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Wednesday, March 12, 2014
Dene cry fraud over caribou tags
The Yellowknives Dene and the Dene Nation have taken a complaint over alleged fraud on caribou tags being distributed by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (ENR) to the RCMP.
The 150 tags for Bathurst caribou distributed to members of the Yellowknives Dene by ENR display the signature of Dettah Chief Ed Sangris, as well as the Yellowknives Dene First Nation logo, without permission, said Dene National Chief Bill Erasmus.
Not only is using a chief's name without permission disrespectful, Erasmus alleged it may be fraudulent.
"It's about control. ENR is assuming they have control and they can act accordingly, which means for them to tell the Yellowknives Dene how and when and where to harvest," he said.
The complaint was taken to the Yellowknife RCMP on Monday, who have interviewed Sangris as well as Dene elders, he said.
- Laura Busch
Preliminary trial date set in manslaughter case
The man accused in the beating death of 20-year-old Emerson Curran at a house party in Frame Lake South last summer will have his preliminary trial from Aug. 18 to 22.
Roman Bourque, 23, was charged with manslaughter following the Aug. 24 incident. He appeared in territorial court on Tuesday, electing to be tried by judge and jury in Supreme Court.
- Daniel Campbell
Power bills set to go up
The Northwest Territories Power Corporation (NTPC) is requesting the Public Utilities Board (PUB) approve a one-cent-per-kilowatt-hour fuel rider to offset the rising cost of diesel fuel.
The new rider would increase the average resident's power bill by $2 to $8 per month, NTPC stated in a media release.
The stated reason for the fuel rider is an eight per cent increase in the cost of diesel since NTPC last set their power rates, which has resulted in a $2.5 million deficit in the fuel stabilization fund. All funds collected by this increase would go to the fund and would not be used for any other NTPC-related expenses.
The corporation expects the change to take effect on April 1, 2014.
- Laura Busch
On the job
Rankin Inlet/Iqaluit
Alexander Sammurtok finally became the official MLA for Rankin Inlet South that past Thursday, March 6, in Iqaluit.
Sammurtok was sworn in by Nunavut Commissioner Edna Elias in the legislative assembly and quickly got down to work.
It took two elections for Sammurtok, a former mayor of Whale Cove, to defeat incumbent Lorne Kusugak, a former mayor of Rankin Inlet.
The two ended in a dead heat in October's general election, with Sammurtok defeating Kusugak in a byelection this past month.
The assembly resumed its sitting on the same day Sammurtok was sworn in.
Dead air
Baker Lake
Inappropriate comments finding their way back over local airwaves prompted the Hamlet of Baker Lake to announce it was taking control of managing the community's local radio station in Baker this past week.
The station is expected to be back up and running this week.
The hamlet is expected to attempt to form another radio committee to assume control of managing the community station.
Game on
Arviat
The hamlet of Arviat was scheduled to host a bantam hockey tournament in the community this past weekend.
Final results were not known as of press time.
Park expands
Repulse Bay/Kivalliq
Nunavut's fourth national park, Ukkusiksalik National Park, near Repulse Bay, has expanded by 327 square kilometres thanks to an exchange of land between the Government of Canada and the Kivalliq Inuit Association (KIA).
The announcement was made this past week.
In exchange for the KIA giving over the land needed to expand the park, the feds transferred two parcels of Crown land to the KIA, one located just west of Baker Lake and the other northeast of Repulse Bay.
The KIA is expected to benefit from the economic development potential contained in both parcels of land.
Tech gift
Rankin Inlet
Canada's outstanding principals got more than they bargained for when they attended their gala award ceremony this past month.
Samsung took advantage of the principal's ceremony to unveil its Samsung Solve for Tomorrow program in Canada, which will see the distribution of $1 million in school technology grants.
The schools this year's winning principals represent are the first recipients of Samsung's new program.
That means Leo Ussak Elementary School in Rankin Inlet will receive a $20,000 customized technology package to help support modern learning opportunities, thanks to its principal, Sarah Ayaruak, being one of this year's Outstanding Principals award winners.
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