Archive for category: News

The LMG is essentially two years ahead of its Management Action Plan (MAP), which gives everyone a little more breathing room

“It’s truly incredible the way that is has changed,” said John Alexander, the Director of Finance. “A lot of the credit needs to go to the directors.”

Financial troubles led to Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada (AANDC) requiring a MAP. It laid out how the organization would address and improve the issues. It meant more paperwork, meetings, and monitoring.

“It’s a vicious cycle when you’re in it,” said Alexander. “But it’s like it’s almost a positive cycle when you get out of it.”

AANDC creates ratios to judge the financial health of organizations. The same ratios are used by banks, which contribute to risk ratings and interest rates.

After a downturn in these ratios, the LMG laid out ways it would improve. This really meant improving its financial standing, and its long-term sustainably.

“The actions were pretty basic,” said Alexander.

Deals were made with major creditors, departments were restructured, and people were laid off. It was difficult, but necessary.

The step after a MAP is “third party management.”

Under “third party management,” an accounting firm essentially takes control of all funded money. For Listuguj, that’s about 40 percent of its revenue, or nearly $20 million dollars.

“It’s an extra expense, without an extra solution,” said Alexander. “It’s just – we lose control.”

The plan was deliberately slow. It was expected to take three years. But, being ambitious and falling short would have reflected poorly, and would have potentially resulted in “third party management.” Instead, goals were realistic, and the LMG far exceeded the expectations, within only 18 months.

“The objective of your MAP are achieved,” wrote Jacques Giroux the Regional Director for Funding Services with AANDC, on November 19, in a letter to Chief and Council. “Therefore, the Department will no longer monitor the implementation of your MAP.”

What this really means is the LMG has restructured itself to be sustainable.

“It’s not a bandaid solution. It’s a permanent solution,” said Alexander. “Now we are able to grow in a more sustainable capacity.”

Alexander said the focus will turn to commercial reinvestment. Commercial operations have been generating profits for the community, as well as jobs. Several new ventures are being considered. But, Alexander said the they need to do the “due diligence up front,” which takes time.

“We are working on it,” he said. “We just need to be patient.”

Alexander said that reaching this point is the result of cooperation, and commitment throughout the organization.

“It was a tough path to get to – to be sustainable,” he said. “But the fact that we’re here now, and with the proper planning – this place has all the opportunity in the world.”

The annual Christmas decorations competition with Listuguj and Pointe-à-la-Croix is going on again this year. This will be the 12th year in a row that it has been held. And like everything by The Harmony Project, it is to “build up relations between native and non-native communities in the area,” said Pierre Vicaire, one of the co-coordinators.

A bus full of people from Listuguj take an evening to go select three winners from Pointe-à-la-Croix. They drive through the streets and look at how all the homes are decorated. People from Pointe-à-la-Croix do the same in Listuguj. Participation prizes will also be awarded this year.

People can only win once every three years, so everyone has a chance.

It’s just another small initiative in The Harmony Project’s overall goal.  

“It’s no different, Christmas here than it is anywhere else,” said Vicaire. “No matter if it’s here, or next door, or if it’s across the bridge, or if it’s anywhere – it’s Christmas. And at the base, that’s what we’re trying to promote.”

The Harmony Project has come a long way since it began as a way to figure out how to avoid the conflicts that were arising over a skatepark in Pointe-à-la-Croix.

“The history of our communities had it built – in their mind – that whenever our kids would go over there, it wasn’t for sharing, it was confrontation, right away,” Vicaire said.

He said it’s hard to recognize that environment today.

“There are so many positive things, or good stories, that have come out in the last 13 years.”

Through many activities and field trips, neighbours are given the opportunity to create fun memories early on.

“Keep your culture — keep your language, keep your schools, but it’s got to be based on giving yourselves some fair chances to share some fun time together,” Vicaire said.

A key focus is creating those relationships early. In fact, when kids strike up friendships, it helps mend relationships with parents, and even grandparents.

The Harmony Project has seen so many successes that work is being done to possibly make it national.

“If it can work here, we don’t see why it can’t work right across Canada,” Vicaire said.

The Anti-Racism Strategy held its logo launch on October 28.

“We’ve been working on this for a couple of months,” said Debbie Dedam-Montour, the coordinator of the Anti-Racism Strategy.

With food, presentations, and even a film, people were able to hear about the organization’s plans. People could also take part in a photo project.

Dedam-Montour mention the points made my Derek Barnaby in his presentation.  Dedam-Montour characterized his story as developing prejudices based on the 1981 raids. But after an interest in sports put him together with people he superficially associated with the raid, he was able to forge a friendship and “demystify some of their stereotypes” as well.

“That experience that he portrayed is actually what we’re trying to do in the strategy – strengthening those relationships. Break down those stereotypes. Letting people know that we are people, and those negative stereotypes out there stop people from meeting us,” she said. “When you open that door and you build a relationship, it has nothing to do with skin colour.”

The strategy is just starting talking circles, equipped with people from Families First.

“It’s just a place where we can come get together. We will have a support system, because when people are talking about racism, they can become very emotional.”

A symposium is planned for March 21st – the international day to eliminate racial discrimination.

An unexpected number of new students attending post-secondary school this fall created some confusion leading up to the council meeting on Wednesday, Aug. 12.

Council voted to increase their deficit to approximately $700,000, so that all students will receive funding from the band. This is in addition to the funding from the Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada.

When the LMG’s budget was created, a deficit of approximately $300,000 was projected. However, this year there were 49 new students and “mature students who are returning” that weren’t expected. This equaled nearly an additional $340,000 in borrowing.

Travis Wysote, the Summer Student Employment Coordinator for the Listuguj Education Directorate, started receiving phone calls on Aug. 5, from students who were recently notified that they wouldn’t receive funding from the LMG. People continued to contact him throughout the week and weekend.

On Monday, Aug. 10, names were being collected, and a plan was formed to attend the council meeting.

“We had about 260 or signatures within 12 hours,” said Wysote. “So I mean there was a lot of mobilization. We had about 80 people show up.”

Wysote said a major concern was the short notice. Most students would not have had sufficient time to make alternative arrangements before the school year began.

Council voted to increase funding. The budgets that will be affected to compensate for this deficit has yet to be determined.