It is already the end of October, and of course, this month brings treats, tricks, and little goblins. I am not sure whether Halloween will occur for some as the fear of H1N1 virus and the flu will influence the health and well being of our children. If there are children, out and about please think safety and dress the little ones warmly.

Right now the O’Chiese projects are under the direction of the Director of Operations because the community centre, business/investment centre and the training centre are all in different stages of renovation or construction. To put in one word, October is about actual work.

Meetings occurred with economic develop such as the truck stop. Another funding source wants an updated feasibility study, more bureaucracy and we are still waiting for funding from INAC.

Building relationships, better communication and planning were also topics of the month. Sustainable Resources and County of Clearwater have met with us and they want a fresh start on building a relationship. We had a meeting in Rocky Mountain House to discuss how we can begin building a relationship with the County of Clearwater. We, of course, were a little wary of their offer but the Council thought it was a meeting worth pursuing.

The Chief and I had a retreat put on by Yellowhead Tribal Council. Some of the concerns that were brought up by the Chiefs were about goals, plans, communication, and unity. In addition, the area council meeting was also a topic of discussion as our communities want some communication from our tribal council. YTC Chiefs want to improve communication, build relationships, and build strategic plans. Not only did the YTC Chiefs want to improve their affiliation with the tribal council but also the executive assistants. All in all, the Chief’s retreat was well worth going to and we should begin to see progress with YTC.

The Council also had meetings with Health Canada and Jasper Parks. The Health Canada Meeting was very good and a benefit to O’Chiese. The Council still finds Jasper Parks frustrating however, we keep moving and meeting. We have not finished the Memorandum Of Understanding with Jasper Parks as there are other Nations that we must consider and it is difficult to put a generic M.O.U together that speaks to all of the other Nations as well as ourselves. Therefore, meetings with Jasper Parks will probably be a lengthy process.

The H1N1 Virus is just one of those things that come to change the way we see how important our health is. The individuals who are at risk for this virus are children and pregnant women. So please come out on October 29, 2009 at the school to begin our inoculations.

Communication is the key to our success and learning, so read for yourselves, your goo-kum, mo-shoom and your children! Please submit to your newsletter, do not be shy, we know you have a lot of positive and new things to say!!! Newsletters can be obtained at the reception desk usually around the first week of the month! Thank you.