Leroy Metcalfe is the Technical Manager for Sikumiut.

He says Sikumiut has received requests from Nunatsiavut Government to continue the ice thickness monitoring which they’ve been involved with for the past 5 years.

Also to continue work on the Resource Harvesting Study.

He says Ron Dicker of Nain and Jody Blake of Rigolet were hired as Environmental Monitors to report on the work that Aurora Energy Resources Inc was carrying out near Postville.

As well Sikumiut did various contract projects for Wabush Mines and Voisey’s Bay Nickel Company.

And reports still have to be done on all the projects completed over the summer.

Metcalfe says he is now working on proposals with various groups to conduct some winter work.

One of the winter projects will be to continue monitoring the ships tracks as it transports ore from Voisey’s Bay over the winter months.

Andrea Proctor is Coordinator of this joint project.

She says the Town of Makkovik has completed theirs.

And in Upper Lake Melville a random survey of 120 households is being conducted.

While local researchers in Rigolet, Postville, Hopedale and Nain are still trying to reach every household.

She says to encourage participation there will be a draw for gift vouchers in each Town.

People have until December 14^th to participate in the survey.

There will be four draws in Nain and two in each of the other Towns.

Proctor says the information gathered will be analyzed by Larry Felt and David Natcher of Memorial University early in the new year.

The Labrador Inuit Development Corporation is finishing up their projects for the year.

Mike Voisey is the General Manager.

He says the turbot boat “Appak” did it’s fishery in the the Baffin region. The total catch came to 900 tons.

Voisey says all the turbot was sold to markets in Europe.

In other LIDC project news, the Post Sawmill is also shutting down, a few employees are now getting  the equipment and building ready for the winter.

He says the launching pad for helicopters and fuel storage did not get started because they are still waiting for approval to conduct an environmental study.

Voisey says LIDC is starting project plans for next season.

The Board meeting of LIDC will now take place in the new year.

Martha McDonald is Program Coordinator for the Labrador Institute.

She also works very closely with the Labrador Creative Arts Festival, and says the festival is running smoothly.

McDonald is responsible for writing up grants and proposals for the Festival each year.

She hopes that the resource guests will make an appearance along the coast soon.

The Puppet Shadow group are coming to Nain.

She adds that on Wednesday, Our Lady Queen of Peace School from Goose Bay featured the opening performance.

And tonight a documentary about the Labrador Creative Arts Festival will debut.

The following schools will perform over the weekend and at the beginning of next week:

·        Friday; Postville and Makkovik

·        Saturday; Nain

·        Monday; Goose Bay and Black Tickle

·        Tuesday(closing night); Natuashish and Churchill Falls 

Larry Crann is with the Environmental Response Section of Canadian Coast Guard.

He says McNally Olympic of Hamilton owns the barge which ran aground in October while transporting diesel and waste fuel from Quebec.

Crann says the discussions are about the possibility of conducting winter monitoring of the barge.

They are in the midst of scheduling monitoring surveillance.

He says a fixed wing aircraft would conduct an aerial survey starting December 03^rd, 2007 until the spring of 2008.

Crann says there will be monitoring of wildlife and ice conditions, in conjunction with DFO conducting their own surveillance with Transport Canada.

By spring, Crann says they should have a complete site assessment.

They should also have a better idea what should be done with the barge.

All three parties will continue to meet over the winter months and assess as they go along.

Toni White is the Language Project Coordinator for Torngasok Cultural Centre.

White says four people attended this meeting.

She says the language committee members will be going to Goose Bay on November 21^st and 22^nd to attend a workshop.

She says the participants will receive instruction on how to write funding proposals.

On the first day they will have a general meeting and do community updates.

And on the second day they will have the workshop.

White says Carolyn Goslin will be the instructor, and Sheldon Baikie will do a presentation on behalf of the Department of Culture, Recreation and Tourism.