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Monday, February 16, 2015

Ex-band councillor found guilty of sex assaults

A former Colville Lake band councillor will be sentenced Apr. 8 after he was found guilty of seven counts of sexual assault.

James Tutcho, 50, had been charged with nine sexual assaults on three separate victims over a 20 year period, dating back to 1995. He was convicted by a jury in Yellowknife Supreme Court Feb. 12, following a four-day trial. Tutcho was acquitted on two of the charges. The identities of the victims are protected under a publication ban.

- John McFadden

Northland point of order shot down

A point of order raised against Yellowknife Centre MLA Robert Hawkins by Hay River South MLA Jane Groenewegen for comments he made about Northland Utilities has come down in Hawkins' favour.

Groenewegen had called out Hawkins for making derogatory remarks about the company during a debate over power rates Feb. 4.

Although Hawkins did not mention names, Groenewegen argued it was clear he was talking about the Hay River-based company.

In his Feb. 12 ruling Speaker Jackie Jacobson said Hawkins had not broken the rules of the assembly, which state members are not permitted to make insulting or damaging remarks about people who cannot respond directly.

- Cody Punter

Fort Smith makes offer in SAO search

The Town of Fort Smith has made an offer to a candidate in the search for a new senior administrative officer.

As of Feb. 12, Mayor Brad Brake said the municipality was awaiting a response to the offer.

The competition opened early December and closed Dec. 19.

- Paul Bickford

Aurora College Week set for three campuses

Aurora College Week is set for Feb. 16 to 20.

The event will kick off with an open house, taking place simultaneously at Aurora Campus in Inuvik, Thebacha Campus in Fort Smith and Yellowknife's North Slave Campus Feb. 16. At the open house, administrators will demonstrate how courses are delivered across the Aurora College network of campuses.

Highlighting events of the week include theme Days, elders' tea and bingo, a coffee house open mic and a cook-off.

- Paul Bickford

Free workshop on how to make beaver mitts

Thebacha/Fort Smith

Young people in Fort Smith have the opportunity to learn how to make beaver mitts.

A free workshop for ages 16-24 will take place Feb. 17 and 24 and again March 3 and 10 at Uncle Gabe's Friendship Centre.

Up to 12 participants will make their own beaver mitts.

- Paul Bickford

The Hamlet of Enterprise plans for the future

Enterprise

The process began Feb. 11 with a special meeting of council to look at the hamlet's existing Integrated Community Sustainability Plan (ICSP), its wellness plan and other plans previously approved by the municipal government.

On March 20 & 21, there will be a further review of the ICSP at meetings facilitated by representatives of the Department of Municipal and Community Affairs (MACA).

The review of the plans is being done as part of the council's budget deliberations.

A preliminary budget will be presented to council at a special meeting on March 6, while approval of the budget is set to take place at another special meeting on March 26.

The hamlet's new fiscal year begins April 1.

The council received an overview of the capital planning process on Feb. 2 from Jean Soucy, MACA's manager of community infrastructure and planning for the South Slave.

- Paul Bickford

After-school program expands

Aklavik

The after-school program in Aklavik is expanding to offer free lunches and sports activities during the week.

The new programming launched Feb. 10 at Moose Kerr School. Kindergarteners were treated to pizza and games in the gym.

The program will run every weekday until the end of March and rotate through Grades kindergarten to 7, said Bobbie-Jo Greenland-Morgan, administrative assistant for the school.

"Students are excited they'll get a day in the week to have a free lunch and sports in the gym," she added.

- Miranda Scotland

Planning underway for winter fest

Aklavik

Moose Kerr School's Map Trapper Week, formerly known as Winterfest, is coming up fast.

"Amidst all of the fun activities planned there will be some history lessons on ... the Mad Trapper," said Bobbie-Jo Greenland-Morgan, administrative assistant for the school. "The community of Aklavik, a lot of the kids don't really know the history or the story. They've just heard the name."

The schedule for the event, which is set to run from Feb. 23 to 27, has not yet been finalized.

Greenland-Morgan said in the past the festival featured a wacky hair day, pyjama day, sports and outdoor activities (if the weather is nice).

- Miranda Scotland

Seven vie for crowns

Tsiigehtchic/Arctic Red River

Seven Tsiigehtchic youth are fundraising money in hope of being named prince or princess of the Mackenzie Jamboree.

To take the title, the contestants aged 15 and under have to bring in the most money for the carnival.

Zody Kay, Mexican Mitchell and Xazvier Firth are vying to be the prince of the festival. Kailey Lennie, Nevaya Maring, Jessica Van Loon and Rose Blake want to be crowned princess.

The winner takes home a Polaris Outlaw 50 cc four-wheeler, recreation committee member Mariah Blake previously told News/North.

The contestants must raise a minimum of $5,000 to be eligible for the prizes. They have until the start of the carnival, April 24, to fundraise.

The Tsiigehtchic events page is already filling with flyers for fundraising events. Maring planned a hamburger soup and bannock lunch for Feb.12 while Mitchell is holding a lunch and merchandise bingo.

- Miranda Scotland

Kids' carnival postponed

Tuktoyaktuk

The Jason Jacobson youth centre was scheduled to host a kids' carnival Feb. 7 but the date has been changed.

The event is now set to run Feb. 20. There will be games, face painting and nail painting.

- Miranda Scotland

Dance with your valentine

Acho Dene Koe/Fort Liard

On Feb. 12 at 7 p.m. at the community hall a youth talent night was set to run and include showing the recent work of Reel Youth between performances.

There will be a cake walk on Feb. 13 from 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the school.

A youth Valentines Day dance will be held at the school gym from 7 p.m. to midnight on Feb. 14.

- Shane Magee

Moose excitement

Tthenaago/Nahanni Butte

There was some community excitement the afternoon of Feb. 9 as three moose were running on the ice in front of the community for about 20 minutes. Belated birthday wishes to James Konisenta and Robert Vital on Feb. 5, Megan Bertrand and Anna Tsetso on Feb. 8, and Brayden Matou on Feb. 10.

- Shane Magee

Chief in Yellowknife

Ka'a'gee Tu/Kakisa

Chief Lloyd Chicot is attending a Dehcho First Nations leadership meeting in Yellowknife this week.

Teacher Catherine Maines is attending a professional development conference this week in Toronto.

A few women from the community are going to Winnipeg for the AFOA (formerly called the Aboriginal

Financial Officers Association of Canada)

conference from Feb. 15 to Feb. 20.

- Shane Magee

Resume workshop for youth

Liidlii Kue/Fort Simpson

The Deh Cho Friendship Centre will hold a youth resume writing workshop for six people Feb. 12 from 1 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. and Feb. 13 from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

- Shane Magee

Art club fosters creative expression

Tsiigehtchic/Arctic Red River

Students at Chief Paul Niditchie School are tapping into their creativity at a newly started after-school art club.

The club runs on Wednesdays and is open to all grades. However, teacher Tara Zuk said it's most popular among students in grades one to six.

Interested adults are also invited to attend.

The club started in January and will run until the end of the school year.

"We've been doing a lot of sculpting and self expression using different mediums to try to expand on what we're working on in school and give them a relaxed and creative experience," said Zuk.

- Miranda Scotland

Romantic evening at Angik School

Paulatuk

The Paulatuk recreation department was set to hold a dance Feb. 14 at 7 p.m. in the Angik School gym.

The event is open to the whole community. Aaron Ruben, recreation co-ordinator, said there would be a draw and a photo booth with a Valentine's Day themed background.

- Miranda Scotland

Student exchange excitement growing

Iglulik

Ataguttaaluk High School students are preparing for a student exchange with peers from Mother Teresa High School in Barrhaven, Ont., and the excitement is growing.

"The exchange kids in Ottawa who are coming to Iglulik in April entered a snow sculpture contest at Landsdowne Park in Ottawa last weekend," stated vice-principal Jay Williams in an e-mail.

The Ontario students carved a bear, an inuksuk and "Igloolik" in an almost three-metre (eight-foot) chunk of snow.

"The kids are really getting excited about coming up," said Williams.

The visit from Ontario to Iglulik will take place in April.

- Michele LeTourneau

Snowmobilers spotted from air

Arviat/Whale Cove

Two men reported missing while trying to snowmobile to Whale Cove from Arviat have been found safe and sound.

Harry Kuksuk, 37, and Johnny Kaviok, 41, left Arviat on Feb. 2 and were reported missing on Feb. 4, when a local ground search and rescue effort began.

The men were spotted by searchers in a CC-130 Hercules aircraft Wednesday night.

The two men were reportedly well supplied on their trip.

Neither man received serious injuries during the ordeal.

- Darrell Greer

No water at community hall

Sanikiluaq

The community hall in Sanikiluaq was forced to close due to a broken water pump. Community bingos, hockey games and youth activities have had to be cancelled as a result.

"A couple of weeks ago, it broke," said recreation co-ordinator Kelly Fraser.

Residents were pushing her to keep it open as it is the only space for such recreation but "there's no water."

Despite her concerns about health and safety, she kept the hall open for about two weeks without running water, and Fraser said "I should have closed it as soon as it broke, but I had too many complaints."

The hamlet is waiting for a technician to arrive to fix it in the coming weeks because the hamlet has no one qualified to fix it.

- Casey Lessard

Fishing derby being planned

Kimmirut/Lake Harbour

Kimmirut is hoping to establish a fishing derby in the community, economic development officer Petanie Pitsiulak said.

The idea came from a community member who approached her to start one. The Arctic char derby would be in the spring of 2016.

A committee established to run the derby will run a 50/50 draw this week, with the proceeds going to the derby.

"We want three big prizes," Pitsiulak said. "So the people who are interested in helping fundraise are meeting (this) week and that's when they'll decide and plan more on funding."

The community has never had a derby, as far as she knows.

- Casey Lessard

Qulliq-making workshop coming

Ikaluktutiak/Cambridge Bay

The Kitikmeot Heritage Society has planned a qulliq-making workshop.

The workshop, which will take place Monday to Friday, Feb. 23 to 27, has 20 spots available.

The program is open to Inuit women over 18. Participants will be making their own qulliq, with the guidance of society elders. Once the qulliq is completed, each woman will learn to light it, and have their own qulliq-lighting ceremony.

The deadline for application is Feb. 18.

- Michele LeTourneau

Building a counselling space

Kangiqtugaapik/Clyde River

Clyde River's elders' committee is running a tent-making project starting this week.

The project is to teach people how to make a tent, which will be used for counselling on the land. Participants will not get to keep the tent they make. The group will consist of up to 10 people, Mimie Natanine wrote on a community Facebook page. Five people will be involved in the afternoons and five people in the evenings for three weeks from Feb. 16 to March 6.

- Casey Lessard

Man faces charges

Arviat

An Arviat man is facing nine charges after an incident in that community on Jan. 27.

Officers of the Arviat detachment of the RCMP responded to a complaint of a female being forcibly removed from her home, after being assaulted in front of her mother in the early morning hours.

Following an investigation, an adult male was charged with three counts of assault, three counts of uttering threats, one count of break and enter, one count of being unlawfully in a dwelling and one count of possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose.

The male was later released under several conditions, including no contact with the victim or her mother.

As of press time, the RCMP had not released the name of the man charged with the crimes.

- Darrell Greer

Jumpstart gets a boost

Chesterfield Inlet

A charity Toronto vs. Montreal hockey game was held in Chesterfield Inlet this past Sunday, Feb. 8

The game was held in support of the community's effort to partner with Canadian Tire's Jumpstart program, and featured draws for a number of great prizes.

This included an autographed Shea Weber sweater, a 32-inch TV, an all-around shock recharge and a Co-op mystery prize.

- Darrell Greer

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