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Friday, March 7, 2014
City seeks firefighters
The city is looking to fill the ranks of its paid-on-call (POC) firefighters, according to a news release. The Fire Division has 24 full-time firefighters, with 14 trained POC, but there's enough room to double that number, with space for 30 POC firefighters at the station.
The division is holding an information session on April 9 at the fire hall. Training takes place on weekends between April 26 and June 22.
- Daniel Campbell
New garbage days
A number of streets in the city will have their garbage picked up on a new day starting March 12. Franklin Trailer Court, Trails End Trailer Court and 41A Street will now have their garbage collected on Wednesdays. Those areas, located on the way to Old Town, used to have pickup on Tuesdays. According to the city, the change has been made to balance the number of houses served each garbage day.
- Daniel Campbell
Building permits down
The value of building permits throughout the Northwest Territories is down significantly from the same time last year, according to new figures released by Statistics Canada yesterday.
There was approximately $1.3 million in building permits issued in January, down a substantial 71.5 per cent from the same month the year before, when there was approximately $4.5 million in issued building permits.
Throughout Canada, the value of building permits was up by 21.9 per cent over the same time period.
- Graeme McNaughton
Canadian North wins awards
Canadian North was awarded both the Premier's Award of Distinction and the Eagle Feather Business Award of Distinction at a recent Alberta Chambers of Commerce Awards Gala in Edmonton.
The Eagle Feather Business Award of Distinction is presented to the aboriginal-owned enterprise that demonstrates outstanding achievement while incorporating entrepreneurial and cultural concepts into its business.
- Cody Punter
Thursday, March 6, 2014
Boreal caribou gets territorial listing
A species found in the Deh Cho is one of four that have been added to the NWT List of Species at Risk.
Boreal caribou, Peary caribou and hairy braya have been listed as threatened species and polar bears as a species of special concern. They are the first species to be placed on the NWT list.
Boreal caribou are already listed as threatened under the federal Species at Risk Act. With the NWT listing, the Conference of Management Authorities now has two years to complete a management plan for polar bears and recovery strategies for the other species.
The authorities met in January to develop a process for completing the plan and strategies. The term of each listing is 10 years, during which species can be changed to a different status or taken off the list.
Celebrating in Fort Simpson
The Beavertail Jamboree is underway in Fort Simpson
Events in the last half of the week include a free community barbecue on March 7 followed by youth games, the corporate challenge and youth traditional games. On Saturday there is a free pancake breakfast, snow drag races, adult traditional games and an adult talent show.
The jamboree will wrap up on Sunday with the family fun run at 1 p.m. and a fish fry at 3 p.m.
New NWT birth certificates
The territorial government will be introducing new birth certificates in April.
Made of polymer, a form of plastic, and with features like watermarks, the certificates are designed to be more secure and help residents protect their identity, according to a press release from the Department of Health and Social Services. Two types of certificates will be available, one with only the individual's information and one including parental information.
Previously issued birth certificates will remain valid.
Award nominations for volunteers
Outstanding volunteers are being recognized again in the territory.
The nomination period for the the 2014 Outstanding Volunteer Awards closes on March 31. Residents have until then to nominate a youth, individual, elder or group whose volunteer work strengthens and enriches Northern life.
Winners receive $500 to give to a volunteer organization of their choice, as well as certificate recognizing their efforts. Nomination forms are available on the Department of Municipal and Community Affairs website.
Healthy food at feast
Dieticians, restaurants and caterers will ply their trades today (March 6) at the Midnight Sun Recreation Complex from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.
They're putting on a community wellness feast called A Healthy Taste of Inuvik to show how easy it can be to prepare nutritious, healthy foods and meals with ingredients that can be found readily in the Beaufort Delta.
It's a follow-up to a similar feast last year that showed how country foods and traditional dishes can be used as healthy alternatives.
March is Nutrition Month, and the event is being sponsored by local dieticians.
Help with paperwork
The Inuvialuit Regional Corporation has set up an office to help its beneficiaries access the personal credits program, which is part of the Indian Residential Schools Settlement Agreement.
"Former residential school students who received the common experience payment (CEP) between 2007 and 2012 will be eligible to use the credit for educational and cultural programs and services. The Inuvialuit Regional Corporation (IRC) has hired Dodie Lennie to help administer the personal credits program for Inuvialuit. She will assist eligible former residential school students to access the program," the IRC stated in a media release.
The one-time credit of $3,000 per recipient can be put towards a formal academic program or towards activities focused on Inuvialuit history, culture, and/or language.
Recipients have until Oct. 31 to submit an acknowledgement form and until Dec. 1 for the selected educational entity or group to complete and mail the redemption form.
East Three team wins silver
The East Three Secondary School senior boys basketball team brought home a silver medal from the territorial championships in Yellowknife over the weekend.
The team fought its way into the final, where it lost 62-49 to the St. Pat's team of Yellowknife. The school's other teams were eliminated in earlier play.
Lorne Guy, who coaches the junior boys team, said he was "pretty satisfied" with the results. The teams will "reload" for the next, year, he said.
Support for soccer
The Beaufort-Delta Education Council is sponsoring a soccer tournament to be held March 22 to 23.
The indoor tournament will be held at East Three Secondary School. It will feature an under-19 division, an under-16 division, and an adult four-on-four division.
The registration deadline for teams is March 18. The cost is $100 per team.
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