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Monday, March 16, 2015
Premier discloses meetings
Premier Bob McLeod published a report on Thursday, March 12 disclosing his meetings with external parties in the past 14 months.
The report is in response to comments he made in the legislative assembly during a debate on a motion proposing a study of a lobbyist registry for the Northwest Territories.
"External parties" includes aboriginal leaders, federal ministers, foreign dignitaries and business leaders.
Beginning April 1, information on the premier's meetings will be proactively disclosed on a quarterly basis.
Plans are being finalized to include information about all ministers' meetings in the quarterly reports.
– Stewart Burnett
Mushroom info sessions continue
The GNWT’s ongoing information sessions on morel mushrooms roll on this week.
There will be meetings in Fort Smith today, Hay River on March 17, Kakisa on March 18 and Fort Providence on March 19.
Because of the extreme forest fire season last summer, a bumper crop of morel mushrooms is expected this year in the NWT.
The GNWT is informing people about how the mushrooms – a prized delicacy around the world – can be harvested and sold.
– Paul Bickford
K'atlodeeche sign on to devolution
Today in the legislative assembly the K'atlodeeche First Nation will become a party to the Northwest Territories Devolution Agreement. A signing event between Premier Bob McLeod and K'atlodeeche Chief Roy Fabian will seal the agreement.
K'atlodeeche First Nation withdrew from Dehcho First Nation in February 2013.
Dehcho First Nation and the Akaitcho Territory Government remain the last two First Nations who haven't signed on to devolution.
– Stewart Burnett
Annual dog races a go in Enterprise
The dates have been set for the Itzago dog sled races in Enterprise.
The annual event will be held April 4 and 5.
Each year, teams from around the NWT and Alberta participate in the competition.
The races take place on a trail along the side of Highway 1.
– Paul Bickford
Spring carnival just around the corner
Enterprise
The Enterprise Spring Carnival will be held later this month.
The annual event, featuring games, prizes and food, will begin at 1 p.m. on March 28 at the Enterprise Community Centre.
Many outdoor activities are scheduled, including tea boiling, log toss, snowshoe races, log sawing, snowmobile/ATV poker run, egg toss, snow treasure hunt, tarp pull, egg and spoon race and axe throw.
There will also be indoor games with small prizes.
The carnival is being presented by the Hamlet of Enterprise.
- Paul Bickford
Fort Smith sees rise in development permits
Thebacha/Fort Smith
The Town of Fort Smith saw a large increase in the number of development permits issued from 2013 to 2014.
In 2013 there were 35 development permits issued, but that number jumped to 58 in 2014.
Mayor Brad Brake said that was a very good 60 per cent increase.
"What it speaks to is the economy in Fort Smith," he said. "We're seeing a lot more development, which means there's a lot more activity within the town, more construction, more money being spent, more money being put into the economy."
The development permits range in value from thousands of dollars for additions to residences to the multi-million-dollar renovations to Fort Smith Centennial Arena.
- Paul Bickford
Fort Res school plans science fair
Deninu Ku'e/Fort Resolution
Deninu School in Fort Resolution is planning to hold a science fair March 25.
"It's our very first science fair," said principal Kate Powell.
Students in Grades 4 to 12 will be taking part.
Last year, Deninu School held a heritage fair.
Powell said in the future, the school plans to hold a science fair or a heritage fair on alternating years.
- Paul Bickford
Children get Gwich'in head start
Tetlit’Zheh/Fort McPherson
Aboriginal Head Start in Fort McPherson has incorporated the Gwich’in language into its programming.
Rosalie Ross, AHS language coordinator, is teaching preschoolers how to say everyday words, colours, and numbers in Gwich’in. She started in November and said the children have picked up the language quickly.
She can point to a picture and the students know how to say what it is in Gwich’in, she said.
"They’ve been going home and talking Gwich'in to their families, which is really good. I’m just so excited for them," said Ross. "I’ve been getting so many good comments from families in the community saying they’re happy their kids are doing well."
Ross sometimes takes the children to the elders home to share what they’re learning. The children also jig, waltz and square dance for the elders.
"We want to keep our language ongoing and our traditional culture," said Ross.
"It’s good to learn when you’re a small boy or girl."
- Miranda Scotland
Paulatuk pages do stint at legislative assembly
Paulatuk
Two Paulatuk students were recently chosen to participate in the legislative assembly’s page program.
Gloria Ruben and James Wolki started March 9 and will serve as pages until March 13. Their duties include distributing documents, delivering items, distributing translation receivers and preparing for and cleaning up after each sitting, according to the assembly website.
Ruben and Wolki were chosen for the job because of their good grades and have an attendance greater than 80 per cent, said Angik School principal Debbie Redden-Cormier.
"They’re going to do great representing our community!" she added.
- Miranda Scotland
An invite to traditional sewing
Ulukhaktok/Holman
Youth aged six to 18 are invited to the Kayutak Centre to learn traditional sewing. The Brighter Futures program runs Saturdays from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m.
Youth can sew whatever they want including mitts and hats, said Brighter Futures worker Donna Akhiatak. The program provides the materials, space and instructor.
There is always room for more people, said Akhiatak.
- Miranda Scotland
Resilience workshop postponed
Tuktoyaktuk
A resilience workshop is being postponed until later this month.
The workshop will teach coping strategies and participants will be encouraged to share their emotions as well as discover where those feelings are coming from, said community wellness worker Rita Green.
People interested in attending can still sign up. No specific date has been set but Green said she expects the workshop to run at the end of March.
- Miranda Scotland
Young people to go abroad
NWT
Twenty-four young people from across the NWT have been chosen to participate in Northern Youth Abroad this year.
Five youth from the Beaufort Delta – Charli Jo Elanik, Karen Benoit, Kyla Hvatum, Melody Teddy and Sydone Okheena – will be part of the uniquely Northern exchange program.
The project aims to build knowledge, bring cross-cultural awareness, develop leaders and improve self-confidence, among other objectives.
The Canadian program participants will travel to southern Canada for a six-week volunteer placement. Afterwards they are expected to complete a re-orientation in Ottawa and assignments, such as a reflection essay. Youth receive high school credits for participating in the program.
- Miranda Scotland
Carnival prep underway
Tthenaago/Nahanni Butte
A community team took part in and completed the Walk to Tuk, covering a collective distance of 1,749 kilometres.
A few children from Nahanni Butte are preparing to go compete in Fort Simpson as part of the Connie Loutit Memorial Soccer Tournament that starts March 20.
Preparations are underway for the community's spring carnival that will take place from March 27 to 29.
There will be some traditional games, volleyball and hockey tournaments, snowshoeing and a snowmobile race.
There will also be a feast and a drum dance with
drummers coming in from Wrigley.
- Miranda Scotland
Students learn about food
Uqsuqtuuq/Gjoa Haven
Quqshuun Ilihakvik school P1 students Tyra Ukutunnuaq, Rihanna Kogvek, Ivy Kaloon, Lindey Anavilok, Robbie Gee, George Palongayak, Jacob Jayko, Sydney Ameralik, Keesha Porter,Bianca Cipriano and Olivia Porter, along with their teacher Annie Akoak, spent a morning at the Northern store in their community March 10.
The visit was part of the nutritious foods curriculum.
Store manager Matt Gee guided the student around the store.
"The students were shown where the store sells healthy food items, and talked about the different colours of produce, where milk comes from, and about how nutritious foods can help you have strong bones, teeth, muscles and prevent illnesses," said Gee.
"Some of the students were surprised that people also drink milk from goats and sheep, and they learned that milk can be canned, powdered or liquid."
The students also had the opportunity to visit behind the scenes – where produce is prepared – and visited the walk-in cooler.
"The students then helped to select nutritious ingredients and had some healthy snacks while the manager prepared them all delicious strawberry-banana smoothies, before heading back to class," said Gee.
– Michele LeTourneau
Youth forum returns to Iqaluit
Iqaluit
Global Vision returns to Iqaluit to host its second Arctic Youth Ambassador Forum later this month.
The first was held in October and November and saw 60 youth from across Canada attend.
The next edition of the forum is March 18 to 22, with
roundtable discussions on environment, health care, education and food security scheduled.
The conference is free for youth and gives them an opportunity to discuss Northern issues.
Young people interested in registering can visit Global Vision's website.
– Casey Lessard
Warm rides home
Sanirajak/Hall Beach
The Hall Beach school bus is finally on the road and everyone is happy.
The first-ever bus for the community arrived during the last sealift season but it took a while to get a driver sorted out.
Hall Beach is a community that can see a lot of polar bears, which is one of the reasons the bus was purchased in the first place. Other reasons include extreme cold and long walking distances for children to come to school.
"It's minus 50 today and we all went 'Yay! It's warming up.' And they never close the school. We come to school in minus 62. It's been a brutally cold winter, minus 57, 58 almost every day," said Arnaqjuaq School principal Kim Hagarty.
All the more reason to celebrate having a school bus on the road. The bus has been in use since March 3.
– Michele LeTourneau
New administrator in hamlet
Panniqtuuq/Pangnirtung
After a long search, Pangnirtung finally has a new senior administrative officer, MLA Johnny Mike said March 5.
Shawn Trepanier is a former SAO for Whale Cove and will replace Ed Murphy, who was acting SAO in the interim. Trepanier is now on the job, Mike said.
"The Pangnirtung hamlet council went through serious financial issues," he said in the legislature. He was alluding to the hamlet's $1.5-million deficit. "The new SAO faces a difficult road ahead to resolve his challenges."
The hamlet has been without an SAO for more than a year since Ron Mongeau left.
– Casey Lessard
Top result in soccer
Kangiqliniq/Rankin Inlet
Soccer and volleyball teams from Rankin Inlet had a
busy go of it earlier this month.
The Rankin Inlet female volleyball team lost in the semifinals of a territorial tournament in Yellowknife.
However, two teams were victorious in another sport.
Both the Rankin Inlet female and male soccer squads claimed their respective banners at the Nunavut territorial soccer championship in Iqaluit earlier this month.
– Darrell Greer
Shorter spring break
Iqaluit
Iqaluit students have had an unusual number of days off this winter, so the Iqaluit District Education Authority and Qikiqtani School Operations are cancelling part of the spring break.
The education authority and operations office are returning three-and-a-half days to the schedule for the four schools under the education authority's management, a notice to parents issued March 11 states.
The notice points to emergencies, frozen pipes and weather days for the cancellations.
Students at Joamie and Nakasuk elementary schools, Aqsarniit middle school, and Inuksuk high school will attend classes March 30, 31, April 1, and the morning of April 2. These days were originally scheduled as sessional days. Schools will continue to close at noon April 2 to celebrate Toonik Tyme. The schools will be closed the following week as planned.
– Casey Lessard
Literacy nominations sought
Nunavut
Premier Peter Taptuna put out a call March 9 for nominations for the 2015 Council of Federation Literacy Award.
The award honours adults who support, encourage and share ways to strengthen literacy skills with others.
"Nominate someone who has gone above and beyond to support and encourage others to develop their literacy skills – a student, a teacher, a community volunteer, an Elder or a co-worker," stated Denise Grandemaison, media and languages communications coordinator for the Department of Executive and Intergovernmental Affairs.
The winner will be recognized with an inscribed medallion and certificate presented by Taptuna.
Deadline for nominations is June 26.
– Michele LeTourneau
Wastewater system on track
Sanikiluaq
A new sewage lagoon for Sanikiluaq is on track, Community and Government Services Minister Tom Sammurtok said March 6.
"The geotechnical and geophysical investigations have been completed and we are hoping to have the designs completed by the end of March," Sammurtok said.
Some work will be done on the project this summer, he said, and it should be done by next summer.
– Casey Lessard
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