The Silver Bullet

Our Rail line, better known as the Silver Bullet, transports people and products from Pukatawagan to The Pas year round. Efforts are being made to upgrade the track in order to shorten the time it takes to travel or transport goods to Puk.

In 2009, we established Power to Mile 99, which eliminated the need to the generator station. This has been an environmental concern for the leadership for many years and we thought that in this day and age, a cleaner source of power should be used to power the train station and the bunk house for the employees. We have had our share of diesel spills and we want to make sure that these generators were replaced.

A new Ramp is also being built and the new train station is almost complete. The majority of this work was funded by the Keewatin Stimulus Package worth 5.2 million dollars. During a ceremony on the tracks in front of our new locomotive, I accepted the funding from the Honorable Terry Stratton. Of the 5.2 million in funding, 1.1 is from the Federal Capital funding and 4.1 million was made available under the Economic Action Plan and was applied for and negotiated by the dedicated employees at Keewatin Rail Company (KRC).

The projects funded under this new monies will include track rehabilitation, a new locomotive and other rail equipment, the construction of a new repair facility in The Pas as well as a new Waiting Station in Pukatawagan. All remaining monies will go to replace railway ties and culverts.

All of this activity means increased employment, improved efficiency and higher levels of comfort and service for the people of Pukatawagan and the businesses at MCCN.

In the past, the railway has been seen as a vehicle for bringing in goods and services into our community. In the future, under my leadership, the railway will be seen as a vehicle to transports goods and products out of our community and to the rest of the world.

Community Sawmill

The Sawmill initiative was started a number of years ago but it was stalled because of a lack of financial support. The current C&C decided to make the project a priority and committed funds to improve the infrastructure and purchasing of new equipment. This leadership felt that this project, if developed properly, would create a value added product for export- log homes- and produce housing grade lumber for new housing. The other benefit was that it would create local employment.

There is a definite market for the homes that will be produced here at MCCN. They are stylish, durable and affordable and they utilize our abundant natural resources to produce something of value for the Community and eventual purchasers.

The Sawmill will also allow the community to stretch the Housing dollars and build even more homes for community members. If the estimated wood component of a house is forty percent (40%) of the value of the house, the sawmill will allow the community to build 40% more houses without any additional funding.

The Housing Crisis

The acute housing shortage and the detioration of current housing stock in Puk has made housing a top priority for us here at the Band Office. Overcrowded and deteriorating structures are negatively impacting on the health and well being of the entire community. Conversely, timely repairs of current housing stock and construction of new units will have a positive impact on the community as a whole.

The housing issue in Puk has deteriorated to such an extent because of mortgage defaults, resulting in the Band being held in a bad financial light. MCCN's financial situation has strengthened recently with the completion of 38 BRAND NEW UNITS this year!
1. Ten (10) Units finalized in 2008
2. Twenty (20) Units finalized in 2009
3. Six (6) - a six-plex to be completed by Spring 2010
4. Two (2) replacement houses for soil contamination to
be completed by Spring 2010

In terms of renovations and repairs, the band has spent approximately $300,000 in repairing our current housing stock in the form of new roofs, window and door replacements and general upgrades. These renovations not only increased the value of the homes but also provide jobs for local contractors. Moreover, the same is true for the construction of the new units, as most of these units is also being done by local contactors. During these past two winters, we have seen our local contractors go to work in frigid conditions to enable our community members to move into their new units as quickly as possible. I would like to recognize the efforts of all these carpenters, electricians, plumbers, etc., all who have worked so hard in getting these new homes ready.

And these new houses are exactly that, they are your HOMES. This is the place where you raise your children, where you rest your head after a long day, a place that you can call home. We all need to respect our homes to ensure that their value last year after year. At times, you may need to make repairs to your home in order to ensure they are safe and healthy and this is the responsibility of all HOME OWNERS. Our construction company worked hard to build the house and now it is up to you to keep your home in tip top shape. Respect has always been a basic teaching in our culture and respecting your home is part of that and teaching others to respect your home is part of that. And by home, I also mean your yard.

Re-Organizing our Organization

While pursuing the end of Co-management, the C&C began to completely reorganize the Governance structure to better serve the needs of the community. The idea was to make the elected representatives of the community ultimately responsible for the various "Authorities" that impact the daily lives and future opportunities of the people of MCCN. Moreover, the new organizational structure would allow MCCN to undertake various initiatives in the areas of Capital, Housing and Public Works and Economic Development.

Although the governing powers of Pukatawagan are enumerated in the Indian Act, the authority to govern does not arise from the Act. This is our inherent right to govern ourselves. As duly elected officials, the C&C derives its respective powers from the people, whose interests we have sworn to protect.

In order to carry out the will of the people and protect their interests, the C&C must become better aware of what is occurring in all levels of programming. As leaders, the C&C must set goals and objectives and then monitor these to ensure they are being met. We must gather information, monitor progress and lead by example.

Pukatawagan has 10 Councilors as dictated by the Act. Our goal was to have 5 Councilors to oversee Health, Education, UCN/HRDC, Fundraising/Gaming and Youth/Justice. The other 5 Councilors are responsible for Capital, Housing/Public Works, TLE/LTS, Social and Economic Development. Each Councilor was given a Portfolio and had to report back to their group and also provide briefing notes to the entire C&C on alternate weeks.

Direction will arise from the C&C. We will set the Goals and Objectives for each Organization and the direction will flow through the Councilor Portfolio Holder down to the Management and Staff of each Organization. The staff will undertake the necessary steps to achieve the goals and they will report up to the Councilor Portfolio Holder who will ultimately report back to the C&C.

All "Boards" have been dismantled and may only act as an advisory role. All members are Volunteers and are chosen based on particular skill sets that may be useful to the Organization. These members are volunteering their time and skill to better the community and are present in the best interests of the community as a whole. As there is no longer any monetary gain, individual gains are replaced with altruistic gains for the entire membership.

Recovering from Co-management

The Chief and Council are ultimately responsible to the people. We are elected by the people and we work for the people. We are tasked with improving the lives of individuals and bettering the future prospects of the community as a whole. In order to do that the Leadership felt that the "Co-management" regime imposed by INAC had to end. It was, by its very nature, inhibiting the economic and social development of the community. Although it was necessary at the time that it was imposed, it was felt that in order to be successful the new C&C had to take control of its own future.

Consequently a reorganization was undertaken and a presentation on Governance and the state of the Bands finances was made to INAC. The result was that the "Co-management"regime was rescinded and all of the attendant restrictions were lifted, enabling the Leadership to undertake initiatives in the areas of Governance, Housing, Economic Development, Health and Education.

In only four months in the Chiefs office, we were able to negotiate an end to the Co-management regime. We took office in September 2008 and by January 2009, we were free to pursue our own agenda. This was my main election promise... to restore Government and eliminate the position of co-manager. This was the first priority of the C&C and we were successful.

Much has been accomplished in the last year and much is left to do. Therefore, in the spirit of openness, transparency and accountability, I have undertaken this blog to ensure that you, the people of Pukatawagan, are given all the information you need and are able to view the accomplishments that have been made in the past year.

A Year in Review

Its been over a year since you, the people of Pukatawagan, selected me as your Chief. It has been a year full of ups and downs, positives and negatives; but most of all, it has been a year during which the community of Pukatawagan has begun to move forward as never before. We are a community rich in natural resources, cultural traditions and community spirit. Our greatest asset, however, is a young, dynamic population that is capable of carrying our community, with the guidance of our elders, into the future. We have the know-how to develop our resources and the ability to do so while staying true to who we are and where we came from. It is a community to be proud of.

I would also like to acknowledge the hard work and dedication of the current Council members, program administrators and general contract workers who have made this year such a success. Through our collective efforts and sound planning, we have been able to achieve many of our objectives and move our community forward.

Pukatawagan always has been, and always will be, my home. It has, therefore, been an honour to represent my community as your Chief. I, and the Council, will continue to work hard during the next year to finalize a number of major projects and make Pukatawagan a better place for all of us.

Welcome to my Blogspot

Serving as the Chief of Pukatawagan, this blogspot will be utilized to allow the membership of Pukatawagan to become informed regarding any topic involving Aboriginal politics. This blogspot will compliment a radio show that has been initiated on Monday evenings on our local community radio station here in Pukatawagan.

This site is especially designed to meet two key population groups, however, anybody is welcome to read the information posted here. These two populations include the youth membership and the membership that is located off reserve. The Youth have direct access to the internet and are freely able to read this content and raise topics of concerns.

In addition, the membership who is located off-reserve is unable to attend our community meetings. Although we frequently have gatherings in Winnipeg to allow our city members to come together, it may not be possible for everyone to come out. Now we can all meet here, no matter where we live.

As well, this blogspot will be available to update all members regarding upcoming community events and local issues. So sit back, relax and enjoy this community forum right out of the comfort of your own home.