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News Briefs: Monday, July 16, 2012
Inuvik told to boil water
Residents of Inuvik were encouraged to boil their water as of July 13 due to muddiness and difficulty maintaining correct chlorine levels.
The situation resulted in bacteria showing up in water samples, according to the NWT's chief environmental health officer.
All water used for preparing infant formulas, drinking, preparing food, hot and cold beverages, ice cubes, washing fruits and vegetable and dental hygiene must be boiled. Showering, bathing or washing should not pose a problem, according to a GNWT news release. There have been no illnesses associated with the muddied drinking water, the news release stated.
- NNSL staff
Wildlife officer awarded
Fort Smith's Sholto Douglas, who retired last year after 37 years as a wildlife officer with the GNWT, has received the 2012 Jim Bourque Award for his commitment to sustainable use of wildlife resources and improved animal welfare, his recognition of indigenous culture and his stewardship role in conserving and managing wildlife.
The award is one of four presented annually by the Fur Institute of Canada. In the 1980s and 1990s, Douglas worked with the late Jim Bourque and the Fur Institute of Canada to develop and promote humane trapping standards.
- Paul Bickford
Peel River ferry closed
The Abraham Francis ferry, which crosses the Peel River near Fort McPherson, was closed Friday due to high water levels and debris in the water. Earl Blacklock, manager of public affairs and communications for the Department of Transportation, said Friday that the ferry may open during the weekend if water conditions improve. He said updates will be posted to the department's website.
- Lyndsay Herman
Permit hearing delayed
Public hearings for Fortune Minerals Ltd.'s gold-cobalt-bismuth-copper NICO project 50 km north of Whati will be postponed by months, following a scheduling snag.
The Mackenzie Valley Environmental Impact Review Board scheduled public hearings to start at the end of July in Whati, Behchoko and Yellowknife, but learned there were no venues available for the hearings over that period, said Vern Christensen, executive director of the board. The board has now set tentative dates for the public hearings in October but will hold them as early as possible, Christensen said.
Robin Goad, president and CEO of Fortune Minerals, is among mining and exploration operators who have expressed frustration over the length of the permitting process.
- Thandiwe Vela
Ice blocks summer camp
Ulukhaktok/Holman
The Ulukhaktok Community Corporation is wrapping up the last of its safety planning meetings and has finished collecting parent consent forms for this year's summer camp. The only thing standing between the 35 youths and their summer camp is ice on the river.
"The ice is holding up everybody," Donna Akhiatak, youth council and elders committee administrator and program co-ordinator for Brighter Futures, said on July 10.
"As soon as the ice blows away and they have good water, they're going to go."
Akhiatak said 18 youths between the ages of eight and 12 will camp at Kiidjivik and 17 youths between the ages of 13 and 18 will camp at Hologahok. She said there is a lot of excitement around the annual camp which teaches the community's young people to cook, fish, hunt and survive on the land.
- Lindsay Herman
27th annual Pine Lake Picnic
Thebacha/Fort Smith
Wood Buffalo National Park will present the 27th annual Pine Lake Picnic on July 22.
The picnic will take place from 12:30 to 4 p.m. at the Pine Lake day-use area.
The lake is about 60 km south of Fort Smith in the northern Alberta section of the park.
As in previous years, the picnic will feature potato sack races, corn-husking competitions, canoe races and many other fun activities for children and adults.
- Paul Bickford
Invertebrate investigation
Paulatuk
Darnley Bay is the intended focus of an invertebrate study conducted by the Department of Fisheries and Oceans and the Paulatuk Hunters and Trappers Committee this summer.
"We've never monitored what types of invertebrate we've got out there," said Diane Ruben, resource person for the Paulatuk Hunters and Trappers Committee.
"We've always known that there was crab and shrimp but never ever monitored it. This is the first year we're going to do some tests and no doubt it'll be a success."
Ruben said the study will hopefully help explain why the number of beluga whales in Darnley Bay increased so much last year.
"We've never seen so many beluga come in into our area," she said. "We want to understand what they're eating, what they're feeding, and what else is out there."
- Lindsay Herman
Business licence approved
Enterprise
The Hamlet of Enterprise now has its own ability to issue business licences.
A bylaw to establish the business licence was unanimously passed by hamlet council at its July 9 meeting.
The bylaw establishes a fee schedule for the business licence - $50 for residents, $75 for visiting pedlars and $100 for non-residents providing a service in the community.
Up to now, businesses in Enterprise have been licensed by the GNWT.
- Paul Bickford
No longer nameless
Tetlit'Zheh/Fort McPherson
After construction finished on a new log building at Hannah's Field, the Tetlit Gwich'in Council ran a contest to name the new lodge.
David Thompson was announced the winner at a Tetlit Gwich'in Council meeting on July 5 and the building, which will serve as a community centre, was declared Chii Tsal Dik Gwizheh, which means "our house sitting on a rock" in English.
A member of the council staff, who asked not to be named, said 31 people entered the contest, though some name entries were doubled. The staff member said the council was very impressed with the number of entries they received.
- Lindsay Herman
Northern youth spread their wings
NWT
Four youth from the Beaufort Delta have joined 19 of their NWT peers in the Northern Youth Abroad program.
The program, which is in its 15th year of operation, connects NWT and Nunavut youth with host families in either Canada or international locations. This year, the three students who embarked on an international trip travelled to Botswana. Another 20 students are living in communities in Ontario, Manitoba, Alberta, Saskatchewan, New Brunswick, British Columbia and Nova Scotia.
All 23 of the participating young people joined another 23 youths from Nunavut in Ottawa on June 27 for a week of preparations and then commenced five weeks in their placement communities.
Youth in the program hail from Fort McPherson, Tuktoyaktuk, Ulukhaktok, Inuvik, Behchoko, Hay River, Colville Lake, Whati, Deline, Ndilo, Fort Liard, Gameti, Tulita, Fort Providence and Fort Resolution.
- Lindsay Herman
Tribal council convenes
Aklavik
Newly-elected Gwich'in Tribal Council president Robert Arthur Alexie and vice-president Norman Snowshoe joined the board of directors and the acting chief operating officer Fred Koe in Aklavik on Wednesday for the first Gwich'in Tribal Council board of directors meeting since the council executive was elected.
The board of directors meeting is scheduled to conclude today and Alexie stated in a news release that the council is looking forward to finalizing a four-year action plan at the annual general assembly in Fort McPherson from Aug. 12 to 17.
- Lindsay Herman
Museum holding day camp
Thebacha/Fort Smith
The Northern Life Museum Summer Day Camp is beginning in Fort Smith.
The day camp, which is for children aged from six to 11 years, will run from July 16-20 and July 23-27.
The children will participate in games, storytelling, arts and crafts, and other fun activities.
Information on registration and fees is available from Northern Life Museum.
- Paul Bickford
Consultant to measure fuel spill
Qausuittuq/Resolute
A consultant is in Resolute to determine the extent of last year's fuel spill, the territorial government confirmed.
Fuel spilled from the community's tank farm on Oct. 27, with initial estimates putting the spill at about 87,000 litres.
The consultant is expected to report his findings within a few weeks, said Grant Scott, director of the petroleum products division at Department of Community and Government Services.
"It was never determined how much was spilled or where it went so the consultant has been doing some dye testing to make that determination," he said.
Resolute Mayor Tabitha Mullin said the consultant arrived in the community on July 12.
She added it's good the territorial government is still looking into the spill.
"It's really good news for me because I have concerns about that area and the waters close by," she said. "The tank farm, being so close to the ocean, if there was any big spills with the snow melt, some contaminated snow could have melted and drained into the ocean."
- Jeanne Gagnon
Offices and services moving
Nunavut
Some restructuring within the territorial government means the dismantling of the Department of Human Resources and the creation of the Department of Family Services, which will take place April 1, 2013.
The new department will encompass social services, income support, homelessness, the anti-poverty secretariat and the social advocacy office. The creation of the department is a response to the auditor general's report last year identifying where the Government of Nunavut (GN) could improve its programs and services for youth and families.
"This will give social services the attention it needs and will bring together resources that are spread out among different departments," stated Keith Peterson, the minister of Health and Social Services, in a news release.
To oversee the transition to a new department, Aluki Rojas was named deputy minister of the new department and will oversee its development starting Aug. 1.
Rojas is currently the deputy minister of intergovernmental affairs.
Under its restructuring plan, the GN stated Human Resources will no longer exist as a separate department as services will move to the Finance department and Executive and Intergovernmental Affairs.
There will be no job cuts or relocation of employees due to the restructuring, according to Monica Ell, minister of Human Resources.
- Jeanne Gagnon
Jack Anawak faces drunk driving charge
Iqaluit
Nunavut Tunngavik Inc. vice-president Jack Anawak faces a charge of impaired driving after police stopped him May 24, court documents show.
Anawak, 61, was to make his first appearance July 12, but asked Maliiganik court worker Abraham Tunraluk to represent him at justice of the peace court.
"He's out of town at the moment," Tunraluk told justice of the peace Nicole Sikma. "He's going to take holidays and get his boat from another community."
He said Anawak, a former Nunatsiaq MP and Rankin Inlet North MLA, would like to deal with the matter in September. That didn't fly with Crown prosecutor Amy Porteous.
"Normally, the expectation would be that someone would plan their holidays around their court date," Porteous said.
Anawak is scheduled to appear Sept. 21 to enter a plea.
- Casey Lessard
Cancer society wants Relay for Life in Iqaluit
Iqaluit
In the wake of Nunavut's first Relay for Life in Alert this spring, which raised $8,000, the Canadian Cancer Society is hoping Iqaluit residents will help plan an event in the capital.
Relay for Life co-ordinator Brittany Russell is looking for volunteers to make a committee that would tailor the event to community priorities and interests.
"It's a community-focused event where people can come together throughout the night and celebrate, remember, fight back," Russell said. "It's an opportunity for the community to come together as a team and show cancer who's boss."
The event is scheduled for spring 2013.
- Casey Lessard
Bishop visits Grise Fiord
Ausuittuq/Grise Fiord
Anglican bishop of the Arctic Right Rev. Andrew Atagotaaluk paid a visit to Grise Fiord earlier this month, baptizing two children at a service July 6.
"He comes once in a while, not every year because he's very busy and has a lot of people to visit," Larry Audlaluk said.
About 30 people attended the service, Audlaluk said. Audlaluk and his wife, Annie, hosted a gathering at their house after church to celebrate the event.
- Casey Lessard
Thousands of fish wash ashore
Arviat
A run of unusually bad weather causing rough waves led to one of the heaviest capelin runs in recent memory in Arviat earlier this month. Large crowds took to the beach using nets, pails and even their hands to scoop up thousands of the fish washed ashore.
Estimates of the last time such a heavy run of capelin occurred in Arviat range from 10 to 42 years ago.
- Darrell Greer
Keeping young minds off suicide
Mittimatalik/Pond Inlet
After four suicides in the community this year, Pond Inlet's recreation department is working to keep youth active and engaged this summer.
"We're offering floor hockey, volleyball and soccer in the new arena," recreation co-ordinator Laura Kasarnak said, as well as outside activities, and "ping-pong at the community hall."
About 50 youths have taken part every day Monday to Friday late June, and Kasarnak has picnics planned for every other Friday.
"Parents are pleased," she said.
- Casey Lessard
Cleaning up the community
Qausuittuq/Resolute
Resolute is likely more beautiful as a number of residents were expected to pick up litter during the community cleanup scheduled for July 12.
Senior administrative officer Martha Kalluk said she expected to have about a dozen people participating in the half-day event the hamlet tries to organize annually.
"We like to keep our community clean and once the snow melts, it's good for the whole community to help out keep their community clean," she said. "Everybody puts in their time."
Resolute, like the rest of the territory, celebrated Nunavut Day last week and Kalluk said the celebrations - a barbecue and other activities - were a success.
- Jeanne Gagnon
Carver receives Diamond Jubilee Medal
Taloyoak/Spence Bay
Renowned carver Inuk Charlie was one of the 21 latest recipients of the Diamond Jubilee Medal.
The 55-year-old native of the Taloyoak area received the honour on Nunavut Day, July 9, in Iqaluit. The medals commemorate the 60th anniversary of the accession of Queen Elizabeth II to the throne in 1952. Premier Eva Aariak and Nunavut MP Leona Aglukkaq presented the medals.
"You bet (I was surprised)," said Charlie. "I had no clue. I had to check my name twice."
Charlie, who started carving at age seven, was honoured because he is one of three carvers of the monument to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the Nunavut Land Claims Agreement in 2013. He also designed the mace for the Nunavut legislative assembly.
Charlie started carving for a living in the early 1980s and eventually studied jewelry at Nunavut Arctic College in the mid 1990s. A granite sculpture of a polar bear he carved is at the Detroit Zoo.
"I am a bit lost for words at the moment. I come from an artistic family," said Charlie, the son of Peeteegootee and Charlie Ugyuk.
"I go by different last name than my parents mostly because I didn't want people buying my work because of the name. I wanted them to buy it because they appreciate the work."
- Jeanne Gagnon
Inuktitut birthday song
Nunavut
The territory now officially has an Inuktitut birthday song Nunavummiut can sing on Nunavut Day, July 9, thanks to the creativity of Looee Arreak.
The Iqaluit resident is the winner of a territory-wide contest to write a birthday song in Inuktitut for Nunavut. She received $3,500 and an iPad.
Arreak, who has written many songs, said she wrote the winning piece in about one hour but kept revising it for a couple of days.
"I'm very happy," she said. "What I was really trying to focus on is the celebration of a person, how special they are and how important that person is to us as a family or as a friend."
A panel of judges chose the top 10 songs based on originality, creativity, melody and lyrics from the 42 submissions the Department of Culture and Heritage received.
According to a department press release, second-place winner Andrew Morrison will receive $2,500 while third-place winner Helena Bolt will get $1,500. The remaining seven runners-up will receive consolation prizes.
The top 10 songs will be professionally recorded and distributed to Nunavut communities.
- Jeanne Gagnon
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News desk 
