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News Briefs: Monday, October 31, 2011
Gerald Kisoun named deputy commissioner
Gerald Kisoun of Inuvik was named as the newly-appointed Deputy Commissioner of the NWT by Minister of Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development John Duncan on Oct. 24.
"Mr. Kisoun has a wide range of experience in the community and a passion for the territory," Duncan stated in a press release.
As deputy commissioner, Kisoun will be responsible to fill in for the commissioner when he is unable to fulfill his duties. As he has yet to be sworn in to his new position, Kisoun was unavailable to comment.
- Paul Bickford
Speaker series continues
The Aurora College-Parks Canada Speaker Series will present 'Inuvialuit at the Smithsonian: Connecting the Present and the Past' on Nov. 7 at the Northern Life Museum in Fort Smith. Two speakers will share their experiences travelling with Inuvialuit elders, youth and educators to Washington, D.C., in 2009 to see Inuvialuit clothing, tools, art and other objects at the Smithsonian Institution. The items were collected in the mid-1860s near Anderson River in what is now the NWT. The guest speakers will be Charles Arnold, a past curator of the Prince of Wales Northern Heritage Centre in Yellowknife, and Mervin Joe, a member of the Inuvialuit delegation and a Parks Canada employee.
- Paul Bickford
Possible firearm discharge
On the evening of Oct. 23, Fort Smith RCMP received a report of a possible discharge of a firearm in the community.
A complainant told police that, as he was walking along Calder Avenue, a dark-coloured vehicle drove by him, and shortly after he heard what he thought was a firearm being discharged in the area.
The RCMP is seeking the assistance of anyone who may have witnessed the incident or who may have relevant information.
- Paul Bickford
A conference on health in the North
The first annual circumpolar health metrics conference is scheduled to be held Oct. 31 in Yellowknife. The conference's aim is to discuss how data can be used to improve health in the North.
It includes a full day of presentations held at The Explorer Hotel and wraps up with a dinner session at the Prince of Wales Northern Heritage Centre, where David Butler-Jones, chief public health officer for the Public Health Agency of Canada will give a presentation on sharing knowledge and information in the North across international borders.
Fifty participants are expected to attend.
- Laura Busch
Wildlife workshop in South Slave
Thebacha/Fort Smith
The second South Slave Regional Wildlife Workshop is set for Nov. 8 to 10 in Fort Smith.
The biannual workshop, which is being hosted by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (ENR), will discuss priorities for wildlife programs and research.
The open forum is designed to share information and discuss regional wildlife issues, and to learn more about current research and monitoring in the South Slave.
Everyone is welcome to attend the workshop, which will be held at Roaring Rapids Hall.
In particular, First Nations and Metis Councils in the region have been invited to send representatives. Participants are expected from Hay River, Kakisa, Fort Resolution, Fort Smith, Fort Providence and the Hay River Reserve.
Representatives from ENR will also be attending.
The first South Slave Regional Wildlife Workshop was held two years ago.
- Paul Bickford
UNW locals to hold meetings
Thebacha/Fort Smith
Local 2 and Local 12 of the Union of Northern Workers (UNW) in Fort Smith will hold separate annual general meetings on Nov. 3.
Todd Parsons, the president of the UNW, will be attending both meetings.
- Paul Bickford
Forest Film Fest in Fort Smith
Thebacha/Fort Smith
A Forest Film Fest will be presented in Fort Smith throughout November to celebrate the International Year of Forests.
A short film and a longer documentary will be screened on four Thursdays in the month - Nov. 10, 17, 24 and 31 - at Northern Life Museum and Cultural Centre.
The films include titles such as 'Last Stand of the Great Bear', 'Chernobyl: A Natural History' and Conflict Tiger'.
In all, eight films will be screened during November.
- Paul Bickford
Student council movie night
Aklavik
The newly-elected student council at Moose Kerr School is getting busy raising money for this year's events. The council raised a little less than $200 during a bake sale and raffle last week at the school. On Friday, Oct. 28, they planned to host a movie night in multiple school classrooms. For an admission fee of $5, participants were given a choice of two or three movies - each shown in a different classroom - said school secretary Bobbie Jo Greenland.
The new student council executive includes Stephanie Charlie as president, Curtis Illasiak as vice-president and Steven Gruben as secretary-treasurer.
- Laura Busch
Kitti Hall community events
Tuktoyaktuk
A Ladies Night Out for Friday was scheduled for Oct. 28 at the Kitti Hall in Tuk. The event is "an evening only for ladies, with a little bit of a spa, some snacks, games, door prizes, a lot of laughs and good music," said Charo Lloret, recreation co-ordinator for the Hamlet of Tuktoyaktuk.
The Halloween parade and festivities were scheduled to be held on Saturday, Oct. 29 - also in the Kitti Hall. Activities include a costume competition, an all-ages dance and a canteen organized by the local recreation society, said Lloret.
- Laura Busch
Costume parade
Tetlit'Zheh/Fort McPherson
The annual adults' Halloween costume parade was planned for Saturday, Oct. 29 at the community hall in Fort McPherson beginning at 8 p.m. The event was to include many games and contests including musical chairs, pass the broom, caribou tales, a spot dance and a jigging contest. Winners were to receive cash prizes, said recreation co-ordinator Joyce Storr. Prizes were also to be given out for scariest costume and funniest costume.
- Laura Busch
Something for kids of all ages
Tsiigehtchic
The adult Halloween costume party was scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 29 at the Tsiigehtchic community gym from 7 to 10 p.m. During the party, planned activities included a just dance competition, karaoke, a jigging and jiving contest, and a costume contest, said recreation co-ordinator Bobby Andre.
Andre is also planning to be working at Chief Paul Niditchie School on Monday, Oct. 31 for the children's Halloween party, which will take place during school hours in the afternoon.
- Laura Busch
Haunted Happenings
Aklavik
The Aklavik Recreation Committee planned three days of events last weekend leading up to Halloween. An elders and preschool costume contest was on the schedule for Thursday at 6 p.m. for children aged four and under and elders older than 50. Prizes were to be awarded at 6:30 p.m.
On Friday, the youth costume contest and dance was to take place from 7 to 10 p.m. for those aged five to 15 years old. Costume judging for this event was scheduled for 9 p.m. to award the available 30 prizes of $20 each.
The final event scheduled by recreation co-ordinator Dean McLeod was an adult costume contest and dry dance to be held on Saturday from 10 p.m. to 2 a.m. for everyone over the age of 16. The largest prizes of all Halloween events was to be given out during the judging at 12:30 a.m. First place in the costume contest will take home $300, the second place prize was $200 and third place received $100. There were also 12 prizes of $50 and eight prizes of $25 to help offset the cost of those fabulous costumes.
All festivities were to be held in the Sittichinli Complex.
- Laura Busch
Halloween haunted house
Paulatuk
The Paulatuk recreation committee planned its Halloween events for Saturday, Oct. 29 in the Angik School gym. First up, there was to be a haunted house starting at 5 p.m. There were planned to be least six spooky stations for participants to go through. It was up to parents to monitor their children and decide if they were able to go through the haunted house, said recreation co-ordinator Lily-Ann Green. Participants were to be rewarded with a bag of candy, "if you can survive the whole thing," said Green.
Following the haunted house, an adult Halloween party was scheduled, beginning at about 8 p.m. Prizes were awarded for most original, scariest and funniest costumes.
- Laura Busch
Jack-o'-lanterns and junk food
Radilih Koe'/Fort Good Hope
In Fort Good Hope, the Halloween parade is scheduled to begin at 1:30 p.m. on Oct. 31 at Chief T'selehye School, said school principal Lee Wood. Trick-or-treating is set to take place on the same day from 6 to 8 p.m. throughout the community.
Leading up to the holiday, the school held a pumpkin carving contest. Each class carved one pumpkin, which were on display in the school. Winners of the pumpkin carving contest were to be determined on Thursday, Oct. 27, in the afternoon.
"With the expense of pumpkins, of course, each class just had one, and we're not a big school so there aren't a lot of pumpkins but it's good fun," said Wood.
- Laura Busch
Halloween fun
Qausuittuq/Resolute
A Halloween costume parade and contest are likely the highlight of the activities planned at Qarmartalik School on Oct. 31.
Principal Jennifer Borden said the afternoon party at the community hall, as the school has no gym, will feature a Halloween costume parade for all students and staff, with prizes awarded for the best costume by grade levels.
Children will also be able to participate in activities, such as face painting, Halloween bingo, crafts and a small haunted house, said Borden. She said prizes, refreshments and treat bags will be distributed.
"We're all really excited. We love Halloween. All the teachers dress up every year," Borden said. "The kids have been asking all week, 'When are we going to decorate? Are we going to do a little haunted house this year?' So they are very excited."
- Jeanne Gagnon
Library soon open to public
Kinngait/Cape Dorset
Sam Pudlat School's library will soon open to the public one night a week.
Volunteer librarian Frances Webber said they plan to open the school library weekly on Wednesday nights starting the first or second week of November. Times are yet to be determined, she added.
"We're doing it to encourage our students to bring their families to the library to borrow books and to read with their families," said Webber. "If three children come with their parents, probably one hour would be fine. If we have a
whole lot of demand, we'll open it longer.
"We are really looking forward to serving the community and giving them an opportunity to use our school library and resources when it's convenient for them, rather than during the school day."
- Jeanne Gagnon
Burst pipe causes shutdown at Quluaq
Kangiqtugaapik/Clyde River
High school students in Clyde River got a break Oct. 25 when a water pipe burst overnight, closing their section of Quluaq School, which houses kindergarten to Grade 12. About 60 of the school's 325 students were affected by the incident.
"It was OK (by the time) the school was shut down for the evening," Qikiqtani School Operations superintendent Phil Cull said. "It happened, they suspect, in the early morning."
"The sprinkler system caused some water damage and the Department of Community and Government Services people are in there cleaning it up," Cull said Oct. 25. "It's all been repaired and being cleaned up for tomorrow morning."
- Casey Lessard
October rain
Ikaluktutiak/Cambridge Bay
Overnight rain Oct. 13 and 14 which eventually froze made for some icy roads in Cambridge Bay.
Resident Vicki Aitaok said the October rain was the talk of town earlier this month.
"It's very different for us because it doesn't rain at this time of year," she said. "Somebody was wearing golfing shoes, which is perfect."
- Jeanne Gagnon
Signs on oil tanks a welcome sight
Panniqtuuq/Pangnirtung
Visitors will see new signs worth $20,000 welcoming them to Pangnirtung thanks to the Department of Community and Government Services, which is installing new fuel tanks in the hamlet, economic development officer Madeleine Qumuatuq said.
The much-needed tanks are replacing existing tanks that provide oil and gas for the community, Qumuatuq said.
"Every year we were running short on oil, and we would have to get a plane in on our short strip, and that was very dangerous," she said. "We had to make bigger tanks here."
- Casey Lessard
Getting physical in Qikiqtarjuaq
Qikiqtarjuaq/Broughton Island
A new recreation program has started in Qikiqtarjuaq thanks to a federal Brighter Futures grant that allowed the hamlet to purchase exercise equipment for the community hall.
Community health nurse Joanne Dignard will be running women's exercise classes Mondays and Thursdays, and men's taebo classes will run Tuesday nights. Brighter Futures provided $1,500 for equipment, and the hamlet bought exercise balls, weights and videos for community members to use.
"They'll accommodate however many shows up," said Rikki Butt.
- Casey Lessard
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