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Monday, June 8, 2015
Deline self-government bill introduced
The House of Commons approved the Deline Final Self-Government Agreement Act on June 3.
It is now before the Senate for approval. Parliament's passage of the act and its receival of royal assent will be the final steps in approving the self-government agreement for the community. After that, the Deline Got'ine government will take over the roles of the land corporation, Deline First Nation and charter community.
- Shane Magee
Arrest made in attempted child abduction
A male has been arrested in what police believe to be the attempted abduction of a child.
Two children were walking on a wooded path to Elizabeth Mackenzie Elementary School in Behchoko on June 5 when a male grabbed one of them, states an RCMP news release.
The child broke free and both ran to the school for help.
Police arrested a male and he was in custody that evening. Charges are pending at press time, say RCMP. Police have not named the suspect or given his age.
- Josh Long
Man charged after cabin incident
A man is charged after two individuals were attacked in a cabin near Fort McPherson on May 27. RCMP said one victim required treatment for non-life-threatening injuries. Police seized marijuana, firearms, alcohol and currency from the cabin. Gordon Koe, 48, is charged with assault with a weapon, uttering threats, drug trafficking and unsafe firearms storage.
RCMP is looking for a man after an individual was assaulted and restrained in Inuvik. Police said it happened on June 3 after a home on Boot Lake Rd. was broken into. The victim fought back and fled the residence, police stated.
- John McFadden
Court rules on day students
The federal court has ruled in favour of allowing all former day school students to pursue a class action lawsuit against the Government of Canada.
First Nations students who were forced to attend day schools but allowed to return home in the evening will can seek similar compensation as those who were placed in the residential school system.
The suit cites loss of language, culture and identity.
- Meagan Leonard
Paulatuk celebration rescheduled for August
Paulatuk
Celebrations being planned in Paulatuk for the 50th anniversary of local government in the community have been postponed to August.
The event had been planned for June 6.
Mayor Ray Ruben Sr. of the Hamlet of Paulatuk said the celebrations will now be held on an evening between Aug. 14 and 17.
That will mean the anniversary celebrations will coincide with the annual Iqalukpik Jamboree.
Ruben said the rescheduling will allow more time to organize the celebrations.
Plus, it is hoped that a date in August will permit more GNWT politicians to attend.
Ruben noted that the previous date of June 6 was during a sitting of the legislative assembly, and some politicians would not have been able to attend the celebrations.
The community became a settlement in the mid-1960s and a hamlet in 1987.
- Paul Bickford
RCMP asks Enterprise to watch for traffickers
Enterprise
The RCMP is asking residents of Enterprise to keep an eye open for suspicious activity that might be transactions involving illegal drugs.
In an appearance before hamlet council on June 2, Sgt. Tyler Codling of the Hay River RCMP noted that traffickers from elsewhere seem to be meeting up in Enterprise.
"In order to try and avoid some exposure in Hay River, we're getting source intelligence that drug transactions will take place out in Enterprise," he said, adding the drugs will not be for sale in Enterprise and really have nothing to do with the community.
"Except it's a location where they can meet up away from where we generally are and pass over drugs that are coming from Edmonton or High Level or places like that," he explained.
Codling said if residents of Enterprise see anything that appears suspicious, they can call the Hay River RCMP.
Aside from that, the sergeant's report to council had no police matters to speak of concerning Enterprise, a community of about 100 people located 38 km from Hay River.
Enterprise seems to be a very happy, quiet community, he said. "I don't see a lot of concerns."
- Paul Bickford
Grad ceremonies coming up
Beaufort Delta
Students across the Beaufort Delta will be celebrating graduation day this month.
Helen Kalvak School in Ulukhaktok will hold a ceremony for two Grade 12 students June 10 at 6 p.m. in the school with a feast to follow.
A grad will be held June 16 for the 15 kindergarteners moving on to Grade 1.
Seven Grade 12 students from Aklavik's Moose Kerr School will accept their diplomas June 12 at 4 p.m. in the school gym. The event is open to the public and a feast will follow.
The soon-to-be-graduates are currently in Vancouver visiting universities, such as the University of British Columbia. They were scheduled to return June 7.
Two Grade 9 students and a kindergartner will be the toast of Sachs Harbour June 16. Their graduation ceremony is to be held at 6 p.m. in the school gym followed by a feast.
Chief Paul Niditchie, Mangilaluk and Chief Julius schools have scheduled grad celebrations for June 19.
All ceremonies will be held in the school's gym and there will be a feast to follow.
Two Grade 9 students and a kindergartener will be graduating in Tsiigehtchic.
Tuktoyaktuk will see about six Grade 12s receive their diploma. There will also be a grad for about 15 senior kindergartners on June 24 at 11 a.m.
In Fort McPherson, seven Grade 12 students will graduate. Then on June 23 at 3 p.m. the kindergarteners will have their ceremony.
- Miranda Scotland
Good turnout for community cleanup
Tsiigehtchic/Arctic Red River
Tsiigehtchic is looking beautiful following a community clean-up in which residents filled 62 bags of garbage.
"In addition to the general clean-up we separated cans and bottles. So we're saving those to be recycled. Hopefully we can get some cash from all that trash," said Marjorie Dobson, Tsiigehtchic senior administrative officer.
Previously, there was a resident who dealt with cans and bottles in the community but not anymore. So the municipality is looking into restarting the initiative, added Dobson.
About 70 community members participated in the clean-up May 28 and were entered to win a variety of prizes including 45 gallons of gas, barbecue grilling sets, picnic tables, gift cards and other items.
A barbecue and baseball match was held afterwards.
"We're quite happy with the turnout and the amount of refuge collected," said Dobson.
- Miranda Scotland
Education Week fun
Aklavik
The Aklavik District Education Authority marked Education Week with a variety of events.
DEA members kicked off the week with an annual general meeting May 25. The following day elders were invited into Moose Kerr School classrooms and then to luncheon on May 27.
On May 28, they had Take a Parent to School Day, which was inspired by Take a Kid to Work Day. Parents tagged along with their children as they attended classes and got an idea of what their kid's schedule is like, said Bobbie Jo Greenland-Morgan.
The week came to a close with sports day on May 29.
- Miranda Scotland
Annual trip a success
Acho Dene Koe/Fort Liard
The After School Club made its annual trip to Fort Nelson at the end of May and sends out a thank you to all the young ladies involved as ambassadors for Fort Liard.
The Department of Transportation will be in the community from June 8 to 12 to provide written Class 7 driving tests. Registrations need to be in by June 9. Drop by the Aurora College Fort Liard Community Learning Centre to register.
A family of black bears were spotted near the welcome sign for Liard and community members are encouraged to keep an eye out and take precaution when in the area.
- April Hudson
Nominations heat up in Liidlii Kue
Liidlii Kue/Fort Simpson
Four members of Liidlii Kue First Nation have been nominated as candidates for chief, including Gerald Antoine, Olinto Beaulieu, Ernest Cazon and Arnold Hope.
Nominations for councillors closed after press time.
Advance polls were scheduled for June 5, with election day taking place at the recreation centre in Fort Simpson on June 8, followed by a feast. Election day will begin at 10 a.m. and run until 7 p.m.
Nominations for grand chief close on June 10, with a candidate forum scheduled to go forward on June 22. For residents interested in obtaining their pleasure craft operator's card for boating, the Department of Industry, Tourism and Investment will be holding a training session on June 9 in the ECE building.
The workshop will run from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and is offered at no charge.
The card is legislated by Transport Canada and provides proof of competency for tourism operators using small commercial vessels no longer than eight metres carrying six or less passengers and being operated in sheltered waters.
- April Hudson
Stance on seal hunt softened
Brussels, Belgium
The European Union's Internal Market Committee moved June 3 to eliminate one of only two exemptions to its ban on seal products, leaving only the Inuit exemption standing.
"Inuit may sell seal products in the EU only if their hunting methods have due regard to animal welfare, are a part of their community's culture and contribute to its subsistence," an EU release stated. The rule still forbids Inuit hunts that are done for strictly commercial purposes.
European Union member states will also mount awareness campaigns to counter negative portrayals of Inuit and other indigenous seal hunts, the release stated.
In the wake of a 2014 World Trade Organization ruling, Members of European Parliament (MEPs) ruled that products produced from maritime resource management (MRM) hunts cannot be sold in the EU. A majority of MEPs supported keeping and clarifying the Inuit exemption.
"There was a large majority for the Inuit exemption and our agreement reflects the right to self-determination of the Inuit and other indigenous communities," rapporteur Cristian-Silviu Buoi stated in the release. "Seal hunting is an integral part of the culture and identity of these communities, making a major contribution to their subsistence, preserving and continuing their traditional lifestyle and the cultural heritage of bartering."
The WTO had ruled that the rules on the MRM and Inuit hunts could be discriminatory, which led to this week's decision, which was nearly unanimous.
- Casey Lessard
Caribou ban continues
Iqaluit
The Government of Nunavut is reminding the public that since Jan. 1 and continuing it is illegal to hunt or kill caribou anywhere on Baffin Island and its surrounding islands, including Prince Charles Island and Bylot Island.
The moratorium is in place until a formal decision on harvesting levels is made. The Nunavut Wildlife Management Board is expected to rule on harvesting limits later this year.
- Stewart Burnett
Judge moves to NWT
Ottawa
Nunavut Justice Andrew Mahar is moving to the NWT after federal Justice Minister Peter MacKay assigned him to the territory's Supreme Court, a May 29 release stated. Mahar will replace Madam Justice V.A. Schuler, who resigned May 1.
Mahar has been a judge since 2012. Previously he was a sole practitioner in Iqaluit since 2001. He started practicing law in 1992, and started his Northern law career in 1995 at the Northwest Territories Legal Aid Clinic in Cambridge Bay, after which he set up a practice in Yellowknife.
Mahar's promotion is effectively immediately, the release stated.
- Casey Lessard
RCMP recognized
Kugluktuk/Coppermine
Mayor and council in Kugluktuk invited the local RCMP detachment on May 28 to present them with a plaque in recognition of their "service and courageous efforts in keeping the community safe."
Detachment commander Cpl. Jean-Luc Bedard thanked hamlet council and the community for their support over the years.
He said the RCMP would continue on its mandate for a safer and healthier community, with a focus on youth, substance abuse, domestic violence and mental health.
- Stewart Burnett
Ice fishing season ends
Panniqtuuq/Pangnirtung
It was a shorter season for Pangnirtung's winter turbot fishery, but fishers were able to harvest 600,000 pounds of turbot, earning them $700,000.
"The ice went away very fast," Pangnirtung MLA Johnny Mike said in the legislature May 29. "Today, the ice is all gone and the fiord is all water now."
Mike said the season is over earlier than normal, and that ice fishing would still be occurring had this been another year.
- Casey Lessard
Students visit Hockey Hall of Fame
Kinngait/Cape Dorset
Students from Peter Pitseolak School in Cape Dorset completed their half of an exchange trip with Stratford Northwestern in Ontario.
In April, students from Stratford and six other schools in the Avon Maitland District School Board travelled to Cape Dorset and shared cooking skills, connected through leadership activities, explored the Arctic tundra together and spent many hours connecting with their new friends in the North.
From May 20 to 26, Peter Pitseolak students went south to Ontario and visited a variety of farms, went to Toronto to see the CN Tower and Hockey Hall of Fame and drove down the highway to the Niagara Falls.
The Cape Dorset students especially liked being able to swim down south.
- Stewart Burnett
Barbecue honours responders
Panniqtuuq/Pangnirtung
The Government of Nunavut was set to host a community barbecue June 5 to thank those who helped respond to the April power plant emergency.
Premier Peter Taptuna, Community and Government Services Minister Johnny Mike, and Keith Peterson, the minister responsible for Qulliq Energy Corporation, were set to travel to the community June 5 to thank community members at the event, which was to be held after press deadline.
- Casey Lessard
Ceremonial review
Repulse Bay
The 3055 Royal Canadian Army Cadet Corp held its annual ceremonial review May 27 in Repulse Bay (Naujaat).
The ceremony saw 31 cadets on parade, with 12 awards and six medals presented.
Naujaat Mayor Soloman Malliki was the reviewing officer for the ceremony.
- Darrell Greer
Polar Knowledge Canada comes into force
Ikaluktutiak/Cambridge Bay
The Cambridge Bay-hosted Canadian High Arctic Research Station, set to launch in 2017, now officially has an "Act" to its name and the Polar Knowledge Canada organization has been established.
The organization will build on the former Canadian Polar Commission's mandate to serve as Canada's primary point of contact for Arctic science. It will be headquartered in CHARS.
Construction of the station is expected to generate up to 150 jobs, mostly locally across the North.
"Our government is proud to contribute to projects that support a strong, sustainable and prosperous Nunavut," stated Nunavut MP Leona Aglukkaq in a news release.
"Inuit are already seeing the benefits of the research station through the construction, with more than 65 per cent of the construction work tendered to date awarded to Inuit-owned or Nunavut Tunngavik Inc. (NTI) registered firms."
- Stewart Burnett
Student art displayed
Iqaluit
Students at Inuksuk High School in Iqaluit will be showing off their artistic sides June 10 when the school hosts a Night of Arts.
Students will show their visual art, industrial art, cultural art, and musical talents starting at 5 p.m.
The event ends with a theatrical performance by Grade 10 students, The Struggles by Kendra Thomas, starting at 7 p.m.
- Casey Lessard
Keep eyes on the road
Nunavut
The Nunavut government will look at cracking down on distracted drivers in the next year, deputy commissioner Nellie Kusugak noted in the Commissioner's Address June 2.
The problem was mentioned May 28 by Iqaluit-Niaqunnguu MLA Pat Angnakak, who wanted to know how the government was responding to a resolution introduced by Iqaluit Mayor Mary Wilman and seconded by Clyde River Mayor Jerry Natanine which passed at the Nunavut Association of Municipalities' annual general meeting.
"It should be some time in the winter," said Economic Development and Transportation Minister Monica Ell.
- Casey Lessard
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