Evacuees from Alberta forest fire head north to find refuge
When a massive forest fire was approaching High Level and area early last week, some people headed north for safety. They included members of Dene Tha’ First Nation from the communities of Bushe River, Meander River and Chateh. Most of them found refuge on the Hay River Reserve. “We evacuated this way because we have...
AROUND THE NORTH: FoodSafe course trains Deline
FoodSafe course trains Deline Deline At least 10 people in Deline recently learned how to safely and properly handle food. Aurora College offered free FoodSafe Training on May 17 as a short course, meant to prepare community members for work in the culinary industry. The course, scheduled to take place at 1 p.m. at Deline...
EDITORIAL: The land an unforgiving place
The recent tragedy involving the party of three who went missing after snowmobiling out of Dettah for Lutsel K’e earlier this month once again reminds us of the risks that go with travelling on the land. Our hearts go out to the communities and families impacted by the loss of Samuel Boucher, Cammy Boucher, and...
Oldest known fossil – found in NWT
Researchers have found the planet’s oldest fungus in NWT, according to an article published in science journal Nature on May 22. Found in Tukktut Nogait National Park, the billion-year-old fungus is a surprisingly intricate microfossil, and is now the world’s oldest known sample, beating out a 410-million-year-old one found in Scotland. So far there has...
NASA exploring in the North
Two NWT women are working with the world’s preeminent scientific organization to build a bridge between traditional knowledge and Western climate change science. Deline’s Joanne Speakman and Mandy Bayha were in San Diego, Calif. last week to present on the link between their people and the Northern landscape at a conference held by the National...
Some fire bans declared in South Slave
Fire bans have now been put in place in two South Slave communities, following last week’s battle with out of control wildfires near High Level. The Town of Fort Smith put in place a full ban on May 21 and a partial ban was put into effect in Hay River on the same day. Additional...
Charlene Catholique, missing since 1990, featured in nation-wide campaign
It’s been 28 years, 10 months and two days since 15-year-old Charlene Catholique disappeared. Today, on May 24, nearly three decades after Catholique went missing on her way back to Yellowknife from Behchoko on July 22, 1990, a national missing persons initiative is shining a light on the still unresolved case in the hopes of...
Five-year sentence for Edmonton man busted in Fort Providence with AR-15, cocaine
An Edmonton man arrested in Fort Providence with over 130 grams of cocaine and a loaded AR-15 rifle has been sentenced to five years in prison. Cassiuis Paradis, 30, was pulled over in October 2018 by a pair of Mounties — tipped off by residents to suspected drug trafficking — as he and a teenage...
Let’s talk weed
When I sat down with Dez Loreen to discuss his upcoming stoner-comedy film, I was a little surprised at how open he was to sharing his cannabis use with me on record. It was obvious to see the impact that smoking weed has had on Loreen and his life. Contrary to popular belief, cannabis hasn’t...
The new great age of British hockey … yes, it’s a thing
It’s incredible what the offer of free beer will do to people. A brewery in North Carolina had one of its delivery vans stolen in the early hours of May 20, leading to quite the offer from the Unknown Brewing Company: find our van and the owner will give you a keg party. It was...
Our Beautiful North Winner: May 23rd, 2019
Winner: Tanya Krueger
Yellowknife, NT
“Streets of Fire” - the North has the most magical skies, Photo taken on...
Hay River to get mobile event stage
The Town of Hay River is getting a mobile stage. At its May 14 meeting, council awarded a tender for the stage to Aurora Freightliner for a price not to exceed $130,000, excluding GST. The portable stage was included in the town ‘s 2019 capital budget, and is part of a joint beach upgrade project...
A ‘totally different’ approach to corrections
We’ve heard sentencing spiels from judges many times as they send offenders away to jail. There are several sentencing principles that judges often mention, including the concept of deterrence. It’s the idea that incarcerating people will make them less likely to reoffend, while also sending a warning to others who may harbour criminal thoughts. Over...
Body found near Lutsel K’e identified as missing traveller
A deceased individual located Friday in open water near Lutsel K’e has been identified as Samuel Boucher, 65, one of three travellers reported missing en route to the community early last week, Yellowknife RCMP have confirmed. Boucher, along with twenty-three-year-old Cammy Boucher – reported to be his daughter – and a man police now believed...
New Synchro Club making splash in Hay River
Hay River has something brand new at its pool – a synchronized swimming club. “I just called it Synchro Club because it’s just kind of the start of something,” said Ashley Coombs, the supervisor of aquatics with the Town of Hay River. “So from here we’ll be able to assess and see how it grows...
Dog in Hay River gets wheelchair to help move around
Floyd the dog has gotten some extra special help from his owners to keep him mobile in his golden years. His owners have ordered a wheelchair – which could also be described as something akin to a Roman chariot – to allow him to move around after his hind legs began to fail. Floyd is...
More money to rebuild training room at Emergency Response Training Centre in Hay River
Hay River town council has upped the amount of money to rebuild the training room at the Emergency Response Training Centre, which was hit by fire in 2016. However, the actual cost to the town will remain $5,000 as the rest of the expense is expected to be covered by insurance. At its May 14...
Highrise fire fundraising in Hay River collects $9,400
A fundraising effort for people displaced by the March 15 fire at the Mackenzie Place highrise has basically wrapped up with a total of $9,400 having been collected. Rev. Francis Delaplain of St. Andrew’s Anglican Church said people can still contribute to a GoFundMe page or drop off donations. “It does seem to have subsided,...
Raging wildfires force evacuation of High Level, Alta.
Raging wildfires near the town of High Level, Alta., are forcing residents to flee the community. The town, home to more than 3,000 people, issued an evacuation order at 4 p.m. Monday, telling residents to expect to be away from their homes for at least three days. The evacuation comes a day after Alberta Fire...
Three fires in South Slave caused by people – ENR
Three man-made fires started in the South Slave region in the past 48 hours has the Government of the Northwest Territories warning residents not to be careless. In a post made by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (ENR) on Monday, one of the three fires broke out in Pine Point and two in...
Inuvik town councillor to release stoner-comedy film later this year
Nine years after writing the script, Inuvik town councillor and assistant deputy mayor Dez Loreen is ready to start filming his stoner-comedy film later this summer. After producing multiple minute-long Dead North shorts and other brief film projects, Loreen said that the time is here to finally begin the production of his 40-minute-long stoner movie,...
Thousands of dollars raised for schools in Inuvik and Tuktoyaktuk
Three individuals spent their May long weekend walking approximately 150 km from Inuvik to Tuktoyaktuk in an effort to raise money for Inuvik’s East Three Schools and Tuktoyaktuk’s Mangilaluk School. From May 17 to 20, Peter Clarkson, Nicole Petersen and David Elmy walked along the Inuvik-Tuktoyaktuk Highway for around 37 km each day, taking them...
MLAs gather feedback on bills in Hay River
Hay River residents have had their chance to offer opinions on two new bills before the Legislative Assembly – the Corrections Act and the Post-Secondary Education Act. They had their say at a May 14 public hearing of the assembly’s Standing Committee on Social Development. On the Post-Secondary Education Act, concern was raised that the...
Inuvik Hackathon addresses housing concerns
Housing was the focus of the Gordon Foundation’s third Northern Policy Hackathon, which saw more than 20 representatives from regions across the North come together in Inuvik to generate a number of recommendations for the federal government to help address the various issues surrounding Northern housing. “It’s very much group work. It’s not a conference....
Hay River Soup Kitchen forced to scale back services
The Hay River Soup Kitchen has decided to suspend distribution of food hampers. However, soup and sandwich lunches will continue to be offered three times a week – Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Chris Aitken, the president of the Soup Kitchen, explained the change is necessary because of high demand and rising prices for food. “We...
Off grid in Fort Smith
A new, almost entirely self-sufficient building in Fort Smith made it through its first winter and celebrated its grand opening earlier this month. Stand Alone Energy, run by former Western Arctic MP Dennis Bevington and Jack Van Camp, led the design and construction of the Boreal Sun Building with the aim of it providing its...
Fort Smith Metis Council buys quad to transport elders
The Fort Smith Metis Council has purchased a quad to transport elders free of charge. The Council purchased the four-seater side-by-side last year for roughly $26,000. Since then, the Council hired a driver and installed a roof, doors and windshield on the vehicle for safety. Elders can summon the quad simply by calling the Metis...
Green Party delays nomination
The Green Party pushed back its nomination, originally scheduled for its May 10 meeting. At the meeting, the two hopefuls – William Gagnon and Paul Falvo – fielded questions from party members. Despite a planned vote, the decision was delayed to complete the creation of an Electoral District Association, which is expected to hold its...
Alberta wildfire smoke blows north
Smoke from fires raging near High Level, Alta., blew into the North on Sunday, according to FireSmoke Canada. Alberta Fire issued a wildfire alert on May 19 for High Level, advising residents to remain vigilant and review family safety procedures. The town, which is roughly 740 kilometres northwest of Edmonton, is under no immediate threat,...