Minister approves dangerous offender request

The attorney general of Canada, Rob Nicholson, has signed off on the territory's Crown attorney office's request to have a known child molester declared a dangerous offender.

John Murray Melanson, 47, has a lengthy criminal record, including eight sexual crimes, and was deemed a high risk to re-offend by a psychiatrist in the spring.

The minister's approval means Supreme Court proceedings on the matter can proceed in Yellowknife beginning February 21, 2011. - Taylor Lambert

Terry Fox's brother visits Yk this month

Fred Fox, the brother of the legendary Terry Fox, will be in Yellowknife for one day on Thursday, Sept. 9 to promote the 30th anniversary of the Terry Fox Run, held on Sept. 19. Fred will be attending a free lunch open to the public from 12 p.m. to 1 p.m. at the legislative assembly. He'll then go to Range Lake North School at 1:30 p.m. for a school assembly and to participate in the school's version of the Terry Fox Run.

- Terrence McEachern

Services for NorthwesTel users disrupted

A construction company working on water and sewer lines damaged a copper cable on Range Lake Road at around 7:30 a.m. yesterday and disrupted local and long distance land-line telephone services and business and residential Internet services, said Sunny Patch, corporate communications manager for NorthwesTel.

The disruption was limited to customers on Range Lake Road and Finalyson Drive north area. Patch said services were expected to be restored by mid-afternoon.

- Terrence McEachern

Power loss

About 700 customers in Frame Lake South were without power Thursday morning after a disruption in the NWT Power Corporation's Blue Fish power line stopped transmission for about two minutes, causing a power outage at around 8:25 a.m., according to Mike Bradshaw, director of corporate communications for the NTPC.

Bradshaw said the company isn't sure what caused the outage.

- Terrence McEachern

Bison test positive for anthrax

Bison carcasses found in the Mackenzie Bison Sanctuary have tested positive for anthrax.

The Canadian Food Inspection Laboratory in Lethbridge, Alta., conducted the testing. A total of 10 bison were found dead within a four kilometre area near Mills Lake, which is 30 km northwest of Fort Providence.

The first carcasses were found on Aug. 13 during a routine anthrax surveillance flight. No new carcasses have been found since Aug. 22.

Engine problem closes ferry

A mechanical problem caused the Liard River ferry to close for the weekend.

The M.V. Lafferty developed an issue with its main engine during the week but continued to run. The decision was made to shut down the ferry so the problem could be fixed before it became worse, said Greg Whitlock, the regional superintendent of transportation.

The ferry was closed on Aug. 28 at 9 p.m. and reopened on Aug. 30 at 8 a.m. To alert travellers notices were placed on the department's website and the electronic message boards at Enterprise and the junction of Highway 1 and 3 on Friday.

Some travellers did arrive during the closure but made arrangements to be picked up by helicopter or boat, Whitlock said.

Terry Fox's brother in the Deh Cho

As the 30th anniversary of the Terry Fox Run approaches two communities in the Deh Cho will be receiving visits from a member of the Fox family.

Fred Fox, Terry's brother, will be in Fort Liard on Sept. 7. Fox will be speaking in two assemblies at the Echo Dene School before participating in the local Terry Fox Run.

Reed Smith, the school's principal, said he understands this is Fox's first visit to the territory.

"He's really excited about it, being the 30th anniversary of the Terry Fox Run," Smith said.

On the following day Fox will be in Fort Simpson.

Arts festival receives funding

The Open Sky Festival in Fort Simpson is one of 19 events in the territory receiving funding from the territorial government.

The festival will share in $181,000 Through the Support to Northern Performers program. The program is designed to develop and promote the arts in the territory by helping performing artists to participate in local and regional public festivals and events.

Education upgrade

Tthenaago/Nahanni Butte

Samantha Konisenta, the Nahanni Butte Dene Band's finance clerk, has left her position to study business administration at Grande Prairie Regional College.

Birthday wishes go out to Marilyn Marcellais on Sept. 2.

Taking in the fresh fall air

Sambaa K'e/Trout Lake

Community members are keeping busy boating and doing on the land activities.

Students returned to Charles Tetcho School on Aug. 30

The first step

Ka'a'gee Tu/Kakisa

Staff with FSC Architects and Engineers from Yellowknife held a community meeting in Kakisa on Aug. 31 to gather information and ideas about the planned community complex. Community members were asked about the kinds of events they hope to hold in the new building.

Staff from Indian and Northern Affairs Canada will be holding a meeting in the community on Sept. 2.

Happy belated birthday to Iain Leishman on Aug. 29.

Board slides and grinds

Liidlii Kue/Fort Simpson

The grand opening of the Fort Simpson skatepark will take place on Sept. 2 at 4 p.m. The event will include a barbecue and skateboarding demonstrations.

The Seven Spruce Golf Course will be hosting one of its final tournaments of the year on Sept. 11. The First Air Open will be a two-person scramble format over 18 holes.

And the winner is

Deh Gah Got'ie Koe/Fort Providence

The winners of the hamlet's yard beautification and cleanest yard contest have been announced. In first place with $300 is Agnes and John Silverthorn followed by Jim and Margaret Thom who won $200 and Kelvin and Darlene McLeod who won $100.

Deh Gah School will be hosting a welcome back to school and meet the teachers barbecue on Sept. 8 from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

The school will be hosting a fall cultural camp with a focus on medicinal plant collecting for education staff in the region from Sept. 13 to 17 at T'elemia Lodge.

Help through the hard times

Acho Dene Koe/Fort Liard

A grief workshop will be held on Sept. 22 to 23 in the hamlet's culture room from 1:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.

The Northwest Territories Housing Corporation will be doing a program intake in the community on Sept. 2 to 3 from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Father Wes Satanski will be celebrating mass in Fort Liard on Sept. 5 at 11 a.m.

Birthday wishes go out to Margaret Klondike on Aug. 31, John Gonet on Sept. 2 and Doris Duntra on Sept. 4.

Run for breast cancer

Inuvik's local CIBC Run for Our Lives breast cancer fundraiser is set for Sept. 12. This year's goal is to buy a digital mammography machine for Stanton Territorial Hospital. Besides Inuvik, the communities of Yellowknife, Hay River, Norman Wells and Fort Simpson are also participating in the event.

Derby rescheduled

Inuvik's sixth annual Demolition Derby was cancelled last weekend because of rainy weather and unfavourably muddy conditions in the Navy Road pit, but the event has been rescheduled for this Saturday, Sept. 4.

The event will also serve as a fundraiser for the fire department, and is scheduled to begin at 2 p.m. after a parade through town starting at the post office.

Annual general meetings

The Inuvik Child Development Centre, which works with young children and families, is set to hold its annual general meeting on Sept. 23 at Sir Alexander Mackenzie School at 7 p.m.

A week later, members of the public and interested volunteers are invited to the Inuvik Food Bank's annual general meeting on Sept. 30 in the Midnight Sun Recreation Complex's Sundog Room at 7 p.m.

Arena User group meeting to be held

Groups looking to book ice time at the Midnight Sun Complex must attend The Arena User group meeting on Sept. 7 at the facility's curling lounge. The meeting will take place 7 p.m. and one representative from each group must participate. This year user groups must have insurance, which can be purchased through the town or other organizations. Users with overdue accounts with the town will not be permitted to book ice time unless paid by Oct 6.

Climate change forum

Representatives from Ecology North will be holding a presentation at the Midnight Sun Centre today, Sept. 2, to discuss climate change and its effects on the NWT. The discussion, which will run from 7:30 to 9 p.m., is open to the public and will offer ideas on how to adapt and lessen the local effects of global warming.

For more information, contact Ecology North.

Back to school

Samuel Hearne Secondary School will welcome back its students next week. An assembly for new and returning students in Grades 10 to 12 will be held Sept 7 at 9 a.m. An assembly for students in Grades 7 to 9 will be at 1 p.m. Classes start Sept. 8. New students are strongly encouraged to pre-register at the school by Friday, Sept 3.

Rec centres switch it up

Tuktoyaktuk, Tsiigehtchic

Recreation centres in the Delta aren't immune to the kind of staff turnover that plagues businesses across the territory. Earlier this summer, two recreation co-ordinators in Tuk and Tsiigehtchic left their posts.

Lawrence Nitsiza, originally from the Tlicho region, held the job in Tsiigehtchic for about a year before moving away. In Tuk, Holly Ovayuak-Gruben left her job at Kitti Hall a few weeks ago.

Both have been replaced by temporary recreation co-ordinators as event planning calms down with summer's end and recreation departments begin to focus on fall programming.

Waiting for muskox season

Ikaahuk/Sachs Harbour

The end of summer is upon Sachs Harbour, a period of time that calls on residents to exercise patience. Earlier this week large amounts of fog enshrouded the community, making it difficult for scheduled planes to fly in or out, so many residents are waiting for it to clear before making strict travel plans.

The community is also still waiting for the last barge of the season to arrive, and with it all sorts of supplies that were initially expected earlier this month.

As well, Sachs Harbour residents look forward to the start of muskox season, which usually begins in mid-September and has traditionally involved a community hunt.

Back to school

Tsiigehtchic/Arctic Red River

Students and teachers in Tsiigehtchic will make a fresh start this school year. As students at Chief Paul Niditchie School headed back to class earlier this week, staff planned to hold a smudging and blessing ceremony Sept. 7 to mark a new beginning.

Local resident Alestine Andre was set to lead the ceremony along with church officials from Inuvik, and the event is open to the entire community.

The school has 29 students this year and welcomes one new teacher, Brandon Otway from Thunder Bay, Ont., who will teach Grades 4 to 6.

Cultural orientation

Ikaahuk/Sachs Harbour

Inualthuyak School in Sachs Harbour celebrated its newest teachers at a teacher's cultural orientation on Friday, Aug. 27.

Debra Budgell and Raymond Budgell, who are starting their third year of teaching at the school, and Arlene Belbin, who is starting her second year, gave the school reason to celebrate.

"It was nice that they went a little extra mile just to make us feel welcome, even though it is three years later," said Debra Budgell. "It's almost like a welcome back, instead of a welcome."

The entire school celebrated with a little feast of muktuk, dried fish, seal, and other foods the teachers were more familiar with like turkey, ham, salads and chili.

Charlie Haogak Jr. put on a demonstration of Arctic sports, and invited members of the crowd to try different types of high kicks.

"The police were there, and even they jumped in, trying to do them," said event organizer Jolene Donovan, who is administrative assistant for Sachs Harbour's District Education Authority.

"They were actually pretty good at it."

The district education authority put off cultural initiations in the past three years, said Donovan, and a renewed commitment to holding the event every year also gave the school reason to celebrate.

- Peter Varga

Fewer visitors to park

Beaufort-Delta

As the peak season for visitors to Aulavik National Park on Banks Island draws to a close, figures show the park has received fewer visitors than usual this year.

Only 12 visitors came to park this year, short of the usual 20 that has been the norm in recent years, said Adriana Bacheschi, Parks Canada's manager for the Western Arctic. Most visitors typically paddle the Thomsen River, which is the park's main draw.

This year's number fell short when tour operator Whitney and Smith did not bring groups in as usual.

The park's remoteness makes it a tough draw for Parks Canada, Bacheschi said. Travel costs and its remoteness keep away all but wealthy visitors who are looking for "a real kind of Arctic experience," she said, "where you can see muskox, Arctic walrus, and all that."

The recent find of the HMS Investigator, and 18th century British vessel whose crew was credited with discovering the Northwest Passage, could play into plans to attract cruise liners to the park in the near future, Bacheschi said. For now, she added, "we're hoping that that's going to create some more awareness of the park."

The park is located on the northern shores of Banks Island, at the western end of the Northwest Passage.

- Peter Varga