 | Home page |  | Text size |  | E-mail this page |
Monday, February 22, 2016
Bathurst caribou hearing in Yellowknife
A public hearing on the 2016 Bathurst Caribou Herd Joint Management Proposal is scheduled to take place in Yellowknife on Feb. 23 and Feb. 24, according to the Wek'eezhii Renewable Resources Board (WRRB).
The hearing will be held at the Northern United Place Auditorium near downtown Yellowknife and will include potential management actions outlined in the plan, such as shutting down the harvest on the Bathurst herd and establishing mobile wolf-hunter camps.
It is expected to run from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and the general public will be able to make statements.
- Kassina Ryder
Deline ends Bluenose East hunt
Deline hunters officially ended this season's Bluenose East caribou hunt on Feb. 12.
The community's management plan for the herd suggested calling off the hunt once hunters had reached a threshold of 150 animals.
No-hunting signs will be posted asking harvesters not to hunt on the east side of the Keith Arm on Great Bear Lake.
The community will respond to anyone caught hunting and will involve the Department of Environment and Natural Resources "as a last resort," the release stated.
Hunters are being encouraged to hunt other species, including boreal woodland caribou, moose and fish.
- Kassina Ryder
GNWT supports extension for Mackenzie Valley Gas project
In a written response to Imperial Oil's request to extend the start date of the Mackenzie Valley Gas project, the Department of Industry, Tourism and Investment says it still supports the decision to suspend construction until 2022 - pending market recovery.
The project certificate was set to expire Dec. 31 if construction had not started by the end of 2015.
The Inuvialuit Regional Corporation, Gwich'in Tribal Council and Tulita Land/Financial Corporation have also expressed their support.
- Meagan Leonard
Inuit art moves to Winnipeg
NWT and Nunavut artifacts previously housed at the Prince of Wales Northern Heritage Centre (PWNHC) in Yellowknife are being sent to the Winnipeg Art Gallery. The objects will be part of the gallery's new Inuit art wing.
The gallery already has the world's largest public collection of Inuit art.
- Kassina Ryder
Jamboree planning set
Liidlii Kue/Fort Simpson
A planning session for Beavertail Jamboree will take place Feb. 22 at 7 p.m. in the recreation centre. This will be the third meeting for the event.
On Feb. 18, the Open Sky Creative Society's next mini-workshop series kicks off Feb. 23 at 7 p.m. Rosa Wright will be teaching people how to make traditional sewing kits, including needles, as well as making patterns. The mini-workshop resumes March 1 and again March 9.
On Feb. 27, acrylic painter Marion Storm will lead a workshop at the gallery from 1 to 5 p.m. She will show participants how to mix colours and each participant will paint a canvas. Storm's work is on display at the gallery until March 20.
- April Hudson
Fun Run rolls into town
Deh Gah Got'ie Koe/Fort Providence
The sixth annual Fort Providence Fun Run was scheduled to kick off Feb. 19 and run through Feb. 21. The weekend event was to include sled competitions as well as a fishing derby, with dinner and awards set for 6 p.m. on Saturday.
Deh Gah School will be on spring break from March 14 to 28.
Yellowknife's Fuel Flo men's hockey team came out on top during the tournament from Feb. 12 to 14.
- April Hudson
Course in mental health first aid
Aklavik
An Inuit-specific mental health first aid course was being offered at the Aklavik Community Corporation office from Feb. 16 to 18.
The pilot program, titled Mental Health First Aid Inuit Pilot Course, is a collaboration between the Mental Health Commission of Canada and Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami (ITK).
The pilot aims to determine whether the program is culturally relevant and allow participants to offer feedback before it is officially launched in the summer of 2016.
The course focused on mental health issues such as substance related disorders, suicide and crisis first aid, deliberate self-injury behaviour, anxiety disorders and psychotic disorders.
- Kassina Ryder
A new group for women
Tuktoyaktuk
The newly established Tuktoyaktuk Women's group is offering free crochet workshops for women in the community.
The workshops are scheduled to begin on Feb. 27 and will run from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays at the Tuk Craft Shop.
Mildred Kangegana will be teaching crochet lessons, including how to make crochet hats. All supplies are provided to participants.
- Kassina Ryder
Busy February in Tsiigehtchic
Tsiigehtchic/Arctic Red River
Community wellness workers in Tsiigehtchic have scheduled a variety of activities throughout the month of February.
Events were expected to include spa nights on Feb. 17 and 24, community lunches at noon on Friday afternoons and a sliding party on Feb. 22.
The events are part of Aboriginal Community Wellness Activities organized through the Gwichya Gwich'in Band.
- Kassina Ryder
Getting ready for the workplace
Tetlit'Zheh/Fort McPherson
A workplace readiness workshop for youth was scheduled to be held at the Charles Koe building in Fort McPherson from Feb. 15 to 19.
Workshops were expected to run from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. and focused on how to prepare for job interviews, resume writing and job searching skills.
The workshop would include snacks and door prizes.
- Kassina Ryder
Something's cooking
Ulukhaktok/Holman
The Ulukhaktok Cooking Circle was scheduled to resume its classes the week of Jan. 15.
The classes are held at the Simon Kataoyak Centre every Saturday at about 2 p.m. and feature a different healthy recipe and side dishes.
Past recipes have included Hawaiian meatballs and homemade tzatziki dip. The Nutrition North program funds cooking circle classes throughout the Beaufort Delta.
- Kassina Ryder
Finally, a traditional feast
Ikaahuk/Sachs Harbour
After being delayed in December, the date and venue for a traditional feast in Sachs Harbour is now being finalized, according to the community's Facebook page.
The feast had been scheduled to take place earlier in the New Year, but when supplies failed to arrive, it was re-scheduled for mid-January. Another delay meant supplies didn't arrive until early February.
- Kassina Ryder
Team spirit at Aurora College
Thebacha/Fort Smith
Aurora College planned to show off its campus spirit this week in Fort Smith by bringing together community residents with students, staff and faculty in a number of various events.
The events were part of Aurora College Week which ran Feb. 15 to 19 in Fort Smith, Yellowknife and Inuvik.
Plans for the celebration included a community barbecue at the Thebacha campus, a College Idol contest, sliding and smores at the Landslide Lookout as well as Dene handgames.
- Shane Magee
Handgames coming
Thebacha/Fort Smith
The Thebacha Nane Traditional Men's Hand Games Tournament will be taking place at the community recreation centre March 12 to
13.
The tournament, with an allocation of six people per team, will have cash prizes for top-three finishes. Registration for the tournament closes March 12.
- Shane Magee
Keeping busy
Behchoko/Rae-Edzo
High school and kindergarten students graduating this year are scheduled to have their graduation photos taken on Feb. 22.
The photos will be taken during regular school hours with family photos scheduled to take place in the evening from about 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. The school is also scheduled to have a book fair from Feb. 22 to 24. There will be no classes on Feb. 25 and 26.
- Kassina Ryder
Wekweeti girls walk their moccasins
Wekweeti/Snare Lakes
Thirteen girls in Wekweeti took part in a traditional sewing program from Jan. 18 to Feb. 5. Titled the "Walk your Moccasins" program, it was a collaboration between Alexis Arrowmaker School and the Tlicho Government's economic development office.
Local elder Noella Kodzin taught the students how to make moccasins step-by-step throughout the program.
- Kassina Ryder
Chilli for a good cause
Whati/Lac La Martre
Grade 9 students at Mezi Community School are busy fundraising for a class trip at the end of the year, said teacher Jennifer Rae.
It's the first time Grade 9s have planned a year-end trip and they hope to raise enough to go to Edmonton in June.
The group held a hot chilli lunch fundraiser on Feb. 19, where staff and students were encouraged to purchase a bowl of chilli with bread for $5.
- Kassina Ryder
Life coaching
Lli Goline/Norman Wells
Life coach Yvonne Oswald, Phd. was scheduled to lead a seminar in Norman Wells on Feb. 20. Oswald is the author of Every Word Has Power and is a master trainer of hypnosis.
The Norman Wells seminar was titled Success from the Inside Out; more confidence, motivation and overcoming challenges.
The Norman Wells Land Corporation organized the event, which was scheduled to take place at the Mackenzie Mountain School gym from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
- Kassina Ryder
Handgames in Deline
Deline/Fort Franklin
The second bi-annual Juna Takazo men's handgame tournament took place in Deline from Feb. 19 to 21.
About 32 teams were expected to participate.
Players had to be more than 15-years old to be eligible for the games. The first place team was expected to take home a grand prize of $25,000.
- Kassina Ryder
Valentine's celebrations
Radilih Koe'/Fort Good Hope
Chief T'Selehye School students held a Valentine's Day themed spirit week from Feb. 8. to Feb. 12, kicing off with students wearing pink or red on Monday and on Tuesday, students were encouraged to wear their coziest pyjamas.
Students wore as many hearts as possible on their clothing during Wednesday's event and a bake sale was held on Thursday.
- Kassina Ryder
Big turnout at health fair
Ausuittuq/Grise Fiord
A community health fair recently held in Grise Fiord is one of few similar events that can boast a turnout of greater than 50 per cent of the population.
"Out of 130, our population, we gave out 85 tickets to people who were attending," said Joanne Dignard, supervisor of community health programs, about the Feb. 9 fair.
"There were even a few who didn't take a ticket, so there were probably over 90 people who attended our health fair. It was a very good turnout."
Health workers from Iqaluit flew in to help train the community's health-care representative, Meeka Kiguktak.
Health-care centre staff then helped run the fair, which had stations for healthy food, oral health, drugs and alcohol, enhancing physical activity, blood pressure testing, mental health and STDs.
One of the hits was a Smokerlyzer, a device that tests carbon monoxide levels in people's lungs.
"It's kind of a popular thing to try because it gives the carbon monoxide (level) of what you're exhaling," said Dignard. "As somebody wants to quit, they see how high their number is and then when they quit smoking they can see the big difference in the number of how much carbon monoxide comes out of their lungs."
A few clients were invited to a future meeting with Dignard after finding out at the fair they have high blood pressure.
The RCMP, teachers and students were also involved.
"I got good feedback from people attending," said Dignard.
- Stewart Burnett
Digital map preserves Inuit history
Ikaluktutiak/Cambridge Bay
The partnership between the Kitikmeot Heritage Society and Carleton University in Ottawa is featured in an article in the university's publication, Carleton Now.
Fraser Taylor, a distinguished research professor and director of Carleton's Geomatics and Cartographic Research Centre, was commissioned by the society to map explorer Knud Rasmussen's Fifth Thule Expedition across the Canadian Arctic from 1921 to 1924.
Inuit elders who met Rasmussen during his expedition are no longer alive to pass down stories about the experience. As a result, important historical knowledge is disappearing in Nunavut, said Brendan Griebel, former executive director of the society.
"Inuit don't really have many resources that they can access about traditional Inuit culture. It's not creating an atlas about the expedition that's so important but about the Inuit knowledge that was collected as part of that expedition."
- Michele LeTourneau
Pinnguaq to pitch at crowdfunding conference
Panniqtuuq/Pangnirtung
The Pangnirtung-founded company Pinnguaq is one of a dozen finalists nationwide to have the opportunity to pitch to investors at the 2016 Canadian Crowdfunding Summit, being held in Toronto on March 3.
Pinnguaq provides high-quality technology experiences in a variety of formats, with a focus on the culture and social growth of indigenous communities.
Founded in 2012, it has grown to embrace ways of incorporating play and gaming into wide-reaching applications that can benefit tourism, education and economic development.
The summit will allow Pinnguaq to pitch directly to investors, service providers and alternative finance leaders from Canada and around the world.
"This year's summit already has over 60 speakers lined up including keynote Bill Morrow, founder and CEO of Angels Den, the UK's largest angel-led crowdfunding platform," states a news release.
- Stewart Burnett
Change in staffing
Ikaluktutiak/Cambridge Bay
Pam Gross, formerly community director with the Kitikmeot Heritage Society, has stepped into the position of executive director.
Gross grew up in Cambridge Bay and returned home after completing the Nunavut Sivuniksavut program in Ottawa, a BA in anthropology and aboriginal studies at Carleton University, and a pre-masters program in indigenous governance at the University of Winnipeg. She is also a councillor with the Municipality of Cambridge Bay. Former executive director Brendan Griebel, with the society in various positions since 2007, steps into the role of senior researcher.
- Michele LeTourneau
Valentine's celebrated with a dance
Ikpiarjuk/Arctic Bay
Approximately 125 people showed up for a Valentine's Day dance in Arctic Bay on Feb. 13.
They took part in a night of fun that included dancing, a bake sale and grad class fundraiser for best dressed man and woman.
Student council co-ordinator Kaitlynd Woods, Grade 9 teacher Sarah Cole and Skills Canada Baking Club leader Jean-Francois Latour helped organize the event and activities.
"It was a pretty well attended event," stated Latour.
- Stewart Burnett
Climate change event kicks off
Iglulik
A week-long event, Kiss the Earth, was scheduled to kick off in Iglulik on Feb. 18.
"Sponsored by the Igloolik Co-op and benefitting Friends of North, this inaugural event will highlight how climate change is tangibly affecting the Arctic environment, and the ability for remote Inuit communities to adequately feed themselves," states a news release from the project's partners.
All Canadians are invited to attend.
The schedule includes:
Feb. 19: Tundra Take Back presents on how they are cleaning up the Arctic by removing recyclable materials from Nunavut landfills. A performance of throatsingers, drum dancers and a concert by local school children was planned.
Feb. 20: Iglulik carvers demonstrate their skills. Guest can view the film Chloe and Theo, starring Theo Ikummaq, Mira Sorvino and Dakota Johnson, with Ikummaq answering questions.
Feb. 21: A screening of Chasing Ice, a National Geographic documentary, with a roundtable discussion to follow with Iglulik and Ikummaq.
Feb. 22: A day of activities, such as dog-sledding, ice fishing, or building an igloo, with an opportunity to "personally see and experience the impact that climate change is having in the Arctic."
The Friends of the North Facebook page is updating throughout the week.
- Michele LeTourneau
Youth heading to movie audition
Arviat
Three Arviat youths - Ruth Kaviok, Innosar Issakiark and Anthony Alikaswa - have been selected to participate in the Arctic Youth Performing Arts Workshop and Audition for the Inuit teen movie, The Grizzlies, in Iqaluit from Feb. 14 to 21.
The Arviat youths were among 200 to audition from across the North, with 30 being chosen to participate in the workshop and audition.
- Darrell Greer
| 
