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Newsbriefs: Monday, May 15, 2017
Fentanyl warning
Northwest Territories
The NWT's chief public health officer is warning people to be wary of fake xanax and oxycodone pills that could be laced with fentanyl.
Dr. Andre Corriveau said he isn't aware of the fake drugs circulating in Yellowknife, but was "tipped off" about the issue by a local pharmacist and wanted to warn residents to be careful.
"It's just to warn people that if you see that, don't try it," Corriveau said.
Sgt. Dean Riou said Yellowknife RCMP have no confirmed reports of counterfeit xanax pills laced with fentanyl in the NWT. He said police are aware the pills are circulating in other jurisdictions.
- Kirsten Fenn
Erosion temporarily closes road
Thebacha/Fort Smith
A culvert washout on Highway 1 into Fort Simpson took out a section of highway on May 7 and forced a closure on the road.
Crews from the Department of Infrastructure began constructing a detour, which allowed the highway to be re-opened later that afternoon.
The department was unable to comment by press time on the cause of the washout, which occurred shortly after the ice broke at the Liard ice crossing.
- April Hudson
Ekati wins award
Somba K'e/Yellowknife
Dominion Diamond Corporation announced last week Ekati Diamond Mine won the Environmental Excellence Award at the Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum 2017 Awards Gala in Montreal. The award was in recognition of Ekati's waste management program that includes composting, incineration, landfill and hazardous waste management.
- Jessica Davey-Quantick
GNWT boosts small biz funding
Northwest Territories
New funding of up to $75,000 is now available for business-related activities in the NWT.
The funds, available through the GNWT Department of Industry, Tourism and Investment, are part of a new pilot announced by the government on May 8 for the 2017-18 year.
The $75,000 is available for projects that increase a community's economic activities and employment levels, and support regional economic development plans, according to the department.
The department is also increasing two of its current funds.
Additionally, funds provided under the Micro Business stream will be contributed over a shorter timeline of three years instead of five.
- April Hudson
Barely be kept back
Inuvik
They could barely be kept back, and once the ribbon was cut, they rushed the new fire station bouncy castle before adults quickly made them form a queue, lest the stampede get out of control.
The Inuvik Fire Department, through its volunteer firefighters association, purchased the bouncy castle and debuted it at the annual children's party Sunday, May 7.
Helga Sawkins, dispatcher with the department and social director for the association, had been working on getting the bouncy castle for two years.
"I said, you know what, this is what we need for the community," said Sawkins, taking a momentary break from organizing the lines of children. "The kids are going to love it."
Hudson Gillis, 5, certainly seemed to.
He said the slide was his favourite part, "because I always fell down."
With all costs involved, including transportation, the bouncy castle cost the firefighters association about $5,800.
"When it came in, I didn't realize it was so big," said Sawkins.
Asked if she was happy with its reception, Sawkins said, "Look at our lineups - it speaks for itself!"
Jonathon Michel, platoon chief with the department and vice-president of the association, said the idea was inspired by the joy children get from riding in real fire trucks.
"You can't put a price on excitement like that amongst young kids," he said. "They're still excited about stuff to do with fire trucks, and this is just an extension of that."
The bouncy castle is intended for use at community events throughout the year, such as the upcoming Canada Day.
- Stewart Burnett
Tulita cleans up
Tulita/Fort Norman
Community organizations in Tulita will work together to clean up their community the week of May 22, said Kelsey Dayler, recreation director.
Organizations including the Hamlet of Tulita and employees of local stores will be assigned an area of the community to clean, which will be inspected Dayler said. Each organization will be entered into a draw and the winner will receive $400.
"As long as the area is clean, then they get entered into the draw," she said.
The cleanup will begin on May 23 and inspections will take place at 5 p.m. on May 26.
The Northwest Territories Power Corporation donated garbage bags for the cleanup, which can be picked up at the arena.
- Kassina Ryder
A barbecue for Gameti mothers
Gameti/Rae Lakes
Jean Wetrade Gameti School had a barbecue planned for May 12 in honour of Mothers' Day, said principal Brendan Mulcahy. The popular event takes place every year and is a big hit with families, he said.
"We feed pretty much the entire community," he said.
This year's menu was expected to include hot dogs and hamburgers, as well as ribs and chicken wings.
Career and Technology Studies students organize and facilitate the barbecue, including everything from preparing food to cleaning up afterward, Mulcahy said.
The barbecue is held outside the school building. As well as commemorating mothers, the barbecue is also a way to celebrate the return of spring.
"It's an opportunity where we have the whole community out," Mulcahy said. "The weather is usually really nice for it. It's a nice way to kick off spring towards the end of the school year."
- Kassina Ryder
Snaps-for-books contest promotes reading
NWT
In an effort to inspire parents to read books to their young children, the NWT Literacy Council is encouraging them to break out their cameras.
On May 9, the council announced it is holding a photo contest to help promote its initiative to have families read 1,000 books before their child enters kindergarten.
The contest, which asks for a photo of the entrant's child reading a book, runs until May 31 and features a basket of books as a prize.
- April Hudson
Behchoko hosts regional heritage fair
Behchoko/Rae-Edzo
Five students from Tlicho communities will compete at the territorial Heritage Fair after being selected during the Tlicho regional heritage fair on May 5, said Tammy Steinwand-Deschambeault, culture and language co-ordinator with the Tlicho Community Services Agency.
The fair was held at Elizabeth Mackenzie Elementary School.
The five winners are; Got'soka Beaulieu for his project titled Traditional Medicine, Garra Dryneck for her project titled Residential School, Angelina Arrowmaker for her project about the National Flag of the Philippines titled Bandira Nang Pilipinas, Kyla Simpson for her project about wolverines and Nashawn Tlokka and Rosaleah Drybones on their project titled The Arrival of Non-Dene.
Every student who participated in the fair received a certificate and a letter from Steinwand-Deschambeault, which encouraged them to do ask questions and learn about their Tlicho history.
"I tried to make them feel important and for them to be proud of their work," she said.
There were 46 participants in the fair with students in Grades 4 to 9.
- Kassina Ryder
Youth centre programs ramp up
Paulatuk
Community volunteer Amberley Buray is hosting a number of new after-school programs at the youth centre.
Currently, she's working with students on a pen-pal project with students in Toronto, and she plans to do arts and crafts, gardening and much more.
"Once our gardening supplies come in, I'll have a gardening workshop for the students, where they'll get to plant a variety of seeds and we'll do workshops on how to transplant those seeds into our greenhouse," said Buray.
Workshops will also include gardening care, maintenance, harvesting and building planter boxes.
- Stewart Burnett
Bears at the dump
Paulatuk
A family of grizzly bears, one mother and two cubs with a male adult who may or may not be the father, have been hanging around the community's dump lately.
Should they venture closer, the community's bear monitor would be enacted to try to scare the bears and drive them out of town.
If the bears pose a danger to human life, they would have to be destroyed.
- Stewart Burnett
Town sets date to begin clean-up
Hay River
The annual Town of Hay River Clean-Up will start on May 23.
The initiative will be focused on cleaning up residential waste.
Some restrictions apply to what can be accepted during the clean-up. A tag system will also be in place for fees to collect some larger items.
- Paul Bickford
Teacher recognized by the feds
Tetlit'ZhehFort McPherson
Erica Thompson, a teacher at Chief Julius School in Fort McPherson, has been awarded a certificate of excellence from the Prime Minister's Awards for Teaching Excellence.
Thompson teaches Grade 8 to 12 in language arts and visual arts.
Thompson connects her classroom to the community through work experience classes, partnerships with local government, weekly radio shows and more.
- Stewart Burnett
Race the Peel 2017 readies
Aklavik
The Hamlet of Aklavik will be hosting a canoe race that runs from Fort McPherson to Aklavik, commemorating the canoeists from the 1967 Centennial canoe race and the Mackenzie Race in 1989.
Michael McLeod, member of parliament for the Northwest Territories, announced funding of $49,500 in federal funding for the project, named Race the Peel 2017.
"Race the Peel is the perfect event to showcase this beautiful part of our country, the tenacity of these canoeists and all those who have travelled in our remote land," he said a news release.
The race will begin in Fort McPherson June 28 and travel down the Peel River to Aklavik with a layover at the Knut Land Camp, where the Aklavik Indian Band will host a variety of cultural games and activities. It will finish in Aklavik June 30.
- Stewart Burnett
Fort Smith planning community cleanup
Thebacha/Fort Smith
The Town of Fort Smith has set its annual spring cleanup from May 23 to June 3.
The registration fee is $40 per household.
All items must be placed at the property roadside.
In support of the spring cleanup, the landfill site will be open May 28 and May 29.
Tipping fees will be waived at the landfill for both residential households and commercial businesses for the duration of the spring cleanup.
- Paul Bickford
Annual Mother's Day celebration in Tuk
Tuktoyaktuk
The community of Tuktoyaktuk was to have held its annual Mother's Day celebration Friday, May 12.
Mothers and family were invited to the community hall for games, snacks, door prizes and more starting at 8 p.m.
"We have a fishing derby going on for all ages," added Caroline Loreen, recreation co-ordinator.
It is being held until the end of May and offers prizes for heaviest fish, lightest fish and darkest tan (on a human).
Loreen said community members have been hunting geese, fish and grizzly bears lately.
- Stewart Burnett
Teams sought for annual Relay for Life
Thebacha/Fort Smith
The organizers of Relay for Life - a fundraiser for the Canadian Cancer Society - has issued a called for teams to participate in the annual event.
Teams will join in a 12-hour, overnight relay that is set to begin on June 17 at Queen Elizabeth Territorial Park.
- Paul Bickford
Healthy walking in Norman Wells
Lli Goline/Norman Wells
Norman Wells residents are encouraged to participate in a new walking program through the Norman Wells Land Corporation (NWLC), information from the organization said.
The walks take place from Monday to Friday at 4 p.m. and travel a route from the NWLC office to Canol Drive and back through Mackenzie Drive. The goal is to improve overall health, as well as improving balance and co-ordination. Anyone looking for more information can contact the NWLC office.
- Kassina Ryder
A special Mothers' Day in Fort Good Hope
Radilih Koe/Fort Good Hope
Fort Good Hope residents were invited to the community hall from May 11 to 13 to create special crafts for Mothers' Day, said recreation co-ordinator Freda Kelly.
Each evening was scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. and was expected to include card-making, painting and making paper flowers.
"We'll just make little stuff for the mothers," Kelly said.
Activities were open to anyone in the community. May 14 was scheduled to feature Mothers' Day events at the community hall, including dice games and Dene bingo, Kelly said.
- Kassina Ryder
Inuvik soccer players headed to games
Inuvik
Paris Wainman and Dalton McLeod, both students at East Three Secondary School, have been chosen for the North American Indigenous Games for the women's and men's youth soccer teams, respectively.
Both athletes participate in a variety of sports. McLeod engages in speed skating, while Wainman competed for Team NWT in the U18 Curling Nationals this year.
- Stewart Burnett
Areva says goodbye to Baker
Qamanittuaq/Baker Lake
Areva Resources Canada is saying goodbye to Baker Lake.
"After more than 10 years of working in Nunavut on the Kiggavik project, Areva is closing its Baker Lake office," stated manager of Nunavut affairs Barry McCallum via e-mail.
He said between 2007 and 2016, the company spent $29 million on Northern contracts and provided more than 70,000 person hours of seasonal employment to Nunavummiut.
"The Kiggavik camp has been secured and placed in care and maintenance. Permits are being maintained and the camp will be visited periodically."
The company office, including furniture, in Baker is for sale. The reserve bid is set
at $250,000.
"Areva thanks the many Nunavummiut who invested their interest and support in the possibility of developing this project," said McCallum.
- Michele LeTourneau
Youth training set to start in Iqaluit
Iqaluit
The Ilinniapaa Campus in Iqaluit has launched Ready, Set, Atii, an employment pilot project.
The pilot is open to youth aged 15 to 30 who are not employed and not in school.
"We are looking for participants on an ongoing basis (until Oct. 31)," states a news release.
The three types of training will be geared toward employment in the fields of government and public service for jobs such as administration and reception; trades helper and green jobs, working in carpentry, welding, energy efficiency and cook's assistant roles; and justice and enforcement, working in community justice, policing, corrections, and wildlife.
"Over the next year, 24 youth in Iqaluit will start training in ways that will help them move towards a career," according to the release.
Each program takes 12 weeks, with eight students in each.
The campus also seeks employers "to engage in the program through hosting a work placement youth."
Wages are covered by the Ready, Set, Atii, which is funded by Employment and Social Development Canada.
- Michele LeTourneau
New songs from Kugluktuk to Iqaluit
Nunavut
Musical artists from across the territory had the opportunity to work on new songs with the award-winning Twin Flames duo of Jaaji and Chelsey June in March.
The six emerging artists attended a songwriting workshop organized by Alianait and funded by the Department of Culture and Heritage.
The six new songs are:
- Irnikuluga by Lazarus "Mister" Qattalik of Iglulik
- Place I Call Home by Mary Itorcheak of Iqaluit
- Quviasugitsi by Corey Panika of Rankin Inlet
- Anaanaga by Leanna Wilson of Iqaluit
- I Can't Believe You're Gone by Gordon Kaniak of Kugluktuk and,
- Upigivunga Pijunanirni by Tooma Laisa of Iqaluit.
The songs were professionally recorded and immortalized on video by Nuvu Studios and Qajaaq Ellsworth. As well, the Inuit Broadcasting Corporation filmed and interviewed the artists, and Qaggiavuut interviewed and recorded live performances for its Red Wall Sessions, said Alianait executive director Heather Daley.
To hear the songs, visit the Alianait website.
- Michele LeTourneau
Cambridge Bay students learn all about sea ice
Ikaluktutiak/Cambridge Bay
Cambridge Bay's Kiilinik High School students had the chance to learn all about sea ice and how it is changing under climate change during a sea ice workshop May 4 and 5. Students from Grades 7 to 12 participated, principal Roman Mahnic said.
"Through hands-on experimentation, observation, and graphing, students explored the importance of sea ice to global ecosystems and the synergistic effect that climate change has on humans, animals, and the environment," Mahnic stated in an e-mail to Nunavut News/North.
The workshop was provided by Actua, a Canadian charity with a mission to introduce science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) to all youth, with a special focus on indigenous Canadians.
Through its National Aboriginal Outreach Program, Actua engages over 30,000 indigenous Canadians in community-based culturally relevant experiences, states the organization's website.
- John McFadden
Omingmak Frolics kick off May 15
Ikaluktutiak/Cambridge Bay
Although a few events are already underway, the annual Omingmak Frolics officially kick off on May 15 in Cambridge Bay.
Running until May 22, the Frolics are a chance for the community to shake off the winter doldrums and get outside for some fresh spring air. Events include the sixth annual Ambrose Aknavagak Memorial Fishing Derby, the prince and princess and king and queen competition, snowmobile races, a charity barbecue, a parade, a baby crawl contest, hockey day, casino week, a community food celebration, a licensed banquet, and a talent and fashion show.
Mayor Jeannie Ehaloak said that you know it is time for the Frolics when kids are out playing, people are fishing and everybody seems to be out and about.
"On behalf of myself and council, thanks to all the sponsors and volunteers for making this possible," she said.
This year's official slogan is Let's Play in Cambridge Bay.
- John McFadden
Students encouraged to apply for grad award
Ikaluktutiak/Cambridge Bay
College and university graduates from Nunavut are being encouraged to apply for the Fred R. Elias Graduation Award. It honours the legacy of the late Fred Elias, who served as executive director of the Kitikmeot Inuit Association for 16 years.
The award acknowledges and rewards Inuit students who have successfully completed their studies in business, management or related disciplines.
The are four awards in total.
Graduates of a two-year community college program are eligible for a $1,500 cash award. A cash award of $1,500 is also available to to graduates of a university certificate. Graduates of a four-year honours university degree are eligible for $5,000 cash and graduates of a masters level university degree are also eligible for a cash award of $5,000.
According to Peter Ohokanoak, benefits agreement coordinator for the Kitikmeot Inuit Association (KIA), the award will help Inuit students trying to get into management positions.
"It will help them further their education and get into managerial positions ... because there is a lack of Inuit management within organizations and government," he said.
The KIA building in Cambridge Bay is now named after Fred Elias.
- John McFadden
Nunavut mourns Naujaat elder
Iqaluit
Nunavut Tunngavik Inc. (NTI) president Aluki Kotierk offered condolences to the family of Naujaat David Tukturjuk, who passed away over the weekend of April 6.
As far back as the 1980s, Tukturjuk served as a board member on the Keewatin Inuit Association, according to a news release. He also served Inuit by participating in the Tungavik Federation of Nunavut prior to the formation of NTI, negotiated the Nunavut Agreement, served on the Kivalliq Inuit Association's board, and attended many NTI annual general meetings.
"On behalf of the NTI board of directors, I offer sincere condolences to David's family and friends as they grieve his passing. It is heart-breaking to lose a loved one. I have deep respect for David and his fierce advocacy of Inuit rights," said Kotierk.
- Michele LeTourneau
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