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Monday, January 19, 2015
Former NWT Mountie promoted to ambassador
A former RCMP officer in the NWT officially begins his new job as Canada's ambassador to Ireland today.
Kevin Vickers, 58, was hailed as a hero around the world last October after the House of Commons sergeant-at-arms apparently fired the shot that killed an armed suspect roaming the halls of the Parliament Buildings.
That came after the man had shot and killed Cpl. Nathan Cirillo at the nearby National War Memorial. Vickers worked as a Mountie in Behchoko, Yellowknife and Fort Resolution in the 1970s and '80s.
- John McFadden
Outfitter facing wildlife charges
Outfitting company True North Safaris, owned by Gary Jaeb of Yellowknife, has been charged under the Wildlife Act's wildlife businesses regulations for operating outside its permitted zone.
Department of Environment and Natural Resources spokesperson Judy McLinton confirmed the charges, but said she was unable to provide more information, such as when the incident occurred because the matter is before the courts.
Jaeb told News/North the charges are related to a wolf hunt he was leading near MacKay Lake last March. He said the charges stem from a misunderstanding and he plans to fight them in court.
Jaeb said he was contacted by an ENR official, who informed him of the charges last week but would not provide him with further details.
"The officer told me they wouldn't give me the information and that I would have to get it through the courts," he said.
Jaeb's first court date is set for March 17.
- Cody Punter
Health centre set to open
The keys to the new Fort Providence health centre are expected to be handed over the to Dehcho Health and Social Services authority at the end of this month.
Donna Allen, chief executive officer of the health authority, said work on the building started in 2013 and is expected to be complete in late January.
The equipment and supplies will then be moved in, Allen told the quarterly public administrator meeting on Jan. 7.
She said a grand opening ceremony will be held at some point to mark the completion of the work. At date has not yet been set.
The new facility, estimated to cost $11 million, is approximately 6,800 square metres, about one-third larger than the old centre.
- Shane Magee
Professional driving skills offered in Wrigley
Pehdzeh Ki/Wrigley
Residents of Wrigley had the chance to learn professional truck driving skills this week through a Class 3 driver training course in Wrigley from Jan. 11 to 16.
An NCCP Train to Train coach workshop is happening Jan. 16 to 18 in Yellowknife.
- Shane Magee
Cold snap ends
Tthek'ehdeli/Jean Marie River
After cold days, Gail Sanquez said the community is finally seeing some warmer weather.
Jean Marie River band Chief Stanley Sanguez was away this week attending a Great Slave Helicopters meeting in Yellowknife from Jan. 13 to 15.
- Shane Magee
Birthdays marked
Deh Gah Got'ie Koe/Fort Providence
Several residents of the hamlet celebrated birthdays Jan. 13, including Charles Canadien, Jeffery Simba and Wade Sanderson.
- Shane Magee
Coffee house opens doors
Liidlii Kue/Fort Simpson
Open Sky Creative Society will host another coffee house at the rec centre Jan. 16 from 6 to 10 p.m.
There will be a curling bonspiel from Jan. 30 to Feb. 1 at the curling rink in the rec centre.
- Shane Magee
Playgroup comes to Wrigley
Pehdzeh ki/Wrigley
The playgroup for children ages newborn to four runs Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 10 a.m. to noon at the community hall.
Meanwhile, Treaty House is open Monday to Friday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
The rec centre in the community will be open for those between the ages of 13 and 19 now on Tuesdays from 8 p.m. to 11 p.m.
Happy belated birthday to Lynden Deneron, Joanne Deneron, Rita Duntra, Linda Edda and Molly Duntra who all celebrated on Jan. 14.
- Shane Magee
Prizes offered at library
Tetlit'Zheh/Fort McPherson
The Fort McPherson community library resumed programming last week.
The mums and tots program runs Monday from 2 to 4 p.m.
Each week, parents read to their children and a door prize is handed out to a lucky winner.
The library also brings in presenters. Tina Blake is scheduled to talk Jan. 19 about the Aboriginal Head Start program, which focuses on early childhood development for First Nations, Inuit and Metis.
Next week, a presenter will speak about prenatal care and the affects of drinking on the unborn child.
The library recently started running a book club on Tuesdays. It is open to students in Grade 1 to Grade 8.
- Miranda Scotland
Keeping fit in the cold
Ikaahuk/Sachs Harbour
Doreen Carpenter and five teammates have pledged to stay active this winter.
The group has committed to walking a collective 1,658 km under the Walk to Tuk challenge. They began Jan. 5 and walk an hour a day.
Carpenter said she's walking further in one hour than when she first started.
Last week, she braved temperatures of -41 C to keep up with the challenge, but found after 20 minutes her cheeks were frozen. Next time it gets that cold she plans to walk in the community gym instead.
The groups' efforts are getting noticed by other residents, added Carpenter.
"They see us walking everyday and ask us what we're doing. They seem interested so we're hoping they'll find a team."
The Walk to Tuk is a NWT Recreation and Parks Association initiative. The program is a finalist in The Play Exchange Challenge, a contest encouraging organizations that promote active living across Canada. The federal government will invest up to $1 million in the winning idea.
The association plans to use the money to expand the Walk to Tuk challenge nationwide.
- Miranda Scotland
Researcher to document traditional use of Yukon's North Slope
Aklavik
A researcher will be interviewing elders and hunters in Aklavik to document traditional use of the Yukon North Slope.
The information will be used to update the wildlife conservation and management plan for the area, which stretches from Alaska through the Northwest Territories.
Researcher Peter Armitage and a locally hired assistant plan to conduct interviews throughout February.
Armitage plans to ask Aklavik Inuvialuit to identify places used for hunting, fishing, trapping, collecting berries, setting up camps and cabins and travelling by snowmobile or boat. He will further note areas where relatives are buried and other special places on the land.
Armitage also plans to document traditional knowledge. Participants will be chosen by the Aklavik Hunters and Trappers Committee, which is co-sponsoring the research with the Wildlife Management Advisory Council - North Slope.
Residents will be compensated for their time.
Armitage is scheduled to hold a community information session Jan. 21 at the David Buck Storr building in Aklavik from 5 to 9 p.m.
- Miranda Scotland
Tuk students to showcase creativity
Tuktoyaktuk
Students in Tuktoyaktuk are working hard to put together submissions for Mangilaluk School's learning fair.
The purpose of the event is to allow students to showcase their creativity. They can present on a wide range of topics from art to science to language arts.
The fair will run Jan. 30 in the school gym and the public is invited to drop by.
- Miranda Scotland
Empowering youth through art
Tuktoyaktuk
DAREarts, a program focused on empowering youth, is coming to Mangilaluk School.
DARE stands for Discipline, Action, Responsibility and Excellence.
Through art, youth build confidence, courage and leadership skills, helping them cope better with life challenges.
Teachers have selected up to five students from each of their classes to participate.
Youth will be involved in music, dance and drama workshops.
Teens from Webequie First Nation, an Ojibway community located north of Thunder Bay, Ont., previously participated in the program.
They created a music video titled Spirit of the North. The song talks about feeling alone and letting go of anger.
The chorus goes: "I want to see myself proud. I want to see myself strong. I want to be who I am. I've had enough of being wrong."
- Miranda Scotland
New KIA president resigns
Kitikmeot
Peter Akkikungnaq, elected in December as the new president of the Kitikmeot Inuit Association, has resigned.
Executive director Paul Emingak said Akkikungnaq's resignation came as a surprise on the morning of Jan. 13.
"We just held board orientation last week," he said.
The resignation is effective Jan. 31. Former president Charlie Evalik will take over as acting president until a byelection can be held.
KIA's executive committee is working out the details and will be announcing byelection timelines as soon as possible.
The hope is to have a new president in place by April.
- Michele LeTourneau
Armed man arrested
Kugluktuk/Coppermine
On the evening of Jan. 12, Kugluktuk RCMP responded to a "high risk call" involving "an adult male with a firearm inside a residence," said spokesperson Const. Malcolm McNeil. The ordeal began at 5:40 p.m. A source, who wished to remain anonymous, told Nunavut News/North a male was taken into custody by 11:15 p.m. and a woman in the residence was found safe inside.
"The male was arrested under the Mental Health Act without incident and held for assessment by local health centre staff. The police are no longer involved in this matter," stated McNeil in an e-mail.
- Michele LeTourneau
Four vie to replace Nuqingaq
Kangiqtugaapik/Clyde River
Four candidates are vying to replace Samuel Nuqingaq, the MLA kicked out of the legislature in the fall, including the man he replaced and the man who lost to him by two votes.
Former MLA James Arreak, who sat out the 2013 election, faces off against Niore Iqalukjuak, who tied Nuqingaq with 187 votes, but was declared the runner-up after losing two votes in the ensuing recount. Sandy Kautuq and Pauloosie Keyootak - the only candidate from Qikiqtarjuaq - will challenge the two for the position in a Feb. 9 byelection.
- Casey Lessard
Stranded hunters rescued
Salliq/Coral Harbour
The Royal Canadian Air Force rescued eight men adrift on an ice floe near Coral Harbour on the morning of Jan. 11 after another aircraft dropped supplies the previous day.
The group of hunters went adrift on Jan. 9, which initiated a local rescue effort.
On Jan. 10, the Nunavut Emergency Measures Organization requested assistance from the Joint Rescue Coordination Centre in Trenton, Ont.
This was because the floe was drifting beyond the local community's reach, stated public affairs officer Maj. Steve Neta.
The group of men was well-prepared for the elements and had a SPOT beacon, which regularly transmitted their location.
- NNSL staff
Community hall launched
Iglulik
Officials joined community members in Iglulik Jan. 13 to celebrate the official opening of the new community hall.
Community and Government Services Minister Tom Sammurtok, Aggu MLA and Education Minister Paul Quassa, Amittuq MLA and Speaker George Qulaut joined Iglulik Mayor Peter Ivalu for the event.
The design for the hall was developed with the input of community members, including several youth, who participated in a public consultation.
"Iglulikmiut indicated that they wanted a venue where the community can showcase locally produced films and theatrical performances. This input was incorporated into the design of the building and its unique features," stated Sammurtok in a news release.
A mural designed by Nunavut artist Jonathan Cruz is featured on the front exterior of the building.
"The new community hall provides a stage for Iglulik's talented artists to shine, now and for years to come," said Sammurtok.
The Government of Nunavut invested $7.2 million into the construction of the project, begun in 2012 and completed in late 2014.
- Michele LeTourneau
Children happy with school bus
Kangiqtugaapik/Clyde River
The school bus for Clyde River has a driver, Jaypeetee Killiktee, who is running four routes four times a day, Quluaq School principal Ron Pate said.
"The kids are excited to have a bus, but we have to figure out a way to corral them and keep them safe," Pate said, explaining that the novelty means some children forget the dangers of running out to the bus and onto the road. The school bus sat idle for months after it was delivered to the hamlet because no one was qualified to drive it.
Another unintended consequence? Clothing concerns at recess.
"We're finding they are leaving their snowpants at home, but we still have recess," he said, noting staff continue to remind students to bring them so children stay warm during the outdoor break.
Overall, the bus is good news, he said.
"We're seeing kids we haven't seen in a while. You can see an improvement in attendance."
- Casey Lessard
Aglukark helps gift drive
Kugluktuk/Coppermine
Kugluktuk shone with holiday spirit New Year's eve.
Nine volunteers with the Society for Building a Healthier Kugluktuk distributed 500 gifts door-to-door in less than five hours, with temperatures dipping below -40 C as the wind picked up ahead of a two-day blizzard.
More than 20 volunteers spent two days wrapping the gifts and all of Kugluktuk's children 14 years of age and under received one.
The gifts were made possible thanks to the generosity of award-winning Inuk recording artist Susan Aglukark, the Waterloo Regional Police Chorus, Waterloo Regional Police Service, Kitchener's Knights of Columbus and countless supporters in the Kitchener-Waterloo, Ontario 18th annual toy drive.
The Kugluktuk Radio Society and First Air covered the shipping costs.
The gift initiative was an extension of Aglukark's Inukness Within workshop held in the community in September.
- Michele LeTourneau
Blizzard closes office
Kivalliq
A three-day blizzard pounded the communities of Arviat, Baker Lake, Chesterfield Inlet, Rankin Inlet and Chesterfield Inlet from the early morning hours of Jan. 7 through until Jan. 9.
The storm closed everything from schools, hamlet offices and government offices to day cares and even retail stores.
The storm also left many people stranded in the south, many of whom had been trying to get back to their community since Jan. 5.
- Darrell Greer
Residents sleep at school during power outage
Sanikiluaq
A broken wire on a substation knocked out power for 24 homes in Sanikiluaq the evening of Jan. 12, causing residents to look for shelter from -20 C temperatures.
"No heat, no running water, no lights," said hamlet recreation co-ordinator Kelly Fraser.
Nuiyak School principal Lisi Kavik opened the school the night of Jan. 12, Fraser said, "to give people a warm place to sleep."
Others were welcomed into the homes of family members.
All was back to normal Jan. 13 at 11:35 a.m.
- Casey Lessard
Effort to keep children in school
Nunavut
The Amaujaq National Centre for Inuit Education is offering up to $5,000 in grants to encourage the development of innovative projects to boost school attendance.
The centre announced the grants Jan 15.
Community-based initiatives are to encourage parents and schools to work together with a goal of improving attendance.
Schools and community groups throughout Nunavut, Nunavik, Nunatsiavut and the Inuvialuit Settlement Region of the Northwest Territories are invited to apply.
Projects must engage both parents and schools, with the goal of improving school attendance.
"We're looking for innovative ideas that encourage parents and schools to work together on projects that foster better attendance, and that contribute to schools being the community hubs we want them to be," said Terry Audla, president of Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami (ITK) and chairperson of the National Committee on Inuit Education.
"Ultimately, we're hoping to find some best practices - tools that can be shared among families and communities to create lasting change."
The deadline for proposals is Feb. 20. More information is available on the ITK website.
- Michele LeTourneau
Christmas spirit
Qamanittuaq/Baker Lake
Members of the Baker Lake detachment of the RCMP did their share of spreading a little extra Christmas cheer around their community this past month.
The officers and their families, along with employees of the Department of Family Services, teamed to create 50 food hampers.
The hampers were delivered to families in need. Baker's Northern store also partnered in the project.
The Baker RCMP also handed out 1,000 Christmas presents to local children on Dec. 23.
- Darrell Greer
Celebrating the sun
Kangiqtugaapik/Clyde River
Quluaq School in Clyde River is preparing for the return of the sun, with festivities for Sun Day on Jan. 27.
"We have stations and activities, some with elders. It could be sewing, bannock, homemade slingshots, suncatchers," said principal Ron Pate.
Students will spend 20 minutes at each station, Pate said, adding the event is held all day.
- Casey Lessard
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