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News Briefs: Wednesday, July 11, 2012
Fire closes Highway 1
Smoke from a forest fire has closed a section of Highway 1.
"It's closed to all traffic on the Alberta side," said Greg Whitlock, Department of Transportation regional superintendent for the South Slave region.
As of Tuesday, the Alberta section at Indian Cabins was closed to traffic from 10 a.m. until 10 p.m.
If conditions allow, vehicles were going to be allowed through with an escort at press time.
For updated travel alerts, visit the GNWT website.
- Danielle Sachs
Wings over Yellowknife
One hundred planes representing 40 different makes will be flying into Yellowknife this weekend as part of John Lovelace's Aircraft Adventure Northwest Territories 2012.
Landing Sunday, the Century Flight Club will be spending a week in Yellowknife, with day trips to Hay River, Fort Smith and Fort Simpson, said pilot John Lovelace, chairman of the club and former host and producer of the Wings Over Canada television series.
Everyone is invited to meet the aviators near the Matrix Helicopters building, at the north-east end of the airport, starting at 4 p.m. on Sunday, Lovelace said.
- Danielle Sachs
Borrowing ideas
City councillors who attended the 75th annual general meeting and Municipal Expo for the Federation of Canadian Municipalities conference in Saskatoon from May 31 to June 4 presented their reports and expense claims this week during the municipal services committee. The attending councillors included Amanda Mallon, Shelagh Montgomery, Bob Brooks and Cory Vanthuyne.
"We liked what the city of Saskatoon did to get more node parks, bicycle racks, and also the promotion of local artists with local themes on electrical boxes," said Brooks.
- Simon Whitehouse
Blast from the past
Old Town Glassworks has entered a contest to replace the co-operative's aging sandblaster.
Called the Ugly Blaster Contest, the competition is run by IKONICS Imaging. If the Old Town business wins, the recycled glass studio will be the owner of a new $7, 000 machine.
The new sandblaster would have better ventilation and would be more energy-efficient than the 40-year-old machine currently in use, said Matthew Grogono, facility director.
The public voting period runs until July 13 on the IKONICS Imaging Facebook page.
- Danielle Sachs
Game on
Thousands of fish wash ashore
Arviat
A run of unusually bad weather causing rough waves led to one of the heaviest capelin runs in recent memory in Arviat this past week. Large crowds took to the beach using nets, pails and even their hands to scoop up thousands of the fish washed ashore. Estimates of the last time such a heavy run of capelin occurred in Arviat range from 10 to 42 years ago.
Junior Rangers gather
Kivalliq
Junior Canadian Rangers from across the Kivalliq joined the more than 200 who gathered in Whitehorse for seven days of challenging activities at the Enhanced Training Session offered by the First Canadian Ranger Patrol Group from June 24 to July 1.
Exercise Skookum Ptarmigan IX attracted Junior Rangers from 36 communities across the three territories and Atlin, B.C., and concentrated on the three circles of learning; traditional, life and Ranger skills. For the complete story on the Junior Ranger gathering, please see the July 18 edition of Kivalliq News.
Cup date set
Rankin Inlet/Kivalliq
The Rankin Inlet Coed Softball League has announced the 2012 Calm Air Cup will be held in Rankin from Aug. 10 to 12.
The final deadline for team registration is 5 p.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 8. The league also announced its executive committee for this season, with Robert Connelly serving as president, Damian MacInnis as first vicepresident, Chad Graham as second vicepresident, and Lesli Rynyk and Kandace Kusugak both in the position of cosecretarytreasurer.
Program announced
Kivalliq/Nunavut
The federal government announced the launch of the new Community Infrastructure Improvement Fund in the North this past week in Whitehorse. Community facilities, such as docks, roads, community and cultural centres, and local connectivity will be eligible to apply to the fund. The fund is worth $6.2 million over two years and will be delivered in Nunavut, the Northwest Territories and the Yukon by the Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency.
Nunavut Day celebrations
Rankin Inlet
An afternoon of special activities were held in Rankin Inlet to celebrate Nunavut Day this past Monday, July 9.
The event was sponsored by Nunavut Tunngavik Inc. The festivities included live entertainment, a community barbecue, a clown and magician for children's entertainment, adult games, elders tea boiling and bannock making, a boat race, candy toss and draw for free airline tickets. For the complete story and photos from the celebration, please see the July 18 edition of Kivalliq News.
Rankin Inlet
The first season of play on the new artificial turf ball diamond in Rankin Inlet got underway this past week, with the A&K Hardballs staging a dramatic seventh inning comeback to defeat M&T 19-18.
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