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EEMAC Program Update

Thunder Bay, November 26, 2007

Booshoo! Wachiyah! Tanse! Greetings to all! This is to provide you with an update of the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Measures (EEMAC) program for the First Nation communities in Ontario.

The Energy Conference that was held in Thunder Bay on May 8 and 9 was well attended with over 150 participants who shared the two days with us. A full Conference report was sent to all attendees of the conference.

The five communities that were selected for the Energy Retrofit Program including Sheguindah and Sheshegwaning First Nation from Manitoulin Island, the Union of Ontario Indians territory, Slate Falls First Nation from the NAN territory and from the Treaty #3 territory, Anishinabeg of Naongashiing First Nation and Stanjikoming First Nation have had their initial audits completed. Each community has a community liaison as well as apprentices that have gained some experience in the blower door tests and other areas of the assessments.

Due to some challenges faced in the gathering of vital information for the audits, another auditor will be visiting each community to re-assess some of the homes. Apprentices will partake in this process and have a full understanding and awareness of details that are required for a full and complete audit. There will also be community workshops provided in conjunction with the additional training and audits for energy efficiency in regards to appliances, this will take place probably in the spring to ensure full community participation.

All seven posters with positive messages that remind us to revitalize our conservation culture and to take care of our mother earth have been distributed to all First Nation communities in Ontario.

It is our hopes to begin the development of appropriate curriculum for elementary, secondary, post-secondary and adult education for our First Nation schools. We will be working closely with the core committee and our elder’s council to develop our stories from our elders, so that we could utilize their stories to pass on to our children. We have completed radio clips and advertising through First Nation newspapers that helps to promote the program.

In mid-December, we have arranged for meetings with our education partners and our elders council to begin the preliminary discussions in this regards.

Our Energy Conservation Kits have been distributed to all First Nation communities who have signed contracts. We would like to thank all of the contact people from our communities that have so gone over and above their job duties to ensure that each household had received their Energy Conservation Kit. We want to thank you for your patience and understanding while we were tracking down proper UPS addresses for your communities.

If you have any products that you might have trouble installing, please check out our web-site, www.conservethelight.ca and under the Energy Conservation Kits tab, you will find a video that was created by two of our summer students, Dylan Hardy from Biinjitawabik Saugeen Anishinabek and Aaron Gray from Lac Seul First Nation. We would like to acknowledge and thank our youth for their participation and production of this video. This video has been separated in segments by product. This will assist you to simply click on the product to learn how to install it and how it will help you to conserve energy in your home.

On behalf of OPA & CFCI Chi-Miigwech! Thank You for your continued support for this unique program and to revitalize our conservation culture to do our part in conserving the light!