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Monday, July 14, 2014
Woman's death ruled not suspicious
The remains of 32-year-old Hay River resident Charmaine Corrigal were found Friday, June 27 on the beach between Hay River and West Channel in Old Town. While the major crimes unit for G Division were brought down to investigate, the death has been ruled not suspicious.
"Alcohol was a factor," said Cpl. Greg Morrow of the Hay River RCMP detachment. "But it was not suspicious in nature."
- Sarah Ladik
RCMP investigate Fort McPherson hamlet finances
An independent forensic audit looking into alleged financial irregularities within the Hamlet of Fort McPherson has been turned over to the RCMP, according to a July 11 press release.
The audit was the result of a complaint received by police in March 2013.
RCMP spokesperson Sgt. Barry Ledoux confirmed the Financial Crime Section of the Federal Investigations Unit in Yellowknife is now looking into the matter.
- Laura Busch
Smith's Landing sets Treaty Day
Smith's Landing First Nation will celebrate its annual Treaty Day on July 17 at the band office just across the NWT/Alberta border from Fort Smith.
Representatives from the Department of Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada will be on hand from 1 to 5 p.m. to disperse treaty payments.
- Paul Bickford
Enterprise leaves council seat vacant
A vacant seat on Enterprise hamlet council will not be filled until scheduled elections in December.
The seat became vacant when Al Flamand resigned from council in early June.
An unsuccessful candidate from the previous election was asked about being appointed to fill the seat, but declined.
So council decided against holding a by-election or advertising for an interested person to fill the seat because of the limited time left.
"It would be silly to fill the seat," said Coun. John Leskiw III, noting that, by the time a person is chosen, sworn in and up to date, he or she will be vacating the seat.
- Paul Bickford
Premiers talk shop in Iqaluit
Nunavut/NWT
Three premiers and one deputy minister arrived for the 2014 Western Premiers' Conference in Iqaluit July 9 and 10 - a carefully orchestrated and closeted 24 hours in the host city during which they attended a mid-day Nunavut Day barbecue upon landing, had fun photos taken, received gifts of seal outerwear and held discussions.
The host for the occasion, Nunavut Premier Peter Taptuna, was joined by the NWT's Bob McLeod and Yukon's Darrell Pasloski, along with Alberta's Dave Hancock and Manitoba's deputy premier Eric Robinson. Saskatchewan's Brad Wall and Manitoba's Greg Selinger attended via teleconference.
"I'm very pleased that the western premiers and territorial premiers were able to gather here," said Taptuna. "I appreciate the fact that we discussed very pressing issues leading up to the Council of the Federation meeting."
Topics noted in the four-page handout included exploring solutions for off-grid communities, addressing aboriginal child welfare and disaster management and assistance.
-Michele LeTourneau
Depression in Deh Cho Bridge pier footing investigated
Deh Gah Got'ie Koe/Fort Providence
Work will be ongoing around and under the Deh Cho Bridge for the next two months.
The Department of Transportation is having work done to complete unfinished tasks related to the bridge including clean-up of the camp and work site by Ruskin Construction Ltd. An investigation is also being done to determine if a depression was left underwater in one of the pier footings by Atcon Construction.
The depression is thought to be one metre long, 80 cm wide, 20 to 30 cm deep and shaped like half a football, said Kevin McLeod, the department's director of highways. If divers find the depression it will be filled.
Scour rock that protects the piers is also being repositioned. Approximately $4 million needed to complete the Atcon work will be drawn from a security fund and won't cost the taxpayer, McLeod said.
The department is paying a little more than $100,000 to have a new, higher wire rope guardrail installed.
- Roxanna Thompson
Fort Smith lifts fire ban
Thebacha/Fort Smith
The Town of Fort Smith lifted a ban on all open fires on July 4.
On that date, the fire hazard in the area was moderate.
The ban had been imposed on June 18 when the fire hazard was extreme.
While the ban has been lifted, community residents are being asked by the Town of Fort Smith to be cautious when burning and not to leave open fires unattended.
Wood Buffalo National Park and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources are keeping the town informed of the forest fire situation in the Fort Smith area.
- Paul Bickford
Dark Sky Festival planned for park
Thebacha/Fort Smith
The third-annual Thebacha & Wood Buffalo Dark Sky Festival is set for Aug. 21 to 24.
The festival will take place at Wood Buffalo National Park's Pine Lake, about 60 km south of the NWT-Alberta border. There will also be some associated events in Fort Smith.
Wood Buffalo is the world's largest dark sky preserve - an area in which artificial light is kept to a minimum to enhance viewing of the night sky.
The Dark Sky Festival is being presented by the Thebacha and Wood Buffalo Astronomical Society, and Wood Buffalo National Park.
It will include a range of day-time activities, presentations and seminars for the whole family. At night, there will be sky-viewing sessions and more seminars.
- Paul Bickford
Drummers at Northern Games
Ulukhaktok/Holman
The Ulukhaktok Drummers and Dancers are excited to be participating in the 45th Circumpolar Northern Games being held in Inuvik from July 21 to 27.
Drumming group co-ordinator Karen Kitekudlak said 14 drummers will be participating in the event and it will be a rare opportunity to entertain a large number of people.
The group did attend the 2011 Western Summer Games in Kamloops, B.C.
The group is currently holding practices at the school gym on Sundays and Wednesdays at 7 p.m.
-Simon Whitehouse
Alcoholics Anonymous seeks ideas
Aklavik
The Aklavik Justice Committee's Alcoholics Anonymous is up and running for its sixth week at the hamlet office.
Jay Pascal, justice co-ordinator, and one of the organizers of the committee, is asking for ideas from the community in regards to activities that could be held.
The group meets every Friday from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. Pascal said the number of participants have been good, but she is hoping for a few more in the coming months. She was involved in starting the group as a crime prevention activity for the community.
"At the beginning there were five attending but I think there will possibly be more after the summer, " she said.
Anyone with ideas can call Pascal.
-Simon Whitehouse
Finishing touches made on Paulatuk arena
Paulatuk
The Hamlet of Paulatuk put some "finishing touches" on its new Father Leonce DeHurtevant Arena over the last two weeks, according to senior administrative officer Greg Morash.
Although the arena was finished last March, some additional work was done on the interior, including painting, a complete renovation on the inside, all the lighting changed, some removing and replacing of pipes, and some general maintenance.
Morash said a final report was sent into CanNor, which assisted in the funding of the project.
-Simon Whitehouse
Teen paddling camp planned at Pine Lake
Thebacha/Fort Smith
The Fort Smith Paddling Club will be holding a teen paddling camp at Pine Lake, about 60 km south of the community in Wood Buffalo National Park.
The camp - for young people aged 13 to 17 - will take place on July 21 and 22, and participants will stay overnight at the lake.
They will learn about kayaking and canoeing, plus enjoy water games and a campfire.
The paddling lessons will be taught by certified instructors.
The Fort Smith Paddling Club is presenting the event in partnership with Parks Canada, the Department of Municipal and Community Affairs, and the Royal Canadian Legion.
- Paul Bickford
Public swims in Tuk
Tuktoyaktuk
The Northern Lights Pool in Tuktoyaktuk was open to the public beginning July 1.
The pool is open every day of the week except Sunday.
Public swims are held from 1 to 3 p.m. and 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. Drop-in lessons are held from 3 to 5 p.m. and the swim team meets are held from 9 to 10 p.m.
Recreation co-ordinator Caroline Loreen said the pool will close for the season on Aug. 30.
-Simon Whitehouse
Rankin conquers dump fire
Kangiqliniq/Rankin Inlet
The dump fire that plagued residents of Rankin Inlet was extinguished by July 8, according to officials.
The fire, which began in the afternoon of June 29, brought dense smoke into the community and had residents on edge as unexplained explosions came with the fire.
The eight volunteer firefighters in the community worked nonstop and were smothering the flames with gravel by July 4 with the help of two local private businesses.
The costs to the hamlet as well as the cause of the fire have yet to be determined, according to deputy mayor Sam Tutanuak.
- Candace Thomson
Celebration with songs
Kangiqtugaapik/Clyde River
Clyde River residents celebrated Nunavut Day with song when musical types performed in front of the community.
"There's this one guy from Arviat who sang an old song and he was singing it perfectly," said recreation co-ordinator Clara Natanine.
That guy, Glenn Irkok, won the singing competition and took home $100. Harmonica player Jason Palluq won second and Jonathan Palluq took third for drumdancing.
"It was pretty awesome," Natanine said.
- Casey Lessard
Summer fun at library
Ikaluktutiak/Cambridge Bay
For those interested in learning Internet skills, Jordan Lyall and Laura Dunn take over the library every Wednesday night throughout the summer from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.
So far the workshops have covered Facebook privacy and safety, selling items online, such as on eBay and on several Cambridge Bay swap and sell pages.
Future workshops will include general Internet safety - preventing viruses and scams and protecting privacy, how to navigate job websites and create great applications, dealing with online bullying, merging the digital and traditional by exploring online sites, apps and traditional knowledge data banks and social media activism - online tools to stand up for what's right.
The workshops have been well-attended, except on one evening when bingo proved more popular.
The after-school program recently saw the fruit of their efforts in the shape of a $700.60 cheque librarian Pamela Langan was able to hand over for breast cancer research. The children took part in the after-school program's beading-for-cancer project.
"For one of our projects we had them make key chains, zipper pulls, necklaces, that kind of thing. We were selling them and all together they raised that money."
- Michele LeTourneau
Out with garbage
Uqsuqtuuq/Gjoa Haven
Community members gathered to clean up the playground on June 26.
"I am very happy with the difference which all of the volunteers made in just under two hours," said Matt Gee, the Northern store's manager.
Gee hopes that the clean-up, which only took two hours on a Saturday evening, will inspire others in Gjoa Haven and all of Nunavut to take pride in their community.
The idea to clean the area evolved from the Northern's annual spring clean-up and the Government of Nunavut's annual clean-up.
Gee and lands officer Ryan Potter organized the short event together.
"There seems to be a growing sense of personal responsibility amongst residents when it comes to cleaning up the community," said Gee. "Comments on the local Facebook page have sprung up at random, with local people posting things like, 'Let's all go clean up the creek now!'"
- Michele LeTourneau
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