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Friday, June 3, 2016
A Tribe Called Red coming to Folk
Folk on the Rocks has named A Tribe Called Red as a headliner performing at the music festival in July.
The announcement was made yesterday morning. Folk on the Rocks is scheduled for July 15 to 17 and tickets are available on the festival's website.
- Robin Grant
Meeting set for disabilities funding
A special city council meeting has been called for Tuesday evening to consider whether to provide an additional $9,000 in funding to the NWT Disabilities Council. That's the amount council had reduced its grant to the organization earlier this year - money used to pay staff for children with higher needs attending city summer camps. When the disabilities council objected, councillors began to reconsider and asked staff to come back with a way to provide the money.
The meeting takes place in council chambers at 7 p.m.
- Shane Magee
Mackenzie Gas deadline extended
The National Energy Board yesterday extended the deadline for construction to start on the long-delayed Mackenzie Gas Project to 2022.
Imperial Oil Resources Ventures Ltd.'s plan involves developing three natural gas fields in and around the Mackenzie Delta, a processing plant and the transportation of the natural gas extracted south through 1,842-kilometres of pipelines.
Imperial spokesperson Lisa Schmidt welcomed the news in an e-mailed statement, writing it gives time for natural gas prices to recover to reassess whether the project is economically viable.
- Shane Magee
Top cop heading to Ottawa
One of the top police officers in the territory will soon be taking a new position in Ottawa.
RCMP Chief Superintendent Ron Smith has been commanding officer of G Division since 2014. According to RCMP spokesperson Elenore Sturko, Smith takes up his new post at the Mounties' national headquarters this summer. Smith came to the division in 2011 to serve as criminal operations officer.
A new commanding officer has not yet been named.
- Shane Magee
Thursday, June 2, 2016
Small fire extinuished near Kakisa
Fire crews in the South Slave region put out a small wildfire 16 kilometres from Kakisa on May 28.
According to a weekly fire update from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, the fire may have started after someone abandoned a campfire.
The fire, the first one in the South Slave for 2016, has been declared out.
On their Facebook page, Environment and Natural Resources reminded campers to make sure to wet, stir and re-wet ashes from their campfires before leaving them, with a note that the fire is only out if the ashes are cool.
On May 30, fire danger across the territory was low to moderate but temperatures in the south were expected to rise as the week progressed.
Territorial budget released
The territorial budget for 2016-17 was due to be released the afternoon of June 1, one day after the legislative assembly began its summer session.
That same day, eight MLAs were expected to be absent from the legislature.
A ministerial travel note dated May 26 states Premier Bob McLeod, Transportation Minister Wally Schumann and Education, Culture and Employment Minister Alfred Moses would be in Hay River that day, accompanied by MLAs RJ Simpson, Herb Nakimayak, Michael Nadli, Shane Thompson and Speaker Jackson Lafferty.
Track and field championships on the go
Youth from around the Deh Cho are in Hay River for the annual track and field championships, after wrapping up a month of preparations for the event.
The championships began June 1 and are set to run until June 3.
Deh Cho snags awards
Two community members from the Deh Cho were honoured with awards at the Northwest Territories Association of Communities annual general meeting on May 5.
In a newsletter sent out May 30, the association states Fort Simpson's Tom Wilson has received the Long Service Award, while Fort Liard's Leona Berreault has won the Outstanding Youth Award.
Berreault's award was presented by the Department of Municipal and Community Affairs as part of the Outstanding Volunteer Awards.
Busy budget day in store for MLAs
It will be a very busy June 1 for the premier, the Speaker, several cabinet ministers and MLAs.
They were all to be in the legislative assembly that afternoon as Finance Minister Robert C. McLeod delivers his first budget. Then Premier Bob McLeod, cabinet ministers Wally Schumann and Alfred Moses, regular MLAs R.J. Simpson, Herb Nakimayak, Michael Nadli and Shane Thompson and Speaker Jackson Lafferty were to board a plane to Hay River to attend the NWT Track and Field Championships.
They will be back June 2 for the legislative assembly's afternoon sitting.
– John McFadden
Gas company gives back
Inuvik Gas recently donated more than 200 items of food for the food bank as part of a contest for its customers.
Organizer Daphnee Cairns said that over the course of two months in March and April, customers were encouraged to bring in non-perishable items when they paid their bill. Each item was an entry, and in the end, names were drawn for $500, $300, and $200 gas credits. About 25 people participated, she said. Contest winners were first Kendra Tingmiak, second Sean Cairns and third Barb Lennie.
While there are no official plans for a follow-up, Cairns said the company plans to do something similar in the fall in the lead up to the holidays.
Tackling graffiti
The Town of Inuvik has issued its yearly plea to residents to help fight graffiti this season.
Anyone who spots graffiti on their own property, the utilidor, or in public spaces and parks are encouraged to call the town. Several summer students as well as regular public works staff have been tasked with combating the eyesore once again this season.
Public meeting held for satellite station
Inuvik's town council will be holding a public meeting starting at 7 p.m. June 22 with regards to a proposed bylaw change that would allow land along the highway to be rezoned for a satellite facility.
The meeting will take place in council chambers at town hall, directly before a council meeting. Anyone may speak at this meeting.
Anyone who writes to make their voice heard but is unable to attend may send in a written submission to the development officer for the town prior to June 22.
Last month, Tom Zubko went before council to ask for the rezoning to allow for a second satellite facility. While he maintained that more satellites, whether they are at the current station or a new one, are a good thing for business and the community overall, MDA Geospatial Services Inc., the managers of the federal site, sent a letter of opposition to Inuvik town council at the end of April outlining their concerns, including that the second facility would "set a precedent that may encourage more disruptive activity of this kind."
Student takes on national challenge
Grade 7 student Joshua DeKwant will be leaving Inuvik this week to take part in the Canadian Geographic Challenge.
Along with 19 other students from across the country, DeKwant will be tested on geography knowledge and represent his school, region and territory in Ottawa June 4 and 5. The top three contestants will receive $5,000, $3,000, and $2,000 respectively.
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