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Newsbriefs: Friday, August 11, 2017
Akeem Haynes in action
A man who made Yellowknifers proud winning bronze at the Summer Olympics in Brazil last year will try and do it all again, tomorrow.
Akeem Haynes is competing in the Canadian men's 4 x 100-metre relay at the World Athletics Championships in London, England. For early-rising fans, heats begin at 3:55 a.m. (MDT). If Canada qualifies for the finals, Haynes will be racing for gold at 2:50 p.m.
- James McCarthy
Scent of pot leads to arrest
A man has been charged with possession of marijuana for the purpose of trafficking following a bust on Monday morning at the Yellowknife Airport.
According to a news release from RCMP, the Mounties were called to the Air Tindi hangar in response to the scent of pot on Lucas Enzoe, 21. Officers arrested Enzoe, searched him and seized eight bags of marijuana. Through subsequent investigation, about 214 grams of marijuana was confiscated, according to the RCMP. Enzoe was released and is scheduled to appear in court on Sept. 12.
- John McFadden
Candidates for Ndilo chief announced
Three candidates are running for chief in Ndilo.
Returning officer Phil Moon Son confirmed incumbent Ndilo chief Ernest Betsina, Alex Beaulieu and Shirley Tsetta are competing for the post. Yellowknives Dene First Nation members can cast their vote on Sept. 6 in three locations: the Dettah gym, the Ndilo gym and the Tree of Peace in Yellowknife.
To vote, members need to bring a government issued ID. Members may also need to provide their status number.
- Emelie Peacock
Man charged with assault
A Yellowknife man has been charged with assault for an attack on a woman Aug. 2.
According to a news release from the RCMP, officers responded to an assault in progress in the Frame Lake south area at about 11 p.m. Walter Black, 20, attempted to flee the scene on foot but officers arrested him, police stated, adding the victim was taken to Stanton Territorial Hospital for treatment. RCMP is yet to provide an update on the woman's condition. Black was released and is scheduled to appear in court Sept. 12.
- John McFadden
Newsbriefs: Thursday, August 10, 2017
Inuvik mother dies in Yukon collision
Friends and colleagues identified Shannon Ciboci as the Inuvik mother who died in a tragic vehicle incident near Pelly Crossing in Yukon.
Pelly Crossing RCMP, along with two community nurses and emergency medical staff, attended the scene of a collision at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, July 26.
Upon arrival at the scene, a 23-year-old woman was located deceased outside an older GMC truck from the Northwest Territories.
The other occupants of the vehicle, a 33-year-old male driver and two-year-old passenger, sustained injuries and were transported to Whitehorse General Hospital by air ambulance for treatment.
An RCMP collision analyst attended the scene and determined that the vehicle was travelling southbound on the Klondike Highway, heading towards Whitehorse, when it left the road and rolled into the ditch. There was significant damage to the vehicle.
The cause of the collision was still under investigation at press time.
Ciboci was mother to three children.
Fire danger high
As of Aug. 7, there had been 22 fires to date in the Inuvik region this summer.
Twenty of them are out, with two being monitored for 'values protection', the GNWT's term for the properties and areas it intends to protect.
One fire was approximately 13 km north of Tsiigehtchic at 22,200 hectares on Aug. 7. There was no threat to properties at the time of reporting.
Another fire was 23 km south of Fort McPherson at 6,598 hectares. That fire had values protection work being done on cabins in the area.
In the territory as a whole, 194 fires have been reported this summer, affecting 368,887 hectares. Seventy-seven fires had been declared out, three were under control, four were being fought and 110 were being monitored for values protection.
Millions in gas tax funding
The Government of Canada will be delivering more than $15.7 million in funding through the federal gas tax fund to communities in the Northwest Territories this year.
In July, the government delivered the first of the two annual payments.
The funding, which flows through the territorial government, is made available to support community infrastructure projects.
This year's funding per community:
Inuvik - $1,264,000
Fort McPherson - $396,000
Tuktoyaktuk - $386,000
Aklavik - $324,000
Ulukhaktok - $272,000
Paulatuk - $219,000
Tsiigehtchic - $75,000.
NWT GDP at 12.2 per cent
With the Gahcho Kue diamond mine entering full production, the territory's GDP is burning hot at 12.2 per cent this year, according to the Conference Board of Canada.
Yukon, by contrast, can expect a mild contraction of 0.7 per cent this year, while Nunavut will expand by 6.4 per cent thanks to planned mineral production increases at Meadowbank and Mary River.
Though growth for the NWT looks high for 2017, the future is not as encouraging.
No metal mines have been in operation since the Cantung mine closed in 2015, and oil and gas production continues to decline. The NWT's GDP is forecast to decline by an average of 1.7 per cent annually over 2018-20.
"With the diamond mining industry maturing and Diavik ceasing operations around 2025, the remainder of the Northwest Territories' economy will struggle," states the report.
The territory's construction industry is expected to continue its decline this year, while an aging population and declining mining output will limit job creation over the next 15 years.
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