Posted by Nick Aroutzidis on Feb 22, 2019
February 28 2019: Henry Wydeven, “Dairy situation in Canada", Wendy Anderson will introduce, and Norm Bird will give thanks. 

Head Table:  Our President Paul Roulston, invites, Wendy Anderson, John Wright, Jim Young, Katelyn Aitcheson, Nick Aroutzidis, Ellen Balmain, Linda Bathe and Walt Bathe, to join him at the head table.

Today at Rotary:  Our speaker was Jamie Sue Sykes and her topic was the documentary film "First Contact" that aired last year on APTN TV. Since this topic was new to many of us, Charlene Gordon, in introducing Jamie Sue gave us some background information:
 
The documentary ``first Contact` ` is in three 45-minute episodes and can be streamed from APTM TV.
 
Our speaker this week was Jamie Sue Sykes talking on her experience in the First Contact documentary series. Introduced by Charlene Gordon
 
Six participants were chosen to participate in a visit to a number of indigenous reserves in Canada with the visits becoming the documentary. Jamie Sue was selected to be one of the 6 and she told us that to qualify she needed to be a person who had little knowledge of  or contact with indigenous folks. Hence the title ``First Contact``. She applied and was interviewed and selected.
 
The 6 participants were isolated from the world during the visits - no cell phones or contact with folks who could influence the experience as it unfolded and no advance information on where the next visit would be. The participants were not permitted to speak to friends or groups until the project was completed, but now Jamie Sue is free to tell about the experience and what she learned, as she is doing with us today. She feels that this is important for her to do and so here are some of her experiences:
 
The first stop was Nunavut where they went on a seal hunt, a seal was caught and butchered and put to use in the community so that little was wasted. The lesson was that the folks are very good caretakers of nature. At this community, Jamie Sue and the others were chased by a polar bear.
 
Another experience was to attend the dredging of a river near Winnipeg for bodies. To meet the families who had lost loved ones and see them experiencing this event and to hear them tell of what the loss of a family member means hits home more than just statistics that we hear or read.
They saw first had the needs of the communities.  Going to high school may mean leaving home - separating the youth from the family. They saw the need for programs targeting mental health and addiction. They saw needs of all kinds everywhere and they learned that reserve leaders could use more transparency in the use and distribution of financial resources.
 
Janie Sue Sykes was introduced by Charlene Gordon and thanked by Rena Orr.
 
Scribe: Norm Bird
 
Guests:  Today we welcomed James and Lori Colbeck, Rick Falshaw, Mary Lou Kingham, Jane Wittemore, Faye Whitehorne, Charles Kellerher, Stephanie Donaldson - all  from St. James Church outreach Committee and Rachael Van Bakel, Cara Flood , Olivia Govinazzo from the interact club at St. Michael high school.
 
Draw: Guest Faye Whitehorne was the recipient of today's draw which was a gift certificate from Home Hardware.
 
Make-ups: No report. 
 
February’s Attendance Committee: Shawn Malvern (I/C), Ryan Erb, Rick Orr, Dan Kane, Wendy Anderson, Debra Swan, Michael Fox, Clare McCallum, Heidi Culliton.
 
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