Ice road expected to close today

The Dettah ice road is expected to close today, five days after its original expected closure date.

The Mackenzie River ice crossing closed on Monday and operation of the Merv Hardie ferry is expected to be delayed past its usual May 13 operation date due to low and fluctuating water levels in Great Slave Lake, according to a Department of Transportation official.

- Nicole Veerman

Ignatieff heads to Yk

Liberal party leader Michael Ignatieff will be here on Monday morning for a few hours, according to Western Arctic Liberal candidate Joe Handley's campaign office.

"He's going to Dettah to the Deton'Cho Training Centre and we're having a barbecue at noon at the city hall green space," said Theresa Handley, Joe's wife.

Although rumours have been circulating that Prime Minister Stephen Harper will be arriving in Yellowknife on the weekend, the campaign office of the NWT's Conservative candidate, Sandy Lee, did not confirm he would be visiting the NWT.

NDP candidate Dennis Bevington's campaign officer is "not sure at this point" if NDP leader Jack Layton will be making an appearance in Yellowknife this campaign.

- Katherine Hudson

Pedestrian hit by car

A female pedestrian struck by a vehicle at 7:19 p.m. last night on Reservoir Road in Yellowknife was not seriously injured, said Const. Kathy Law of the Yellowknife RCMP.

Law said the woman was stuck at a very low speed and sustained non-life threatening injuries. She added the driver was distracted by the angle of the sun.

The ages of both people, and confirmation on whether anyone was charged as a result of the incident, were not available at press time.

- Terrence McEachern

Ultimate fishing town

Voting has begun in the World Fishing Network's quest to find the "Ultimate Fishing Town" in Canada and Yellowknife is on the list.

As of press time, our city sat in third place with just three votes in the North region, well behind Iqaluit, which was the leader.

The first round of voting opened on April 12 and will continue until May 3. Those wishing to vote can do so by visiting the World Fishing Network website and finding Yellowknife on the contest page.

- James McCarthy

Ice crossing closes

The Mackenzie River ice crossing has closed for the season.

The crossing outside of Fort Providence was shut down at 2 p.m. on April 4 despite a drop in temperatures. Normally, lower temperatures give the crossing a bit more time but there was an additional safety concern this year, said Earl Blacklock, a spokesperson with the Department of Transportation.

In the early winter, the river froze at a lower water level than normal, which left boulders from the river bottom protruding through the ice. The boulders were covered with ice when the crossing was built but as the surface melted they were emerging again, creating a potential hazard for vehicles, Blacklock said.

The crossing closed five days before its five-year average closure date of April 16. Blacklock said he's optimistic the Fort Providence ferry will open close to its normal four-week period but that the water levels in a few weeks will give a clearer indication.

Federal candidates forum in Fort Simpson

Four of the candidates for the Western Arctic riding will be gathering in Fort Simpson next week.

Nahendeh MLA Kevin Menicoche is organizing a candidates forum and has confirmation that the Liberal, NDP, Conservative and Green party candidates will attend. The forum will take place at 5 p.m. on April 17 in the recreation centre.

A moderator will run the forum and members of the public will have the chance to pose questions, Menicoche said.

Basketball team takes fourth

A Fort Simpson basketball team finished fourth at the Arctic Shootout Open Tournament.

The 10-person team competed in the basketball tournament in Yellowknife from April 1 to 3. In the round robin the village team lost to Hay River but defeated B.A. Rejects and Hot Shots, both teams from Yellowknife.

The Fort Simpson team went on to lose to Hay River again and also lose to B.A. Rejects in the consolation game putting them in fourth place. A total of six teams competed in the tournament.

Deh Cho representative named for arts council

A Fort Simpson resident is one of four people who have been appointed to the NWT Arts Council.

Barb Tsetso will be representing the Deh Cho on the council, which exists to promote the arts in the territory. The council makes recommendations to the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment on financial contributions to NWT residents for artistic projects.

Three reasons to celebrate

Ka'a'gee Tu/Kakisa

A community potluck was scheduled for April 13 to celebrate three elders who turned 80 or older this year. Annie Chicot and Victor St. Pierre, who had birthdays earlier in the year, are both 81 and Monique Providence is turning 80 on April 15.

Highly educated pizza deliverers

Deh Gah Got'ie Koe/Fort Providence

The 2011 Deh Gah School graduates are doing a fundraiser on April 20 where they are delivering a meal of pizza, Caesar salad and pop. Order forms are available at the Northern Store and Aurora Market.

Standard first aid, CPR and automated external defibrillator training is being offered at Deh Gah School on April 16 and 17 from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Don't forget your elder

Acho Dene Koe/Fort Liard

A community potluck is being held on April 17 at the community hall from 5 to 7 p.m. Everyone who attends is asked to bring an elder and a dish.

A residential school community meeting is taking place in Fort Liard from April 27 to May 1 at the band office. The meeting will begin at 8:30 a.m.

Jayhawk Frontier Exploration Ltd. is holding an open house on April 19 at the community hall from 1 to 7 p.m. to discuss the frac sand mine project in the Fisherman Lake area.

People who have a cabin in the area or consider it their traditional land are encouraged to attend.

Art for Mother Earth

Liidlii Kue/Fort Simpson

The Open Sky Creative Society is holding an Earth art event on April 16 in honour of Earth Day.

People who are interested in participating can meet outside of the society's office at 1 p.m.

A gathering of leaders

Tthek'ehdeli/Jean Marie River

Acting Chief Stan Sanguez, and band councillor Ernest Hardisty will be attending the Dehcho First Nations' spring leadership meeting on the Hay River Reserve from April 18 to 21.

Happy birthday to Myra Sanguez and Melvin Sake on April 21.

Springtime concerns

Sambaa K'e/Trout Lake

Chief Dolphus Jumbo and elder Thomas Kotchea will be representing Trout Lake at the Dehcho First Nations' spring leadership meeting on the Hay River Reserve from April 18 to 21.

The Dehcho First Nations' negotiating team was in the community on April 12 to provide an update on the Dehcho Process.

Flower power

Daffodil sales for the Canadian Cancer Society were a huge success, according to Peggy Jay with the Inuvialuit Regional Corporation.

The sale of the flowers last week raised $4,272 in Inuvik alone and Jay said once all the boxes still out in the community come back, the final tally will likely exceed the goal of $5,000.

"The volunteers were great and enjoyed the morning selling daffodils door to door," Jay said in an e-mail, adding they received 18 boxes with 50 bunches of daffodils in each box, shipped up by Canadian North.

Climate change presentations

Two days of presentations at the Midnight Sun Recreation Complex on climate change and community-based monitoring concluded yesterday.

Topics ranged from beluga whale monitoring to Arctic cod in the Beaufort Sea to combining traditional Inuvialuit knowledge and scientific knowledge to gain a better understanding of environmental changes.

The event, held by ArcticNet and the Fisheries Joint Management Committee, was open to the public.

Volunteers needed for Western Canada games

The Sport North Federation is seeking volunteer applications for people interested in attending the 2011 Western Canada Summer Games in Kamloops, B.C., this August.

Volunteers for the mission staff will act as liaisons between the sports and coaches and team managers at the games from Aug. 5 to 15. Each member will be assigned to a team prior to the games, with the possibility of a second team being assigned. Applicants must have sport and volunteer background, knowledge of high performance sport, and strong communication and interpersonal skills.

The deadline for applications is April 25, 2011. For more information, visit the Sport North website.

Funding available for literacy projects

The NWT Literacy Council is accepting applications for the 2011-2012 funding year for projects aimed at younger children.

The projects must benefit pre-school children up to the age of six and their families. Funding will be given up to a maximum of $3,000 and can go toward more than one project. At least one person on the project must have family literacy training through the council.

Applications can be submitted now and into next year, but projects must be completed by March 31, 2012 and a short report will be required as part of the funding agreement.

For more information visit the NWT Literacy Council website.

Science fair winners

Aklavik

Three of the 10 students from Aklavik's Moose Kerr School took home medals from the Beaufort-Delta Regional Science Fair on April 9.

Alannis McKee, in Grade 9, took home second place in the junior division and was selected as a representative of the Mackenzie Delta at the Canada Wide Science Fair in Toronto from May 14 to 21.

Two other students, Carly Sayers and Theiron John in Grade 10 took home first and third in the senior division for their projects.

Gwich'in Day in Fort McPherson

Tetlit'Zheh/Fort McPherson

On April 22 the hamlet of Fort McPherson will celebrate everything for the annual Gwich'in Day.

Fun games and a cookout will be held to entertain the community and celebrate the day the Gwich'in signed their land claim.

It'll be a big event, with games and activities for elders, children and adults. It'll start in the afternoon at the Charles Koe building and go through the afternoon.

Another goal this year for the event will be promote healthy living and traditional culture. There'll be door prizes and prizes for events held. The Gwich'in signed a land claim agreement with the federal and territorial governments on April 22, 1992, 71 years after Treaty 11 in 1921.

Four-on-four hockey tournament

Paulatuk

This coming weekend, the community of Paulatuk will gather at the Leonce Dehurtevent Arena for the Four on Four hockey tournament.

Players will submit their name and then the teams will be formed randomly, by pulling names out of a hat.

Players will also have a chance to shine at the skills competition, which includes fastest skater, puck handling, shooting accuracy and the shoot out. The final games will be held on April 17 and the winners will receive bragging rights.

Community corporation meeting

Ulukhaktok/Holman

The Ulukhaktok Community Corporation will meet on April 21 for its annual general meeting.

The corporation is a division of the Inuvialuit Regional Corporation and has many goals and objectives. It sets criteria for membership, identifies active members of the corporation, governs matters of local concern, exercises control over any development activity, provides grants for the community and establishes hunter and trapper committees.

Spring break for students

Tetlit 'Zheh/Fort McPherson

Students staying in Fort McPherson over their spring break will have a bounty of fun activities to choose from.

School's out from April 18 to 26, and each day the recreation department will hold different activities to entertain the youth and children.

There will be outdoor events such as pond hockey and sledding, as well as indoor fun like curling and movie nights. Food, of course, will be offered, including hotdog lunches or pizza.

For more information, call the hamlet office.