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News Briefs: Monday, July 25, 2012
Boom caused by blasting
An explosive boom which rattled Yellowknife and generated a cloud of dust over the city landfill late Monday morning was a result of blasting at the adjacent rock quarry said Mayor Gord Van Tighem.
The blasted rock is used to make "crush" or "crushed rock," which is similar to but distinct from gravel.
- Lyndsay Herman
Aircraft gear problems
An Arctic Sunwest Navajo Chieftain aircraft made an emergency landing at the Yellowknife airport Monday morning as a result of a landing gear problem.
Three emergency vehicles were on the tarmac to meet the aircraft. The plane was en-route to Lutsel K'e when the landing gear would not extend, said April Shroud, a communications officer for Arctic Sunwest Charters.
The flight crew made the decision to return to Yellowknife where landing gear was extended manually, and the plane landed safely. No injuries or damage were reported.
- Sara Wilson
Yellowknife goes dark
A fault in the Snare Lake transmission line cut power to Yellowknife, Behchoko and Dettah just after 5 p.m. yesterday.
The cause of the fault was under investigation at press time but it is not suspected to be the result of a lightning strike, said Bob Kelly, communications manager for the Northwest Territories Power Corporation. He said the power source was switched to diesel and restored to full power within an hour.
- Lyndsay Herman
More drunks in tank
There was an unusually high number of people in the drunk tank last weekend but police said it wasn't related to Folk on the Rocks.
On Friday evening 40 people were arrested and held in the detachment cells while on Saturday there were 41 people, said RCMP Sgt. Brad Kaeding. The weekend prior to that only about 19 intoxicated persons were held each night.
"We had quite a number of people in the drunk tank and that was quite a bit above our usual Friday and Saturday nights but not because of Folk on the Rocks at all," Kaeding said. "There was a little bit of drinking outside the grounds, in the parking lot, on the streets, that sort of thing. But very few problems arose from there."
- Miranda Scotland
Caribou swing by Rankin Inlet
Rankin Inlet
Hundreds of caribou were seen near Rankin Inlet last week, and many hunters were seen on all-terrain vehicles heading out of town to catch them.
By the time Kivalliq News arrived at Iqalugaarjuup Nunanga Territorial Park just outside of Rankin, there was just one straggler left in the distance, north of the meeting area near the beginning of the park.
It was the North herd passing by the hamlet, said Kangiqliniq Hunters and Trappers Organization manager Norman Ford. The Beverly herd has not yet arrived from the south.
He said the wastage of meat this year has not been as bad as it has in previous years - 1993 was the worst year on record - and he attributes that to ongoing education of youth on Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit (IQ) values.
"We've been educating our members, our young people about IQ knowledge; you don't go after more than you need."
Three narwhal caught near Repulse Bay
Repulse Bay
Three people caught narwhal near Repulse Bay about two weeks ago, according to hunters and trappers association chair Michel Akkuardjuk.
"There were a few down eight or 10 or 12 miles down," said Akkuardjuk. "Not in one group. There were two here, three over there."
He said the community had previously caught four in spring when there was still ice on the water, but they haven't yet seen a large group of narwhal pass by the community.
Junior softball tourney
Baker Lake
The Kivalliq Junior Calm Air Cup will be held on the weekend of Aug. 3, according to Baker Lake recreation co-ordinator Richard Aksawnee.
So far, teams from Arviat, Whale Cove, Rankin Inlet, Chesterfield Inlet and Coral Harbour have confirmed they will attend the 20-and-under co-ed tournament.
Aksawnee said the tournament rotates between communities in the Kivalliq region, but last year it wasn't held because the funding for teams to travel was not available. This year, Baker Lake was able to secure support from the government's sport and recreation division.
Walking for heart health
Rankin Inlet
Rankin Inlet's Public Health Team is holding a "heart health walk" this Friday to raise awareness on cardiovascular disease and to promote physical activity.
The walk will begin at 3 p.m. at the community's public health and wellness centre.
Six scholarships for Northern youth
Kivalliq
NorthwesTel announced it will be awarding six $4,000 scholarships to students across the North to help fund post-secondary education.
To be eligible for the Northern Futures Scholarship, the applicant must be engaged in full-time studies in the fields of business/commerce, computer science, electrical engineering or telecommunications.
The company hopes to award half of the scholarships to aboriginal students.
The deadline to apply is on July 30 and application forms, as well as more details, are available on NorthwesTel's website.
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