 1918, and has an integrated membership of 17,000 construction and construction-related businesses across the country.

CCA is a source for useful information on the construction industry, including standard documents and practices, tax applications, human resource issues, and environmental regulation.

During CCA’s most recent National Industry Summit, the attendees across the country sought to identify the major trends and challenges facing the Canadian construction industry. On the list appeared the recent economic downturn & post-recover outlook, environmental issues, public-private partnerships, increased competition from foreign and larger firms, and research and innovation. Changing workforce, labour supply and training were identified as a top priority for the CCA. When it comes to training, the CCA has always been at the forefront.

The Gold Seal certification program (www.goldsealcertification. com) is one of CCA’s signature programs. It is a national certification program for construction management professionals including project managers, owner’s project managers, superintendents, estimators and safety coordinators. Certification signifies that an individual has attained a nationally recognized level of experience and competence.

The certificate offers enhanced prospects for mobility and professional development. For the contractor, employing Gold Seal certified staff is a statement regarding the professionalism and commitment of the firm to construction management excellence. To date, there have been more than 7,500 certificates issued under the Gold Seal program.

CCA encourages prospective workers to consider a career in the construction industry. The rosy outlook for jobs, variety of career options, and opportunity to become self-employed are just some of the benefits of working in the construction industry. For further information, including how to embark on a career in civil construction, please visit www.cca-acc.com.

The Department of Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development (AAND) has invested in community infrastructure through the Capital Facilities and Maintenance Program for First Nations, to help stimulate economic growth, foster sustainable First Nations communities, and help support stronger, safer and healthier communities. Currently, AAND invests approximately $1 billion annually in First Nations community infrastructure. AAND does not tender or contract out for these investments; rather it provides funds to First Nations, who are themselves responsible for the contracting and tendering, as well as the management of projects.

In addition to funding under the Capital Facilities and Maintenance Program, AAND received an additional $515 million through Canada’s Economic Action Plan to be used within two years. The funding has flowed roughly in half each year. Of this, $200 million is being used for 13 school projects, $165 million for 18 water and wastewater projects, and $150 million for aboriginal housing.

Many of these projects have either been completed or are in the intermediate stages of completion.

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tireless and passionate advocate for Aboriginal and First Nations peoples in Canada, Wendy Grant-John continues to build on a 30-year career of advancing positive change in Aboriginal cultural, economic, social and political development in Canada. With many ambitious plans yet to be achieved, she has joined Deloitte, one of Canada’s leading professional services firms, as Senior Advisor to the National Aboriginal Client Services Practice, for the Financial Advisory group. With the addition of Wendy as an advisor, Deloitte will be better able to serve First Nations clients.

Wendy has deep experience in identifying, analyzing, and addressing the critical issues facing First Nations communities across Canada. Serving three terms as Chief of the Musqueam First Nation, the first woman elected Regional Vice-Chief to the Assembly of First Nations, and Co-Chair of the Renewal Commission of the Assembly of First Nations, she has worked to bring about much-needed change in the relationship between the Government and Canada’s Aboriginal peoples, and particularly the First Nations of BC. Wendy counts among her accomplishments the launch of the first Aboriginal commercial fishery in Canada, and was part of her community to help win two landmark Supreme Court cases which solidified Aboriginal rights in Canada’s Constitution.

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Credited for playing a critical role in diversifying the economic base for the Musqueam reserve, she views a successful partnership between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people of Canada as founded on a relationship that will empower Aboriginal communities to govern themselves.

Wendy says, “There must be strong Aboriginal governance so Aboriginals have the authority and capabilities to manage their own affairs. This must take place within a new fiscal framework founded on stability and accountability, rooted in cultural preservation and creative approaches to economic development. Self-governance will help strengthen Aboriginal communities and their ability to generate and manage their financial resources.” She feels strongly that a foundation of transparency, predictability and accountability must be the principles of partnership between Aboriginal and nonAboriginal people of Canada.

Wendy’s commitment to her community goes beyond addressing Aboriginal rights and obligations within Canadian law. A founding member and director of the Aboriginal Healing Foundation, she has also received accolades for spearheading the revitalization of Salish traditions and arts, particularly weaving, a tradition not practiced since the 19th century, as a founder of Musqueam Weavers. Her involvement in the book, “Hands of Our Ancestors” The revival of Salish Weaving at Musqueam detailed the crucial cultural and social function of weaving amongst the Salish.

Wendy previously worked at Indian and Northern Affairs Canada as Associate Regional Director-General of British Columbia, and served as a lay bencher of the Law Society of British Columbia. She also served as a board member with Canadian Lands Company Limited, and as a Commissioner on the Pacific Salmon Commission.

With so much accomplished already, why join Deloitte?

Wendy joined Deloitte with an action plan in place – to build on the principles of a shared future of mutual respect, recognition, responsibility and sharing between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people of Canada, using the skills and resources available to her at Deloitte, one of the largest professional services firm in the world.

Her commitment to continue to drive positive and substantial change in Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal relationships remains undiminished, and she sees her involvement with Deloitte as a significant and broad platform in which to affect change.

Deloitte’s talented global team and varied service lines are critical attributes that drew Wendy to the firm. Whether the issue is wealth management, business development, governance, or administration, Wendy sees great potential to harness Deloitte’s resources and funnel them to gaps or opportunities in Aboriginal communities. Her goal is to ensure that Aboriginal communities have the capacity and skills they need to secure their future.

Wendy’s advice is a definite benefit to Deloitte’s National Aboriginal Services Practice. Her understanding of Aboriginal culture and concerns are critical to delivering services effectively to Aboriginal clients. Her role also creates an opportunity to make a considerable difference in enhancing mutual understanding, and creating mutually beneficial partnerships between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people in Canada. In short, with Deloitte, Wendy can continue her commitment to advancing positive change in Aboriginal cultural, economic, social and political development in Canada.

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Estella Charleson

hen the Program of Legal Studies for Native legacy of her ancestors, their precious territories and their People (PLSNP) was first offered at the relationship to the land. She adds, “We in this generation University of Saskatchewan in 1973, there have a great responsibility to use every opportunity in life were just four lawyers and five law students of Aboriginal that past generations did not have.” ancestry in Canada. Over the years, the program has successfully added to these numbers and PLSNP graduates Charleson chose to attend the eight-week PLSNP before have become lawyers, judges, government officials and entering law school because “the opportunity to study with professors. Numbered among the program’s graduates are other motivated indigenous students and to be mentored a lieutenant governor and judges in the by indigenous lawyers was something I “Essentially, the provincial courts of Saskatchewan, B.C., could not pass up. The skills I came away Alberta, Manitoba and Ontario and in the with in legal reading, writing and analysis PLSNP prepared Ontario Court of Appeal. will carry me into first-year law with me for law school confidence. There are many unadvertised and allowed me The eight-week course, which starts in late benefits of the program as well: not only to recognize what May each year at the Native Law Centre in do you come away from the program with the U of S College of Law, brings together legal skills and law school credits, you leave I needed to do to Aboriginal students from across Canada. with a network of mentors and colleagues succeed” The program, taught by lawyers and law who provide guidance and alliance within professors who also hail from across Canada, focuses on the small group of indigenous people in the field of law in teaching its students the skills they Canada and around the world.” She enters first-year law at will need to succeed in law school, the University of Victoria in September 2011. using first-year property law as subject material. Students also participate in Cara Faye Merasty is a fluent Cree speaker and a member a customary law component which of the Peter Ballantyne Cree Nation from Pelican Narrows, incorporates Aboriginal traditions Saskatchewan. She enters third-year law at the U of S in such as talking circles, and other September 2011 as President of the College of Law’s ceremonies.

Aboriginal Law Students’ Association. She started her law studies as a PLSNP student, completing the program in Having just completed the program 2009. “Essentially, the PLSNP prepared me for law school in July 2011, Estella Charleson can and allowed me to recognize what I needed to do to succeed. see her hopes and dreams for her It also allowed me to connect with other Aboriginal students own future taking shape. She grew from across Canada and the U of S campus, which has been up at Hesquiaht Harbour, a remote my support network these last couple of years.” and isolated area on the west coast of Vancouver Island.

“My clan name is Hee Nai Cha Chist, which means glimmering water. I am a member of the Hesquiaht First Nation and I come from the house of kinqualshtacumlth.”

No schooling was available in her community past grade seven, so Charleson had to go to boarding school when she was 12. “My first year at boarding school was the biggest culture shock of my life,” she recalls. Far away from her family and the only life she’d known to that point, she reminded herself that her “education was a choice and an opportunity,” and held close the proud hopeforthefuture.ca

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Sara Jane Souliere, a mature student with four children when she entered the PLSNP, recalls that “the academic, emotional and cultural support I received from the teachers, staff and Elders within the PLSNP provided me with the necessary skills to balance the demands of law school while maintaining my commitments to my family.”

The program not only prepared and enabled Souliere to successfully complete law school, but has also benefited her in building a prosperous legal career in Ontario. She adds, “One particular aspect of the PLSNP is the Aboriginal perspective that is embedded within the curriculum of Today Canada has over 750 Aboriginal law the program – a perspective that is a fundamental part of Canadian law, graduates who started but is often absent from most law their legal education school classrooms in Canada.”

with the PLSNP, a significant and positive change from the situation in 1973

A host of opportunities exist for less traditional legal careers following a law degree. After graduating law school, Tyance Fiddler joined the First Nation Statistical Institute, a First Nation led and managed Crown Corporation, where her law degree enables her to support First Nation initiatives and work directly with legal counsel in a variety of ways.

She is from the Sandy Lake First Nation in northwestern Ontario, but moved to Saskatchewan with her family when she was nine so that her father could attend the PLSNP and law school at the U of S. Prior to entering law, Fiddler had earned a BA and a Masters in Public Administration, and worked in politics, health administration and consulting, but “none of it ever felt satisfying. I always had law school in the back of my mind, but for some reason thought it was too big of a mountain, too difficult a challenge for me.”

Changes in her career and personal life helped Fiddler take the plunge into law. When she was accepted to law school at the University of Ottawa at 33, Fiddler was already aware of the PLSNP.

Tyance Fiddler “I had always heard good things about it, and didn’t think twice about applying to the program. It turns out it was the best move I could have made. It’s an excellent gauge of two things: if you will like the field of law, and if you will be successful in law. I knew within two weeks in the program that I was in the right place.”

Today Canada has over 750 Aboriginal law graduates who started their legal education with the PLSNP, a significant and positive change from the situation in 1973. There is still much to be done, however. For Aboriginal people to be proportionately represented in the legal profession, there should be about 3,000 Aboriginal lawyers in Canada. The Program of Legal Studies for Native People continues to work toward this goal.

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SNC-Lavalin Inc., is Canada’s largest engineering and construction firm, and one of the top ten in the world. With markets located across the globe and throughout Canada, SNC-Lavalin strives to ensure community involvement in all of its projects. In Canada, it strives to tailor its engineering and construction services to the exact needs of First Nations, Inuit, Métis and non-aboriginal northern communities, developing solutions that result in cost effective and focused product delivery, as well as benefits to local people and economies, through increased employment and contracts. An important element of community inclusion is training and skills development, either directly or through affiliations with academic centres, as increasing the skill levels within a community, inevitably increases access to meaningful employment and contracts.

Establishing business partnerships is an important aspect of SNC-Lavalin’s relationship with First Nations, Métis and Inuit communities and organizations. The purpose of creating business partnerships is to improve the potential for business success for all parties -- SNC-Lavalin and its First Nations, Inuit and Métis partners. The creation of joint ventures and alliances with these groups has proven to be a mutually beneficial arrangement for them and for SNC-Lavalin. As an example, in 2001, SNC-Lavalin and Membertou First Nation of Sydney, Nova Scotia, signed a Memorandum of Understanding to explore mutually beneficial collaborative efforts to develop projects in the Maritime provinces, including engineering

and related services for both the offshore gas sector and the onshore construction and design business. In 2009, SNC-Lavalin signed a landmark agreement with the Innu of Labrador, establishing a jointly owned engineering and construction company to undertake the design and construction of community services, buildings, etc., and to be ready to provide a wide range of services to major projects in the region. In the early 1990s SNC-Lavalin established a partnership with the Mushkegowuk Cree of northeastern Ontario to help design and build the Five Nations Energy Inc. transmission line to connect previously isolated communities, and to help establish 100% First Nations ownership in the project. In addition to successfully completing the design-build contract, SNCLavalin helped to arrange financing under extremely challenging conditions. Today the line is operating profitably, following two expansions. In 1995, SNC-Lavalin partnered with the Tlicho Nation to design and build the Diavik Diamond Mine in the Northwest Territories, under the name NishiKhon/SNC-Lavalin Inc. This relationship helped the Tlicho Nation to significantly grow its local economy and the skill sets of its community members. Economic benefits of the Diavik Diamond mine have diversified and multiplied since the mine opened. hopeforthefuture.ca

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In addition to the potential benefits of successful partnering, SNC-Lavalin also recognizes the opportunity to tap into the potential of First Nations, Métis and Inuit youth, Canada’s fastest growing demographic and one of our best opportunities for future employment.

However, we recognize that one of the challenges of increasing First Nations, Métis and Inuit employment and contracts on projects is the level of skill available in many communities. Today, to build successful projects, be they nonaboriginal or owned by First Nations, Métis or Inuit communities, we must provide a broad array of services to our clients and joint venture partners to increase the potential for First Nation, Métis and Inuit inclusion. By recognizing the importance of training, capacity building, mentoring and creating a culturally adaptive workplace we are aiming to increase opportunities for employment and to improve retention rates to keep our First Nation, Métis and Inuit employees satisfied and on the job. In the early 2000s we helped with the cleanup of the Cape Dyer DEW Line site near Pangnirtung, Nunavut.

Through training and mentoring programs we were able to achieve over 50% Inuit employment and over 75% Inuit contracts. We are currently working with major mining companies in the potash belt in Saskatchewan to achieve the same successes.

As Canada’s economy grows, First Nations, Inuit and Métis will grow with it through increased skills, jobs, contract opportunities, and ownership.

Sponsorship Slogan: SNC-Lavalin is proud to be a partner of choice in the First Nation, Métis and Inuit marketplace within Canada. Through mutual respect, training, employment, recruitment and procurement, we strive to create sustainable projects and communities together.

Contact Info: Stephen Lindley, Vice-President, Aboriginal & Northern Affairs SNC-Lavalin Inc. 195 The West Mall, Toronto, Ontario M9C 5L5 Telephone: 416-252-5311 • Mobile: 416-659-4286

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or First Nations people, identity, history, traditional practices, culture and spirituality are essential to holistic well-being and positive mental health. Without these essential foundations, well-being and overall good health cannot be achieved. Mental health issues for First Nations arise from a long history of colonization, Indian Residential School trauma, discrimination and oppression. In order to help target some of the underlying issues surrounding mental health, the Assembly of First Nations (AFN) works closely with Elders, community leaders, government organizations and other National Aboriginal Organizations (NAO) to ensure that holistic and culturally-appropriate mental wellness programs are developed and delivered for First Nations.

On October 4-6, 2011, fifteen First Nations youth from across the country gathered in Winnipeg, Manitoba to attend the AFN Youth Mental Wellness Forum. The Forum provided youth with information on mental wellness, Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASIST), and an opportunity to share their experiences and views on mental wellness in their communities. Overall, the Forum encouraged the promotion of the roles and responsibilities of youth as peer counsellors, leaders and role models for one another, and supported the development of projects aimed at enhancing youth resiliency, identity and culture in communities.

Between 2007 and 2010, the National Native Addiction and Drug Abuse Program (NNADAP) renewal process engaged over 2,000 First Nations people in developing a renewed vision for community, regional and national responses to substance use issues, resulting in the report entitled, Honouring Our Strengths: A Renewed Framework to Address Substance Use Issues Among First Nations People in Canada.

Šcopyright iStockphoto.com | laflor

Led by the First Nations Addictions Advisory Panel, the renewal process involved a range of activities focused on consensus building and knowledge gathering. This included a series of research papers, regional addiction needs assessments, regional workshops, a national forum, and an Indigenous Knowledge Forum. Each of these activities enabled the engagement of Elders, First Nations leadership, community members, treatment centre workers, researchers, and policy makers. The activities also helped to facilitate the development of the renewed approach to addressing substance use issues.

For more information on the AFN’s mental wellness initiatives, please contact Sarah MacDonald at (613) 241-6789. For information on the NNADAP renewal process, visit www.nnadaorenewal.ca. hopeforthefuture.ca

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The AESP fulfills this mandate by providing admission requirements that take into account an individual’s history, goals, motivation, and potential...

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he Aboriginal Enriched Support Program (AESP), offered by Carleton’s Centre for Initiatives in Education, will be celebrating its 10th anniversary in 20122013. Created within the Center’s flagship Enriched Support Program (ESP), the AESP provides an enhanced core program where Aboriginal students can share the first year university experience with additional Aboriginal programming and personnel. It has been recognized throughout the country as a comprehensive program that offers effective support in the achievement of a university degree and has welcomed participants from every province and territory.

“As an Aboriginal person I thought that door was closed to me and that I had no chance, but AESP opened that door.” (2002_03, AESP student, Attawapiskat, Ontario) The mission of the Centre for Initiatives in Education is to provide access to university education by removing barriers to academic success. The AESP fulfills this mandate by providing admission requirements that take into account an individual’s history, goals, motivation, and potential, and by providing the opportunity to earn credits with a complete range of supports to ensure a successful adaptation to university studies.

Students take university credits and benefit from weekly facilitated workshops, academic coaches, admissions/registration support, and advising. Key program features include a core credit in Aboriginal Studies, and Aboriginal peer mentors. At the end of their AESP year students who achieve the necessary grade point average across three credits (C+ for most Carleton arts and social science degree programs) declare their major, and proceed with their degrees at Carleton or other universities. hopeforthefuture.ca

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“Not only did the AESP give me the opportunity to succeed at university, but the relationship I had and continue to have with the program speaks volumes to how much the students are valued.”(2006_07, AESP student, Iqaluit, Nunavut)

AESP students are encouraged to become involved with the Aboriginal community at Carleton, through participation in the Aboriginal Student Associations, the Aboriginal Student Lounge, and the programs and events offered by the Carleton Centre for Aboriginal Culture and Education. These include the campus visiting Elder program, pow wows and feasts, academic and career-oriented speakers, and Aboriginal Awareness Week. Many of our students have participated in paid or volunteer work on campus in the work-study program, as student recruiters, or as helpers or participants at Aboriginal Awareness Week.

The AESP began 10 years ago with four students, and has remained relatively small in order to ensure maximum attention for the needs of the participants.

The student group ranges from recent high school graduates to mature students of 50 years of age, many of whom are returning to studies after years in the workforce, and many of whom have children.

I am an older Métis person who returned to school after roughly 30 years and I am not sure I would have returned to school without a program like the ESP. The tutorials and guest speakers have all enriched my view of many aspects of Aboriginal history in Canada. The extra writing support and constructive criticism have given me confidence and kept me from worrying so much about the quality of my writing. I came to Carleton to get a degree for career advancement, but I have come to truly value my education here at Carleton University for the

inherent value of the Aboriginal viewpoint. (2010_11 AESP student, Canadian Studies) Participants in the AESP appreciate the fact that it is a small and inter-connected group where they can develop friendships and a sense of security as they learn to negotiate their paths through the mainstream university. A goal of the AESP is to support students in maintaining their Aboriginal identities, while also becoming aware of the histories and goals of Aboriginal peoples throughout Canada.

Our students have continued in general and honours degree programs, whether through transfers to other universities or at Carleton, in Environmental Studies, Geography, Sociology, Anthropology, Social Work, Psychology, Law, Criminology, Political Science, Art History, Music and Communications.

“I must admit the whole experience has given me such confidence and self worth. That little piece of paper is gold. “ (2005_06, AESP student, BA Mass Com, 2011)

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s the Ontario Civil Construction Careers Institute (OCCCI) approaches its third full year of operation, its initial targets for outreach to Ontario high school students have been surpassed and a new Strategic Plan signals full speed ahead efforts to promote careers in the civil construction industry.

OCCCI was created by civil contractors and supporting organizations in response to projections indicating shortages in skilled trades and civil engineering/technology professionals over the next decade.

Its vision is to “support the sustainability of the civil construction industry in Ontario by promoting and supporting the entry of young people into civil construction careers”.

I. The Institute’s genesis goes back to March 2008 when the Ontario Road Builders’ Association (ORBA) and the Ontario Sewer and Watermain Construction Association (OSWCA) met informally at the Canadian Construction Association convention in Victoria and agreed that there was a need to promote civil construction careers at the high school level to address projected shortages of both skilled labour and engineering/technical professionals.

III. Now starting its fourth year, OCCCI is operated by a Board of Directors representing 12 remaining funding partner associations, including the Ministry of Transportation. OSWCA past President Graeme Clark and ORBA’s past president Martin Gran represent their associations on the board as president and vice president respectively.

Strategic Plan Now going into its third year, OCCCI has obtained five-year funding commitments from the operating partners and has developed a Strategic Plan to lead the growth and development of the Institute.

While future funding is a priority of any fledgling organization, the strategic plan also emphasizes the ‘enhancement and expansion of core outreach activities’. What that means says Vice President Martin Gran, is that OCCCI will be trying to reach more students in more high schools and at more job fairs and career days. “It also means we will be looking for new ways to reach students, whether that be by using some of the new technologies available to us or looking for new ideas to deliver the message that civil construction offers a challenging, exciting and rewarding career.”

The Strategic Plan also calls for OCCCI to “assist in the transition of high school students to civil construction careers or continued education leading to civil construction careers”. President Graeme Clark says that means developing new programs and services to help young people connect with the industry beyond simply promoting civil construction careers to them. “Once we have the interest of a student, we need to be able to help them complete their training and education and actually get work in the industry,” he said.

OCCCI will also intensify its focus on two identified target groups – Aboriginal workers and women. “Both groups are underrepresented in civil construction and both offer tremendous potential labour pools if we can break down some of the barriers to entry and get them interested in working in our industry,” said Clark.

OCCCI Website II. The industry rallied to the challenge and 17 related associations, including the Ministry of Transportation committed $178,000 to a first-year project to have a full-time person promoting civil construction careers directly to high school students. The Ontario Civil Construction Careers Institute (OCCCI) was established as a non-profit corporation in September 2008, for that purpose and Jessica Steffler was hired as the first full-time Director of Careers Promotion.

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Over the past three years, considerable effort has been expended in developing marketing tools for OCCCI. A trade show display booth was developed as well as printed materials such as promotional brochures and job profiles. Toromont Cat donated a backhoe simulator to the Institute and it is a big hit with students visiting job fairs who get a hands-on experience working with the equipment.

The primary communication tool developed by OCCCI is its website at www.occci.ca. Here students can view brief videos of the industry and review dozens of job profiles for careers as varied as pipe laying and asphalt paving to testing technician or engineering. From the job profiles, the website takes the student to the career path necessary and provides sources for continued education and/or training.

But the website and all of the marketing tools are only the instruments of success; the real success of OCCCI lies with the active support and leadership by the Board of Directors and the work of the Institute’s Director of Careers Promotion, Jessica Steffler.

Steffler the driving force Steffler stepped into a new position in a new organization when even the founding organizations didn’t have a clear picture of where it was going or how it would get there. She accepted the challenge and has been the driving force in its development.

Asked if she believes high school students are more likely to consider civil construction careers today than they were 10 years ago, Steffler says the awareness level has been raised considerably and students are beginning to see such careers as attractive and viable. There are still misconceptions though, she added. “Some students still think if you work in construction you are not well paid or well educated,” she said.

“I actually had a student ask me if it is a requirement to be a smoker to work in construction.” Other questions coming regularly from students are focused on how much money they can make and what jobs are available without a requirement for a high school diploma.

commonly asked questions were: how much does it pay, what are the working hours and how soon before they could get to operate the heavy equipment?

“The students who attended the Construction Day enjoyed being able to talk to other young people in the industry to learn about how they got into construction and what courses they should take to get a similar job,” Steffler said.

Thanks to Conestoga Heavy Construction Association and several of its members made Construction Day a reality by hosting the students and arranging all of the site visits. Students were allowed to visit a bridge project on the Highway 8 expansion, a quarry and asphalt plant and sewer and watermain project. Lunch was sponsored for the students and members of the Conestoga Heavy Construction Association came out to do the barbecuing.

The involvement of companies in the industry and the partnerships required to deliver a Construction Day make the logistics of expanding the initiative a challenge. Steffler says the greatest challenge is finding the companies what are committed enough to conduct tours on their sites, provide volunteers onsite and coordinate activities locally. While OCCCI wishes to expand the Construction Day program, plans for the future will be tempered by the funding availability and the ability to mobilize many more companies.

“The money is what is most important to most of the students,” Steffler said. “For others who are hands-on learners it’s the fact that they do not want to sit in a classroom but prefer to actually learn by doing.”

Construction Day Events One of OCCCI’s newest initiatives that shows tremendous promise for the future is the delivery last September of its first ‘Construction Day’ for over 60 high school students from the Waterloo District Catholic School Board.

They got a firsthand look at careers in civil construction, starting with a safety talk and orientation at two construction site locations in the Kitchener area.

During the day they visited the maintenance shops before getting on buses to see road work, bridge construction and a sewer and watermain project close up. At each site there were experienced people to talk to them about the construction projects and the various jobs involved in delivering them.

Reaction from the students was overwhelmingly positive. Outfitted with work boots, hard hats and safety vests provided to them, they had lots of questions about choosing a career in civil construction. Not surprisingly the most

Measuring success There is no good way to accurately gauge the relative success of OCCCI in terms of numbers of students directly influenced to seek careers in civil construction. But some of the numbers that are available show OCCCI is certainly getting its message out.

“Just look at our penetration into Ontario high schools,” says Martin Gran.

“Over the past school year we have done 265 presentations at 110 different schools in all parts of the province. We have been at 31 trade shows and job fairs and attended seven major conferences. Our statistics show that since last September we have directly brought the story of civil construction careers to almost 13,000 high school students.”

Partner organizations supporting OCCCI are: Ontario Road Builders’ Association; Ontario Sewer & Watermain Construction Association; Greater Toronto Sewer & Watermain Contractors Association; Ontario Hot Mix Producers Association; Residential & Civil Contractors Association of Ontario; Ontario Stone, Sand and Gravel Association; Canadian Association of Equipment Distributors (Ontario); Ontario Ministry of Transportation; Toronto Area Road Builders’ Association; Hamilton and District Heavy Construction Association; Heavy Construction Association of Toronto; Conestoga Heavy Construction Association and Canadian association of Women in Construction. hopeforthefuture.ca

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he Canadian Coast Guard Officer Training Program (OTP) is run by the Nautical Science Department at the Canadian Coast Guard College. The goal of this department is to train highly motivated and competent leaders for the Canadian Coast Guard Fleet.

Serving the world’s largest coastline, with 243,000 km along the Atlantic, Arctic and Pacific Oceans and another 9500 km along the Great Lakes, the Canadian Coast Guard maintains and operates a fleet whose mission is to: • provide ice breaking services • monitor boater distress signals • coordinate and deliver Search and Rescue services

• assist vessels involved in commercial shipping, fishing and recreational boating • conduct research and science work • address marine environmental concerns • maintain navigation aids (buoys, beacons, channel markers) Becoming a Fleet Officer requires diligence, intellectual effort, and commitment. The Officer Training Program prepares Officers in both Marine Engineering and Navigation. The 45-month training period involves comprehensive in-class theory, the use of modern marine simulators and practical experience during sea training.

Officer Cadets may choose instruction in either French or English, with training in the other official language as part of the curriculum. The OTP provides Officer Cadets with a complete and thorough understanding of the ship’s operation and the latest in marine technology.

Upon successful completion of either program, a graduate receives a diploma from the Canadian Coast Guard College (CCGC), a Bachelor of Technology in Nautical Sciences from Cape Breton University (CBU), as well as Commercial Certification as a Deck Officer (Marine Navigation) or as a Marine Engineering Officer.

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Academy of Learning - Career Training for Today’s Business Needs Throughout the past 25 years Academy of Learning has trained many individuals of First Nations descent. As prospective students, they arrived at Academy of Learning colleges across Canada with not only a desire to obtain training for today’s business needs but also to make a better life for themselves and their families.

Flexible scheduling at Academy of Learning makes it easier for students to attend classes simply because they won’t have to change their lives in order to fit a pre-determined schedule. Students can start immediately and do not have to wait for months for the beginning of a semester. This enables them to enter or re-enter the workforce even sooner. In addition, with our flexible scheduling our students never have to miss a class or fall behind. If a student needs to miss a lesson, they can take the same lesson at another time without penalty – students work at their own pace and get what they pay for!

Academy of Learning’s First Nations students often speak of the logistical challenges when seeking career training. Like many students, they have a strong desire to gain training skills as well as improve their opportunity for a better wage in a particular industry. With Academy of Learning’s short, effective courses, students can graduate sooner and be ready for the job market.

At Academy of Learning, accelerating your success means offering you the best that a private career and business college has to offer. By upgrading your skills, you will experience our professional and efficient approach to training and the best way to get you from where you are now to where you want to be. Our diploma and certificate programs can provide you with the skills you need to land a great job and launch a new and rewarding career.

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Top 10 Reasons to Choose Academy of Learning

Learn at Your Own Pace One-on-One Attention Competency-Based Learning Hands-On Training Flexible Scheduling

6. Diploma & Certificate Programs 7. Short, Effective Courses 8. Comfortable Learning Environment 9. Never Miss a Class 10. Start Immediately

Academy of Learning is a career college that offers diploma and certificate programs in Accounting, Business, Customer Service, Healthcare, Home Inspection, Hospitality, Information Technology, Office Administration, and Web Design.

All Academy of Learning students have one thing in common – a desire to improve their lives and acquire training that adds up to a better career.

A great career is not something that only happens to other people. We invite you to join the thousands of students who have trained at one of our many colleges across Canada and overseas. Get a career that’s designed for success at the Academy of Learning!

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any parents, teachers and respected universities admissions personnel from countries around the world appreciate that learning isn’t just something that happens in the classroom. Taking a break to work and travel before applying for post-secondary education gives a young person invaluable experience that contributes towards their personal development and helps them make better decisions about their postsecondary education and careers.

The concept of taking a break in formal studies – often called a “gap year” – is a common practice in Australia and the U.K. and has been slowly gaining popularity here in Canada. While some students sail though high school, then college or university into well-chosen careers, others find the path can be more winding than expected. Gap year experience can help some students gain clarity and focus when the time comes to bridge the real gap between the end of schooling and the beginning of work life.

Katimavik, a national organization, believes that many students benefit from taking a break in their formal studies after high school and offers intensive 6-month service and learning programs for youth between the ages of 17 and 21 across Canada.

A Katimavik participant is enrolled in a structured program that presents them with achievable real life challenges and projects. As Katimavik volunteers they gain confidence and a real sense of accomplishment.

They also have a unique opportunity to connect with youth across the country helping them develop true social networks and friendships that are more than just avatars on a computer screen.

While some parents worry about how taking time off will affect their children’s future prospects, many young Canadian students often respond to this pressure by choosing a major without the conviction that the program is right for them. In fact, jumping into “the gap” can actually provide more focus and better preparation for the rigors of future academic life. Harvard University, one of the world’s most competitive and sought-after universities, agrees and encourages every student they admit to consider taking a year off before matriculation. Rather than rushing anxiously into a university program they are uncertain about, Katimavik graduates often return to higher education energized and enthusiastic about their potential and their futures.

Katimavik is committed to expanding the options available to young people in a positive way that leads them back into higher education with a stronger sense of self and purpose. After 13 years of compulsory schooling in the Canadian educational system young adults have to make a very important and sometime costly commitment not all of them are ready to make. For these people, taking a break from formal studies is not about taking time off, but rather taking time to discover their true selves and future potential. With successful programs designed to let youth develop the skills and maturity needed to make better decisions, Katimavik offers an alternative path to young people who care about their success in school and life.

For more information on Katimavik programs please visit www.katimavik.org Victoria Salvador, Director of Marketing and Communications for Katimavik hopeforthefuture.ca

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member of the Tidan hotel group, the Hotel Maritime Plaza stands out for its helpful staff and impeccable service, and the unique charm of its guest rooms and conference facilities.

A favourite of First Nations from across Quebec, the hotel is rated 4 stars for service and located in the heart of downtown Montreal, at the corner of Guy Street and René-Lévesque Boulevard West. That means it’s just steps away from Crescent Street and its nightclubs, St. Catherine Street and its incredible shopping, the Bell Centre, festivals, restaurants, museums and a long list of other Montreal attractions.

The Hotel Maritime Plaza gives preferred service to aboriginal guests. In addition to preferential rates, it provides distinctive services. Starting with the warm welcome given by the hotel’s highly qualified multilingual staff, the hotel makes every effort to make your stay special.

EXCEPTIONAL ROOMS The Hotel Maritime Plaza’s 214 rooms have been designed with care to be suitable for any kind of stay. They are decorated and equipped to ensure comfort, well-being and complete relaxation.

Guests particularly appreciate the rooms’ classic furnishings and top-notch accessories. Several rooms even have down pillows and comforters, adding a warm, elegant touch that guarantees supreme relaxation.

Furnished to be ideal for business travellers, the Hotel Maritime Plaza’s rooms all include wireless Internet access, a telephone with voicemail, a television set, and a safe large enough to hold a portable computer.

In a word, the rooms are everything a traveller could ask for, making the hotel the top choice for aboriginal visitors to Montreal.

A FULL RANGE OF SERVICES The Hotel Maritime Plaza offers a full range of services to meet guests’ every need: dry cleaning, laundry, answering service, wake-up calls, and information about culture and the arts. Guests also have access to a business centre, a heated indoor pool, a gym, indoor parking and convenient storage for luggage.

Guests invariably enjoy a visit to Le Beau Rivage bistro or the hotel bar.

EXCEPTIONAL MEETING ROOMS The eight conference rooms in the Hotel Maritime Plaza are equipped for exceptional comfort. No matter what the meeting’s purpose or complexity, the hotel’s highly qualified staff will guide you through every step of the planning process to ensure a successful event.

Be it a business meeting, training workshops, a banquet, a product launch or a social event, the hotel’s facilities can be adapted to create just the right atmosphere. Since most of the rooms are located on the mezzanine level, they are highly accessible. They also provide all the privacy you need.

Famous for its circular shape and 360-degree windows, Salon Grand Mât provides a distinctive ambiance ideal for banquets, receptions, wine tastings, weddings and special-theme business meetings.

JUST FOR FIRST NATIONS GUESTS Because the Hotel Maritime Plaza is determined to continue being the preferred destination for aboriginal travellers, the hotel offers special rates for First Nations guests.

A luxurious room with wireless Internet access, free access to indoor parking, a daily newspaper delivered to the room and free local phone calls is just $119 per night plus tax.

TO CONTACT THE HOTEL MARITIME PLAZA HOTEL Reserve now to take advantage of this exceptional offer!

Hotel Maritime Plaza direct line: 514 932-1411 Fax: 514 932-0446 • Reservation hotline: 1 800 363-6255 E-mail: info@hotelmaritime.com HÔTEL MARITIME PLAZA, 1155 GUY STREET MONTREAL, QUEBEC H3H 2K5 hopeforthefuture.ca

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The Dryden Municipal Telephone System is a full-service public utility telephone company owned by the City of Dryden.

Our mandate is to provide efficient and effective, state-of-the-art, nationally connected telecommunications services to our subscribers while maintaining the financial and technical integrity of the system.

Profits made by the company are used to keep the company current with new technologies and to reduce the tax burden on the residents of the City of Dryden.

We provide: 1. Telephone service to the residents and businesses located in West Dryden, i.e., the portion of the City of Dryden that was the Town of Dryden before the amalgamation of the Town of Dryden and the Township of Barclay into the City of Dryden, 2. Cellular, Mobile Radio and Paging Services to all residents of the general area, and Sales and Leasing of Globalstar Satelite Telephones 3. Internet Service to the general area, with High Speed DSL in Dryden, and Dial-up Service in and around our city, as well as High Speed Wireless Internet from Vermilion Bay west of Dryden to Wabigoon to the east on Northwestern Ontario’s largest Wireless Internet Network.

Our Business Offices and Retail Telephone Store is located in the City Hall, at 30 Van Horne Avenue, and we are open from 8:30am to 4:30pm, Monday to Friday (except statutory holidays). We can be reached by fax at 223-1109 and by phone as follows: - General telephone and Internet service inquiries : 223-1100 - Cellular and Mobility inquiries : 221-1000 - Connections, disconnections and billing inquires : 223-1111 - Trouble reports for Dial-up, DSL, and Wireless Internet : 221-2100 - Directory Advertising : 223-1115

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