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News Briefs: Monday, May 20, 2013
Metis to hold assembly
The Fort Resolution Metis Council will hold its annual general assembly on June 20.
The assembly will begin at 6 p.m. in the Antoine Beaulieu Memorial Hall.
- Paul Bickford
Trappers get training
Hunters and trappers participated in fur harvester training workshops in Ulukhaktok on May 15, according to a news release.
Participants learned how to grade sealskin and demonstrators from the Department of Industry Tourism and Investment as well as fur harvesters showed participants how to handle sealskin using traditional tools. They also learned about beaver pelts.
The workshop's goal was to ensure hunters and trappers have the most up-to-date information and skills, which will help make sure their products earn the highest amounts possible at fur auctions.
- Kassina Ryder
Mobile food processing units in the Sahtu
People in the Sahtu will soon be able to take advantage of two mobile fish and meat processing units.
The two units - one for Deline and one for Fort Good Hope - will help address food security issues in the region, said Industry, Tourism and Investment (ITI) Minister David Ramsay.
This pilot project is a joint initiative between ITI, the Yamoga Land Corporation in Fort Good Hope and the Deline Land Corporation.
- Laura Busch
New medevac landing site
Medevac flights from the NWT began landing at a new facility at Edmonton International Airport on May 14.
The new Air Operations Centre boasts a 3,600-square-metre hangar which is shared by all air ambulances operating in Northern Alberta, including medical helicopters which can transport critically ill or injured patients directly to hospital if necessary. There is also a six-bed patient transition room where emergency medical staff will be on had to assist, ground ambulances on site, and the centre houses the medical dispatch unit for all air ambulances in the region.
From Feb. 21, 2012 to Jan. 31, 2013, 330 NWT patients were medevaced to Edmonton.
- Laura Busch
Fabric landscapes workshop planned
Thebacha/Fort Smith
A fabric landscapes workshop is planned at Northern Life Museum and Cultural Centre in Fort Smith.
The workshop will be held on May 25 and 26 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day.
The instructor will be Marie Christine Aubrey.
Participants will learn how to create a hand-sewn piece of art using a variety of fabrics, patterns and colours.
For information on the fee and to register, contact Northern Life Museum. Supplies will be included in the participation fee.
- Paul Bickford
Writers festival hits Fort Smith
Thebacha/Fort Smith
The eighth-annual NorthWords Writers Festival will be holding an event in Fort Smith on May 30.
The special guest will be Sylvia Olsen, a writer and storyteller from British Columbia.
During the day, Olsen will be appearing at a number of locations including Aurora College, Paul William Kaeser High School and Mary Kaeser Library.
On the evening of May 30, she will be telling stories at Mary Kaeser Library, along with Fort Smith storyteller Jim Green and writer Patti-Kay Hamilton, also from Fort Smith.
- Paul Bickford
Goose hunt begins in Paulatuk
Paulatuk
Geese have arrived in Paulatuk and will likely be around until the end of the month, said Josie Green, of the Paulatuk Hunters and Trappers Committee.
"The geese are flying right over our heads," said Green. "Everybody is screaming and excited.
"You've got to get out there and get as much as you can, fill your freezer so you can live off good food for the rest of the year. Not store-bought food full of preservatives."
Green said the season typically lasts around two weeks, so the geese are expected to stick around Paulatuk until the end of May or beginning of June.
- Lyndsay Herman
Youth check out college
Tuktoyaktuk
Four students from Mangilaluk School were in Fort Smith for Aurora College's third annual Youth Symposium from May 13 to 16. Sacha Nogasak, Kathleen Nogasak, Aaron Teddy and Theresa Cockney are accompanied by their guidance counsellor Alex Storino.
The symposium is intended to introduce students to post-secondary education and show them what is available at Aurora College.
There are 70 students attending the symposium from 11 communities.
Fellow students from the Beaufort Region include Dennis Illisiak, Patrick Illisiak, Amber Ruben, and Denise Wolki from Angik School, accompanied by the school's science teacher Mike Mansfield.
The Mangilaluk students were expected to return to Tuktoyaktuk on May 16, the day before the school's week-long spring break starts.
- Lyndsay Herman
Victoria Day derby
Ulukhaktok/Holman
Ulukhaktok's annual Victoria Day long-weekend Fishing Derby was set to take place this past weekend.
Registration opened May 14 and closed May 17 at 5 p.m.
All ages were welcome to participate and competitors could choose to either go for day trips or camp for the weekend on any lake they desired.
Those over the age of 17 could win 176 litres of gas, a value of $299.20, for having the highest total weight of their three heaviest fish. They could also win 147 litres of gas, a value of $249.90, for the longest fish and 117 litres of gas, a value of $198.90, for the smallest fish.
Youth and children were able to win $250 for the highest total weight of their three heaviest fish, $225 for the longest fish, and $175 for the smallest fish.
- Lyndsay Herman
Weekend bustle
Paulatuk
There's been no rest on the weekends for Angik School this month. The events started May 3 when the school hosted a Sports Day that was about a lot more than sports. It kicked off with a school-served lunch followed by team activities outdoors. The day ended with a bonfire, roasted marshmallows and hot dogs.
The school also hosted a Mother's Day brunch on May 12 where teachers, RCMP officers and a health nurse cooked homemade beans, scrambled eggs, sausages and hash browns for approximately 40 people. Anyone was welcome to attend, but special attention was given to moms, said Luke LeClair, a teacher at Angik School.
LeClair said the school was planning to host a checkers tournament on May 17 and run a ping-pong tournament on either May 24 or 31.
- Lyndsay Herman
Enterprise names interim fire chief
Enterprise
The Hamlet of Enterprise has named an interim fire chief for the next several months while its regular fire chief is out of the community to work for extended periods of time.
At its May 6 meeting, the council named Mayor Michael St. Amour as the interim fire chief to fill in for Craig McMaster, who will be finishing his out-of-town work by September.
St. Amour previously served as fire chief.
- Paul Bickford
Geese empty community
Ikaahuk/Sachs Harbour
After reaching Paulatuk, geese continue on their journey to Sachs Harbour.
The community is almost empty with most people on the land to hunt geese or fish.
"After the White Fox Jamboree (May 3 to 5), it really slows down," said Doreen Carpenter, recreation co-ordinator for the Hamlet of Sachs Harbour.
"The whole community, just about, is out fishing or hunting."
The last of the geese will come through in the first week of June, she said.
- Lyndsay Herman
Drugs and liquor seized
Ikaluktutiak/Cambridge Bay
A female has been charged with one count of possession of illegal drugs for the purpose of trafficking and one count of possession of liquor for the purpose of selling.
On May 13, Cambridge Bay RCMP responded to a call at a residence, where they located and seized 24 grams of marijuana, eight bottles of vodka and cash.
Her first court appearance is scheduled for Aug. 12.
- Danielle Sachs
Two people sentenced in January attack
Kinngait/Cape Dorset
Two people from Cape Dorset were sentenced on May 15 for an early January attack on an employee at Qulliq Energy Corporation in Cape Dorset.
Kumaarjuk Pii and Kooyoo Peter broke into the power plant and attacked the employee after power was partially cut off to their home.
Peter will spend 12 months in jail after pleading guilty to assault with a weapon. He was given credit for the six months already served in custody. Pii was given a 15-month suspended sentence.
- Danielle Sachs
Helicopter crash
Sanirajak/Hall Beach
A helicopter, with five people on board, crashed during a flight to the Fox 3 radar site near Clyde River from Hall Beach.
No one was seriously injured in the May 12 crash, which happened in Hall Beach as the trip began, but two people on board suffered minor cuts and bruises, said Michael Lavoy, vice-president of Marketing and Communications with Helicopter Transport Services based in Carp, Ont.
"Two suffered scratches and bruises they're already on their way home," said Lavoy.
Details weren't available on the cause of the crash while it is under investigation, said Lavoy said, adding the investigation probably wouldn't be too in-depth because the only damages were to hardware.
- Danielle Sachs
Petition goes on
Nunavut
Two petitions are still circulating to deny the European Union observer status on the Arctic Council until the seal ban is repealed.
One petition, with 800 signatures, has already been tabled in Parliament while the second is being circulated online and is to be presented to the Arctic Council. Parliament does not accept online petitions.
Karliin Aariak started the online petition and the No Seal, No Deal movement, which has been devoted to using the petitions to also educate people on the benefits of seal harvesting.
"The Inuit exemption doesn't work," said Aariak. "We're still going ahead until the ban is completely lifted, that's why we kept collecting signatures and we'll keep doing so until the ban is gone."
The Arctic Council officially granted observer status to China, India, Italy, Japan, Singapore and South Korea. The application for permanent observer status from the European Union was deferred until the seal ban is discussed.
"The petitions are just the start, we're not just pretty people with seal skin designs, we need to talk about it as Canadians," said Aariak.
- Danielle Sachs
Permafrost guidebook launched
Nunavut
The Department of Environment has recently launched A Homeowner's Guide to Permafrost in Nunavut.
The publication, developed with funding from Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada, gives information to Nunavut homeowners on how they can preserve the permafrost under their homes.
"The guide explains what permafrost is, how climate change is affecting it, the impacts on houses from thawing permafrost, and the importance of preventing thaw," said Environment Minister James Arreak in the legislative assembly last week.
Arreak said permafrost can cause costly damage to buildings and also to government and private construction companies.
- Myles Dolphin
Pangnirtung takes part in education program
Panniqtuuq/Pangnirtung
Three engineering students from the University of Alberta will spend the summer working in Pangnirtung as part of the Engage North program.
The organization helps build connections between university students from across Canada and indigenous communities in Canada's North. The program makes it possible for students from southern provinces to take part in educational events, and find temporary jobs in northern communities as Engage North fellows.
The program's first three fellows will work on two projects in Pangnirtung this summer: to work with the hamlet and develop a comprehensive drainage plan for the community; and to conduct a comprehensive energy conservation audit of the municipality's operations.
- Myles Dolphin
Research station funded
Northern News Services
Ellesmere Island
There's hope on the horizon for Canada's High Arctic research station, after new funding was announced on May 17.
The Polar Environment Atmospheric Research Laboratory (PEARL) has been operating on Ellesmere Island since 2005.
Science and Technology Minister Gary Goodyear announced more than $32 million in research funding through the Climate Change and Atmospheric Research initiative.
PEARL was one of seven projects that will each be receiving up to $5 million over five years.
"Our government is supporting research related to climate change through the creation of the Climate Change and Atmospheric Research initiative," said Goodyear in a press release.
"We are confident that the knowledge generated through these projects will help improve the quality of life of all Canadians."
- Danielle Sachs
Leona Aglukkaq takes Arctic Council helm
Kiruna, Sweden
Nunavut MP Leona Aglukkaq became the first indigenous minister to head the Arctic Council on May 15.
The transfer of power took place during a ceremony in Kiruna, Sweden.
"The time has come to embrace the Arctic and realize the tremendous potential and opportunities it has to offer for all of us," she said in a press release.
Aglukkaq will serve as Canada's chair during its two-year term as head of the eight-member group.
- Myles Dolphin
Seal debate goes to Paris
Ausuittuq/Grise Fiord
Nunavut students were at the National Assembly in Paris last week to share their concerns on the seal industry, polar bears and climate change with European Union representatives and French deputees.
In all, 27 Nunavut Sivuniksavut students - an Ottawa-based college program for Inuit youth - from around Nunavut took part in trip.
"As part of their school the group chooses a destination and depending on their choosing they try to enhance the concerns of the Inuit and the North wherever they are going," said Marty Kuluguqtuq of Grise Fiord, whose daughter Melanie was overseas. She had previously been part of the Northern Youth Abroad program in Nicaragua. "She's a very active young lady."
Kuluguqtuq said it was a fabulous program.
"They're given the chance to showcase their ability and be ambassadors for the Inuit," he said, adding that over the years it has developed into a highly recognized program. "It creates a lot of very conscious young Inuit coming out of high school."
The team of travellers returned to Canada May 17. Kuluguqtuq said he would meet his daughter in Ottawa and attend her graduation.
- Peter Worden
Bear spray causes court relocation in Pangnirtung
Panniqtuuq/Pangnirtung
Pangnirtung's local hamlet office was the site of a bear spray discharge on May 13, forcing the evacuation of the building.
The territorial court circuit, which was in progress at the time, had to be temporarily relocated to the Alookie School gymnasium.
The RCMP initiated a mischief investigation following the event. No injuries were reported.
- Myles Dolphin
Wise women awarded
Nunavut
Sylvia Cloutier and Renata Solski were awarded with the Outstanding Young Woman and Wise Woman award, respectively, during a ceremony at the legislative assembly on May 14.
The awards are presented annually by the Qulliit Nunavut Status of Women Council.
"These awards are to honour women from Nunavut who are role models in their communities. These awards are in recognition of their dedication and commitment to improve the lives of women and families in Nunavut," said Minister Monica
Ell.
Cloutier and Solski were each presented with a carving by Solomon Awa.
- Danielle Sachs
Students serve Mother's Day lunch
Kimmirut/Lake Harbour
Grades 3 to 4 students at Qaqqalik School helped organized a special Mother's Day lunch on May 10.
The event, sponsored by the after-school cooking club, lasted almost three hours and involved more than 40 people.
The young students helped prepare healthy snacks such as sandwiches, fresh fruit, healthy cakes and vegetable trays. Grade 7/8 teacher Robert Matthews led the children in song while they performed for their mothers.
- Myles Dolphin
Marathon success for Sanikiluaq runners in Toronto
Sanikiluaq
Five runners and two chaperones from the Sanikiluaq Running Club have recently returned from the Toronto Marathon.
The runners participated in two different races: three runners and one of the chaperones took part in the half-marathon, while the other two runners participated in the five-kilometre run.
Noah Emikotailak had Sanikiluaq's best result in the half-marathon, while Aullajuuk Ippak and Janie Audla finished together in the five-kilometre race.
"It is always inspiring to see groups and individuals work hard together for their goals," said Hudson Bay MLA Allan Rumbolt at the legislative assembly on May 13.
"Their dedication and self-discipline can be a positive influence in all aspects of their lives. When athletes compete in tournaments or races such as the Toronto Marathon, we can all be proud of their efforts as they represent their home community and territory," he added.
- Myles Dolphin
Indoor skating nears
Taloyoak/Whale Cove/Pangnirtung
Minister Lorne Kusugak announced long awaited upgrades to community arenas in Whale Cove, Taloyoak and Pangnirtung last week.
The upgrades were part of the Government of Nunavut's 2008-2009 capital plan.
The arena work will let them be used year round, for both winter and summer sports. The total cost is $5.2 million.
- Danielle Sachs
AREVA responds to review board
Baker Lake/Kivalliq
AREVA Resources Canada Inc. submitted its responses to technical comments to the Nunavut Impact Review Board on May 8 in support of its Kiggavik Project's draft environmental impact statement.
Kiggavik is a proposed uranium mining and milling operation located about 80 km west of Baker Lake, which would employ up to 750 people during construction and 400 to 600 during operation.
AREVA's responses to more than 400 technical comments from various organizations represents the next step in a full environmental review of the Kiggavik Project.
- Darrell Greer
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News desk 
