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News Briefs: Friday, July 13, 2012
Premiers meet
NWT Premier Bob McLeod and Alberta Premier Alison Redford met Monday to reaffirm their commitment to negotiating a transboundary water agreement.
"Premier Redford and I had a productive meeting and touched on many areas where our jurisdictions can work together in the interests of our residents," McLeod stated in a press release. "I look forward to speaking with her again."
Fifteen years ago the GNWT signed the Mackenzie River Transboundary Waters Master Agreement with Yukon, Alberta, B.C. and Saskatchewan. In 2007, Alberta and the NWT signed a bilateral water management agreement negotiations memorandum of understanding, which set out what needs to be done before the signing of a final bilateral agreement. The GNWT wants to have an agreement signed by early 2013.
- Miranda Scotland
Highway smoke alert
Authorities have reopened a section of Highway 1 which was closed to the public due to smoke from a forest fire earlier this week.
However, travellers taking the Alberta section of the highway past Indian Cabins should still be prepared to wait, said Earl Blacklock, spokesperson for the GNWT's Department of Transportation.
"We are advising people that they can still expect delays because they are going to have to be escorted through the fire zone," he said.
- Miranda Scotland
Man's plea delayed
A man accused of pushing a 62-year-old woman out of the way while allegedly shoplifting at the downtown Extra Foods location in April appeared in court Tuesday.
Jacob Scott Griep, 28, has been charged with shoplifting, aggravated assault and breach of probation.
The accused was due to enter a plea in court but medical records requested by the Crown had not been received. The Crown said it is important for both sides to understand the full extent of the injuries suffered by the female victim before proceeding to trial. Griep is scheduled to appear in court again at 1:30 p.m. July 31.
- Danielle Sachs
Easement on agenda
An easement agreement with Northland Utilities Limited and city improvements to certain properties in Block 163 are on the agenda for special meeting of city council starting at noon on Monday. The meeting will take place in the council chamber of City Hall.
- Miranda Scotland
News Briefs: Thursday, July 12, 2012
Operation Northern Reach planned
Three Deh Cho communities will receive flybys as part of Operation Northern Reach.
The first flyby in the Deh Cho will occur on July 13 in Fort Providence at approximately 11:30 a.m. Fort Simpson and Wrigley will both have flybys on July 16.
Fort Simpson's flyby is scheduled to take place between 9 and 11 a.m. depending on the weather, said Jennifer Wright, a public affairs adviser with Joint Task Force North. The flybys are set to take place directly over the communities with some delays between aircraft.
The aircraft will include the Snowbirds and CF18 fighter jets as well as a variety of helicopters and other fixed wing crafts. The aircraft represent virtually every fleet within the Royal Canadian Air Force, Wright said.
Golf tournament new to Fort Simpson
The Seven Spruce Golf Course in Fort Simpson is set to host the NWT Golf Championships and the NWT Aboriginal Golf Championships.
The two tournaments will be taking place simultaneously on July 14 and 15 following a 36-hole stroke play format. This is the first time the course has hosted the events.
Prizes will be awarded in the categories of open, senior and junior men and women. Golfers who were born after Aug. 9, 1994, will be eligible to qualify for the 2013 Canada Summer Games.
Interested golfers must register in advance by contacting the Seven Spruce clubhouse.
Multi-sport camp in Fort Simpson
The Mackenzie Recreation Association and the Department of Municipal and Community Affairs are offering a multi-sports camp in Fort Simpson this week.
The camp began on July 9 and is scheduled to run until July 13. The camp is open to youth ranging from the ages of four to 14 with activities from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m., 1 to 5 p.m. and 6 to 8 p.m. daily.
The activities were set to include soccer, flag football, softball and ultimate Frisbee.
More forest fires
The number of forest fires in the Deh Cho has increased in the last week.
Between July 3 and 10 the number of forest fires in the region jumped to 11 from three, according to information from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources. The fires include seven that are being monitored, one that was fought and is now under control and three that are out.
The fires have affected 2,273 hectares.
Playgrounds being replaced
The Town of Inuvik will be replacing two playgrounds in the community as well as updating other playgrounds as early as this week, said Rose Constantineau, recreation co-ordinator for the town.
Beginning July 16, the Camsell and Kingalok playgrounds will be completely replaced.
"Those are out of code so we will be pulling out all of the equipment and replacing it," said Constantineau.
Work to take out the existing structures will begin this week, she said. There are also planned updates to various other playgrounds, including new "muscle-builder" equipment scheduled to be installed near the Inuvik boat launch, she said.
Vet returns to town
For the first time in about two years, Inuvik has a resident veterinarian. Dr. Peter Krizan returned to Inuvik about two weeks ago, but is still in the process of setting up his clinic before opening his practice full time.
"A whole bunch of things have happened in my life that have been totally out of proportion, but that's life," he said. "But, the main thing is that I'm back and it's back to a normal sort of schedule," said Krizan, who previously worked as a vet in town but left the community in 2010.
Arts festival begins
The 2012 Great Northern Arts Festival kicks off Friday with opening ceremonies at 8:30 p.m. at the Midnight Sun Complex.
Preparations for the festival are shaping up, but extra help from the community is welcome, said Sasha Webb, executive director for GNAF.
While many of the workshops have already filled up, extra spots have been held and registration for these workshops will open Saturday at noon, said Webb. A full schedule of events for the 10-day festival, which runs from July 13 to 22, can be found on the GNAF website.
Power and radio disrupted
Strong thunderstorms around Inuvik caused power outages and disrupted radio stations in the area earlier this week.
On Sunday, a storm knocked out three tower sites in the community, which interrupted the CBC radio signal, among others.
"It affected just a handful of customers," said Bob Kelly, spokesperson for the NWT Power Corporation.
A brief but severe thunderstorm on the night of July 4 caused a more severe outage. About 75 customers lost power around 5 p.m., said Kelly. During that incident, crews from Yellowknife and the Sahtu travelled to Inuvik and power was restored to all customers by July 5.
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News desk 
