Boil water advisory

A boil water advisory, effective May 19, has been issued in Hay River. The advisory, which was issued by the chief environmental health officer with the Department of Health and Social Services, is due to extremely muddy water caused by the spring breakup of the Hay River. The town's water treatment plant is unable to ensure adequate disinfection. The office of the chief environmental health officer, in collaboration with the Town of Hay River, will continue to monitor the situation and provide updates.

There have been no illnesses associated with drinking water reported in the community.

- Paul Bickford

Krutko retiring

Mackenzie Delta MLA David Krutko announced Thursday in the legislative assembly he won't be running in the territorial election this October. He cited health reasons, and the desire to spend more time with his family. Krutko was first elected to the legislative assembly in 1995 and has served four terms as MLA for Mackenzie Delta.

- Nathalie Heiberg-Harrison

World record challenge

The schools of the South Slave will challenge for a Guinness world record on May 24.

That's the day a single string of one million beads will be laid out around and around the track at Hay River's Diamond Jenness Secondary School, where it will be verified in order to challenge the current record. Nearly 10 months of sorting, counting, stringing and tying by students, teachers, parents and staff members across the South Slave Divisional Education Council (SSDEC) has created the 'Million Project' - a more than six-kilometre-long string of beads.

The current Guinness world record is a little more than 1.7 km. Parents and members of the public can view the completed project from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on May 24.

- Paul Bickford

Both ferries running

The Merv Hardie ferry at Fort Providence and the Lafferty ferry at Fort Simpson have both started running, although heavy ice conditions could translate into delays.

The Department of Transportation is warning that the Lafferty ferry could face intermittent service, and travellers are advised to check the government website before they head out. The usual drop in water levels that accompanies ice break-up could also cause service disruptions for a number of days, although as of Friday afternoon both ferries were operational.

-Nathalie Heiberg-Harrison

Workshop on trail building

Thebacha/Fort Smith

Two representatives of the International Mountain Bicycling Association (IMBA) will deliver a free workshop in Fort Smith in early June. The IMBA Canada Trail Care Crew - Chad and Deanne Lazaruk - will teach workshop participants how to design, build and maintain trails in a sustainable way.

On June 3, the workshop will begin at 6:30 p.m. at Northern Life Museum where the Lazaruks will talk about their work and travels. On June 4, the workshop will continue with a trail building school hosted by Wood Buffalo National Park. From 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., the school will take place at the park office and Lakeside Trail. Some trail-building tools will be provided, but students are encouraged to bring their own buckets, shovels and loppers, along with lunch. At 6 p.m., there will be a family picnic at Queen Elizabeth Territorial Park.

On June 5, there will be a community hike beginning at 10 a.m. in Conibear Park. Along with IMBA Canada, the workshop is being presented by Parks Canada and the Trans-Canada Trail.

- Paul Bickford

Committee to hold AGM

Hay River

The Hay River Committee for Persons with Disabilities will hold its annual general meeting on May 25.

The AGM will include elections. Nominations are open for the positions of president, vice-president, secretary, treasurer and four directors.

The meeting will begin at 7 p.m. on May 25 in the Alice Cambridge Room of the Whispering Willow seniors' complex.

- Paul Bickford

Council to meet with MLAs

Hay River

Hay River town council has decided to seek a meeting with the community's two MLAs.

A list of issues to be discussed will be developed, but one prominent topic will be the level of policing in Hay River.

The councillors want to meet sometime within the next two weeks with Hay River South MLA Jane Groenewegen and Hay River North MLA Paul Delorey.

The council passed a motion at its May 16 meeting to get town administration to set up the meeting.

- Paul Bickford

Meeting and fundraiser

Aklavik

The Aklavik District Educational Authority will be holding its annual general meeting on Tuesday, May 24.

Everyone in the community is invited, and encouraged to come, said school employee Bobbie Jo Greenland.

"Communities who work together, succeed together," Greenland said, quoting the tag line on the AGM invitations.

There will be refreshments, snacks, and door prizes at the meeting, which is being held at Sittichinli Recreation Complex, starting at 5 p.m.

The school will also be holding a cake walk fundraiser this Friday May 20, at 6 p.m., for the Grade 12 graduating class. Twelve students will be graduating at the June 10 ceremony.

- Thandiwe Vela

Spring hunt

Paulatuk

Paulatuk families are out on the land for the rest of the month for the seasonal goose hunt.

Children and adults alike are out waiting from morning until late at night, as the Canada geese, snow geese, and blue geese migrate back North from the south and lay their eggs.

Back at the Hamlet, Gilbert Thrasher Jr. says about 75 per cent of the community have taken their camping gear, Ski-Doos, and tuned up all their equipment for the long spring hunt.

"Pretty much everybody goes out to camps," Thrasher said. "There's not a lot of people left in town."

Town workers left keeping things operating are going hunting on shifts throughout the month, Thrasher said.

- Thandiwe Vela

Fishing derby

Tuktoyaktuk

Kitti Hall is taking entrants for its annual fishing derby taking place June 4.

This year, an age 15-and-under category has been added for children, acting coordinator Rebecca Pokiak said. There will be prizes for the heaviest, darkest, lightest and smallest fish. Participants have been out ice fishing on the Husky Lakes for the winning trout already, Pokiak said, and residents have until June 3 to register at Kitti Hall. Registration is $10 for participants 16 and over, and $5 for the kids category.

- Thandiwe Vela

Students and principal on the home stretch

Kugluktuk/Coppermine

Kugluktuk High School principal Marvin McKay-Keenan finishes his one-year contract as principal on May 31, as Gary Kennedy is due to return from education leave.

McKay-Keenan said he's headed to John Arnalukjuak Secondary School in Arviat to teach high school English and be the land skills co-ordinator.

"Having only a one-year contract, it's really not enough time to establish new ideas and make a real imprint on the community, but I've learned a lot from the community.

"The community was very friendly and outgoing and I see some real challenges here but I also see some very good things. It was an interesting year for me. I haven't regretted coming here."

A secretary and a teacher are also leaving, said McKay-Keenan. He added students are also on the home stretch with exams for those in Grades 10 to 12.

The end of the year assembly will take place May 25 in anticipation of the last day of school on May 27, and those with perfect and very good attendance records will be recognized.

"We're still working on attendance. It's still a big problem up here, getting kids to come to school regularly," he said.

"That's one of our goals for next year - to put a lot of emphasis on getting kids to come and getting them to come regularly."

- Jeanne Gagnon

One lucky winner

Ikpiarjuk/Arctic Bay

Julia Olayuk was the big winner in the Ajagutaq Food Bank's ticket draw on May 6.

She won first prize which was two return airline tickets from the community to Ottawa from First Air.

Second prize was 170 litres or 45 gallons of gas. Olayuk's name was also drawn for this.

"We made about $8,000," said Anna Qaunaq, the food bank's secretary/treasurer.

Tickets were sold for $20 a piece and it was estimated about 400 tickets were sold.

- Emily Ridlington

Checking out schools

Kangiqliniq/Rankin Inlet

A group of Grade 12 students from Rankin Inlet had the chance to test the waters at a number of post-secondary institutions earlier this month.

The students stopped in Winnipeg, Ottawa, Quebec and Niagara Falls as part of Maani Ulujuk Ilinniarvik's (MUI) third annual grad trip.

The potential grads who made the trip from Rankin were Kris Okpatauyak, David Kakuktinniq, Nathan Tulugak, Arsene Niakrok, James Sandy, Rico Manitok, Gary Noolook, Ben Angoshadluk, Gordon Aupilardjuk, Ashley Burton, Jamila Gordon, Savannah Pilakapsi and Kayla Bruce.

They were joined for one day by fellow grad Jeremiah Issaluk, who is taking heavy-equipment training in Ontario.

MUI teachers Katherine O'Connell and Charlie Anderson accompanied the students. O'Connell said a number of them became quite keen with Algonquin College in Ottawa, and also visited Red River College in Winnipeg and Carleton University in Ottawa.

"Carleton has an aboriginal studies program and it's affiliated with (Nunavut Sivuniksavut), so we thought it would be a better fit for some of the students this year than Ottawa University."

O'Connell also said this was the first year the male students outnumbered the females on the trip.

"Whether they apply this year or not, they're getting ideas about what they want to do and where they want to be and that's the whole idea behind the trip."

- Darrell Greer

Friendly hockey games

Sanirajak/Hall Beach

Even with home ice advantage, Hall Beach lost three friendly hockey games against Iglulik this month.

David Crews, Hall Beach's director of finance, said Iglulik sent a team of male hockey players aged 18 and up for three friendly hockey games.

"We lost them all ... on home ice, no less," he said laughing.

No trophies or money was involved, he added.

"It wasn't an official tournament or even a real competition. It was just for fun."

- Jeanne Gagnon

Science Travels to Qik

Qikiqtarjuaq/Broughton Island

Cool chemistry, electro-chemistry and DNA biotechnology were only some of the activities led by special visitors at Inuksuit School.

Folks from Science Travels at the University of Ottawa visited the school for two days the week of May 9.

"It adds something new and gives them a new perspective," said Juanita Balhuizen, assistant principal.

She said they don't normally get to do experiments like this in the classroom.

- Emily Ridlington

RCMP town hall meeting

Taloyoak/Spence Bay

To improve communication between police and the community, Taloyoak RCMP held a town hall meeting in Taloyoak on May 13.

RCMP spokesperson Sgt. Jimmy Akavak said 60 to

80 people attended the meeting, held to introduce two "fairly new" officers to

the community and its concerns.

"It was to try and improve communication between the community and the police because of a change-over in Taloyoak," he said.

"Town hall proved to be a very good tool for the members and the community. It's only going to improve the relationship and the communication especially."

Taloyoak resident Gina Pizzo stated via e-mail

issues raised at the meeting included cultural awareness, bylaw enforcement such as use of helmets, elder

abuse, response times as well as the volume of drugs

and alcohol in the community.

- Jeanne Gagnon