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News Briefs: Monday, December 12, 2011
Former Inuvik teacher appears in court
A former Inuvik teacher charged with seven offences, including sexual assault and making child pornography, appeared in territorial court in Yellowknife Dec. 6. Clean shaven and clad in a plaid button-up shirt, Hugues Latour, 38, sat quietly in the prisoner's box, occasionally glancing around the gallery. Crown prosecutor Glen Boyd said he had received "extensive" information relating to the case and needed more time to review it. Judge Bernadette Schmaltz agreed to adjourn the case until Jan. 24. Latour remains in custody.
- Galit Rodan
Fire service awards
Two NWT residents were recipients of Fire Service Merit Awards last week. Rene Camsell of the Behchoko fire department and Kirk Hughes of the Deline fire department were chosen as the 2011 winners of individual awards.
"Firefighters undertake important, and sometimes dangerous, work in all of our communities," said Robert C. McLeod, minister of Municipal and Community Affairs, in a press release. The annual awards, sponsored by the GNWT, are based on nominations from community members and fire chiefs.
- Nathalie Heiberg-Harrison
Grants for girls
The Canadian Women's Foundation is calling for proposals for girls' fund grants available in 2012. The grants will be awarded to approximately 25 different programs focusing on girls aged nine to 13 in these categories: leadership and empowerment; physical activities and sports; science, math and technology; media literacy; and aboriginal culture and teachings. Programs awarded grants will be given $25,000 to $40,000 annually for four years.
There will also be three grants given to organizations that promote networking among programs and organizations that promote girls' interests, under the same categories as above. These organizations will be awarded $40,000 per year over four years.
Applications for the grants can be found on the Canadian Women's Foundation website.
- Laura Busch
Ice roads open
The Aklavik ice road opened to light traffic last week.
Vehicles weighing up to 2,500 kg are now permitted to travel, but the Department of Transportation is warning drivers that rough, slippery and loose snow sections will be encountered.
The Peel River ice crossing near Fort McPherson is open to vehicles weighing up to 50,000 kg, the Arctic Red River crossing is open to vehicles weighing up to 29,000 kg and the Tsiigehtchic winter access road is open to vehicles weighing up to 15,000 kg. The Tuktoyaktuk ice road was expected to open to light traffic over the weekend.
- Nathalie Heiberg-Harrison
Kids camp for Christmas
Tuktoyaktuk
Teens in Tuktoyaktuk will be able to celebrate the beginning of Christmas break this year with a dance at Kitti Hall. The dance is scheduled for Friday, Dec. 16, from 7 to 11 p.m.
Christmas Camp kicks off at the hall on the following Monday, and will run from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. from Dec. 19 to 22 and from Dec. 26 to 29.
The camp, sponsored by Conoco Phillips and Imperial Oil, is meant to keep kids entertained during the holidays, according to Charo Lloret, recreation co-ordinator with the hamlet.
Activities will include beading, baking cookies for elders, dancing, singing carols, making ornaments and traditional Inuit games.
In addition, there will be a youth talent show on Dec. 19 from 5 to 7 p.m. and an adult talent show from 7 to 9 p.m. The annual Santa parade will be held on Dec. 20 at 2 p.m.
- Nathalie Heiberg-Harrison
Mackenzie Mountain School welcomes community
Lli Goline/Norman Wells
The Mackenzie Mountain School will be hosting its Christmas concert on Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. in the school gym. All parents and community members are invited to attend.
The school will also host a turkey dinner on Friday. Tickets can be purchased from any graduating student or at the school office.
- Nathalie Heiberg-Harrison
Christmas contests galore
Tetlit'Zheh/Fort McPherson
The competitive spirit won't be lost in Fort McPherson this Christmas.
The Tetlit Gwich'in Council is hosting a window decorating contest on Dec. 16, a beaded ornament contest on Dec. 22 and a loche derby on Dec. 30.
In addition, the Community Justice Committee will be hosting a snow sculpture contest on Dec. 18 and a gingerbread house decorating contest on Dec. 21. On Dec. 19, a snowmobile rally and a house decorating contest are scheduled. A gingerbread house decorating contest for youth is scheduled for Dec. 20.
The hamlet's sports enthusiasts can look forward to Dec. 27 when a winter triathlon is scheduled.
- Nathalie Heiberg-Harrison
Christmas in Aklavik
Aklavik
Christmas activities were scheduled to kick off in Aklavik this past Friday with a turkey and ham bingo.
A Christmas sing-a-long was scheduled at the Sittichinli Recreation Complex during the evening on Sunday and today a crib tournament will begin at 6 p.m. Prizes for adults 16 to 49 and elders 50 years and older range from $20 to $50.
In addition, there will be a drum dance at the complex on Dec. 13, a Christmas concert at Moose Kerr School on Dec. 14 and a preschool and elders party at the complex on Dec. 15.
- Nathalie Heiberg-Harrison
Metis events at Roaring Rapids
Thebacha/Fort Smith
The Fort Smith Metis Council is presenting two Christmas events this coming weekend.
The first on Dec. 17 will be a community elders dinner from 5 to 8 p.m. at Roaring Rapids Hall.
The second event will be a Christmas party for children aged up to 12 years-old from 2-4 p.m. on Dec. 18, also at Roaring Rapids Hall.
- Paul Bickford
Christmas in India
Behchoko/Rae-Edzo
Five students at Chief Jimmy Bruneau School in Behchoko will be spending their Christmas vacation in southern India.
Seniors Jacqueline Gon, Teresa Weyallon-Zoe, Mercedes Rabesca, Dene Daniels and Shawn Gon depart on Dec. 16 and are scheduled to arrive back on Jan. 1.
During their stay they will be visiting 10 impoverished families in rural India, an indigenous village in Marayoor, an orphanage for children with HIV and AIDS and a rehabilitation centre for people with leprosy.
Their travels will be throughout Kerala and Tamil Nadu.
- Nathalie Heiberg-Harrison
Christmas concert in Fort Smith
Thebacha/Fort Smith
A Christmas concert will be held on Dec. 15 at Joseph Burr Tyrrell School in Fort Smith.
The concert will feature Christmas stories, poems, plays and songs performed by the students of the elementary school.
The festive event will begin at 6:30 p.m. on Dec. 15 in the school gym.
- Paul Bickford
Successful harvest in Sachs
Ikaahuk/Sachs Harbour
The muskox harvest in Sachs Harbour is wrapping up.
By Nov. 30 more than 215 animals had been processed, according to Peggy Jay, communications adviser for the Inuvialuit Regional Corporation. Workers are expected to harvest a total of 300 muskox.
The muskox were corralled right outside of Sachs Harbour, near the hamlet's airport.
- Nathalie Heiberg-Harrison
Metis annual general assembly
Thebacha/Fort Smith
The Fort Smith Metis Council will hold an annual general assembly early in the new year.
The gathering, which will begin at 10 a.m. on Jan. 28 at Roaring Rapids Hall, is for members only.
- Paul Bickford
Airport opening delayed after flights cancelled
Qikiqtarjuaq/Broughton Island
Premier Eva Aariak and transportation minister Peter Taptuna were not able to make it to the grand opening of the new Qikiqtarjuaq airport terminal Dec. 2, so the event was postponed, hamlet economic development officer Leelee Kakkee said.
Weather conditions were fine in the early morning, but changed as the premier neared the community on a regularly scheduled flight. A charter carrying other dignitaries later that morning was cancelled.
"There was a lot of food ready for the councillors, public and people who were supposed to come in," said Kakee.
Hamlet employees ate the food planned for a private dignitaries' lunch, and a community feast went ahead so food wasn't wasted. The grand opening is now tentatively set for Jan. 10.
- Casey Lessard
Pangnirtung gets new foreman
Panniqtuuq/Pangnirtung
Pangnirtung has a new hamlet foreman to help maintain its municipal vehicles, senior administrative officer Ron Mongeau said. Barrie Cameron has come to the community after working in Iglulik.
"The municipal foreman is responsible for our garage, maintaining all of the heavy equipment, supervising the maintenance of all the private vehicles in town, public works and maintenance projects," Mongeau said, "and basically is a key part of our management team."
The process to find Cameron, a licensed mechanic, took about four months. The hamlet received applications from across the North as well as some from the south.
- Casey Lessard
Iqaluit Humane Society enters semi-finals
Iqaluit
After a late surge from competition bumped the Iqaluit Humane Society out of first place in the first round of the Aviva Community Fund, the charity has now entered the semi-finals in hopes Nunavummiut will help secure funding to open the territory's first permanent animal shelter.
The Humane Society's first shelter closed in August due to a dearth of volunteers and funding.
The shelter is one of 30 causes in its category, vying for between $100,000 to $150,000; the shelter wants the maximum. In total, society president Janine Budgell figures it will take $750,000 to open a permanent shelter.
Online voting continues until Dec. 16. The Humane Society, identified on the competition website as idea ACF11210, needs to make the top 10 to move to the finals in January.
- Casey Lessard
Polar bear shot
Sanirajak/Hall Beach
One Hall Beach resident recently shot a polar bear after animal kept coming back, said senior administrative officer John Ivey.
The polar bears come to the community attracted by the smell of walrus meat people store outside, he said.
George Nagmalik, the community's bylaw officer and fire chief, said the hamlet has seen six polar bears in the last two to three weeks and have used rubber bullets to scare them away.
"Not normal - used to be like three or four. Polar bears love walrus meat," he said.
He added the animals reach the community by ice.
- Jeanne Gagnon
Star grapplers
Nunavut
Listed below are the wrestlers selected to represent Team Nunavut at the 2012 Arctic Winter Games.
Female:
- Becky Ottokie (Coral Harbour) 52 kg
- Pii Toonoo (Cape Dorset) 56 kg
- Susie Kalai (Cape Dorset) 56 kg (alternate)
- Uliipika Pikairngaut (Iqaluit) 60 kg
Male:
- Sandy Saviakjuk (Coral Harbour) 52 kg
- William Nakoolak (Coral Harbour) 57 kg
- Joseph Melanson (Iqaluit) 57 kg (alternate)
- Morgan Taqqaugaq (Iglulik) 62 kg
- Kov Ottokie (Cape Dorset) 62 kg (alternate)
- Rock Kakuktinniq (Rankin Inlet) 68 kg
- David Haulli (Iglulik) 82 kg
- Levi Strauss (Iqaluit) 90 kg
- Arthur Siksik (Rankin Inlet) 90 kg (alternate)
- Darrell Greer
Fundraising school bazaar
Taloyoak/Spence Bay
More than 600 people attended Netsilik School's annual Christmas bazaar in Taloyoak on Nov. 24, eager to try their luck in some of the 20 carnival games. Those games included Wheel of Fortune, basketball, dart, target-shoot hockey and others, not to mention raffles for a turkey and new iMac desktop computer, as well as 50/50 draws.
"The canteen did a brisk business all night," stated Gina Pizzo the school's principal via e-mail. "In general, the bazaar was a huge success netting over $10,000 for the school and various groups running draws and raffles."
- Jeanne Gagnon
Fundraising bingo and radio telethon
Kugluktuk/Coppermine
Kugluktuk is getting read for its radio telethon and bingo, with proceeds used to fill Christmas hampers.
Recreation co-ordinator Jessica vanOverbeek said money raised during the telethon on Dec. 10 and the bingo on Dec. 13 will be used to fill hampers with Christmas dinner food and other baking goods. She added they don't know how many baskets they will distribute this Dec. 23 but in previous years, they've filled 200 to 300 baskets.
"We want to fundraise enough to make all the baskets," she said. Everybody looks forward to the fun and games that happen during the telethon. A lot of the community members benefit, so they definitely look forward to that."
- Jeanne Gagnon
Tourney date set
Arviat
The Arviat Men's Hockey League has announced Jan. 19 as the start of the annual Jon Lindell Memorial senior men's hockey tournament.
Tourney organizers are trying to build upon the success of the 2011 tournament, which was widely regarded as the most successful since the event began.
This year's tournament is offering a $10,000 grand prize to the winning team, as well as cash prizes of $5,000 for second, $3,000 for third, $2,000 for fourth and $1,000 for fifth.
A number of games and contests are also being planned for fans at the event.
- Darrell Greer
High rank referee
Rankin Inlet/Nunavut
Max MacDonald of Rankin Inlet became just the third hockey official in Nunavut to reach his Level IV status this past month.
The Level IV distinction is the highest obtainable in the Hockey North Branch, which oversees Nunavut and the NWT.
- Darrell Greer
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News desk 
