Cloudy, bit of fog and 7 degrees this morning.

As one who grew up spending hours on end in the surf, 30 degree Christmas days and shunned ever going within 100 miles of snow I find today’s conditions very welcoming.

Five days in the high twenties bummed me right out I tell you. Partly due to the aging process and more likely due to acclimatization I tell myself.

Sarah Leo was sworn in as the second elected president for the Nunatsiavut Government last evening.
The ceremony was held in the board room at the administration building.

We did not attend as we were entertaining Fran’s son Ian who came up from Hopedale in speed boat for a short two day visit.

While on the one hand I applaud the parties involved with this research planed for base line studies on the environmental and health effects of the planed development of hydro power on the Lower Churchill (Mistashipu) river I have questions as to why it is up to Nunatsiavut Government to be involved.

My first question would be: why has not some other entity already started the baseline study. Second question would be: Does NG really have a mandate to be involved in what seems like a large body of work (thank you Premier Dunderdale) with many skilled people doing untold amounts of hours research.

Some would answer the second question by pointing out that there are over 2,000 beneficiaries of the Nunatsiavut government living in the Lake Melville area. 2,000 people are a large lobby base (on a Labrador scale), more or less the whole population base of the actual Land Claims area.
But that answer would not satisfy many.

A third question (and not mentioned in the interview) is, who is funding this large body of work. Arctic
Net presumably but still raises the question of what funding and resources will be forthcoming from NG.

Anyway I think it is a good interview and the goals of the intended research are sound and much needed. As you can tell I am of two minds on this.


Who would have thought back when the Mulroney government left the scene under such a cloud of corruption we would be now looking at the Mulroney era with some pride.

Update:

Weather is deteriorating with fog moving in, no problem there I say. 

The two coastal boats are anchored between Hopedale and Natuashish due to ice pushed inshore.

And some interesting insights on Aboriginal Day, which is today for those that don't know.

With a little reflection I have formed the opinion that there is most likely a role for NG to be involved with the base line study in the Lake Melville region.  This is based on the fact a goodly part of the LISA and LIL lands are at the southern end of the lake and the area around Rigolet.

But there are some niggling questions which involve the area a little north around Makkovik and Postville, the lands where there is exploration for uranium with some actual finds and dreams of mining the stuff.
Are the two related? dunno yet.