Happy attendees agreed that the staff-organized Aboriginal Day Tour of Neyaashiinigmiing was a great success. Everyone enjoyed the beautiful weather and the opportunity to get and meet friends and families (from a safe 2 metre distance) that we haven’t seen in a while. As residents visited the program stops, the flair of decorated vehicles was judged by the automotive design staff [Not really – Ed.], while the decorated yards were judged by a roving band of highly trained landscape engineers [Still nope – Ed.].

In any case, the Winners for the Best Decorated Yard are:
1st: Keshia Keeshig
2nd: Rose Lamen
3rd: Donna (Towdy) Akiwenzie

The Best Decorated Vehicle awards go to:
1st: Shawn Nadjiwon
2nd: Amy Ingram (Nadjiwon-Tobey)
3rd: Jean Akiwenzie

We will update this post when we have the winner of the hotly contested Poker Run from the organizers.

As a final aside, the winner of the May Health Centre survey draw is Lisa Akiwenzie. Congratulations!

We would like to say chi-miigwech(!) to all of the employees who planned and staffed their event locations with such grace and warmth today. We are very grateful for their commitment to the community. The staff, in their turn, thank all the residents who visited and shared this beautiful day of solidarity with them.

If you couldn’t visit with us today, and would like to see some of what was happening, our Communications Manager, Michael Johnston, hosted a series of unscripted [Obviously. – Ed.] Facebook Live videos at each of the locations. He met the staff manning the booths, took part in some of the events, and offered a sometimes-related stream of consciousness commentary. Check out the videos on our Facebook page and enjoy a little bit of home!

With COVID-19 restrictions on large gatherings still in place, the Chippewas of Nawash programs had to come up with a new twist on the annual staff-organized celebration. This year, Aboriginal Day will be celebrated with a tour of the community. Residents will walk, bike or use their own vehicles to drive around Neyaashiinigmiing, visiting the various program locations for games and giveaways. There will also be prizes for the Best Decorated Car, Best Decorated Yard, and Best Poker Hand!

Devise your own creative wonders for your vehicle, or take advantage of a limited number of car decoration kits available at the Health Centre. As you visit the program stops, your vehicle’s flair will be judged by the staff, with a winner announced at the end of the day.

If you prefer to decorate your yard, register with Norma Tobey, Home and Community Care Supervisor, 519-534-0373.

Lastly, some stops will have playing cards to pass out to visitors. Collect 5 cards to create your hand. At the end of the day, the best poker hand wins!