This past year was the busiest yet for our team at the NSFC, and on October 6th at the Ecole Secondaire Catholique Trillium in Chapleau we celebrated our hard work and success during our Annual General Meeting (AGM).
The Mayors of Chapleau, Dubreuilville, Hornepayne, Manitouwadge, Wawa, and White River were in attendance, as were the Chiefs' of Chapleau Cree, Michipicoten, Missanabie, and Brunswick House First Nations. We also had a chance to share our success stories with the Federal government, as Ted VanLunen, the Director General of Natural Resources Canada's Canadian Forest Services, attended the AGM.
During the AGM we selected our new Board of Directors, appointing Manitouwadge Mayor John MacEachern as the new President, Michipicoten First Nation Chief Joe Buckle as the new Vice-President, and Chapleau Mayor Earle Freeborn as the new Secretary-Treasurer.
Also included in the evening was an awards ceremony and gala which was a joint initiative between our organization and our partners (and friends) at the NSRCF. Our organizations both presented awards to recognize the dedication of certain individuals to the Northeast Superior region. We presented the first annual Earle J Freeborn award to Chapleau Mayor Earle Freeborn, and the NSRCF presented the first annual Chief Keith 'Keeter' Corston Award to Chapleau Cree's Chief Corston. Both men were recognized for their outstanding commitment to and involvement in the Northeast Superior region.
Chief Corston addressed the attendees of the gala, stressing the importance of continuing to build the relationship that has been fostered between the Chiefs' Forum and the Mayors' of the communities in the region. He passed on that the cross-cultural activities the partner organizations have participated in are great stepping stones towards ensuring that they are able to better understand one another in the coming years.
Mayor Freeborn reinforced Chief Corston's message, saying "if there is one message I will take away from this journey, it's that there is strength in numbers. The NSFC has facilitated the joining of the Mayors' of 6 municipalities in the Northeast Superior region, with 6 Chiefs' of 6 First Nation Communities in the area to work towards a common vision for managing our forest resources. Tonight, the Mayors' and Chiefs' are given the opportunity to come together in celebration of the achievements we have made, and the bonds that we have created. The strength of our bond and the level of our partnership is unique across Canada, and has been a key factor in our ability to achieve success."
The NSFC would like to thank the Mayors' and Chiefs', our funding partners, stakeholders, and the residents of the Northeast Superior region for your continued support, and we look forward to many more successful years of innovation in the forest industry.
The Mayors of Chapleau, Dubreuilville, Hornepayne, Manitouwadge, Wawa, and White River, along with the Chiefs' of Chapleau Cree, Brunswick House, Michipicoten, and Missanabie First Nations.
The NSFC Project Officer, Administrative Assistant, General Manager, Marketing and Communications Coordinator, and Education Coordinator
NSFC Administrative Assistant and Project Officer, Chapleau Councilor and Mayoral candidate Andre Byham, NSFC partner and Chapleau councilor candidate Larry Lacroix, and NSRCF intern
Chapleau Mayor Earle Freeborn and Chapleau Cree Chief Keeter Corston. Both men were award recipients at this year's Gala
No comments:
Post a Comment