Candidates' forum at school

A candidates' forum for the upcoming federal election will be held at Fort Providence's Deh Gah School on April 19.

The school-sponsored event, which begins at 10 a.m., is to let students meet candidates, and will also be open to community members.

Three candidates have committed to attend the forum - Western Arctic MP and NDP candidate Dennis Bevington, Liberal candidate Joe Handley and Eli Purchase of the Green Party.

Conservative candidate Sandy Lee and Bonnie Dawson of the Animal Alliance Environment Voters Party of Canada are unable to attend.

- Paul Bickford

Principal heading to Harvard

Sophie Call, the principal of Ecole Boreale in Hay River, will be on leave next school year to attend Harvard University in Boston.

Call will study for a master's of education in the mind, the brain and learning.

The degree deals with the neuroscience of the learning process and cognition.

Call said she is very excited to be chosen for the program.

She also noted her ability to attend Harvard was greatly helped by financial assistance from the NWT Teachers' Association.

- Paul Bickford

Vote mob

Youth between the ages of 18 and 30 are encouraged to assemble over the lunch hour at Yellowknife city hall Monday for a vote mob.

The mob is being held during Liberal leader Michael Ignatieff's campaign barbeque.

Vote mobs have been organized around the country to show political leaders that Canadian youth are voting in the May 2 federal election.

The gathering is a non-partisan event, with the intention of demonstrating the power of the youth voice.

- Nicole Veerman

Ice crossing closed

The Mackenzie River ice crossing near Fort Providence closed for the season last Monday because of deteriorating road conditions. The closure was about five days earlier than the April 16 average.

Every winter, there is about a one-month period where there is no road and no ferry crossing, but this year the Department of Transportation has predicted the opening of the ferry crossing will be delayed past its usual May 13 operation date.

The delay is due to low and fluctuating water levels in Great Slave Lake.

- Nicole Veerman

Growing the Inuvik chamber

The president of the Inuvik Chamber of Commerce has expansion in mind.

Lee Smallwood, who took over as president last year from Larry Peckford, said that in addition to ensuring the chamber retains a stable supply of directors, he wants to grow the membership of the chamber, which currently stands at about 45.

"We want to increase our members by about 40 per cent over the next year," said Smallwood.

The chamber's first annual general meeting is scheduled to take place May 5.

Fort Smith joins 'Not Us!'

Thebacha/Fort Smith

Fort Smith is the latest NWT community to join the 'Not Us!' campaign against drugs and alcohol.

'Not Us!' is an initiative of the GNWT's Department of Justice. It provides funding and support for communities to promote drug-free, healthy lifestyles.

The Fort Smith project will receive $10,000.

The sponsored agency is the South Slave Divisional Education Council, and the initiative is supported by many other Fort Smith organizations.

"With 'Not Us!', communities are taking a stand and telling drug dealers they are not welcome, and teaching our kids that using drugs and alcohol is not acceptable," said Justice Minister Jackson Lafferty in a news release. "Through strong partnerships, we are moving towards safer, healthier communities."

Since the launch of 'Not Us!' in March of last year, the GNWT has funded campaigns in Hay River, Inuvik, Dettah and Ndilo.

Several other communities are hoping to launch their own initiatives in the coming year.

- Paul Bickford

Language program on reserve

K'atlodeeche/Hay River Reserve

Beginning in the fall, Aurora College will offer its aboriginal language and culture instructor program on the Hay River Reserve.

The Department of Education, Culture and Employment is providing $300,000 to the college to cover program expenses. The college plans to deliver the program in partnership with K'atlodeeche First Nation and the South Slave Divisional Education Council.

Graduates of the two-year diploma program on the Hay River Reserve will be eligible for certification to teach the South Slavey language and culture from kindergarten to Grade 12 in NWT schools.

"It is our goal, under the Northwest Territories Strategy for Teacher Education, to increase the number of aboriginal language teachers in all regions of the NWT," stated Education, Culture and Employment Minister Jackson Lafferty in a news release.

The program was offered for the first time in Behchoko in 2007. The development of an Inuvik-based program is also underway.

- Paul Bickford

Elder activities

Lli Goline/Norman Wells

Elders in the community looking to get out for some exercise, good food and health education can do so for the next two Wednesdays, April 20 and 27 at the community hall.

Elders are welcome to attend Active Living at 11 a.m. which will be followed by a short health presentation.

Rides are available from the local taxi company.

- Andrew Livingstone

Trade show in Fort Smith

Thebacha/Fort Smith

The sixth annual Fort Smith Trade Show is set for the end of this month. It is scheduled from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on April 30 at Centennial Arena.

The event is a joint initiative of Thebacha Business Development Services, the Fort Smith Chamber of Commerce, and the Department of Industry, Tourism and Investment.

- Paul Bickford

Science fair winners

Aklavik

Three of the 10 students from Aklavik's Moose Kerr School took home medals from the Beaufort-Delta Regional Science Fair on April 9.

Alannis McKee, in Grade 9, took home second place in the junior division and was selected as a representative of the Mackenzie Delta at the Canada Wide Science Fair in Toronto from May 14 to 21.

Two other students, Carly Sayers and Theiron John in Grade 10 took home first and third in the senior division for their projects.

- Samantha Stokell

Rubber Boots Festival on its way

Radilih Koe'/Fort Good Hope

This year the Rubber Boots Festival will be split up over two weekends, to accommodate Holy Week - the sombre last week of Lent leading up to, but not including, Easter Sunday.

Children and youth activities will be held on April 24 and 25 - Easter Sunday and Monday - and include an Easter egg hunt, snowshoe races, arrow shooting and lots of races such as three-legged, plank walk, piggy back, rubber boots, relay and gunny sack. Other games such as musical chairs and back push will be there for the kids to have fun too.

The adult events will be held on April 29 and 30. Events for those over the age of 16 include a traditional tent set up and judging, snowshoe races, arrow shoot, axe throw and tea making. On April 30 there will be a traditional talent show with animal calling and jigging.

- Samantha Stokell

Gwich'in Day in Fort McPhoo

Tetlit 'Zheh/Fort McPherson

On April 22 the hamlet of Fort McPherson will celebrate everything for the annual Gwich'in Day.

Fun games and a cookout will be held to entertain the community and celebrate the day the Gwich'in signed their land claim. It'll be a big event, with games and activities for elders, children and adults.

It'll start in the afternoon at the Charles Koe Building and go through the afternoon.

Another goal this year for the event will be promote healthy living and traditional culture. There'll be door prizes and prizes for events held.

The Gwich'in signed a land claim agreement with the federal and territorial governments on April 22, 1992, 71 years after Treaty 11 in 1921.

- Samantha Stokell

Four-on-Four hockey tournament

Paulatuk

This past weekend, the community of Paulatuk was to gather at the Leonce Dehurtevent Arena for a Four-on-Four hockey tournament.

Players were to submit their name and then the teams were to be formed randomly, by pulling names out of a hat.

A skills competition was also scheduled to give players a chance to shine.

The competition was to include fastest skater, puck handling, shooting accuracy and the shootout.

The final games were to be held on April 17 and the winners will receive bragging rights.

- Samantha Stokell

Community Corporation meeting

Ulukhaktok/Holman

The Ulukhaktok Community Corporation will meet on April 21 for its annual general meeting.

The corporation is a division of the Inuvialuit Regional Corporation and has many goals and objectives.

It sets criteria for membership, identifies active members of the corporation, governs matters of local concern, exercises control over any development activity, provides grants for the community and establishes hunter and trapper committees.

- Samantha Stokell

Spring break for students

Tetlit 'Zheh/Fort McPherson

Students staying in Fort McPherson over their spring break will have a bounty of fun activities to choose from.

School's out from April 18 to 26, and each day the recreation department will hold different activities to entertain the youth and children.

There will be outdoor events such as pond hockey and sledding, as well as indoor fun like curling and movie nights.

Food, of course, will be offered, including hotdog lunches or pizza.

For more information, call the hamlet office.

- Samantha Stokell

Teachers go out on the land

Kinngait/Cape Dorset

About 40 teachers and staff from both Sam Pudlat and Peter Pitseolak Schools took a one-day fishing trip out on the land April 8.

The group set out 15 kilometres outside the community to Fish Lake to fish and eat bannock and caribou stew, said Sam Pudlat School principal David Webber. He added the ice was more than a metre thick.

"I had seven teachers on my staff who had never been out on the land. It's such an intricate part of Inuit culture they felt they would like to experience that," he said. "We caught some fish and I have to admit, the Inuit members of our staff caught a lot more fish than the southern members. I was a very positive experience, plus it was a beautiful sunny day, too, which certainly helped."

- Jeanne Gagnon

Munching toward iMacs

Ausuittuq/Grise Fiord

Clubhouse sandwiches and fries were being served March 4 for take-out in an effort to raise money for new computers at Umimmak School.

"It was huge success and they made over $900," said Leslie Turpin, principal.

The students made the food and sold it. The school will use the money to purchase 15 new iMacs.

Turpin said this is the school's third fundraiser since February, when they had two movie nights, and so far almost $3,000 has been raised.

"It is a good initiative as they might care for them more knowing they had something to do with it," she said.

- Emily Ridlington

Youth Award

Kangiqliniq/Rankin Inlet

The Qulliit Nunavut Status of Women Council made a surprise announcement during meetings held in Rankin Inlet this past month, declaring Kandace Kusugak as its first Youth Award recipient for her outstanding efforts in being involved and helping out within her community.

The council hopes to expand the Youth Award into an annual territory-wide award that would be presented in conjunction with its prestigious Wise Woman Award.

- Darrell Greer

Caring students

Naujaat/Repulse Bay

Grade 9 students at Tusarvik School in Repulse Bay raised almost $400 in support of people around the world who don't have enough to eat.

The 13 students held a bake sale to raise the money, selling items they baked themselves.

The money was donated to Canadian Foodgrains Bank, which works to end hunger in developing countries by providing food to people in need, and by assisting households to produce enough food for themselves or to earn enough income to buy healthy food for their families.

- Darrell Greer

Naming streets

Panniqtuuq/Pangnirtung

The hamlet council in Pangnirtung would like to name all of its streets.

"It is really causing a problem for people in the community for people who need to order from the south and in many cases companies want a street address," said Ron Mongeau, senior administrative officer for the hamlet.

Mongeau said they are just at the preliminary stages of the project.

At the request of hamlet council members, the Roads and Lands committee will be working with the lands officer.

The project will take some time, Mongeau said, and they may have to phase in the project over several years.

"It will be expensive to do all the signs in both languages," he said. A review has identified at least 48 streets that need to be named. The community will be asked to suggest names for streets at a later date.

- Emily Ridlington

Gigantic vanilla cakefor Hamlet Day

Iglulik

Iglulik residents were treated to a "gigantic" vanilla cake and activities to mark the hamlet's 35th birthday April 1, said the recreation co-ordinator.

Alex Arnatsiaq said about 300 people took part in the activities, which included iglu building, dog-team racing and bannock-making. School was out, and hamlet staff had the day off while others had the afternoon off to mark the occasion, he added.

"There was a gigantic cake. Vanilla with vanilla icing," said Arnatsiaq, adding the cake was decorated with the hamlet logo.

A band from Hall Beach entertained the people attending the dance at the Ataguttaaluk High School from 9 p.m. to 1:30 a.m., said Arnatsiaq.

- Jeanne Gagnon

A week of cultural celebration

Kangiqtugaapik/Clyde River

The entire student body at Quluaq School took part in a week-long cultural celebration at the end of March.

"There were lots of activities," said Jukeepa Hainnu, principal, emphasizing the word "lots."

She said 28 elders from the community came to the school and helped with activities including making sealskin dolls, iglu making, snow sculptures, sliding, Inuktitut baseball, beading and other events.

"They liked it because it was culturally relevant and there was a lot of learning," Hainnu said.

- Emily Ridlington

Suicide-prevention training

Sanirajak/Hall Beach

About 10 people took the Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASIST) in Hall Beach on March 29 and 30.

David Crews, the hamlet's director of finance, said a couple of residents, hamlet staff and members of the health committee took part in the suicide-prevention workshop.

"The timing was a bit off but I think it was very, very important to have the training," he said, explaining that last fall there was a suicide and attempted suicide in the midst of half a dozen deaths by natural causes.

"The whole community at that point was pretty much grieving," he said. "It would have been nice to have had this training at that time. It's better late than never, and we've got it now."

- Jeanne Gagnon