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This section profiles recent news and stories related to the Nisichawayasihk Cree Nation. For older stories, please visit our News Archive.
NCN Citizens
Installing Wuskwatim Turbines
and Generators
Four NCN Citizens: Chris Olszoweic, Jack
Spence, Othmar Joos and Larry Tait Jr.
have been hired within the past year
as apprentices with Andritz Hydro, the
Wuskwatim contractor responsible
for installing the three turbines
and generators in the Wuskwatim
powerhouse. Both Chris and Jack
are third-year apprentice electricians
and Othmar and Larry are first-year
apprentice millwrights. All are part of
Andritz’s ground-breaking Aboriginal
Careers Program.
Andritz Hydro’s Director of Project
Management, Rob Murray, believes
in building capacity in the North. He
launched the Aboriginal Careers Program
to focus on, not just providing jobs, but
setting participants on a career path in
the hydropower industry.
NCN Apprentices Piloted Aboriginal
Careers Program
NCN’s four apprentices have helped
Andritz pilot its Aboriginal Careers
Program for developing a recruitment
approach that works. Rob used a very
personal process for hiring by talking
to each candidate directly after they’d
expressed interest in the program
but before they submitted a formal
application. After determining they’d
make a good fit, he had them apply
through the job referral service. The
program’s success with these four NCN
Citizens has prompted Andritz to expand
the program, which is beginning to recruit
more apprentices with priority given to
NCN Citizens. “We have a great team of apprentices
from NCN who are making an important
contribution to the installation of the
turbines and generators at Wuskwatim.”
Final Wuskwatim Investment
Decision Review Moved To Early 2012
Additional Time Allows for
Further Review
The December 2010 edition of Wuskwatim
Implementation News indicated a final
round of meet and greets for NCN Citizens
would be held in late October 2011 to
advise Citizens on NCN’s final investment
decision. This decision is to be based on
updated project cost information, the inservice
date and export-market conditions
for hydroelectricity. Those meetings have
now been moved into the new year with
specific dates still to be determined.
The schedule presented to NCN Citizens in
late 2010 indicated a January/February 2012
in-service date. That date has since moved
back to spring 2012, requiring a shift in
consultation dates.
NCN Evaluates Investment Decision
“Given the uncertainty in global financial
markets and the greater likelihood of the U.S.
and possibly Canada experiencing a doubledip
recession, NCN is taking the opportunity
to conduct a third-party evaluation of our
investment decision before moving forward,”
NCN’s Wuskwatim Portfolio Holder and
Councillor Marcel Moody said. “This evaluation will take some additional
time. Many things have changed since
construction started, so we need to be as
certain as possible our investment decision
maximizes benefits and minimizes risks to
our Citizens and First Nation.”
NCN Citizens will be notified of revised
dates for the final round of meet-and greet-consultations as soon as they are known.
Fourth Tori's Run A Big Success
 July 11, 2011 – NCN Citizen Tori Yetman completed her fourth Tori's Run as a fundraising project for the Canadian Cancer Society in memory of friends who have succumbed to cancer. She's was joined this year by Adam Cardinal who is waging his own personal battle with cancer. The Run started July 4 in Nelson House with 11 stops along the way and ended at the Canadian Cancer Society office in Winnipeg, Monday, July 11 at 3 p.m. Since Tori began her runs at age 13 in 2008, she has raised over $40,000 for the Canadian Cancer Society. (Click on photo for enlargement.)
Click to view poster.
Canadian Cancer Society links:
Tori's Run page.
Adam Cardinal's page.
Chief and Council Announce Extreme
Fire Warning Due to Dry Conditions
 May 18, 2011 – Nisichawayasihk Cree Nation Chief and Council have issued an extreme fire warning with a ban on open fires in the community. Posters advising NCN Members of the warning and ban have been posted around the community. Click on the image at left to view
the poster.
A recorded message from Councillor Marcel Moody about the situation is running on the community radio station.
NCN Members will be advised when the fire ban will be lifted.
NCN Issues Special-edition Newsletter Profiling Wuskwatim Employment
 May 2011 – Nisichawayasihk Cree Nation has prepared and published a special-edition newsletter focused on employment and training related to the Wuskwatim project. It features 10 articles that look a different aspects of Wuskwatim employment and some of the challenges encountered. More than 300 NCN Members have worked on the project since construction began in 2006. The newsletter has been distributed to Member households in Nelson House, Thompson, Leaf Rapids, South Indian lake and Winnipeg. Copies are available at the Wuskwatim Implementation Office in Nelson House or you can downloaded one here. Click here to download a copy (975 KB PDF)
Wuskwatim PDA Supplementary Agreement Signing Includes Special NCN Ceremony
(Click on photo to enlarge)
March 15, 2011 – The outcome of the Wuskwatim Project Development Agreement (PDA) review process, which was ongoing over the past two years, is the Wuskwatim PDA Supplementary Agreement. It provides additional investment options for NCN's paticipation in the project. The agreement does not change the original PDA, but is an addiiton to it. NCN and Manitoba Hydro signed the Supplementary Agreement March 15 at Manitoba Hydro's Headquarters in Winnipeg, which included a traditional NCN Ceremony.
NCN Publishes 2009-2010 Year in Review
Document Distributed in the Community
March 2011 – Nisichawayasihk Cree Nation has published its 2009-2010 Year in Review covering the period April 1, 2009 to March 31, 2010. The 124-page document highlights accomplishments and challenges of 22 NCN government departments, programs and organizations for the fiscal year. It also contains NCN's financial statements for the period.
The document has been distributed to Member households in Nelson House. For those who have not received one, copies are available at NCN organizations in the community, at the NCN administration office or by clicking here or on the thumbnail image above to download a copy (4.7MB PDF).
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