Fire closes highway

Highway 3 is closed because of a fire approximately 150 km south of Yellowknife.

Earl Blacklock, spokesperson for the Department of Transportation, said yesterday afternoon, judging by the wind, the fire was expected to cross the highway that evening. He said the earliest the highway could reopen is this afternoon.

There are no firefighters responding to the fire along the highway because there is no risk to people, said Judy McLinton, spokesperson for the Department of Environment and Natural Resources.

As of Tuesday night, there was one helicopter and one crew attending to a 28-hectare fire at Pickerel Lake, 60 km east of Yellowknife.

- Nicole Veerman

Police officer's impaired driving trial postponed

The trial for an RCMP officer charged with impaired driving was adjourned to Sept. 23 after the defence argued it wouldn't be ready in time after receiving additional information from the Crown.

Judge Christine Gagnon granted the adjournment request Monday afternoon from Const. Trent Ronald Hayward's lawyer Rod Gregory. Hayward, 39, is charged with impaired driving after he was pulled over in a Chevrolet truck by on-duty RCMP officers 30 km west of Yellowknife on Nov. 13, 2010. Hayward, based in the Behchoko RCMP detachment, pleaded not guilty to the charge on March 8. He is currently on administrative duty.

- Terrence McEachern

Emergency landing

A Canadian North Boeing 737 en route to Norman Wells made an emergency landing in Yellowknife Sunday morning, after the left engine indicated a high oil temperature. Stephen Hankirk, vice-president of operations, charters and cargo for the airline, said Flight 444, carrying 58 passengers, was airborne at about 10:20 a.m. and was about 25 minutes out of Yellowknife when the indicator went off, resulting in a precautionary shutdown of the engine and emergency landing back in Yellowknife. It was later found that the engine was fine.

- Nicole Veerman

Garbage to garden

Those interested can learn to compost tonight with Ecology North.

There will be a workshop from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at the community garden on the Weledeh School grounds.

Everyone is welcome to drop by and ask questions about how to turn garbage into rich garden soil.

- Nicole Veerman

Successful exchange

Arviat - A group of students at John Arnalukjuak High School in Arviat recently completed a successful exchange program with students from Lloydminster, Alta./Sask. The program was organized by viceprincipal Cody Presky and teacher Sonia Osbourne.

For the complete story on the exchange trip, please see the June 29 edition of Kivalliq News.

Concern in Whale

Whale Cove - A number of residents in Whale Cove are not happy about the new proposed electoral boundaries which could see the community joined with Arviat.

Many residents are concerned their community's needs will never be addressed as long as they're joined to a larger hamlet and/or represented by an MLA who is not from Whale Cove.

For more on their concerns, please see the June 29 edition of Kivalliq News.

Couldn't make it

Rankin Inlet - Four awardwinning students were not able to attend the MUI ceremonies in Rankin this past week due to travel and/or prior commitments.

Annette Boucher won the senior high Outstanding English Student Award, while Saumik Darenshoripour was named recipient of the senior high Outstanding Male Athlete Award.

Rico Manitok won the senior high Outstanding Shop Student Award, and Nash Paniyuk was named MUI's Attendance Award recipient for senior high.

Tourism boost

Kivalliq - The Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency has invested $202,634 in five projects to help build capacity in Nunavut's tourism sector.

Nunavut Arctic College received $54,420 for Phase Two of its tourism hospitality program in Nunavut, while the Inuit Heritage Trust received $50,000 for its TrainTheTrainer program.

The Hamlet of Chesterfield Inlet received $14,574 to update brochures, tour guides, CDs and maps about their community, while Nunavut Tourism received $39,000 and the Hamlet of Kugluktuk received $44,640.

Deadline looms

Kivalliq - Kivalliq postsecondary students are reminded the deadline to apply for one of Northwestel's $2,500 Northern futures scholarships is June 30.

Northwestel awards scholarships to about 10 Northern students each year.

Eligible students must be engaged in fulltime postsecondary studies in business or commerce, computer science, electrical engineering or telecommunications. A total of five scholarships are available exclusively to aboriginal students.

Applicants are required to submit a completed application form, official transcripts, letters of support and an essay. For this year's essay, students are asked to discuss how broadband and Internet access in their Northern communities can help combat climate change.

Eligible students are asked to contact Northwestel for more information via email or its website.

Successful applicants will be notified in the fall of 2011.