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8TuesdayAugust62013ByRENEFRANCOEURFortSmithcouldhaveitsowncommunityradiosta-tionontheairagainbeforeChristmas.TheKaskiw2012RadioSocietyarejuvenatedver-sionoftheformerKaskiwRadioSocietyispurchas-ingnewequipmentandnowhasadesignatedlocationinthedormantmediaroomoftherecreationcentreasre-centlyagreeduponbyFortSmithtowncouncil.Wehavealmostevery-thingweneedIjuststillneedtogetafewmorepartsso-cietypresidentBradBrakesaid.TheoldequipmentisoutdatedandImnotsurewhatstateitsinaswhenthesocietywentdefuncttheequipmentwentintothehandsofUncleGabesFriendshipCentre.Wevesentarequesttothembuthaventheardanythingbackaboutusingit.BrakealsothemayorofFortSmithhasboughtabout300worthofmodernradioequipmentanddonatedittothesociety.Thisincludesa15wattFMtransmittermi-crophonesandcables.CouncillorAlDumontalsodonatedashortradiotowertothecause.WhenIreceivedalltheequipmentIranitfrommydeckanditworkedreallywellcoveringthewholetownBrakesaid.IdidntgetouttoBellRocktoseeifitwasworkingouttherebutonceitsonatoweritshould.Thesocietynowneedstomountitsantennaeitheronatoweroronthebuildinguntilthetowerissetupandinstallthesatellitedishandfeed.Itwillalsorequireacomputerandmusic.ThenumberonepriorityistogetK-RocktherockmusicstationoutofEdmontononCIRK-FMbackontheairBrakesaid.WeusedtolistentothreechannelsinFortSmithandK-Rockwasoneofthem...Theresnoreasonwecanthavethisagainhesaid.Thiswillbetherstphase.Itwillbetheirprogrammingtheirmusicrunningconstantly247thankstoourrebroadcastli-censeforCIRKfromIndus-tryCanada.K-Rockcanbealittlerawinthemorningsbutthatstheonlylicensewehavesowehavetogowithitrightnow.LocalcontentwillhittheairinphasetwowhenKaskiwbeginstheprocessoflicens-ingitsownchannels.BrakedoesnthaveanexacttimelineofwhenthiswilltakeplacebuthesaidhesthinkingitwillbebeforeChristmas.BeforethesocietyhadaCreelanguageprogramyouthcominginonFridaynighttotelltheirjokesandplaymusic...Hopefullywellgetsomethinglikethatgoingagaineventuallyhesaid.Thesocietybecameobso-letein2007afewyearsafterBrakeresignedaspresidenttoattendtohiscareermoreclosely.Communitymembersbeganputtingthebuginhisearagainoverthepastyeartiredoflisteningtoonechan-nel.CurrentlytheonlyradiostationaccessibleinFortSmithisCBC.Ivetrainedasajournal-ist.Ivedoneradiotelevisionandprint.IvealwayshadaninterestinradioandIvemissedit.Ilikemusicdoingonairstuffsopeopleaskedmeaboutbringingsomethinglikethisbackhesaid.Iputanadvertisementoutthereandsawtherewasrealinterest.Thecosttostartuptheso-cietyandradiostationisabout20000forequipmentac-cordingtoBrakewhosaidhewillbelookingfordonations.Inthepastthesocietyoperatedonanannual5to6000grantthroughtheter-ritorialgovernmentsdepart-mentofEducationCultureandEmployment.Brakehasplanstoapplyforthegrantagain.CKLBanAboriginalradiostationoutofYellowknifeisalsointerestedinjoiningforceswithKaskiwassoonasitsupandrunning.Theywantsomewheretheycanplugintosotheywouldbebroadcastingon101.9andwewouldbebroad-castingon92.3.Werelookingatsettingupourownstationforstrictlycommunitycontentandwecanoverride92.3ifwewantforthatBrakesaid.Itsbeenaslowprocess-Iwantedtobeonairbythisspring-butitshappening.KaskiwradiosocietyclosertoresurrectionArtsCultureRadioByMEAGANWOHLBERGAnewreportbytheConfer-enceBoardofCanadasuggestsmoregovernmentsupportisneededtoimprovetelecom-municationsinfrastructureandservicesintheNorthandensureNorthernerscanaffordtheirphoneandinternetbills.Thereportwhichvoiceslong-knownfactsaboutlag-gingphoneandinternetser-vicesNorthof60recom-mendsgovernmentssubsidizeincreasedcapitalinvestmenttheconstructionofup-to-dateinfrastructureandimprovedreliabilitythroughnetworkredundancy.ThoughmorefundingisrequiredthereportstatestrainingandretainingITpro-fessionalsandtechniciansisalsocrucialandthatsubsidieswillberequiredinhigh-costregionstoensurefamilieswithbelow-averageincomescanaffordphoneandinternet.InordertoassistinkeepingservicesaffordablethereportcallsforNorthernstakehold-erstoinvestigateoptionsforsharednetworkinfrastructureandITservicesinhigh-costareaswithafocusonusingopen-accessorsharedinfra-structuretodistributethecostandkeeppricesfairandtransparent.Animprovedsystemisnecessarysaystheboardforbuildingaknowledge-basedeconomyintheNorth.AboriginalcommunitydevelopmentArcticsecurityresourcedevelopmentandso-cialoutcomesalldependinsomewayonasustainablereliableandaffordablesys-temoftelecommunicationsandbroadbandconnectiv-ityAnjaJeffreydirectorforCentrefortheNorthsaidinapressrelease.TheboardrecommendedfacilitatingmoreinvolvementbyAboriginalgovernmentsandbusinessinthenetworkdevelopmentwhilenotingtherecantbeaone-size-ts-allapproachtoAboriginalinclusion.NotallAboriginalcom-munitiesandorganizationsarereadytohostormanagenetworkservicesandnotallAboriginalgovernmentsandbusinessesarepreparedtoinvestinnetworkinfrastruc-turethereportstates.Furthermoreimprovedac-cesswillalsorequiregreatersupportfordigitalliteracyandshouldbeaccompaniedbymoreNorthernandAb-originalcontenttheboardsuggested.Besidesitsrecommenda-tionsforimprovementtheboardlistedseveralndingsinitsreportonthestateofNortherntelecommunications.ItfoundanaverageNorth-ernerpays139permonthforabasiccellphoneplanhomephoneandhigh-speedinter-net.PeopleinNunavutpay171forasimilarpackage.ItalsonotedthatCanadianRadio-TelevisionandTele-communicationsCommissiontargetsforresidentialinternetdownloadspeedscontinuetoevadeNorthernersespeciallyinAboriginalcommunities.AlmosthalftheAborigi-nalcommunitiesprofiledbythereportrelyonsatel-liteswhicharemoreex-pensivecomparedto18percentinnon-Aboriginalcommunities.ReportrecommendsmoreNorthernsubsidiesforphoneinternetPoliticsTelecommunicationsPhotoReneFrancoeurFortSmithmayorandradiosocietypresidentBradBrakeisgearinguptobringthecommunityanotherradiostationbytheendofthisyear.PlannedPowerOutageFortSmithAugust89102013NTPCwishestoadvisetherewillbedailyplannedpoweroutagesforpartsofFortSmithbetweenThursdayAugust8andSaturdayAugust10whileessentialsystemupgradesarecarriedoutthroughoutthedowntowncore.Outageswilltakeplacefrom1-7a.m.eachofthosedays.HousesonMcDougalwestofWildernesswillbeaffectedalongwithanumberofstreetsincludingWapitiSt.WolverineSt.WalrusSt.WeaselSt.WinterGreenSt.WrenCr.Co-OpGardensWarblerSt.WhoopingCraneCamselSt.WoodbisonAve.SimpsonSt.WhippoorwillSt.andthewestendofCalderSt.toFieldSt.TheFireHallTownHallSweetGrassBuildingCascadeBuildingandMcDougalCentrewillalsobeaffected.Wethankyouforyourco-operationandapologizeforanyinconvenience.