Tripped feeders cause power outage

The city-wide power outage Thursday afternoon was due to back-up diesel power having a "mind of its own," according to Mike Bradshaw, director of communications for the NWT Power Corporation.

During routine maintenance the diesel generator, which was originally on stand-by, produced too much power and tripped the city's feeders, causing them to shut off.

Bradshaw said the maintenance work was routine and the cause of the surge is still under investigation.

Parts of the city were without power for 20 minutes while other parts were out for just under half-an-hour.

- Nathalie Heiberg-Harrison

No word yet on Baker Creek

Lab results have not yet been released from samples of Baker creek water taken to look for arsenic contamination after the creek overflowed due to an ice dam on May 14.

The results were expected back last week, but officials have yet to make the findings public. At the time they took the samples, Henry Westermann, the director of the Giant Mine project for public works and government services, said the breach wasn't a cause for concern and wouldn't effect public health or safety.

- Nathalie Heiberg-Harrison

Yk fire ban

The Yellowknife fire department announced yesterday an open-air burning ban is in place effective immediately.

The ban includes the use of approved pits as well as all outdoor spaces within the city, with no exceptions. Fred Henne Territorial Park and Yellowknife River Park are also included.

- Nathalie Heiberg-Harrison

Truck fire at landfill

Fire crews were called to the landfill around 10 a.m. yesterday after a truck carrying a load of diesel-contaminated soil caught fire on its way to the dump.

As the driver proceeded up a hill in the landfill to dump his load, he saw flames spill out of the engine compartment. He then shut off the engine in a safe area.

The fire department extinguished the flames "within a few minutes," according to the press release.

Deputy fire chief Gerda Groothuizen said there was no concern about environmental damage from the truck's load of soil. There was damage to the engine compartment and the cab is a complete write-off, according to the release, which stated the probable cause of the fire was a defect in the fuel line.

- James McCarthy

Top judge retiring July 1

After 20 years on the bench, Senior Judge John Vertes of the Supreme Court of the NWT is calling it a career.

Tara Kearsey, senior communications adviser for the GNWT's Department of Justice, confirmed Tuesday that Vertes' is retiring on July 1.

Born in Budapest, Hungary in 1950, Vertes graduated from York University's Osgoode Hall Law School in 1975 and was called to the NWT Bar in 1977.

For the next 14 years, Vertes worked in private practice, mainly in criminal and civil law, until being appointed to the Supreme Court in 1991. Vertes became Senior Judge of the court on Jan. 1, 2008.

- Nathalie Heiberg-Harrison

Walk for the cure

Throw on some running shoes - or galoshes, depending on the weather - and take part in a Saturday walk to raise money for diabetes research.

Rain or shine, the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation will be holding a walk on the McMahon Frame Lake Trail on Saturday. The fundraiser begins with a barbecue and registration at the legislative assembly at noon, and the walk starts at 1 p.m. To register, visit the foundation's website.

- Nathalie Heiberg-Harrison

Elder abuse workshop

A workshop on the abuse of older adults is being held in Fort Simpson.

The workshop, which is being sponsored by the NWT Senior's Society, the RCMP, Dehcho Health and Social Services Authority and Dehcho First Nations, is taking place on May 26 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. in Dehcho First Nations' boardroom. Topics on the agenda include financial abuse, how to prevent and respond to the abuse of older adults and what forms the abuse is taking in Fort Simpson and the Deh Cho.

Door prizes and lunch will be provided for participants.

Pipeline reopens

Enbridge Pipelines Inc. restarted its Norman Wells pipeline on May 20.

Approximately four barrels of sweet crude oil leaked from the pipeline on May 9. Full operations won't resume until the Plains Midstream line Enbridge connects to in Alberta is reopened, according to information from the company.

Clean-up is progressing at the spill site located approximately 50 kilometres south of Wrigley and a long term reclamation plan is being developed.

The cause of the leak is still under investigation.

Preparing for launch

Students at Kakisa Lake School are preparing boats for a long journey.

The eight students at the school have been studying the story Paddle to the Sea about an aboriginal boy who launched a toy boat that travelled to the Atlantic Ocean and ended up in France. Following suit, the students have been carving their own boats to launch, said teacher Linda Urban.

The boats will have a message engraved on their hulls asking people who find them to phone the students. A launch date hasn't been set but it will be before the end of school on June 17, Urban said.

The boats will be put into the Kakisa River and students will then hurry downstream to watch them go over Lady Evelyn Falls.

Gardening workshop

A two-day gardening workshop is being held in Fort Simpson this weekend.

The workshop is a follow-up to the one-day event, sponsored by the Department of Industry, Tourism and Investment, that was held in mid-March. Instructors Jackie Milne and Andrew Cassidy with the Territorial Farmers Association will cover topics including planting gardens, soil fertilization and garden care.

The workshop will take place at the recreation centre on May 27 from 9:30 to 11 p.m. and 2 to 3:30 p.m. On Saturday the hours will be 10 a.m. to noon and 2 to 4 p.m.

Inuvialuit Day

Even though Inuvialuit Day is on June 5, the Inuvialuit Regional Corporation will celebrate the 27th year of the Inuvialuit Final Agreement on June 3.

Join beneficiaries and members of the community as they enjoy a barbecue lunch with muskox burgers, Eskimo donuts, char chowder, cake, desserts and hotdogs. The street in front of the IRC will be closed for the festivities and a stage will be set up for drum dancing.

Organizers encourage people to wear traditional dress and to speak Inuvialuktun. The final agreement was signed on June 5, 1984.

Ready for track and field

The NWT Track and Field Championships will happen in Hay River starting May 30, and 23 students from Inuvik will attend.

The students from Samuel Hearne Secondary School will compete in 14 different sports, including running from 100m to 5,000m; triple, high and long jump; shot put, discus and javelin.

The team practises at the Midnight Sun Recreation Complex every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.

Beaufort Delta doctor to enter Order of Canada

Dr. Abraham de Klerk of Inuvik will become a Member of the Order of Canada in a ceremony in Ottawa on May 27.

De Klerk will receive membership in the order for his contributions to health care as a physician, teacher and administrator and his continuous advocacy for the needs of rural and remote populations in Canada's North.

De Klerk worked in Inuvik for 20 years, and with his team had trained approximately 360 student physicians. He also successfully recruited a number of medical graduates into rural medicine. Approximately 70 per cent of residents who completed the rural postgraduate program continued to provide rural service.

He is now semi-retired in Victoria and practises as a locum doctor in Inuvik for six-week blocks.

The ceremony will be available to watch online at www.gg.ca.

Dempster washed out

The Dempster Highway was closed due to overflow over the long weekend. Two sections of the highway eroded so badly from the snow melt due to high temperatures that the road washed away.

The areas washed out were between Rengleng River km 178 and Campbell Creek km 247, between Gwich'in Territorial Park and Inuvik. The hazard forced some campers to leave their long weekend holiday a bit early.

The road closed early on Sunday morning at 4:30 a.m., but opened again early on May 24 after road crews with the Department of Transportation replaced the washed-away soil.