Council Disclosure of Salaries and Travel

Transcription

1 English River First Nation Council Disclosure of Salaries and Travel Message from the Chief and Council Special Edition November 26, 2014 The Chief and Council of the English River First Nation are pleased to present to the members this special edition of our newsletter that provides information on the salaries and travel expenses of Chief and Council members. By providing this information, Chief and Council want to be transparent on this issue. The First Nations Financial Transparency Act received Royal Assent on March 27, The legislation calls for basic First Nations financial information to be published on the Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada (AANDC) website for all fiscal years beginning with the fiscal years. This new legislation is about making elected First Nation leaders accountable to their members by providing members with access to financial information easily. Council and I discussed the best way to inform you about our salaries and travel and we concluded this newsletter would be an excellent way to proceed. I encourage members to look at the information in this newsletter on the salaries and travel of your Chief and Council. We firmly believe it is important to provide this information directly to members using this communication product and placing it on the ERFN website. The imposed deadline set by AANDC for disclosure under the First Nations Financial Transparency Act is November 26, We had hoped that ERFN s audit for the fiscal year would be complete in time for ERFN to meet this deadline. We have been informed by our auditor (KPMG) that the audit will not be complete until early in the New Year, which is unfortunate. That said, with all of the media attention focussed on this November 26 deadline, we decided we would disclose this information to our members now. We believe our primary obligations are to our members and not to AANDC. KPMG has reviewed all of the numbers for remuneration and expenses for ERFN Chief and Council for the fiscal year, and they have indicated that the numbers being presented in this newsletter are generally accurate. They have told us that, if anything, there will only be some minor adjustments. To be clear, the numbers presented on page 12 of this newsletter for Chief and Council remuneration/expenses are in unaudited form. We plan to forward this information to AANDC today as well. Once the audit is complete, we will repost our numbers after making any necessary adjustments. We will also then meet with the membership to present the findings of the audit and to answer questions from the membership. If you have any questions, please approach one of the Council members and they will gladly attempt to answer your question or get back to you when they can obtain the information you are seeking. Chief Marie Black Chief Marie Black I have been interested in and committed to political life since 1980 when I served a two-year term as a Councillor. Since 1999, I have been a member of Council as a Councillor and in 2013 I became Chief. Wanting to make a difference in the English River First Nation, I had a woman s vision to help the community begin a healing journey so that all members could become healthy and make personal achievements. Elders have encouraged me all my life, particularly in my latter years. I have a number of priorities that I have set for my term as Chief. I want to continually improve communication with the membership, as I believe that communication is a key to ensure accountability and transparency. As the Chief I believe I should be a role model for the youth and lead everyone by leading a healthy lifestyle. One of my beliefs is that as a Council we must be fiscally responsible and not operate in the red, and my fellow Councillors members believe in this approach. I enjoy working with my fellow Council members, I believe we work well together, and I enjoy working with them and all the members. I love my job, if I did not love it, I would not be doing what I am doing. I spend many long hours working at my job because there are so many demands on my time. Some days there is not enough time in the day to meet all the requests that come into my office. A lifelong learner I have held many different jobs in my career and I have over the years taken upgrading to better myself and increase my knowledge. During 1995 I upgraded my skills by attending the Northern Teacher Education Program and the Northern Professional Access College. Inside Message from the Chief and Council...1 Chief Marie Black...1 Vice-chief and Councillor Gloria Apesis...2 Why it costs more for travel at ERFN? A Comparison of Travel Rates...3 Councillor Russ Black...4 Being on Council means...4 Councillor Angie Campbell...5 Councillor Archie Campbell...5 Councillor Bernie Eaglechild...6 Councillor Joey Paul...7 Des Nedhe Development...8 What is the role of Chief and Council in the businesses?..9 What makes an effective Councillor?...10 A look at what some other Council members were paid in salary and travel...10 and 11 Chart of ERFN Chief and Council Salaries and Travel...12 What members should know about salaries and travel

2 I also attended the University of Saskatchewan and worked on obtaining my Sociology Degree. Presently I am four credits short of my full degree. I will return and complete my schooling at some time, as I believe in finishing what I started. In I was a Postmaster, and between 1985 and 1994 I was a band administrator. I have enjoyed the jobs that I have held over the years as I have always learned much knowledge and gained useful experience while working. In my spare time I spend time with my grandchildren, I have eight of them. I like being around these children, they are my pride and joy. My hobbies include berry picking, camping and volunteering. One of my favourite past-times is working in my flower garden and I love to see my plants grow. Since I am a firm believer in education, I believe in creating career opportunities involving professional careers and apprenticeships for our members. I want English River First Nation to prosper and I want to create opportunities for our members to live and work in our communities. English River First Nation has sponsored many members in education over the years and we need to create opportunities to bring back these members to our communities. The First Nation doesn t solely depend on federal funds we want to build our group of ERFN companies so that we can create more wealth for ERFN and thus become more self-sufficient. Our own source revenue has taken us from where we were to where we are today, which is a progressive First Nation moving towards self-reliance and self-sufficiency. I am proud of what ERFN has accomplished and I see a bright future ahead. I am a firm believer in giving back to my community and I volunteer at the St. Louis Church helping the Priest organize events. My job is not just a 9 to 5 pm job I often work late in the day and evenings trying to get much accomplished for the members Vice-chief and Councillor Gloria Apesis I am Vice-chief and Councillor of the English River First Nation (ERFN) and was first elected in the election of 1997 and stayed in office until I was unsuccessful in the election in 2003 and I became employed as the Day Care Director for the First Nation. I decided to seek office again in 2005 and was elected and have been a Councillor since. At ERFN the Councillor with the most number of votes by tradition becomes the Vice-chief. When Chief Marie Black is absent from the community I step in and take the role of Chief. Born and raised in Patuanak, I speak our language Dene fluently and attended residential school at Beauval, graduating in I then attended the Nursing Program at the Saskatchewan Institute of Applied Science and Technology in Saskatoon for a semester but due to a teacher s strike at the time, I decided to return home. During this time, I worked part-time at the school as substitute teacher and also part-time as a life skills coordinator at the school. In 1982 I married and have been married to my partner, Jimmy, for 32 years. The marriage produced four and the community at large. For example I attended the 2014 Annual Northern Saskatchewan Youth Leadership Camp in Patuanak and I saw first hand the potential of the northern youth. I was born at La Plonge and was raised in both La Plonge and Patuanak. I have seen many changes over the years. I went to residential school and I know the healing that needs to take place. By working together we can all become stronger and healthier and make ERFN a great place to live and work. In performing my duties it seems I am always travelling whether it is to Ottawa or Regina to meet with officials of Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada to lobby and push our projects ahead. I also have to travel to Meadow Lake, Prince Albert and of course Saskatoon where we have our business centre. I have also represented ERFN at Assembly of First Nation (AFN) meetings which are held in various centres in Canada. I believe ERFN must present a voice at such meetings so we can make the AFN more relevant today. I also regularly attend meetings of the Federation of Saskatchewan Indian Nations. In addition, while it costs money to travel to such meetings, it is important that the voice of a Saskatchewan Treaty First Nation be heard. Please turn to page 12 for details on my salary and travel expenditures. Marie Black children who range in age from 26 to 31 years-of-age, and now I have eight grand children ranging age from two to nine years-of-age. In 1985 I became the community health representative (CHR) for ERFN and I performed in this role till I ran for Council in I believe that I know my community fairly well, and know almost all of the members on a first name basis. I am quite familiar with the history of our community because when as the CHR I worked with Elders daily and they often told me stories of their lives, their families and their achievements and their struggles with raising children and providing for their families. The Elders in the community asked me to run for Council as I assumed they thought through my conversations with them, that I had the qualities that are needed to become a leader, and so I decided to run for office. I learned so much from my conversations with them and this has certainly served me well as serve the community as the Councillor and Vice-chief. I really enjoy my job, I love working with the people, even those that give myself and the other council members a hard time. Every day is different, no two days are the same, you have various challenges but all-in-all it is rewarding to serve the community, the members and to move ERFN ahead, making progress for all. I have worked in almost all of the portfolio areas and so I have a well rounded background on the operations of the Council and the First Nation. Right now I have the Portfolios of Education, Post-Secondary, Adult Basic Education, Justice and Police Management Board, and the Day Care Program. Each of these portfolios are important and demanding, which means I am busy all the time. Education to me is very important I am a strong believer in the wise quote that Education provides the means for a great future. At the same time, while I believe in the academic side of Education, to me it is important to learn about our culture, our customs, our language, and our traditions and I encourage all of members to learn about our community. Due to the fact that I have such a large portfolio, I have to travel to meetings in La Ronge, Meadow Lake, Prince Albert, Regina and Saskatoon especially with respect to the Education aspect of my portfolio. And of course I have to attend meetings at the centre of our Business Ventures which is the Grasswood Business Complex in Saskatoon. I also have to attend many meetings with officials of Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada (AANDC) with respect to Education, Governance, and Infrastructure such as housing and other improvements to the reserve, and of course lobbying for funding and developing proposals to obtain funding from AANDC and other agencies. A Comparison of Travel Rates Kilometre Rates South of 54 North of 54 At 4:30 pm on any day, I don t quit working, calls from members come in the evenings, on the weekends and on holidays and I believe I have a duty to respond to members as I represent them. On page 12 of this newsletter is information regarding monies paid in salary and travel in my role with ERFN. Vice-chief and Councillor Gloria Apesis Why does it cost more for travel at ERFN? English River First Nation is located at Patuanak in northern Saskatchewan. Patuanak is the administrative centre for the English River First Nation (ERFN) and it is located at the end of SK Highway 918, a gravel road, 90 s north of the of Highway 55 near the community of Beauval. The other ERFN Community is called La Plonge which is located near Beauval. Councillor Angie Campbell lives in La Plonge and is the Councillor responsible for La Plonge. Ms. Campell travels regularly to Patuanak to perform her duties as a Councillor. A round trip is about 160 s. In order for a member of Council to meet with officials of the Meadow Lake Tribal Council in Meadow Lake the individual would have a round trip of 500 s. A return trip to Saskatoon for a member of Council would mean a drive of over 1,100 s via Meadow Lake. And if a member of Council has a meeting with an official of Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development (AAN- DC) in Regina which is where the regional office for the Meals ERFN@ Canada (federal departments) # SK Gov t # 60 cents per 60 cents per 47.5 cents per for SK no difference if north or south of 54 Fed rates range from 45.5 cents per (AB) to 64.0 cents (YK) 50 cents per 50 cents per Breakfast $15 $15.75 $10 $8* Lunch $20 $16.35 $15 $14* Dinner Total Incidental Allowance Lodging Accommodation Private Commercial accommodation $30 $65 per day $15 per day for overnight stay $50 per night no receipt $200 per night $42.85 $73.65 per day * Higher meal rates for out of province Information obtained from Organization # Information obtained from organization s Website $25 $50 per day $17.30 per day for overnight stay $17 per day for overnight stay $50 per night (no receipt) Receipts required as per rates negotiated with Public Works and Government Services Canada Note: Patuanak which is the home of the English River First Nation is located north of the 54 parallel. The City of Meadow Lake is just north of the 54 parallel. department is located that individual would have a return trip of 1,630 s. If a member of Council has to attend a meeting at AANDC s northwest budget centre in Prince Albert then it is either an 806 round trip or a 968 round trip depending on the route. And if a member of Council such as the Chief has to go the Ottawa it becomes an expensive trip as the Chief would have to drive to Saskatoon and then take a plane to Ottawa. Such a trip could cost in excess of $5,000. The centre for English River First Nation s Business Centre is Des Nedhe Development Inc which is located in Saskatoon. Trips to Saskatoon for members of the Council can be frequent depending on the demands of the individual s portfolio. Therefore it is easy to conclude that the cost of doing business for individuals who sit on the ERFN Council is more than many other First Nations simply due to the location of the community. $30 per night no receipt Actual receipt as of Oct. 1, cents per cents per $19* $41 per day $0 $35 per night (no receipt) Actual and reasonable charges supported by receipts. 2 3

3 Councillor Russ Black Councillor Angie Campbell I am a former Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) Officer who served 20 years with the force, retired in 2006, and then hired by English River First Nation (ERFN) as the justice coordinator. Shortly thereafter I was transferred to become the Recreational Director. When I was involved working with the youth at ERFN, I then decided to put forth my name for the election in 2009 because I wanted to focus my leadership skills on helping the youth of the community more forward in positive ways. After I became a Councillor, I was assigned the Recreation Portfolio and I enjoyed working closely with the youth for two years. My name is Angie Campbell and I am the English River First Nation (ERFN) Councillor responsible for the reserve community of La Plonge and the Urban/Off-reserve members. My portfolio is called La Plonge Community Affairs/Urban/ Off-reserve Affairs and Communications. The files I am responsible for are diverse and these keep me very busy attempting to deal with issues and communicating with everyone. Any program and service offered by ERFN such as housing or education that is available for members living on the La Plonge reserve is my responsibility. Therefore I am quite busy assisting members with issues around the delivery of the programs and services pertaining to all areas. In 2011, I ran again for Council but was unsuccessful. I decided to take a break for a year and then in 2012 I went back to school at Meadow Lake for ten months to become a heavy duty mechanic. I graduated in June 2013 and got a job right away with Cowan Bros Transport Ltd in Meadow Lake. Then in the fall of 2013, Elders in the community approached me to run again for Councillor. I did run for Council and was successful and I am now the portfolio holder for Communications-television station, Community Projects, Housing-renovations, the Nuclear Waste Storage File and Operations and Maintenance. I am enjoying my portfolio except when dealing with Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) issues because members who are renting housing on-reserve are delinquent in payments. Due to the delinquency of payments by members it causes ERFN to make up the payments and this puts the First Nation in a deficit as there are no monies allocated to this program from other sources. Members must realize it is their responsibility to make their CHMC payment commitments in order to keep the First Nation s financial picture healthy. I am responsible for the Operations and Maintenance Budget and we have numerous capital projects on the go through Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada (AANDC). These projects include a new roof for the St. Louis School, the fire hall, a new land fill site, and the new housing sub-division. These activities keep me very busy as I have many meetings to attend with officials of AANDC in Saskatoon and Regina and of course also meeting with officials of various financial institutions. The new roof for the school will begin to be replaced in spring of The Chief, and two other Councillors, the project team leader, and myself met recently with officials of the First Nations Bank of Canada in Saskatoon and came up with a financing plan for the fire hall. I can now say the construction of the fire hall will begin in soon if there are no other unexpected delays. This is good news for the community, as the current fire hall is obsolete and not a feasible place to store either the fire truck or the equipment needed to deal with fires. The new fire hall will make for a much quicker response time and it will provide members living in Patuanak with peace of mind that if a fire happens it can be dealt with much quicker and more effectively and efficiently because of the new fire hall and the equipment it will house. As part of our plan for the new fire hall we also are attempting to include a new truck with greater capacity and capability to serve both the reserve and hamlet. Besides the new truck we are also trying to get new equipment so that are volunteer fire fighters are better suited with up-to-date equipment to fight fires and protect and save lives. Born and raised in Patuanak, I attended school at Beauval and graduated in 1984 and thereafter I joined the military till 1986 and then I switched to the RCMP. I was stationed in northern Saskatchewan at the communities of Fond du Lac, Stony Rapids and Wollaston Lake and then I moved south to Dillon, then Prince Albert, then Spiritwood and then in 2000 I got a compassionate transfer to Patuanak as my father was terminally ill. My father passed away shortly after I arrived in Patuanak and I remained in the community for four years. Then I was moved to Regina which was my last posting. After retirement I moved back to my home, ERFN at Patuanak. My wife, Maryanne who is from the Fond du Lac First Nation and I have four children ranging from 18 to 26 years-of-age and four grand children. I love to fish and hunt but my favorite past-time is to be involved in cultural activities. I have been helping the youth who attend the cultural camp by teaching them our traditional values and at the same time the Elders are teaching me about our traditional territories. I have learned much about the history of our community and the relationship with the other northern communities and how they interacted with one another. It is quite interesting to learn about how they would embark on long journeys using dog sleds, and boats which of course are quite foreign to us now because of how we travel today using motorized sleds and vehicles. Since I still work with the youth, I volunteer many hours of my time teaching them very valuable customs and traditions. I receive phone calls at all hours regarding issues with Infrastructure and I have to deal with the issues. I can t tell a member to call me back the next day, as I believe I have a duty to perform. If you turn to page 12 of the newsletter you will find facts on my salary and travel. Russ Black Being on Council means When someone is elected to the position of Councillor or Chief of the English River First Nation (ERFN) they inherit many duties and a lot of work. The responsibilities of the Council are many. The main responsibility is for the Council to act in the best interests of the ERFN collectively and not individually or for personal benefit. Decisions made by the Council must be made within the powers and mandate of the First Nation. Members of Council must act lawfully with diligence, honesty, and loyalty to the First Nation and its members. Councillors must ensure that there is no conflict of interest with respect to decisions made, in other words Councillors must not knowingly place themselves in a position where their private or personal interest is sufficient to appear to influence the objective exercise of their official duties. As well Councillors must have the competence to execute their mandate and their competence can be supported by training and when necessary legal advice. The Chief and my fellow Councillors have made it a priority to inform off-reserve members of developments with respect to ERFN affairs. My personal goal is to ensure we reach out, inform members, and create a strong communications network with all members. We are in the process of establishing a revised and up-to-date ERFN Website that will serve as a tool for all members to go to and obtain information that is relevant, factual, and useful. I firmly believe that ERFN can become stronger and more unified through a strong communications effort. I live on the La Plonge Reserve, and since the administrative centre is based in Patuanak, I must travel there from La Plonge at least three times a week to attend various meetings with Council or to meet with other ERFN staff. The distance between the two communities is 90 s one way and a round trip amounts to 180 s but since the road is gravel/rock, it takes about 70 minutes for a one way trip. I also travel on business to ERFN s business operations base in Saskatoon at the Grasswood business park. Usually two to four times a month I have to go Saskatoon for business meetings and this means a long drive and staying in the city for at least two or three nights of the week depending on the schedule and agenda. This is my first time on Council and I have been in a learning/ observation mode for the last year. Some women at La Plonge had asked me to run for office and I had spent much time considering this request and thinking about what it would take to become a Councillor and what I could offer to the position as Councillor of ERFN. After careful deliberation, I decided to put my name forward and take the plunge to run for office. I had to determine what the priorities were in moving forward after meeting with the community. I organized a few evening meetings with the electorate in La Plonge and was pleasantly surprised that during one of the earlier meetings only male members showed up. I saw the men of the community as knowing they are the keepers of the community and it was really heartwarming to know that the members felt pride in our community and they knew what work needed to be done in the planning and they were ready to take on these tasks. Traditionally in our society men were the keepers of the community and women were the decision makers. I enjoy working with my fellow Council members, as I see the seven of us working well together and that our skill sets complement each. We think and work together collectively for the betterment and well-being of the ERFN. My family, my maternal grandparents Abraham and Bernadette Misponas and my Dad and Mom, Alex and Philomene Campbell were the first family to reside on La Plonge reserve in the early 1950s. My family was very nomadic and they were traditional gatherers and hunters. My siblings and I were taught the traditional ways of life such as beading, birch bark basket making, cutting animals, smoking meat and taking care of siblings. My grandfather and my mother were considered traditional healers and were well respected in the community. I also learned about medicinal plants and natural remedies which I still use today. I graduated from the LaPlonge High School in 1978 and continued on to obtain my teaching certificate from the University of Saskatchewan in Saskatoon. I then decided to join the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) for five years. After that, I became a wife and a mother to two sons which of course became my priority. I moved with my children to La Ronge where I began a career as an editor and later as a producer for Missinippi Broadcasting Corporation (MBCTV). We produced northern documentaries telling northern stories. We also set up a non-profit organization to assist northern communities to develop their own videos using new technology. The first pilot project was the communities of Patuanak and La Plonge. I worked as an Emergency Medical Technician on the weekends there also. After my sons moved to college, I worked for the Child and Family Services in various capacities. Education is critical today and I continue to take on-line classes to complete my degree in the Bachelor of Arts and Science Program. I plan to continue to live in La Plonge and help as much as I can to the best of my ability with the help of my Elders and community members. I want to thank the members of ERFN who have supported me, and believed in me enough to elect me as one of your Band Councillors. In this newsletter on page 12 you can learn of funds covering my salary and travel. Angie Campbell Councillor Archie Campbell I have been involved as an elected leader in my community since 1989 when I ran for Council. I was successful and have been on and off-council since then. I ran for office at a time when English River First Nation (ERFN) was under a remedial management plan and saw that due to the restrictions of this plan and a lack of funds that it was difficult for elected leaders to do their job. I thought I would run for office because I wanted to try and do better and I also wanted the delivery of programs and services to members to improve. I became a Chief and ran for office successfully for five terms in a row, starting in 1992 and ending When you are a Chief you rely on your Councillors to perform their duties and in the end, you must support the decisions of the Council even though you might not personally support an issue. I believe firmly that the Chief must act as a mediator and is a representative of Council and not simply the person in charge. You are the spokesperson for the Community and the Council and you can t let your personal beliefs or feelings get in the way of the Community s / council s beliefs or feelings. During my time as Chief, the achievement that I am most proud of was making industry aware that although ERFN was open for business with respect to resource development, this openness was not at all cost, and EFRN had to be involved in planning and implementing such development. 4 5

4 Since my time as Chief, ERFN has continued with this philosophy and it has worked well as the development of our traditional lands is only occurring when there is a benefit for both ERFN and the company. I believe that when my Elders agreed to negotiate Treaty that their premise was to share the resources and not keep them the resources locked up with no development. I really appreciated the support the Elders showed me on this issue and my approach has worked well for me over my time in office. Elders have shown me a good way to proceed and I have followed their suggestions which I believe show wisdom and good advice and guidance. One of the underlining keys to a First Nation being successful is realizing that in order for programs and services to be successful they must have the adequate financial resources to succeed and also they must have staff who are knowledgeable, energetic and committed to doing a good job. Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada (AANDC) provides a level of funding that is less than adequate. It covers only the basics and in order for programs and services to be more beneficial for more members and to meet the needs of members, the funding must be enhanced and topped up by the First Nation in order to have the programs and services meet the needs of the members. In order for our children to have a better tomorrow we must fix today and plan for the future. Currently I have a large portfolio covering a wide array of subjects. The subjects include: Economic Development, Mining, Forestry/Logging, Business Ventures, Treaty Land Entitlement (TLE) and Claims, and Culture, Fishing, Gatherings, Hunting, Language and Trapping. One of my favourite areas to talk about is TLE as I believe settling our TLE Claim gave ERFN the opportunity to go down a path towards self-sufficiency and since then we have not looked back. TLE provided the impetus to access prime land, and with the vision of our Elders and Chief and Council we have taken full advantage of our rightful place in the Saskatchewan economy. A vast majority of our selections were made in lands along the Churchill River system which represent what we call our traditional lands and we have made sure that these lands have been protected for this generation and all future generations as there will be no commercial developments on these lands unless the membership decides otherwise. We were strategic in selecting lands. For example we purchased lands just south of Saskatoon in an area called Grasswood and the reason was we wanted to have economic opportunities but under the right circumstances and in a location that is viable for business right in the heart of the business world. At Grasswood we of course have our business complex which has been very successful and our development corporation Des Nedhe Development which means Great River and the sub-office for the Corporation is located there. Alfred Dawatsare heads up Des Nedhe and is a former Chief and Councillor for ERFN. Mr. Dawatsare s role has changed completely, he no longer is involved in the programs and services of ERFN but he now provides his many leadership skills to Des Nedhe heading it up as it moves towards creating more self-sufficiency for ERFN. If members need information regarding the relationship between Des Nedhe Development and ERFN they can contact me directly and I will attempt answer all of their questions. My goal for my portfolio is to assist all ERFN members, especially the youth who have their life ahead of them and who will need a career in a work environment which has and will continue to change drastically as both Saskatchewan and Canada deals with the vagaries of the world economy. Now more than ever, ERFN members need education and training to compete for full employment and above all a career and then see where it takes them in Canada. Hopefully if I am successful at my job, we can create more job opportunities right here in our home communities of both Patuanak and Lac Plonge. While I understand this is an ambitious goal, I think success is obtainable through strategic thinking on ERFN s part and through alliances with industry. I must travel continually for my portfolio to places like Lac La Ronge, Meadow Lake, and Prince Albert. Saskatoon and Regina. I have to meet with officials of both governments and industry leaders to discuss various opportunities on a regular basis. While many of the discussions don t pan out, you still have to attend such meetings to ensure everyone knows that ERFN is a business minded First Nation and is working to make our communities more prosperous for all members and in doing so, create both wealth and job opportunities. When I first got elected Chief I was told by an Elder that we as leaders should never forget our way of life and our beliefs, culture, custom, language, and traditions. I always have these thoughts in the back of my mind when negotiating with government or industry. Specific information on the monies I have received as Councillor is listed on page 12 of the newsletter. Archie Campbell Councillor Bernie Eaglechild First elected as a Councillor in 1979, I have seen many changes in how our First Nation operates especially in the area of the evolution of local government. From 1978 to 1981 and from , I served the community as a Councillor in my late 20s after spending six years working for the department then called Indian Affairs and Northern Development Canada (INAC) as a child worker at the residential school in Beauval and as a social worker at the office in Meadow Lake. After working for the department I decided to go to university but at that time it was not conducive to First Nations people attending such institutions so I became the band manger for English River First Nation at a time when the community was in receivership and it was basically dysfunctional. Only two programs were operated by the community and the rest were delivered by INAC. During this period I served my community both as a band manager and as a Councillor because there were no conflict of interest rules. As I was young, I put my name forward to run as Councillor as many other younger persons did. I was the third women elected as a Councillor and I followed in my ancestor s footsteps as my Auntie Mary George and my Mother Christine George both had been elected councillors. Being one of the few female Councillors of the day, I believe I brought new ideas and a new perspective to deal with the issues facing English River First Nation at the time. The First Nation only had a few staff and did not operate many programs as most were delivered by the various government departments particularly INAC and Health Canada. I married in 1981 and decided to have children and then I decided I wanted to become a teacher and so I attended teacher training eventually graduating from the University of Saskatchewan in Saskatoon. I taught in northern communities for 15 years and we moved as family to Meadow Lake for education purposes because of a lack of a high school in the community. In 2009 I retired from teaching and decided to run for a councillor position with ERFN. I was elected and currently I hold the portfolio of Administration Support, Policies and Procedures Community Health and Wellness, and Improve the Organization Structure. I like the challenges associated with my job. I have had portfolios over the years in Education, and Treaty Land Entitlement and always I have tried to make progress in these portfolios and move the First Nation forward so that we can make it better for the members. My priority for my portfolio is the Health and Safety of the Community. We have a newly constructed Nursing Station which will make a big difference for the community as a whole. The Nursing Station is modern, and it offers services such as dentistry but there are still issues surrounding the quality of the construction work that we are trying to get resolved. As a result ERFN young members are still not receiving the dental care that they should be provided. The Nursing Station has within the facility an ambulance service. There is much red tape with respect to running an ambulance service and it has taken us quite a while to get things in order. We hope to have all the issues worked out in the next couple of months. Right now there are funding issues with respect to the transportation of members for medical appointments and hopefully we can also get these issues resolved. I have a vision for my community with respect to the Health and Well-being of the Community. Addiction to either alcohol or drugs is an issue in the community and it is very hard to overcome and we need a team approach to deal with the addictions issue through a number of means. These means would include home visits, distribution of education materials, and workshops on life skills and a team approach to assisting the individual to deal with the issues related to addictions. I am very busy in my job, one of my challenges is to inform members about programs and services and different ways of moving forward, and then by informing them hopefully this can make a difference and they too can move forward when they understand there are different ways of making progress. I spend many hours doing my job in any day and it does not end at 5 pm. I sit on the Meadow Lake Tribal Council Health Authority Board and I have to attend meetings there and also I interact with the health staff at the Tribal Council on regular basis. I also travel frequently to Saskatoon for various meetings and especially those involving the business holdings of the ERFN business portfolio. If you want to know my salary and travel expenses please look at page 12 of this newsletter. Bernie Eaglechild Councillor Joey Paul Born in Saskatoon in 1976, raised in Patuanak, and now firmly entrenched as a leader of the community, I decided to run for office in October of I made the decision to run for office as I wanted to try and make a difference for the youth by providing them with more recreational opportunities. My parents, who both passed away within a year of each other, were highly respected and well-known in the community. They lived together for almost 50 years and when my dad passed, my mother was lonely and within a year she passed. My parents were my role models and they taught me many invaluable humble ways, which have served me well in my life. Always interested in sports, I played all types of sports when I attended the residential school at Beauval during the years 1989 to I hope to promote all types of sports during my term as a Councillor because I firmly believe young people develop better leadership skills through sports. I also believe that the youth are the future of our community, and the youth right now are off the path a bit and are somewhat confused and they need proper guidance. Sports and cultural activities can provide a balancing effect. I think that our job as leaders is to show our young members love and caring for one another, and that these characteristics can t be bought with money but must come from within and this can occur by the leadership acting as role models. My portfolio is referred to as the Implementation of New Sports, Multi-purpose Youth Centre, Recreation, Sports, Wellness and Youth Development which is a lengthy title but basically I am responsible for working with the youth in many areas and I love the challenges this presents. I am also responsible for the Community Radio, and this includes fundraising activities such as bingos and auctions. Any funds raised through activities such as bingos and auctions is regulated by the Indigenous Gaming Regulators and this organization reviews complaints. The Des Nedhe Sport and Recreation Bingo is the organization that raises funds in the English River First Nation Community. This Chief and Council decided to make working with the youth a priority as they firmly believe that by providing programming for the youth it will make a difference in their lives. Since Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada (AANDC) do not directly provide funding for youth or any recreational programs, my biggest challenge is to try and find the money to organize and host activities for the youth. One of the ways to obtain funding for youth activities is to develop and submit proposals to various organizations for funding. I am kept quite busy organizing events such as hockey and volleyball tournaments, camp outings, and in the future I would like to offer programs that explain our nation s cultural and traditional activities. During a typical day, I arrive at the office at 8:30am and work on the computer researching funding ventures and working on proposals. Then I may have to go and pick up supplies or prizes if a tournament is approaching and of course I have to 6 7

5 attend regular council meetings that deal with the business of the First Nation. I have to regularly travel to places such as Saskatoon as I have to attend to meetings at the English River First Nation s Business Complex at Grasswood in Saskatoon. During my first year as a Councillor, I worked on organizing the first annual hockey tournament for players 21 years-ofage and younger. Held in March of 2014, the tournament was a success as eight teams entered and the team from Patuanak came in third. Promoting such events by developing posters and other material also consumes a fair amount of my time. Complete details on my salary and travel expenditures is contained in the chart on page 12. Joey Paul Des Nedhe Development The business arm of the English River First Nation (ERFN) was established in 1991 to create both business and employment opportunities for members. Since its creation, Des Nedhe has grown substantially over the years and, under the leadership of the ERFN Chiefs and Councils, it has invested in established companies. Des Nedhe s office complex is located just south of Saskatoon on one of its urban reserves and is known by many simply as the Grasswood property. The office complex sits on 54.5 hectares (135 acres) of land which is reserve land under The Indian Act. This land is the home of the various business interests of Des Nedhe. Former ERFN Chief Alfred Dawatsare was named the CEO of Des Nedhe in May of Mr. Dawatsare quickly hired Gary Merasty as the President and Chief Operating Officer of Des Nedhe. Among other achievements, Mr. Merasty is a former Grand Chief of Prince Albert Grand Council, former Member of the Parliament for the Liberal Party of Canada, and a former Vice-president at Cameco Corporation. Des Nedhe s three main divisions are Construction and Mining, Retail, and Real Estate. Under its very successful Construction & Mining division, Des Nedhe owns Tron Construction & Mining LP (formerly Tron Power LP). Tron was acquired by ERFN and Des Nedhe in 1997, and it is a company which is involved in the mining and construction services industry in Saskatchewan. Some of Tron s customers are Cameco, Sask- Power, and K+S Potash. Tron is the largest employer of the all the Des Nedhe companies and currently employs 82 ERFN members. In addition to its core business operations, Tron manages the highly innovative and successful Mudjatik Thyssen Mining Joint Venture (MTM). MTM is a partnership between Thyssen Mining and a group of northern Saskatchewan First Nations. MTM is a business that provides, among other things, mine development and operation services. MTM has been a major player in the uranium mining industry for many years, and provides substantial financial benefits for ERFN and its members. Minetec is another important ERFN company under Des Nedhe s Construction & Mining division. Acquired in 2009, Minetec is a full-service sales company serving mining operations in Saskatchewan. Minetec sells products to the mining industry including drill bits and steel, underground equipment and parts, and many others. Minetec is still establishing itself but has the potential to become a highly profitable business for ERFN. Under its Retail division, ERFN s English River Enterprises Inc. operates the Grasswood gas bar, convenience store, and car wash; the Beauval general store, gas bar, and restaurant; and the Patuanak gas bar and convenience store. In total, these operations currently have around 90 employees, many of whom are ERFN members. Finally, the future is very, very bright for ERFN and Des Nedhe s Real Estate division, which may ultimately become the most profitable division of ERFN s business arm. To date, ERFN and Des Nedhe have developed approximately only hectares (40 acres) of the 54.5 hectares (135 acres) which make up the Grasswood property, and currently have as tenants post-secondary, government and community organizations, mining companies, and commercial businesses. The Grasswood property is prime real estate on the southern boundary of Saskatoon, and the relatively new senior management team at Des Nedhe has been busy developing a master site plan for the entire 54.5 hectares (135 acres) of land, and attracting major developers. The business centre of English River First Nation: Located just south of Saskatoon on land purchased through the English River First Nation Treaty Land Entitlement Settlement, known as Grasswood, is the business complex that houses the First Nation s business arm known as Des Nedhe Development. In the building is located all of ERFN s business offices. Des Nedhe Development s Retail Operations Employing English River Members Beauval Forks: At Beauval English River First Nation operates a Gas Bar/ General Store/Restaurant that is in a strategic location as members can shop at the store instead of driving to Meadow Lake which is two hours down the road. The large grocery store carries a wide variety of groceries and the store features a bakery, butcher shops, and a restaurant. The store also sells common hardware items and a large variety of dry goods. Petro-Canada Station at Grasswood: At the Grasswood business complex a full-service gas bar operation features numerous pumps, a convenience store and a restaurant. The pump attendents are always busy. Patuank Convience/Gas Bar: In Patuanak, the main community of the English River First Nation is an operation that sells fuel/ convience itms and some groceries. What is the role of Chief and Council in the businesses? Des Nedhe Development Executive Team standing in from the English River Business Complex at Grasswood: Back row (left to right) Shane Shircliff, Vice-President of Corporate Development and Finance; Gary Merasty, President and Chief Operating Officer; Rob Stanger, Vice-president, Construction and Mining; Front row (left to right) Kathy Berg, Vice-president, Corporate Services; Alfred Dawatsare, Chief Executive Officer; Jamie Dickson, Vice-president, Legal; and Doug Reynolds Vice-president, Community and Corporate Relations. At present, each of the companies that are part of ER- FN s business development arm are operated by a Board of Directors made up of sitting ERFN Chief and Council members. Each member of the current ERFN Chief and Council sit on the Board of Directors of at least one ERFN company. Chief Marie Black, for example, sits on the board of six ERFN companies. As directors of the various companies, the Chief and the Councillors meet regularly, typically in Saskatoon, with the senior management team of Des Nedhe. It is the job of the directors to obtain updates on the performance of the companies, to approve financial plans, and to make important company decisions. It has been the practice of ERFN and Des Nedhe for many years that company directors receive assistance with travel expenses from Des Nedhe in light of the heavy travel demands placed upon them in their role as directors. The current senior management team is currently reviewing all of these practices, including the makeup of the Board of Directors of the various companies, and will in the coming months be proposing some new changes for Chief and Council to consider. 8 9

6 What makes an effective Councillor? The qualities of an effective Councillor should include some of the following characteristics. A Councillor should be open to different views and perspectives. A Councillor should make decisions based on knowledge of the issue not based on any biases or personal thoughts or perceptions about the issue. A Councillor should make their own decisions, decisions should not be made for them and a Councillor should take the initiative to understand the issue and gain the knowledge to make a rational decision. Other characteristics that a Councillor should display include communicating with the membership one on one as much as possible and attempting to establish a good rapport with not only the staff of the ERFN but with the community and other interested stakeholders. Councillors must keep their ego in check and realize that each Councillor has the same power and that Council must speak with a collective voice. Councillors must also realize when a member is questioning a decision or requesting information that they have a right to do. Councillors must also realize that role of staff of the ERFN is to support the decisions or actions of Council. The powers of the English River First Nation can be described in the following terms. The English River First Nation has decision-making powers, it is the legal Special Edition This is a special edition of the English River Newsletter which is intended for distribution to the membership. This is to ensure the entire membership can have a complete picture of the Chief and Council salaries for the fiscal year By providing this information to the membership, teh Chief and Council believe they are in full compliance with the First Nations Financial Transparency Act. If the membership have any questions, please direct those questions to the Chief and Council. A look at what some Western Canadian FN Council Members were paid in salary and travel Listed below are the salaries and travel expenses of relatively random sampling of some members of other First Nation Councils in Western Canada, some of whom represent First Nations with an on-reserve population that is less than English River First Nation s. authority with respect to the ERFN Reserves, and it oversees the operation of the ERFN Government. Being on the Council of the ERFN is not easy. Members of Council have to make decisions and set priorities as there only is so much money to spend. Members of Council do not have working hours of 9 am to 5 pm, they are on call 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Just because a day is a holiday for everyone else does not mean automatically that it is a holiday for a member of the ERFN Council. If there is a crisis or an emergency in the community, members of Council have to meet and make decisions. Council members attend many meetings, especially if they are assigned to portfolios with much activity, as it is the responsibility of the Councilor to attend meetings to gather and provide information related to ERFN, and to address any concerns ERFN may have. In the community, Council members get approached all the time by members asking about various subjects or issues. Members can be impatient and they want the information on these subjects or issues right away. Being an effective and efficient Council member can take a lot of work and there is no overtime pay nor any bonus for working those extras. Next time you think about how easy it would be to be a Council member, please remember what is involved in being a good member of Council representing all members fairly and equally Audit The Audit of the English River First Nation will be available for review, according to the Auditor, Gordon Stewart, early in The Chief and Council will be conducting a general membership meeting to provide information on the audit to all members. All members will be notified and are encouraged to attend this meeting. English River First Nation has on-reserve population of 774 according to the Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada (AANDC) publication Registered Indian Population by Sex and Residence, Listed below are the salaries and travel expenses of some Council members who represent First Nations with an on-reserve population that is less than the on-reserve population of English River First Nation. The figures listed below come directly from AANDC s website. The link where to find the information is: First Nation/Province Population Chief/Councillor Renumeration Travel^ Total on reserve Beaver First Nation-AB 453 Chief Trevor Mercredi $ 78,456 $ 33,193 $ 111,649 Chipewyan Prairie First Nation-AB 375 Chief Vern Janvier* $ 135,183 $ 108,032 $ 243,215 Duncan First Nation-AB 143 Chief Don Testawich $ 131,010 $ 56,905 $ 187,915 Enoch Cree Nation-AB 1634 Chief Ronald Morin* $ 426,556 $ 8,528 $ 435,084 Fort McKay First Nation-AB 406 Chief Jim Boucher $ 704,800 $ 60,157 $ 764,957 First Nation/Province Population Chief/Councillor Renumeration Travel^ Total on reserve Fort McMurray First Nation-AB 277 Chief Ronald Kreutzer $ 156,000 $ 108,604 $ 264,604 Horse Lake First Nation-AB 472 Chief Rick Horseman $ 74,413 $ 14,824 $ 89,237 Kapawe no First Nation-AB 132 Chief Frank Halcrow $ 61,000 $ 9,899 $ 70,899 Loon River First Nation-AB 459 Chief Arthur Noskey $ 103,000 $ 77,218 $ 180,218 O Chiese First Nation-AB 890 Chief Darren Whitford $ 164,453 $ 100,778 $ 265,231 Sunchild First Nation-AB 873 Chief Jonathan Frencheater $ 106,020 $ 42,597 $ 148,617 Woodland Cree First Nation-AB 803 Councillor Isaac Laboucan Avirom* $ 204,730 $ 99,090 $ 304,820 Cheslatta Carrier Nation-BC 165 Chief Richard Peters $ 123,033 $ 32,291 $ 155,324 Doig River First Nation-BC 141 Chief Norman Davis $ 127,210 $ 0 $ 127,210 Fort Nelson First Nation-BC 453 Chief Sharleen Gale $ 91,031 $ 33,607 $ 124,638 Haisla Nation Council-BC 671 Councillor Lucille Harms $ 15, $, $ 15, Kanaka Bar Indian Band-BC 79 Councillor Daniel Hance Jr. $ 1,450 $ 1,250 $ 2,700 Kwantlen First Nation-BC 98 Councillor Tumia Knott $ 118,895 $ 3,793 $ 122,688 Kwadacha Nation-BC 300 Chief Donny Van Somer $ 107,922 $ 35,544 $ 143,466 Kwikwetlem First Nation-BC 39 Chief & Economic Develop. Officer $ 914,219 $ 16,574 $ 930,793 Laz Kw alaams Band Council-BC 737 Chief Councillor Gary Reece $ 122,500 $ 87,730 $ 210,230 Mamalilikulla-Qwe Qwa Sot em 63 Councillor John Powell $ 1,600 $,591 $ 2,191 Band-BC McLeod Lake Indian Band-BC 136 Chief Derek Orr $ 102,000 $ 26,850 $ 128,850 Mount Currie Band-BC 497 Councillor Tara Smith $ 5,900 $ 0 $ 5,900 Nee-Tahi-Buhn Indian Band-BC 55 Chief Ray Morris $ 69,365 $ 44,132 $ 113,497 Osoyoos Indian Band-BC 383 Chief Clarence Louie $ 146,369 $ 4,954 $ 151,323 Shuswap Indian Band-BC 117 Councillor Alice Sam $ 202,000 $ 5,101 $ 207,101 Shxwha:y Village-BC 99 Chief Tina Sam $ 114,254 $ 25,870 $ 140,124 Skuppah Indian Band-BC 66 Chief Doug McIntyre $ 122,850 $ 35, $ 157, Squiala First Nation-BC 140 Chief Dave Joseph Jimmie $ 197,621 $ 18,889 $ 216,510 Tlatlasikwala First Nation-BC 45 Chief Tom Wallace $ 65,835 $ 73,744 $ 139,579 Wet suwet en First Nation-BC 98 Chief Karen Ogen $ 88,698 $ 19,620 $ 108,318 We Wai Kai Nation-BC 389 Councillor Jody Wilson $ 4,900 $ 0 $ 4,900 Buffalo Point First Nation-MB 43 Chief + CEO John Thunder $ 116,918 $ 12,480 $ 129,398 Chemawawin Cree Nation-MB 1,453 Chief Clarence Easter $ 85,968 $ 22,787 $ 108,755 Dauphin River First Nation-MB 235 Chief John Stagg $ 63,336 $ 38,595 $ 101,931 Fort Alexander Indian Band-MB 3,328 Chief Donavan Fontaine $ 69,000 $ 22,341 $ 91,341 Gambler First Nation-MB 75 Chief David Ledoux $ 20,163 $ 6,217 $ 26,380 God s Lake First Nation-MB 1,472 Chief Gilbert Andrews $ 71,400 $ 9,189 $ 80,589 Keeseekoowenin First Nation-MB 483 Chief James Plewak $ 62,000 $ 10,768 $ 72,768 Manto Sipi Cree Nation 731 Councillor James McKay $ 40,300 $ 2,825 $ 43,125 O-Chi-Chak-Ko-Sipi First Nation-MB 496 Chief Eugene Eastman $ 52,579 $ 7,432 $ 60,011 Opaskwayak Cree Nation-MB 5,681 Chief Michael Constant $ 130,325 $ 33,468 $ 163,783 St.Theresa Point First Nation-MB 3,697 Chief Eugene Wood $ 75,289 $ 74,294 $ 149,583 Clearwater River Dene Nation-SK 806 Chief/Councillor Teddy Clarke $ 141,918 $ 41,042 $ 182,960 Flying Dust First Nation-SK 528 Chief Robert Merasty $ 69,629 $ 29,626 $ 99,255 Kinistin Saulteaux Nation-SK 376 Councillor Trevor Cheekinew $ 32,000 $ 15,572 $ 47,572 Lac La Ronge Indian Band-SK 6,246 Chief Tammy Cook-Searson* $ 82,731 $ 30,696 $ 113,427 Little Black Bear First Nation-SK 223 Chief Clarence Bellegarde $ 87,485 $ 28,950 $ 116,435 Lucky Man Cree Nation-SK 32 Chief Richard Okemow $ 60,002 $ 9,717 $ 69,719 Makwa Sahgaiehcan First Nation-SK 1,077 Councillor Ronald Mitsuing $ 143,246 $ 24,455 $ 167,691 Muskoday First Nation-SK 620 Chief Austin Bear $ 89,370 $ 4,155 $ 93,525 Muscowpetung First Nation-SK 351 Councillor Myke Agecoutay $ 41,200 $ 3,681 $ 45,024 Muskowekwan First Nation-SK 521 Councillor Bradley Hunter* $ 33,260 $ 9,222 $ 42,482 Nekaneet First Nation-SK 207 Chief Jodi Fourhorns $ 125,088 $ 60,248 $ 185,336 Okanese First Nation-SK 287 Chief Marie-Anne Daywalker-Pelletier $ 64,440 $ 8,101 $ 72,541 Legend AB=Alberta, BC=British Columbia, MB=Manitoba,SK=Saskatchewan Unless otherwise noted the term of office is 12 months 7 months 11 months # Remuneration means any bonuses, commissions, dividends, fees, honouraria, wages, vehicle allowance, and any other monetary benefits ^Travel means expenses which includes accommodation, hospitality, incidental, meals, mileage, parking, and transportation costs *Denotes either business or own source remuneration or business travel specifically 10 11