Listuguj Police Department Debuts Axon Body Worn Cameras

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Listuguj, QC – Earlier this month, the Listuguj Police Department announced that going forward, 14 frontline members will be equipped with Axon body-worn cameras. The cameras will be used during their day-to-day operations, to continue to maintain a safe community. Listuguj Police Department Chief, Trapper Metallic said, “The main reason for bringing in these devices was to improve our service delivery to the community.” These cameras will be set in place not only to secure safety for the public but for the officers as well.

Listuguj Police Department’s initial statement on the cameras via social media: the intended outcomes of the Axon body-worn camera initiative include, the enhanced collection of unbiased evidence, enhanced transparency with the public body, Enhanced officer accountability and professionalism, protection of both the public and officers and to assist in an officer’s ability to de-escalate certain situations.

The data from the videos and images captured using the Axon body-worn cameras are uploaded to secured servers in Canada.  Officers will be provided with login credentials and will be able to access the data and can even receive video evidence and photos straight to their mobile devices.  These easy-to-access videos and photos will be used to review certain incidents and will allow the department to act accordingly.

“By using body-worn cameras, the Listuguj Police Department seeks to reinforce trust and confidence with the community by keeping everyone protected; mentally, spiritually, physically, and emotionally,” said Chief Trapper Metallic.

Stay tuned for public information sessions with the Listuguj Police Department for more information regarding the new Axon body-worn cameras.

By Ann Marie Jacques

Local Juice Bar Is Here To Quench Your Thirst

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On top of being a full-time artist, a clinical aesthetician; and a cannabis store owner, Tracey Metallic now has another business, Ki’Juice.

Ki’Juice is a beverage bar specializing in low-calorie, sugar-free energy drinks. They recently just introduced bubble tea, smoothies, and iced coffee. Customers can also customize their own drinks to their liking. The business opened in August 2021 and has been successful ever since.

“When we were first given the idea in early February 2021. We thought it might work but then we quickly put it aside because we were busy with our other business. After Giving it much thought, we decided to go for it,” said Tracey.

Ki’Juice is located on Church Crescent here in Listuguj, attached to Tracey’s home. This location is a main challenge for the business, as it is not centrally located; but customers still find their way to keep the business going.

The menu has grown exponentially since opening, and it is sure to always be a drink to your liking. “Our menu is diverse where the customer can come in and order a healthier alternative to what’s out there like our sugar-free, carb-free, energy drinks; or they can enjoy a sweet treat like a strawberry coconut cream cheese smoothie with strawberry popping Boba’s,” Tracey said.

Many drinks have become a hit, like the Banana Pop, Mr. Freeze, and Bruce Banner. A lot of these drinks couldn’t have been made without the help of Tracey’s boyfriend and co-owner, Justin Lavigne. “It’s Justin’s pallet and impeccable taste who creates many of the drinks, which is why I dubbed him with the name Mix Master Jay,” Tracey says. “He’s the best!”

With Tracey’s hard work and diligence, Ki’Juice’s success can only go up. She plans on creating a franchise for Ki’Juice. “We are currently planning to expand; and within the near future, open up our second Ki’Juice beverage bar. We are looking at either Miramichi, Moncton, or Fredericton,” Tracey says.

Ki’Juice is located at 21A Church Crescent, in Listuguj, Qc. They are open from Monday – Friday, 9:00am – 8:00pm; and Saturdays, 10:00am – 8:00pm. Be sure to check them out!

By Tanner Isaac

Amelia Rioux – Athlete of the Year

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LISTUGUJ, QC – Amelia Rioux wins SSHS Athlete of the Year

Sports have always been a big part of Amelia Rioux’s life. She started her athletic career at the early age of three years old, beginning with soccer and dance. In grade three, she started swimming; and a year after that, she began playing basketball. When she entered high school, she added volleyball to the list of sports.

For Amelia, playing and committing to these five sports was all just for fun. It was a perfect way to keep busy and get rid of any stress.

“Playing sports is an escape from all the stress of life and everything,” said Amelia.

This year at the SSHS Sports Banquet, Amelia won ‘Most Improved’ for volleyball, ‘Best Defense’ for basketball, and the ‘Henderson Award’ for volunteering with the school. She also got her name on the gymnasium wall for winning the biggest award of the night, ‘Athlete of the Year’.

This isn’t Amelia’s first time getting her name on the wall. Her involvement in basketball during her middle school years at AGS scored her ‘Rookie of the Year’ in grade five, ‘MVP’ three years in a row afterward, and was able to get her name on the wall in grade seven for winning ‘Athlete of the Year’.

Though she accomplished so much throughout her journey, her high school experience was far from normal due to the pandemic.

“I only had like one normal year of high school, which was grade nine,” she said. “I lost out on half of it all.”

Attending high school during the pandemic is unimaginably rough, but Amelia got by. She graduated from SSHS this year and already has her plans set out for what is next.

“I’m going to Holland College for kinesiology in the fall. I’ll get my diploma in two years and then I want to finish my degree at a university,” she said. “Once I’m done that, I want to go to my bachelor of education and teach at AGS.”

For her upcoming journey, you can expect Amelia to be trying out for the basketball, soccer, and volleyball teams. There is no doubt that she will become a huge asset to any team she plays for.

The community of Listuguj is proud of Amelia and her accomplishments and can’t wait to see her continue thriving.

By Tanner Isaac

“You Have to Find Humor in Painful Things”

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What better way to kick off Listuguj’s first Pow-Wow in two years than kicking it off with a live performance from the hilarious, Don Burnstick?

The last time Burnstick was in Listuguj was in 2017 for National Addictions Awareness week where he talked about sobriety, violence, and well-being, this time around, he came to the community to lighten things up after the pandemic. “COVID was horrible across the board,” says Burnstick, “You’re healing when you can make fun of an experience. You have to find humor in painful things.”

Burnstick is forever grateful for the impact he has on people, and how his show affects the lives of his multi-generational fans: youth, adults, and elders.  He is touched by the laughter that erupts from the crowd at each show, and by the stories from individuals saying he played a major part in their lives. Burnstick recalls one powerful fan encounter where the fan stated he and his father often laughed and bonded together listening to Burnstick, and since the fan’s father passed away, he continues to watch and listen to Burnstick in memory of his father and feels his father laughing alongside him.

Burnstick believes it’s his mission to make people forget their problems while he is performing. He says, “Somebody in the audience could be thinking about suicide, or someone is depressed, or someone got beat up the night before, there’s stuff that’s going on, so if I can help those people, I’ll do it. I’ll pour my guts out.”

Touring North America and performing for Indigenous communities is what Burnstick craves. He acknowledges that he could travel the world and perform, but says he wants to specifically share his humor and visit with the Indigenous communities who have supported him since day one.  Burnstick says it is truly humbling to see fans lined up outside venues to listen to him speak. “I used to get in trouble for my words, now I get paid for them.”

Burnstick has developed a major following on various social media platforms.  Be sure to follow him for news, upcoming show dates, and of course the humor we all love him for.

By Ann Marie Jacques

Senator Brian Francis Visits Listuguj

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Listuguj was very fortunate to have welcomed Mi’gmaq Senator Brian Francis and his wife, Georgina to our community in early August. Senator Francis was appointed to the Senate of Canada in 2018 as the first person of Mi’gmaq descent in Prince Edward Island.  Senator Francis has had many roles under his belt including former Chief in the Abegweit Mi’gmaq Nation and serving as the Aboriginal Coordinator with the Department of Fisheries and Oceans.

“As the Senator, my role is to advocate for those who are less advantaged in my province and region in Canada,” said Senator Francis.  He also stated that his former role as Chief helped him prepare for the duties that come with being the Senator. He stated, “Politics are everywhere. There are politics in the Senate, and there are politics in First Nation communities.”

The visit included a tour held by Chief Darcy Gray and Council members, touring Listuguj facilities – including buildings and departments currently under construction, and meeting with several community members.

The tour began at the Natural Resources building, meeting with the Capital and Infrastructure team. The team provided Senator Francis with in-depth details regarding new developments, funding, and upcoming projects – such as the park on Glitaw Road, Turtle Lodge, and the new Social Services Building. With the Senator’s expertise in the fishing industry, a very impressive discussion with the Director of Natural Resources, Dr. Fred Metallic, and Fisheries Manager, Denny Isaac was had.

The next stop on the tour was Alaqsite’w Gitpu School. Many of the school’s staff were working on projects for the upcoming Pow-Wow, one item, in particular, was intricately crafted cooked curly Birdseye maple boxes designed by students. The Senator was also given a tour of the new Mi’gmaq immersion wing.

A thorough tour of the Listuguj Mi’gmaq Development Centre was given by Associate Director, Jennifer LaBillois-Metallic, highlighting all the courses and services offered in the building.

Senator Francis then visited the Listuguj Training & Education building, with a tour from Post-Secondary Program Officer In-Community, Melissa Drapeau.

Other stops on the tour included the highly anticipated Waqatasg Elder’s Home, the beautiful new Social Services building that is currently under construction, Caplin Road, the Listuguj Community Centre, the Public Works Compost Building, and more.

In conclusion, Senator Francis was impressed by Listuguj, and all current and upcoming projects and developments. He recognized the hard work this community does daily.  Senator Francis’s advice to young Mi’gmaq or Indigenous people is, “You can be, or do what you want to do in life if you put your mind to it.”

By Ann Marie Jacques

Mawiomi Cafe: a chance to listen

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By creating a relaxing atmosphere, with snacks, coffee, and calming music, the Mi’gmawei Mawiomi Secretariat (MMS) hoped to get a sense of what is most important to the three communities it serves – Gesgapegiaq, Gespeg, and Listuguj.

The concept was developed by Donald Jeannotte-Englehart, the Community Engagement Officer with the MMS. 

“MMS has not been involved in the … three communities for a couple of years,” he said. “We wanted to reconnect with the people.”

The key was to have the sessions in an easy-going and informal way.

People are use to meetings where a speaker stands in front of a crowd to relay information. Unfortunately, some  people can find these scenarios intimidating, especially when it involves asking potentially embarrassing questions.  The MMS is trying to find a way around this.

Over the course of six weeks, nine Mawiomi Cafes have been held – three in each community.

People were invited to come out to sit and talk over coffee.

“There’s no agenda,” Jeannotte-Englehart said.

The Executive Director, Tanya Barnaby, found that conversations often flowed naturally.

“You start by having one discussion, and it leads to something else, and then another question pops into someone’s head,” she said. “You started talking about wind, and you ended up talking about moose. And that’s really what I like to see.”

Like everything the MMS does, there’s a citizen engagement component.

“Top [priority] is definitely citizen engagement,” Barnaby said. “For us, it’s number one, no matter what you’re doing.”

At the end of the cafes, people were asked to fill out surveys, to help the MMS organize feedback.

“The most popular [topics] are the negotiation process, the land claim and Ango’tmeq Nm’tginen which is the GMP, (Gespegewagi Management Plan),” Jeannote-Englehart said.

With the first round now finished, the MMS plans to use the findings to help inform people where it counts.

“We need to have the people know about this stuff, and it’s difficult because people have their own lives,” said Jeannotte-Englehart. “The goal – it’s to get the message to them, so they give us what they want for the future, for their kids.”

The team working a Mawiomi Cafe. From left to right: Andrew Lavigne, Juliette Barnaby-Doucet, Tanya Barnaby, Tanner Barnaby, Donald Jeannotte-Englehart, Philip Leblanc, and Oakley Barnaby.

A healthier community

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At the end of February, the Listuguj Community Health Services (LCHSS) kicked off it’s new Smoking Cessation initiative.

Coordinators Corey Metallic and Wanda (Beddase) Metallic hosted a Brunch at the Elders lodge to kickoff the program.  During the session the LCHSS brought in Marc Carrier, a pharmacist from the Campbellton and Pointe a La Croix Jean Coutu branches. Carrier was invited to provide info to the public on the dangers of smoking along with explaining various quitting aids. “They’re effective, to get information to people – when they’re ready to quit they’ll have the information and know about the products to start with” said Marc.

During the presentation, Marc explained the various quitting aids that are available.

“There are all kinds,” he said. “There’s the pill, Champix treatment, Zyban treatment and there’s also the most common one -nicoderm patches.  And there is helper too like nicoderm gun, inhaler, and lozenges too.” 

Marc had also explained that the prescription may not be covered for the desired time that a patient would prefer.” Usually the insurance they pay for like 12 weeks or 14 weeks; After that, they’ll pay again but only in a year.

Marc said, “So if we have extra supply here, people can be on for another 4-6 more weeks and it’s going to help them make sure they quit and they’re not going to restart.”

The Listuguj Community Health Services wants to incorporate the Smoking Cessation into their long term work plans.

Lobster Fishing Plan

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The Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) wants Listuguj to reduce its efforts in the lobster fishery this year.

The “Effort Based Management” system used by DFO has been in place for nearly ten years, but it’s the first time it’s being applied to Listuguj.

According to the plan, because of Listuguj efforts in previous years, it is being asked to reduce its effort this year. The science, and reasoning for this is unclear.

“We feel that the community wasn’t sufficiently consulted on this ‘Effort Based Management System,’ and the data that they’re using to support this … is very outdated,” said Kirt Dedam, the Aboriginal Fisheries Strategy Coordinator.  “Also, the system that they’re proposing really doesn’t meet Listuguj’s needs, or customs, or our rights.”

“So, because of this problematic process DFO has, we’ve decided that we need to get organized and develop our own Lisutugj lobster fishing plan,” said Dedam.

Two community meetings and five workshops have been organized over the last two months.

“We’re hoping to establish a fishing plan that’s representative of the community, and their wants and needs for this fishery,” said Dedam.

The attendance has been good, Dedam said. They’ve received a lot of feedback.

“The community feels that this could have a negative impact on our right to fish for food, social, ceremonial purposes. It could have a negative impact on our right to fish for livelihood, and also, it could have an impact on our right to manage the fishery,” he said.

There’s also been a lot of feedback about the food fishery in particular. The food fishery season is in the fall, as oppose to the commercial fishing season in the spring.

“What we’re hearing is, ‘We want more access to the fishery. We want more people, more community members, involved in the fishery,’” Dedam said.

Expanding zones, or looking at licenses in other zones have been raised as potential ways to achieve these goals.

Last year, nearly 8,000 lbs of lobster was donated back to the community, over the season’s 3-week period.

“That lobster was consumed every single day by community members,” Dedam said. “From what we can tell, the communities needs are only increasing, as the community grows and continues to prosper, so do our needs.”

Trapper Metallic is the new Chief of Police

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Trapper Metallic is the new Chief of Police for the Listuguj Police Department (LPD). He was appointed on Feb. 6.

“This is a position I was never really considering this early in my career,” he said in an interview with the Nujignua’tegeg.

With the unexpected passing of former Chief of Police Henry Vicaire, the position opened up internally.

Metallic has been with the LPD for the majority of his career, starting when he was 17 years-old.

For a brief period, he tried post-secondary school, but realized it wasn’t for him. He started volunteering again with the LPD. When the opportunity came up to train with RCMP, he took it. Once he graduated from that, he came back to Listuguj as a full fledged police officer, and has been here ever since.

“I’ve had the opportunity to experience various positions within this organization, from the operational standpoint, to the administration organization,” he said.

He went from a Patrol Officer, to a Sergeant, to an Investigator. He was in that role for nearly two years, before submitting his name for consideration as the Chief of Police.

“I definitely was reluctant and waited until the 11th hour really to submit my name,” he said. “I felt that the Chief of Police position – it encompasses so many things for the community, for the detachment – on all different levels. It’s a position that’s a hefty one to fill.”

After process concluded, Trapper was chosen to succeed Vicaire.

“It’s just humbling to succeed such a good man,” he said. 

“It’s been an emotional journey for me due to all the personal relationships … I was very, very close to [Vicaire],” he said. “A lot of teachings I learned from him. I’m very humbled to be designated as the Chief of Police for this community … I’m looking forward to whatever this position’s challenges throws at me, we’ll take it head on.”

Helping a friend in need

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Almost immediately after hearing the news about their friend, Dylan Montgomery, several students jumped into action.

Montgomery was recently diagnosed with Hodgkins Lymphoma. Montgomery and his family have been travelling back and forth from Halifax every week since Christmas.

“We wanted to make him happy,” said Embrey Isaac.

Isaac and her classmates organized a bake sale in their school to help out financially, however they can.

“He was always nice and giving to us,” said Amelia Rioux. “We just wanted to give something back to him.”

Two tables were set up along the main entrance of the school. They were filled, front to back, with cookies, cupcakes, banana bread, and more.

Anna Smith teaches Grade 7 & 8 French Immersion.

“Right away, Monday, they started planning,” she said.

Smith helped organize and supervise the bake sale.

“I just think it’s a really nice thing to see that the kids from both communities coming together and caring about each individual, and doing something special, no matter who it is and where they’re from,” she said.

The following week it was announced that the bake sale had raised a total of $900.