Grant helps kick-start Paqtnkek's 'First Nation super station' on the FM dial

People on the Paqtnkek Mi'kmaw Nation, N.S., will soon be able to tune into Rez-FM, their very own community radio station, thanks to a $56,000 grant from Canadian Heritage and Multiculturalism.

Rez-FM will be broadcasting 126 hours of local programming every week, including at least five hours in Mi'kmaq. News and spoken word programming will also be included.

"This lets them tell their stories, their way, in their language. Using their history and culture as background," said station manager Richard Perry. "We can't wait to get on the air."

Ben Lafford, Rez-FM's producer and first paid employee, said elders in the community have shown interest in being on air.

"There's a crazy amount of great reception for putting language on the air," he said.

Lafford has some background in music production, but he never thought of radio as a possibility until he met Perry.

There are seven community members overseeing the station. Perry is the only non-Mi'kmaw member.

Perry, who lives in nearby Antigonish, has experience in radio and hosts his own podcast. When he began working in Paqtnkek's communications department, he realized the community wanted a radio station, but they were hesitant to go through the application process.

Now that the station has a Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) licence and the grant, they're almost ready for the air. Perry said they're just waiting on their signal to be tested by Industry Canada.

Perry said he hopes the station helps the community communicate and engage with one another.

"It's an opportunity to promote the Mi'kmaq language," he said.

For the past few weeks, Lafford has been recording promos of people in the community saying the station's tagline, "Your First Nation super station."

'Lean into that fear'

Lafford is excited to try out his hosting skills, but it wasn't always that way

When Perry first encouraged Lafford to give radio a try, Lafford wasn't sure he was up to the task.

"Those conversations that I had with Richard were enough to freak me out a little bit, but just enough to help me realize that I should lean into that fear," said Lafford.

Rez-FM will be streaming online in the next few weeks and will be available at 104.5 on the FM dial before the fall.