Cooler temps and sunshine today, nice change from those low flat precipitation days we have had.

I sure would like to be a fly on the wall of some of these offices involved in the on going debacle of marine shipping on the Labrador.

There had been no official word on the straight of bell Isle, just speculation. Now just days before the service is to start the doo doo hit the fan with controversy and the company that thought it had the contract was told to take a hike.

Then still nothing from the government until it issued this release yesterday awarding a one year contract to Labrador Marine (hands up all those surprised).

The government release came after the company had issues its own release.

All this does not bode well for the summer season for vessels to the north coast.

The Northern Ranger seems to be ready for service but the freight vessel is still an unknown, what company and what vessel is any ones guess. Although considering what is happening on the straights one could make an educated guess.

It will be decades if ever when we see the promised purpose built vessels for our service. Wouldn't it be great if we were to see something like this in the next couple of years.

Well the Heritage Dog team race got away this morning under grey and wet and windy conditions, though not as bad as yesterday.

Dennis Woodrow Burden and his team were the winners. That is the team that Karen came up with as helper and photographer and dogs body.

Karen let loose in the kitchen yesterday knocking up an incredible roast chicken and vegetables with an amazing pear, grape, onion sauce.

The go or no of Heritage dog team race is is in the hands of spirits,or perhaps the weather.

Not looking or sounding good out there at moment with light snow, +1 and windy.

I am sure most Canadians are relieved that Marmageddon has been prevented down New Zealand.

I would be more upset if a Vegimageddon hit for sure.

Good news on the Peter Penashue front, according to Rex (dip stick) Murphy PP is running in a Newfoundland riding, we are spared any further and deeper embarrassment.



Karen and her human and four legged friends have made it to Nain, some time last night.

Karen and the huskies have made it into Makkovik, had a good trip to date, let the dogs have a 30 k run besides the ski doos on the way.

There is something fundamentally wrong with the way this mob called the Harper Government conducts business.
Lying, cheating , obstification, covering up for incompetent former MPs, paying off fines to Elections Canada for former MPs. It is all just too stomach turning and an injustice for the majority of Canadians who hold this crowd with contempt, contempt eared more and more each day.

Please seek solace in the spirits and advice of your elders Peter Penashue and do the right thing for once in your life, money is not everything.

Now we have some people to track heading north for a change.

Karen from the Wanderbird, Dennis Woodrow Burden and his dog team plus
Ommati Merkuratsuk from Nain leave Goose Bay today for Nain. 

The dogs are to compete in the up coming Heritage dog team race this weekend.

They will be traveling by to snow mobiles, not dog team if anyone interested.

The Innu Cultural Walkers have reached their destination.

                                                                  Photos by Antne Rich.


Apart from CKOK no other media have covered this admiral adventure, in support of Burton Winters.


All media attention is elsewhere at the moment, the murkier underbelly of life within the Labrador self professed movers and shakers/

For the second time in a week I crossed paths with Carter Bear in the Goose Bay airport. This time he coming and me going.
Grandma had to play second fiddle to great grandma for CB attention while he was here, GGM has the right technique.

Nice to be back where the spring snow is still nice and white, though a bit icy on top after a warm spell.

I was hardly in the door before Fran and Siutik had me in big hugs. Nice to be home and nice to be missed.

Make my day, no my week, on second thoughts my year.

That bent bastard PP has resigned from cabinet and his seat of Labrador.

Resigns his seat so he can run in a by election, not bloody likely, there is more to this stinking swamp fest that will come out eventually.

His poor allegedly inexperienced campaign manager must resign from his plush appointment now too.

Update:  I see where Reg Bowers has also resign from the CNLOB, very coincidental that I am sure.

I never brought into the *inexperienced* bullshit about Reg. He worked for years in various government departments as financial adviser and business development areas to clients. He also double dipped while working on government time doing private jobs.

I crossed paths with Carter Bear and his mom at the Goose airport yesterday.

I was arriving in town to get some chiropractic work done, Carter Bear as there waiting for the second flight to Nain, going on a visit to see the fam jam, he sure loves airports and planes.

I'm staying at Carter Bears, no one here is Carters dad is flying down the Quebec north shore.

Must say I am not a fan of Goose Bay in the spring, pills of dirty snow, no foot paths or walking trails cleared, vehicles with what looks like inches of mud all over them, not used to Canadian city life I think.

Add to that the legions of big pick ups with flags on them, has the distinctive frontier town look for sure.Wonder if it will go back to the status quo in a few years.

Had one session of bone cracking, get another couple before going home. Early days yet but my body is showing signs of receptiveness to the treatment.

The final results are in for the Labrador Winter Games. Congratulations to all athletes and the large contingent of volunteers.

Nain finished fourth overall and won the most improved award.

The Innu walkers are still at it, trying to make sense of what is going on by following the Facebook page is like trying to make sense of the NL government, no bloody chance. But we do our best.

Beautiful clear day yesterday.

Team Nain continues to do well at the winter games. The volley ball power houses of Labrador took the top three spots, Makkovik, Nain Hopedale in that order.

In other sports Nain finished in the top half of the brackets, doing re markedly well IMO.

The Innu walkers are still making good time, getting lots of support from Postville people it seems.

Nunavut Government is introducing a food price monitoring program.  Good for them, but the article says Nunavut is the only jurisdiction that does not do that sort of research to date.
I would have to disagree with that statement, Nunatsiavut does bugger all to monitor food prices and food security.

At one time there was a half arsed attempt to monitor prices, non of the results were ever made public. Maybe they still monitor, maybe they dont, but if the public is not made aware then for all intents and purposes nothing is been done.

The weather continues to co operate at the Labrador Winter Games, overcast but no precip. 

Nain had another medal, a silver in women's badminton, just missed out on a medal in the mens.

At the end of Wednesday Nain is third in the community standings. Now there will be no more updates until the announcement of the winners on Saturday.

I sure hope the organizer can figure out the complicated scoring system as no one else can.

The Innu walkers are still at it, weather is mild and slowing progress down I guess.

It was young women's day yesterday at the Nain Moravian church. 18 participants took part in activities around the church and community.

I borrowed a couple of photos so you can see the outfits that the women wear.

                                                            Top photo is by Louisa Lamp, bottom by Rex Holwell.

I am happy to see that at least one person (apart from UN representative) with knowledge of the program continues to critasize the Nutrition North Canada food subsidy program.
It is difficult for the proletariat to follow the complicated system of checks and balances done under the old food mail program and doubly so under the alleged checks and balances with the new program.

Matter of fact from the consumer perspective there are no checks and balances under NNC, it is all set up to benefit the retailer and wholesaler, if some savings get passed on to the consumer we should thank our lucky stars according to NNC.

I feel badly burned by the people at NNC who pushed for change using the northern consumer as the catalyst, then when in power totally changed the objectives and aims of the program to benefit the retailer without any checks and balances and proof that savings are being passed on to the consumer. 

Team Nain is doing A OK at the winter games. 4 gold and a bronze in 2 days must be president setting. 
Gold in women's ski race and bronze in mens ski doo race.

Not faring so well in target shooting or snow shoe, but in the middle of the field is good.

The Innu Walkers are in Postville with some technical difficulties, you can see comments in previous post, thank you anonymous.

Update: Innu Walkers are on thew move again, bit of a long leg this one.

Nain is off to a blazing start at the Labrador Winter Games.

Three finals in table tennis and three gold medals.

Not so in snowshoe with no one from Nain making the finals, still they get points for trying.

Seems like a big power outage in Goose Bay last evening, power pole down near Terry's Tents on the stretch.

Another polar bear taken outside Nain, another big bugger too.

                                                               
                                                               Meagan Dicker photo.

Not sure what is going on with the Innu Walkers, no updates as of this morning. 

An hour and a half snowmobile ride????? Yet the Innu are using rotary and fixed wing aircraft to spot and hunt an endangered caribou heard.

Sumin not right here. One half hours snowmobile ride is a walk in the park.

Warming temperatures (just below freezing) and flat white (espresso with milk in Oz) conditions. We had some planes in yesterday and it is supposed to clear off after today.

The Innu walkers are on the go again it seems, should be getting into Postville today.

The Harper governments big commitment to the north was not work the paper it was spoken on was it?

Big cuts backs in the army training and infrastructure.   And of course it makes sense that with a country with a vast arctic region such as Canada has you would have planes and people who are more comfortable in warmer climates.

Sight for sore bones to be sure.

After being down all the season the trail groomer was heard then seen coming up the road yesterday afternoon. Great to see it indeed, knocking bumps down and widening the usable road, happy bones is us.

The Innu walkers have not moved on spot me this morning. Lots of heavy wet snow that way I would think.

Update: Seems there is a spot of bother with the spot me, it is either on the fritz or flat batteries or is covered up in someones bag. 

The continuing story on the Innu right to hunt caribou, and its offshoots.

 If you get a chance listen to the interview with Mr. Michelin. I dont know what is going on here but answering questions with accusations and questions of your own sure does muddy the waters. Being Innu Michelin defends the Innu hunt (as I suppose he would) but being in the RCMP he has other obligations I would think.

The Innu walkers have been been making good time. First night camp located here, they are taking the traditional ski doo trail towards Postville and then branch off onto the groomed trail south towards Lake Melville.

I dont know where the caribou were taken nor how hunted, but the optics dont look good for sure. It would be easy for the authorities to find this out, maybe they already know.

You have to listen to the audio to learn much more about this projected pilot program centered towards the retention, or some may say  re introduction, of the traditions of brass band and organ playing in communities of Nunatsiavut. 

Personally I think it a worthwhile project, if I am to attend church (very rarely indeed) then my preference is listening to this type of music.

All or most of the athletes made it out to GB for the Labrador Winter Games yesterday. Good thing as light snow has moved in here, it looks on the yucky side from Hopedale south.

First camp of the walkers, Jennifer Price photos. 

A further update on planes and caribou and hunting moratoriums.

And the trail groomer just went up the road for its first run of the season, be more careful with expensive machinery should be the lesson.