No date yet set for rec centre opening
As of late last week, no date had been set for the opening of the new rec centre.
"So we don't have a set date for opening, but we will definitely be ready for Arctic Winter Games," said Ruth Boden, the acting senior administrative officer with the Town of Hay River.
The demolition-and-rebuild project of the rec centre began in the summer of 2016.
In late January, the Town of Hay River predicted the rec centre would be turned over from the contractor and opened to the public by mid-February.
The original target date for opening had been mid-December. That was pushed back to the end of January and then to the middle of February.
Schumann says airports improved
Infrastructure Minister Wally Schumann told the Legislative Assembly on Feb. 22 that a number of projects have been completed or are underway to maintain and improve airport infrastructure and operations, including in Hay River.
Among many other things, Schumann noted the government recently completed runway surface rehabilitations at the airports in Hay River, Inuvik and Yellowknife.
Schumann said the government is also committed to preventative maintenance, such as the improvement of drainage systems at the airports in Hay River, Inuvik, Yellowknife, Aklavik and Sachs Harbour.
Subsurface drainage problems lead to ongoing patching and repairs to airfields, he told the legislature. "Drainage improvements are expected to increase airfield stability and reduce the frequency of asphalt and granular overlays, thereby helping to reduce future maintenance costs and improve airfield reliability."
Film commission to present award
The Northwest Territories Film Commission (NWTFC) will present its first-ever industry award at this year's Dead North Film Festival in Yellowknife.
The NWTFC Best NWT Location Award will go annually to the filmmaker who selects the most unique, remote or fascinating location in the territory for a film.
According to a GNWT news release on Feb. 24, the award is designed to encourage filmmakers to explore new areas of the territory, and aligns with the NWT Film Rebate Program, which provides funding and added incentives for projects filmed outside of Yellowknife.
The Dead North Film Festival runs from Feb. 28 to March 4.