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Monday, September 19, 2016
Study: Sea ice vital to polar bear survivalPolar bears can't adapt to only eating food found on land, according to a study published this month.
The University of Alberta, Manitoba Sustainable Development and Environment and Climate Change Canada partnered on the study, which concluded that polar bears eating land-based food lose as much fat as bears that don't eat at all.
Other studies had suggested the bears could make up for calories lost waiting for sea ice to form by eating other sources of food, but the most recent study concluded that's not possible.
- Kassina Ryder
Missing hunterfound safe
Missing Fort McPherson hunter Lanny Stewart was found safe on Sept. 10 by community search and rescue volunteers, a news release from the RCMP stated.
Stewart had been missing since Sept. 5 after failing to return to the James Creek hunting camp. He was considered to be in good health when he was located and he declined medical assistance, the release stated.
- Kassina Ryder
Mackenzie bison numbers increase
A territorial government survey this year of the Mackenzie bison population has found a slight increase in the number of animals.
There were an estimated 850 in early 2016, compared to the estimated 700 in 2013. The aerial survey was conducted by Department of Environment and Natural Resources staff and five observers from Fort Providence between Feb. 20 and March 6.
The next population survey for the Mackenzie bison population is planned for 2019.
- Paul Bickford
Imperial Oil's Norman Wells operation for sale
Imperial Oil is marketing its assets in Norman Wells, the company announced on Sept. 9.
"At this point we don't have a timeline to share," said spokesperson Lisa Schmidt.
Imperial Oil has producing wells, a central processing facility and a fuels distribution terminal in Norman Wells.
"Imperial recognizes the significance of this marketing effort and potential sale for people in the area and is in dialogue with Sahtu leaders about its plans," Schmidt stated in a news release.
The company has been operating in Norman Wells since the 1920s.
- Kassina Ryder
Raising funds in Tulita
Tulita/
Fort Norman
The Tulita recreation department and Chief Albert Wright School are partnering to host a volleyball fundraiser the weekend of Sept. 29, said recreation co-ordinator Archie Erigaktuk.
The First Annual Icebreaker Volleyball tournament aims to raise money to send the school's girls' volleyball team to Fort Smith in October.
The Icebreaker tournament, which will take place in the school gym, is open to co-ed teams with players aged 16 and up.
A canteen will be set up as a fundraiser and Bingo games are also scheduled to take place that weekend.
The prize for the winning team is $1,500 and the second place team will receive $900. The team that places third will receive $600.
- Kassina Ryder
Story Walk highlights Family Literacy Night
Behchoko/
Rae-Edzo
The Behchoko Community Library is hosting a Family Literacy Night on Sept. 27, said librarian Emily Jarvis.
One of the event's highlights is expected to be a Story Walk, which involves outdoor activities related to a particular book.
"I think it will be well-received," Jarvis said. Other activities are expected to include crafts and activities for families to do together and each child will receive a free book to take home.
Family Literacy Night is scheduled to run from 6 to 7:30 p.m.
- Kassina Ryder
Immigration talks ahead
Liidlii Kue/
Fort Simpson
The territorial Department of Education, Culture and Employment will be holding a focus group on Sept. 23 to inform its development of an immigration strategy.
There will be 12 participants, with business representatives meeting with the department's immigration unit and a consultant.
Areas of discussion will include attracting foreign nationals to the NWT in areas where skills are needed by Northern employers, improving partnerships with immigration stakeholders and diversifying and increasing investment.
- April Hudson
Labour Day grilling
Thebacha/Fort Smith
An annual Labour Day barbecue was held in Fort Smith on Sept. 5.
In all, 320 hamburgers and 132 hotdogs were eaten, and $215.73 was raised for the Fort Smith Animal Society. The event in Conibear Park is sponsored by the Northern Territories Federation of Labour and the Union of Northern Workers, Locals 2 and 12.
- Paul Bickford
Ski club to hold annual meeting
Thebacha/Fort Smith
The Fort Smith Ski Club has set the date for its annual general meeting.
The meeting will take place at the ski club on Sept. 19, beginning at 7 p.m.
All returning and new members are being invited to attend.
- Paul Bickford
Environmental monitoring offered
Tsiigehtchic/Arctic Red River
The Tsiigehtchic Learning Centre is offering a five-week environmental monitoring course beginning on Sept. 19, said acting adult educator Bob Mumford.
The course is scheduled to run until Oct. 21. About 10 students have signed up for the full-day course.
The centre is also offering academic upgrading for Grade 10, 11 and 12 courses, Mumford also said.
Distance education and online courses can also be arranged through the centre.
- Kassina Ryder
Bulb exchange a bright idea in the North
Inuvik
Sheena Adams, regional energy project co-ordinator with Arctic Energy Alliance, was at the Inuvik greenhouse recently as part of Arctic Energy Alliance's light bulb campaign, in which community members could swap out low-efficiency light bulbs with electricity-saving LEDs.
All residents in communities where energy is created by diesel generators will be visited by the Arctic Energy Alliance this fall.
"We've had an amazing response," said Adams.
Inuvik was the first community to get a visit, and halfway through the weekend Adams estimated 500 light bulbs had already been exchanged.
- Stewart Burnett
Exhibition to celebrate Fort Smith's 50th anniversary
Thebacha/Fort Smith
The Northern Life Museum and Cultural Centre is working on an exhibition to celebrate Fort Smith's 50th anniversary which was incorporated in 1966.
The museum is looking for residents' family photographs from 50 years ago to help it take a nostalgic look back.
The hope is to include as many people and places as possible ranging from the town's start 50 years ago to the present.
In addition, the museum is looking for photographs, memories, and stories of Fort Smith's festivals and events over the years, such as Wood Buffalo Frolics, the South Slave Friendship Festival, the Slave River Paddlefest and Summer Splash.
All photographs will be scanned and returned. The museum will only keep a digital copy.
Any items loaned for display will be returned after the exhibition, which is likely to happen in mid-November. All submissions must be made before Sept. 16 to be included in the exhibit.
- Kassina Ryder
Making beet relish in Norman Wells
Lli Goline/
Norman Wells
The Norman Wells Historical Centre was scheduled to host a beet relish workshop on Sept. 17, assistant manager Jordan Chubb.
The workshop was expected to take place at the Royal Canadian Legion Branch 287 at 10:30 a.m.
The free event is part of the centre's Interpretation Program, which provides funding for local workshops, including a fireweed jelly-making workshop and a dry-meat demonstration that took place this summer.
- Kassina Ryder
Planned fitness centre gets revision
Liidlii Kue/Fort Simpson
Councillors voted to approve a revised floor plan for the village's proposed fitness centre. The new plan would include changes to the layout of the second floor as well as a roof over one area to be used as a youth centre.
The changes were recommended by the village's architect, Wayne Guy.
- April Hudson
Historical Fall Fair
Liidlii Kue/Fort Simpson
The Fort Simpson Historical Society will be hosting a fall fair on Oct. 1 from noon to 5 p.m. in the recreation centre.
The society is looking for vendors for the fair. The fair will include draws for turkeys and a pie-eating contest.
- April Hudson
Fall hunt begins
Sambaa K'e/ Trout Lake
Community members in Sambaa K'e are heading out this month for their annual fall hunt.
The Sambaa K'e band office was expected to shut down Sept. 9 for two weeks for the hunting season, picking back up on Sept. 26.
- April Hudson
Chpewyan Scramble launched in Fort Smith
Thebacha/Fort Smith
The South Slave Divisional Education Council has just launched a board game called Chpewyan Scramble.
The game is based on Scrabble, but uses the Chpewyan alphabet, the council said in a news release.
Paul Boucher, Chpewyan language instructor at Paul W. Kaeser High School, designed the game, which has already been played by students at the school.
Boucher has students use a Chipewyan Dictionary while playing the game, the press release stated.
The SSDEC is now looking at creating Cree and Slavey versions.
- Kassina Ryder
Walking program starts up
Deh Gah Got'ie Koe/Fort Providence
An evening walk program has begun in Fort Providence, with the first walk kicking off Sept. 13.
The program will run Tuesday and Thursday evenings at 7 p.m., starting at the boardwalk across from the Northern store.
The program is free for all ages and will run until Sept. 22, with the possibility of continuing into October.
- April Hudson
Gwich'in Tribal Council president on tour
Aklavik
Gwich'in Tribal Council president Bobbie Jo Greenland Morgan is travelling to Aklavik, Tsiigehtchic, Fort McPherson and Inuvik as part of a GTC executive tour, according to information from the GTC.
Vice president Jordan Peterson will also be on the tour, which aims to connect the GTC to communities and Designated Gwich'in Organizations.
A meeting was scheduled to take place in Inuvik on Sept. 13 and in Tsiigehtchic the following day.
A date for the Aklavik meeting has not yet been announced.
- Kassina Ryder
ATV rams RCMP garage
Kangiqtugaapik/Clyde River
Clyde River RCMP received a call about an erratic driver on an all-terrain vehicle at approximately 5 a.m. Sept. 10.
Prior to arriving on the scene to investigate, Mounties "heard a loud crash," stated Const. Lurene Dillon in a news release.
"The responders located an ATV parked next to the RCMP garage door which appeared to have significant damage. The suspect was located and arrested at the scene of the crash," stated Dillon.
A Clyde River resident was charged with one count of operating a vehicle while impaired, one count of breaking and entering, one count of causing a disturbance and four counts of mischief.
The accused also faces two municipal bylaw charges for driving without insurance and without a helmet. He was released and is scheduled to appear before the Nunavut Court of Justice om Oct. 17.
- Michele LeTourneau
Community on botulism watch
Sanikiluaq
Residents of Sanikiluaq are advised not to eat fermented seal meat following a notification by the Department of Health Sept. 12.
Public Health is investigating reports of people becoming ill with botulism after eating fermented seal meat, a news release stated.
Botulism is food poisoning caused by the bacterium botulinum growing on improperly sterilized canned meats and other preserved foods.
People who have eaten this food should watch out for diarrhea, nausea and vomiting, feeling weak or tired, blurred vision, weakness of the arms, chest muscles and legs, and trouble breathing.
Persons with these symptom are advised to contact the health centre.
Officials are also requesting that anyone with leftover fermented seal that could be used for testing contact the regional environmental health officer.
- Michele LeTourneau
Forum eyes economy
Iqaluit
Nunavut's Economic Development and Transportation Minister Monica Ell-Kanayuk hosted politicians representing Canada's Northern jurisdictions in Iqaluit last week.
"Development in the North will create many opportunities and advantages," stated Ell-Kanayuk in a news release. "We want responsible development of the North that benefits our residents. I look forward to continuing to work with our partners to advocate for increased infrastructure investment in the North."
The theme of the gathering was The North: Land of Opportunities and included federal Indigenous and Northern Affairs Minister Carolyn Bennett, Quebec Forests, Wildlife and Parks Minister Luc Blanchette, Newfoundland and Labrador Environment and Climate Change Minister Perry Trimper, Manitoba Indigenous and Municipal Relations Minister Eileen Clarke, Northwest Territories Industry, Tourism and Investment Minister Wally Schumann and Alberta Indigenous Affairs Minister Richard Feehan.
"It is imperative that all Canadians understand that the North is truly the land of opportunities," stated Bennett.
Ell-Kanayuk called the forum productive, adding, "Nunavut looks toward moving discussion into action with the creation of roads linking our Northern communities, marine facilities allowing better access to our fisheries and other resources, and improved airports."
- Michele LeTourneau
Community walks for life
Ikaluktutiak/Cambridge Bay
Members of Cambridge Bay donned tie-dyed t-shirts and walked through the community to celebrate life and remember those lost to suicide on the evening of Sept. 7 as part of Embrace Life events.
The event, which was organized by the Wellness Centre, started at the community hall with a prayer and qulliq lighting.
"Embrace life is about remembering our lost ones," said Joan Steinbach, addictions, alcohol and drug support worker at the Cambridge Bay Wellness Centre. "But also remembering that even though we do have loss we do have a bright future for the rest of our life."
Around 100 people joined in the walk.
The Embrace Life Walk was a joint event with the centre's colour fun run — hence the colourful t-shirts,
"When we combine it with the colour fun run it's supposed to be about fun and acceptance of everybody, every culture, every religion," Steinbach said.
The half-hour route went through the hamlet and ended back at the community centre for refreshments and prizes.
"We wanted to walk through the community to bring more awareness," said Steinbach.
- Beth Brown
Made-in-Nunavut films make a splash in Toronto
Iglulik/Iqaluit
Nunavut Inuit were well represented at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) last week
Zacharias Kunuk and Natar Ungalaq, co-directors of Maliglutit (The Searchers) received a standing ovation at the Winter Garden Theatre in Toronto, where the film premiered Sept. 12.
Kunuk has previously won awards and accolades for Atanarjuat, including the Camera d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival. Atanarjuat was also named the top Canadian film of all time in 2015.
One reviewer called Maliglutit riveting and said it was destined to become a Canadian classic.
The film, inspired by American director John Ford's 1956 classic The Searchers, tells the story of Kuanana, played by Benjamin Kunuk, whose wife and daughter are kidnapped. He and his son set off to find the men who kidnapped them.
Tanya Tagaq, who performs in the film's soundtrack, also performed at the premiere
Two Lovers and a Bear, directed by Montreal-born and Oscar-nominated Kim Nguyen, debuted Sept. 9. That film was shot in and around Iqaluit and also featured Inuit actors.
One reviewer said it was a "supremely moving, dreamy experience."
- Michele LeTourneau
Store compared to south
Kugluktuk/Coppermine
Renovations this past summer to the Kugluktuk Co-op have residents calling the grocery store their little Wal-Mart or mini southern store, said Kelly Holben of Arctic Co-operatives Limited.
The improvements done in July and August brought new refrigeration units, counter space and cashier areas.
Holben said members often make requests at annual meetings and the new renovations allow the company to stock more items that are requested.
"We doubled the size of the produce so we could bring in more fresh apples and pears and nectarines and strawberries, lettuce, and cantaloupe," said Holben.
Added space also allows the Co-op to broaden its assortment of ethnic foods.
He said the Kugluktuk Co-op has been very successful with profits in the last few years.
He also said that the renovation have no effect on food prices.
Customer Nadene McMenemy, manager of the Enokhok Inn and Suites, said she was surprised by how nice the renovations look.
"My attention was drawn to the left where they have their produce set up. It looked nice and fresh, it just reminded me of going in a grocery store down south," she said. "It was a place that you would want to go back and shop."
She said a positive customer experience is especially important at the Co-op. "With the Co-op, you have to support it or it doesn't grow."
The Co-op will also be getting a restaurant, to be named Tundra Take Out, around Christmas time. The restaurant is a diner-style stop with food like fries and chicken fingers.
McMenemy said this will be a fun addition to the community. "There are no restaurants in this town. For people who want those choices, that's great."
The Kugluktuk Co-op recently experienced a fire that was contained to an adjacent warehouse and had no effect on the main store or the new renovations.
- Beth Brown
Gin company issues apology
Iqaluit
A 2013 European advertising campaign by Ungava Gin sparked outrage when cartoon and sexualized images of Inuit sped through social media last week.
From all across the North, Inuit and non-Inuit alike called out the company for cultural appropriation.
On Sept. 14, the company's founder and president, Charles Crawford, issued a news release which contained an apology.
"Recently, members of the Inuit community have expressed serious concerns about an advertising and promotional campaign that we ran in Europe in 2013. We recognize that the campaign crossed an important line and has offended many people. For that, we are deeply sorry and we will do better," stated Crawford.
"The Ungava Peninsula at the northern tip of Quebec is the native home of six rare botanicals we use to produce Ungava gin, and there is no better place on Earth to grow them. The decision to call our gin Ungava was always intended to pay tribute to the land from which the gin is produced, and to celebrate the unmistakable beauty of the Ungava region.
"Although the campaign ended in 2013, we will review all of our owned media channels, including Facebook, Twitter and our website, to ensure any references to the campaign have been removed."
Toronto-based drinks group Corby Spirit & Wine reportedly recently acquired Ungava Gin along with a number of other brands from Domaines Pinnacle, a Quebec-based firm, for $12 million.
- Michele LeTourneau
Trade show begins
Iqaluit
The annual Nunavut Trade Show and Conference begins Sept. 19 in the territorial capital and continues to Sept. 21.
"Aside from the incredible opportunity to meet with countless businesses and organizations during the trade show, the opportunity to join workshops and conference sessions on current issues and trends in Nunavut, the Nunavut Trade Show and Conference also offers three nights of excellent networking opportunities, allowing participants to interact and get a taste for the local culture and entertainment," stated organizers in a news release.
The show was scheduled to begin with a "meet and greet" at the Arctic Winter Games Complex.
More than 300 delegates are expected to attend.
The Nunavut Business Achievement Awards are scheduled to be presented Sept. 20. The evening is to honour business people of Nunavut who have contributed to the economic development and growth in a dramatic manner. Awards are given for business of the year, businessperson of the year, lifetime achievement and special achievement.
- Michele LeTourneau
Community planning at open house
Ikaluktutiak/Cambridge Bay
A Sept. 13 community plan and zoning bylaw meeting made snowmobile trails a priority in Cambridge Bay.
The open house gave residents an opportunity to weigh in on a new 20-year development plan for zoning and bylaws.
Hamlet senior administrative officer Marla Limousin said some key requests of the community were regarding access to sea ice and snowmobile trails.
The hope is to identifying corridors of open space for formalized snowmobile trails, so that the trails are cleared for safety, and also to ensure space is left for the trails when new areas are being developed.
Attendees also wanted to see added walking trails and activity spaces for children and teenagers, adequate commercial space allotted to businesses, and attention paid to the Water Lake quarry pit and handling of drainage in the newer area of the community.
"We'll take the issues they brought up and we will incorporate them into the community planning and bylaw document," said Limousin.
She said construction of the Canadian High Arctic Research Station site greatly effected the zoning plan, which would have been done a few years ago but was held to await progression of the research station. Development that will result once CHARS is open also presents an unknown.
"We have to be really strategic with how we are developing, so we're densifying and creating smaller lots," said Limousin. "We're pretty hemmed in by DND boundaries." Two sides of the town run up against Department of National Defence land and another is bounded by water, so the hamlet only has one direction to work in, said Limousin.
She said at the existing rate of development it could take around 15 years for the available pocket of land to be developed.
- Beth Brown
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