Qalipu First Nation membership deadline looming

The deadline to apply for membership in Newfoundland and Labrador's newest aboriginal band, the Qalipu First Nation, is Friday, Nov. 30.

Anyone who wants to become a member of the band has until 4 p.m. to submit an application.

The band, which doesn't formally lay claim to any land, has already accepted more than 20,000 members.

But band leaders say more than 60,000 people are vying for membership, which is a much greater number than originally expected.

The federal government has hired a lawyer to look at tightening enrolment guidelines.