Jobs will reduce suicide rates on reserves, chief says
With swagger and a shoot-from-the-lip sense of humour, Chief Clarence Louie won over a crowd of corporate leaders yesterday with his simple prescription for the problems facing Canada's aboriginals - jobs. Creating jobs and spurring economic development are the best ways to reduce the high suicide rate among aboriginal people, he said. And those jobs should be created by native people starting their own businesses and taking responsibility for their own communities. "The best social program is a job," Mr. Louie told the Edmonton Economic Development Corp.'s annual meeting. "And to the first nations people here - not just band office jobs. The biggest employer should not be the band office. It should be the economic development side of your first nation. Today being a warrior means being self-supporting. Not living on welfare. Not continuously just hammering away at federal and provincial governments, but becoming employed."

Awards Banquet Salutes Community Futures Organizations and Volunteers
The Community Futures Winnipeg River is the winner of the annual Minister of Western Economic Diversification's Award for Excellence and Innovation, and one of its board members, Roland Dandeneau, is the winner of the Minister's Award for Excellence in Community Futures Volunteerism. "The Minister's Award for Excellence and Innovation, and the Minister's Award for Excellence in Volunteerism celebrate the very best of the Community Futures initiative - people coming together to play an active role in the future of their communities," said Rod Bruinooge, Member of Parliament for Winnipeg South, on behalf of the Honourable Rona Ambrose, President of the Queen's Privy Council for Canada, Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs and Minister of Western Economic Diversification. "Congratulations to Community Futures Winnipeg River and Mr. Dandeneau for demonstrating such an outstanding commitment to the community."