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News Briefs: Wednesday, February 1, 2012
Dangerous drugs
Yellowknife RCMP are warning the public about a deadly form of the drug Ecstasy that could be making its way around the territory.
The drug, commonly distributed as small pills and known as "E," is responsible for at least six deaths in Alberta last month and at least 18 deaths in British Columbia in the last six months.
"If this is happening in our backyard, in all likelihood it will find its way North," said Sgt. Wes Heron, media relations officer for the RCMP G division.
There is a history of arrests involving Ecstasy seizures in the NWT, and two deaths in the territory have been linked to the drug since 2010, said Heron.
- Laura Busch
Some drivers still using cellphones
RCMP Insp. Dave Elliott told city councillors last week that officers have encountered few violations of the recently imposed cellphone ban for drivers, which took effect Jan. 1.
"It is still new and so I haven't really had a lot of feedback from officers as to whether they have issued tickets or not," he said.
Earlier this week, Elliot said he has seen people in the community driving with cellphones, which he said may indicate the message is not getting out to the public that it is against the law to drive while using handheld devices. Drivers can be charged $115 and lose three demerit points if caught.
- Simon Whitehouse
Teen games night
The Yellowknife Public Library is holding a games afternoon for teens tomorrow.
From 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. Thursday, Yellowknife teens are encouraged to stop by the library meeting Room to play Just Dance and other Wii games, board games and Twister. The library also hosts a Teen Advisory Group on the last Wednesday of each month, which participants can use toward their community service hours.
- Laura Busch
Outstanding volunteers
The Department of Municipal and Community Affairs is excepting nominations for special contributors in the community.
The department's 2012 Outstanding Volunteer Award winners are to be announced during national Volunteer Week, April 15 to 21. The deadline for nominations is March 30.
- Simon Whitehouse
Herd in danger
Southampton Island
A regional biologist in Arviat has said over-hunting and disease are threatening to wipe out the Southampton Island caribou herd.
The Southampton Island herd was wiped out due to hunting in the 1950s, but was re-introduced again after 50 caribou were transplanted there in 1968, rising to a high of 30,000 tuktu in 1997.
Mitch Campbell said pregnancy rates have dropped to about 30 per cent within the herd since a reproductive disease called brucellosis struck the herd in 2000.
Campbell said only about 7,000 tuktu were counted during a survey on the Island this past year.
Hockeyville?
Kivalliq/Nunavut
The producers of the Kraft Hockeyville TV series had NHL star Shane Doan of the Phoenix Coyotes issue a call for entries from Nunavut and the NWT for Hockeyville 2012 this past week.
The deadline for submission was yesterday, Jan. 31.
As of press time, it was not known if any Nunavut communities answered Doan's call.
Volleyball weekend
Baker Lake
The male and female Nunavut Territorial Volleyball Championships, originally scheduled for Jan. 27 to 29, have been rescheduled to this coming weekend, Feb. 3 to 5, in Baker Lake.
The action is expected to be fast and furious in both divisions throughout the event.
Collecting names
Kivalliq
Nunavut Tunngavik Inc. (NTI) has announced it is collecting the names of students who lived at Kivalliq Hall while attending high school in Rankin Inlet during the 1980s.
NTI is collecting the information to help with legal action the organization is mounting to have Kivalliq Hall added to the Indian Residential Schools Settlement Agreement's list of schools.
The addition would mean former students would become eligible for compensation under the Common Experience Payment and the Independent Assessment Process.
Kivalliq Hall is currently not on the list of schools, despite requests from former students for its inclusion.
NTI is appealing the decision to exclude Kivalliq Hall by filing the request for decision with the Nunavut Court of Justice.
NTI will be holding a regular meeting of its board of directors in Taloyoak from Feb. 21 to 23.
First major tourney
Rankin Inlet/Kivalliq
With the cancellation of the Jon Lindell Memorial senior men's hockey championship in Arviat this past week, the Polar Bear Plate junior/juvenile championship in Rankin Inlet becomes the first major hockey tournament of the year.
The Plate will be held in Rankin from Feb. 23 to 26.
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News desk 
