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News Briefs: Monday, March 5, 2012
Ministers meet
David Ramsay, the minister of Transportation, met with the federal minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities on Feb. 27 to discuss the Inuvik-Tuktoyaktuk highway.
Ramsay gave an update on the environmental assessment and geotechnical analysis underway, but said he wasn't prepared to discuss funding with Minister Denis Lebel.
The federal government promised $150 million for the highway, representing three-quarters of the cost, but that estimate has since gone up.
Ramsay said the GNWT has to sort out more details, including land tenure and royalty rates, before requesting more funds from the federal government.
- Nathalie Heiberg-Harrison
Drug bust in Hay River
Two people face drug charges after the RCMP executed a search warrant at a Hay River residence on Feb. 21.
The search resulted in about 169 grams of marijuana being seized, along with a small amount of cash.
Two occupants of the residence - a 56-year-old woman and a 48-year-old man - each face one count of possession for the purpose of trafficking under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act.
They also face two counts each of careless storage of a firearm under the Criminal Code. Their next court appearance is in Hay River territorial court on May 22.
- Paul Bickford
RCMP seize liquor
RCMP in Fort Good Hope seized 42 bottles of vodka from a motorist on the winter road from Norman Wells on Feb. 24.
They were able to locate the suspect after receiving a tip he was transporting alcohol into the community.
The 31-year-old driver of the vehicle was charged with possessing more than the allowable amount of liquor and operating a vehicle without a valid driver's licence.
He is scheduled to appear in territorial court on April 18.
- Nathalie Heiberg-Harrison
Drug charges laid
Two Alberta residents face drug charges following an RCMP traffic stop at about 10:30 p.m. on Feb. 27, about 19 km northwest of Enterprise on Highway 1. According to the RCMP, 295 grams of marijuana were seized in the vehicle.
A 40-year-old man and 21-year-old woman have been charged with possession for the purpose of trafficking under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act.
Their next court appearance is in Hay River territorial court on July 11. Police believe the marijuana was destined for Fort Providence.
- Paul Bickford
Finding a new home
Tetlit'Zheh/Fort McPherson
The Tl'oondih lodge and kitchen were moved from their original camp outside of Fort McPherson to a sandbar beside the community on Feb. 14.
On March 2 the buildings, which originally served as a healing camp, were to be placed on Hannah's Field in the centre of town. The Tetlit Gwich'in Council hopes to convert them into a tourist facility and cafe to be used in the summer months.
Tl'oondih Healing Camp was built in the mid-1990s and consisted of a 2,000-sq.-ft lodge, a kitchen and cabins.
- Nathalie Heiberg-Harrison
Ice fishing derby planned
Thebacha/Fort Smith
This year's Fort Smith Ice Fishing Derby is set for March 23 to 25.
The event will be held at three lakes - Natawa, Blackman and Jackfish - about two hours by snowmobile east of Fort Smith, although people can also pay to fly into the location via Northwestern Air Lease Ltd.
The derby will feature two age categories - adult and 15 years of age and under.
Fishing licences are required by all participants.
The entry fee is $20 for adults and $15 for 15 years of age and under.
- Paul Bickford
Bonspiel this weekend
Aklavik
The Sam Arey Curling Club in Aklavik is scheduled to host a mixed bonspiel from March 9 to 11.
There will be prizes for A, B and C events and the annual event is open to teams from across the North. To sign up, contact Dean or Faye at the Aklavik hamlet office.
- Nathalie Heiberg-Harrison
A passion for science
Tsiigehtchic/Arctic Red River
The students of Chief Paul Niditchie School are scheduled to participate in a science fair on March 7. The community is welcome to attend.
- Nathalie Heiberg-Harrison
Big plans for Angik
Paulatuk
Angik School is closed for professional development until March 6, with two teachers attending programs in British Columbia and the rest staying in Paulatuk to take part in cultural activities. When classes resume, students can look forward to the many visitors arriving in the community in March.
An occupational therapist and speech language pathologist from Inuvik will be meeting with students in early March. In addition, judo coach Mario Desforges, from Yellowknife, will be in the community from March 6 to 7 to teach students about judo.
Principal Russell Hancock said the school has a lot to be proud of, too. Three students recently returned from the NWT-North Regional Skills Competition in Inuvik. Carmen Green placed first in workplace safety, Patrick Illasiak placed second in carpentry and Bessie Lennie Ruben placed third in cultural sewing.
- Nathalie Heiberg-Harrison
Snowshoeing and skiing in park
Thebacha/Fort Smith
Step and Slide - a fun snowshoe and ski event for all ages - will be held in Wood Buffalo National Park on March 17.
It will take place from 1 to 4 p.m. at the Salt River day-use area, about 24 km south of Fort Smith in the Alberta section of the park.
The event is free and no registration is required.
There will be two groomed and scenic ski/snowshoe trails, including the 1.5-km Salt River Meadows Loop and the four-km Moose Meadows Loop.
In addition, there will be a fire and warm-up shelter, featuring hotdogs and refreshments.
The event is a co-operative effort of Wood Buffalo National Park and the Fort Smith Ski Club.
- Paul Bickford
Elders parliament planned
NWT
Elders have until March 9 to submit their applications to take part in the 2012 Elders Parliament scheduled to run from May 7 to 11 in Yellowknife.
Any NWT resident over the age of 50 can apply. The first Elders Parliament was held in 2010 and is designed to give elders a forum to voice their concerns and showcase the territory's unique consensus form of government.
The Beaufort and Mackenzie Delta's representatives two years ago were John Norbert (Mackenzie Delta), Georgina Jacobson-Masuzumi (Nanakput), Tom Wright (Inuvik Twin Lakes) and Marjorie Elanik (Inuvik Boot Lake).
- Nathalie Heiberg-Harrison
Healing workshop planned
Gameti/Rae Lakes
Gameti is set to host a workshop, titled Our Way of Life, Culture Exchange and Healing, from March 19 to 23.
The five-day workshop is a place to share legends and stories, strengthen ties between communities and encourage participants to take part in a healing process, according to organizers.
Participants from Deline and Kugluktuk, Nunavut, are expected to travel by snowmobile to attend.
- Nathalie Heiberg-Harrison
Dechinta needs researcher
Somba K'e/Yellowknife
The Dechinta Bush University Centre for Research is looking for a master of arts student to assist with a research project.
The successful candidate will, over the course of one to two years, evaluate current Dechinta courses and practices, work with elders, research and develop land-based university curricula and assist with administrative duties.
The research project is funded through the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada. Preference will be given to an aboriginal student from the NWT
- Nathalie Heiberg-Harrison
Guest speaker at Deninu School
Deninu Ku'e/Fort Resolution
Deninu School in Fort Resolution will hold its second annual Anti-Bullying/Substance Abuse Awareness Week from March 12-14.
On March 12, the special guest will be Bill Belsey, an award-winning teacher from Alberta and the founder of the first website to address cyberbullying. Belsey will make presentations to kindergarten to Grade 5 students in the morning and Grade 6 to 12 students in the afternoon.
On March 14, a special assembly will be held from 1:30-3:30 p.m. There will also be a barbecue and a celebration photo taken outside the school with students, staff and visitors.
- Paul Bickford
Arctic Bay hunters may draw for polar bear tags
Ikpiarjuk/Arctic Bay
With a successful, well-managed polar bear hunt this year, Arctic Bay had nine quota tags remaining as of Feb. 28, Ikajutit Hunters and Trappers manager Jack Willie said.
Community hunters were meeting this week to discuss how the final nine would be distributed, with the most likely choice being through a draw.
The hamlet started with 25 tags in October, and normally has less than 10 by this time of year.
"If the community members don't overhunt females, the quota remains the same each year," he said.
- Casey Lessard
Employee honoured in Repulse Bay
Naujat/Repulse Bay
Colin Laidlaw of the Northern store in Repulse Bay was among 17 North West Co. employees honoured with the chain's President's Award in celebration of its 25th anniversary as an independent company earlier this month.
Laidlaw earned the President's Award in the leadership category.
- Darrell Greer
Muskox program looks to acquire first hide
Ausuittuq/Grise Fiord
Students and teachers at Arctic College in Grise Fiord are eager to get working on their first skin after a young man in the hamlet killed a muskox some time last week.
"I've been wanting to get my hands on it every day since the guy caught it," said adult educator Jimmie Qaapik.
"There has been one muskox caught and we're about to buy the skin," he said. "We're just waiting for the person to bring in the muskox tag."
Once the animal is brought in, the college will hire some community members to clean the hide and take the wool out to prepare the animal products for use in classes.
- Casey Lessard
Qikiqtarjuaq artists start workshops
Qikiqtarjuaq/Broughton Island
Artists in Qikiqtarjuaq are preparing to take advantage of efforts to boost the community's economic potential through instruction about sewing and jewelry making.
The hamlet's sewing workshop started Feb. 29 and runs five days a week to March 23 at the old Arctic College building.
"We have a couple of community members who are going to instruct a group of community members how to make kamiks and other things traditionally," economic development officer Mike Cook said.
The hamlet gym will host a jewelry making workshop starting March 5, Cook said. The goal is to give residents the resources to sell their work to tourists in the future.
- Casey Lessard
Economic development officer of the year
Ikaluktutiak/Cambridge Bay
Jim McEachern has been Cambridge Bay's economic development officer (EDO) for fewer than two years and already, he's been named Nunavut's EDO of the year.
Jim McEachern was honoured earlier this month by the Nunavut Economic Developers Association with the recognition, a certificate and a vest.
"I was very surprised and really, I was honoured to get the recognition from my peers and colleagues and from the partners we work with. So it was a great honour," he said.
He added the acknowledgment also recognizes the amount of development opportunities there are in Cambridge Bay, such as the new hamlet office, the expanded Nunavut Arctic College campus, upgrades and renovations to the airport and the Canadian High Arctic Research Station.
McEachern, 39, spent almost four years in Turkey before stepping into his current position in Cambridge Bay.
Prior to that, he lived close to four years in Rankin Inlet, working for the Nunavut Development Corporation and CIBC.
- Jeanne Gagnon
Caller ID coming to Gjoa Haven
Uqsuqtuuq/Gjoa Haven
Fewer crank calls are expected in Gjoa Haven as residents will soon see who is calling before picking up the phone.
NorthwesTel informed the community last month it is getting caller-identification service by April. Gjoa Haven Mayor Allen Aglukkaq said the community had been lobbying for the service for years.
"It will be great to have (caller ID) because we will know who is calling before we answer the phone," said Aglukkaq. "Crank calls in our community - we don't know who is doing those. It's hard to know when you don't have caller ID. So this way, if it's a person from another community, we will know who is calling."
Gjoa Haven will be the last Nunavut community to get caller ID. NorthwesTel is going ahead with caller ID as the project is placed on this year's capital plan, said spokeswoman Emily Younker.
- Jeanne Gagnon
Recycling efforts amount to $3,000
Arviat
Arviat's Sila Rainbow group was presented with a $3,000 cheque earlier this month for the recycling efforts of its members.
Sila Rainbow is a volunteer, nonprofit organization that focuses on supporting youth in the community by promoting a variety of causes, such as healthy living and antibullying strategies.
The group focused on recycling as a way of fundraising and collected enough aluminium recyclables to fill two sea cans. Arctic Cooperatives Limited launched its aluminium can recycling project on behalf of member Coops in Nunavut this past spring.
Since its inception, the project has shown how a community can achieve a cleaner environment and reduce consumption of a nonrenewable resource.
- Darrell Greer
Rankin youth program give shape to ice
Kangiqliniq/Rankin Inlet
The Pulaarvik Kablu Friendship Centre is sponsoring an ice-chisel (tuuq) and ice-scooper (iilaut) program through the Makkuktut Sangiktilirput Youth Program.
The program is aimed at young men aged 18 to 24 and is tentatively scheduled to begin today at the Nunavut Trades School shop. The course will run from Monday to Friday from 9 a.m. until 4:30 p.m.
All tools and materials will be provided, and participants keep their chisels and scoops when completed.
Anyone interested in attending the program are please asked to phone the friendship centre in Rankin.
- Darrell Greer
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News desk 
