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Monday, March 24, 2014
RCMP search Fort Smith home
On March 15, members of the Fort Smith RCMP Detachment executed a search warrant based on a suspicion of drug trafficking contrary to the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act.
According to a news release, the police located a small quantity of marijuana, a considerable amount of cash and an unsafely stored firearm. Two occupants of the residence were arrested.
The 29-year-old female and the 36-year-old male, Fort Smith, were released from custody, but charges are pending against both individuals.
- Paul Bickford
No measles in NWT
The Northwest Territories' top doctor says there have been no reported cases of measles in the territory in more than two decades.
Dr. Andre Corriveau said the last case of measles was reported in 1992.
Between 80 and 100 cases of measles have been reported in the Fraser Valley East, B.C., since an outbreak began at the beginning of March, according to Fraser Health.
Other cases have been reported in Ontario, Saskatchewan and Alberta.
Corriveau said he believes getting vaccinated is an important message for Northerners.
"Children need two doses of measles vaccine to be fully protected for their life[times]. That's the message we provide to parents," he said.
- Kassina Ryder
Snowmobile and truck collide
Behchoko RCMP are investigating after a snowmobile collided with a pickup truck in Rae on March 13, according to a press release. When they arrived on the scene, police found a man unconscious beneath the truck's back end. They performed first aid until an ambulance arrived.
Both the man and a woman who had been riding on the machine as a passenger were taken to Stanton Territorial Hospital in Yellowknife. The woman had non life-threatening injuries.
- Kassina Ryder
Mission Park plan under discussion
On March 26, the Department of Industry, Tourism and Investment will be hosting an open discussion in Fort Smith on the management plan for Fort Smith Mission Historic Park. The department is updating the plan, and is looking for comments on future development and operations. The meeting will take place from 7 to 9 p.m. on March 26 at Northern Life Museum.
- Paul Bickford
Muskox harvest celebrated
Ulukhaktok/Holman
More than 10 hunters from Ulukhaktok were out on the land last week in search of muskox.
The community harvest was organized through a partnership of the Ulukhaktok Community Corporation, the Inuvialuit Regional Corporation and the GNWT.
Hunters had started trickling back into the community on March 18, said Laverna Klengenberg, chair of the Ulukhaktok Community Corporation. All hunters were expected home by March 20, and a feast was scheduled in the community for today.
- Laura Busch
Getting active
Tuktoyaktuk
Youth were scheduled to participate in the annual Youth Get Active event in Tuktoyaktuk happening March 18 to 20.
The event is happening at Kitti Hall and is meant to do exactly as it says.
"For kids to get active," said Caroline Loreen.
The three-day event is geared toward youth under the age of 19, with activities for all ages. Activities include indoor games plus ping pong, a public skate and basketball.
There were prizes set for individual participants in each event and snacks included throughout the day.
"It'll be a good turnout for the youth - maybe 40 kids," said Loreen.
The biggest prize up for grabs is a 16-gigabyte iPod, for which there will be a draw.
- Erin Steele
Metis Nation holding governance workshops
South Slave
The Northwest Territory Metis Nation is in the midst of holding workshops on self-government.
The first of the workshops was set for March 23 in Hay River.
Others are planned for Fort Smith on March 24, Fort Resolution on March 25 and Yellowknife on March 26.
The workshops, which will include an overview of government model options, are for indigenous Metis members of the Northwest Territory Metis Nation.
- Paul Bickford
Getting ready to run in Smith
Thebacha/Fort Smith
A program is soon to start at the Fort Smith Recreation and Community Centre to help people learn the secrets of distance running.
Specifically, the Get Ready to Run program will help people prepare to participate in the Fort Smith Canada Day 5K Fun Run on July 1.
It will take place on Mondays and Wednesdays, beginning on March 31 and ending on June 18.
- Paul Bickford
Students teach parents
Aklavik
Students at Moose Kerr School in Aklavik were scheduled to present their report cards to their parents on March 20 during the school's annual student-led conferences.
With no regular classes set for that day, all students between kindergarten and Grade 12 had a slot of time booked between themselves, their parent(s) and a teacher.
"It just gives them the opportunity to tell the parents what they've been working on, show them their grades and explain themselves," said Bobbie Jo Greenland-Morgan, administrative clerk with the school.
"It's trying to engage more parent-student-teacher partnerships."
Whereas the teacher does home or work visits to parents to share report cards in the first semester, the second one follows the student-led format.
"I think it might give them the incentive to strive to do better because they know this is coming up. It's communication and presentation skills too," said Greenland-Morgan.
- Erin Steele
Park presentation on caves and bats
Thebacha/Fort Smith
A presentation called Between a Rock and a Dark Place with Flying Mice - Karst, Caves & Bats is scheduled for March 27 at the headquarters of Wood Buffalo National Park (WBNP) in Fort Smith.
It will be delivered by Greg Horne, the resource management officer with Jasper National Park in Alberta.
Horne will talk about types of karst and caves, and will discuss examples from WBNP and the Rocky Mountains.
In addition, he will also talk about important resources found in caves and the current exploration of caves in the Rockies. Species of bats and their biology, along with white-nose syndrome, will also be discussed.
The presentation will begin at 7 p.m. on March 27 in the theatre at WBNP headquarters.
- Paul Bickford
Many leadership activities for youth
Iqaluit
Nunavut Youth LEAP Society, a non-profit organization that runs activities for youth on the land, has announced a lengthy run of upcoming events.
The society's spring programming will feature outdoor activities for all ages, including a six-week team building and leadership workshop at the Youth Centre in Iqaluit, and an intensive leadership training program at Nunavut Arctic College.
Other events include ski adventure leadership training (SALT) beginning March 24, ski excursions beginning April 2, free community ski clinics beginning April 7, a family-friendly geocaching rally on April 12 and a guided family ski and tea excursion on April 12.
Project ideas can also be submitted by contacting the society through its Facebook page.
- Myles Dolphin
Suicide prevention plan extended
Nunavut
Partners in Nunavut's suicide prevention strategy and action plan have decided on a one-year extension of the first phase.
The partners - Nunavut Tunngavik Inc., the Government of Nunavut, the RCMP and the Embrace Life Council - reiterated their commitment to work together to solve Nunavut's suicide crisis.
Last year, 45 Nunavummiut took their own lives - the most suicides in one year since the territory's creation in 1999.
"We need more time to evaluate the action plan, to learn from what was accomplished and to incorporate these important lessons into our work as we move on to full implementation of the strategy," stated Nunavut Tunngavik Inc. president Cathy Towtongie in a news release. "There is no easy fix to this terrible crisis."
The action plan, which was released in 2011, a year after the strategy was unveiled, contains eight commitments.
They promised to help youth cope with adverse life events and negative emotions, improve mental health services, offer suicide intervention training, support research relating to suicide and suicide prevention, among other commitments.
The partners say they have made "considerable progress" on all fronts.
- Miranda Scotland
Diverse food a big hit
Iqaluit
Organizers of a food fair in Iqaluit are calling the event a big success.
The International Women's Day Food Fair, held on March 8, attracted chefs who cooked meals from recipes that originate in India, the Philippines, Malta, Russia, Poland, Jamaica, Africa, Thailand, Italy and Canada.
Participants were also treated to wonderful musical and dance performances, as well as having the opportunity to purchase crafts made by artists.
Nadia Ciccone was the lucky winner of a round-trip ticket to Ottawa, and $4,000 raised from the raffle and the sale of tickets at the door was split between the Iqaluit Soup Kitchen and the YWCA Agvvik.
- Myles Dolphin
Toe-tapping performance
Iqaluit
Popular Canadian songwriter David Myles put on an energetic show for Iqaluit residents March 15 at the Inuksuk High School.
The two-hour performance, part of the Alianait concert series, attracted more than 300 people, said executive director Heather Daley.
"David played at a local school on Friday afternoon and this resulted in kids running home to their parents to ask them to buy tickets to the show," Daley said. "This has never happened before."
Arviat's Agaaqtoq opened for Myles and the band's singer, Abraham Eetak, joined the New Brunswick-born headlining musician for his final song, much to the audience's delight.
- Myles Dolphin
First Air crash report coming
Qausuittuq/Resolute
The Transportation Safety Board of Canada is expected to release its report this week into the First Air flight that crashed near Resolute Bay.
Twelve people died when the Boeing 737 passenger jet traveling to Resolute from Yellowknife struck a hill nearly two kilometres east of the runway.
Three people - a child and two adults - survived the Aug. 20, 2011 crash. The findings of the investigation will be made public at a news conference in Ottawa March 25.
- Miranda Scotland
Sign up for college
Nunavut
Nunavummiut are being encouraged to sign up to take part in Nunavut Arctic College's environmental technology program, which begins Sept. 2.
Applications are now being accepted for its first-year September intake.
The two-year diploma program incorporates classroom and practical lab and field experience to develop student skills, states a release from Nunavut Arctic College.
"Graduates of the program will possess the necessary skills to meet the growing demand for environmental practitioners in such fields as resource development and management, fish and wildlife conservation, environmental protection, parks management, environmental assessment, waste management, environmental research, and environmental education," it adds.
The course is offered at the Nunavut Research Institute in Iqaluit.
- Myles Dolphin
QEC halts plans for territorial-wide rate
Nunavut
The Qulliq Energy Corporation is halting plans to move toward a territorial-wide power rate.
Nunavummiut were expected to see changes in power rates on April 1. For some communities, power rates would have gone down, while others would have seen a significant increase in the cost of energy.
"Homeowners in all communities and businesses in Rankin Inlet, Igloolik, Iqaluit, Cape Dorset, and Pangnirtung would have borne the brunt of the new territorial rate," stated Paul Okalik, the minister responsible for the Qulliq Energy Corporation, in the legislative assembly March 19.
"These ratepayers would have seen annual increases of up to five per cent for as many as five years, with ripple effects in private homeownership and the price of goods and services.
"System-wide changes to rate structures will not be considered until its effects, such as the cost of living, subsidies, and northern allowances, are evaluated and impacts to Nunavummiut are minimized."
- Miranda Scotland
Arviat musician plays Rankin
Kangiqliniq/Rankin Inlet
The good folks at Alianait sponsored a special concert on the afternoon of March 8 at the Singittuq Community Hall in Rankin Inlet.
Headlining the show was Arviat's own Abraham Eetak, known professionally as Agaaqtoq.
The show also featured Alianai Niviatsiaq.
Concert technicians were also scheduled to present workshops on performance sound and lighting, and provide a shopping list to hamlet council for what the community needed to produce modern sound and light effects.
- Darrell Greer
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