Acho Dene Koe/Fort Liard
Tis the season to plan – not plant, quite yet – your garden.
As such, the Hay River-based Northern Farm Training Institute is making its rounds.
Get Growing Spring Gardener Workshop was set to take place in Fort Liard at the end of March, but had to be rescheduled. By press time, the new dates could not be determined.
The two day workshop covers planning individual and market gardens; seeding veggies; soil fertility and food preservation like dehydrating, canning and jamming.
Also, planning for markets will be covered, which equips participants to sell at farmers markets. Direct sales and how to plan for winter sales will also be touched on.
The original workshop was planned to take place at the community hall.
– Erin Steele
Caring Circle continues
Liidlii Kue/Fort Simpson
Ongoing efforts to create a more empowered community in Fort Simpson continue this month.
A Caring Circle encourages community members including families, elders and youth to come together to discuss “issues facing our community,” stated a bulletin advertising the program.
The meetings have been taking place monthly, the latest was scheduled for April 4 at the Sacred Heart Catholic Church.
“We are a circle that cares and will work together through our voices and actions to create a caring community,” states the bulletin.
The meeting is open to everybody with Mayor Darlene Sibbeston, residential school counsellor Raymond Pidzamecky and addictions specialist Robert Firth taking on leadership roles.
The next meeting is set for May 2.
– Erin Steele
Vet visit officially set
Liidlii Kue/Fort Simpson
The NWT SPCA will be in Fort Simpson April 16 to April 20 following a push from the community to make it a reality.
Troy Bellefontaine spearheaded the push and secured donations from the village and Dezoa Gogha, which help subsidize the visit. First Air also helped with transportation.
“I try to help with pets who are sick, injured or unwanted,” Bellefontaine told News/North in February.
General vet checks will cost $50; vaccines are $10 each, but the rabies vaccines are free. Spay and neuters will cost $150 each.
Clinics will take place at the rec centre.
– Erin Steele
Signs of spring: winter road closures
NWT
As the landscape warms in the Northwest Territories, some winter roads are shutting down for the season, the GNWT Department of Infrastructure announced April 8.
The Tulita to Norman Wells winter road shut down at noon April 9.
On April 11, the Norman Wells to Colville Lake winter road closed, also as of 12 p.m.
The Deline to Tulita winter road remained open to night traffic only – from 11 p.m. to 11 a.m. – but was also scheduled to close on April 13.
The Mackenzie Valley Winter Road, from Wrigley to Tulita, as well as the Sambaa K’e winter road, also both shut down March 31.
– Erin Steele
Visit Tulita virtually
Tulita/Fort Norman
Tulita is the first fly-in community to have its streets mapped with Google Street View, according to Parks Canada and residents got a sneak peak of it during the spring carnival.
Both Tulita and Naats’ihch’oh National Park Reserve, near the Yukon–Northwest Territories border will be on street view, the popular facet of Google Maps, which allows the virtual exploration of places online.
Visitors to the Parks Canada booth at the Farmers’ Market on April 7 – part of the Tulita Yamoria Spring Carnival – were set to be able to view the mapping.
It couldn’t be determined by press time when it would be live on Google.
Other parks viewable through Google Street View in the NWT include Pingo National Landmark near Tuktoyaktuk; Wood Buffalo National Park in the southern part of the territory; Aulavik National Park on Banks Island; and Tuktut Nogait National Park in the northeast corner of the territory, on the mainland.
– Erin Steele
First Nation looks to send participant to symposium
Tthek'ehdeli/Jean Marie River
Jean Marie River First Nation plans to send one person to the Stabilizing Indigenous Language Symposium in Lethbridge, Alta. this June.
“Interested persons should send a short note to (SAO Brenda Macdonald) explaining why they would like to go and what would they contribute to the discussion and/or bring back to the community,” states a bulletin informing community members of the plan.
The symposium, set for June 7 to 9, is “the oldest and largest gathering of Indigenous Language stakeholders in North America,” states its website.
Each day of the symposium will have a distinct focus and audience – research; instructional skills; and community, respectively.
– Erin Steele