HAPPY VALLEY-GOOSE BAY, N.L. — The federal government made two announcements in Happy Valley-Goose Bay on June 24. Yvonne Jones, Member of Parliament for Labrador, announced just under $800,000 in funding for the Nunatukavut Community Council (NCC) for two different projects.
NCC will receive $245,000 to hire a clean energy research coordinator and $550,000 for the NunatuKavut Youth Community Engagement Project (NYCEP).
The clean energy coordinator will liaise between the NCC, research and not-for-profit partners, and communities to implement clean energy alternatives to diesel fuel.
The funding will also assist in hosting gatherings that focus on community perspectives and youth engagement activities.
“We are a people whose identity is shaped by the land, sea and ice and we have a deep connection and relationship to our territory,” Todd Russell, president of NCC, said in a release. “This work, like so much of what we do, will be guided by local and traditional knowledge so that it respects our longstanding relationship with our environment and appropriately reflects the voices and priorities of NunatuKavut Inuit."
The clean energy research coordinator will work collaboratively with communities on developing and implementing energy plans, he said.
Funding for the project comes from the Clean Energy for Rural and Remote Communities Program.
“Led by a new clean energy research coordinator, this initiative will increase community-level involvement and generate opportunities through solutions and strategies that are relevant to them,” Jones said in a release. “This is an example of how our government is putting communities first."
NunatuKavut Youth Community Engagement Project
The other project Jones announced funding for, the NYCEP, is slated to provide multimedia training for 24 youth in eight communities. Participants will work over 12 months to address issues and needs faced by their communities. Jones said it would allow youth the opportunity to have meaningful impact in their communities.
The money for this project came from the Canada Service Corps (CSC), a national youth service initiative that is supposed to provides access to service opportunities for youth to make a difference in their communities while gaining important skills.
Russell said he’s happy to see a project engaging youth to become more involved and contribute to their communities.
“We value and appreciate the perspectives of youth in telling our story in their own way,” he said. “We need their energy, their strength and their skills to carry our culture, history and traditions forward. Their contributions now will help shape our path to the future.”
