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HealthWellnessEldersCare19TuesdayOctober82013ByMARIACHURCHForTrishMerrithew-MercredisenioradvisortochiefandcouncilofMiki-sewCreeFirstNationhav-inganelderscarecentreinFortChipewyanwillnotonlybeacommunitytriumphbutalsoapersonalone.Ivelivedinthecommu-nityonandofffor20-someyears.Mymother-in-lawandevenmylatehusbandbothofthemprobablycouldhaveusedthefacilityforassistedlivingaswellasendoflifecareshesaid.Itsveryclosetomyheart.InMaythisyearMiki-sewCreeFirstNationbrokegroundonconstructionofabrand-newenvironmentallyconsciouselderscarefacil-ityinFortChip.Itsa12-suiteresidenceforeldersandotherindi-vidualsinthecommunitywhorequireendoflifecareorassistedlivinganditsbeingbuiltattheexpenseoftheFirstNation.Itsnotagovernment-fundedproj-ectMerrithew-MercreditoldTheJournal.Merrithew-Mercrediex-plainedthatpreviouschiefsinthecommunityandthecurrentchiefofMikisewSteveCourtoreillehavebeenadamantaboutbringingthisservicetoFortChipewyanandarearesidents.Theresneverbeenafa-cilitylikethishereinthecommunitysoanybodywhohasrequiredassistedliv-ingwhetheritssomebodywhoselderlyorindividualswhoverequiredendoflifecarehavealwayshadtoleavethecommunitytogoatleasttoFortMcMurrayandoftenmuchfurtherandveryfewofthosepeoplereturntothecommunityalive.SheaddedthatthelackofanyendoflifefacilitiesinsmallerFirstNationcom-munitiesacrossnorthernAlbertaandtheNWTisnotunusual.Thesamegoesforgovernmentinaction.Neitherfederalnorthepro-vincialgovernmentswerepre-paredtotakeresponsibilityforthesituationsotheMikisewCreeFirstNationdecidedthatthatwasaprojectthattheywouldundertakeonbehalfofthecommunityshesaid.FundingfortheprojectwhichMerrithew-Mercrediestimatednowhasabudgetof12millionhasbeenraisedwithoutassistancefromthegovernmentbutatotalof5millionwasdonatedbyindustryplayersincludingShellCanadaandCenovusoilsandscompaniesoperatingnearthecommunity.Weveraisedconsider-ablemoneythroughindustrybutintheenditwillbetheFirstNationthatsbuildingitandoperatingitonbehalfofthecommunity.ItsnotjustMikisewitsallmembersofthecommunityMerrithew-Mercredisaid.Thefacilityisbeingbuiltoutofwhatwasformerlyanursingstation.Siteprepara-tionandconstructionoftheexteriorofthenewfacilityisalreadycompleteandworkisnowfocusedoninstallingplumbingandelectricsystems.Itsbeenveryfast-trackedMerrithew-Mercredisaid.Contractorreportsputcon-structionontrackwiththeoriginalschedulemeaningthefacilitywillseeoccupancynolaterthanAprilnextyear.ClarisVoyageurrunstheseniorshomeinFortChipandsaidthenewfacilitycouldnotopenanyfaster.Imsureassoonasthedoorsopenthatplaceisgoingtollupshesaid.Iveseenmanyseniorscomeandgofromthecommunityandthencomebackinawoodenbox.Thatsnotnice.Theyvebeensenttothehospitaltheygetlonelyovertheretheydontlikethefood.TheyresousedtoeatingtraditionalfoodshereVoyageursaid.IgovisitalotoftheseniorsinFortMcMurrayandtheysayTakemehometakemehome.VoyageursaidshethankstheMikisewchiefandcouncilfortakingontheelderscarecentreandhopesthingswillbedif-ferentonceitsbuilt.Seniorswanttobehomebecausetheyneedfamilyshesaid.Itneedstobebuilt.FortChipelderscarecentretoopenbyspringByMARIACHURCHNorthernbusinesseshop-ingtoattractlocalgraduatesofAuroraCollegesHealthandSocialServicesHSSprogramslaidsomeground-workatacareerconferenceheldattheYellowknifecam-puslastweek.TherstofitskindinsixyearsthePracticeNorthHealthandSocialServicesCareerConferencesawboothsfromorganizationsandagenciesinthehealthandsocialserviceseldgivepotentialemployersavenuetopitchpracticumandjobop-portunitiestostudentssoongraduatingfromtheAuroraprograms.Thesearenursingstu-dentspersonalsupportwork-erssocialworkstudentsandnursepractitionersDeniseBowenchairoftheschoolofHealthHumanServicestoldTheJournal.Whatthisdoesitisexposesthemtootherhealthauthori-tiesoutsideofYellowknifeandtosayCouldIcometoFortSmithforsixweeksorCouldIgototheAk-lavikhealthauthorityforaperiodoftimeSoitsanopportunityforthetwoofthemtomeet.OrganizationsfromFortSmithYellowknifetheBeaufortDeltaDehchoandTlichoregionswerepresentattheconference.Eventsin-cludedpresentationsfromseveralemployersaswellasafternoonbreakoutsessionstoteachstudentsinterviewskillsandresumebuilding.Itsreallyexciting.Wevehadreallygoodturnoutfromtheemployers.Wevehadsev-eraloftheauthoritiesherestudentnancialassistancesomeofourpartnerswhoareNGOsnon-governmentalorganizationsandthentheConferenceconnectscollegestudentstoNWTemployers13101DA313095DA1ThereareNEWVoterIDrequirementsforthemunicipalelections.UpcomingmunicipalelectionsonOctober21acrossAlbertaoerachancetovoteortheutureoyourcommunity.NewVoterIDrequirementsmeanyoullneedtobringproperidentifcationtobeabletovote.Checkwithyourmunicipalityaboutlocalrequirements.Visitalberta.caorcalltoll-free310-0000then780-427-2225formoreinformation.studentscameinandtheroomwaspacked.Wehadover160studentsattendBowensaid.Bowenadmittedshewouldntknowifstu-dentsleavingforworkinthesouthisaproblemintheNWTbutnotedthatwhiletherearemanycareerop-portunitiesforthemacrosstheterritoryforpersonalreasonssomemaychoosetoleaveforjobsinotherareasofthecountry.AftersixyearswithoutaHSScareerconferenceBowensaidthecollegefelttherewasagrowingneedtoconnectstudentstopotentialemployersintheNWT.Theneedwasexpressedfromemployersthattheydliketohaveanopportunitytocomeandmeetwiththestu-dentsandwefoundthatthiswasthebestwaytodothat.Itgetseverybodyintheroomshesaid.HealthWellnessCareersIllustrationcourtesyofWesternHealthPlanningAssociatesLtd.ThankstosignicantdonationsfromindustrytheFortChipelderscarecentreshouldseeclientsbyAprilofnextyear.