FAQ
Welcome to the frequently asked questions page. Here you will find answers to commonly asked questions.
Admin
Frequently asked questions regarding the band office administration
I NEED THIS RIGHT NOW!!!!
Please be considerate to our staff. They work very hard to ensure that everything is handled correctly and in a timely order. That being said, we can’t just drop everything we’re working on, to solve your request the moment you request it. Please give us some time to ensure it’s done correctly, and if it’s of high priority, please try to come to us with your request as early as possible (not 10 minutes before closing).
Health
Frequently asked questions regarding the Gitsegukla Health Centre
How do I request to see a Doctor, Dentist, or Counselor?
To request an appointment during doctor days (When a doctor is in office), inquire at the front desk of the Health Center.
How do I apply for Patient Travel, and when should I apply?
For Patient Travel Inquires, contact Violet at the PT Department of the Health Center.
Who can I contact in the case of a Patient Travel emergency?
We unfortunately do not have an after hours emergency contact for Patient Travel, please ensure to plan your Travel arrangements well ahead of time to avoid disruptions.
How do I apply to be go to a treatment center?
Inquire at the Health Center front desk to see about treatment/rehabilitation options.
When is the elder’s luncheon?
The elder’s luncheon is held once a month. Contact the Health Center for details.
When is the Community Luncheon?
The community luncheon is held every Thursday at noon at the Health Center.
Social Development
Frequently asked questions regarding the Social Development Department
How do I sign up to receive Social Assistance (S.A), and what do I need?
In order to apply for Social Assistance, you must provide the following to Social Development:
– 2 Pieces of ID
– Previous Year’s Tax Assessment
– Bank Statements from the previous 2 months.
For more information, ask to speak to Social Development at the Health Center.
What is expected of me to continue receiving S.A every month?
To avoid interruption in receiving Social Assistance, you must complete your monthly renewal each month.
For more information, ask at the front desk of Health Center.
I didn’t get my S.A this month, why?
Reason 1: You didn’t hand in your monthly renewal.
Reason 2: You handed in your monthly renewal after the deadline.
Reason 3: You no longer qualify for Social Assistance (Currently employed, making more than allowed while on S.A).
Can I work while on Social Assistance?
You can work, depending on what category you fall under. (Single, Single w/ Dependent, Couple, Couple w/ Dependents, etc.).
For more information on whether or not you can still collect S.A while working, please contact Social Development.
What day is S.A received every month?
Social Assistance is paid out on the last Wednesday of each month. The payout date may change depending on Office Hours, Holidays, or other interruptions. For accurate information, please contact Social Development or ask at the front desk of the Health Center.
What is incentive work, and how do I get started?
Incentive work is work that is done while on S.A, which is paid by an Incentive Fee added to your monthly S.A check.
Work must be approved by the Social Development Worker. Inquire with Social Development for Incentive Work Opportunities.
What is special needs/necessity assistance (ex. furnace breaks down)?
Special Needs Allowance is intended to provide financial assistance on a one-time exceptional basis to S.A recipients who face emergency needs they could not have planned for, to prevent imminent danger to their health, or for immediate protection of a child.
The Special Needs Allowance is not intended to supplement monthly benefits. The Special Needs Allowance applicant must be eligible to receive income assistance.
For more information, contact Social Development.
What is Shelter Coverage and how does it work?
Social Development provides an allowance for Rent/Shelter coverage. If there are multiple people in a household, each S.A recipient will be covered for their portion of the rent. If there is a person in the household who does not receive S.A, it is their responsibility to pay their portion.
Shelter coverage may be available for Rent, BC Hydro, TELUS, Fire Wood, etc.
For more information, please contact Social Development.
How is Hydro handled while on S.A? and what are my responsibilities?
It is the responsibility of the S.A recipient to bring in their BC Hydro bill to Social Development in order for it to be paid. Social Development pays BC Hydro directly, unless it is requested that the amount be paid to the Homeowner instead.
Housing
Frequently asked questions regarding housing in Gitsegukla
How do I apply for housing?
There are currently no available housing units available within our community. However there is a waiting list for housing. If you would like to get on the waiting list, write a letter to the band office stating your situation, the number of people in your household, and include your basic and contact information. Please note that there is no guarantee as to when your name will come up for a housing opportunity, and it should not be your only option.
How do I apply for maintenance on a Band owned property?
To request maintenance on a band-owned property, you must contact the Housing Department at Administration. You will be asked to fill out a maintenance request form.
For more information, please contact the Housing Department.
When is my rent due?
Rent is due monthly. Contact the Housing Department to discuss your Rental Arrangement.
Education
Frequently asked questions regarding education in Gitsegukla
How do I enroll my child with the Gitsegukla Elementary School?
New students can register at the office at Gitsegukla Elementary School
Is there a deadline for enrolment with the Elementary School?
If you are new to the area, we accept your registration anytime throughout the year. If you are already in community and decide to enrol your student in Gitsegukla mid year, permission will be needed before registering.
Does the Gitsegukla Elementary School provide a language/culture curriculum?
The Staff at Gitsegukla Elementary are proud to provide Gitxsan language and culture integrated throughout the Core Competencies/Curriculum. We are proud that we have over half our staff as Gitxsan speakers willing to converse and share their knowledge of their language and culture.
Does the Gitsegukla Elementary School provide lunch for students?
Gitsegukla Elementary provides a hot lunch daily for students.
How do I enrol my child with the Gitsegukla Headstart?
The Prek/4 Program or Headstart can register at the office at Gitsegukla Elementary School.
(TBA)
What are the requirements for my child to attend Headstart (minimum age/skills)?
Is there a deadline for enrolment with the Gitsegukla Headstart?
There are no deadlines for Headstart programs.
What times does the Headstart begin/end the school day?
We have two programs running at the Headstart building. Our Pre-K/4 Program is from 9am to 12pm on weekdays, and the Headstart Program is 1pm to 3pm. There is supervised bus pick up available for all students.
Who is eligible for Post Secondary funding, and what does it cover?
(TBA)
How do I apply for Post Secondary funding/who do I contact?
(TBA)
Does Post Secondary funding typically provide living allowance?
(TBA)
Internet
Frequently asked questions regarding Gitsegukla Internet Services
How do I get connected/open a new account?
Drop in at the band office or give us a call. Ask for Hunter, and we can schedule an installation.
How do I check my data usage?
Drop in at the band office, or give us a call.
Why is my data usage so high?
Our data usage counter resets on the first day of every month, regardless of when we begin disconnections. If you don’t pay your internet until later in the month, your usage from the beginning of the month will still be counted. There are a number of reasons why your data usage could be so high. The following activities tend to use the most data, especially if done around the clock: Online Gaming, Video Streaming (Especially HD), Downloading (Movies, Games, Software Updates), and believe it or not, Facebook videos. All of these services utilize more bandwidth than usual, and you should be mindful about this if you’re on a data based internet package.
My internet isn’t working or is very slow.
The first step in diagnosing your internet, is to do a full reboot. Unplug both your router and modem for 60 seconds. If that doesn’t fix things, then the next step is to give us a call at the band office, where we can either manually reset your modem from our end, or give you a new modem entirely. Alternatively, to further locate the issue, you can plug a device (computer/game console) into your modem directly. Reboot the modem, and test your internet connection for a while. If it works without issue, your problem is with your router, if it doesn’t work, then your issue is with your modem, or our network, at which point you should give us a call.
Why can’t we just get TELUS or CityWest to come in and sell their services?
Our internet system is based on a copper coax network. It’s the same cable as you would use for cable television, and this system is quite dated. It’s quite a large project to upgrade our internet system, and to bring in another service provider, requires a fair sized price tag to outfit our community with Fiber Optics or Wireless networking hardware. It’s especially hard to justify to other providers, considering we have less than 150 customers, which means a million dollar investment isn’t quite in their best interests. It doesn’t mean it’s impossible, but it does mean it’ll take time, and we must explore other options. Grants are a possibility to make this happen, but those projects do take a while. Regardless, this is our goal in the long run.
Can I come see you anytime about my internet (after hours)?
No. You can’t go to a TELUS representatives home to ask about your internet, and you can’t do the same here. No one likes to be bothered about work while they’re eating dinner with their family. If you have an issue with your internet, you may email me here (hunter.frank@gitsegukla.net), or send me a personal message and I will get back to you when I can. If you’re nice about it, I’ll be nice about it. If you’re not.. then you can wait until the next business day.
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