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News Briefs: Friday, July 15, 2011
Fires, but no fire ban
Twenty-one new fires have started in the North Slave region since Tuesday, according to Judy McLinton, communications manager with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources. All of the fires were sparked by lightning strikes.
"The weather has been very unstable recently," McLinton said. "Humidity in the air can help reduce the likelihood of fires, but the conditions are still very dry around the North Slave."
And even though fire conditions remain extreme in the Yellowknife area, deputy mayor Mark Heyck said the mixed weather means there's no fire ban. "There has been a high amount of rain lately, so we aren't instituting the ban right now," he said.
- Sarah Ferguson
Youth share their views
Youth who attended the Forging the Future - Potential Leaders Conference in Yellowknife on July 7-8 identified two concerns they want to see addressed by future NWT leaders: the need for regional treatment centres and school counsellors in every territorial school.
The conference was hosted by Premier Floyd Roland and was attended by 51 young adults ages 18-25 from across the NWT. Youth Minister Robert McLeod also attended the conference as did Dehcho Grand Chief Sam Gargan, and NWT Association of Communities president and Yellowknife Mayor Gord Van Tighem.
Last summer, the premier invited youth to participate in a visioning exercise for the NWT, and last week's conference was the result.
- Sarah Ferguson
Revitalizing language
The NWT Aboriginal Languages Summer Institute is scheduled to enter its second and final week Monday.
There are 19 participants from across the territory taking part in the language revitalization program.
The institute is being run by the Department of Education, Culture and Employment and the University of Victoria Certificate Program in Aboriginal Language Revitalization with the ultimate goal of establishing it as a regular program in the NWT.
- Nicole Veerman
Council sked changes
Council is on a summer schedule through August, meeting only every other week for committee meetings.
The next scheduled city council meeting is at 7 p.m. on July 25, with the Municipal Services Committee scheduled to meet earlier in the day.
- Tim Edwards
News Briefs: Thursday, July 14, 2011
Arts society funding
The Open Sky Creative Society is one of 17 arts, culture and official languages organizations in the territory to receive funding from the federal government.
On July 12 the government announced it was providing
$944,180 under four of the Department of Canadian Heritage's programs. The society, based in Fort Simpson, received $25,000 for this year's Open Sky Festival.
The funding is designed to help the organizations provide programs and services over the next few years.
Healthy living support
The health promotion team with Dehcho Health and Social Services has started a healthy living support group in Fort Simpson.
The group is designed to encourage people to lose weight and then help them maintain their new weight, said Karen Simon, a community health representative.
The group meets every Wednesday from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. in the boardroom at the health centre. Support services include weekly confidential weigh-ins and body measurements. There are also group discussion on topics including plate portions, healthy eating tips, food substitutions and recipes.
The group is open to both men and women and children if they are accompanied by an adult.
More forest fires
Forest fire numbers have increased slightly in the Deh Cho.
As of July 12 there have been 15 forest fires in the region, an increase of two within a week. The fires have burned 10,361 hectares. On Tuesday five of the fires were still burning and were being monitored, according to the Department of Environment and Natural Resources'.
Golf tournament
The first two-day golf tournament of the season at the Seven Spruce Golf Course is taking place this weekend.
The annual Seven Spruce Four-Person Best-Ball Tournament, sponsored by Kingland Ford, will be held on July 16 and 17. Teams will play 18 holes each day. Last year, 62 players on 15 teams participated.
Employment rate rises
The NWT employment rate rose slightly last month, as 100 more residents found work, the territorial Bureau of Statistics reported.
The bureau reported that, according to Statistics Canada, 22,600 out of 31,100 people in the NWT age 15 and older were employed in June, representing an employment rate of 70.4 per cent. About a thousand more people were employed in June compared to the same period last year.
– Thandiwe Vela
Private statement gathering
Just because the Northern national event of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission has left the North, it doesn't mean its work is finished.
Anyone who still wants to give a private statement about residential schools can do so until the fall. As a joint effort between the Gwich'in Tribal Council and the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, the statement gatherer will be available by appointment to residents of Inuvik, Tsiigehtchic, Fort McPherson and Aklavik.
If residential school survivors would like to give a statement, they can contact Sheila Mazhari at 777-7941 or by email at smazhari@gwichinnt.ca. She has set up a quiet area in the Chief Jim Koe building for statement gathering, where a health support worker will also be available to assist in the statements.
Qayak workshop
The Canadian North Great Northern Arts Festival will hold a youth, traditional qayak building workshop over the 10 days.
The workshop, from July 15 to 24, will offer youth over the age of 12 an opportunity to learn the traditional methods of building a qayak. Over the course of the festival they will make four qayaks using hand tools.
Local artist Kevin Floyd and Mark Reuten of Nomad Boatbuilding will teach the course.
Parks Day – 100 years
On July 16, Parks Canada in Inuvik will celebrate 100 years of the national parks program in Canada.
From 2 p.m. to 4 p.m., children can participate in fun and quirky crafts in the Parks Canada tent at the Canadian North Great Northern Arts Festival in the Midnight Sun Recreation Complex. Kids can learn T-shirt printing or make moose-poo jewellery.
This year Parks Canada commemorates 100 years since the formation of a national parks system, the first in the world. Parks Canada includes 42 national parks, 167 historic sites and four marine conservation areas.
On-the-land camps
The Inuvik Community Corporation will hold on-the-land programs for youth this summer.
Youth aged 10 to 16 are currently out at Kendel Island to attend a whaling camp, while in August they can attend a fishing and berry-picking camp. The 10-day-long camps are offered to Inuvialuit so they can learn the traditional lifestyle. The two whaling camps started on July 8, with eight to 10 young people heading out.
If the hunt is successful, they will learn how to cut up whales and prepare muktuk. At the fishing and berry camps, youth can learn how to make dry fish and set nets. Spaces are still available for those two camps.
To register or find more information contact Delores at 777-7070.
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