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News Briefs: Friday, Aug 17, 2012
Hard landing
A Trinity Helicopters Aerospatiale AS350 B-2 chopper attempted to land near Norman Wells when the side of the aircraft struck a tree at 12:50 p.m. on Aug. 8.
According to an incident report, the pilot attempted to land twice before trying a third time when, six metres above the ground, the helicopter struck some trees on the left-hand side. The aircraft landed safely and upright. The pilot and three passengers, some of whom were Yellowknife residents, were not injured.
- Sara Wilson
New appointment
Premier Bob McLeod announced Wednesday that Sylvia Haener will take over as deputy minister for the Department of Justice. The appointment will be effective Aug. 31. Haener, a lifelong Yellowknife resident, has worked for the GNWT since 1989 and is currently the assistant deputy minister/Solicitor General for the Department of Justice. Haener will replace Bronwyn Watters who is retiring.
- Sara Wilson
Online enumeration
In preparation for the municipal election scheduled for Oct. 15, the City of Yellowknife is collecting information from eligible voters.
This is the second time the city is foregoing door-to-door enumeration in favour of an online form that can be filled out by new voters, or existing voters who have changed residences since the last election, said deputy mayor Mark Heyk.
"There is certain eligibility criteria to be able to vote in municipal elections, such as being 18 years of age and having lived in Yellowknife for 12 consecutive months," said Heyk. "The voters' list is just to maintain a list of people who meet that eligibility criteria."
Residents may also register to vote in person at the office of the returning officer.
- Laura Busch
Aurora delight
The dazzling Northern lights are becoming visible again and Astronomy North is ready to help residents find out what nights will be best for viewing.
The organization's aurora forecast can be found on astronomynorth.com. The function lets visitors know ahead of time when the peak hours of auroral activity are and how good the light show will be each night.
This evening, the site is predicting a moderate showing with most activity before and after midnight.
- Miranda Scotland
News Briefs: Thursday, Aug. 16, 2012
Celebrating a Metis matriarch
A celebration of Catherine Beaulieu Bouvier Lamoureux is taking place in Fort Providence this weekend.
Beaulieu Bouvier Lamoureux has receive the designation of National Historic Person from the federal government. The celebration to honour her life and legacy will begin on Aug. 17 with a bingo at 7 p.m. A meet and greet will be held at 8 p.m.
On Saturday, the opening ceremony will begin at 11 a.m. During the day, there will be guest speakers, a presentation on Beaulieu Bouvier Lamoureux's life, cultural performances and a feast among other activities.
The celebration will conclude on Sunday with a spiritual gathering at 11 a.m., the unveiling of a plaque and a drum dance.
Aquatic resource management meeting
Jean Marie River First Nation will be hosting a meeting about the Deh Cho's Aboriginal Aquatic Resource and Oceans Management (AAROM) program.
Approximately 19 people are expected to attend the meeting from Aug. 21 to 23 including the grand chief and chiefs of other First Nations in the Deh Cho. The first two days of the meeting will take place in the community and will include a community lunch on Aug. 22.
The final day of the meeting, Aug. 23, will be held at Ekali Lake and participants will depart from there.
Youth workshop
A youth vest making workshop is taking place this week at the Open Sky Creative Society.
From Aug. 13 to 17, D'Arcy J. Moses of Wrigley is teaching youth in Fort Simpson how to make handmade leather vests. The workshop is open to youth ages 12 to 21.
The finished vests will be displayed at the OSC Gallery from Aug. 20 to 24 and then the youths will be able to keep their creations. Devonian Metals Inc. is sponsoring the workshop.
Awards deadline looms
People have until Sept. 7 to put forward nominations for the NWT Recreation and Parks Association's awards.
The association gives out four awards, the Innovation Award, the Scott McAdam Youth Leadership Award, the Award of Excellence and the Honorary Life Membership. All of the awards recognize contributions to or achievements in the field of parks and recreation.
The awards will be presented during the association's annual conference that will take place this year in Yellowknife from Sept. 25 to 27.
Dempster Highway closures planned
From Aug. 18 to 25, a section of the Dempster Highway west of Tsiigehtchic will be closed in both directions to all traffic.
The temporary closures will occur between 10 and 10:30 a.m. as part of Operation Nanook.
The closure is to demonstrate the capabilities of a Twin Otter during landing and take-off.
According to Canadian Forces public affairs, the Twin Otter needs to be able to land and take off safely in an emergency situation where no prepared air strip is available and local highways and roads are the only immediately available option.
Close to a kilometre of the highway will be closed daily with RCMP and Canadian Forces barricading the road against all traffic.
Parliamentary representation at home
Starting Sept. 1, there will be a part-time office representing Western Arctic MP Dennis Bevington in town.
"We get a lot of people needing help with personal issues," said Bevington.
"Especially when people are dealing with the federal government, there are some things that just aren't clear."
While it will be only staffed part time, Bevington is hoping it gives people one more avenue to have their voice heard and raise issues that they feel are important.
There is no location set for the office as of yet.
Slo-pitch playoffs
The 2012 Inuvik Slo-pitch league playoffs start Thursday at 6:30 p.m.
Ten teams will compete against each other over the four-day tournament, with the current top three teams playing their first playoff games Saturday starting at 10:30 a.m.
There's a potential for 19 games over the four days, but the 19th game will only be played if necessary.
The Aklak Falcons will be running the concession stand on Saturday and Sunday.
Stories for everyone
The Inuvik Centennial Library is still hosting its drop-in program, Ready for Reading.
Families with children up to the age of six are invited to take part in story time, crafts and share a snack in a social environment.
"Everyone can participate," said librarian Melani Adams.
"There's a different story picked every weekend."
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