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The events in November were carried out in the municipalities of the lake as follows: 4.11. At the Tyrnävä Leather Factory. 15.11. In Kempele on the Vihiluoto nature trail. 18.11. In Liminka, in the Arboretum of Alakestilä. 25.11. In the Shadow of the Snow River. You can now give feedback on events and also share ideas for planning future events. Marrastulet will also be organised in 2024 as an activity of the municipalities themselves! Please leave your feedback by 31 December 2023 via this link: https://link.webropolsurveys.com/S/29E5B6BCA9D6782D Book prizes will be drawn between participants and those who have left their contact details. Marrastulet was implemented by the Regional Assembly of Oulu Region's Cultural Cell - Collaboration and impact on the cultural services of municipalities as an art pilot for the project. Further information: Project Manager Auli Suorsa (auli.suorsa@pohjois-pohjanmaa.fi).

Iijoki stories have been collected in art workshops organised in the municipalities along the Iijoki River this autumn. Now the stories have been compiled into municipality-specific video works and published on the Youtube channel of the Regional Council of Northern Ostrobothnia. There is also one piece that combines all the stories. In the videos, residents of the municipalities along the Iijoki River of different ages from Kuusamo, Taivalkoski, Pudasjärvi, Iin Jakkukylä and Yli-Ii in Oulu tell about their own relationship with the environment and nature and the significance of Iijoki in their lives. “My family has been living on these shores for a long time. I am part of a chain of generations and feel great gratitude, and it is a valuable thing to be able to live here on the banks of the river Iijoki, in Jakkukylä. This is what the resident of Jakkukylä says in the video. A total of 236 people participated in the art workshops. The age range of participants was between 3 and 93 years. People with an immigrant background were involved in Kuusamo

The application period for JTF projects for the 2021-2027 programming period of the Regional Council of Northern Ostrobothnia closed on 30 November 2023. By the deadline, 23 applications were received by the Regional Council of Northern Ostrobothnia. The applications sought funding from the Regional Council of Northern Ostrobothnia totalling approximately EUR 5.2 million. Funding available is approximately €2.0 million. The decisions on applications for further processing will be received in February 2023. The application round for JTF projects will continue until 31 December 2023.

The responsibility for organising the public employment services will be transferred from the TE Office to the employment areas formed by the municipalities on 1 January 2025. Some of the ELY Centre's services will also be transferred to the employment areas. By the end of October, the municipalities notified the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment of their solutions for organising employment services. Three employment areas were reported to the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment from Northern Ostrobothnia. The largest of these is Oulu and the employment area formed by environmental municipalities, where the City of Oulu acts as the organising body. The organizer of the Kainuu-Koillismaa employment area is Kajaani and its affiliates from the North Ostrobothnia region are Kuusamo and Taivalkoski. The third employment area is in the southern part of Oulu, where Raahe is the organizer. The proposed employment areas meet the requirements of the 20,000 labour force bases and laws for a geographically homogeneous area that works in terms of the labour market and employment. ‘The regions of Northern Ostrobothnia, despite their geographical extent, are compact regions with similar labour market characteristics in their regions’,…

Oulun Rantasaunaseura ry receives the 2023 North Ostrobothnia Organisational Award for the volunteer and cultural activities of the Summer Sauna, which strengthens Finnish and local sauna culture. The award-winning association receives 1,000 euros to support its operations. The cultural activities of the 2023 sauna have focused around the sauna theme and deepened the visitor's experiences. Summer Sauna has created a diverse community in Oulu. The activities are boundary-breaking and in an exemplary way the theme of the year is realized in surprising contexts of culture. Oulun Rantasaunaseura has shown unique cooperation and volunteer spirit. The workshops are attended by people of many ages from Oulu and also international volunteers. Summer Sauna is an Oulu-based phenomenon that naturally connects visitors of different ages, locals and international visitors. In 2023, there have been more than 14,000 sauna bathers and…

Minister, honourable representatives of the municipalities and all the partners, good participants. We warmly welcome you and it is nice that you have arrived to the regional parliament organized by the Regional Council of Northern Ostrobothnia. What is North Ostrobothnia like? Geographically, we are the 2nd largest province in Finland. Homeland for about 416,000 people. We are also a province of young people. The average age of a North Ostrobothnian is about 40.2 years.  The eyes turn north in many ways. With the many changes in the world, the North is becoming a national question for Finland and a question of the future for Europe as a whole, both in terms of security and economy. The importance of the north has become even more pronounced, unfortunately with the ongoing brutal Russian war of aggression and Finland's NATO membership.  At present, about 95 per cent of Finland's foreign trade passes through the Gulf of Finland by sea. In the event of a disruption to maritime traffic in the Gulf of Finland, we will have to resort to alternative routes. The geopolitical importance of the North is crystallized by the fact that in such a situation…

The wind power potential of Northern Ostrobothnia and the view of the most suitable areas for wind power construction have now been investigated. Sweco was a wide-ranging expert partner in the TUULI project. One of the priorities of the Regional Programme for Northern Ostrobothnia is to respond to the challenge of climate change and to develop the region towards low carbon. Climate change mitigation and adaptation require regional and local action. The promotion of wind power construction is one of the most significant means of contributing to these goals. The results of the TUULI project (Sustainable Wind Power Construction in Northern Ostrobothnia) will be used in the planning of wind power at the regional and municipal levels, as well as to support impact assessment and decision-making. The data are the starting point for steering the wind power construction of the ongoing energy and climate phase regional plan for North Ostrobothnia. - We want to increase Finland's energy self-sufficiency and security of supply and reduce greenhouse gas emissions through our regional work. We in Northern Ostrobothnia are at the heart of the energy transition and the green transition, says Environment Manager… of the Regional Council of Northern Ostrobothnia

The application period for JTF projects will continue until 31 December 2023. We extended the application period to allow more applications to be submitted. We have updated the closing date of the application round in the call for applications.

Change Now – well-being in the municipality through physical activity!   The Northern Ostrobothnia Welfare Forum 2023 will be held on Wednesday 15 November 2023 at 9.45-16 at Linnakangas School in Kempele, Linnakaarto 20, 90450 Kempele. The Regional Council of Northern Ostrobothnia organises the forum in cooperation with the Regional Sports Federation of Northern Ostrobothnia and the municipality of Kempele. The event is free of charge, including coffee and lunch. The North Ostrobothnia Welfare Forum will be held for the 16th time. This year, the focus will be on, among other things, effective measures to increase mobility and the state of well-being of people of invited age in Northern Ostrobothnia. The forum also hears about local good practices and rewards the well-being act of the year. After the Forum, North Ostrobothnia Sports Association and the municipality of Kempele will organise a separate evening event from 5 pm to 7 pm. The program has been published. You can sign up for the forum by this link by 6 November 2023. For more information on the Welfare Forum, visit our website.

The second and final application period for the sixth round of ERDF projects will run until 16 February 2024. We extended the application period to allow applications to be submitted also in early 2024. We have updated the closing date for the application round mentioned in the call for applications.