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Monday, January 30, 2017
Super A to give up catalogue service
Hay River
The Super A family of businesses has announced the upcoming closure of the Sears agency at the Super A Gift & Garden Centre.
The company has offered the catalogue service for several years, first at the Super A Gas Express and then at the Super A Gift & Garden Centre. As of Feb. 28, the service will no longer be provided by Super A.
"This decision has not been taken lightly, as we do understand that this service has provided product variety to our customers," reads a statement from Super A. "We are prepared to work and co-operate in full with Sears Canada, so as to ensure an uninterrupted transition in service, to whomever Sears Canada choose to select."
– Paul Bickford
Researchers pursue contaminant study
Liidlii Kue/Fort Simpson
Researchers from the University of Waterloo will be in Fort Providence on Jan. 26, 27 and 30 to conduct a study on contaminants and human health.
Dr. Brian Laird and Dr. Mylene Ratelle are inviting community members over the age of six to participate.
The study will help to answer questions about current levels of contaminant exposure in the body, sources of contaminant exposure to people in the Northwest Territories and the balance between risks and benefits from country food.
Participants can take a voluntary 24-hour food recall survey, a food frequency questionnaire, a hair or urine sample or a blood sample, which would be collected by a nurse.
– April Hudson
Walk to Tuk popular
Inuvik
As of mid-January, more than 3,400 people on 272 teams and from 29 communities had registered for the Walk to Tuk program, which challenges teams to walk an equivalent number of steps from Fort Providence to Tuktoyaktuk.
– Stewart Burnett
Premiers join forces on Northern policy
NWT
The GNWT announced it will take the reins on creating a new Sustainable Development Strategy in partnerships with the premiers of Yukon and Nunavut.
The goal is to ensure Northerners have a "collective voice" in decision-making that affects them, stated a joint news release from the three governments Jan. 27.
Yukon, Nunavut and the NWT's premiers also plan to develop a new Pan-Territorial Northern Policy in partnership with indigenous peoples in the three territories.
- Kirsten Fenn
Behchoko sport plex open
Behchoko/Rae Edzo
The Ko Go Cho Complex is up and running in Behchoko, but the gym will be temporarily shut down in February to install retractable basketball towers, Larry Baran, senior administrative officer said in an e-mail to News/North.
Once the towers are installed, lines on the floor can be painted and final touches complete. In the meantime, the gym is being used as an open game playing area.
Basketball and volleyball tournaments won't be held in the facility until work is finished, but Baran said the arena and youth centre are also open.
– Kassina Ryder
Internet and phone outage ends in Colville Lake
Kahbamiue/Colville Lake
A damaged satellite antenna caused a four-day internet and long distance calling outage in Colville Lake last week, information from Northwestel stated.
The outage began at 7:23 p.m. on Jan. 20 and ended on Jan. 24 at about 10 p.m., according to a statement from the company emailed to News/North.
"We apologize to our customers for the considerable disruption the outage caused in Colville Lake.
Work to repair the damaged satellite required moving considerable resources to one of our remote communities," the statement said. "In order to restore services as quickly as possible, added Northwestel technicians were flown into Colville Lake and back up equipment had to be transported over several hours of ice road."
– Kassina Ryder
Frank Channel Bridge repairs mean one lane traffic
NWT
Parts of Highway 3 will be reduced to one lane this summer as work is done on the Frank Channel Bridge, a news release from the Department of Transportation said.
The bridge is located at kilometre 243.8 of the highway and will have major repairs performed from May until October this year. The repairs will continue to take place during the summer of 2018.
Two lanes of traffic are expected to resume between November and April 2017.
– Kassina Ryder
Air show preps for the Deh Cho
Liidlii Kue/Fort Simpson
The Canadian Arctic Aviation Tour, a volunteer-run project bringing air shows to 97 Northern communities, has plans to stop in the Deh Cho.
Although exact dates were not available at press time, spokesperson Nancy McClure stated in an e-mail the project would bring "wheels on the ground" shows to Fort Liard and Fort Simpson, with above-community shows in Fort Providence, Wrigley, Nahanni Butte, Jean Marie River and Sambaa K'e.
– April Hudson
Celebration of winter back for a second year
Hay River
The Winter Celebration is returning for a second year.
And organizer Dale Loutit, recreation programmer with the Town of Hay River, says the one day of events – set for Feb. 4 – definitely has more activities than its first appearance last year.
Loutit said it's an opportunity to get active and have fun in winter.
"It's just to celebrate that," she said. "What winter has to offer and all the fun things you can do in winter."
Loutit explained sometimes people need encouragement to get active in winter.
"Just get out there and enjoy winter because everybody hibernates more in the wintertime," she said. "And you find that it's hard to get out and find the motivation when you never have any sunlight to get out and be active."
Loutit believes the highlights of Winter Celebration will be snowshoe races, closest-to-the-button curling by the ice road on the frozen Hay River, and a hockey game at the Ray Benoit Outdoor Rink in 553 featuring firefighters and members of the RCMP.
"The outdoor hockey game is totally new," she said, adding it also will feature a pizza party.
The curling on the river is also an addition to the event.
"That's going to be totally new because we'll be painting the button and then we'll have closest to the button competition," Loutit explained.
Other activities include a pancake breakfast, a book giveaway, snow carving, a free movie, swimming, and a kids' winter art display at NWT Centennial Library.
Loutit has been working to organize the Winter Celebration since mid-December.
The event is sponsored by the Town of Hay River, and many community organizations and businesses have become involved by helping to sponsor events and activities, and by donating prizes.
Loutit hopes to make Winter Celebration an annual event in the first week of February.
She said that it's a long haul at this time of year with no holidays between early January and April.
At press time the final schedule was not available.
– Paul Bickford
Swamped with media requests
Inuvik
Inuvik's pitch that this is the last year to drive the ice road to Tuktoyaktuk appears to be proving popular to foreign media.
"I do understand that (the Department of Transportation is) getting bombarded with lots of requests," said Anne Kokko, tourism development officer, at a tourism meeting Thursday, Jan. 19.
Vicky Gregoire-Tremblay, manager of economic development and tourism for the Town of Inuvik, said a Swiss media company is currently filming a TV show about driving a truck on the ice road, a French show might visit and the town is working with the New York Times for coverage.
"People are really interested in coming to visit Inuvik," she said.
Kokko said there are probably another half-dozen media organizations talking to the GNWT about visiting.
Meanwhile, Kokko is now busy working toward a tourism development conference likely in March this year.
She's looking to bring in people from around the Beaufort Delta to work on tourism skills, increase tourism capacity in the region and more.
"It looks like we'll probably be able to fund about 50 people from Inuvik and from other communities," she said.
Looking ahead, Kokko said an elders' and residents' program would hopefully embed elders at lodges, visitor centres or in similar places where they can share knowledge with youth or visitors.
"Talking to elders is high, high on the list of a lot of the experiences our visitors have," said Kokko.
"(They would be) sharing their knowledge but they're being paid for their time, so you get that cultural exchange happening."
Kokko hopes to fund that program next fiscal year.
– Stewart Burnett
Firefighters recognized for years of service
Liidlii Kue/Fort Simpson
Three volunteer firefighters in Fort Simpson were honoured during a years of service award ceremony at the fire hall on Jan. 18.
Tyler Pilling, who has been on the department for two and a half years, received a two-year service award, while Caitlin Blyth and Michael Rowe each received a five-year service award.
Blyth and Rowe have been on the department for more than six years, but this is the first awards ceremony the department has held since 2015.
The awards were presented by Fire Chief Roger Pilling, deputy fire chief Pat Rowe and assistant fire marshal Travis Wright.
– April Hudson
RCMP talks public safety
Hay River
The RCMP will hold a community presentation called Protecting Our Children, focused on child exploitation, sexting, Internet luring and drugs, particularly fentanyl.
The free presentation will take place at Diamond Jenness Secondary School on Jan. 31, beginning at 7 p.m.
Several officers from the RCMP's 'G' Division headquarters in Yellowknife will be appearing, including: Cpl. Sandi Nischk of the Integrated Child Exploitation (ICE) Unit, who will speak about Internet child exploitation; Sgt. Dean Riou, who will speak on drug enforcement and education on fentanyl; and Sgt. Eric Lane of the Major Crimes Unit.
– Paul Bickford
Fort McPherson noms extended
Tetlit'Zheh/Fort McPherson
Nominations for councillors in the upcoming election in Fort McPherson is being extended until Jan. 30 at 3 p.m., said Lillian Snowshoe, returning officer.
There are eight councillor seats available and nomination forms can be picked up at the Hamlet of Fort McPherson office.
There are four candidates running for mayor; John Itsi, William R. Koe, Elizabeth Vittrekwa and Dennis Wright.
Advanced polls are scheduled to take place on Feb. 13 and election day is scheduled to take place on Feb. 20.
– Kassina Ryder
Tsiigehtchic to Drop the Pop
Tsiigehtchic/Arctic Red River
Tsiigehtchic's recreation department and Chief Paul Niditchie School are partnering to deliver a Drop the Pop campaign next month, said Ben Contenti, recreation co-ordinator.
The program aims to educate children and youth about the benefits of drinking healthy beverages, such as water, as opposed to sugary drinks.
The campaign is expected to kick off on Feb. 1 at about noon, but final details are still being determined, Contenti said.
Schools throughout the territory are eligible for Drop the Pop funding to help their campaigns.
This year's theme is Celebrating Successes and runs from January to March.
– Kassina Ryder
Sachs fundraises for swimming trip
Ikaahuk/Sachs Harbour
RCMP in Sachs Harbour will help out with a pizza fundraiser on Feb. 5 to help send children and youth to a swimming program in Inuvik later in the month, said recreation co-ordinator Doreen Carpenter.
The program aims to take Sachs Harbour youth between the ages of seven and 14 to Inuvik for a week of swimming lessons.
With the exception of one or two years where funding wasn't available, the program has been running for nearly 20 years, Carpenter said.
Participants have swimming lessons in the morning or afternoon and spend the rest of the day in the pool during public swim and family swim times.
"It's good, it really works," Carpenter said.
The pizza fundraiser will take place at the community complex and delivery will be available. The swimming trip is expected to run from Feb. 13 to 20 to coincide with the IRC cup hockey tournament.
Carpenter wanted to give a special thanks to Andy Jr. Carpenter and Keltie Haogak who regularly donate to the swimming program.
– Kassina Ryder
Tuktoyaktuk welcomes back the sun
Tuktoyaktuk
The annual Sunrise Festival in Tuktoyaktuk ran the week of Jan. 11, said recreation co-ordinator Caroline Loreen.
The week included fishing derbies, community feasts, Northern games competitions and other cultural events, such as iglu building and drum dancing.
The week kicked off with a fireworks display. Loreen extended thanks to all the volunteers and staff who made the festival a success.
Meanwhile, a women's sewing workshop that was scheduled to begin on Jan. 23 was delayed, Loreen also said.
Supplies were expected to arrive in Tuktoyaktuk on Jan. 24 and if so, the workshop would begin that evening.
Some 20 women had signed up to participate in the class, which aimed to provide instruction on how to make seal skin gloves and muskrat hats.
– Kassina Ryder
Enterprise residents lace up their skates
Enterprise
An outdoor skating and hockey event will be held on Feb. 4 from 2 to 5 p.m. at the Enterprise outdoor rink.
Hockey sticks and pucks will be provided.
The event, which is being presented by the Hamlet of Enterprise, will also feature chili and bannock over a fire.
– Paul Bickford
AGM for farmers market in Smith
Thebacha/Fort Smith
The Desnede Farmers Market was scheduled to host its annual general meeting on Jan. 26, beginning at 6 p.m. in the Seniors' Room at the Fort Smith Rec Centre.
The meeting was going to include the election of officers to the board of governors.
Anyone wanting to vote or to be considered for election to the board of governors must have been a member in good standing prior to the meeting.
– Paul Bickford
HTC partners with World Wildlife Fund
Aklavik
The Aklavik Hunters and Trappers Committee is partnering with the World Wildlife Fund to deliver an on-the-land program for Inuvialuit youth later this year, said resource person Michele Gruben.
The HTC applied for a Go Wild Community Grant to help deliver the program, which will focus on traditional skills and knowledge.
"There are some younger youth that are wanting to learn," she said.
Gruben asked residents for plans to deliver the program, which will be a maximum of five days long and will take place somewhere within the Mackenzie Delta. The deadline to apply to host the camp was Jan. 24.
Though an exact date hasn't been determined, the program will be open to youth between the ages of 15 and 30.
– Kassina Ryder
Interest in a winter Arctic market
Inuvik
Inuvik manager of economic development and tourism Vicky Gregoire-Tremblay said the town has received a number of requests in the past few months to have an Arctic market during winter months.
"We are trying to make that happen," she said.
She was looking for ideas on when to host it. Some options floated at the meeting were holding it in conjunction with the Muskrat Jamboree or once a month at the Midnight Sun Complex.
Speaking of the complex, the town has received funding for flooring to cover the ice in the arena, opening up another venue for conferences or indoor events.
– Stewart Burnett
Family Literacy Day event in Enterprise
Enterprise
An event for Family Literacy Day was set to go Jan. 27 at the Enterprise Community Centre.
Community members interested in reading and telling stories to children were welcome to attend the event, presenteded by the Hamlet of Enterprise.
– Paul Bickford
Arctic Economic Council aims at broadband
NUNAVUT
The Arctic Economic Council is calling for "a comprehensive strategy for developing and utilizing broadband in the Arctic" to improve the region's economy and growth," the council's chair Tara Sweeney stated in a release.
"Supporting the rapid deployment of a variety of broadband technologies is the crucial first step in getting the Arctic connected to the rest of the world," according to the council's first-ever report, titled Arctic Broadband, Recommendations for an Interconnected Arctic.
The report looks at the capacity for broadband communications in each polar nation, as well as the impact of broadband on northern economies, and issues such as education, transportation and health care.
Lack of funding, dispersed populations, harsh climates, human resources, and both physical and strategic infrastructure, are among the challenges cited.
The AEC is an Arctic business forum that works to promote responsible economic development and provide a circumpolar business perspective to the work of the Arctic Council. The council began in Iqaluit in September of 2014, and includes members from eight Arctic states and six permanent participant organizations within the Arctic Council.
– Beth Brown
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