Canada – Grand Council Treaty #3, Canada and Ontario sign a Memorandum of Understanding to improve education for First Nations students

May 16, 2021 | International

Grand Council Treaty #3, Canada and Ontario successfully concluded the negotiation of a tripartite education Memorandum of Understanding (MOU).

May 14, 2021 — Treaty #3 Territory, Ontario — Indigenous Services Canada

Grand Council Treaty #3, Canada and Ontario successfully concluded the negotiation of a tripartite education Memorandum of Understanding (MOU). The MOU will foster mutual understanding and respect, and will help preserve, support and revitalize the language, culture and identity of Treaty #3 First Nations by supporting First Nations control of education to improve student success for First Nations youth in Northwestern Ontario.

Today, Ogichidaa Francis Kavanaugh, Grand Chief of Grand Council Treaty #3, the Honourable Marc Miller, Minister of Indigenous Services, the Honourable Stephen Lecce, Ontario’s Minister of Education, and the Honourable Greg Rickford, Ontario’s Minster of Indigenous Affairs gathered in a virtual ceremony to sign the MOU, which will enrich the quality of education for First Nations youth in Treaty #3. The MOU intends to create a forum for the three parties to work collaboratively to help students reach their full learning potential and achieve educational success.

The federal and provincial governments have invested $1.16 million and $300,000, respectively, to support Grand Council Treaty #3 with the implementation of the MOU and will continue to assist the process as the parties establish a joint action plan that will guide the work and progress of the MOU.

Today’s ceremony is an opportunity to celebrate and highlight the important trilateral partnership that will pave the way for a better educational system for over 1,300 First Nations students who live in Treaty #3 territory. Currently, 17 First Nations in Ontario have signed the agreement. The MOU is flexible and allows other First Nations in Treaty #3 to join in the future should they choose to do so.

“This tripartite agreement to work together to advance education in the Treaty #3 territory is a major step toward creating a brighter future for the Anishinaabe Nation. Ensuring that our educators and knowledge keepers have the opportunities they need to develop better education systems is essential to revitalizing our language and culture and creating better outcomes for our students.”

Ogichidaa Francis Kavanaugh

Grand Chief of Grand Council Treaty #3

“Today’s event celebrates the agreement to support Grand Council Treaty #3 First Nations control of education and is an important step toward reconciliation. This Memorandum of Understanding demonstrates Canada’s commitment to a renewed, nation-to-nation relationship with First Nations.”

The Honourable Marc Miller

Minister of Indigenous Services

“Every student deserves the opportunity to achieve their full potential. Today we are celebrating our collaborative work which will ensure equitable access to education opportunities for First Nations students. This builds on our government’s efforts to present students across Ontario with new, modern learning opportunities that set them up for success now and in the years to come.”

The Honourable Stephen Lecce

Ontario Minister of Education

“This Memorandum of Understanding is an example of our government’s commitment to foster collaborative partnerships between First Nations, Ontario and Canada. These investments will support Grand Council Treaty #3 students in Northwestern Ontario develop their academic skills and talents, using culturally appropriate teachings and resources that honour First Nations’ traditions and values.”

The Honourable Greg Rickford

Ontario Minister of Indigenous Affairs

Treaty #3 territory spans approximately 143,000 square kilometres from west of Thunder Bay to north of Sioux Lookout, along the international border, to the province of Manitoba, and is made up of 28 communities, with a total population of approximately 25,000.

17 First Nations from Treaty #3 are signatories to the MOU, representing approximately 1,300 students in Northwestern Ontario.

Budget 2021 proposes to invest $726 million over five years to support work with First Nations partners to adapt elementary and secondary education funding to meet local First Nations needs.

Through this agreement, the parties have committed to address efforts to improve education outcomes by focusing on early learning, culturally appropriate education resources, professional development, relationship building and transitioning between First Nations and provincially operated schools.

Adrienne Vaupshas

Press Secretary

Office of the Honourable Marc Miller

Minister of Indigenous Services

adrienne.vaupshas@canada.ca

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Celebrate the Grand Opening of Dress for Success Tampa Bay’s Newest Boutique at the Sanderlin Center in St. Petersburg

Apr 22, 2021 | Business

Dress for Success Tampa Bay is expanding its reach with the grand opening of a new third branch, located at the Sanderlin Center in St. Petersburg. Please join Dress for Success Tampa Bay as they celebrate the grand opening with an outdoor, socially distant ribbon-cutting ceremony on May 5, 2021, from 11:00 AM to 12:00 PM, at 2335 22nd Avenue South, St. Petersburg.

“We are excited to have this additional opportunity to serve more women in our community,” said Diane Howard, president of the Dress for Success Tampa Bay Board of Directors.

Katie McGill, the executive director of Dress for Success Tampa Bay, said, “There has been a growing need for new locations in the Tampa area. I hope this will be a convenient resource for people who are using the Sanderlin Center for education, economic programs, cultural arts, health, and employment.”

Register online at https://tampabaydressforsuccess.ejoinme.org/stpete to attend the grand opening event. In addition to the outdoor ceremony, Dress for Success Tampa Bay will be offering tours of the new boutique to small groups, in compliance with CDC guidelines, on May 6 and 7 from 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM.

Each client who is referred to the new Sanderlin Center boutique will receive a personal styling session with a highly trained Dress for Success volunteer, leaving with one complete interview outfit that includes shoes, accessories, and a handbag at no cost. After she finds a job, the client is encouraged to return to Dress for Success Tampa Bay for a week’s worth of additional clothing to serve as the foundation for her professional wardrobe.

Since its inception in 1998, Dress for Success Tampa Bay has provided interview attire for more than 28,000 women. Also, Dress for Success Tampa Bay offers career search assistance, job skills training, and other development tools to help women thrive in work and life.

Dress for Success Tampa Bay relies on grants, donations, and fundraising events to continue offering programs and services locally. General donations can be made via PayPal at https://tampabay.dressforsuccess.org, and event information can be found on Facebook at facebook.com/dressforsuccesstampabay.

Grand Marais, MN Author Publishes Poetry

Mar 28, 2021 | Business

The Old Man’s Poet, a new book by Christopher Eng, has been released by Dorrance Publishing Co., Inc.

The Old Man’s Poet is the culmination of 15 years of observation on the part of poet Christopher Eng. As he travelled throughout the Western USA, he wrote, sharing his poetry with many of the park rangers he encountered, and now, he’s sharing it with the world. We all share the same elements as the stars in the universe, after all. We are symbiotic with the trees of the world. We breathe out carbon dioxide, which they need, and they give us oxygen, which we need. Eng’s reflections and unique interpretation of the natural world will capture the minds of readers young and old.

About the Author
Christopher Eng has always felt to be a part of nature, “dust to dust,” so to speak. He believes that expressing oneself is often difficult, and for a long time, words were floating around in his head with no outlet; then he found poetry, a way to express those words and share his thoughts and observations with others. Inspiration is the stimulus. His favorite poets include Frost, Poe, and Longfellow.

The Old Man’s Poet is a 111-page hardcover with a retail price of $35.00. The ISBN is 978-1-4809-9337-2. It was published by Dorrance Publishing Co., Inc of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. For more information, or to request a review copy, please go to our virtual pressroom at www.dorrancepressroom.com or our online bookstore http://bookstore.dorrancepublishing.com.