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The Northwest Territories employment rate fell for the fourth consecutive month in January, with 100 fewer employed persons in the territory compared to the month before, according to the NWT Bureau of Statistics.

The 68.5 per cent employment rate represents 22,000 out of 32,100 residents 15 years of age and older employed in the NWT.

Nunavut's employment rate was also down, according to the Nunavut Bureau of Statistics, with the number of employed people estimated at 11,500, down by 300 on average for November 2011 to January 2012.

The territory's employment rate was 54.9 per cent.

The average employment rate in Canada stood at 61.1 per cent in January.

- Thandiwe Vela

Bishop dies at 87

Long-time northern Bishop of the Anglican Arctic diocese, John Reginald Sperry, passed away in the Hay River Hospital at 7:05 p.m. on Feb. 11, surrounded by his family.

Sperry moved to the Woodland Manor in Hay River one year ago to be near daughter Angela Frieson and son John Sperry. He caught pneumonia five months ago, never fully recovered and suffered a stroke on Feb. 9, 2012. Reverend Vivian Smith said Sperry was still active in the Anglican congregation in Hay River.

"The church was his life," said Smith. "Every Sunday he was here to do the final blessing. This Sunday I had to do it for him. He was a great teacher and a great bishop. His memory will live forever."

- Angele Cano

Career expo

Skills Canada NWT is hosting a career expo on Feb. 15 at Paul William Kaeser High School in Fort Smith. At the same time and location, Skills Canada NWT will also host the second annual regional skills competition.

It will test the skills of high school students from the Tlicho, Deh Cho and South Slave regions as they compete in different trades and technology activities.

- Paul Bickford

Income assistance audit

The office of the Auditor General of Canada is planning an audit of income security programs in the NWT, according to Ghislain Desjardins, media relations and public inquiries manager.

"We intend to table it in 2013," he said of the report.

As part of the audit, the office will be interviewing local stakeholders such as non-governmental organizations who are familiar with the challenges people on income support face.

- Nathalie Heiberg-Harrison

College celebrates

Aurora College Week will run from Feb. 13-17.

Special events will be held at the college's three campuses in Fort Smith, Yellowknife and Inuvik.

Organizers are encouraging students, staff, families and community members to all participate in the special events planned for Aurora College Week.

- Paul Bickford

Deline Diamond jubilee The Charter Community of Deline has established a Diamond Jubilee Committee to celebrate Queen Elizabeth's 60 years as Canada's head of state.

Deline will mark the diamond jubilee with pins, flags, posters, photos of the Queen, a youth floor hockey tournament, tea parties and an essay contest.

- Paul Bickford

New Gruben in town

Tuktoyaktuk

Faye Doctor and Tuktoyaktuk Mayor Merven Gruben welcomed a new son into the world on Jan. 31.

Joseph Roger "JR" Gruben weighed in at nine pounds, eight ounces and was born at 6:12 a.m in the Inuvik Regional Hospital. He was named for his late grandfather Bobby Joseph Gruben and late great uncle James Roger Gruben. Dr. Braam de Klerk led the delivery and was assisted by Dr. Ian Armstrong and nurse Leanne Jones.

- Nathalie Heiberg-Harrison

Enterprise council backs pellet mill

Enterprise

The council of the Hamlet of Enterprise is backing the idea of building a wood pellet manufacturing plant in the community.

At a Feb. 6 meeting, councillors unanimously voted to send a letter of support to project proponent Brad Mapes of Hay River.

Mapes attended a Jan. 23 public meeting in Enterprise to outline the possibility of building the plant in the community and asked for the letter of support to help with leasing land from the territorial government.

The proponent hopes to locate the plant about four km north of the hamlet on Highway 1, but within its corporate limits.

The target date to start construction is June 1 with the aim of being in production by next year.

The plant would employ 50 workers, and Mapes has estimated about 10 of them would live in Enterprise, which currently has a population of just under 100.

The overall project, which would create about 200 harvesting jobs in a number of areas of the NWT, would involve $12 million of capital expenditure for equipment, another $3 million in building costs, and operating costs of more than $15 million per year.

- Paul Bickford

Seed money for Enterprise Seniors' Society

Enterprise

The Hamlet of Enterprise will be providing $5,000 in seed money to the new seniors' society in the community.

At its Feb. 6 meeting, the hamlet council voted to donate the money to the new group.

Seven seniors got together last year to organize the Enterprise Seniors' Society, which was incorporated in September.

Enterprise is home to about 25 seniors.

- Paul Bickford

Meeting set for Wood Buffalo Frolics

Thebacha/Fort Smith

Wood Buffalo Frolics, the annual winter carnival in Fort Smith, is due to take place March 8 to 11.

However, the carnival requires community groups to become involved to make the event a success.

An organizational meeting will be held on Feb. 13, beginning at 7 p.m. at Northern Life Museum.

The details of the carnival are hoped to be determined at that meeting.

- Paul Bickford

Managing diabetes together

Ulukhaktok/Holman

The Beaufort Delta Health and Social Services' regional nutritionist will be in Ulukhaktok between Feb. 20 and 22 to offer workshops on diabetes management and cooking.

Although specific times have yet to be set, nutritionist Jennalle Butcher said the classes will focus on preventing and managing diabetes.

The visit to Ulukhaktok comes on the heels of her recent trip to Tuktoyaktuk in January where she partnered with the Inuvialuit Regional Corporation to host a cooking circle and feast for the community.

Although she hasn't decided on a menu for Ulukhaktok yet, some recipes used in Tuktoyaktuk included baked Arctic char and sweet potato bannock.

Butcher will be visiting Paulatuk from Feb. 29 to March 2 and Aklavik from March 6 to 7.

- Nathalie Heiberg-Harrison

68 losers compete

Behchoko/Rae

Eight men and 60 women from Behchoko have signed up for the community's Biggest Loser Club, which challenges members to shed pounds for prizes.

The first weigh-in will take place on March 15, according to organizer Sherri Knapton Pain, and the "biggest loser" will take home a new iPad.

The second and final weigh-in will be on April 30.

A group of students from Chief Jimmy Bruneau Regional High School represent the youngest participants, according to Knapton Pain, and the oldest competitors are in their 50s.

- Nathalie Heiberg-Harrison

Sewers welcome

Lli Goline/Norman Wells

Norman Wells residents who are working on a sewing project are invited to take part in the new Thursday Night Sewing Circle.

The group, which gives sewers an opportunity to work in a supportive environment with others, meets from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the learning centre.

Kathleen Roberts, an adult educator at the learning centre who helped form the group, said it's a great way to pass the time during the cold winter months.

"I wanted to inspire people, not just be the instructor in the classroom but to encourage other projects going on," she said.

Since the group started meeting three weeks ago, projects have included beaver and moose hide mittens, mukluks and children's boots.

Knitters are also welcome to attend. Free snacks are provided.

- Nathalie Heiberg-Harrison

Blowing snow closes roads

Mackenzie Delta

The Mackenzie Delta's highways and ice roads continued to face intermittent closures this past week.

The Aklavik ice road was closed the morning of Friday Feb. 3 and throughout the weekend because of high winds and blowing snow.

It reopened late Monday morning. The Tuktoyaktuk ice road was also closed for the weekend and reopened for traffic on Monday as well.

The Dempster Highway between Fort McPherson and Eagle Plains has been closed on and off for weeks, but was open to traffic all of Monday and Tuesday.

"The Dempster is like that - it closes quite a bit, mostly on the Yukon side," said Gurdev Jagpal, regional superintendent for the Department of Transportation.

The Yukon portion of the highway has been closed approximately 75 per cent of the time since Jan. 1, according to Jagpal.

- Nathalie Heiberg-Harrison

Autopsies in Taloyoak fire

Taloyoak/Spence Bay

Autopsies are being conducted on three victims of a Taloyoak house fire.

A mother and her two sons, aged 2 and 4, perished in a blaze on Feb. 2 when a unit within a four-plex apartment building was destroyed in a fire.

RCMP Sgt. Kevin Lewis stated human remains of three victims were located within the unit and sent to Edmonton for autopsies.

An investigator from the Nunavut fire marshall's office, as well as an RCMP forensic investigator and RCMP fire scene investigator, have completed their on-site investigation, stated Lewis.

The identity of the victims is not being released at this time and the investigation is ongoing.

- Jeanne Gagnon

Dorset rations water after frozen pipeline

Kinngait/Cape Dorset

Cape Dorset is conserving water after part of a water pipeline froze last week.

A section of the alternate two-inch pipeline the community has been using for the last 10 months froze on Feb. 8, said Olayuk Akesuk, the hamlet's senior administrative

officer. The alternate pipeline was installed last year by the Department of Community and Government Services to bypass a frozen and cracked three-inch water pipe.

Akesuk said the hamlet is using ice picks to try and unblock the frozen pipe.

"Right now, we're working on it," he said on Feb. 10.

"We might have water running into our tank later on this afternoon. It's not the whole pipeline; it's part of the pipeline that is

frozen."

Akesuk said the hamlet had been delivering 500 litres of water to every household since the pipe froze - half what they usually get - but as the reservoir lowered the hamlet didn't deliver water at all on Friday.

The hamlet planned to look at alternative ways to deliver water, such as providing ice blocks to residents, if staff was unable to fix the water pipe by the end of the day.

- Jeanne Gagnon

Coroner's inquest

Iqaluit

The Office of the Chief Coroner will hold an inquest next month into the 2009 death

of a man in police custody.

The coroner's inquest will examine the circumstances surrounding the death of Adamie Nuturalak, found unresponsive in Iqaluit RCMP cells on Dec. 9, 2009, stated Chief Coroner Padma Suramala via e-mail.

"The accused was arrested for being intoxicated and causing domestic violence," she stated. "The inquest is mandatory because the death happened in police custody."

The coroner's inquest will be held at the Nunavut Court of Justice in Iqaluit from March 12 to 16.

- Jeanne Gagnon

Police still investigating Dejaeger case

Iqaluit

A former Iglulik Catholic priest facing close to 40 charges will be indicted in May, the Crown told the Nunavut Court of Justice on Feb. 6. A five-member RCMP team is in Iglulik working to complete the

investigation.

Eric Dejaeger's charges include 30 that are sex-related, one count of failure to appear in court, two counts of assault and three counts of use of violence to prevent reporting of suspicious activity.

The 64-year-old accused is also facing one count of indecent assault and gross indecency in Alberta.

Crown prosecutor Paul Bychok stated via e-mail it is possible the accused could face more charges depending on the outcome of the police investigation.

One year ago, Dejaeger was deported back to Canada from his home country of

Belgium.

He was arrested upon his arrival in Canada on a 2002 warrant for three charges of buggery and indecent assault for incidents alleged to have occurred between 1978 and 1982 in Iglulik.

In 1990, Dejaeger was convicted on eight counts of sexual assault and one count of indecent assault in Baker Lake and was sentenced to five years in prison.

The accused waived his right to a preliminary hearing during a Jan. 9 court appearance.

The actual trial date still needs to be set.

The court indicated his trial will be held in Iqaluit.

Dejaeger's next court appearance is schedule for May 7 at 1:30 p.m.

- Jeanne Gagnon

Grise Fiord mayor returned by council vote

Ausuittuq/Grise Fiord

Despite choosing not to run again as mayor in the Dec. 12 election, elected councillor Meeka Kigutuk was renamed mayor after a council vote Feb. 2. Council also returned Laisa Watsko to the deputy mayor seat.

The Feb. 2 meeting was the first time the newly elected council could meet with enough members for quorum, so it was also the day councillors elected Dec. 12 were sworn in to office, assistant senior administrative officer and election returning officer Marty Kuluguqtuq said.

Council meets twice a month, and is expected to have its next meeting Feb. 14.

- Casey Lessard

Safe and sound after snowmobile breakdown

Sanikiluaq

Two Sanikiluaq men were safely returned home after their snowmobile broke down Feb. 4.

A search commenced at 2:30 a.m. on Feb. 5 after Davidee Kavik and James William Kavik failed to return from a hunting trip. The men were last seen 40 km southwest of the hamlet, and the snowmobile they shared was found at 4 p.m. on Feb. 5.

Searchers canvassed the area between the snowmobile's location and the hamlet, and the men were found at about 8:15 p.m. that evening. An RCMP release said despite the fact one of the men was not prepared for inclement weather, both were found in good condition and returned safely to the community at about 9:30 p.m.

Police remind hunters to go on the land prepared for bad weather and equipment breakdowns, and to borrow locater beacons from their local hamlet offices to help speed search-and-rescue efforts in the event of an emergency.

- Casey Lessard

Youth get set to go abroad

Nunavut

Young people from across Nunavut are preparing to spend the summer away from home as part of the Nunavut Youth Abroad program.

Trina Qaqqaq of Baker Lake, Abraham Kadluk and Scott Sammurtok Walters of Chesterfield Inlet, and Mikki Noah of Clyde River have been chosen to go to Botswana as part of the seven-week international component of the program. To qualify, youth must be between 15 and 22, and take part in the Canadian component in a previous year.

This year's participants for the in-Canada youth abroad component are Anne Renee Angalik of Arviat; Jacqueline Arnauyumayuq, April Eecheak and Nick Mukpa of Arctic Bay; Vincent Taipana and Christopher Tootoo of Baker Lake; Adam MacFarlane of Cambridge Bay; Liveena Toonoo of Cape Dorset; Jessica Mimialik of Chesterfield Inlet; Bernard Angootealuk of Coral Harbour; Esther Anne Magaknak, Oliver Porter, and Crystal Tungilik of Gjoa Haven; Etuanqat Akeeagok of Grise Fiord; Loretta Kadlutsiak of Hall Beach; Brandon Oolayou and Christine Tootoo of Iqaluit; Brandon Nartok of Kugaaruk; Jamesie Itulu of Pond Inlet; Hope Makpah of Rankin Inlet; Wendy Alookee of Taloyoak; and Wayne Putulik of Whale Cove.

They, or their alternates if they withdraw, will be spread across Canada after a June 28 orientation session in Ottawa.

- Casey Lessard

Inuktitut Literacy Week activities

Uqsuqtuuq/Gjoa Haven

An Inuktitut scavenger hunt and storytelling with elders are some of the activities Qiqirtaq Ilihakvik has planned to mark the school's Inuktitut Literacy Week, said the principal.

Kim Hagarty said the week-long event started Feb. 6 with students participating in Inuit games for the last period of school. She added that an Inuktitut scavenger hunt, where students have to find four Inuktitut words posted around the school, write the word and its meaning, will happen daily this week, weather permitting. The school was closed due to a blizzard Feb. 7, the day 15 minutes of reading in Inuktitut was planned, but Hagarty said the school will give that activity another try once school resumes. She added the main event will be on Feb. 10, when students from Quqshuun Ilihakvik will join those in Qiqirtaq Ilihakvik for storytelling with about six elders, followed by drum dancing.

"Even though we are (an) English-speaking (school) and we offer Inuktitut as a required language course, I think it's really, really important we work in the school and with the community to keep this language alive," she said. "And to promote it and to help the kids learn it."

- Jeanne Gagnon

Power out for half-day

Qausuittuq/Resolute

Resolute experienced an approximately 12-hour overnight power outage after a feeder apparently malfunctioned.

The lights went out at about 10:30 p.m. on Feb. 6 and power was back on in most of the community at about 10:15 a..m. on Feb. 7, according to Mayor Tabitha Mullin.

"It didn't get too bad. It was during the night," she said. "We were in bed, so that was OK until we got up in the morning, it was kind of cool but my house wasn't that cold."

George Hickes, the manager of corporate communications at Qulliq Energy Corporation, said it seems a feeder failed, likely because of the blizzard.

"As soon as weather subsides enough, we can get our maintenance crew in there to repair that feeder issue, there will be a portion of the town that will be out of power," he said.

Power has since been completely restored.

- Jeanne Gagnon

DARE to do it

Kangiqliniq/Rankin Inlet

A group of Grade 5 students at Simon Alaittuq School in Rankin Inlet completed the RCMP's Drug Abuse and Resistance Education (DARE) program earlier this month.

The program is designed to educate students on the effects and facts about alcohol, marijuana, tobacco and other drugs.

The kids also discussed how to deal with peer pressure and how they can remain in control of their own choices.

A special graduation ceremony was held at the school to recognize the students' accomplishment in completing the DARE program.

The ceremony was also another way for the students to be shown that their parents, and their community, support them in what they've learned.

- Darrell Greer

Business course offered

Kangiqliniq/Rankin Inlet

The hamlet of Rankin Inlet will host a small business course this week from Feb. 14 to 16.

The course is aimed at entrepreneurs looking to expand or improve their current business, or those looking to start a new business.

Among the topics the course will cover are common pitfalls that often put new companies out of business and how to avoid them, cash flow analysis and budgeting, financing options for start-up capital, insurance and banking, and taxes, payroll and business registration.

The goal of the business program is to have participants leave the course with a clear understanding of what's required to start a new business, and feeling confident about their abilities to run it successfully.

The program will be facilitated by Chris Cowx at the Rankin Inlet Fire Hall, running from 9:30 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. daily.

Seating is limited and interested persons are encouraged to apply for the course through the economic development officer at the hamlet office.

- Darrell Greer

Waiting in the ice

Arviat

Atom players in the community of Arviat have been practising hockey on a local gym floor as they try to prepare for an upcoming tournament.

The kids are forced to use the school gym to get in shape and hone their skills as the community waits for construction woes to end and the local arena to finally open for what's left of the hockey and skating season.

The Arviat atoms are scheduled to participate at the Arctic Atoms tournament in Rankin Inlet this coming month.

- Darrell Greer

Runway lights malfunction

Taloyoak/Spence Bay

A still-undetermined electrical problem has caused many airport runway light bulbs in Taloyoak to blow, a frustrating problem, said the director of Nunavut airports, but not one that requires the airport to close.

Shawn Maley said this past summer, the airport upgraded the airfield lighting system, which involves replacing all runway, edge and strobe lights.

"Almost from day one, we've had issues. Mainly it's a fluctuation in power. It's been frustrating," said Maley. "We've blown thousands of dollars worth of bulbs since the summer time. Sometimes, every second light has had issues. We've hadn't had a complete failure of the lights where we've had to close the airport."

He added they are working with the contractor to determine the problem, with the most recent investigation leaning to a voltage problem from the transformer on the electrical pole to the lighting system. Maley said if that is the cause, the power corporation will change the transformer.

"We suspect we may have a voltage irregularity off the transformer," he said.

The airport runway lighting system is not unique to Taloyoak, with other communities having a very similar system that is working without issues. Maley said the airport hopes to have the problem fixed this month.

- Jeanne Gagnon

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