LIIDLII KUE/FORT SIMPSON
Food, crafts and music abounded on April 22 as more than 30 community members were enticed to turn off the TV and turn out to events celebrating Earth Day.

Scarlett Okrainec-Cli, left, plays a ditty on the harmonica while Lindsay Waugh performs at the Open Sky Gallery on April 22. - April Hudson/NNSL photo

The day's events kicked off with a lunch at Nahendeh MLA Shane Thompson's constituency office.

The lunch included barbecued elk, fish patties and moose stew, to name a few - much of which was cooked by constituency assistant Pearl Norwegian.

The lunch gave community members the opportunity to question Thompson on issues they felt should be addressed.

Thompson said the lunch was organized and facilitated by Norwegian and Brenda Moreau, who both joined him for the event.

"It's good to get people into the office," he said.

In the spirit of Earth Day, Thompson said he has been working to get LED lights installed in his Yellowknife apartment, where he stays when the legislature is sitting.

That's a push that will pay for itself as the power bills roll in, he said. Additionally, it is a practical choice.

The idea came from his own LED-lit house, which he says has reduced his power bill by $100 to $150 each month.

"You don't think of it. It's not so much about Earth as it is about the economy," Thompson said.

"It's the new way of doing things. I save money and the government saves money."

As the sun set on Earth Day, the Open Sky Creative Society opened its gallery doors to the public for an environmentally-friendly coffee house and screening of Fractured Land, a documentary about Caleb Behn's fight to protect his watershed.

The film was sponsored by the NWT chapter of the Council for Canadians while Ecology North chipped in to sponsor recyclable crafts and snacks.

For the occasion, Open Sky received a donation of old red and green fleeces from Parks Canada, which along with cardboard were used in the evening's craft-making.

On the topic of the environment, Northwest Territories Power Corporation spokesperson Pam Coulter said the corporation encourages smart power use, but added that isn't where they put their focus.

"There isn't a great concentration on power conservation - more so on community cleanups," she said.