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First Nations Health

Education

Natural Resources

Tel:  506-458-9444
Fax:  506-458-2850

MISSION STATEMENT

The Union of New Brunswick Indians Commission on Health and Social Programs is committed to the well-being of all on or off reserve Aboriginal People of N.B. and P.E.I. It's mission is to work with Aboriginal People and others to attain the well-being of Aboriginal People by promoting self-sufficiency and personal responsibility.

A goal of the Commission is to increase the life expectancy and quality of life of Aboriginal people of First Nations in N.B. and P.E.I. consistent to our non-Native brothers and sisters in N.B. and P.E.I.

Director: Nelson Solomon
Contact by Email

Health Policy: Peter Birney, Senior Health Policy Analyst
Contact by Email

Diabetes Initiative: Raven LaBillois, Community Consultant

Contact by Email

Debbie Fearneley, ADI Assistant
Contact by Email

Aboriginal Headstart:  Marie Gorman, Coordinator, Atlantic Canada
Contact by Email

Home & Community Care: Elaina Bigras, New Brunswick & Prince Edward Island Coordinator
Contact by Email

First Nation Regional Health Study:  Hazel Atwin
Contact by Email

Links...

Introduction to Health Transfer and the role of UNBI

Brighter Futures transfer to NB First Nations

Commission on Health Programs - Service Delivery Plan

British Columbia First Nations Health Authority (FNHA)

Atlantic Policy Congress Health Department

Atlantic First Nations Health Conference Gathering Our Voices Building Capacity, Building Bridges November 19-21, 2012

First Nations Child Welfare in New Brunswick (2011)

Anna Kozlowski, Vandna Sinha, & Judy Levi.  This information sheet presents an overview of the current structure of First Nations child welfare in New Brunswick as it was in 2011.

Jordan's Principal Service Coordinators and Federal Staff - Atlantic Region

Service Coordinators - Atlantic Region

Federal Staff

Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD)

FASD encapsulates conditions previously known as Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS) and the milder form, Fetal Alcohol Effects (FAE). FASD is caused by alcohol consumption during pregnancy, and results in a pattern of birth defects which affect both the body and the functioning of the brain.

Maternal Child Health Program (MCH)

Vision

All children in the participating communities will be born healthy to loving parents, and will have support within their extended families and communities to grow and thrive in their Mi'kmaq and Maliseet cultures.

Goal

Our goal is to reach out to all parents and caretakers in the community and offer the support and resources needed to promote healthy childhood growth and development. We will work with each family's individual strengths and needs, and provide them with the tools and resources needed to build a foundation for strong family functioning.

For information purposes regarding ASD

Any inquiries please contact Linda Waite Contact by Email

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)

Exclusive breast-feeding shows a direct epidemiological relationship to autism," and also, "the longer the duration of exclusive breast-feeding, the greater the correlation with autism.”(13)

First-born children, compared with later-born, have the highest rate of autism,¹ and they also have the highest exposure to breastfeeding, in rates,^2a in duration,^2b and in concentrations of developmental toxins contained in the milk.^2c

Autism risk declines progressively from first-born to second-born, to third-born children, and continues downward to fourth-born children;¹  and breastfeeding rates, duration and concentrations of toxins contained in breast milk decline from first to later children.^{2a, 2b, 2c} (Toxin levels are reduced as a result of excretion to earlier-born infants during previous nursing.) Fourth-born children have less exposure to breastfeeding frequency,^2a duration,^2b and toxins contained^2c, and they also have half the autism risk compared with first-born children.¹  

3½-year-olds: a history of breastfeeding was related to less-sustained attention and signs of hyperactive behavior were associated with higher postnatal levels of PCBs, mainly predicted by breastfeeding duration. ^6a  

4-year-old children with higher current body burden of PBDEs were found to have over 2½ times the risk of poor social competence (a basic autism-related trait), compared with less-exposed children.⁵  Comparative exposure data shows a nearly 3-to-1 difference in levels of PBDEs in breastfed as compared with formula-fed children at age 4,

ASD increased in the U.S. during recent decades while the children being diagnosed had been breastfed at increasing rates;⁷ concentrations of PBDEs (a strongly-suspected neurodevelopmental toxin) in the breast milk also greatly increased during that period.⁸

During the general period of 2004-2010 in the U.K. children autism rates were not increasing while breastfeeding rates were also basically level. This stable level of autism prevailed in the U.K. while autism rates were reported to have increased in the U.S. along with increases in breastfeeding rates.^11b 

References

The Emerging Link between Wireless and Autism  ....began to notice higher rate of autism among the children of parents who worked at Microsoft..

Publications @ www.pollutionaction.org/

• Increased risk of autism in children of older mothers
• Recent research related to autism and connections with widespread environmental toxins
• Scientific findings related to origins of autism
• Breastfeeding as related to autism and childhood cancer in developed countries  
• Appendix 2. More on the Strong Association between Breastfeeding Rate & Diagnosed Autism
• Correlations between breastfeeding and autism in recent decades + probable causes
• High, mid-levels and lows of infant exposures to certain toxins seem to correlate closely with highs and lows of autism or ASD traits

For additional information please contact Linda Waite Contact by Email

Tel: 506-458-9444
Fax: 506-458-2850

Raven LaBillois

Contact by Email

Debbie Fearneley
Contact by Email

Raven LaBillois
Diabetes Community Consultant
Health, Wellness and Fitness

Type 2 diabetes is a health concern among Canada's First Nations and Inuit. First Nations on reserve have a rate of diabetes three to five times higher than that of other Canadians. Rates of diabetes among the Inuit are expected to rise significantly in the future given that risk factors such as obesity, physical inactivity, and unhealthy eating patterns are high.  The Aboriginal Diabetes Initiative (ADI) Program at the Union of New Brunswick Indians was established in 2000 as the national program was introduced to address the alarming rates of Type 2 Diabetes among First Nations communities.

GOAL:

Reduce Type 2 Diabetes among Aboriginal people by supporting:
• health promotion
• primary prevention activities
• services delivered by trained community diabetes workers & health service providers

INITIATIVE:

To deliver a range of primary prevention, screening and treatment programs in partnership with First Nation Communities, Tribal Councils, First Nations organizations, Inuit community groups and Provincial and Territorial governments.

SUPPORTS:
• prevention,
• health promotion,
• screening and
• care management initiatives

These programs are community-based and culturally appropriate.  Through these activities, the ADI supports prevention, health promotion, screening and care management initiatives that are community-based and culturally appropriate

ENHANCED INITIATIVES FOR CHILDREN, YOUTH, PARENTS AND FAMILIES:

• Diabetes in pre-pregnancy and pregnancy;
• Community-led food security planning to improve access to healthy foods, including traditional and market foods;
• Enhanced training and support for health professionals on clinical practice guidelines and chronic disease management strategies.

Links...

Childhood Obesity ... Let's "Step" Towards a Healthier Future - presented at ANTEC 2010

2015 Champions of ADI Walking Challenge
Grade 5 Students at Chief Harold Sappier Memorial Elementary School
St. Mary's First Nation

Metepenagiag School Students Complete Chef's Toolkit Cooking Classes 2015

Contact by Email
(Tel.) 506-458-9444
506-627-4611
Fax:  506-458-2850
506-627-4613

Marie Levi-Gorman
Coordinator, Atlantic Canada

Objectives

1.   Collaborate with First Nations, Inuit, governments, and community partners in the regions to improve the coordination of and access to maternal and child health and healthy child development programs and services

2.   Aid the development, delivery and management of culturally appropriate programs, services and initiatives for First Nations living on-reserve and Inuit living in Inuit communities, providing increased support for women and families with young children from preconception through pregnancy, birth and parenting by:

• supporting the spiritual, emotional, intellectual and physical growth of the children living in the Atlantic Region
• supporting and encouraging each child to enjoy life long learning
• supporting parents and guardians as the primary teachers and care givers of their children
• helping parents to play a major part in planning, developing, implementing and evaluating the project
• recognizing and supporting the role of the extended family in teaching and caring for children including the broader First Nations community throughout all of its stages, from planning to evaluation
• ensuring linkages and cooperation with other community programs and services to enhance the effectiveness of the projects
• ensuring resources are used in the best way possible in order to produce measurable and positive outcomes for children living in the Atlantic Region, as well as their parents, families and communities

Six Components:

Culture and Language

Education

Health Promotion

Nutrition

Social Support

Parent and Family Involvement

Contact by Email
Tel:  506-458-9444
Fax:  506-458-2850

Elaina Bigras (RNBN)
Coordinator, N.B. & P.E.I.

Objectives

To implement the First Nations and Inuit Home and Community Care by;

1.  To build capacity within First Nations in N.B. & P.E.l to plan, develop and deliver comprehensive, culturally-sensitive, accessible and effective home care services; and

2.  To provide coordination services for First Nations in N.B. & P.E.l. that will allow the development of a H & CC Program which recognizes the need for culturally sensitive, integrated care services under First Nations control that will be appropriate, comprehensive, accessible, effective and equitable to that of other citizens of Canada

FNIHCC 10 Year Plan (2013-2023)

Professional Associations

• Government of New Brunswick
  • Department of Health Regional Health Authorities (RHA)
  • The New Brunswick Extra Mural Program
  • The New Brunswick Adult Protection Program
  • Extra Mural Program (EMP) to address the gaps that exist re: roles and responsibilities; policies
  • D/C planning
• Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada
• MAWIW Council Inc.
• The Atlantic FNIHB departments:
  • Nursing
  • Non-Insured Health Benefits Program (NIHB)
  • Aboriginal Diabetes Initiative(ADI)
• Canadian Mental Health Association of New Brunswick
• The Alzheimer Society of New Brunswick
• Smith & Nephew in Advanced Wound Management products
• Disability Coalition
• National FN partners through the Assembly of First Nations (AFN)
• Atlantic Policy Congress of First Nations Chiefs Secretariat (APCFNC) Elder Care Working Group(ECWG)

Elder Care Working Group
Atlantic Policy Congress of First Nation Chiefs
Report on Activities – 2012/2013

Atlantic First Nations Elder Care Strategic Action Plan 2015-2020

 Atlantic First Nation Communities' Elder Support Groups

 Contact by Email
Tel:  506-458-9444
Fax:  506-458-2850

Peter Birney
Senior Health Policy Analyst

UNION OF NEW BRUNSWICK INDIANS COMMISSION ON HEATH PROGRAMS

Preamble

The Union of New Brunswick Indians (UNBI) has been in existence for forty one years and has been accountable both to its First Nations members and various funding agencies.

On April 6, 1993, the First Nation leaders, by resolution, established a Commission on Health and Social Programs, which was mandated to promote First Nation control in all areas of health and social programming.

UNBI subsequently entered into a Health Transfer Agreement with First Nations and Inuit Health Branch, Health Canada in 1995 and renewed the same in 2003.

This agreement expired on March 31, 2008 and UNBI wishes to renew the Agreement for another five year period in order to continue to provide second and third level health programs and services to its member bands.

Resolution

WHEREAS: The Government of Canada is responsible for "Indians and Lands reserved for Indians under Sect. 91 (24), Constitution Act; and

WHEREAS: The Mi'kmaq and Maliseet First Nations of New Brunswick have demonstrated their capacity to manage their health programs and to improve the well being of their citizenry; and

WHEREAS: Since the first Health Transfer Agreement was signed in 1995, the Commission, through the UNBI Health Committee, has dealt mainly with health programs;

BE IT RESOLVED: That the Board of Directors, Chiefs of the Mi'kmaq and Maliseet Nations change the name of the Commission on Health and Social programs to the Commission or Health Programs to carry out the following mandate:

1. Advance First Nations control of all health programs for their members by endorsing the    negotiation of a new Health Transfer Agreement.

2. Promote Aboriginal, Treaty and Constitutional Rights to good health including a healthy environment.

3. Promote the hiring and training of First Nations people at all levels of health services and programs available to First Nations people in New Brunswick.

4. Advise Health Canada on the review and modification of any policies that currently exist or will be formulated in the future to ensure the sound and effective delivery of health programs which will be suitable for youth, seniors and disabled people of the First Nations.

5. Act as an advisory group on policies related to Health Transfer processes to any First Nation upon their request.

6. Ensure that any additional funding requested not in any way jeopardize the existing program funding for First Nations.

7. Recognize that the Union of New Brunswick Indians Health Committee will be accountable to the Chiefs in their role as the administrator of the health programs as listed in the Transfer Agreement.

THEREFORE BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED: That we, the Chiefs of the Mi'kmaq and Maliseet First Nations authorize that a new five year five year funding agreement be entered into with the First Nations and Inuit Health of Health Canada by the Union of New Brunswick Indians to carry out the above noted mandate.

MOVED BY:   Chief Joanna Bernard

SECONDED BY: Chief Everett Martin

Adopted this 29th day of April 2008, by the Chiefs comprising the Board of Directors of the Union of New Brunswick Indians.

Service Delivery Plan, April 2009

 Contact by Email
Tel:  506-458-9444
Fax:  506-458-2850

Peter Birney
Senior Health Policy Analyst

Crisis lines
National Indian Residential School Crisis Line
Suicide Prevention contacts

Work Plan 2016-17

The Non-Insured Health Benefits (NIHB) Program is a national program that provides coverage to registered First Nations and recognized Inuit to support them in reaching an overall health status that is comparable with other Canadians. The Non-Insured Health Benefits Program provides coverage for a limited range of medically necessary goods and services to which these clients are not entitled through other plans and programs. In cases where a benefit is covered under another plan, the NIHB Program acts to coordinate payment of eligible benefits. It is the Government of Canada’s position that current health programs and services including Non-Insured Health Benefits are provided to First Nations and Inuit on the basis of national policy and not due to any constitutional or other legal obligations. First Nations assert that health benefits are an Inherent Aboriginal and Treaty Right and are constitutionally protected.

As in past years, UNBI will work with each of its twelve First Nations (Madawaska, Eel Ground, Metapeneagiag, Buctouche, Kingsclear, St. Mary's, Pabineau, Fort Folly, Woodstock, Indian Island, Oromocto and Eel River Bar), to develop their community teams and plan youth activities around suicide prevention. As you can well imagine, these are unique to each community as the community designs each aspect. Communities are encouraged to involve health professionals, educators, peace keepers and response personnel in their community teams and identify any skills/training that may be needed to strengthen their capacity. With respect to the youth activities under the NAYSPS, communities plan different gatherings for their youth.

Objectives

(1) increase awareness and understanding of Aboriginal youth suicide prevention;

(2) strengthen key protective factors such as a strong sense of identity, meaning and purpose, and resilience;

(3) strengthen and facilitate collaborative approaches and linkages within and across governments, agencies and organizations;

(4) develop and implement locally-driven suicide prevention plans in First Nations and Inuit communities;

(5) improve and increase crisis response efforts to intervene more effectively in preventing suicide and suicide clusters following a suicide-related crisis in First Nations and Inuit communities; and

(6) enhance knowledge development regarding what is known about what works in preventing Aboriginal youth Suicide.

Links...

Reclaiming Our Ancestral Footsteps

A toolkit for addressing youth suicide in your community. Together to live.

New Brunswick First Nations' Suicide Prevention Contacts

 Contact by Email
Tel:  506-458-9444
Fax:  506-458-2850

Peter Birney
Secretary, Board of Directors

The First Nations Information Governance Centre is an exciting development whereby First Nations will now have a dedicated Centre that will serve as the permanent home of the First Nations Regional Longitudinal Health Survey (RHS) and build upon that successful process to provide an abundance of information, research, training, data collection, analysis and dissemination services to First Nations at the community, regional and national levels. In addition, the Centre will not only be centrally located in Ottawa, it will also support the development of regional centre’s that will serve the strategic First Nations information and research needs as determined by each of the participating regions.

Key Objectives:

• Be the permanent home of the RHS
• Be the premier source of First Nations Information
• Be devoted to First Nations
• Make the most of research and information that will truly benefit the health and well being of First Nations
• Strive to partner with entities that seek to achieve success in working with First Nations, through the use of credible information and processes that respect First Nations jurisdiction to own, protect, and control how their information is collected, used and disclosed.
• Promote and advance the First Nations Principles of OCAP
• Assist in building First Nations capacity in research, information technologies, health surveillance and data analysis
• Measure improvements to First Nations health and well-being through the RHS and specialized surveys

FNIGC ...

The First Nations Data Centre (FNDC) is a knowledge exchange service of the First Nations Information Governance Centre (FNIGC). Located at FNIGC’s Ottawa office, the FNDC provides access to unpublished and record-level data from FNIGC's respected survey work, including the First Nations Regional Health Survey (FNRHS, or RHS) and the First Nations Regional Early Childhood, Education and Employment Survey (FNREEES, or REEES).

The first service of its kind, the FNDC offers data access to individuals pursuing academic research, policy development, and program planning and evaluation on a pay-per-use basis. The data cannot be used for commercial purposes.

The goal of the FNDC is to encourage the dissemination and knowledge transfer of FNIGC’s First Nations data among researchers, academics, policy makers and other stakeholders.

The FNDC’s services are available in person at FNIGC’s Ottawa offices or online at FNIGC.ca/FNDC, a website that includes an online application process for those looking to make use of data from the FNRHS (or the FNREEES, starting in spring 2016).

The First Nations Data Centre

Contact by Email
Tel: 506-458-9444
Fax: 506-458-2850

Hazel Atwin
Administrator

It is widely recognized that there is an information gap in First Nations communities for many key Socio-economic indicators, particularly in the areas of education, employment and early childhood education. A national survey is necessary to address some of these important data gaps and provide valuable data to help make informed policy and programming decisions, which could ultimately lead to improvements in the lives of First Nations. Since the needs of each region may differ from each other and those of the entire Nation, each region across Canada has been given the opportunity to collect and analyze their own data for the purposes of addressing their regional specific needs,

The First Nations Regional Early Childhood Development, Education and Employment Survey (FNREEES) is a national five (5) year (2011-2016) First Nations research project that builds upon the Success of the First Nations Regional Health Survey (RHS). It is being implemented by regional First Nations partners to produce on-reserve First Nations population estimates at a national, regional and territorial level (in addition to select large First Nations communities). The FNREEES will provide community-based culturally relevant research information about New Brunswick First Nations in order to support collective priorities and strategic directions for re-building strong and healthy Nations. It will provide valuable information and data to support policy and program development, and inform decision making that reflects the needs of First Nations communities.

The First Nations Regional Education, Employment and Early Childhood Development Survey (FNREEES) is a First Nation-driven survey which is aimed at collecting information regarding the education, employment and early childhood development of First Nation communities across Canada;

The FNREEES was developed to respect and uphold the sovereign rights of First Nations and the authority conferred or mandated to their representative bodies. The principles of Ownership, Control, Access, and Possession (OCAP") which flow from those rights, mandate that First Nations have control over the collection, use and disclosure of information about their communities.

New Brunswick First Nation REEES Training
cc

Back row left to right:  Hazel Atwin, REEES Administrator (UNBI); REEES Field Workers:  Cindy Tomah, (Kingsclear); Kara Martin (Eel Ground); Jolene Caplin (Kingsclear); Ted Polchies (Kingsclear); Brittany Buchan (Woodstock) and UNBI Health Director Nelson Solomon.  Front row: Kayla Marcoux (FNIGC), Peter Birney (UNBI); Katie Wood (FNIGC)

Link to...

REEES Regional Partners

 Contact by Email 
Telephone:  506-458-9444
Fax:  506-458-2850

Hazel Atwin
Regional Coordinator

The only First Nations-governed holistic health survey of its kind in Canada, the RHS is currently in the third year of a five-year process that will see it collect data from 250 First Nations communities, in collaboration with its regional partners in 10 provinces and two territories.   The Regional Health Survey is the only First Nations-governed national health survey in Canada, the First Nations Regional Health Survey (FNRHS, or RHS for short) is a unique initiative. Founded in 1997, the RHS collects information about on reserve and northern First Nations communities based on both Western and traditional understandings of health and well-being.

The RHS is carried out by the First Nations information Governance Centre (FNIGC), a non-profit First Nations organization that has been doing surveys on reserve and in northern communities in collaboration with its Regional Partners since 1997.

The RHS grew out of a National Steering Committee which was created to design a new national First Nations health survey as a response to a Federal Government decision to exclude First Nation people living on reserve from three major longitudinal population surveys.

In the nearly two decades since, the RHS has gone through four cycles and has collected quality, culturally relevant data from tens of thousands of First Nations people. This data has influenced and informed such crucial programs and policies as the Aboriginal Diabetes Initiative, the Aboriginal Head Start Program, the Children's Oral Health Initiative, as well as Communicable Disease Control, Food Security and Nutrition, Healthy Living,Healthy Child Development, and Mental Health and Addictions.

FNIGC's pioneering survey work has been reviewed by Harvard University (in 2006) and Johns Hopkins University (in 2012), which concluded that our methodology was “outstanding,” “excellent” and “first-rate”. It also concluded that “with respect to fidelity of design, the evaluators found the execution of the RHS to be excellent overall and superb along many dimensions.”

The Assembly of First Nations(AFN) Chiefs in Assembly, the Chiefs Committee on Health (CCOH) and First Nations regions across the Country have mandated the FNIGC to oversee the administration of the RHS,

FNIGC membership is derived from the RHS regional organizations, which provides a solid regional and community based foundation for governance. Results of the most recent version of the Survey, RHS Phase 2, were published in June 2012. RHS Phase 3 is scheduled to start rolling out in Fall 2014.

Where is the RHS taking place?

The RHS is happening in 250 First Nations communities in 10 regions (which include 10 provinces and two territories) across Canada: Yukon, Northwest Territories, British Columbia, Alberta,Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland. RHS Regional Coordinators manage the implementation of the survey in collaboration with the FNIGC.

Phase 3 of the RHS is scheduled to launch in Fall 2014, and Will build upon the previous success of the RHS Phase 1 and 2. Upon completion of data collection and analysis, the data will be released in a series of targeted reports in 2016/2017.

What does the RHS measure?

The RHS addresses a comprehensive range of health Status, wellness and health determinant measures and is broken down into three parts: adult, youth and child. When combined, these parts provide comparability to other Canadian surveys while addressing First Nations priorities within a cultural and holistic framework.

While the questionnaires have largely remained true to their original content, work has been undertaken to modernize the questionnaires ensuring their continued relevance to First Nations communities.For example, for RHS Phase 3, two new priority areas -bullying and maternal behaviors - have been identified by our Regional Partners.

Final results from RHS Phase 3 will be presented in a series of targeted reports focusing on priority areas identified by our First Nations partners.

What happens to the Survey data?

First Nations Information Governance Centre (FNIGC) (2012).  First Nations Regional Health Survey (RHS) 2008/10: National report on adults, youth and children living in First Nations communities. Ottawa: FNIGC.

First Nations Longitudinal Regional Health Survey.  Presentation to the Workshop on Data Collection and Disaggregation on Indigenous Peoples Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues United Nations Headquarter, New York, New York January 19- 21, 2004

Contact by Email
Tel: 506-458-9444
Fax: 506-458-2850

Peter Birney
Senior Health Policy Analyst

The Non-Insured Health Benefits (NIHB) Program is a national program that provides coverage to registered First Nations and recognized Inuit to support them in reaching an overall health status that is comparable with other Canadians. The Non-Insured Health Benefits Program provides coverage for a limited range of medically necessary goods and services to which these clients are not entitled through other plans and programs. In cases where a benefit is covered under another plan, the NIHB Program will act to coordinate payment of eligible benefits. It is the Government of Canada’s position that current health programs and services including Non-Insured Health Benefits are provided to First Nations and Inuit on the basis of national policy and not due to any constitutional or other legal obligations. First Nations assert that health benefits are an Inherent Aboriginal and Treaty Right and are constitutionally protected.

Should you wish to obtain further information, please contact us at:

Link...

A Guide for First Nations to Access Non-Insured Health Benefits

NIHB Appeal Process

NIHB Navigators

Hear Our Voices: Meeting Sept 2016 First Nations in N.B. and P.E.I. Recommendations for NIHB Reform.

1. Summary of observations and recommendations

2. Overall program observations and recommendations: Restructure NIHB to create a health benefits program that works for First Nations people

3. Program-specific observations and recommendations

UNBI Training Institute

UNBITI Graduation

New Brunswick Free Tuition Program

FNIGC National Student Bursary

Tel: 506-458-9444
Fax: 506-458-2850

Nelson Solomon, Principal
Contact by Email

Starla McDougall, Vice Principal
Contact by Email

Vicki O'Sullivan, Instructor - Early Childhood Education     

Cynthia Davis, Instructor - Personal Support Worker

                                       Open House June 2016
 
Nelson Solomon; Principal             Drummer Natalie Sappier
Starla McDougall, Vice Principal
Darrell Paul, Executive Officer

The UNBI Board of Directors authorized the establishment of the Training Institute in 1994 as a key component of the UNBI's activities and became incorporated as a non-profit organization in May 2009. Its purpose is to provide post-secondary and other educational opportunities for the people, and by the people, of the First Nation communities.

All programs and workshops are open to First Nations as well as non-native students.  Curriculum has been designed to ensure that students have their choice of whether they could work on or off-reserve.

The UNBI Training Institute is registered to grant specific academic credentials for specific technical or vocational training programs with regards to the general enabling legislation of

• Private Occupational Training Act (R.S.N.B. 1973, c. P-16.1)
• General Regulation (O.C. 84-679) - Private Occupational Training Act

The UNBI Training Institute is registered with Canada and New Brunswick Student Loans as well as with the Department of Indian Affairs for funding purposes. It is also registered under the New Brunswick Private Occupational Training Act and a member of the National Association of Career Colleges.   

UNBI Training Institute is located at:  

The way forward requires placing learning and development at the heart of our policies and practices in early childhood. We need to have meaningful conversations with all educators present and future and to include parents in these conversations as the children's first and most important teachers. This is not a slight undertaking and yet it is not insurmountable. We passionately feel we will make a difference and thus create a ripple effect of health and wellness for all community members which in turn will surround our young children with the positive love filled communities they deserve to grow up in and need to grow up in to be healthy contributing members of society.

UNBITI provides each community with ongoing training, professional development and one on one site support. We also provide the opportunity for First Nation communities to train their own community members to be able to provide top quality education to ensure brighter futures.  

Contact by Email
Tel: 506-458-9444
Fax: 506-458-2850

Early Childhood Education Certificate & Diploma

In 2009 UNBI Training Institute began offering their Early Childhood Education Program to communities via videoconferencing. All 15 First Nations communities in New Brunswick have videoconferencing enabling them to participate without having to relocate. We are currently developing a relationship with the University of New Brunswick, Fredericton to have the Early Childhood Development program recognized as an accredited course at the University level.

Personal Support Worker Certificate & Diploma

Professional Development Workshops

Workshops are offered on a regular bases, tailored to suit each communities and/or organizations individual needs and is provided on site. The UNBITI is working with Health Canada's Aboriginal Headstart on Reserve to facilitate workshops and "Teaching Stratifies - Creative Curriculum" from Head Start to K-4.

UNBITI provide workshops for staff and students. Workshops have included Nutrition, Menu Planning, Food Handling, Puppet Making, Policies and Procedures, Play, Reiki, Guidance, Documentation, NB Curriculum Training, and Care of the Child in Crisis. Staff create professional development workshops based on need.

Program Keywords:

• Child and Youth Care, Early Childhood Education, Education, Personal Support Worker, Professional Development.

I am writing this letter to explain exactly what UNBITI did for me not only from a professional standpoint but also a personal one. I was very anxious to go back to school as a mature student, my own daughter was entering kindergarten that year as well. Over time I not only became a better Early Childhood Educator but also a mother. Things I knew instinctively to do I know had concrete reason behind why I was doing then both for my own child and the children I was teaching. I learned so much from not only the curriculum but from the other women I was attending school with. We shared experiences and stories and problem solved together. Our instructors never lost patience and worked with us all as individuals, we all supported each other during tough times such as losing our favorite teacher Vicki Anderson so suddenly and tragically and also through positive events such as weddings and babies. I began school waiting for it to be done however at some point I began looking forward to class and loved being a part of the little family we became. I personally gained knowledge, confidence and a true deep love for Early Childhood Education and its importance for all of our children and communities. So much so that I became a part time instructor for many years until the summer of this year where I am now a full time employee. I feel blessed to have had the opportunities I have had through UNBITI not all pleasant, however I gained and grew from them all because of the love and support I have found here. I look forward to the future of UNBITI and the possibilities for all the Students who will come through our doors and the lives of the children they will positively impact.

Respectfully yours;

Starla McDougall

Former Graduate of UNBITI & Current Instructor

Graduation Class of 2018

Graduation Class of 2017

Graduations Class 2018 with UNBITI Staff

Cynthia Davis, PSW Instructor,Amanda Atwin, Ashley Young, Starla McDougall UNBITI Vice Principal, Morgen Tomer, Savannah Polchies, Melissa Knockwood, Katrina Sacobie, Vicki O'Sullivan ECE Instructor 

Amanda Atwin, Melissa Knockwood, Katrina Sacobie, Morgen Tomer, Savannah Polchies, Ashley Young

Early Childhood Education Diploma

Melissa Knockwood   Katrina Sacobie   Morgen Tomer   Savannah Polchies

Personal Support Worker Diploma

Amanda Atwin       Ashley Young

Graduation Students Collage

Family and Friends

 
Front Center - Damien Sabattis-Carrier (Drummer) 
Front Row - Caitlin Bartlett, Misty Solomon, Serena Moulton, Misty Paul 
Back Row - Katrina Sacobie, Cathy Paul, Carley Egers, Jennifer Polches, Shirley Francis, Morgen Tomer and Cassandra Paul

Personal Support Worker Diploma 
 

    
Morgen Tomer                Caitlin Bartlett          Katrina Sacobie

Early Childhood Education Certificate 
 

                                      Misty Solomon                Jennifer Polches                Serena Moulton

Early Childhood Education Diploma
 

                          Shirley Francis     Carley Egers        Misty Paul            Cassandra Paul     Cathy Paul

Family & Friends

Application Link...

UNBI Pipeline Scholarship Application
Through financial contributions provided by Maritimes Northeast Pipeline (M&NP), UNBI has developed a student award program designed to recognize the exceptional efforts of our members attending post secondary institutions and an award for our students graduating from high school.

Who is eligible?
Maliseet and Mi’kmaq students who are a registered member of a UNBI community and are enrolled as full time students in the current academic year. Priority will be given to those students on the Band nominal role (High School)) and to students being funded through their respective Bands (Post-secondary).

High School:        $500.00 will be awarded to qualifying High school students from the community who are graduating in any given application year.
Post Secondary:  $1000.00 will be awarded to qualifying students from the community enrolled in a university, college, vocational or technical institute.

Please note our new address:

UNBI Scholarships are awarded to post-secondary graduate and undergraduate students for leadership, academic achievement and financial need. Please remember that a scholarship is never intended to cover all the costs of a students educational program. It supplements other financial resources from each of First Nation community for students. Companies who wish to support the achievement of the Mi'kmaq and Maliseet people make awards possible. Recipients cannot receive more than one scholarship per year. All students are encouraged to apply and submit application as soon as possible. Please read our Scholarship Policy before you apply.

These scholarships are made possible by contributions from industry for students pursuing academic programs in the sciences, engineering, natural resources and business administration, post-secondary education and vocational training. Programs of study may be two to four years or longer.

FAQ

Printable Application

The National Student Bursary will award bursaries to First Nations College or University students enrolled full-time in Epidemiology, Population Health, Biostatistics, or Information and Data Management Technology.

To apply please visit FNIGC.ca.

Source Water Protection

Environmental Contamination

Nuclear Waste Management Organization

Household Hazardous Waste

Watersheds

Contact by Email
Tel:  506-458-9444
Fax:  506-458-2850

Rick Perley, BBA, CBA I & II
Liasion, Acting

Mandate

The Aboriginal Natural Resources Committee will monitor, assess and advise on the development and use of natural resources in New Brunswick. Natural resources shall include all renewable and non-renewable resources such as trees and plants, soil, water, animals, fisheries, minerals, hydro-carbons and energy.

The primary responsibility of the Committee shall be to protect, preserve and promote the Aboriginal people while at the same time exploring and monitoring development, conservation, employment and business opportunities in connection with the development of natural resources. To this end the Committee shall carry out the following specific tasks:

1. Development liaison opportunities with companies and federal and provincial government departments and agencies operating in the natural resources sector.

2. Monitor all regulatory processes governing the development and exploration for natural resources.

3. Explore potential business opportunities through independent or so-venture or partnership agreements.

4. Develop training programs and employment opportunities related to natural resources development.

5. Advise staff on developing a working relationship with government departments and agencies and private or public corporations.

6. Assist in and monitor negotiations with government departments and agencies and private or public corporations with a view to maximizing benefits for our people.

Research

Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs)

Heavy Metal Mining

Effects on Humans

Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reporting Program Online Data Search – Facility Reported Data

Union of New Brunswick Indians

1. Environmental Contamination Related to Significant Health Issues Among First Nations in New Brunswick
2. Mercury and other contaminants in common loons breeding in Atlantic Canada

Maliseet Nation Conservation Council (MNCC)

1. Environmental Contaminants in Speckled Trout and Deer (Report)
2. Environmental Contaminants in Fiddleheads and Moose Meat (Brochure)
3. Evaluation of the level of contaminants, cadmium, mercury and arsenic in the muscle tissue and the organs of moose (Report)
4. Evaluation of the level of contaminants, Mercury, Arsenic, Nickel and Cadmium in fiddleheads, New Brunswick(Report)

Health Canada

Maternal-Infant Research on Environmental Chemicals (The MIREC Study).  Established to obtain national bio-monitoring data on pregnant women and their infants and to examine potential adverse health effects of prenatal exposure to environmental chemicals on pregnancy and infant health. Subsequently, studies of some of the MIREC children at birth, at 6 months, and at 2-5 years of age were carried out. MIREC also includes a data and bio-specimens bio-bank, for future research. We refer to this body of research as the MIREC Research Platform.

Others

1. Contaminants in nestling tree swallows from Atlantic Coastal Action Program (ACAP) Sites in Atlantic Canada.
2. FACILITY PROFILE: New Brunswick Power Generation Corporation - Dalhousie Generating Station
3. Pollution Watch Fact Sheet 2003 New Brunswick Pollution Highlights    New Brunswick Power's Coleson Cove Generating Station reported the largest combined toxic (such as mercury and lead) and Criteria Air Contaminants (smog-causing pollutants) air releases of any facility in New Brunswick in 2003 (55,395,328 kilograms) followed by Noranda, Dalhousie Generating stations.
4. National Pollutant Release Inventory - Regional Synopsis for the Atlantic Provinces
5. Indigenous Land: Canada's Toxic Storehouse. John Ahni Schertow June 19, 2008
6. Toxic Inequities: Chemical Exposures and Indigenous Communities in Canada and the United States
7. Hormone-Blocking Chemicals Found in First Nation Families
8. Contaminated tribe: Hormone-blocking chemicals found in First Nation families
9. “Gender-benders”: Sex and Law in the Constitution of Polluted Bodies Scott, D.N. Fem Leg Stud (2009) 17: 241. doi:10.1007/s10691-009-9127-4
10.  Rachel Carson’s Legacy: Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals and Gender Concerns GAIA 21/3(2012): 225– 229
11. Body Polluted: Questions of Scale, Gender and Remedy  OSGOODE HALL LAW SCHOOL, Comparative Research in Law & Political Economy Research Paper No. 21/2010
12. Sarah Marie Wiebe (2015): Guardians of the environment in Canada’s Chemical Valley, Citizenship Studies 
13. Chemical exposure in the Aamjiwnaang community. The McGill Daily's website. Diana Kwon, Nov. 28, 2013

Glyphosate

Radio-Canada International has reported, "The provincial government in New Brunswick has been spraying herbicides on 15,000 hectares of crown land since the 1970’s when it first permitted pulp and paper companies to clear-cut natural forest and replace it with plantations. The taxpayer funded programme is to benefit the lumber industry by protecting fast growing softwood trees from encroaching hardwood saplings. The hardwood saplings however are an important food supply for deer and moose, and there have been suggestions that the programme has removed thousands of tons of such food and has contributed to the steep decline in moose and deer numbers in the province in the past ten years."

Stop Spraying in NB The Canadian Press:  Published Wednesday, May 18, 2016 8:47AM ADT
FREDERICTON - A group in New Brunswick says it will present a petition to members of the legislature today to protest herbicide spraying.

Persistent organic pollutants (POPs) encompass an array of anthropogenic organic and elemental substances and their degradation and metabolic by-products that have been found in the tissues of exposed animals.

Listing of POPs in the Stockholm Convention

As a consequence of bioaccumulation by, bio magnification of legacy and emerging, POPs are found in biota and humans.  The potential biological effects of these contaminants on exposed plants, wildlife and fish and the people who harvest them are extremely important.

Chlorinated Dibenzo-p-Dioxins ( CDDs & CDFs) 

Dioxin-like Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs)

The World Health Organization's Dioxins and their effects on human health.

Highly dissolved in fat -this enables CDDs and CDFs to bio-accumulate in fatty tissues of living organisms, which results in higher levels in an individual than levels in the environment or in food The most vulnerable are the young who are exposed in-utero and post-partum (breast feeding) Although human exposure from food can be small, organochlorines do not break down easily and can build up in the body over time Affect human health at very low levels in terms of:

• Cancer
• Compromised immunity causing susceptibility to viruses and bacteria
• Birth defects and miscarriages
• Learning and behavioral impairments

Spraying of pesticides containing POPs in New Brunswick during the 1950’s into the ‘70s

Contains information licenced under the GeoNB Open Data Licence

Utility Lines  1955-1972 - 17 years
Roads          1955-1973 - 18 years
Railroads      1950’s-1973 ~20 years

• Among the oldest, most toxic and most environmentally destructive man-made pesticides
• Agent Orange, Agent White and Agent Purple were utilized in New Brunswick
• ~90% of exposure occurs through eating contaminated foods
• First introduced in the 1940s and 1950s, used extensively in agriculture, forestry, and in home pest control -most were banned in the 1970s and 1980s
• Typically very persistent, breaking down exceedingly slow once released into the environment, they are incorporated into ecosystems and food chains accumulating in sediments, plants and animal and remaining for years
• Classed as Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) which cause cancer and other debilitating diseases such as birth defects, learning disabilities, immunological, behavioural, neurological and reproductive disorders in humans and animals

Effects on Humans

Indigenous Peoples of North America: Environmental Exposures and Reproductive Justice  Indigenous American communities face disproportionate health burdens and environmental health risks compared with the average North American population. These health impacts are issues of both environmental and reproductive justice.

Human Exposure Assessment - World Health Organization

Review of Heavy Metal Effects - Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry

Heavy metal pollution and human bio-toxic effects - International Journal of Physical Sciences Vol. 2 (5), pp. 112-118, May, 2007. link too... Heavy metal pollution and human bio-toxic effects

Indigenous Women and Environmental Violence
A Rights-based approach addressing impacts of Environmental Contamination on Indigenous Women, Girls and Future Generations. Submitted to the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues Expert Group Meeting “Combatting Violence Against Indigenous Women and Girls”, January 18 – 20, 2012, United Nations Headquarters, New York by Andrea Carmen, International Indian Treaty Council and Indigenous Women’s Environmental and Reproductive Health Initiative, and Viola Waghiyi, Native Village of Savoonga, St. Lawrence Island, Alaska and Alaska Community Action on Toxics Theme 2: “Contextualizing Violence”

  ‘‘Gender-benders’’: Sex and Law in the Constitution.  Dayna Nadine Scott.  Fem Leg Stud (2009) 17:241–265DOI 10.1007/s10691-009-9127-4. 
“… there is a widespread acknowledgment of a general deterioration of male reproductive health worldwide, and many believe this can be traced to endocrine disruptors such as synthetic estrogens in the environment ….. the link between endocrine disruptors, mothers, and skewed sex ratios is this: findings show that in communities with low sex ratios there are also elevated levels of hormone-mimicking endocrine disruptors in the blood of pregnant women. …. lurking in the shadows of all of this controversy is the emerging theory of ‘feminisation’ (Mittelstaedt 2008). This posits that there might be an in utero feminisation of embryos that could have been male. The idea is that we are experiencing, not just in humans but also in animal species throughout the industrialised world, a feminisation trend that is observable across a variety of markers ...... ‘‘These things theoretically have a common etiology’’, according to Dr. Devra Davis (quoted in Mittelstaedt 2008). It is hypothesised that a declining sex ratio may be just one of a number of manifestations of a feminisation trend that is tied to endocrine disruption as very broadly experienced across the industrialised world. The gender dimension of the ‘harm’ experienced by the Aamjiwnaang community is as difficult to demonstrate as it is to dismiss. The impact of pollution seems not only to be gendered, but gendering. ...the endocrine disruptors do not just dole out their environmental health horrors disproportionately as between men and women, or girls and boys, they actually seem to be driving whether we get girls or boys. The pollution is feared to be actively producing gender. At the same time, its impact intersects directly with colonial histories of health and justice. “

Toxic chemicals blamed for the disappearance of Arctic boys.   By Daniel Howden in Nuuk, Greenland, Tuesday 11 September 2007.  PREPARED FOR: Prairie Women’s Health Centre of Excellence (PWHCE) & British Columbia Centre of Excellence for Women's Health (BCCEWH) APRIL, 2009
Twice as many girls as boys are being born in remote communities north of the Arctic Circle. Across much of the northern hemisphere, particularly in the US and Japan, the gender ratio has skewed towards girls for the first time. Now scientists working with Inuit villages in Arctic Russia and Greenland have found the first direct evidence that this trend is linked to widespread chemical pollutants. Despite the Arctic's pristine environment, the area functions as a pollution sink for much of the industrialised world. Winds and rivers deliver a toxic tide from the northern hemisphere into the polar food chain.

HUMANITY AT RISK: ARE THE MALES GOING FIRST?   The Globe and Mail Sat 20 Sep 2008 Byline: Martin Mittelstaedt
Something is happening to today's boys and men: Fewer are being born compared with girls, they're having more trouble in school, virility and fertility are down and testicular cancer rates are up. Now, scientists say these 'fragile males' may be more vulnerable than females to pollutants, affecting their development as early as the womb. If so, writes Martin Mittelstaedt, it could be a bigger threat to our future than global warming.

Prenatal Exposure of Canadian Children to Polychlorinated Biphenyls and Mercury  Can. J. Public Health; Vol 89; supple\;1Mmckle, G. et. al.
This article documents the exposure to environmental contaminants within subgroups of the Canadian population who are considered to be at risk as a result of the food they eat. We measured the concentrations of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and mercury in the blood drawn from the umbilical cords of newborns in various Aboriginal communities, in a coastal community and in the general population. Average concentrations of Aroclor 1260 ranged between 0.3 and 2.0 µg/L and were clearly highest among the Inuit of Nunavik and Baffin Island and among the Montagnais of Quebec. In these groups, we found contaminant levels in the blood of newborns that exceed the threshold beyond which cognitive impairments are expected to result. Average concentrations of mercury ranged between 1.0 and 14.2 µg/L; the Inuit of Nunavik and the NWT exhibited the highest exposure levels. A portion of the Nunavik and NWT Inuit had concentrations beyond the critical threshold for the appearance of neurological consequences. The variations in exposure levels resulted from the different nutritional practices of these Canadian sub-groups.

Exposure to Environmental Contaminants in Nunavik: Persistent Organic Pollutants and New Contaminants of Concern  PREPARED FOR: Institute national de santé publique du Québec & Nunavik Regional Board of Health and Social Services
Many questions and hypotheses are raised regarding the sources of exposure, the influence of diet and the possible toxic effects of emerging contaminants.

Maternal and Infant Health and the Physical Environment of First Nations and Inuit Communities: A Summary Review.  R. STOUT, T. DIONNE STOUT & R. HARP. PREPARED FOR Prairie Women’s Health Centre of Excellence (PWHCE)and the British Columbia Centre of Excellence for Women's Health (BCCEWH) APRIL, 2009

Relationship Between Children’s Health and Environmental Contaminant.  IN: Environmental Standard Setting and Children's Health Chapter 2. The Canadian Environmental Law Association (CELA)
Although the federal government does provide some funding for research on children’s environmental health, given the significant gaps in information identified in this study and through the preceding recommendations, the government should further support Canadian research that fills those data gaps. To that end, we recommend that government-funded centres of excellence for the study of environmental health be established which would include children’s health as an important focus. Such centres should encourage collaboration and coordination of research efforts between government and universities

Domain Specific Effects of Prenatal Exposure to PCBs,  Environ Health Perspect; DOI:10.1289/ehp.1206323  2014.
Multiple regression analyses revealed that higher prenatal PCB exposure was associated with decreased FTII novelty preference, indicating impaired visual recognition memory. Prenatal Hg was associated with poorer performance on A-not-B, which depends on working memory and is believed to be a precursor of executive function. Prenatal Pb was related to longer FTII fixation durations, indicating slower speed of information processing.

There is agreement that all our bodies carry heavy contaminant loads from man-made chemicals.

There is agreement that breastfeeding is indispensable for human growth and development.

There is not agreement on the health effects of contaminants in breastmilk on infants & children.

Breastfed infants are considered to be at the very top of the food chain for the simple reason that their source of nourishment is other humans, who are already at the top of the food chain.

Persistent organic pollutants (POPs) all tend to become magnified in the food chain over time.

Breastfeeding infants are thus the final target of POPs.

10 to 20 times as much of a mother's body burden of developmental toxins such as dioxins and PBDEs is transferred to the infant via the milk as by the transplacental route.

Highs, mid-levels and lows of infant exposures to certain toxins seem to correlate closely with highs, mid-levels and lows of autism or ASD traits, Publication of Pollution Action. 
Initiation of breastfeeding brings a sudden, major increase in toxins ingested, compatible with abrupt later appearance of negative effects. Decline of eye contact, beginning two months after birth, was found in infants who were later diagnosed with ASD.  This was not merely failure to develop, it was considered to be a derailment of initially satisfactory development.^14a  The study’s authors saw this to be especially significant since “deficits in eye contact have been a hallmark of autism since the condition’s initial description.

Through mechanisms, known and unknown, breastfeeding has a positive impact on child health, since breastmilk strengthens the immune system. However, heavy loads of environmental contaminants may threaten the capacity to reproduce immune-strengthening breastmilk.

The Postnatal Period

Why is the Early-Postnatal Period a Time of Special Concern regarding Effects of Developmental Toxins?

• A time of high vulnerability of the developing brain to effects of known, relatively widespread toxins
• A time of greatly increased exposures to neuro-developmental toxins
• The brain’s period of greatest cell proliferation is during the first two years of life
• Various brain regions are especially vulnerable to toxins during their peak developmental periods
• The cerebellum, which coordinates muscle (and eye) movement, is growing especially rapidly in the year after birth and is therefore quite vulnerable to toxins in this period.  Neurons in the cerebellum develop following birth, whereas neurons in the cortex develop mostly before birth

Cerebellar injury seems to be the most consistent neuropathology finding among children with ASD

Contaminants in Human Milk: Weighing the Risks against the Benefits of Breastfeeding
M. Nathaniel Mead. Environ Health Perspect. 2008 Oct; 116(10): A426–A434.
Given the tendency for persistent organic pollutants (POPs), pesticides, heavy metals, and other contaminants to accumulate in human milk, researchers and parents alike are asking whether the nursling’s exposure to these pollutants might reduce or even override the health benefits.

Environmental Contaminants in Breast Milk.
Krista Nickerson, Vol. 51, Iss. 1, Jan.–Feb.2006, Pgs 26–34
Toxic environmental contaminants can be transferred from mother to infant via breastfeeding. Persistent organic pollutants (POPs) are a family of lipophilic stable chemicals that bio-accumulate in adipose tissue and create a lasting toxic body burden. Breastfeeding provides a significant source of exposure to POPs early in human life, the effects of which are unknown, and is the subject of a growing body of research. Despite the possibility of harm from environmental contaminants in breast milk, breastfeeding is still recommended as the best infant feeding method. This article reviews what is known about POPs in breast milk and their effect on infant development to inform clinicians about the issue, provide recommendations for practice, and promote environmental and public health policies that reduce human exposure to harmful pollutants.

There appears to be an extremely high correlation between hazardous infant exposures to toxins and the lactation process, which mobilizes toxins that have been stored in a mother’s body fat and excretes them to the infant in highly-concentrated form.

Exposures to neuro-developmental toxins are often extraordinarily high in the early-postnatal period, by comparison with established national or international standards and also in relation to prenatal exposures.
Publication of Pollution Action

Children’s Environmental Health Project

The Children’s Environmental Health Project was designed by the Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment (CAPE). It is intended to introduce clinicians (and their patients) to the fundamentals and broad context of children’s environmental health issues.  The project also covers environmental history-taking and provides links to additional resources that may be useful to the interested individual. Lastly, a commentary is provided on the physician’s role in primary prevention of environmental health problems in children.

The Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment (CAPE), along with its sister organization the Canadian Health and Environment Education and Research Foundation (CHEER), are the only organizations in Canada dedicated to speaking for physicians on environmental issues. CAPE does evidence-based advocacy work related to these issues, while CHEER conducts research, educates the public, and analyses policies related to environmental issues, with particular attention to their effects on human health.

The primary tenet of the Hippocratic Oath is to do no harm. The medical profession therefore fundamentally endorses a precautionary approach that strives to protect the child when there is profound uncertainty and incomplete understanding of the risks from environmental toxins.

Health Canada

Maternal-Infant Research on Environmental Chemicals (The MIREC Study). 
Studies and reports have raised concerns about the number of chemicals in our bodies and the health effects that may be associated with the levels measured. Canadian data on this issue are limited.

This Canadian study has the following purposes:

• to measure the extent to which pregnant women and their babies are exposed to common environmental chemicals;
• to measure some of the beneficial elements in human breast milk;
• to assess what health risks, if any, are associated with the chemical levels measured, with a focus on heavy metals such as lead and mercury;
• to create a data and biological specimen bank for further research on fetal growth, pregnancy and health of mother and baby.

Maternal and fetal exposure to lead, mercury, cadmium and manganese: the MIREC Study. Arbuckle TE, Liang CL, Morisset AS, Fisher M, Weiler H, Mihai Cirtiu C, Legrand M, Davis K, Ettinger AS, Fraser WD, the MIREC Study Group. Chemosphere. 2016 Nov;163:270-82. doi: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2016.08.023. Epub 2016 Aug 16.
Given the susceptibility of the fetus to toxicants, it is important to estimate their exposure. Cd, Pb, Mn and total Hg were measured in maternal blood from the 1st and 3rd trimesters, umbilical cord blood, and infant meconium. Nutrient intakes of vitamin D, iron, and calcium (Ca) were assessed using a food frequency questionnaire and a dietary supplement questionnaire.  While Cd was rarely detected in cord blood (19%) or meconium (3%), median Pb (0.77 ìg/dL), Mn (31.87 ìg/L) and Hg (0.80 ìg/L) concentrations in cord blood were significantly higher than in maternal blood. Significant negative associations were observed between estimated Ca intake and maternal Cd, Pb, Mn and Hg, as well as cord blood Pb. Vitamin D intake was associated with lower maternal Cd, Pb, and Mn as well as Pb in cord blood.  Even at current metal exposure levels, increasing dietary Ca and vitamin D intake during pregnancy may be associated with lower maternal blood Pb and Cd concentrations and lower Pb in cord blood.

Maternal blood metal levels and fetal markers of metabolic function. Ashley-Martin J, Dodds L, Arbuckle TE, Ettinger AS, Shapiro GD, Fisher M, Taback S, Bouchard MF, Monnier P, Dallaire R, Fraser WD. Environmental Research. 2015;136:27-34.
This study supports the proposition that maternal levels of cadmium influence cord blood adipokine levels in a sex-dependent manner. Further investigation is required to confirm these findings and to determine how such findings at birth will translate into childhood anthropometric measures.

Air pollution exposure during pregnancy and fetal markers of metabolic function: the MIREC Study. Lavigne E, Ashley-Martin J, Dodds L, Arbuckle TE, Hystad P, Johnson M, Crouse DL, Ettinger AS, Shapiro GD, Fisher M, Morisset AS, Taback S, Bouchard MF, Sun L, Monnier P, Dallaire R, Fraser WD. American Journal of Epidemiology. 2016 2016 May 1;183(9):842-51. doi: 10.1093/aje/kwv256. Epub 2016 Mar 29.
Significant associations were seen between air pollution markers and cord blood leptin levels in models that adjusted for birth weight z score but not in models that did not adjust for birth weight z score. The roles of prenatal exposure to air pollution and fetal metabolic function in the potential development of childhood obesity should be further explored.

Concentrations of persistent organic pollutants in maternal and cord bloodfrom the maternal-infant research on environmental chemicals (MIREC) cohort study. Fisher M, Arbuckle TE, Liang CL, LeBlanc A, Gaudreau E, Foster WG, Haines D, Davis K, Fraser WD. Environmental Health. 2016 May 4;15(1):59.
Pregnant women are an especially important population to monitor for environmental exposures given the vulnerability of the developing fetus. During pregnancy and lactation chemical body burdens may change due to the significant physiological changes that occur. Developmental exposures to some persistent organic pollutants (POPs) have been linked with adverse health outcomes. Similar to other studies, we found parity, maternal age, income, education, smoking status, pre-pregnancy BMI and fish consumption to be significant predictors for most chemicals. Those participants who were foreign-born had significantly higher concentrations of organochlorinated pesticides and PCBs.

Other Publications

Methylmercury

Tissues undergoing growth (to which cell division is important) are especially vulnerable to methylmercury, since “methylmercury is known to inhibit cell division by causing metaphase arrest,” according to a WHO publication (Sect. 9).  Abnormal neuronal migration (as an effect of methylmercury exposure) is especially significant to discussion of origins of autism, since disorganization of brain cells, which could result from defective migration, was found in a 2014 study to be normally present in brains of children with ASD. 

Studies:

Mercury and other contaminants in common loons breeding in Atlantic Canada. Burgess NM, Evers DC, Kaplan JD. Environ. Sci. Technol. 2010

Abandoned Mines
There are more than 375 mine openings at 63 separate mine sites in the Province of New Brunswick. Most of these openings are on private land. Many of them predate modern safety rules. They are dangerous! New Brunswick Energy & Resource Development

Water Quality, Conservation & Supply

Wastewater Treatment

Wetlands

Wellfield Protection Designation Order

A Guide To New Brunswick’s Watershed Protected Area Designation Order

2nd ed.Practical Handbook of ENVIRONMENTAL SITE CHARACTERIZATION AND GROUND-WATER MONITORING

Water management

Understanding Legal Complexities of Integrated Water Management

Where can I get my well water tested in New Brunswick?

Septic Systems

Your Septic System

A Homeowner’s Guide to Septic Systems

Natural Technologies of Wastewater Treatment

Contact by Email
Tel:  506-458-9444
Fax:  506-458-2850

Rick Perley
Acting Natural Resources Liaison

Nuclear Waste Management Organization Update

In 2016 Laurie Swami became President and CEO of the Nuclear Waste Management Organization (NWMO). Since that time there have been reported changes in the operating processes at NWMO. These changes have caused delays in our negotiations for a renewal of our agreement since our last one concluded in June 2016. 

Implementing Adaptive Phased Management 2018 to 2022

NWMO Annual Report 2017

Pamphlet page 1. Information disseminated at Indian Summer Games 2018 

Pamphlet page 2: Information disseminated at Indian Summer Games 2018

NWMO Council of Elders and Youth

Mission

-To provide advice to the NWMO that will help protect and preserve all creation: air, land, fire, water, plants, medicines, animals and humankind

– Guided by seven universal teachings of love, trust, sharing, honesty, humanity, respect and wisdom.

Those representing New Brunswick are Elder Donna Augustine (Rexton, NB) and Youth Madison Levi (Metepenagiag Mi’kmaq Nation, NB).

There has been no Maliseet Elder representation on the council since Elder Leslie Perley’s term expired in August 2016. Since any spent fuel that will be transported from Point LePreau Nuclear Generating Station will be transported through Maliseet territory, UNBI is expressing concern to the  NWMO that this position is not being supported.

NWMO Strategic Objectives 2017 to 2021

The NWMO will:

» Build sustainable, long-term relationships with interested Canadians and Aboriginal peoples of Canada, and involve them in setting future directions for the safe, long-term management of used nuclear fuel. Continue to adapt plans for the management of used nuclear fuel in response to evolving societal expectations and values, insight from Indigenous Knowledge, and changes in public policies;

» Implement collaboratively with communities the process to select a site suitable for locating the deep geological repository and Centre of Expertise in a safe location in an area with an informed, willing host;

» Conduct testing of the engineered-barrier system in order to demonstrate that it meets safety requirements, and can be produced effectively and efficiently;

» Advance planning and capabilities for the construction and operation of the deep geological repository and the associated Centre of Expertise at the site selected to host the project;

» Continuously improve technical knowledge in collaboration with universities and international partners, and adapt plans consistent with international best practices;

» Establish safe, secure and socially acceptable plans for transporting used nuclear fuel;

» Ensure funds are available to pay for the safe, long-term management of Canada's used nuclear fuel; and

» Maintain an accountable governance structure that provides confidence to the Canadian public in the conduct of the NWMO's work.

Mandate

The Nuclear Waste Management Organization (NWMO) was established in 2002 by Canada's nuclear electricity producers in accordance with the Nuclear Fuel Waste Act (NFWA). Operating on a not-for-profit basis under the Canada Not-for-profit Corporations Act, the NWMO is responsible for designing and implementing Canada's plan for the long-term management of used nuclear fuel. Used nuclear fuel is created by generating electricity in nuclear power plants.

Ontario Power Generation (OPG), New Brunswick Power Corporation, and Hydro-Québec (HQ) are the founding Members of the NWMO, and along with Atomic Energy of Canada Limited (AECL), are required to fund the NWMO's Operations.

The NFWA required the NWMO to study approaches for the long-term management of used nuclear fuel and recommend to the Government of Canada a preferred approach. The NWMO initiated this study in 2002, and in 2005, after a three-year dialogue with Canadians from coast to Coast, submitted to the Minister of Natural Resources a proposed approach for the long-term management of Canada's used nuclear fuel.

In June 2007, the Government of Canada selected Adaptive Phased Management (APM) as Canada's plan for the long-term management of USed nuclear fuel.

The technical end point of APM is the centralized containment and isolation of the used fuel in a deep geological repository located at a safe site with an informed and willing host. The plan also involves the development of a used fuel transportation system to transport used nuclear fuel to the repository site.

The management system involves realistic, manageable phases, each marked by explicit decision points with continuing participation by interested Canadians.

Links...

Implementing Adaptive Phased Management 2016 to 2020

Indigenous Knowledge Policy

NWMO News and Activities

Radiation - Effects and Sources

NWMO Watching Brief on Advanced Fuel Cycles

Hosting a Nuclear Underground Storage Facility: Generations of Opportunity presented to a UNB class (ADM 2166) on Persuasive Economic Opportunities by Rick Perley

UNBI NWMO Workshop August 2005 Metepenagiag Lodge

Draft Study Report Dialogue Presentation E Dowdeswell, Saint John, July 5 2005

Household Hazardous Wastes

To inform and educate on how ordinary household products become hazardous and the impact that these products may have on the environment – notably drinking water sources.

Household Hazardous Wastes

Source Water Protection   - Details for USA but is relevant to Canada

What's in Your Well

Protect Your Community from Household Hazardous Waste

The Recycling Reference HGTV Canada

Link...

Regional Commission Programs

Level 1 Watersheds

"At-risk" Watersheds (at least <40% Crown forest cover <35 years old)  NB’s watersheds at risk. Megan de Graaf, NB Media Co-op, April 16, 2008.

1. Wild Goose Branch
2. Napadogan Brook
3. Big Forks Stream
4. Grey Brook Composite
5. Coal Creek
6. Forks Stream
7. Alward Brook Composite

"At-risk" Watersheds (at least <40% Crown forest cover <35 years old) NB’s watersheds at risk. Megan de Graaf, NB Media Co-op, April 16, 2008

1. Tomogonops River
2. North Branch Big Sevogle River
3. South Branch Big Sevogle River Headwaters
4. Lower North Branch Little Southwest Miramichi River
5. Little North Pole Brook Composite
6. North Pole Stream
7. Burnt Land Brook
8. Six Mile Brook

"At-risk" Watersheds (at least 40% Crown forest cover <35 years old.  NB’s watersheds at risk. Megan de Graaf, NB Media Co-op, April 16, 2008.

1. South Branch Kedgwick River
2. West of States Brook Composite
3. States Brook
4. McDougall Brook
5. Patapedia River

Bathurst Harbour Forty Four Mile Brook Forty Mile Brook Little South Branch Nepisiguit River Moody Brook Composite Nepisiguit River Headwaters Otter Brook Composite Pabineau River Composite Portage Brook Composite South Branch Nepisiguit River

"At-risk" Watersheds (at least 40% Crown forest cover <35 years old) NB’s watersheds at risk. Megan de Graaf, NB Media Co-op, April 16, 2008..

1. Middle River Headwaters
2. Little River
3. Forty Four Mile Brook
4. Forty Mile Brook
5. Nine Mile Brook
6. Nepisguit Brook Composite
7. Otter Brook Composite
8. South Branch Nepisiguit River (62% land covered in forest <35 years old)
   **MOST CRITICALLY AFFECTED WATERSHED
9. Little South Branch Nepisiguit River

"At-risk" Watersheds (at least 40% Crown forest cover <35 years old) NB’s watersheds at risk. Megan de Graaf, NB Media Co-op, April 16, 2008..

1. Middle River Headwaters
2. Little River

The South Branch Nepisiguit River, with 62% of the land base covered in Crown forest less than 35 years old, is the most critically affected watershed in the province.

Plant Database.wmv

Bill C-30, An Act to establish the Specific Claims Tribunal and to make consequential amendments to other Acts
Comments by Darrell Paul, Executive Director
Indigenous and Northern Affairs Committee on March 10th, 2008