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Funeral services were scheduled to be held in Norman Wells over the weekend to remember Nicole Horassi, a 17-year-old girl whose body was found in the Mackenzie River July 13.

Horassi was last seen near Tulita on June 24.

More than 100 community members from Tulita, Norman Wells, Fort Good Hope, Tsiigehtchic and Deline joined in the effort to find Horassi, patrolling rivers and shoreline for weeks.

Services were to be held at the community hall in Norman Wells beginning at 2 p.m. Saturday afternoon, with a potluck feast following at 6 p.m.

"We're expecting upwards of 150 people," said Heidi Hodgson-Deschene on Thursday.

Horassi spent a lot of her youth in Norman Wells with her father and his family, said Hodgson-Deschene. She will be buried in the Norman Wells cemetery alongside her grandmother and baby brother.

- Laura Busch

Contract not renewed

The council for the Hamlet of Enterprise has decided not to renew the contract of Peter Groenen, the community's senior administrative officer (SAO).

Groenen will remain in the position for a minimum of three more months. The SAO, who began the job just over two years ago, refused to comment.

- Paul Bickford

Sentencing adjourned

The sentencing of a Fort Smith man for arson has been adjourned to Aug. 20.

Lyndon Tyrell McKay, 19, was to have been sentenced on July 16 in Fort Smith Territorial Court.

McKay pleaded guilty in May to a charge of arson in connection with a fire that heavily damaged a building in Conibear Park on Jan. 1.

The building was later removed from the municipal park after being deemed a safety hazard as a result of the fire.

- Paul Bickford

Anthrax confirmed

Anthrax has been confirmed as the cause of death for bison found near Fort Providence.

Originally, 128 bison carcasses were found near Mills Lake in the Mackenzie Bison Range during a routine anthrax surveillance flight on July 3. Since then, the total number of carcasses has increased to 187 as of July 17.

Of those carcasses, 149 were found within a six-km area near Mills Lake and 38 were found along Highway 3.

The Canadian Food Inspection Laboratory in Lethbridge, Alta., has confirmed the carcasses tested positive for anthrax, said Judy McLinton, public affairs and communications manager for the Department of Environment and Natural Resources.

As of July 17, all of the carcasses along the highway have been incinerated. Work to dispose of the remaining carcasses is expected to continue all summer, McLinton said.

- Roxanna Thompson

Parenting sessions planned

Thebacha/Fort Smith

Two sessions for discussion and information sharing on parenting will be held at Tapwe House in Fort Smith on July 25 and Aug. 1 from 7 to 9 p.m. each evening.

The themes will include dealing with parenting stress and addressing a child's frustration.

Tapwe House, which is operated by the Fort Smith Health and Social Services Authority, is the home of the Our Babies, Our Future and the Our Kids, Our Future programs for pregnant women, mothers and young children, as well as the Healthy Families program.

- Paul Bickford

Airport opening celebrations

Ikaahuk/Sachs Harbour

The community of Sachs Harbour celebrated the opening of its new airport Saturday.

At 2 p.m. July 21, opening ceremonies were scheduled to be held at the new airport, followed by a community barbecue at the community centre.

"We have a new airport after 30 years," said Kowesa Etitiq, senior administrative officer trainee for the hamlet of Sachs Harbour. "The old airport is way past its life span.

"We're also celebrating that we're naming it after one of our own."

The new airport is named the David Nasogaluak Airport in memory of David (Saaryuak) Nasogaluak Jr., a helicopter pilot who perished in a crash North of the island in 1996, said Etitiq.

David Nasolgaluak Sr. was in Sachs Harbour for the ceremonies.

Etitiq expected most of the community would be out for the event.

- Laura Busch

Frozen Eyes hosts workshop

Tetlit'Zheh/Fort McPherson

Members of the Frozen Eyes Photographic Society will be in Fort McPherson July 28 to host a one-week photography workshop for youth.

"It's open to all youth and they can contact me to register," said Jackie Pascal, recreation co-ordinator for the hamlet of Fort McPherson.

The purpose of the workshop is to teach youth the basics of photography, said Pascal.

The Frozen Eyes Photographic Society is based in Yellowknife

- Laura Busch High turnoutof summer student workers

Paulatuk

About nine summer students are experiencing working life thanks to a summer student employee program funded by the Inuvialuit Regional Corporation and the federal government.

"It is very important for the hamlet that at an early age the students in our community get to see the workforce," said Gilbert Thrasher Jr., employment officer with the Hamlet of Paulatuk.

The program will run until late August, and aims to put students to work and encourage them to stay in school, said Thrasher.

The summer students are working for the hamlet office and other community organizations.

This year, more students applied for the program then there were jobs available for them, said Thrasher.

"Every year it just gets better and better," he said.

- Laura Busch

Emergency measures under review

Enterprise

The Hamlet of Enterprise has awarded a contract to review its emergency measures plan and offer training exercises.

At a special meeting on June 28, council awarded the approximately $27,000 contract to the Genesis Group of Yellowknife. The project, which is expected to be completed by the fall, will include a tabletop exercise and a mock disaster.

- Paul Bickford

Learning water safety

Tsiigehtchic/Arctic Red River

The community of Tsiigehtchic participated in a water safety course July 17. The event was held on the river at about 1 p.m. and was hosted by the Lifesaving Society.

- Laura Busch

Nominations openin Smith's Landing

Thebacha/Fort Smith

Nominations opened on July 7 to fill a vacant seat for a councillor with Smith's Landing First Nation.

The nomination period will remain open until July 24.

If there is more than one person nominated for the vacant seat, a byelection will be held on Aug. 7.

If there is only one nominee, that person will be elected by acclamation.

Smith's Landing First Nation is centred in Fort Fitzgerald, Alta., and has reserve lands in northern Alberta. However, many of the First Nation's members live in Fort Smith.

- Paul Bickford

Police kill dog told to attack woman

Iqaluit

An Iqaluit woman was taken to hospital early July 15 with dog bites after police were called to a fight which involved a dog. Police were forced to kill the dog when tranquilizers failed.

Police were called at about 1 a.m. to deal with a fight between two women, and were told they would find a pit bull involved in the fight. Upon their arrival, they found the dog's owner directing the dog to attack the 29-year-old victim, a police statement said.

Police tried to tranquilize the dog, but the dog would not be subdued. They shot the dog, which was running free and continuing to show aggressive behaviour. The dog died.

The woman was taken to hospital with several dog bite wounds, which were not life-threatening.

The owner had been warned previously about the dog's aggressive behaviour.

Saata Koochiajuke, 23, of Iqaluit faces five charges, including one of aggravated assault.

Police are seeking witnesses, including those who may have video of the incident.

- Casey Lessard

Hamlet office officially opened

Taloyoak/Spence Bay

The ribbon was cut, the dignitaries had a tour and now Taloyoak's new hamlet office is officially open.

Nunavut MP Leona Aglukkaq, Nattilik MLA Jeannie Ugyuk and Mayor Tommy Aiyout participated in the inauguration ceremony on July 12.

Between 200 and 300 residents were also in attendance at the ceremony, which went very well, said Chris Dickson, the hamlet's senior administrative officer.

"We were able to consolidate operations into one facility. We've also been able to accommodate some GN offices in the building as well," said Dickson. Staff had moved into the building this past February.

The two-storey, 748-square-metre building features 16 offices, a council chamber, meeting room and lobby. The $6.78-million project, including design and construction, was a joint investment between the federal and territorial governments, with the federal government contributing $2.81 million to the project.

- Jeanne Gagnon

Drug trafficking charges in Cape Dorset

Kinngait/Cape Dorset

A Cape Dorset woman faces trafficking charges after RCMP seized drugs and alcohol in a passenger's baggage arriving at the hamlet airport from Montreal.

The woman's luggage was searched after police received a tip. Police found seven pounds of marijuana, 12 mickeys of vodka, one 26-ounce bottle of vodka, 11 cans of beer, four smoking pipes, an electronic scale, and baggies used to package marijuana.

"This seizure will significantly reduce crime and prevent further harm to families in Cape Dorset and we appreciate the support and assistance from the community," said Cape Dorset RCMP Const. Rodney MacIntyre.

Eva Takiasuk, 23, of Cape Dorset faces a charge of possession for the purpose of trafficking, and one charge of unlawful possession of liquor. She's set to appear in court Aug. 20 in Cape Dorset.

- Casey Lessard

Inuit childhood and teen mortality far higher than Canadian average

Nunavut

Nunavut is the only place in Inuit Nunangat where rates of childhood and teenage mortality dropped from the 1990s to the 2000s. But young Nunavummiut are still almost five times more likely than other Canadians to die young, a Statistics Canada health report released this week shows.

Suicide remains the number one cause of death among youth, with the report's authors calling it "the largest contributor to mortality among young people living in Inuit Nunangat," and noting it accounts for half of all deaths for those aged 1 to 19.

The report compared the figures from 1994 to 1998 with those from 2004 to 2008, and found young Nunavummiut had a mortality rate of 152.5 per 100,000 in the later period, down from 211.2 in the earlier period. But that was still almost five times the national average of 35.3 per 100,000. Still, Nunavik had the highest youth mortality rate at 307.8 per 100,000 - almost nine times the national average - and that figure rose 17 per cent from the 1990s.

Their figures show the suicide rate among youth in the Inuit Nunangat is almost 33 times the national average, up from 18 times the national average in the 1990s. Boys are almost twice as likely as girls to end their own lives, the report found.

Young men remain the most likely to die young. Deaths among young women in Nunavut accounted for most of the improvement between the 1990s and 2000s, as their mortality rate fell by more than half from 188.2 to 91.8 per 100,000.

- Casey Lessard

Portrait painted

Iglulik

A large portrait of the late Pauloosie Qulitalik, a respected elder in Iglulik, has been painted on the exterior wall of the Kingulliit Productions building.

Toronto artists Alexa Hatanaka and Patrick Thompson, in the community for the Rockin' Walrus Arts Festival, took about one week to paint the portrait.

Qulitalik co-founded Isuma Productions and starred in some of their movies, such as Atanarjuat (The Fast Runner).

Zacharias Kunuk, president of Kingulliit Productions, said they agreed to the portrait as a show of respect to the elder.

"We didn't realize it was going to be that realistic. We had a lot of good comments," he said.

He added he "loved" the result, impressed at what can be done with spray paint.

"A lot of them (elders) would come into our office and say 'Thank you.' This old building looks a lot better now with Qulitalik's face on the wall," said Kunuk. "I've heard some comments ... walking by ... saying 'Hello old buddy, long time no see' to the picture. It just makes our building a lot more special."

Hatanaka and Thompson painted the exterior radio station walls last week.

- Jeanne Gagnon

Community looks clean

Ikaluktutiak/Cambridge Bay

Cambridge Bay looks a lot cleaner since volunteers put garbage in its place earlier this month.

About 100 residents between the ages of five and 67 participated in the community cleanup, held in the afternoon of July 13, said organizer Kelly Lear. She added they didn't count how many garbage bags were filled but estimated some 200 bags worth of litter was picked up.

"It was a very good turnout. It was very successful," said Lear. "A lot of people noticed this year the community didn't have as much garbage as previous years. I think that's an outcome due to the continuous yearly cleanup."

The second phase is the shoreline cleanup later this month, she added.

- Jeanne Gagnon

Leona Aglukkaq visits

Uqsuqtuuq/Gjoa Haven

Nunavut MP Leona Aglukkaq visited Gjoa Haven during a tour of Northern communities earlier this month.

She was in the Kitikmeot community from July 12 to 15, meeting with hamlet council and Mayor Allen Aglukkaq.

"We talked to her about our priorities when she was here in Gjoa Haven," said the mayor, adding he would not disclose what the priorities were until he gets funding for them.

- Jeanne Gagnon

Crane parts set to arrive

Panniqtuuq/Pangnirtung

Parts to replace a crane that collapsed in Pangnirtung harbour were set to arrive last week, according to Ron Mongeau, the hamlet's senior administrative officer.

The crane will replace one that collapsed June 15. It was part of the small-craft harbour dredging project that is hoped to be completed this summer.

"There should be a barge from Newfoundland in (July 17) or (July 18) with the replacement material," Mongeau said. "It left Newfoundland about six or seven days ago, coming up by barge and tugboat."

- Casey Lessard

Bowheads visit Broughton

Qikiqtarjuaq/Broughton Island

Several bowhead whales visited the harbour in Qikiqtarjuaq July 15, said resident Morris Kuniliusee.

"I think there were two or three in the harbour," Kuniliusee said. "I noticed people looking at the harbour, and I knew there was something out there."

It's not unusual for residents to see bowhead whales this time of year, he said.

"They come right to the Broughton harbour and we get to see bowhead whales every summer right from town," he said. "That same evening, I heard there were lots out by the beach near the old dump."

There were also narwhals spotted in the waters, he added.

- Casey Lessard

Hunters head out after ice breaks up

Panniqtuuq/Pangnirtung

Hunters were finally able to leave Pangnirtung after having to wait for an ice jam at the mouth of the fiord to break up.

"That broke up a few days ago," senior administrative officer Ron Mongeau said. "People are out hunting. People were bottled up for about a week, almost 10 days."

That's good news for people hoping for country food, he said.

"There's a lot of seal meat in town all of a sudden."

- Casey Lessard

Health camp for youth

Rankin Inlet

A week-long Nunavut Health Careers Camp will be held at Nunavut Arctic College's Community Learning Centre in Rankin Inlet from July 23 to 27.

The camp is aimed at youth aged 11 to 13 and features a variety of health-related activities.

Participants can expect to be involved in setting up a mock clinic, examining X-rays, working in a lab, taking a behind-the-scenes tour of the health centre and learning how their heart works.

A number of Inuit volunteers will also take part in the camp to share traditional knowledge and cultural experiences with the participants.

- Darrell Greer

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