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News Briefs: Monday, Oct 15, 2012
NWT park on The Nature of Things
Wood Buffalo National Park will be featured this week on the national CBC program The Nature of Things.
The Oct. 18 episode will tell the story of the predator/prey relationship between wolves and bison in the park. It will focus on one pack of wolves - the Delta Pack.
Wolves and Buffalo will feature the work of wildlife filmmaker Jeff Turner.
- Paul Bickford
Salt River First Nation election appeal set
A hearing has been set in an appeal of the recent election at the Fort Smith-based Salt River First Nation.
The hearing will be held on Oct. 22 by an election review committee, which consists of three people who are not members of the band.
The Sept. 24 election was for six councillors out of a field of 15 candidates.
- Paul Bickford
Celebrating firefighting's finest
Five Northerners were recognized by the Department of Municipal and Community Affairs for the 2012 NWT Fire Service Merit Awards.
A press release issued by the department states award winners are chosen based on community member and fire chief nominations and selected based on their contributions to fire safety and fire service across the NWT.
Noela Cockney of Tuktoyaktuk, Roger Pilling of Fort Simpson, Ross Potter of Hay River, and Paul Currie and Jason Panter of Fort Smith will be awarded at ceremonies within their region.
- Lyndsay Herman
Territorial government top employer
The GNWT was declared one of Canada's Top 100 Employers on Oct. 10 when Mediacorp Inc. released it's annual list on Oct 10. Of the eight categories companies were judged on, the GNWT received an 'A' grade in financial benefits and compensation and a 'B+' grade in community involvement, health and family-friendly benefits, and work atmosphere and communications.
The GNWT currently employs 5,862 full-time employees and created 40 new jobs within the last year.
- Lyndsay Herman
Deninu School raises more than $2,000
Deninu Ku'e/Fort Resolution
Students and staff at Deninu School in Fort Resolution have raised more than $2,000 for the Terry Fox Run in support of cancer research.
The students and staff held a walk on Sept. 26. In addition, at an Oct. 5 event, some staff members and students, along with some community members, had their heads shaved or received Mohawk haircuts after pledging to do so if the fundraising hit certain targets.
Principal Dan Summers and teacher Ted Moes got Mohawk haircuts, while teacher Fraser McTurk and community members Brad King and Andy Norn had their heads shaved.
Hair cutting has become synonymous with cancer research, stated in a news release from Deninu School.
"Like so many before them, this is in fact why Andy Norn and Brad King decided to have their heads shaved in support of the Terry Fox initiative," the news release continued. "Sadly, Andy just recently lost his mother as a result of cancer, while Brad lost his biological mother to cancer and his mother who raised him from a young boy now fights cancer."
The school offered thanks to Norn and King and others who promote awareness and continue to fight for cancer research, and help raise money for the cause.
- Paul Bickford
Metis Nation to hold annual assembly
Hay River
The annual general assembly of the Northwest Territory Metis Nation is set for Nov. 27 to 29 in Hay River
The assembly will include delegates from the Metis councils in Hay River, Fort Smith and Fort Resolution.
One of the main topics of discussion is expected to be negotiations for an agreement-in-principle with the federal and territorial governments on land and governance. The negotiations have been going on for about 15 years.
The assembly will be held at the Hay River Community Hall, beginning at 9 a.m. each day.
- Paul Bickford
Thanksgiving feast
Tuktoyaktuk
A festive crowd gathered at Kitti Hall on Oct. 8 to celebrate the Thanksgiving holiday with a community feast.
After the feast, guests participated in a gospel sing-along as well as a family games night
Loni Noksana-Ruben, new recreation co-ordinator for the hamlet, said she was very happy with the turnout.
"It's nice, especially for people who maybe don't have a lot of people in their family, to get together for this kind of feast," she said.
- Laura Busch
Celebrating the seasons
Ulukhaktok/Holman
A feast to celebrate the changing of the seasons and this past year's summer hunt drew about 130 people to the Simon Kataoyak Community Centre in Ulukhaktok Oct. 6.
"It started off with a feast and then there were some elders who were telling stories about their summer hunting season," said Victoria Akhiatak, corporate manager at the hamlet's community corporation. Among these storytellers was Morris Nigiyok, who shared stories of his successful caribou hunt this summer and being out on the land with his father and son.
The feast was also a chance for people to see familiar faces who had been out on the land for most of the summer, said Akhiatak.
- Laura Busch
Fall feast at Fort Smith museum
Thebacha/Fort Smith
Fort Smith's Northern Life Museum will be presenting a fall feast on the evening of Oct. 27.
The dinner, which will have the theme of harvest time, will feature soup, homemade bread and dessert.
The soup will be served in bowls created by an NWT potter. Each person who buys a ticket to the feast will receive a pottery bowl and extra bowls will be available for purchase at the end of the event.
The fall feast will be a fundraiser for Northern Life Museum.
Information on tickets is available from the museum.
- Paul Bickford
Fishing trip for youth
Ulukhaktok/Holman
Any residents interested in taking youth out on the land to teach them hunting and fishing skills, or youth who are interested in participating in a fishing trip, are asked to contact Ulukhaktok's community corporation.
Corporate manager Victoria Akhiatak is currently organizing a youth fishing trip to Fish Lake for late October or early November. Participants will harvest char for the community and pick up bush skills along the way, said Akhiatak.
"It's to teach the youth how to set and pull in nets under the ice," she said. "It's important to have that traditional knowledge passed on between generations."
- Laura Busch
New airport terminals celebrated
Paulatuk
A grand opening for the new Paulatuk airport terminal was scheduled for Oct. 10 - and it's about time, said Mayor Ray Ruben.
"Having the terminal is more than anything really important to us," he said. "The old one was apparently temporary for the last 20 years or so. With the new one, we're now on par with Tuk and Sachs."
Transportation Minister David Ramsay and Nunakput MLA Jackie Jacobson were scheduled to attend the ribbon-cutting event at the new terminal on Wednesday morning. After the ribbon-cutting ceremony, a full day of speeches, feasting and dancing was scheduled to take place at Angik School, said Ruben.
Opening ceremonies for the new airport terminal in Tuktoyaktuk were scheduled for Oct. 10.
- Laura Busch
Most northern lottery outlet
Tuktoyaktuk
The Northern Store in Tuktoyaktuk will soon be home to the most Northern lottery outlet in Canada, the NWT Sport and Recreation Council recently announced.
The outlet will sell Western Canada Lottery products such as Lotto 6/49, Lotto Max and scratch-and-win tickets, the SRC stated in a press release. Proceeds from sales will go towards recreation programs and activities both in the hamlet and around the NWT.
"This has been a long time coming and we hope that we will hear the 'Yahoo!' winning sound from this terminal a lot," stated Kevin Murphy, manager of the Northern Store, in the news release.
- Laura Busch
Fire leaves one person dead
Ikaluktutiak/Cambridge Bay
A fire at a duplex left one woman dead in Cambridge Bay on Oct. 1.
The six firefighters who answered the call at 9:55 p.m. managed to get the fire under control within 15 minutes of arriving at the duplex, said Fire Chief Keith Morrison.
He said the fire was extinguished by roughly 10:30 p.m.
"When we got there, heavy flame and smoke coming out of the building," said Morrison.
"As far as we know, there were two people in the building and one got out and one did not."
The victim was an adult female, he said.
Morrison explained they were informed it was possible someone was in the building when they arrived but they couldn't search until they fought down the fire.
They eventually located her, he added.
"Although there was one fatality, the fire itself was handled very well and it was a large part due to the assistance we received," said Morrison.
Damage to the structure was "pretty minimal," said Morrison, but the smoke, water and fire "heavily damaged" the contents.
The cause of the fire is under investigation.
- Jeanne Gagnon
Airport contractor shortlist
Iqaluit
The three teams shortlisted to participate in the request for proposals for the new Iqaluit airport was announced by the territorial government on Oct. 5.
Arctic Infrastructure Partners, Mittarvik and Plenary were chosen out of the eight teams that responded to the request for qualifications to design, build, finance, maintain and operate a proposed new Iqaluit International Airport, according to the GN.
Arctic Infrastructure Partners is made up of four companies, including the Winnipeg Airports Authority. Mittarvik is comprised of 10 companies, including the Halifax International Airport Authority. And Plenary encompasses six companies, including Edmonton Airports.
The GN stated it expects to choose a team and award a contract next spring, start construction in the spring of 2014 with a completion date of 2017.
The Iqaluit International Airport Improvement Project includes building a new airport terminal, expanded aprons for planes to park, a new parking area and an upgraded runway with new pavement.
- Jeanne Gagnon
Snow covers Arctic Bay
Ikpiarjuk/Arctic Bay
Technically, it has been fall for only a few weeks, but Arctic Bay seems to have skipped the season.
"It's a winter wonderland up here right now," said economic development officer Clare Kines. "There's lots of snow on the ground. It's still coming down."
The temperature is near -5 C, Kines said, with a chilly wind blowing Oct. 9.
"They were plowing roads this morning, and where it wasn't plowed, you were plowing through five or six inches of snow."
- Casey Lessard
Wildlife visit Pond Inlet
Mittimatalik/Pond Inlet
Pond Inlet residents are keeping their eyes open after a few polar bears and foxes have come into the community.
"One was killed and one was chased away," Mittimatalik Hunters and Trappers Association manager Joshua Arreak said of the bears. Some foxes have been killed and others chased away as well, he said.
"There's been a few."
On a community Facebook group, one member called for monitors to deal with the problem.
- Casey Lessard
Girl struck in hit and run
Arviat
As of press time, members of the Arviat detachment of the RCMP were seeking the public's help in finding the motorist responsible for a hitandrun accident in that community on Sept. 13.
What the 15yearold victim described as a dark coloured, Jeepstyle vehicle struck the girl at about 9:50 p.m. while walking alone near Arviat's elder centre.
The youth suffered a broken leg from the impact.
The driver of the vehicle did not stop to check on the condition of the girl before fleeing the scene.
- Darrell Greer
Rough water deters boaters in Pond Inlet
Mittimatalik/Pond Inlet
Wavy water stopped boaters from heading out fishing in Pond Inlet this week.
"The water's been rough for a long time," said Mittimatalik Hunters and Trappers Association manager Joshua Arreak. "It's been too rough to go out on the boat lately. We can't go out. One person went out by boat."
The rough conditions have posed challenges since the Thanksgiving weekend, Arreak said. He also noted the sun only shone about 10 times since the spring.
- Casey Lessard
Minor fire at government office
Kinngait/Cape Dorset
Smoke damage from a small fire at the Government of Nunavut regional office building meant employees got two to three days off while the smell cleared.
No one was hurt and the building did not suffer damages from the fire, allegedly lit under the building by youth, explained Alain Barriault, president of the Nunavut Housing Corporation.
He added other youth saw the fire, ran to alert a volunteer firefighter and the fire was quickly extinguished. The building was closed for two to three days to let the smell dissipate, said Barriault.
"In the end, there was a bit of damage to the exterior. Nothing big," he said. "The fire did not enter the building at all. A bit of smoke entered the building."
The Nunavut Housing Corporation occupied the on the ground floor of the GN regional office building while the housing authority maintenance department is on the second.
- Jeanne Gagnon
Dennis Lyall resigns from KIA
Kitikmeot
Dennis Lyall stepped down from his position as vice-president of finance for the Kitikmeot Inuit Association.
Lyall resigned for personal reasons effective Oct. 5, according to a news release from the association. Lyall was elected to the vice-presidency during a region-wide election this past March.
"It is with regret I accept Dennis Lyall's resignation," stated KIA president Charlie Evalik. "I have enjoyed working with him ... There is no doubt his presence and deliberations will be missed. I thank Lyall for his contribution to KIA and Kitikmeot Inuit."
- Jeanne Gagnon
Lending fuel
Qamanittuaq/Baker Lake
AgnicoEagle Mines (AEM) Ltd. recently stepped up to loan Baker Lake 180,000 litres of fuel during a twoweek period.
The community's Power Corp. was almost totally out of fuel when AEM lent a hand.
AEM loaned Baker 80,000 litres of fuel on Sept. 24 and another 100,000 litres this past week.
Baker was scheduled for fuel delivery to the community on Oct. 10.
- Darrell Greer
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News desk 
