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It has been a long time coming;
shovels finally hit the ground to mark
the start of the new community center
in Gros Mecatina!
In November 2008, the contract for the
new community center was awarded to
GIDC, a local contractor. This was the
second time the project had gone out
on tenders in recent months. The first
proposals were found to be too high,
these high costs were due in part to the
recent spike in the cost of steel. If
accepted those proposals would put a
financial burden on the CDLS and the
MGM. In the intervening months the
CDLS and MGM worked continuously
to accrue more funding for the new
facility. Mayor, Randy Jones, after
many meetings and contacts with M.
Normandearu (Minister of Municipal
Affairs) convinced the minister of the
importance of such a municipal struc-
ture in our community. M. Noraman-
deau finally agreed with Mayor Jones
and provided funding for this project
at a 95% : 5% thus lifting the fore men-
tionned burden on the MGM and the
CDLS. The funding will still come from
various sources but the majority; $3.9
million will come from the government of
Quebec. The completion date for the
facility is September 2009.
The new community center will contain a
community hall, a rink area, dressing
rooms and office space for the CDLS.
Since the establishment of the CDLS in
2001 we, the CDLS, have been promot-
ing the construction of a multipurpose
facility in Gros Mecatina. With this in
mind the goal of the CDLS is to provide
our youth with access to facilities that
youth in urban areas are surrounded by
everyday. This facility will also improve
the sports and leisure activities for eve-
ryone in our community and promote a
healthier lifestyle.
For us, the CDLS, this is part of our mis-
sion; to provide our community with
plenty of opportunities to grow, develop,
and to strengthen our future.
The CDLS would like to take this time to
thank everyone for their continuous
support!
CDLS
A Community Centre for La Tabatiere!
Special points of interest:
La Tabatiere’s Winter Events
Activities at Mecatina School
Talent Show
Black Velvet
House Teams and Home-work
Parenting Workshops
Gros Mecatina Times
M E C A T I N A C O M M U N I T Y L E A R N I N G C E N T R E
Volume 2, Issue 2
December, 2008
La Tabatiere Predators 2
La Tabatiere Senior’s Club
3
QLF Seal Fishery Project
4
Encounters With Canada
6
Mecatina Book Fair Mecatina Sports
7 8
St. Lawrence School News
9
Lower North Shore Fisherman’s Assoc.
10
Inside this issue:
Once again we are approach-
ing that time of the year,
HOCKEY SEASON on the
Lower North Shore. Our youth
team, the PREDATORS, are al-
ready getting prepared for an-
other season. The predators
team began floor hockey in the
school gym in November prac-
ticing their drills and waiting
for the rink to be ready so they
can begin their new season.
We are very pleased to say
that the team consists of 24
players this year ranging from
8 years to 13 years. It is great
to see the hard work and dedi-
cation along with the pleasure
that these young players take
from being a part of a team.
We are very proud to see the
team spirit that they show both
on and off ice. It’s not all about
winning for this team, it’s also
about having fun!
We are looking forward to the
upcoming season with the
Predators and would like to say
a huge welcome to all the new
team members.
CDLS
La Tabatiere Predators 08/09
Page 2 Gros Mecatina Times
Predators 2007-2008 Predators 2008—2009
River Mitchell Brock Marcoux Kianna Robertson
Tristan Nadeau Chloe Anderson Josh Bobbitt
Brandon Organ Victor Roberson Marianne Monger
Brandon Leon Madison Morency Hannah Organ
Niki Morency Rick Cormier Marcus Bobbitt
Jeff Hodgins Alanna Willcott Nico Organ
Christian Rowsell Brielle Boudrias Brett Marcoux
Zachary Mercier Connor Organ Noah Green
The La Tabatiere Senior’s Club
was legally incorporated as a
non-profit organization on No-
vember 16, 2007. Presently,
there are five members; Lorraine
Green, Carolyn Vatcher, Alcida
Wellman, Marilyn Collier and
Rita Collier, but all seniors are
welcome to become members.
Our mission is: -to bring together senior citizens
and ensure their well-being and
the safeguarding of their
interests.
-to intervene before any organi-
zation, provincial or federal gov-
ernments, so as to defend and
promote the rights of our seniors.
-to organize and maintain any
other related social, sporting, or
cultural activity to promote the
goals of our seniors.
-to organize fundraising activities
for the purpose of the Seniors
Club
This is all very new for us and the
first year is a learning period
especially in management. We
are just beginning to gain more
confidence and to be more
comfortable within our role as
members of the Club.
We plan to organize activities to
help break the isolation of
seniors who are confined to their
homes and hope to interest all of
them to become more involved and
to participate in as many activities
as possible. It is very important that
ALL SENIORS are part of our club and are still important to the
community.
Some members have been organiz-
ing weekly bingos before our club
was formed and doing fundraising,
and continue to do so. Bingos seem
to be the most popular activity and
provides an opportunity to enjoy a
social outing with friends.
On October 18th, 2008 our group
sponsored a free supper for seniors
65 years and over. Thanks to
Dorothy Robertson for preparing
the meal and also the ladies who
helped serve. We really appreciate
it! Thanks also to the wildlife
officers who donated the salmon.
Thirty-four people attended the
supper and seemed to enjoy the
meal as well as meeting their
friends. A Special THANKS to Darcy Chubbs, Delima Smith, and
Tony Gallichon for entertaining our
seniors with a few songs and tunes.
I noticed a few tapping their feet
and maybe thinking of the OLD
SQUARE DANCES or the STEP-
DANCING! They really enjoyed this. We hope to do it again
sometime.
We received a grant from The Na-
tional Policy on Rurality Program
as start up funding to purchase
material and supplies for our fund-
raising events BUT we need peo-ple to help us with the crafts such
as: sewing, knitting, etc…, and yes
MEN we also have supplies for woodworking projects. Anyone
interested can contact one of the
members. We would like to thank
the people who came forward to
start doing some of these things.
We hope in the future to develop
actions that will provide more ser-
vices and activities for our seniors.
So come on SENIORS, get involved, we know you can still do
things, we need your ideas,
opinions and support as well as
the support of our community.
We would like to take this oppor-
tunity to wish EVERYONE a very
MERRY CHRISTMAS and a
HAPPY and HEALTHY NEW
YEAR!
La Tabatiere Seniors Club
Caption describing picture or graphic.
Page 3
La Tabatiere Senior’s Club
The Quebec Labrador Foun-
dation has has hired a Coor-
dinator, Ms. Monica Green,
for a period of 20 weeks to
carry out a project about the
Seal Fishery in La Tabatiere.
This project consists of gath-
ering info on the impact of
the Seal Fishery; the income
it provided, the products
that were developed, and
the way of life it created.
Genealogy and cartography
will also be studied.
Mecatina School will be
involved in this project in a
number of ways. Secondary
V students will do a Podcast
in collaboration with Voices-
from Quebec . Another
class will work on
a time line of the
Seal Fishery, while
yet another group
will research
species, habitat,
food, and the
environment
pertaining to seals.
The involvement of the stu-
dents will help preserve this
cultural heritage in
La Tabatiere.
Monica will also work with
the Tourism Committee of
Gros Mecatina to produce
two historical panels on the
Seal Fishery, as well as a
pamphlet containing details
on our heritage.
“I would like to thank
everyone that has
shown me support in
this project. It is the
perfect opportunity to
begin the preservation
of such a rich cultural
heritage”
Monica Green
Coordinator of Seal Fishery Project
the student’s
creations of symbols
of the coast.
On Dec. 9th the
students, adults, &
seniors met to share
their visions for the
project, and the quilting will
begin in January.
Some of the grade
5, 6 & Sec. I
students from
Mecatina School
have joined with
ladies from the
community to
create a community quilt.
The designs are based on
It is our hope that this inter-
generational activity will be
just the beginning of many
more.
Look for the progress of the
quilt in upcoming issues.
Melinda Gallichon (Teacher)
&
Molly Organ (CLC Coordinator)
QLF Seal Fishery Project
Community Quilt
“How will our children know who
they are if they don’t know where
they came from?”
-John Steinbeck
Page 4 Gros Mecatina Times
The Ledger of
Samuel John Roberston (courtesy of Leonard Robertson)
Student’s paper version
The Secondary 5 class of
Mecatina School have some-
thing new this year. They
are taking a shop class. This
class takes place twice a
week after lunch and lasts
two hours.
At the beginning of the year
we were organized into
three groups to assemble
different power tools; a band
saw, a belt sander and a drill
press.
At the moment we are work-
ing on an ice-fishing cabin.
We are going to sell tickets
on the cabin when it is com-
plete. The funds will be
used to pay for all the
equipment and wood bought
for the project.
The students are learning
how to work as a team, how
to read blue prints, and
many other tricks of the
trade.
The teachers for shop class
are Thomas Mckinnon and
Fay Collier.
“There’s nothing like the
smell of wood in the after-
noon!”
Pierre-Yves Lettelier
Secondary 5 Student
all: we will see
Bonhomme
Carnaval in
person. We have been
working very hard
fundraising to make this trip
a reality. We have had a
video games night, a movie
night and a ticket sale on a
trip for two
donated by
Air
Labrador.
Mecatina School is planning a
cultural trip to Québec City
for grade 5 to secondary 3
students. This trip is planned
for February 12th to the 17th.
Students will have the chance
to do a variety of activities
such as sliding at Village
Vacances Valcartier, going
for a dogsledding activity,
visit to the aquarium and
many other activities. We
will be attending the Quebec
Winter Carnival and most of
I would like to take this
opportunity to thank
everyone who has
supported our efforts. This
trip will certainly be
memorable for our
wonderful students.
Bon Voyage!
Josée Perrier (FSL Teacher)
Cultural Trip to Quebec City
Quebec City here we come!
“One’s destination is never a place,
But a new way of seeing things.”
-Henry Miller
Page 5
Shop Class at Mecatina School
It all started in May of 2008, I
saw a poster on the wall at
school for Encounters With
Canada. I’d heard other stu-
dents talking about it and how
it had been the most amazing
time of their lives. So I decided
to write a letter to my school
principal and staff to see if I
could get accepted to have this
opportunity. I wrote the letter,
and I got accepted to go. I
couldn’t believe I would be the
one to go to represent my
school and my town. I was so
happy I almost cried right
there in class, but it was on my
way home for lunch when the
tears came.
Encounters With Canada is a
week long trip to Ottawa which
is focused toward the learning
and understanding of the topic
you choose. I wasn’t quite sure
which one of the 12 programs I
wanted so finally I picked
medicine and health, with my
second choice being Canada
Remembers. Young people
from all across Canada go to
learn about their country, and
each other. Each year more
than 3,000 students participate.
During the week of my trip
there were 138 French and
English youth.
I was scheduled to go the week
of Nov. 23rd—30th, during the
week of my first topic choice;
medicine and health. I
anxiously waited for my ticket,
and the day I would leave —
Nov. 21st. After spending a
night in Sept-Iles I was finally
headed for Ottawa and
wouldn’t be home until
Dec. 1st.
My first day in Ottawa we went
to the parliament buildings for
the whole day. It was a dream
come true. A group photo was
taken of all 138 of us from
Canada, and one cool
exchange student from
Argentina. I went to see the
movie “Twilight”, and a NHL
game between the Senators
and the Leafs. Another thing
that I really enjoyed was when
we did African dancing. On
the last night there was a ban-
quet and a dance. We were all
so sad when it was time to
leave.
Overall, I had the most amaz-
ing week and met so many
great people. The people you
meet while you’re there
become your family, your
sisters and brothers. There
were so many of them, yet I
miss them all, and although we
are keeping in touch with MSN
and Facebook, I hope I’ll get to
see them in person again.
I would recommend Encoun-
ters to everyone because it
truly is an unforgettable
experience!
Alexandra Mercier
Secondary 4 Student
Mecatina School
My Unforgettable and Unregrettable Trip With Encounters With Canada
Page 6 Gros Mecatina Times
Once again Mecatina School
held its annual Scholastic Book
Fair. It was another great suc-
cess. The total profits for our
school were $981.46. With this
money we will purchase various
resources from Scholastic.
The turnout was terrific even
though the weather was horri-
ble. It was great to see both
children and adults excited and
eager to check out the book
selection. I hope they were not
disappointed.
Of course, our event is success-
ful thanks to the great volunteers
we have. A big thank you goes
out to Thomas Mckinnon, Kathy
Green, Maureen Collier, Jenny
Marcoux, Jean Willcott, Tanya
Bateman, Tanya Poole, and Jean
Mckinnon for the help provided in
making the event a success. As
well, the financial contribution of
the Mecatina School Governing
Board is greatly appreciated.
Of course, without the students,
parents and general population
who bought the materials the fair
would have been a flop. Many
thanks go out to all of you who
supported this worthwhile event.
Congratulations to Corey
Mckinnon and her teacher, Tanya
Poole for winning the draw of
$25.00 each. I hope you enjoy
your selections.
Melinda Gallichon
Charirperson
“Books, I found, had the power
to make time stand still, retreat
or fly into the future.”
Jim Bishop
Page 7
Mecatina Book Fair 2008!
Talent Show December 18, 2008 Time: 6:30 pm La Tabatiere Community Hall Admittance Fee: $ 5.00/adult $ 3.00/ student Local Talent & A variety of items on tickets by local organizations!!
Come on out for a Christmas Celebration!
School students to be a good
representation for us. Keep
your eyes and ears open for
upcoming tournaments.
Fay Collier
Gym Teacher
well. Alanna
Willcott was cho-
sen to represent
her age group in
Baie Comeau in
October. Alanna
did a great job finishing 19th
overall in her age category.
A boys and girls floor
hockey team went to Blanc
Sablon to compete in a floor
hockey competition. There
was some great hockey in
both divisions. A good
weekend was had by all;
new friends were made and
good food enjoyed.
The winter sporting sched-
ule is looking quite busy as
well. I expect our Mecatina
Since September, Snak-O-Rama,
a student run business, has been
successfully open. Each morning
before classes begin, the busi-
ness is opened by a Secondary
student. At this time secondary
students may purchase nutritious
snacks to give them energy for
their morning classes. At recess
time, it is opened by a primary
student. At this time primary
may purchase
snacks.
As well as having
cashiers, Snak-O-
Rama has shelf
stockers and inventory workers.
The students have been doing a
great job. Each Friday the work-
ers eagerly await their pay.
Keep up the great work and
thanks to all Snak-O-Rama cus-
tomers! We enjoy your business!
Melinda Gallichon (Teacher)
Snak-O-Rama Open at Mecatina School!
It has been quite a busy Fall
here at Mecatina School.
We have after-school activi-
ties; badminton, volleyball
or floor hockey, planned
every day for primary and
secondary students. I am
pleased to see lots of new
faces joining in these activi-
ties. They are getting fit
while having fun!
Earlier
this Fall
we sent a
cross
country
team to St. Paul’s for tryouts
for the regionals in Baie
Comeau. It was the team’s
first time participating in this
event and they did very
“Champions aren’t made in the
gyms. Champions are made from
something they have deep inside
them — a desire, a dream, a
vision.” Muhammad Ali
Page 8 Gros Mecatina Times
Mecatina School Sports
Hey Ho! Let’s Go!
Thursday, October 9th, 2008, was the Quebec Sports and Physical Activity Day. Activities was held throughout Quebec on the long Thanksgiving weekend. At St. Lawrence School, parents joined their children for a fun-filled morning of physical activity. Some activities included Dodge Ball, Scooters, Parachute and The old time favourite, Duck Duck Goose. Thanks for the parent support… Tina Leon (Teacher)
Project Love
“Thinking globally, acting locally,
making a difference!”
Page 9
Quebec Sports and Physical Activity Day at St. Lawrence School It was exciting when our parents were there because there were more people.
I felt happy and I loved that day.
I enjoyed the scooter because my Dad pulled me and I TRIED to pull my Dad.
``Because Project Love is a hands-on activity, it helps Canadian stu-dents learn that their counterparts in other countries don’t have
the same opportunities they do,`` said Garth
Brooks (Project Manager)
St. Lawrence children send school supplies to students in Tanzania for Valentine’s Day.
Tina Leon (Teacher)
The Lower North Shore Fisher-man’s Association (LNSFA) is a non-profit organization with ob-jectives to: regroup fishers, favor dialogue, assure a better distri-bution of information, identify fisher’s needs, and work to structure & support the fishing industry. The LNSFA also pre-sents claims to the Provincial and Federal government by en-couraging the consensus on re-gional issues. The marine com-mercial species that the LNSFA deals with are cod, turbot, shrimp, crab, lumpfish, emerg-ing species, lobster and seal.
The LNSFA also collects biologi-cal data on crab through the Post Season Surveys. This is an initia-tive by DFO science and in-volves the collaboration of in-dustry. These surveys develop fishery independent indices of abundance to help adjust the snow crab yield annually. The survey involves crab fishers us-ing Japanese pots set on prede-termined transects. Field techni-cians collect biological data on crabs during the sampling of crab pots. All collected data is validated and provided to the Department of Fisheries & Oceans (DFO) Science. Results from surveys are jointly re-viewed between industry and DFO science.
The Sentinel Fishery is another science related program aimed at better understanding Cod
stocks. This program includes ten Sentinel sites between Sept-Îles and Blanc Sablon. Sentinel fishers conduct sentinel activi-ties using gillnets and longline fishing gear. Each Sentinel ac-tivity involves fishers weighing catches, indicating by-catch spe-cies, measuring fish, recording positions, and completing log-book. All data collected is for-warded to DFO science, which is later used to help determine stock size. Frank Collier
Science Coordinator
Black Velvet has also played at
Mecatina’s 2007-08 graduation
and the annual Fall Festival.
On November 6th, 2008 a band
named Black Velvet, a rock n’
roll cover band, performed in
the gymnasium at Mecatina
School. Their afternoon per-
formance was a reward for all
the students who worked hard to
support their House Teams. The
winner of the first term was an-
nounced, and everyone had a
great time!
The band consists of four mem-
bers; Pierre-Yves Lettelier (bass
and lead vocals), Currie Galli-
chon (rhythm guitar), Ricky
Chubbs (rhythm guitar and lead
vocals), and Alex Bateman
(drums and backup vocals).
These guys put all their heart
and soul into their music!
The Lower North Shore Fisherman’s Association
Black Velvet
“There are fish in the sea
better than have ever been
caught”
an Irish saying
Page 10 Gros Mecatina Times
classes during the school day.
This program is of great
benefit for the students of
Mecatina School.
John Weideman
Principal
This year Mecatina School
started a House Team system.
The whole school was divided
into 4 teams; Red, Blue, Green
and Yellow. Each team came up
with a name and a cheer.
The idea is to create school spirit
and to promote various activities
on a bi-weekly basis. Individual
members can make points for
their team by participating in
activities, and the team with the
greatest number of points at the
end of a term
wins a group
prize. The
red team won
for the 1st
term.
We also have
a system where students can re-
ceive a “respect and behavior”
coupon for demonstrating certain
behaviors. This coupon is worth
points for their team. In this way
teams can accumulate more points
toward their goal.
At the last term assembly we were
privileged to have a concert by
“Black Velvet”, a local rock band.
Students listened to music and
danced, and generally had a
great time.
I truly believe this program is
working as there has been a dra-
matic reduction in the number of
student behavior and homework
detentions. Congratulations to all
our students!
John Weideman (Principal)
Homework Assistance Each year Mecatina School re-
ceives a grant to support students
in homework activities. This year
the homework centre is open from
Monday to Friday 3:00 pm to 4:00
pm. There are also opportunities
for students to learn homework
and assignment skills in certain
“Home computers are being called
upon to perform many new functions,
Including the consumption of
Homework formerly eaten by the dog.”
Doug Larson
Page 11
Mecatina School House Teams
Christmas Holiday time is an opportunity for family members to get
together and share the love and warmth they have for each other.
In this ever changing world it is comforting to know that this holiday
season we can enjoy our home with warmth and a fine meal.
The staff at Mecatina School wishes the community of La Tabatiere &
Mutton Bay a joyous Christmas and a healthy successful new year!
Mecatina Staff
Quebec Federation of Home and School Association, Inc.
are presenting
“PALS PLUS—PARENTING WITH CONFIDENCE”
with Pat Waters, Med.
Date Topic
Jan. 28 Learning Styles: Help your child be a successful learner
Learning Styles: Everyone has a distinct learning style, just like everyone has a unique
fingerprint. Some people learn better visually, some auditorially and others
kinaesthetically. Understanding how our children learn leads to improvements in a
child’s academic performance and raises self-esteem.”
Feb. 25 Building Your Child’s Self—Esteem
Understand the importance and interconnection of self-esteem in your life and in your
child’s life. Recognize the connection with success in school.
Apr. 8 Communication: Listening with both ears
Understand the role effective parent-child communication plays in learning and
schooling. If a child feels listened to, he or she will feel good about himself or herself.
Mecatina Community Learning Centre
Molly Organ MCLC Coordinator 2 Rue Cove Sud La Tabatiere, Qc. G0G 1T0
Phone: 418-773-2430 Fax: 418-773-2255 E-mail: [email protected]
To encourage life-long learning by providing sustainable, safe, and motivating opportunities in collaboration with contributing partners, thereby maintaining and improving quality of life within the community.
Christmas has arrived at
SEASIDE SUPPLIES
Drop by and check out our great selection
of
Christmas cards, wrapping paper, chocolates, Candies, decorations and so much more!
We have lots of gifts for the whole family
Bring your shopping list And you can get all the supplies you need for
Your Christmas baking
We would like to wish everyone a safe and MERRY CHRISTMAS
All the best for
2009 Seaside Supplies: Taking Care of our Customers
Seasons Greetings &
Best Wishes For
All the Days Of
The coming year..
Have a safe and Happy Holiday! CDLS
A Message from Mecatina CLC
Thank you to everyone who submitted an
article for this issue of Gros Mecatina Times.
The next issue will be published in March of
2009, and your stories, ideas, & suggestions
would be very welcome.
MERRY CHRISTMAS
&
A VERY HAPPY NEW YEAR!
Molly Organ
MCLC Coordinator
