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Monday, June 1, 2015
MLA considers seeking fracking plebiscite
Yellowknife Centre MLA Robert Hawkins is considering moving a motion in the legislative assembly this week calling for a plebiscite to be held this fall on fracking.
Hawkins said it would give residents of the territory a chance to clearly express support or disapproval of the practice used to extract oil and natural gas.
He suggested the plebiscite, which needs to be approved by the assembly to happen, would take place at the same time as the territorial election Nov. 23.
- Shane Magee
MLA Nadli in court
Deh Cho MLA Michael Nadli, charged with assault causing bodily harm, is to appear in territorial court in Yellowknife on June 4. Nadli, 50, was granted bail on April 8.
He was charged after an incident at a home in Fort Providence on April 5.
RCMP stated in a news release at that time that Nadli was arrested after a person was taken to the health centre in Fort Providence for treatment of non-life threatening injuries. There is a publication ban on evidence that could help identify the victim. Nadli has yet to enter a plea on the charge.
The Deh Cho MLA also hasn't been present for legislative assembly, which started its spring session May 27.
- John McFadden
Yk boil water advisory enters third week
A boil water advisory remains in place for Dettah, Ndilo and Yellowknife today.
Health officials issued the warning May 11, citing high levels of turbidity, or particulate matter, in drinking water pulled from Yellowknife River.
All water used for drinking, preparing food, hot and cold beverages, ice cubes and dental hygiene must be boiled.
Officials also remind residents that Brita water filters are not sufficient to disinfect water.
- Randi Beers
New minimum wage in effect
Minimum wage in the territory is increasing today from $10 per hour to $12.50.
This will make the NWT's minimum wage the highest in the country. This is the first increase since 2011.
The decision came after a review of social and economic factors and comparing current and average hourly wages in other jurisdictions across the country.
- Meagan Leonard
Schools busy preparing for graduation
Deh Cho
As June nears, schools across the Deh Cho are penciling in the dates for their award ceremonies and graduation.
In Fort Simpson, Thomas Simpson School will be holding its grad ceremony on June 6. At Bompas Elementary, the ceremony is scheduled for June 12.
Echo Dene School in Fort Liard will have its ceremony on June 12 following a feast. Echo Dene's award ceremony will be held June 18.
Students at Charles Tetcho School in Trout Lake will have their ceremony on June 24.
At Louie Norwegian School in Jean Marie River, an award ceremony will take place on June 24.
- April Hudson
Exercise abounds in Providence
Deh Gah Got'ie Koe/Fort Providence
Fort Providence is still holding regular gym nights every Monday to Friday, with open gym for younger youth and a variety of sports for older youth.
The hamlet pool will have its grand opening in mid-June.
- April Hudson
Birthday wishes in Wrigley
Pehdzeh Ki/Wrigley
Pehdzeh Ki is wishing a big Happy Birthday to Shenougha Hardisty, who turned 18 on May 26.
As with many of the communities in the Deh Cho, Wrigley students are hard at work prepping for the track and field championships in Hay River.
- April Hudson
Testing out a green thumb
Tthek'ehdeli/Jean Marie River
The community got a visit from the Department of Industry, Tourism and Investment on May 25. The department held presentations on garden-growing.
ITI representatives spent the day at Louie Norwegian School, where they and the school took a look at growing a community garden. Additionally, the school was given an indoor growing station.
In the evening, ITI invited the whole community out for a workshop on growing your own garden.
Typically, Louie Norwegian School helps students to plant a garden in the spring and then harvest it in the fall.
- April Hudson
The art of reading
Acho Dene Koe/Fort Liard
On May 27 the library held a storytelling session with Haisla First Nation writer Joe Starr.
The event included a book signing, door prizes and snacks throughout the evening.
Additionally, the community congratulates recreation manager Roslyn Firth, who was recognized at Sport North's annual awards banquet in Yellowknife, along with 11 other people.
- April Hudson
Good goose hunting
Aklavik and Ikaahuk/Sachs Harbour
This year's goose hunt in Aklavik and Sachs Harbour went well, residents say.
Environment Canada gave the go ahead for a spring goose hunt earlier this year after population numbers on Banks Island were estimated at nearly a half-million.
There was concern over the effect the geese could have on Arctic habitat if overgrazing occurred.
A large flock of snow geese appeared in Sachs Harbour May 20, said resident Kyle Donovan.
"There was a lot and everyone assumed it was the main run. The next day there was no more geese, it was quiet," he said May 26, adding the community thought the hunt was over at that point.
"But the day afterwards the main run came and it's been pretty steady since and there's a lot of geese flying right now."
Donovan brought home about 13 geese.
Aklavik residents also took advantage of the birds' arrival in the area and it turned out to be a successful, said community member Dean McLeod on May 26.
"Everybody got some goose," he said, adding community members are now hunting muskrat.
- Miranda Scotland
Ice pool winners named
Aklavik
Ed Hartley and Kevin Corrigan won the 18th annual David Husky memorial ice pool challenge in Aklavik.
The marker moved May 19 and passed the official pole, located about a quarter of a kilometre downstream, at about 12:27 p.m.
- Miranda Scotland
Inuvialuit Day coming up
Beaufort Delta
Planning for Inuvialuit Day is underway.
The Sachs Harbour Community Corporation has scheduled a barbecue and children's games for June 5. The recreation committee will hold a cod-fishing derby.
The fish must be caught on June 5 and with a hook, said acting recreation co-ordinator Kyle Donovan.
Paulatuk Community Corporation's preliminary plans are to have a barbecue, outdoor games, a drum dance and square dance. The schedule should be finalized by June 1.
Celebrations are also expected in Tuktoyaktuk, Ulukhaktok, Aklavik and Inuvik.
Inuvialuit Day marks the signing of the Inuvialuit Final Agreement, a comprehensive land claim, in 1984.
- Miranda Scotland
Territorial park in Smith recognized
Thebacha/Fort Smith
Queen Elizabeth Territorial Park in Fort Smith has received national recognition. The park has the 24th spot on a list of the 25 best camping areas in Canada by Explore Magazine.
On the list, it is just behind Trout River Campground in Newfoundland's Gros Morne National Park and just ahead of Kathleen Lake Campground in the Yukon's Kluane National Park.
The magazine praised Queen Elizabeth Territorial Park for its closeness to the rapids of the Slave River, and the short drive to the salt plains, marshes, grasslands and karst formations of Wood Buffalo National Park.
The number one spot on the list is held by Green Point Campground, which is located in British Columbia's Pacific Rim National Park.
- Miranda Scotland
Six cabins built on Mission Island
Deninu Ku'e/Fort Resolution
Deninu Ku'e First Nation in Fort Resolution is finishing up a project that has seen six cabins built on Mission Island.
The project will now see the addition of a gazebo, showers and washroom facilities.
Plus the area will be landscaped. No more cabins will be added, said Chief Louis Balsillie.
"This is it," he said.
The cabins have been built by the band with close to $300,000 in funding from the Department of Industry, Tourism and Investment, and CanNor.
De Beers Canada provided $25,000 for construction of the gazebo. The site is about six km from Fort Resolution and accessible by an unpaved road.
The channel that once separated Mission Island from the mainland was filled in many years ago.
- Paul Bickford
Military training based in Resolute
Qausuittuq/Resolute
If you have seen fighter jets streaking across the sky, this is why.
The Canadian Armed Forces and American military personnel are leading an exercise in the North to train in aerospace detection and defence.
Resolute Bay is playing host to the Royal Canadian Air Force mobile radar squadron training session. Two weeks ago, the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) warned residents to steer clear of its radar site 1.2 km west of the community's airport until June 9, when the operation ends.
Named Amalgam Dart, the exercise involved approximately 300 military personnel and 15 aircraft staging air operations from Nunavut, Alaska and the NWT.
Approximately 45 members of the Canadian Armed Forces were in Resolute during the training session.
"Exercise Amalgam Dart challenges our Forces to deploy and operate in the most challenging environment our continent has to offer," stated Maj.-Gen. David Wheeler, Commander, 1 Canadian Air Division/Canadian NORAD Region, in a news release.
- Stewart Burnett
Missing people found safe
Kugaaruk/Pelly Bay
Two people who went missing from Kugaaruk on May 23 were found safe May 28.
A 63-year-old male and 57-year-old female had gone out on the land and not returned, said Iqaluit RCMP Const. Malcolm McNeil.
"They had camping equipment with them," said McNeil, who wasn't sure if they also had survival tools such as rifles and gas.
A team of search and rescue volunteers was deterred by blizzard conditions early in the week and hoped for the weather to clear so they could search by plane. The pair were found walking home north of Kugaaruk.
- Stewart Burnett
Drugs and cash seized
Iglulik
After executing a search warrant on a residence in Iglulik May 20, RCMP arrested one woman and two men.
"The investigators seized over 400 grams of marijuana along with drug paraphernalia. Approximately $35,000 in cash was also seized in the home," stated RCMP Sgt. Yvonne Niego in a news release.
The woman, of Iglulik, was released from custody with a court date, while the two when who are from outside the territory were being held in custody in Iqaluit.
The arrests and seizures were the result of an ongoing investigation.
"The investigation is still ongoing but it did reveal the drugs were destined for resale in Iglulik," said Niego.
- Michele LeTourneau
Gjoa Haven celebrates college graduates
Uqsuqtuuq/Gjoa Haven
Nunavut Arctic College students who completed the Nunavut Teacher Education Program were congratulated in Gjoa Haven last week.
The students successfully finished the necessary coursework leading to a bachelor of education degree from the University of Regina. All of the students have been hired as teachers in the Gjoa Haven school system for the new academic year.
Graduates were Abby Anavilok, Eleanor Cipriano, Catherine Hiqiniq, Rhonda Nimiqtaqtuq and Rita Porter.
- Stewart Burnett
Sewage cleanup almost done
Mittimatalik/Pond Inlet
It's been three months since a state of emergency was caused by a lack of sewage trucks available to pick up waste but spills caused by backups in February are almost all cleaned up in Pond Inlet, where milder weather makes that cleanup more pressing to finish.
''We've got a great majority of the houses cleaned, not necessarily sanitized,'' said acting senior administrative officer Colin Saunders. ''There's only one or two more places they have to do, and once those are done, all we have to do is sanitize the ground for the thawing stuff.''
Saunders said the ground will be sanitized with chlorine bleach to ensure no communicable diseases are transferred from the ground to shoes to hands, etc.
''That's going to go around the places where there was frozen sewage,'' he said, noting the majority was completed while the sewage was still frozen.
Two larger buildings and a few homes still need attention, he said.
The hamlet had to charter sanitization equipment due to transportation delays with commercial cargo, he said, and that equipment only arrived last week.
- Casey Lessard
Resolute prepares for spring
Quasuittuq/Resolute
Once the bad weather stops, spring should be showing its face in Resolute soon.
''We are getting prepared for the spring,'' said Phillip Manik, economic development officer with the hamlet.
The community has seen open water to the south and it's opening up more now.
That means boating season is on the horizon as soon as the weather improves.
''We can boat now but we've had really bad weather, a lot of strong wind, so nobody has been really going on open water yet,'' said Manik.
''We're expecting wildlife sooner than later.''
- Stewart Burnett
Students celebrate spring festival and Heritage Day
Igluligaarjuk/Chesterfield Inlet
Students and staff members at Victor Sammurtok School in Chesterfield Inlet had the chance to enjoy some great times together away from the classroom when the school hosted its annual spring festival this past month.
Meanwhile, students at Tusarvik School in Repulse Bay (Naujaat) were busy developing their projects for the school's annual Heritage Day earlier last month.
- Darrell Greer
Summer camp training set
Kangiqtugaapik/Clyde River
Clyde River is preparing for its summer camps with the hamlet sending five people south to Iqaluit for training this month to learn how to lead the camps.
Some people were lined up for the job but they were too old to be eligible, said Clark Qalluq, the hamlet's new recreation co-ordinator.
''We've got to try to find other people to fill those positions,'' he said, noting he will be one of the five people receiving the training. He needed to find the staff by this past weekend.
The summer camp dates are not yet set, he said, but will likely be about two weeks. The training is from June 14 to 19.
The daily camp is designed for boys and girls from ages five to 14. He expects more than 30 children to participate.
- Casey Lessard
Free youth summer day camp
Sanirajak/Hall Beach
Hall Beach is hosting a free summer day camp for youth ages six to 14 toward the end of June.
The hamlet has partnered with the Recreation and Parks Association of Nunavut and the Kakivak Association to
offer the camp.
''It's something to keep (youth) busy every day,'' said Kimberley Young, recreation co-ordinator for the hamlet. ''We're going to be training some of our local residents to run the camp and it'll be open to all the kids.''
The camp will be free for youth and offer crafts, art and sports such as soccer, basketball and baseball.
- Stewart Burnett
Oral health screening hosted by government this month
Iqaluit
The Government of Nunavut will be offering free oral health screening in Iqaluit June 11 and 12.
The screening is available for infants and children up to eight years of age, and will be offered at Building 526, beside the old hospital.
Screening will include checking the gums and teeth, and any followup care will be provided by a dental therapist or hygienist.
All children will receive a free kit, including a toothbrush and toothpaste, and any parents bringing their children will be entered in a draw for a healthy meal bag.
The project is funded by the Department of Health and Health Canada.
- Casey Lessard
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