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News Briefs: Friday, July 5, 2013
Recent rainfall ends fire ban
The City of Yellowknife lifted its fire ban yesterday after cloudy and rainy conditions on Wednesday and Thursday cooled things down.
Dennis Marchiori, director of public safety for the city, encourages residents to continue to follow safe burning practices.
These include acquiring a permit in order to burn grass or have a campfire on personal property, or using an approved fire pit when available.
- Daniel Campbell
Visitors centre numbers up
The Northern Frontiers Visitors Centre experienced a sharp increase in people coming through its doors, compared to 2012.
The centre recorded 2,653 visitors for the month of June, up from 1,706 the year before. For the year, the centre has seen nearly 11,000 people.
The visitors centre is also opening on its summer-time hours, open from 8:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. on weekdays and 9 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. on weekends.
- Graeme McNaughton
Somba K'e nominated for award
Yellowknife's Somba K'e civic plaza has been nominated as one of Canada's finest public spaces, as part of the Great Places in Canada competition.
At press time the plaza was currently leading the competition with 211 votes. River Landing in Saskatoon was the closest competitor with 59 votes.
Anyone can vote by going to the Great Places in Canada website.
Yellowknifers have until Sept. 23, 2013, to vote for their favourite public space in Canada.
- Cody Punter
NWT workers highest paid in Canada
Workers in Yellowknife and the rest of the NWT are the highest paid in the country, according to a June 27 release from Statistics Canada, but are making a little bit less than a year ago.
The average worker in the NWT took home $1,293.60 per week, including overtime for the month of April.
This is a decrease of 0.2 per cent from the year before.
- Graeme McNaughton
News Briefs: Thursday, July 4, 2013
Ready for fiddling
The Kole Crook Fiddle Association is holding a fiddle camp in Fort Liard from July 9 to 11.
Wesley Hardisty of Fort Simpson will be one of the instructors.
In addition to lessons for youth, interested adults will also be given fiddle instruction.
Fort Simpson golf tournament
One of Seven Spruce Golf Course's most popular annual tournaments is next weekend.
The Kingland Tournament will be held from July 13 to 14. Teams of four will follow a scramble format over 18 holes on both days. The tournament will include prizes for all participants, a steak dinner on Saturday night and the chance to win a new vehicle as the prize in the hole-in-one competition.
Canada Day in Fort Liard
Fort Liard celebrated Canada Day with a variety of events.
An afternoon parade made its way through the community, which saw the Liard Valley General Store winning first place in the float contest with its "Indian Car" theme. Second place went to Kristen Kotchea with Canada Rocks and Hillary Deneron took third with the float themed George Jones Lives On.
There were also canoe races across the Petitot River to celebrate the nation's birthday. Dustin Hope and Ivy Marcellais won first place followed by Dolly Klondike and Frankie Klondike in second and Hillary Deneron and Alex Fanni in third.
Other competitions included a tug-of-war and a watermelon-eating contest. A baseball game between two teams wrapped up the evening.
Student financial assistance deadline
The deadline for student financial assistance applications is July 15.
The Department of Education, Culture and Employment offers full-time and part-time assistance to NWT residents who are attending post-secondary institutions and programs.
Scholarships up for grabs
Sport North is encouraging students who have completed at least one year of post-secondary school to apply for Sport North scholarships.
While preference for the financial assistance is given to students who are taking kinesiology, physical education, sport administration, recreation and education, anyone is welcome to apply. The deadline for applications is Aug. 15.
Former councillor sentenced
Former Inuvik town councillor Grace Elizabeth Loreen was sentenced to two years in jail after being convicted of stealing nearly $500,000 from three Sahtu businesses over a four-year period.
The companies involved were E. Gruben's Transport Ltd. where she was in charge of arranging travel and handling the company's day-to-day banking in Inuvik. Her services were also used by Deline Construction Ltd. and Storm Communications Ltd.
Loreen handled a credit card for MVIOS, another Sahtu company, which was partly owned by Deline Construction Ltd., and had authorization to move funds between the two companies.
From 2008 to 2011, Loreen shuffled funds from the companies' accounts to her own personal account and from one company account to another. She used the MVIOS credit card to make personal purchases and for cash advances.
By April 2011, Loreen had stolen $401,645 from Deline Construction Ltd., $83,599 from MVIOS and $4,000 from Storm Communications. Evidence found later showed she had gambled away $467,863.
Loreen pleaded guilty to three counts of theft over $5,000 and one count of theft under $5,000. A fifth charge of fraud was dropped.
Goose nominated
Inuvik singer/songwriter Leanne Goose has been nominated for two Aboriginal People's Choice Music Awards.
Goose is up for best producer for the second time in her career, and is also nominated for female aboriginal entertainer of the year for her most recent album titled This Time, which was released in March.
Her first nomination for best producer came last year for her album Got You Covered.
"I just found out I'm nominated for female entertainer of the year and producer – Aboriginal People's Choice Music Awards. If you have time please cast your vote in support," Goose stated on Facebook.
Nutrition North criticized
Western Arctic MP Dennis Bevington is calling on the federal government to audit the Nutrition North program.
Bevington said the price of food in the North has "done nothing but increase" under the program.
"The cost of living is escalating in all our Northern communities," he said. "It's a subject of real concern to me."
He, along with other Northern officials, are questioning Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Minister Bernard Valcourt, who has defended the program. He said the program is working and bringing greater access to "high-quality, nutritious foods" to the region.
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