 | Home page |  | Text size |  | E-mail this page |
Monday, May 19, 2014
Fort Smith mayor wins cash for town
Mayor Brad Brake of Fort Smith returned from the May 8 to 11 annual general meeting of the NWT Association of Communities with $3,000 for the town.
Brake won the money in a scavenger hunt kind of contest presented by the association's Northern Communities Insurance Program. The contest involved answering questions about the insurance program, either in brochures or by talking to people. Delegates who collected all the answers had their names placed in a hat and Premier Bob McLeod drew the winner.
Brake said it has not yet been decided how the $3,000 prize will be spent in Fort Smith.
- Paul Bickford
Radio society sets annual meeting
The Kiskew 2012 Radio Society in Fort Smith has set its annual general meeting for June 12.
Since reforming after being dormant since about 2007, the society has been seeking to re-establish community radio in the town.
The June 12 meeting will begin at 6 p.m. at the Fort Smith Rec Centre.
- Paul Bickford
Street vendor complains
The Town of Inuvik might be moving to clamp down on street venders in the downtown core.
Following complaints about the Ready Red's mobile food trailer parked near the Mad Trapper, the town's bylaw review committee has recommended banning street venders from parking along Mackenzie Road in the core area.
Instead of using existing roadside parking spaces, the town's bylaw amendment would move street venders on to private property, similar to how Bill Rutherford operates his grocery business.
First and second reading of the amendment were approved by council on May 14.
- Shawn Giilck
Man talked off of ice
The Fort Providence RCMP detachment helped rescue a man who was seen walking on the
ice on the Mackenzie River May 6.
Residents were concerned about the man's well-being and requested assistance with a call to the RCMP that was received at approximately 1:30 p.m., according to a news release. RCMP members were able to build a rapport with the man who then made his way safely to shore following directions from one member. The individual was taken to the local health centre for care.
The RCMP is reminding residents the spring melt is making waterways, rivers and lakes very dangerous.
- Roxanna Thompson
Health minister in town
Aklavik
Health Minister Glen Abernethy joined Mackenzie Delta MLA Frederick Blake Jr. for a community meeting at Aklavik's Sittichinli Complex on May 12.
Band manager Knute Hansen was in attendance at the meeting and said people were excited to hear that the tender for the new senior's home has been sent out.
"We're happy it's proceeding," Hansen said. "It won't be happening for a few years but at least there's the go ahead."
Some of the 30 people in attendance at the meeting also raised concerns about certain issues, in particular with regards to medical escorts.
"We want to make sure that elders that don't speak English have escorts," Hansen said, adding that understanding the GNWT's medical escorts and medical transports approval process is an ongoing struggle.
Residents also took issue with the lack and high cost of healthy food, as well as access to affordable housing. Hansen said Abernethy was responsive to resident's concerns.
Hansen added that the community really appreciates when a minister takes the time to hear their concerns in person.
"It shows they really care," he said.
Abernethy was also scheduled to make a stop in Fort McPherson.
- Cody Punter
BodyBreak duo to visit the NWT
NWT
Hal Johnson and Joanne McLeod from the BodyBreak fitness messages on TV - and former contestants on The Amazing Race Canada - will be visiting three NWT communities later this month on behalf of the Canadian Diabetes Association.
They will be in Fort Smith on May 26, Hay River on May 27 and Yellowknife on May 28.
Johnson and McLeod will talk at the free events about the importance of healthy eating and active living for the prevention and management of diabetes, and also about ways to make healthy lifestyle changes.
- Paul Bickford
Mother's Day cookout
Tsiigehtchic/Arctic Red River
The majority of the community went to the school for a Mother's Day cookout on May 11.
"It was a great turnout," said recreation co-ordinator Jolene McCarthy, who pointed out that the event was organized by Bobbie Jean Van Loon.
The day kicked off with children and youth playing a baseball game for their mothers at the baseball diamond beside the school.
"It was just a fun game," McCarthy said.
Afterward there was a big Mother's Day barbecue, where the husbands of the community volunteered to do the cooking for the afternoon.
- Cody Punter
Fort Smith among best small towns
Thebacha/Fort Smith
Fort Smith has been named among Canada's best small towns by a national travel writer.
Robin Esrock placed Fort Smith on a list of 13 small communities - one from each province and territory - on his website called The Great Canadian Bucket List.
The website is a follow-up to his book of the same name.
Esrock pointed to Fort Smith's "pristine beauty" and multicultural character. Plus, he mentioned attractions such as Wood Buffalo National Park, the Slave River, the South Slave Friendship Festival, Wood Buffalo Frolics and Northern Life Museum.
Other communities on Esrock's list are Nelson, B.C.; Legal, Alta.; Forget, Sask.; Flin Flon, Man.; Port Hope, Ont.; Hudson, Que.; Victoria-by-the-Sea, P.E.I.; St. Andrew's-by-the-Sea, N.B.; Mahone Bay, N.S.; Trinity, N.L.; Dawson City, Yukon; and Rankin Inlet, Nunavut.
- Paul Bickford
Darkest tan competition
Tuktoyaktuk
Tuktoyaktuk's annual fishing derby is currently underway. The competition has been going on for several weeks but so far only four people have made submissions.
Competitors will be broken up into two categories: one for 15 and under and the other for adults 16 and over.
Prizes will be awarded to whoever submits the longest fish and the lightest fish in each category. It has yet to be decided whether prizes will be given in cash or merchandise, said recreation co-ordinator Caroline Loreen.
Residents should also keep in mind that the annual darkest tan competition is also nearly over. The purpose of the contest is to reward the person who has spent the most time on the land in the spring. Loreen said the competition is judged by comparing a contestant's tans with their original skin colour.
"It's easy to tell," she said. "They'll stand in line and you can just tell who's the darkest."
Registration for both competitions is open until May 30.
- Cody Punter
Enterprise councillors debate quads on trails
Enterprise
An Enterprise councillor expressed dismay at a May 5 meeting when another council member admitted to not following one of the hamlet's own rules - not to drive ATVs on community trails.
The exchange began when Coun. Al Flamand suggested the hamlet should rethink not allowing quads on the trails.
Flamand noted the ban on ATVs has only existed for about four years after a big party resulted in quads ripping around the trails.
"And all of a sudden we made all these rules," he said.
Flamand added he and many others use ATVs to take their children or grandchildren on the trails to just idle around and enjoy the scenery.
"If somebody is on there speeding, I mean obviously that's not right, but personally I've never seen it, to be honest," he said. "Nobody is ripping around."
That prompted Coun. John Leskiw III to ask Flamand if he was aware of the signs saying ATVs should not be on the trails, and Flamand said he was aware.
"So you're admitting that you're against the laws that we have in this council," asked Leskiw.
Flamand said he was against the ATV ban on the trails, which resulted in a shocked response from Leskiw.
"First of all, I am very dismayed that we have a councillor on this table right now that is admitting to breaking the laws of the hamlet," he said. "That is of great concern to me because, if the council is not going to obey the laws, how can we expect the rest of the community to do so? That is just out and out unacceptable."
Coun. Jim Dives said he is also concerned by off-road vehicles on the trails.
"There is absolutely no reason why anybody should be driving on those trails in quads, not one at all."
- Paul Bickford
Geese for elders
Aklavik
The Ehdiitat Renewable Resource Council is looking for hunters to help them harvest geese for elders unable to go out on the land.
Hunters are being asked to harvest a total of 20 geese each. Individuals who meet that quota will be compensated with 45 gallons of gas once the geese have been dropped off at the council's office.
Anyone interested in helping out should submit their name to the council by May 16 at 3 p.m.
"It's just for elders to get geese. That's their traditional food," said Corinne Dylon, ERRC co-ordinator.
"Then there's single mothers or people who can't go out on the land because they don't have the equipment."
- Cody Punter
Missing man found
Edmonton
Peter Kakolak, 55, of Kugluktuk, was found in Edmonton May 12. He went missing from a hotel near the Edmonton International Airport in Leduc, Alta., April 30.
"He is not a missing person anymore," said Scott Pattison, a spokesperson for the Edmonton police. "He was in good health when we found him."
Edmonton Police Services responded to a call at a west Edmonton hotel. They ran Kakolak's ID and discovered that he was a missing person the RCMP was searching for.
Kakolak was missing for almost two weeks.
RCMP spokesperson Const. Gaultois said Kakolak's wife, Alice Algona, was on her way to Edmonton from Kugluktuk to be with him.
- Michele LeTourneau
Arviat men safe
Arviat
Two Arviat men who went out for a day trip to the Maguse Lake area - a roughly 100-km distance - May 10, and failed to return, were found .
Rob Hood, 59, a drilling instructor from Ontario, and Arviat resident Robert Gibbons, 23, were travelling by snowmobile.
They had few supplies with them.
Ground search teams were deployed May 12 and an aerial search began May 13. The two men were found around midnight that night, about 40 km from the community at a cabin, where they were waiting to be rescued.
- Michele LeTourneau
Prospector funding available
Nunavut
The Government of Nunavut is accepting applications for its prospectors program.
Financial support of up to $8,000 is available to qualified prospectors to help them cover basic expenses, which include wages, materials and supplies necessary while searching for minerals.
A qualified prospector must be a Nunavut resident, 18 years or older and have prospecting experience.
A 25-hour prospecting courses will be offered in Chesterfield Inlet, Whale Cove, Gjoa Haven, Cambridge Bay, Coral Harbour, Hall Beach, Sanikiluaq and Repulse Bay.
Graduates can qualify for the financial support after completion of the course.
Information is available from the Department of Economic Development and Transportation.
- Michele LeTourneau
A pink statement
Uqsuqtuuq/Gjoa Haven
Quqshuun School is taking extra steps to ensure students and staff feel welcome, safe and supported.
Earlier this month, staff spent a week delivering programming on anti-bullying and safe school initiatives. Then on May 9, the school invited parents to an assembly where Grade 5 student Sheridan Kamookak delivered a speech on bullying to the whole school.
The primary 1 class also put on a skit and students sang Johnny Reid's Today I'm Gonna Try to Change the World.
Youth were given pink shirts and everyone was treated to pink ice cream and pink cupcakes.
Pink Shirt Day has made the colour a symbol for tolerance.
- Miranda Scotland
Tournament deadline approaching
Kangiqliniq/Rankin Inlet
The deadline is looming for anyone interested in putting a team together to take part in the annual Laura Gauthier Memorial Volleyball Tournament in Rankin Inlet from May 30 to June 1.
The deadline to register for the tournament is May 23, with a registration cost of $200 per team.
Those still looking to register a team may contact Veronica Connelly, Toota Tatty, Reanna Sateana or Germaine Tatty in Rankin Inlet.
- Darrell Greer
Fish derby and community feast
Ikpiarjuk/Arctic Bay
Arctic Bay residents taking part in this year's fishing derby were competing for $600 and $400 prizes.
The event took place from May 16 to 19, with participants stopping at various ponds around the community. A community feast, consisting of caribou, fish, muktuk and walrus, was also planned on May 21.
- Myles Dolphin
New mayor on the Bay
Naujaat/Repulse Bay
Solomon Malliki won a byelection in Repulse Bay to become the community's new mayor on May 12.
Malliki earned 84 votes in the byelection, compared to 68 for Marcel Mapsalak and 16 for Johnny Tongilik.
The hamlet also held an unofficial plebiscite during the byelection to gauge interest in the community for changing its name to Naujaat from Repulse Bay.
The results were close, with those in favour of Naujaat coming in at 82 and those in favour of keeping Repulse Bay registering 73 votes.
Hamlet council will now discuss the results and decide what, if any, action to take on the renaming issue.
- Darrell Greer
Administrator leaves town
Panniqtuuq/Pangnirtung
Another person has left the position of senior administrative officer in Pangnirtung.
Karen Mellor, was hired in February to replace interim SAO Ed Murphy, who left the community on May 15.
She was unreachable for comment. She was the community's third SAO in a six months. Murphy had served as interim SAO since Nov. 4, when he replaced longtime SAO Ron Mongeau.
Rikki Butt, the hamlet's interim director of finance, is now interim SAO.
- Myles Dolphin
Fishing at the Beach
Sanirajak/Hall Beach
Hall Beach residents are vying for the top prize today in the hamlet's annual fishing derby.
The derby kicked off May 16 and participants were expected to bring their fish to Arnaqjuaq School May 19 to be measured.
The event has no rules except that residents have to fish in Hall Lake, Napatak and Aulatiuik.
"It's a huge event that the whole town looks forward to," stated Tracy Laine, director of finance for the hamlet.
- Miranda Scotland
Gearing up for growing
Iqaluit
The Iqaluit Community Greenhouse Society is gearing up for another growing season.
The planting will commence in June but in the meantime the society is looking for more members to join.
Last year, the society changed the way the greenhouse is used. Instead of giving members individual plots, they implemented community-style growing. Society member Sara Holzman said the new greenhouse had it's highest yield yet.
"(In past years) we noticed there was a lot of waste going on," said Holzman. "You'd look at your neighbour's plot and it would be ready to harvest but you wouldn't be able to touch it because it was your neighbour's and then you would find out they were all travelling."
But now members decide together what plants to grow and meet every eight days for a harvest and maintenance party. At the end they divide the harvest up, so everyone gets to take some home.
"It was great because I guess the criticism we've had in recent years is there wasn't really much of a community aspect. You would come in and water you're own plot and you'd probably never see anyone in there and you never knew who your plot neighbours were," said Holzman. "This way, encouraging people to come all at the same time once a week, sometimes we have up to 20 people in there."
- Miranda Scotland
Teaching in own community
Qamanittuaq/Baker Lake
Nunavut Teacher Education Program student Sandy Tagoona of Baker Lake has been hired as a kindergarten teacher at Rachel Arngnammaktiq Elementary School in Baker Lake for the 2014-15 academic year.
Tagoona will finish the final courses in her bachelor of education degree from the University of Regina in the near future.
There will be four kindergarten classes at the school during the upcoming school year, with two classes being held in the morning and two in the afternoon.
- Darrell Greer
Young scientists in the making
Iqaluit
Nakasuk School in Iqaluit was visited by Actua scientists from the University of Ottawa last week.
The members, who travel around the country promoting interactive experiences in science, engineering, technology and mathematics to youth, spent five days at the school.
They conducted experiments and demonstrations with students from Kindergarten to Grade 5, said principal Tracey MacMillan.
- Myles Dolphin
Derby time
Kangiqliniq/Rankin Inlet
The Hamlet of Rankin Inlet decided to move its fishing derby up to the May 9 to 11 weekend due to deteriorating conditions around popular fishing spots in the area.
Measuring of cod and trout was scheduled to be held this past Monday, May 12.
The community of Arviat also held one of its two annual fishing derbies this past weekend, May 9 to 11.
Top prizes are awarded in the first Arviat derby for trout and pike.
Arviat hosts its fishing derby for cod on different dates, with the cod derby scheduled to be held in Arviat from May 23 to 25.
- Darrell Greer
| 
