Grise Fiord (Jan 17/05) - Phone service for half of the community's residents was interrupted for five days after a telephone wire was hit by a gun shot on New Year's Eve.

Until the problem was fixed by a NorthwesTel employee on Jan. 5, nobody in the community of about 160 people was sure what had happened.

"We all thought that it was because of our late bills that we got cut off at New Year's Eve," said community economic development officer Jimmie Qappik.

As part of a community tradition, residents fire their guns straight up in the air or across Jones Sound just after midnight on Jan. 1.

Internet service was also interrupted as people in the community have to log on using their phone line, Qappik said.

Nobody seems to know who fired the shot which felled the phone service.

"Maybe one of Santa's elves. I think one of his bullets went astray," joked Marty Kuluguqtuq, assistant senior administrative officer for the hamlet.