Founded in 1897
Year 117 No. 31 - DRYDEN, ONTARIO - WEDNESDAY, AuguST 6, 2014
InSIdE
Lake of Eagles 32nd Annual Pow Wow See pg. 2
Changes to firearms licensing See pg. 3 Local skateboarder Dan Hill uses a concrete feature to boost the amplitude of his ollie during a sunset skating session at North Dryden's Rotary Skatepark, July 30. For more pics from the evening, see page 10. Photo by Chris Marchand
A&E
Treaty Three’s new Police Chief brings hope for the future By Samantha Hawkins
Growing a community garden See pg. 7
19th Trout Forest Music Festival Approaches See pg. 9
SPORTS
It only seems fitting that Louie Napish, after helping to establish the Treaty Three Police Services, has returned to lead as Chief of Police and help rebuild the organization. Having begun his policing career with the Winnipeg Police in 1992 then moving to the Dryden Police Services in 1997, Napish says Chief of Police at the time, Shayne Mackinnon allowed him the opportunity to develop the Treaty 3 services as it began. “When the organization became functional in 2003 I became an active member. I was in charge of policy development and human resource development and worked at starting this organization off and building it.” Promoted to sergeant in 2004 and then Deputy Chief in 2006, Napish then took some time away to help his ailing father. “I saw the trials this department went through in my departure, and I felt the need to come back and return to help, not to lead, but to help, I’ve always felt that I am a helper. I came on when the opportunity posed itself because I realized there were some challenges here.” Challenges such as the funding restrictions the government has imposed on their ability to operate says Napish, meaning they’re not out of the woods financially. “We don’t have an RCMP act or police services act to fall back on for legislative dollars, we’re a program and we want to get
out of that structure the government has told us we have to follow and we want a legislative body so we can operate in. Whether that’s the Police Services Act, the RCMP act or our own indigenous act under Treaty 3, which I would prefer. The patch I wear is T3, the patch we’re governed under is under our treaty which was signed 141 years ago.” Napish maintains that Police protection is a treaty obligation, no different then health and education as assigned by the treaty (and fishing and hunting rights). “We have to make sure that protection is fulfilled by that treaty. My job is to maintain operations, it’s our board’s job to make sure that they go and actively have both levels of government meet those obligations of that treaty.” This year the board returned to 23 members, as it was from 2003-2010, representing the 23 First Nation communities, which Napish feels, is a more accurate representation of their communities than the prior nine-person board. “We have had some problems the last few years, and its our new board’s mandate to steer us back, and part of that steering is not just good corporate business structure and understanding and education but it’s the sacred items supporting, finding a faith in our ability that we’re a culturally sensitive service and all of our leadership stems around our sacred items.”
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Latham joins council race By Chris Marchand A retired City of Dryden department head filed nomination papers for the position of councillor in Dryden's upcoming municipal election, this past week. Bill Latham was the second local resident to register as a candidate for one of six councillor positions, following Darryl Skinner who registered July 18. Current councillor Shayne MacKinnon announced his intentions to seek the mayor's office in June, with incumbent Mayor Craig Nuttall rising to meet the challenge on July 25. A recent retiree from the post of Director of Community Services, Latham says his career with the city left him with a strong understanding of the municipality's inner workings, especially in regards to recreation, culture and public works. Latham also served as the city's health and safety lead as well as headed the local union representing city employees for a decade. "I feel like it's time to give back to the community,"
No Smoking at Fall Fair this year
Ice Dogs’ Belhumeur headed south See pg. 9
By Samantha Hawkins
Track update See pg. 10
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said Latham. "I have a lot of knowledge about how the city works and how it doesn't work at times. I'm looking forward to what I would call the next phase of my life. I'm retired and I can give it 100 per cent. I've said I wasn't going to sit in the background and criticize, that when the time was right I would run." While Latham admits the past term of office for council has been squared on righting the city's financial ship, he says he'd like to see a future council get on with the business of planning for the community's future. "We haven't had a strategic plan in three or four years — that's a big one for me," said Latham. "And the whole governance issue. Everybody knows we have a divided council. You can't work under those conditions and move a community forward. I'm very optimistic about Dryden's future. I think we could have a great future if we could all get on the same page." Dryden's 2014 Municipal Election will be staged on Oct. 27, 2014.
Treaty Three Chief of Police Louie Napish sits amongst his fellow officers during the ceremony honouring him last week, a ceremony not just for him, but all officers said Napish. “Our frontline officers are very important, some of them weren’t here and I am sad for them, because they need to be honoured too. When I dance, and we dance, we Photo by Samantha Hawkins dance for them, because they need protection too.”
In keeping with this year’s theme, Fabulous Family Fun at the Fall Fair, the Dryden Fall Fair is teaming up with the Northwestern Health Unit to institute a no smoking policy for the midway, food areas and anywhere where there will be children and seniors. Dryden and District Agriculture Society President Tammy Woitowicz says that in previous years, the biggest sugges-
tion in the box has been to limit the smoking on the grounds, especially while in line at the midway. “There will still be places for people to smoke, I think our big thing was the midway where the kids are. I’ve talked to a lot of people at work that smoke and they don’t have a problem with it and would rather not have their kids standing in a line up with smoking either.”
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