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The GNWT's Department of Finance opened a Financial Shared Services Centre in Fort Smith on Nov. 4.

The centre will provide businesses with a one-stop shop for processing all financial transactions with GNWT departments and the NWT Housing Corporation.

A similar centre was also opened in Hay River on Nov. 4.

- Paul Bickford

Contract awarded for Enterprise fire tower

The GNWT has awarded a contract to construct a 30.5-metre-high fire tower about two kilometres south of Enterprise, between Highway 1 and the Hay River.

The contract has been awarded to Concept Energy Services Ltd. of Hay River. The company submitted a bid of $286,000, which was the lowest of the three bids received by the Department of Public Works and Services when the tender call closed on Sept. 20.

Construction of the fire tower is expected to begin next spring.

- Paul Bickford

New safety training program

A new training program aims to make Northerners safer on the job, according to a news release from the GNWT.

The Northern Safety Association, a non-profit group, is partnering with the territorial government to provide training opportunities.

"This formal agreement with the Northern Safety Association on comprehensive occupational health and safety training is a significant milestone for the GNWT," Human Resources Minister Tom Beaulieu stated in the release.

"Our work on the priorities of the 17th legislative assembly depends on safe, healthy workplaces for all of our employees."

The programming will focus on general health and workplace safety knowledge, but will also provide specialized training to employees, depending on their jobs.

- Kassina Ryder

New town manager for Norman Wells

Hamlet council in Norman Wells finalized the appointment of its new town manager on Nov. 26.

Eric Whitworth - who comes to the community via Inuvik where he worked as director of finance since 2011 - takes over for acting town manager Lindsey Blake, who is also the town's recreation director.

Norman Wells began the hunt for a new town manager after former manager Chris Parker left the position earlier this year.

- Chris Puglia

Francophone group honours Smith resident

Thebacha/Fort Smith

Marie-Christine Aubrey has received special recognition from the Federation franco-tenoise.

Aubrey, the president of the Fort Smith Francophone Association, was honoured for her 22 years of involvement with the federation.

"I didn't expect it at all," she said. "I was so surprised."

Aubrey was presented with the special award on Nov. 9 at the end of a public meeting in Fort Smith to discuss the GNWT's strategic plan for providing French-language services and communications.

It was the first in a series of meetings. Another was held in Hay River on Nov. 30. Other meetings will be held in Inuvik on Jan. 25 and Yellowknife on Feb. 1.

- Paul Bickford

Purchasing Christmas goodies

Liidlii Kue/Fort Simpson

Bompas Elementary School will be holding its annual bazaar on Dec. 7 from 1 to 3 p.m. Tables can be booked by phoning the school.

Children's author Victoria Phillips will be reading to students at the elementary school on Nov. 28.

- Roxanna Thompson

Curling begins in Simpson

Liidlii Kue/Fort Simpson

The Fort Simpson Curling Club is expected to hold its first night of curling on Dec. 6.

- Roxanna Thompson

Christmas carolling in Fort Smith

Thebacha/Fort Smith

A night of community Christmas carolling will be hosted by St. John's Anglican Church in Fort Smith on Dec. 9, beginning at 7:30 p.m.

Rev. David Lehmann said carolers will gather at the church, and it will be up to them whether they stay at the church or walk around the community singing Christmas songs.

Lehmann said participants will also decide what carols they will be singing.

The evening of Christmas caroling is open to all members of the community.

- Paul Bickford

Play through the winter

Ikaahuk/Sachs Harbour

The Sachs Harbour recreation department is hosting volleyball and Arctic games as part of the territory-wide Get Active program.

Recreation co-ordinator Kyle Donovan said the recreation department plans to host the activity nights in the fitness centre on weekends until January.

"It's so that people get active and have something to do during the winter," Donovan said.

The program is funded by the NWT Parks and Recreation Association.

-Lindsay Herman

Great derby turnout

Aklavik

Just shy of 70 people registered for a recent fishing derby in Aklavik, said the hamlet's youth co-ordinator, Mary Gordon.

"We had a pretty good turn out," she said.

Joe Arey took the first prize of $200, and Connor Arey took home the $150 second prize.

Twenty-seven prizes were awarded in total, including a third prize of $100, 10 prizes of $50 each, and 14 prizes of $25 each.

Fish entered in the derby, which took place on Nov. 23, were evaluated based on their length instead of weight.

- Lindsay Herman

Preparing for Christmas

Pehdzeh Ki/Wrigley

The Christmas bazaar in Wrigley has been moved to Dec. 15 at 1 p.m.

The Pehdzeh Ki First Nation band office will be closed from Dec. 20 to Jan. 5 for the Christmas holidays.

- Roxanna Thompson

Talking with ConocoPhillips

Paulatuk

Representatives from ConocoPhillips travelled to Paulatuk on Nov. 26 in preparation for a public meeting on a Amauligak study program that night, according to the Paulatuk Hunters and Trappers Committee. A dinner was scheduled to precede the public meeting at 5 p.m. at the youth centre, with the meeting set to begin at 5:30 p.m.

Committee directors and the general public were encouraged to attend and door prizes were on hand for those who attended. According to the federal government, the Amauligak oil field is one of the largest offshore oil fields in the Beaufort sea and was first discovered in 1984.

- Lindsay Herman

Shopping for the holidays

Acho Dene Koe/Fort Liard

The annual Christmas bazaar in Fort Liard will be taking place on Dec. 8 and 15 from 1 to 4 p.m. both days in the community hall.

Tables are available by contacting JoAnne Deneron.

- Roxanna Thompson

Successful Restorative Justice Week

Ikaahuk/Sachs Harbour

Events were planned almost every day of the week for Restorative Justice Week in Sachs Harbour for the week beginning Nov. 18

"It went really good," said justice committee co-ordinator Andrea Keogak. "A lot of people came out for the

games nights and the movie nights."

Keogak said events included musical chairs, the animal game, bingo, and broom dance. The event is the last of the year for the Justice Committee, but activity at the hamlet's recreation department is picking up for Christmas, she said.

- Lindsay Herman

SRFN to hold children's Christmas party

Thebacha/Fort Smith

Salt River First Nation in Fort Smith will be holding a children's Christmas party on Dec. 14.

The party, which is for band members only, will be held in the gym of the Fort Smith Rec Centre from 2 to 4 p.m.

Parents are being asked to contact the band with the names and ages of their children before Dec. 6.

- Paul Bickford

Flea market weekend

Aklavik

One of the Aklavik Justice Committee's monthly flea markets was scheduled for this past weekend, said committee co-ordinator Jayneta Pascal. Up to 10 tables were available for rent.

The flea market is the last one of its kind for 2013 but Pascal said the market is scheduled to continue in the new year.

A craft fair is scheduled for Dec. 14 in place of the flea market.

- Lindsay Herman

RCMP looking for Oblate fugitive

Nunavut

Nunavut RCMP have confirmed there is a Canada-wide warrant for the arrest of a French priest who worked in Nunavut for more than 30 years.

The warrant for Father Johannes Rivoire was first issued in 1998, and is in relation to sexual assaults allegedly committed in Nunavut between 1968 and 1970, according to a RCMP news release on Nov. 28.

Rivoire, who worked in Repulse Bay and Arviat as an Oblate missionary, is thought to have left Canada in 1993 and is currently living at the Notre-Dame de Lumiere monastery near the small village of Goult, in southern France.

Nunavut News/North contacted a member of the monastery, Christian Duriez, who confirmed Rivoire is still living there.

Rivoire had not replied to an e-mail by the time Nunavut News/North went to press.

- Myles Dolphin

Living with polar bears

Iqaluit

The Government of Nunavut is hoping to save lives with its new polar bear guard training course introduced this past weekend in Iqaluit.

Through the course, which was developed in partnership with Parks Canada and the World Wildlife Fund, participants are expected to learn how to properly use detection and deterrent methods to reduce bear-human conflicts.

"We have a shared interest in ensuring that people living and working in Nunavut can safely coexist with polar bears," said Steve Pinksen, acting deputy minister of Environment.

The new training course was first offered Nov. 29 to Dec. 1 to prospective polar bear guards, territorial and national parks staff, GN field staff and students from the Arctic College Environmental Technology Program.

- Miranda Scotland

QEC president replaced

Nunavut

Peter Mackey has been replaced as president of Qulliq Energy Corporation (QEC).

Premier Peter Taptuna announced Nov. 28 that Mackey is leaving the corporation immediately and Peter Ma will take over for him. He also announced that Norman Tarnow will be leaving his position as deputy justice minister.

In 2011, two former employees took QEC to court, alleging a culture of conflict, secrecy and general mismanagement at the company. In November, Justice Earl Johnson ordered the corporation to pay one of the employees, Amy Hynes, $133,812.61 in damages after he determined Hynes had been constructively dismissed.

- Miranda Scotland

Cover art winners

Nunavut/NWT/Yukon

The 2014-15 cover art winners were selected in the annual Northwestel phone directory contest this past month.

Different pieces of art were selected to grace the covers of the Nunavut, the NWT and Yukon directories.

The 2014-15 competition drew more than 50 submissions from artists located across the North, whose artwork spanned a wide range of subject matter and mediums.

Northwestel has held the annual competition to select the cover art since 1985.

The winning artists will be announced at events in their respective communities in early 2014.

- Darrell Greer

Four running for QIA vice president

Nunavut

Four Nunavut Land Claim beneficiaries are in the running to be vice president of the Qikiqtani Inuit Association.

Among the candidates are Larry Audlaluk, Abraham Kublu, James Qillaq and Meeka Kilabuk.

Meanwhile, another four beneficiaries - Tommy Akulukjuk, Abraham Keenainak, Jaypatee Qappik and Limee Nakashuk - are vying for a spot as Pangnirtung community director.

Voting is set to take place on Dec. 9.

- Miranda Scotland

Sewage issues at school

Mittimatalik/Pond Inlet

Faulty pipes forced the closure of the elementary school in Pond Inlet on Nov. 26.

"This has happened before," said Ulaajuk School vice principal Susie Enook. "A mechanical problem has forced us to close the school today. It's a sewage problem affecting the entire school."

The pipes were fixed that afternoon and the school re-opened the following day.

- Myles Dolphin

Surprise for cancer institute

Ikaluktutiak/Cambridge Bay

Alberta's Cross Cancer Institute received an exciting gift of more than $12,000 last month, thanks to Cambridge Bay residents.

Angela Philips, along with a group of residents, raised funds through the 2013 Kitikmeot Trade Show and auction.

The monies went to the institute's clinical trials program and will be used toward developing and testing new therapies.

- Miranda Scotland

Hunters safe and sound

Panniqtuuq/Pangnirtung

A pair of Pangnirtung brothers who briefly went missing on Nov. 23 safely returned to the community the next day.

Jackie Maniapik and Steven Maniapik left Pangnirtung on a 22-foot aluminum boat and were due back that afternoon.

When they failed to return, a search and rescue operation was launched.

The Royal Canadian Air Force sent two aircraft to the area to assist in the operation.

The overdue brothers had caught a walrus and it was too late for them to go back to Pangnirtung that evening, causing fears they were lost.

"I would like to thank the following people: Sheila and her family, my family, search and rescue, the RCMP and the people of Pangnirtung," Jackie Maniapik stated on Facebook shortly after his arrival.

The brothers shared their catch with the community.

- Myles Dolphin

Talk about barriers facing women

Iqaluit

The YWCA Agvvik Nunavut is calling on residents to attend its annual general meeting.

"We would like to encourage everyone concerned with family violence, homelessness and the many barriers and challenges that women and children face in the North, to attend," stated an e-mail from the organization.

The event is set to run Dec. 4 at 7 p.m. in the Nunavut Research Institute building.

- Miranda Scotland

Teacher honoured

Kangiqliniq/Rankin Inlet

Kristin Sawyers, a Grade 6 teacher at Simon Alaittuq School in Rankin Inlet, is one of 16 teachers announced as winners of the Prime Minister's Award for excellence in teaching this year.

Sawyers also made previous teaching stops in Whale Cove and Baker Lake during her eight years in the North.

The teacher received a certificate of excellence and $5,000 for winning the award.

- Darrell Greer

Fair attracts bookworms

Iqaluit

Nakasuk School in Iqaluit held one of its many book fairs from Nov. 20 to 21.

"These are held in conjunction with the regular reporting periods to parents and guardians," said principal Tracey MacMillan in an e-mail.

"The intent of this activity is to provide quality reading material and to promote literacy initiatives."

The book fair was one of several held at the school every year.

- Myles Dolphin