J
• Honesty • Integrity • Responsible Government • Respected Leadership • Commitment • Ongoing Accountability To You
Jerry Primrose
Since I first announced my intention to
run again for Chief of Nisichawayasihk
Cree Nation earlier this year, I have been
very encouraged by the response and
well wishes of our Members and their
willingness to share their ideas with me
on how to improve our First Nation.
Having served as Chief for 12 years over
four terms of office with a proven track
record, I’ve found that being away from
the political arena for the past four years
has been very beneficial. It’s allowed
me time to think about the hopes and
aspirations of our First Nation, reflect on
past successes and future challenges, and
identify new opportunities. I’ve collected
these ideas and proposals to put forward
for discussion during my campaign for
Chief and get your feedback.
My passion for serving NCN continues
to be rekindled and I believe I have much
more to give back to the community.
I’m energized and enthusiastic about the
upcoming election and optimistic about
what we can accomplish together. I ask
for your support on August 24.
Ekosani,
Jerry Primrose
PP
Elect erry
PRIMROSE for
CHIEF
“Going forward, I believe NCN leadership’s most important
goal will be not only to keep our economic initiatives
growing but to rebalance our approach with a greater
focus on strengthening our cultural and social needs.”
New Direction, New Focus – Turning Vision into
Action to Produce Real Results
EDUCATION AND YOUTH DEVELOPMENT Holding a Gathering of NCN Youth
Our youth are our future. The sooner
Education and Youth Development,
we engage them in charting a course
mentoring the leaders of tomorrow and
for the future, the stronger their
creating a skilled capable workforce are
commitment becomes to our First
important to ensure a strong future for
Nation and the easier it is for them to
our First Nation.
assume more responsible roles in the
Using ATEC More Effectively
community as they become adults.
NCN is fortunate to have the ATEC facility in
We must hold a gathering of NCN
the community and now that Wuskwatim
youth, feature workshops and
training has wound up we need to “re-
“visioning” exercises to demonstrate
vision” the facility. We must explore ways
our commitment to them and engage
to use ATEC to make higher education
them in community building.
more accessible to Members in our
Capitalizing on the Knowledge and
community, such as providing a Transition
Wisdom of Our Elders
Year Program between high school and
NCN is fortunate to have well respected
university, and perhaps first and second
elders who together are an important
year university courses.
For members not inclined to academic
programs, ATEC could provide adult Let me know what you think.
education opportunities to enhance safety Give me a call if you need more
and skills in traditional occupations such as information or just want to talk.
trapping, fishing, prospecting, log building Jerry Primrose
and tourism. 20 Westwood Drive,
Nelson House, MB R0B 1A0
(204) 307-0362
primrosejerry@gmail.com
• Honesty • Integrity • Responsible Government • Respected Leadership • Commitment • Ongoing Accountability To You
Elect
J erry
PRIMROSE for
CHIEF
community resource with a vast amount of
knowledge and wisdom that could benefit
the entire community. We need to enhance
ways to connect our children, youth and
adult members with our elders and engage
them in transferring their knowledge to the
next generations so it is not lost.
HEALTH AND SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT
Comprehensive health care services readily
at hand and social development supports
in place is important for maintaining a well-
functioning society. Several initiatives could
strengthen our community:
Transferring Health Responsibility
to NCN from FNIHB
The Federal Government operates our
current Nursing Station, but it can provide
only limited health services. One option to
explore would be to have the First Nations,
Inuit and Aboriginal Health Branch of Health
Canada (FNIHB) transfer responsibilities
and funding for health services directly
to NCN, similar to how education was
transferred when we established NHEA.
Operating our own clinic would give us
more control over the services we provide
and offer a higher level of care.
Establishing a Clinic in the
Métis Settlement
Members with complex or serious health
conditions are referred to Thompson
General Hospital, a provincial facility
operated by the Burntwood Region Health
PP
Authority. In fact, NCN’s current health-
service demand requires NCN to operate
a dedicated medical transportation service
to Thompson. Another option to explore
would be establishing a clinic off reserve in
the Métis community perhaps as a satellite
clinic of the BRHA where we would bring in
our own doctors. This could also provide
many cost and time efficiencies.
Setting Up a Receiving Home In Winnipeg
NCN Members who must travel to Winnipeg
for medical procedures are usually put up
in a hotel, which is impersonal and adds
to the stress of the trip. Setting up an
NCN Receiving Home in the city operated
by NCN Members would provide more
personal service and could be a cost-effective
alternative to hotels.
Providing Housing for the Homeless
in Nelson House
The critical housing shortage in our
community is actually creating a
homelessness problem for some people in
the community. We need to explore creative
and affordable housing options to meet
essential housing needs for these Members.
Looking at what other communities are
“I’m energized and enthusiastic
about the upcoming election
and optimistic about what we
can accomplish together.”
doing can give us ideas. In Winnipeg
for example, small apartment buildings
have been built very economically on
one residential lot to provide eight small
living spaces (known as pocket suites)
for singles and small families. Other
communities have found creative ways to
provide safe comfortable housing.
Establishing a Community
Outreach Worker
Even though our Nursing Station,
Wellness Centre and Medicine Lodge
provide many valuable services, there still
seems to be unmet needs that could be
filled by a community outreach worker
to address social and spiritual issues that
fall outside the existing services.
Mastering the Skills of Life
I propose NCN set up parenting and life-
skills courses for our young people since
no resources are currently available to
teach those skills.
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
Wuskwatim construction will wind
up early in the next term of office for
Chief and Council, when we must make
our decision to invest and have our
investment capital ready. I’m confident
we will be able to secure our 33 percent
investment goal.
“My vision for NCN is a strong independent First Nation.”
GOVERNANCE
Taking Time to Implement a Solid
Governance Model
Governance is an important tool to fulfill
our vision of becoming an independent
self-governing First Nation and I don’t
believe the process should be rushed.
Developing a solid governance approach
involves ongoing community input,
continuous workshops with Members
and a community vote on the governance
model. We should consult with and
learn from other First Nations, such as
the West Bank First Nation in British
Columbia, which has already put in place
a successful governance model.
COMMUNICATIONS
Building Stronger Communications
from Chief and Council
In the interests of openness and
transparency for Chief and Council,
I believe we need more frequent
and regular communications using
newsletters, the NCN website and our
radio station to better inform Members
about what is happening on various
issues and initiatives. We should develop
our own in-house communications
capability with a designated budget and
grow the communications talent from
within our own Members, perhaps
encouraging youth Members to study
journalism, Creative Communications or
broadcasting at college or university.
COMMUNITY-BUILDING INITIATIVES
Building and strengthening the
community is made up of many
different activities and responsibilities
that are a combination of government
and individual efforts. Some additions
and improvements that need to be
explored include:
Developing a Community
Justice System
Discussions with Manitoba Justice
should be initiated to explore developing
a partnership for implementing a
community justice system. Community
justice should involve mediation
programs and Member input in
determining potential community service
sentencing to help crime victims feel a
fairer sense of justice.
Removing individuals who break the
law from the community for judicial
procedures, sentencing and serving their
sentences also removes them from their
support systems and the influence of the
community in encouraging acceptable
behaviour. Establishing a community
justice system may be the most effective
way to discourage negative behaviour
and put offenders on the right track.
To demonstrate proper respect for
justice, a separate House of Justice or
Courthouse needs to be built that would
house judicial proceeding and related
functions such as mediation services.
Currently judicial proceedings take place in
other facilities around the community that
don’t reflect the proper respect for the law.
Upgrading NCN’s Water Treatment and
Sewage Lagoon System
Community growth has resulted in our
water treatment and sewage lagoon systems
reaching capacity several years ago with the
need to upgrade and expand them, which I
see as a priority. Delaying this critical action
could affect future community expansion
and potentially threaten the health and
wellbeing of our Members.
Encouraging Local Gardening
and Self Sufficiency
A program could be developed to
encourage NCN Members to grow
gardens to supply produce as a way to
encourage self-sufficiency, healthy and
affordable eating and participation in the
100-kilometre diet movement. This could
be done by developing individual gardens
to supply families, community gardens
for Elders and disabled individuals and a
seasonal greenhouse for the community.
A year round greenhouse, heated with a
geothermal heating system would supply
fresh produce in winter and give an early
start to garden plants in spring.
Recommitting to a Community
Beautification Program
Several years ago Manitoba Hydro provided
the community with ornamental shrubs
and trees to enhance our community.
• Honesty • Integrity • Responsible Government • Respected Leadership • Commitment • Ongoing Accountability To You
Elect
J erry
PRIMROSE for
CHIEF
When that program ended, nothing was
put in place to continue it. Ornamental
trees in our yards and public places greatly
contribute to community beautification. A
renewed community beautification program
could arrange a group order for ornamental
trees from a tree nursery for delivery by
truck to Nelson House for planting.
Community beautification could also
benefit from a small NCN-owned farm
tractor, which would be very useful and
versatile for tasks around Nelson House
such as grass cutting, brush thinning and
tilling flower gardens.
Acquiring a Portable Sawmill to Assist
Independent Homebuilders
To encourage Members who would like to
build their own homes, NCN could acquire a
portable sawmill that Members could use to
mill their own lumber for building homes.
RECREATION AND CULTURE
I believe our community needs to
enhance the recreation and cultural
activities available to create a more
vibrant and diversified community and I
propose the following ideas:
Hiring Recreation Leaders Assigned to
Different Nelson House Neighbourhoods
Currently all recreation programs are
provided centrally. To make programs more
accessible and to improve participation,
“I have been very encouraged by the response and well
wishes of our Members and their willingness to share their
ideas with me on how to improve our First Nation.”
I propose hiring three recreation
leaders, each to be assigned to a
specific Nelson House district. They
would coordinate recreation in those
neighbourhoods and ensure our Members
have acces to activities throughout the year.
Assigning Full-time Coordinators
for Organized Sports
Organized sports activities like hockey,
track and field, and baseball could benefit
from a full-time coordinator to ensure they
are well organized.
Organizing Cultural Events and Monthly
Community Events
Even though we have summer and winter
festivals, I believe opportunities are available
to enhance the cultural and entertainment
programs in our community.
New cultural events such as violin, guitar or
singing workshops could be organized to
help Members improve their skills. Perhaps
a small community band and or choir could
be organized.
Monthly community entertainment events
featuring activities such as community
feasts, square dancing or singing would
enhance life in our community.
By assigning responsibility to different
community organizations to each be
responsible for hosting an event would
share the workload.
Providing Community Camps
Even though we live in Canadian
Shield country with beautiful forests
and trees, many Members don’t
have access to the great outdoors to
commune with nature. NCN could
economically set up tent camps
in various locations near Nelson
House that would be available for
our Members to use. In some cases
it may be necessary to provide boat
transportation to sites on a lake.
ON AUGUST 24, VOTE
JERRY PRIMROSE
FOR CHIEF