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A glycol leak on Dec. 12 closed Paul William Kaeser High School in Fort Smith for a day and a half.

It was closed for the afternoon of Dec. 12 and all day on Dec. 13 after a radiator leaked a considerable amount of glycol and left one wing of the school without heat, according to principal Al Karasiuk.

The leak was cleaned up quickly by the Department of Public Works and Services, and the break in the radiator was sealed.

However, once the glycol started evaporating and getting into the air handling system, it was necessary to close the school and allow it to ventilate for 48 hours, Karasiuk said. "That's what we ended up doing."

The school was back to normal for classes on Monday, Dec. 16.

- Paul Bickford

Volunteers needed for New Year's Eve

The Town of Fort Smith is seeking volunteers to help with its Family First Night Carnival.

The family-friendly event will be held from 3 to 5 p.m. on Dec. 31 in the gym of the Fort Smith Rec Centre.

Volunteers are needed to help with such things as set-up and games.

- Paul Bickford

New service directory

The territorial government has launched a new service directory.

The directory, which is available from the government's main web page, was designed to give residents and businesses a more efficient way to find the government services they require. The directory includes information on more than 375 territorial government services, everything from applying for an NWT archeologists' permit to a free timber-cutting permit.

- Roxanna Thomson

Road to Tuk not open

Despite the heavy volume of traffic being seen on the river, the winter road from Inuvik to Tuktoyaktuk has not opened for the season yet.

The Aklavik ice road opened to light traffic Dec. 12, but it is only the 86-km strip from the hamlet to the Inuvik junction that is open.

That effectively makes the Aklavik ice road a dead-end highway until the connecting road to Tuktoyaktuk opens, Department of Transportation spokesperson Earl Blacklock said. Construction work is continuing on the road to Tuk.

Anyone driving on that section of road at the moment is risking being charged for driving on a closed road, with a fine of more than $800, said RCMP Staff Sgt. Dennis McLeod.

- Shawn Giilck

Talks with Harper highlight for MP

Ottawa

Environment Minister Leona Aglukkaq, the MP for Nunavut, shared a few of her highlights of 2013 with Nunavut News/North on Dec. 17.

She said the past year was very productive for her and saw a lot of important initiatives come to light.

"I was very proud to have been involved in the historic meeting of Inuit leaders of Canada in Rankin Inlet with the prime minister," she said, referring to the Aug. 22 meeting with Stephen Harper.

"Those discussions were very productive and constructive. No sitting prime minister in Canadian history had sat with the Inuit leaders of Canada collectively."

She mentioned taking over the rotating chairmanship of the eight-nation Arctic Council as another highlight, as was celebrating 20 years since the signing of the Nunavut Land Claims Agreement.

Nunavut-specific challenges for 2014 include lowering energy rates, which keep rising, and finding a way to deal with the European Union ban on seal products.

"We need to start looking at how we can reduce our dependency on diesel," she said.

"We also have to look at how we can deal with the EU and their biased, moral policy. The question is, who is moral - the Inuit have lived this way for thousands of years and all of a sudden it's no longer acceptable."

- Myles Dolphin

Few people donate

Nunavut

Only nine per cent of Nunavummiut tax filers donated to charities during the 2011 tax year, according to a report by the Fraser Institute released on Dec. 16.

The study, called the 2013 Generosity Index, examined donations to registered charities in Canada and the United States.

Nunavut ranked last among all 64 jurisdictions while Manitoba, with 25.9 per cent of tax filers donating to charities, ranked in 22nd place.

However, the average charitable donation from Nunavummiut was $1,594, which ranks sixth in Canada.

"Nunavut saw the largest increase among the provinces and territories in the percentage of aggregate income donated to charity (increasing by 39 per cent)," it states, based on data from the Canada Revenue Agency and Statistics Canada from 2001 to 2011.

The Fraser Institute is a Canadian think tank which "measures and studies the impact of competitive markets and government interventions on individuals and society."

- Myles Dolphin

Homicide rate highest in country

Nunavut

Nunavut recorded the highest rate of homicide as a percentage of population in Canada for the eighth year in a row.

In 2012, there were five killings in the territory, equaling 14.84 homicides per 100,000 people, according to a recent report from Statistics Canada.

All five cases have been solved.

The Northwest Territories had the second highest rate of homicide for the year at 11.53, followed by Manitoba at 4.10.

No deaths were recorded in the Yukon or Prince Edward Island.

The number of homicide deaths in the country fell to 488 from 543, resulting in the lowest homicide rate in Canada since 1966.

In 84 per cent of cases, victims were killed by someone they knew. Shooting and stabbing were the most common methods used in killings.

- Miranda Scotland

Life expectancy increases

Nunavut

Although life expectancy among residents of Inuit Nunangat has risen over the past few decades, it still lags behind the rest of Canada.

Life expectancy among females was 72.8 years for 2004 to 2008 and 67.7 years among males, according to a recent report from Statistics Canada.

Comparatively, the national average was 81.3 years for females and 77.5 years for males.

Cancers and respiratory diseases, often connected to smoking-related diseases, were the largest contributors to the gap in life expectancy among females.

As for males, the largest contributor was self-inflicted injury.

"These are preventable deaths," noted Terry Audla, president of ITK, in a news release. "ITK and our Inuit regional partners are actively working to address these issues, using a social determinants of health approach.

"But more support is needed. I call on federal, provincial and territorial governments, and all partners to increase their efforts in these areas to help us turn around these distressing figures and raise Inuit well being to the level enjoyed by all Canadians."

Students show science projects

Kangiqliniq/Rankin Inlet

Students at Maani Ulujuk Ilinniarvik (MUI) in Rankin Inlet held their annual science fair earlier this month.

The top award winners at the MUI fair will receive the chance to compete in the annual Kivalliq Science Fair in 2014, in hopes of earning a trip to the Canada-Wide Science later in the year.

- Darrell Greer

Residents get new parkas

Qikiqtarjuaq/Broughton Island

Thirteen residents of Qikiqtarjuaq will be warmer over the holidays after receiving brand new parkas.

The project at Inuksuit School, led by three elders from the community, was part of a special sewing initiative during November and December.

The school purchased enough material to make 13 parkas and had them distributed before Christmas.

"We noticed there were residents who could benefit from warmer clothing," said Inuksuit School principal Barry Oldford. "The parkas are waterproof and also have double lining, so they're very warm. The elders were hired through our elder program."

- Myles Dolphin

Nunasi helps Christmas celebrations

Nunavut

Nunasi Corporation is helping bring communities together this Christmas by providing funds for holiday games and dances.

Every community in Nunavut received $500 to put toward festivities.

Nunasi also made a donations to the Tungasuvvingat Inuit and Larga homes in Ottawa, Winnipeg, Edmonton and Yellowknife.

"The board is delighted to contribute to the joyous festive atmosphere that will fill our community halls across Nunavut," stated corporation chairperson Okalik Eegeesiak in a news release. "On behalf of the board, I'd like to wish Nunavummiut across Canada a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!"

- Miranda Scotland

Teenager elected

Chesterfield Inlet/Coral Harbour

At least two Kivalliq communities decided some young blood was needed on their hamlet councils during the Dec. 9 municipal elections.

Chesterfield Inlet voters elected teenager Scott Sammurtok, 18, to hamlet council.

Meanwhile, in Coral Harbour, voters elected 29-year-old Simeon Dion to be the hamlet's new mayor.

- Darrell Greer

Singing praise for company

Panniqtuuq/Pangnirtung

Pangnirtung-based technology company Pinnguaq announced it has just had its first Apple application approved.

The app, called Singuistics: Learning Inuktitut through Music, is available in Apple's App Store for download.

Formerly known as SongBird, the app features original songs and drawings by Inuit artists.

The company has also translated an app called Osmos - Apple's 2010 iPad game of the year - into Inuktitut.

- Myles Dolphin

Skating over the holidays

Taloyoak/Spence Bay

It was all fun and games Dec. 20 in Taloyoak as the hamlet kicked off celebrations for the holiday season.

The community was expected to run traditional Christmas games followed by a feast to honour Chester Porter, who retired from the hamlet after 33 years of service.

The fun continues at midnight on Dec. 25 when the arena, which was recently renovated, opens for public skating.

"We haven't had (the midnight skate) for the past three years because we've been delayed," said recreation co-ordinator Curtis Jayko. "It's going to be nice for the community to actually go public skating during Christmas and New Years."

- Miranda Scotland

Funds for holiday feast

Ikpiarjuk/Arctic Bay

Arctic Bay residents should expect an impressive Christmas feast this year after Sport Nunavut approved $2,500 in funding for the High Arctic community.

The funds will be used to purchase more than 20 turkeys, 15 hams, vegetables, potatoes and fruit, among other foods, said the community's recreation co-ordinator, Thomas Levi.

Levi said he is still looking for volunteers over the holidays, especially supervisors for holiday activities and cashiers, as well as people to help clean up the community hall.

- Myles Dolphin

Rankin to host tourney

Kangiqliniq/Rankin Inlet

The official dates for the annual Laura Gauthier Memorial (LGM) volleyball tournament were announced in Rankin Inlet earlier this month.

Rankin will host the 2014 LGM tourney, which features top action in both male and female divisions, from May 30 to June 1.

- Darrell Greer