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Wednesday, July 2, 2014
Fire near legislative assembly
The Yellowknife fire department were called to a small bush fire near the parking lot of the legislative assembly early Tuesday afternoon. According to incident commander Lieut. Ian Whitford, the fire was about 300 to 400 metres from the lot. About three tankers responded to the incident and some fire fighters were seen running a hose up the rocky terrain of a nearby hill. Whitford said it was tough to speculate, but officials suspected the fire was started by people.
- Simon Whitehouse
Top environmental officials coming to town
Three of the top environmental officials in North America will be in Yellowknife later this month for a discussion on traditional ecological knowledge. Canada's Environment Minister Leona Aglukkaq will host Mexico's secretary of Environment and Natural Resources Juan Jose Guerra Abud and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency administrator Gina McCarthy at the Explorer Hotel July 16 to 18.
They'll be discussing their environmental agendas and how to incorporate traditional aboriginal knowledge into them. Prior to their session, the Commission for Environmental Co-operation will hold a public forum on July 16 beginning at 9 a.m.
- John McFadden
Sunday bird watching
Ecology North is holding bird walk Sunday morning.
People interested in attending must meet at the Ecology North office at 9 a.m. The location of the walk will depend on those in attendance, but Niven Lake is a possibility, according to board member Elizabeth Portman.
The last bird walk was May 22 and 27 species of birds were spotted.
- Simon Whitehouse
Fires in the area
The Department of Environment and Natural Resources confirmed there were two forest fires burning near Yellowknife, yesterday afternoon. Richard Olsen, information officer, said Tuesday there is a 22,147 hectare fire near the East Arm of Great Slave Lake. The fire is about four kilometres from some lodges and cabins located nearby.
There are also smaller fires totalling about 10,000 hectares close to Consolation Lake where Plummer's Lodge has cabins. The fires are about 30 km from the Ingraham Trail. To date, there are 41 fires in the North Slave region and 114 in all of NWT.
Olsen said there are also four fires in the Birch Lake area, about 80 km south of Behchoko and Highway 3. They encompass about 60,000 hectares.
- Simon Whitehouse
Coral Harbour couple found dead
Coral Harbour
Nunavut RCMP confirmed on June 23 that Daren Eetuk and Julie Nakoolak were found dead in a river just outside Coral Harbour.
The young couple were reported missing on the morning of June 19, according to Sgt. Yvonne Niego of the RCMP, prompting a search by Coral Harbour Search and Rescue and the RCMP, with members of the community helping in the search.
Niego said the couple's ATV was found in the river later that afternoon, though she wasn't able to confirm how far away from the community it was. On June 21, the search took to the air and a woman's parka and safety vest were found, though it cannot be confirmed if they belonged to the couple.
On June 22, the body of Nakoolak was found, and soon after searchers found the body of Eetuk.
Niego said RCMP don't know the cause of death but are working along with the coroner in the investigation.
OmniTRAX closure not to effect region
Kivalliq
The temporary shut down of a crucial train line along the Hudson Bay Railway to Churchill Point, which delivers cargo to the sea lifts on June 20 will not effect sea lift services to the Kivalliq region.
In a corporate statement at the request of Kivalliq News, the company confirmed that service was expected to start up again July 15, with service to the Kivalliq usually running from July to October.
The closure was caused by damage to the lines due to permafrost movement.
"We are working hard to restore the access to goods and services that our rail line provides to Northern communities," the statement read. "The reality of our business, and of Northern living, includes managing uniquely Northern infrastructure challenges, particularly during the spring thaw. The repairs we are undertaking now will improve this section of the rail line for the long-term benefit of the North."
The statement confirmed that the first shipment to the Kivalliq is already in Churchill and ready to be shipped when the season starts.
Kivalliq-native wins quilting competition
Kivalliq
A woman who grew up in the Kivalliq region and the NWT, but now lives in Ontario, recently won a national quilting competition with a quilt she made in the image of her mother and grandmother.
Veronica Puskas won the Award in Excellence during the Quilt Canada 2014 juried show from June 11 to June 14 in St. Catherines, Ont.
Puskas' winning quilt was crafted out of inspiration from a photo she found of her mother and grandmother standing in the fields near the Meliadine River in 1950 near Rankin Inlet, according to a press release from the Yellowknife Quilters Guild.
She called the quilt Pillars of Strength, and worked on it for many years, often leaving the project and then returning to it later, the release reads.
Puskas' quilt was chosen as a winner out of 80 entries.
Canada Day celebrations
Rankin Inlet
The community of Rankin Inlet planned a full day's worth of activities to join the rest of the country and celebrate the nation's birthday on July 1.
It all began with a parade starting from the hamlet office, with prizes for the best costumes and decorated vehicles, then a community barbecue put on by the Royal Canadian Legion. After that there were activities for children like a cardboard boat race, a ball hockey tournament, face painting and a bike race.
For the adults and older children, the hamlet put on a target shooting competition, performances at the community hall and wrapped it all up with a square dance for the whole community.
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