Rick Garrick — Wawatay News

Lac Seul’s Mike Auksi is sharing his hockey skills with youth in Gull Bay through Motivate Canada’s GEN7 messenger program.
“My last visit we had some on-ice programming and it went really well,” said the former University of Toronto defenceman. “I’ve got even more tricks up my sleeve for working with the young people.”
Auksi, who has also played for the Lac Seul Eagles as a winger, began visiting the Superior Robinson community in early December to promote healthy lifestyles through sport as a GEN7 messenger. His fourth and most recent visit took place Feb. 26.

Although a warm spell in mid-February affected some winter roads for a couple of days, the roads are now back to normal.
“It affected the roads for a couple of days, but it started cooling back down again so we’re back to hauling,” said Bearskin Lake Coun. George Kamenawatamin. “At this time we are moving steady except for the couple of days we paused.”
Kamenawatamin said his community has not yet hauled in any fuel supplies, but they have brought in 10 of the 14 double-walled 10,000-gallon fuel tanks they had ordered for a new fuel farm.

National Chief Shawn A-in-chut Atleo has grave concerns about Bill S-11, the Safe Drinking Water for First Nations Act.
“If the bill went through as it is, it could expose First Nations to being punished for not meeting these new regulations for the reason that they have no ability to meet them,” Atleo said Feb. 22 during a media conference. “If you’re going to bring in a bill, first of all it must be, as it says in the declaration (UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples), done jointly. That was not done with S-11.”

The Marten Falls Ring of Fire blockade has been called off.
“It closed Friday (March 11),” said Marten Falls Chief Eli Moonias. “We didn’t get any support from the communities. Nobody showed up there.”
Moonias said the blasting and the advanced stage of development are now beginning on the Ring of Fire.
“This rock (being blasted out of the Ring of Fire) is going to tell them if they are going to go ahead with the mine,” Moonias said.
Moonias said his community is focused on long-term issues to achieve a good deal for the future.

Wasaya Airways will be implementing an ID policy May 1 for all passengers 18 years or older on its scheduled flights.
Passengers who appear to be 18 years of age or older will be asked to present identification before boarding Wasaya’s scheduled passenger services, according to a memo on the Wasaya website.