News
Chief and Council Update | June 9th, 2020
- Published: June 10 2020 10:55
Chief and Council Update
June 9, 2020
The Chief and Council would like to thank all our band members at this time for your patience and understanding as we have navigated throughout these unprecedented times. We have faced many challenges over the past couple of months but we are pleased to report that we are starting to see some return to our operations at Acadia First Nation. The Council continues to meet weekly by teleconference. As well our EMO team and other committees continue to hold regular virtual meetings.
As you are aware our gaming operations were shut down by the Province in Mid March. During this time Acadia worked on establishing protocols and guidelines that would allow us to safely reopen our gaming and other operations. Acadia was a leader within First Nations to provide an operating plan that would ensure the safety of our staff, customers and community. Acadia shared the plan with other First Nations and submitted the plan to Atlantic Lotto Corporation. Our plan goes above and beyond the requirements established by the Provincial Government. We are pleased to report our Gaming facilities were approved to come back online June 7. We were one of the first gaming facilities in the Province to get this approval. The Gold Nugget and Your Winners World Establishments were up and running on the morning of June 8. Our other establishments will follow within the coming days.
Acadia is now in the recovery phase of operations. We unfortunately had to lay off the vast majority of our employees both at our stores and in Administration. Essential workers have been working from home and only in office when necessary. Over the coming months we will be working to gradually bring back our staff. This will be done in phases. The Yarmouth band office is now open to a limited number of employees. Our other office locations will be opening at later dates.
Our restaurants, The Gold Bean and Winners One Stop are both now open to indoor dining and our stores have opened to allow customers inside. Our Medway store and gas bar was able to remain fully operational during the last couple months. Our other locations remained open for gas,cigarette sales and some pantry items. Thank you to all staff at these locations for all your hard work. You truly have done your best and we appreciate you being out there on the front lines of this Pandemic.
We want to take this time to congratulate our Graduates. We are proud of your accomplishments and wish you much success in your future endeavours. While we will not be able to hold our annual grading celebrations this year we will be sending our NS students in grades P to 12 a cheque for $50. We know you all worked hard and wish you all a wonderful summer.
We look forward to providing future updates as we progress over the coming months.
Chief and Council
Acadia First Nation
Weekly Health Update #9 with AFN Community Health Nurse
- Published: June 01 2020 16:43
Weekly health update with AFN Community Health Nurse
Hi Everyone,
Great to see the continued warm sunny weather, although the black flies really seem to be out enjoying it too. Please remember to keep up to date with the latest Covid-19 at novascotia.ca/coronavirus/ Frequent updates can also be found on our AFN Community Health Facebook Page. Practice basic prevention measures, and please continue to be cautious in public, especially with the relaxing of restrictions.
Last week we finished up our Get Up and Move Contest! Congratulations to Brittany Whynot, Myranda Roy, and Sophie Chetwynd. They all won a $50 gift card to their choices of Walmart or Amazon.
This week we are talking What’s For Dinner? I don’t know about all of you, but 3 meals (plus snacks) every day is a lot of time! So, lets help each other out and share what we’re eating. Show us what you’re eating in a picture, and give us the recipe. There will be a post each night on the Facebook page for you to post (or you can directly email me a photo and recipe). Each night you post earns 1 entry into the draw. At the end of the week, I will draw a name and they will win a $50 gift card to your choice of Sobeys or Superstore, that can be mailed directly to you.
If you’re having a hard time keeping up with meals, using a meal planner is a great way to help keep your meals and snacks balanced. Planning can also help make the most of a food budget, by using what you already have in the pantry, and planning multiple meals with the same main ingredients. The link below has some printable meal planners, or ideas of how to make your own in a notebook. Saving your meal plans and grocery lists can help you in the future by keeping them on rotate every 6-8 weeks.
https://www.livecrafteat.com/printable-weekly-meal-planner/
You can also go by themes, such as: Slow cooker Sunday, Meatless Monday, Taco Tuesday, Fish Friday, Pasta Night, Soup and Sandwich, Breakfast for Dinner, Pizza Night, Salad Night, Lazy Leftovers, Casserole Night. Another way to make planning easier, is to make a master list of all the meals you typically make, and like. This way when you’re planning, you can pick meals that you know you already have the ingredients for.
Using frozen and canned vegetables (looking for lowest sodium content) is a great way to prevent wasted produce on items your may not use as frequently. Same can be done for fruits, using frozen fruits in smoothies, in muffins and pancakes, or on yogurt. When looking at canned/cups of fruit, look for packed preferably in water, or juice, trying to avoid packed in syrup.
Having balanced nutrition can help you feel good, and ensure you’re getting the nutrients you need for a strong immune system. Eating mindfully, allowing yourself to eat when hungry, and until you are full, and enjoying the foods you like are all important in having a good relationship with food. This is a particularly difficult time, and nutrition can be a tricky subject at the best of times. Eating to feel good, physically, mentally, and emotionally, is important. There is no “perfect diet”.
If there is a topic you’d like to see more about, such as nutrition, physical activity during isolation, coping strategies, child and youth health, etc. Please let me know and I can look into helping you as well as the community!
Stay safe and wash your hands
Chelsea Sawyer
Community Health Nurse
O: 902-627-1245
C: 902-277-2297
Best links to get information
Please see our Facebook page: AFN Community Health and answer the joining questions for access. Frequent updates, resources, and links will be posted there
Nova Scotia Government: https://novascotia.ca/coronavirus/
Nova Scotia Health Authority: http://www.nshealth.ca/coronavirus
Government of Canada: https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/diseases/2019-novel-coronavirus-infection.html
World Health Organization: https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019
WHO advising on pregnancy, childbirth, and breastfeeding: https://www.who.int/news-room/q-a-detail/q-a-on-covid-19-pregnancy-childbirth-and-breastfeeding
Mental Health Provincial Crisis Line: call 24/7 1-888-429-8167
Kids Help Phone: call 24/7 1-800-668-6868
text CONNECT to 686868
or chat online on their website
Important Information for Community Members Regarding TCRCE
- Published: June 01 2020 11:23
Registration Information for 2020-2021
GRADE PRIMARY REGISTRATION:
Registration for Grade Primary Program is ongoing for the 2020-2021 school year in the Tri-County Regional Centre for Education. If your child is not currently enrolled in a Pre-Primary Program, and you haven’t already registered with you community school, please phone 902-749-5696 or 1-800-915-0113 by Friday, April 17th 2020 to submit their name on the registration list.
PRE-PRIMARY REGISTRATION:
Registration for Pre-Primary Program is ongoing for the 2020-2021 school year in the Tri-County Regional Centre for Education. If you haven’t already done so, please register your child at the following: https://www.tcrce.ca/preprimary-registration/
LATE IMMERSION REGISTRATION:
If you are interested in registering your child for grade 7 Late French Immersion at SRHS, BMHS or MGEC for September 2020, please call 902-749-5696 or 1-800-915-0113 by Friday, April 17th 2020 to submit their name on the registration list.
HIGH SCHOOL REGISTRATION:
Please be advised that online registration for next school year (2020-2021) will continue to be open during the school closure period
If you have trouble logging into your PowerSchool Account or need help with picking courses, please email one of the following staff members to assist you with accessing your account to register and/or helping you register:
Everything you need to know about registration is located here:
Click here for 2020-2021 Registration Guides
If you have any questions please feel free to reach out.
Brandy Jarvis-Nickerson
(902 740-1653)
Pre-university Writing Workshop
- Published: May 28 2020 12:51
Pre-university Writing Workshop
Are you interested in improving your academic writing skills before you head off to university or college?
If so, you have an opportunity to attend a four-day workshop to do just that. The workshop will be a timely review of how to write term/research papers. This review will be done online using the Google Meet platform. Liam Walker and Chris Gallant, both ELA teachers at Allison Bernard Memorial High School, will co-facilitate the workshop. During the four-day workshop, Liam and Chris will provide explicit instruction as you engage in writing a research paper on a topic of your choice. As well, they will provide individual support and valuable feedback to help your writing improve. As a result, you will be better prepared for your first year at university or community college. So, sharpen those pencils and sign up for this awesome opportunity.
Details:
Where: Google Classroom/Google Meet
When: August 17, 18, 19, 20 (Monday – Thursday)
Time: 5:00 PM - 9:00 PM
How do you register?
If you are interested in attending this four-day workshop, please email Brenda MacIsaac, Literacy Consultant at Mi’kmaw Kina’matnewey
In your email, include the following information:
- The high school you graduated from
- The year you graduated
- The program you are enrolled in so instruction can be planned to suit your needs (Arts, Business, Science, or something other than these)
- The university, college, or post-graduation institution you will be attending
** We want to be able to provide one on one support, so we have an enrollment cap of 20 students. Register early to make sure you reserve one of the available spots!!
An added bonus: During your year at university or college, Liam and Chris will be available to provide ongoing support as you are assigned term and or research papers. They will provide you with their email addresses so you can contact them if/when needed.
Premier Announces Steps Towards Provincial Reopening
- Published: May 28 2020 10:21
With the Premier's announcment of the next steps toward reopening the province and announcing the reopening of closed
businesses starting June 5, many are wondering what next.
Below are some useful links to helpful information:
STEPS TO REOPEN NOVA SCOTIA ANNOUNCED
https://novascotia.ca/news/release/?id=20200527003
ONLINE RESOURCE TO PROVIDE GUIDANCE TO BUSINESSES ON REOPENING
https://novascotia.ca/reopening-nova-scotia/
SMALL BUSINESS REOPENING AND SUPPORT GRANT
https://novascotia.ca/coronavirus/
PROVINCIAL INVESTMENT OF $230 MILLION TO STIMULATE ECONOMY AND CREATE JOBS
https://novascotia.ca/news/release/?id=20200527005
COVID-19 SMALL BUSINESS CREDIT & SUPPORT PROGRAM
https://honestmoney.ca/nsbusinessrelief
COVID-19 Update # 14 from the AFN Health Director | May 26, 2020
- Published: May 26 2020 17:14
May 26, 2020
Health Director Update #14
Information on Staying Healthy
https://novascotia.ca/coronavirus/
There are currently no vaccines available to protect you against COVID-19. But there are things you can do to reduce your risk of getting sick or getting other people sick.
Social distancing guidelines
Nova Scotians need to follow social distancing guidelines to help reduce the spread of COVID-19. This means limiting your contact with other people and staying 2 meters (6 feet) away from them.
You’re not allowed to gather in groups of more than 5 people, unless your group has an exemption.
To protect yourself and others you need to:
- only gather in groups of less than 5 people, unless your group has an exemption
- stay 2 metres (6 feet) away from people that aren’t in your family household bubble
- limit your contact with other people
- keep your social circle small
- make informed choices about who and how to interact with each other (consider age, occupation and health conditions)
- be careful about your social interactions and how often you leave home
Family household bubble
You can combine your household with another household to create a family household bubble. If you’re not able to bubble with family, you can decide who will be in your bubble. The bubble lets both households spend time together without social distancing.
Both households must agree to combine households and can only bubble with each other. This means that both households can only have in-person contact with the people in their family household bubble.
When choosing another household to create a family household bubble with, you should consider the age, occupation and health condition of all household members. You should consider if anyone is:
- sick or showing symptoms
- at high risk for getting sick
- at high risk for complications because they’re older, have underlying health conditions or are immunocompromised
- frequently in contact with the public at their job and at higher risk for getting COVID-19
The 5 people or less gathering limit doesn’t apply to family household bubbles.
Social gatherings outside your bubble
You can have social gatherings outside your family household bubble. You need to following distancing guidelines and make sure that you:
- socialize outside if possible (it’s safer than inside)
- clean and disinfect high-touch surfaces frequently
- don’t share food or drinks
- Keep your hands clean
Wash or sanitize hands often, particularly:
-
- before and after preparing or eating food
- after touching pets
- after handling waste or dirty laundry or using the bathroom
- whenever your hands look dirty
Washing your hands with soap and water is best. Rubbing your hands together when you wash them removes visible dirt and germs. Disposable paper towels are best for drying your hands, if you have some. If not, use a reusable towel that gets washed often.
If soap and water aren’t available, and your hands aren’t visibly dirty, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol. Use enough to cover the fronts and backs of both hands and between all your fingers. Rub your hands together until they feel dry.
Cough and sneeze etiquette
Cover coughs and sneezes with a tissue. Throw the used tissue in the garbage and wash your hands or use an alcohol-based hand rub immediately.
If you don’t have a tissue, cough and sneeze into your elbow, not your hand.
Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth. If you need to touch your face, wash your hands first.
Cleaning and disinfecting
Viruses can live on surfaces for several days. You can reduce the number of germs and reduce your risk of infection by cleaning and disinfecting every day.
You should clean the surfaces and objects you touch most frequently at least once a day, or more if needed.
Clean and disinfect things like doorknobs, light switches, railings, toilets and tabletops every day. Wash with soapy water first. Then disinfect with household cleaning products, following the directions on the label.
If household cleaning products aren’t available, you can make a diluted bleach solution following the instructions on the bleach label. Or you can make a solution 5 mL of bleach per 250 mL of water, or 20mL per litre.
You need to mix a fresh batch of the bleach mixture every day for it to work properly.
Disinfect phones, remote controls, computers and other handheld devices with 70% alcohol or wipes.
Wash or launder clothing, sheets and towels regularly.
Take your garbage out regularly. Wash your hands after.
Wearing a non-medical mask
When worn properly, non-medical masks can reduce the risk of transmitting the virus in the same way that following cough and sneeze etiquette can protect others.
You should wear a non-medical mask if you have respiratory symptoms (like coughing or sneezing) and you’ll be in close contact with other people, or if you’re going out to access medical care or other essential health services.
Even if you do not have symptoms, you should consider wearing a non-medical mask when you’re in places where it’s hard to maintain social distancing (like public transit, stores and group living situations).
Using a mask alone isn’t enough to prevent the spread of COVID-19. You should also make sure to keep your hands clean, follow cough and sneeze etiquette, practice social distancing and stay home if you’re feeling sick.
Guidance for wearing non-medical masks may change as Public Health continues to monitor the local spread of COVID-19.
Being prepared for emergencies
All Nova Scotians should have an emergency kit and basic supplies that you and your household may need for up to 72 hours. Don’t panic buy or stockpile.
Make sure your prescriptions are filled.
Think about what you’ll do if you or someone you live with gets sick and needs care.
Talk to your employer about working from home if you need to self-isolate or take care of a sick family member.
Talk to family and friends. Share your emergency plan with them. Check in on each other and run essential errands for each other if one of you gets sick.
If you get sick, stay home until you have no symptoms.
If you’re experiencing domestic abuse
If you’re experiencing domestic abuse, you’re not alone. Support, guidance and shelter are available throughout the province.
If you’re in immediate danger, call 911.
Mental health and wellbeing
A new virus like COVID-19 can create fear and anxiety. There are ways to manage your symptoms and get help if you need it. Learn more about protecting your mental health during COVID-19.
The best ways to take care of your mental health include:
Take care of yourself
- Eat as well as possible.
- Exercise regularly.
- Maintain normal routines and programming as much as possible.
- Spend time on hobbies.
- Get enough sleep.
Stay connected
- Get information from reliable sources.
- Check on family, friends and neighbours.
- Use phone, text, email and video calls to connect.
- Connect with people on social media, but take breaks from it.
- Listen and provide reassurance – it's normal to have questions.
- Address questions and correct misinformation
Take care of others
- Get groceries and necessities for people in self-isolation.
- Share positive messages to support essential workers.
- Watch for discrimination or bullying related to COVID-19
Marla Robinson-Pyne
Health Director Acadia First Nation
Phone: (902)742-0257