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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

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