Whale Cove (Apr 12/06) - The 2006 Kivalliq Regional Science Fair produced a string of firsts in Whale Cove earlier this month.

The fair was hosted by Inuglak school for the first time, and two new annual awards were unveiled.

Teal Kreuger of Baker Lake took top spot for his project, "Solving the Stink Pipe Problem," which is a way to keep sewage tank air vents free of ice in the winter.

Kreuger's win also ended the four-year run of students from Victor Sammurtok school taking top honours at the fair.

The Chesterfield Inlet school came close, as Shawna Sammurtok took second with "Whose Coat is Warmer?"

The project compared the insulative values of seal, caribou and polar bear furs.

The host school's Germaine Ekwalak and Alex Kaludjak took third with "Are Skins warmer than Boots?"

A total of 30 students from across the region exhibited 20 projects in the competition portion of the three-day event.

Michael Putulik and Yohan Grandjambe of Tusarvik school in Repulse Bay captured the first Thomas Kudloo Memorial Qanuqtuurniq Trophy for their project, "Fear Factor or Food Factor" (a comparison of bacterial growth in different country meats.)

The trophy and a $200 cash prize are awarded to the project that best addresses an issue of Northern relevance.

The trophy was presented by Kudloo's wife, Becky, who was chief judge for the fair.

The Kivalliq Science Educators Community (KSEC) presented the KSEC Tunganarniq Peer Trophy for the first time to the student who, in the eyes of his or her peers, best exhibits spirit that is open, welcoming and inclusive.

Grandjambe was also the first to have his name engraved on the KSEC trophy.

The fair featured numerous activities in addition to the competition, including popular races with cardboard snowmobiles, mousetrap cars and plywood hovercrafts.

KSEC president Jim Kreuger said Inuglak teacher Kristen Sawyers did a fantastic job organizing the event.

"Kristen did a superb job in handling the logistics of it all," said Kreuger.

"The fair was packed with activities that kept participants engaged and interacting with each other.

"It was a remarkable event and we really couldn't have asked for anything more."

Teal Kreuger, Sammurtok and Ekwalak will represent the Kivalliq at the Canada-wide Science Fair in Saguenay, Quebec, May 13-21.

They will be accompanied by Sawyers and Chad Clifford of Baker Lake.