January

Fire in school

RCMP investigated a Jan. 4 fire at Samuel Hearne Secondary School as attempted arson.

A toilet paper dispenser on the second floor was set ablaze the morning of Jan. 4. Three employees put out the fire after being alerted that smoke was coming out of the washroom. The school was evacuated, but students returned within an hour.

First dog sled race at Sunrise Festival

The Jan. 8 Sunrise Festival held its first annual dog team race. Five eight-dog teams raced a 13-kilometre course from the northern ice road entrance, up a groomed trail around Navy Creek and back.

First place went to Marie Anick Elie, second to Andrew Charlie and third to Mike Baxter. The first place prize was split between Elie and Charlie, because they were only 0.4 seconds apart.

Utilidor audit

The Town of Inuvik conducted an independent audit into November 2010's utilidor system freeze-up that left 11 homes and one church without running water for two to nine days.

The section that froze was between Mackenzie Road and Kingmingya Road, Union Street and Reliance Street. A line that kept warm water circulating was not yet hooked back up after being replaced in the summer, causing the water to freeze.

Senior's homes named for Bertha Allen

The senior's residence on Kingmingya opened in December 2010 and was named the Bertha Allen Apartments in honour of the elder who died in May 2010.

The apartments, owned by the Inuvik Housing Authority, houses eight fully-subsidized one-bedroom suites, and two are wheelchair accessible.

Allen was the founding member of the Native Women's Association, was instrumental in the Native Women's Training Centre and the NWT Arts and Crafts Society and was also an Inuvik town councillor.

Donations for Aklavik family

An Aklavik home with a family of eight burned to the ground on Jan. 13, and Inuvik residents donated to the cause.

Firefighters weren't able to extinguish the blaze because of strong winds. Family and friends in Inuvik collected clothes and household items to help the six children, aged three to pre-teen, and their parents. They also received a television, some furniture and monetary donations, including $1,000 from the Inuvik Drummers and Dancers.

Inuvik-based artist showcased at Cafe Gallery

Ron English showed some of his artwork at the Cafe Gallery in January.

English uses a variety of styles, including pointillism or impressionism. His images are full of eagles, bear, landscapes and images from Gwich'in tales. Some of his art looks to different First Nations, such as Ojibway or Sahtu. This is the first art show for English, who grew up in Fort McPherson and Calgary.

Hockey Canada visits Inuvik

Kevin Bathurst of Hockey Canada held a three-day clinic to develop ice skills with players and coaches.

The program is part of Hockey Canada's Skills Development Camp that provides free skills clinics to coaches and players not regularly exposed to training camps. Eight coaches from Inuvik and Aklavik participated and 80 kids learned skating, puck control, shooting and improved their offence and defence.

Conrad Baetz, president of the Inuvik Minor Hockey Association, said because Inuvik is a smaller community, fewer folks can coach so it's a great opportunity when professional coaches come to town.

'Traditional' defended in Dog Act

More than 30 people showed up at a public hearing on updating the territorial Dog Act.

The hot topic of the night was if the word "traditional" should be defined or taken out of the act all together. The clause in question stated that dogs should not be without basic necessities, except in cases of generally accepted local or traditional practices of dog care.

The Beaufort Delta Dog Mushers wanted to keep the word traditional in the act, and said it would be nearly impossible to define traditional, but that abuse is abuse.

The Beaufort Delta Regional SPCA said keeping the word traditional in the act is too vague and leaves a loophole for the word to be an excuse for abuse.

Polar scientists reveal research

Twenty-one International Polar Year research groups returned to Inuvik from Jan. 19 to 21 to update the community on what they discovered.

The international scientific project saw scientists research in the Arctic and Antarctic over a two-year period between March 2007 and March 2009. Fifty-two of the projects were done in Canada, with the majority co-ordinated from Inuvik. The Beaufort Delta has a vast range of biology and geography which provided a unique location for the scientists.

The plan is to compile the information into a meta-database so governments and communities can access it and have a base line to view changes.

February

International choir performed

The Canadian Afrocentric choral group the Nathaniel Dett Chorale performed at the Iglu Church on Feb. 9.

The performance was one of the few times the Northern Arts and Cultural Centre brought a large choral group so far North. The 21-person group performs Afrocentric music of all kinds: classical, spiritual, gospel, jazz, folk and blues, as well as Haitian and Creole. They were the only Canadian group invited to perform at U.S. President Barack Obama's inauguration in 2009.

The choir performed some music from its new album Nguzo Saba.

Inuvik cadets take second

The Inuvik cadets narrowly missed first place at the Western Arctic Area Skills competition in Fort Simpson.

Five teams from the NWT and Yukon competed in tests that ranged from drills to marksmanship and even volleyball.

The group has grown over the past four years, to 27 members from four.

Guilty of manslaughter

Inuvik resident Claude Jerome Harry, 39, pleaded guilty to manslaughter in the killing of Angus Kikoak in Supreme Court on Feb. 7.

Though initially charged with second-degree murder, Harry reached a plea bargain and received five years for manslaughter in the unprovoked attack against Kikoak. Judge Rene Foisy said it would be nearly impossible to prove the intent to kill in the case, which could have led to a longer prison term.

Because Harry had already served two years, he would only serve for three more years.

Grant money for school library

Sir Alexander Mackenzie School received all of its $108,000 three-year grant money to stock up books and make the library worthy of attention.

Children now seek out the library and are met with a smorgasbord of books: graphic novels, new arrivals, festive books and more. The library also purchased a computer system to keep track of all books.

Cynthia Whelan took on the role of librarian and has been stocking the shelves and cataloguing each book, as well as providing themes for each month to entice the students into new books.

Dog attack on boy

A four-year-old boy was viciously attacked by a dog that dragged him into its kennel on Feb. 12.

The boy was sent to Edmonton with serious injuries to his face.

The animal was a family pet, which hadn't been aggressive before, according to its owners. The boy had been at home with a babysitter when the dog attacked. The quick action of the babysitter, who pulled the little boy out, saved his life.

The Beaufort Delta SPCA said people in the community should educate their children on animal safety and pet ownership.

Wise Woman named

Ann Kasook, executive director of the Inuvik Transition House, won the title of the NWT Status of Women Council's 2011 Wise Woman for the Beaufort Delta.

Kasook's work at the women's shelter was the reason she was nominated for the award. Kasook said she's a graduate from the school of life. She was born on the land in the 1950s and attended residential school. She found herself a victim of assault in the communities she lived in again and again, which gives her a painful way to relate to women coming to the shelter.

Inuvik skating club takes gold

The Inuvik Figure Skating Club claimed gold at the NWT Figure Skating Championships in Fort Smith.

Fifteen skaters from Inuvik flew to Fort Smith for the tournament and nabbed 26 medals, making them the best of five teams. The athletes were entered in every category and competed against close to 80 other skaters. The team also earned two trophies for best performance and the sportsmanship trophy.

The team was proud to beat the Yellowknife club, which had close to 100 skaters.

Wayne Norris returns

Staff Sgt. Wayne Norris returned to his hometown community of Inuvik to run the local RCMP detachment.

Norris was born into a family of six in 1962, shortly after the town was formed.

It was not an easy decision to move back to the town where he started his career with the RCMP as an aboriginal special constable 25 years ago. His wife remained in Yellowknife with their three children.

Harnessing turbine energy

The Town of Inuvik is looking into using electricity from turbines at the Midnight Sun Recreation Complex.

Using the micro natural gas turbines would offset the electrical bill for the complex.

The 10-year-old turbines owned by NTPC operate efficiently and produce seasonal power surpluses that are pumped back into the town's electrical grid. Residual heat from generation could be used to heat the complex.

March

Winter storm freezes Inuvik

Inuvik was cut off from the outside world when hurricane force winds knocked out phone and Internet services, grounded planes and blocked roads.

The winds caused ice to fall and break a piece of metal which cut a cable from a tower, which happened at approximately 3:30 a.m. on Friday morning. Repair crews weren't able to get to the tower until Monday and it was replaced fully by 3 p.m.

The storm also caused whiteouts and closed the roads. Ice Wireless was the only communication service available in town. Bank and debit machine access also didn't work, leaving local businesses without customers as cash amounts dwindled.

Attempted abduction

Sir Alexander Mackenzie School is ramping up safety efforts after an attempted abduction of a seven-year-old boy in Mach.

The school sent home letters with every student informing parents about the incident and to be aware of their children at all times. The school also held an assembly about the differences between a stranger and a non-stranger and what students should do when approached by an adult they don't know.

Students beat teachers

Samuel Hearne Secondary School students defeated their teachers in a score of 10 to 8 in a fundraising hockey game.

The teams were chosen based on students that showed up for the high school ice time on Sunday nights. The event was also a fundraiser for the Inuvik Food Bank, by challenging students to bring dry goods to the hockey game. Anyone who brought non-perishable food got to make a paper airplane, with the goal of throwing it as close to the centre ice as possible.

Attendance counts in school

The Beaufort Delta superintendent went door-to-door in March to raise awareness about education levels.

Roy Cole wanted to get the message out that the biggest issue in school is attendance. If students don't attend, they won't do well. It's estimated that the average aboriginal student misses more than 41 days of school each year, which means that by the end of Grade 9, students have missed two years of schooling.

Charities helping each other

The Inuvik Food Bank donated $5,000 to the Inuvik Homeless Shelter so that its soup kitchen can continue.

The program began in November 2010 with a grant from the GNWT, but funding dwindled and the shelter almost had to stop serving its daily breakfast and dinner to those who needed it. Kathleen Selkirk of the homeless shelter went to the food bank asking for leftover food, but was surprised when the cheque came.

The food bank has also offered an additional $1,000 each month after three months as long as the revenue from bingos kept coming in.

Purse grows at Muskrat Cup

The second annual Muskrat Cup offered $8,000 in prizes, up from $2,750 in 2010.

The three-on-three pond hockey tournament ran with seven teams in 2010, but hoped to have more in 2011. Organizers hoped the larger purse would draw more people to the tournament.

There was a maximum of 39 games between April 2 and April 4, with five rinks for the teams.

Sports festival in Akalvik

More than 100 people from Inuvik went to Aklavik for the third annual Beaufort Delta Education Council Sports Festival on March 12 and 13.

The tournament started because teams in the Beaufort Delta didn't have enough opportunities to play sports. Because the cost of travel was so high, the council decided to allocate funds for the athletic weekend. The athletes are chosen based on their behaviour.

Healthy Foods North study

A University of Alberta professor plans to conduct two more studies for Healthy Foods North.

Sangita Sharma did one study that looked at what adults ate and why they chose those food items. One concern people often raised was about children, and what could be done to prevent childhood obesity.

Sharma visited Inuvik to offer a pilot program on how to teach people to research.

Siblings set to kite-ski across North

Sarah McNair-Landry and brother Eric left Inuvik on March 18 with plans to kite-ski from Inuvik to Pond Inlet, 3,000 km away.

The pair planned to spend 75 days kite skiing the Northwest Passage. From Iqaluit, the pair had much expedition experience in the North and felt confident about their journey. The two hoped to arrive in Pond Inlet by May and would need to average about 40 km per day.

They used wider kite skis as well as regular cross-country skis for when there's no wind. They also planned to limit their supplies to between 65 and 80 kilograms.

TRC prepares Inuvik for event

The Truth and Reconciliation Commission held a community meeting in Inuvik on March 28 to help prepare the community for the Northern national event to be held later in the year.

The meeting was supposed to run only two hours, but questions and discussions kept it going for four.

Community members discussed how they were affected by residential school and that educating Canadians about the history of the government institutions is an important step.

April

Greenhouse growth

Former Inuvik resident Carrie Young arrived in Inuvik from Yellowknife to start planting thousands of seeds to produce homegrown plants to sell in the greenhouse.

Planting and planning started early so the plants would be ready to sell in time. This was the first time in two years the greenhouse had a commercial garden centre. The greenhouse wanted to get back into the business side, so planned to hire a manager to take on the big job.

Muskrat Jamboree

The 54th Muskrat Jamboree ran from April 1 to 4, with tons of people making it out to the event.

Campfires, bannock on a stick, sounds of snowmobiles, dogs barking and game play filled the air during the long weekend. Food played a major role, with maple syrup sticks, Lebanese specialities, huge burgers and more on offer.

Cash prizes, hockey games, sled races, feasts, dances and talent shows kept everyone excited and busy during the weekend.

Inuvik's bantam team wins in Edmonton

Fifteen bantam hockey players went to Edmonton on April 2 and 3 and brought home gold in their division at the SWAT tournament.

Three girls and 12 boys from ages 13 to 15 went on a road trip that will hopefully become an annual tradition. Travelling and shopping was almost as much fun as playing hockey for the youth. The players improved over the time of the tournament and the team eventually defeated a team in the finals that had beat them in the round robin.

Ice road runner

Extreme marathoner Alicja Barahona ran from Inuvik to Tuktoyaktuk and back to help raise more than $20,000 for the Inuvik Homeless Shelter.

During her last 30 km of the 374 km, members of the Inuvik Running Club joined her. Barahona ran from April 6 to 10 and faced a number of struggles, including the cold. She had help from the Inuvik runners, as some joined her from a support vehicle during the four-day run. Upon reaching Tuktoyaktuk, Barahona took a break to sleep and eat before turning around and running back.

Lost funding closes Inuvik Works

Inuvik Works was forced to close its door this month because it no longer qualified for funding criteria set by Service Canada.

The program originally was to help marginalized people, and didn't support training opportunities for aboriginal people, what the funding was allotted for.

Candidates visit Inuvik

Conservative candidate Sandy Lee and Liberal candidate Joe Handley visited Inuvik to try and scavenge up some votes for the May 2 federal election.

The hot topics for the election included devolution, the Mackenzie Gas Project and the Tuktoyaktuk to Inuvik all-weather road.

Lee, formerly a cabinet member in the territorial legislative assembly, said building and maintaining the road would give an opportunity to train young people and provide jobs.

Handley said it was important but questioned if the government actually would provide the money since it wasn't in the budget.

Two weeks later, NDP candidate and incumbent Dennis Bevington visited Inuvik to meet and greet with the town peoples.

Family support project formed

A new program in Inuvik was formed to provide support for youth and families through on-the-land programs and family conferences.

The program received five years of federal funding. It hoped that by offering tools and information, a family can take action and responsibility for its children.

May

NDP MP wins federal election

NDP incumbent Dennis Bevington won the Western Arctic seat for the federal government, and leaders in Inuvik were split.

Bevington won by 2,139 votes over Conservative candidate Sandy Lee in the May 2 election. Richard Nerysoo, president of the Gwich'in Tribal Council, said the results showed the NWT doesn't support the current GNWT, since Lee lost. Nellie Cournoyea, CEO of the Inuvialuit Regional Corporation, and Mayor Denny Rodgers both wanted a Conservative MP for the territory.

Roland announces retirement

Premier Floyd Roland and MLA for Inuvik Boot Lake announced that he would not run as a candidate for the fall election.

Roland, who served as the MLA for 15 years, decided to not seek re-election because he lacked the passion to continue as a politician. Roland was premier since October 2007, and was acclaimed to his seat in the 2003 and 2007 elections.

As premier, Roland had a fair share of controversy, both political and personal. Regular MLAs said he did not communicate major policy decisions to them and in February 2009 he scraped past a non-confidence vote by 10 to 8. He also faced a potential conflict of interest when it was revealed he had an extra-marital affair with a clerk of the legislative assembly.

Inuvialuit, Gwich'in don't approve of Wildlife Act

Members of the legislative assembly held a hearing on the latest draft of the Wildlife Act, which members of the Gwich'in Tribal Council and Inuvialuit Game Council didn't support.

Their concerns were with groups with non-settled land claim agreements attending a conference on wildlife management, which would politicize the matter and reduce efficiency in the meeting if members who don't control their own resources attended.

Both groups supported changes to the Wildlife Act, but not this version.

Lights On at high school

The Lights On program started at Samuel Hearne Secondary School in May, which opened up the high school on Saturday nights.

The program, originally started in Hay River, offers youth a safe and supervised place to hang out, play sports, video games or board games on the weekend.

Gym Boss and Boot Camp keeps Inuvik healthy

Gym Boss and Boot Camp classes use a circuit of exercises with timed sets of repetitions to get the heart pumping and muscles burning. Gym Boss operates at Aurora College on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, while Boot Camp runs at Sir Alexander Mackenzie School on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.

The classes used traditional exercises such as push-ups, plank, skipping and sprinting to make sure participants got a cardio workout and strength training exercise.

Chamber of Commerce looks to youth

The Inuvik Chamber of Commerce elected a new board of directors and held its first AGM since its rebirth in November 2009.

New president Lee Smallwood wanted to focus on youth in business, because they have energy and enthusiasm and are willing to take a chance.

The Chamber also held a gala event to raise awareness of its profile in the community. It also raised money for charities in the community.

New ultrasound for hospital

The Inuvik Regional Hospital received a new ultrasound machine, which replaced one that was 10 years old.

The new machine, a Toshiba Aplio XG, provides clearer images and has new features that will help technologists decipher the images. Improvements over the old machine include a larger screen, different size transducers, the ability to freeze and hold an image on the screen and increased clarity.

The diagnostic imaging department sees between five and 10 patients a day.

Town's dog population increases

An overwhelming puppy population in Inuvik has led to 80 dogs being sent south for adoption, the most in 11 years.

The Beaufort Delta SPCA said although Inuvik has always had a dog problem, but not having a vet has contributed to the problem. The town's new bylaw officer has spent most of his time chasing dogs. Since the middle of March he had dealt with 15 dog complaints and held nine dogs in custody.

One solution to the problem would be to tie up dogs, not only for their protection but for that of the public and other dogs.

Greenhouse opens

The Greenhouse held its AGM and opened its doors to gardeners on May 14, starting a new growing season.

The commercial part of the greenhouse had been growing since March, but community gardeners had a chance to turn over their plots and start planting.

Since the Greenhouse now has a new co-ordinator in place for the year, who has a lot of plans for the year including a Seedy Saturday and annual plant sale. Since they now had a co-ordinator the greenhouse will revert back to its original plan – having a commercial greenhouse that financially supports the greenhouse society.

Arctic drilling review starts in Inuvik

The National Energy Board visited Inuvik to give community members an opportunity to review information gathered about Arctic drilling.

The most common concern expressed by Northern communities included clean-up costs, responsibilities and methods in case of an oil spill; worry for unique Arctic environment; and the desire for an increased clarity on the role of government in case of a spill.

June

River breakup chaos

The Mackenzie River ice broke, causing the highest water levels in 40 years.

One family with a cabin 20 km from Aklavik had to be airlifted by helicopter to Inuvik, with their belongings in plastic bags, while a barge blocked the East River about 20 km from Inuvik.

RCMP received a distress call from the family – year round trappers – at about 3 a.m. who said water levels were rising and they might need to be evacuated. They called again in the afternoon and in 11 people were evacuated, including five children.

Super School 70 per cent complete

In June the Inuvik Super School was 70 per cent complete and planned to open one year early in September 2012.

The school will replace the current elementary and high schools. The foundation, structure, electrical and steel-stud framing were finished.

Because the Department of Public Works kept the heat on in the building during the winter, completion time moved up from its original September 2013 open date.

The building still needed to have ducts and pipes installed as well as drywall, cabinetry and interior glass.

The school will have space for 1,050 students in 54 classrooms.

Geographically-gifted Inuvik

The Town of Inuvik and Natural Resources Canada signed a memorandum of understanding to survey land near the airport for satellite remote sensing stations.

The town hopes to develop the area as a research area with up to 20 satellite remote-sensing stations. Inuvik sits in a perfect location, geographically speaking, since the satellites that polar-orbit the Earth fly over Inuvik longer than anywhere else in the world, except for Kiruna, Sweden. Kiruna already has a station with 24 satellite dishes.

The town hopes that by installing 19 satellite receivers on town land, they will create jobs and net the town revenue through land sales.

Ivvavik National Park hosts students

Biology students from Samuel Hearne Secondary School travelled to Ivvavik National Park to gain hands-on science experience.

Students also got the experience of living in isolation and a remote location. Parks Canada hopes to build up the next generation of ecosystem scientists by inspiring high school students by seeing jobs outside of a lab.

The 12 students completed terrestrial and stream studies gathered the data will be used by the Parks ecological monitoring program.

High school graduation

Samuel Hearne Secondary School had 30 students graduate at the Midnight Sun Recreation Complex.

Family, friends, teachers and community members watched with pride as the Grade 12 students received their diplomas.

The graduates had a busy day with a ceremony, photos, a banquet, a grand march and prom, which included the whole school.

Awards were presented to the students for high academic achievement, dedication, volunteer work and citizenship.

Doctor awarded

Dr. Braam de Klerk received the Order of Canada from Gov. Gen. David Johnston for his dedication as a physician, teacher and advocate of health care in Canada's North.

De Klerk has worked as a physician in Inuvik for 20 years, and currently works on a locum basis.

De Klerk has striven to keep the quality of care in Inuvik equal of that in Yellowknife and the rest of Canada and has lobbied for extra doctors, specialist visits and to keep the health centre as a hospital. He fought against the closure of the operating room and proposals to move the obstetrics unit to Yellowknife. De Klerk has also been critical of recruiting and retention efforts of doctors to Inuvik.

Inuvik Petroleum Show

The Petroleum Show drew more participants this year than last, giving hope that the proposed Mackenzie Valley Pipeline will eventually be built.

More than 520 participants attended the show, up from 440 last year. The event was held from June 13 to 15 and included a trade show with 94 booths and a conference with eight guest speakers.

Inuvik Mayor Denny Rodgers thought the renewed interest was probably due to the National Energy Board giving its conditional support for the pipeline and the necessity for the project.

Skate park opens

A new skate park opened in Inuvik for bikers and skaters, complete with jumps, rails and ramps.

The skate park marks the first stage of Inuvik's new recreation area.

Once the new high school and elementary school are complete and the old schools are demolished, the Town of Inuvik will build a recreation area, complete with a soccer pitch, tennis courts, a second baseball diamond and possibly even an amphitheatre.

The new skate park was finished on June 12 . It replaced an old park outside Samuel Hearne Secondary School.

Fire chief retires

After serving as fire chief for 15 years at Inuvik's Volunteer Fire Department, Al German retired on July 1.

German has worked with the department for 25 years and would have been chief for 15 years in August.

He started his retirement on July 2, after one final Canada Day celebration.

July

Lake cabins closer to leases

Inuvik town council reviewed a proposal by the Department of Municipal and Community Affairs to lease property to cabin owners at Airport Lake, bringing them one step closer to be legitimate occupants of the land.

The Inuvik administration committee will discuss the proposal, which would offer 20-year leases on the commissioner's land to the 42 current cabin owners. The town wants to ensure the lease includes a requirement that if the town purchases the land from the commissioner, cabin owners would have to surrender their leases and purchase the land.

Truth and Reconciliation Commission visits Inuvik

Survivors of residential schools descended on Inuvik to continue a courageous journey of reconciliation over the legacy of assimilation started by the Canadian federal government 130 years ago.

Along with the joy of reuniting with old friends and sadness for the horror, pain and suffering from attending residential school, participants of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission's Northern event shared stories of what happened at the schools and the impact since.

The event embraced the resilience of culture with events in the evenings such as a fashion show, talent show and musical performances.

Town councillor receives Medal of Bravery

Inuvik town councillor and former firefighter Vince Sharpe has been honoured with a Medal of Bravery from the Governor General of Canada for his actions in saving two lives, four years ago.

In November 2007, Sharpe pulled two people from a burning trailer. He received the nomination and approval in January but the announcement was made at the end of June.

Sharpe had come upon a building with black smoke coming out of it. A woman ran out gasping for air and coughing, saying her dad was still inside. Sharpe crawled in, pulled out the man and was informed someone else was inside, so back he went to save the other person

Yoga starts in Greenhouse

The Inuvik Community Greenhouse continues to be a resort for those seeking peace and tranquility with the start of yoga classes.

Greenhouse co-ordinator Sheena Adams started offering yoga classes on Tuesday and Thursday evenings, upstairs in the commercial greenhouse.

Now that the thousands of plants have been sold, the space works perfectly for the community activity.

With the commercial aspect closed for the year, Adams focused on the community aspect of the greenhouse, such as bringing the community and new people to the building.

Great Northern Arts Festival

Artists and performers from across the North took part in the midst of a 10-day event to gain skills, inspiration and contacts while having an opportunity to professionally display their work.

The Great Northern Arts Festival, now in its 23rd year, kicked off with speeches and performances. Seventy artists attended, hosting workshops and creating pieces alongside each other.

During the 10 days an estimated 3,500 pieces moved through the gallery as customers purchased and artists filled the gaps.

Tourist numbers down

It was halfway through the summer and 380 fewer tourists had visited Inuvik than the previous year.

As of July 15, fewer people had visited the Western Arctic Visitor Center than in 2010. By the same month the previous year, 2,295 people had entered the building and either signed the guest book, or grabbed pamphlets, a coffee or used the facilities. So far, only 1,915 had visited in 2011.

Midnight Sun Slo-pitch tournament

Starting on July 29, eight teams battled on the ball diamond for bragging rights and cash prizes at the Midnight Sun Slo-Pitch Tournament.

Inuvik's Huskies won the tournament, beating the Aklak Air Falcons 20 - 11.

New economic manager in Inuvik

The Town of Inuvik's latest staff addition plans to help build the town's economy by bringing people to the community to live, work, invest and visit.

Jackie Challis started working as the town's community economic development manager at the start of July.

She comes with years of experience in developing economies and tourism across the North, including a year as Inuvik's tourism co-ordinator from 2008 to 2009.

August

Hockey pro teaches golf

The Road's End Golf Course continued to be a draw for golfers and Inuvik residents were benefitting from the tourist attraction.

For the second time in two weeks a golf pro visited the three-hole golf course and driving range to give the town's golfers lessons on how to improve their game. Two-time Stanley Cup champion Jamie Leach visited Inuvik, on his second trip North, and earlier in the summer trick golfer Todd Keirstad put on a show and gave tips, too.

Science camp in Inuvik

Despite it being summer, youth had a chance to learn lessons at a science camp.

DiscoverE, a student-run organization based at the University of Alberta, taught youth science can be fun and possibly a career through the camp held Aug. 8 to 11 at Ingamo Hall.

The two students from the University of Alberta's department of Engineering, Science and Technology taught the youth about chemistry, biology, engineering and energy through science crafts.

Food Bank use doubles

Demand for assistance from the Inuvik Food Bank has increased so much that it is providing twice the amount of food to its clients this summer compared to last year.

The facility is averaging 50 to 60 bags of canned and dried goods each Wednesday. On Aug. 3, they hit 65. Last year the volume was closer to 25 or 35 bags per week.

Volunteers think that word of mouth about the food bank and its new location have contributed to the increase.

Paddling course

Nine paddlers from across the Beaufort Delta braved the cool, cloudy and rainy weather in August to become canoe instructors and gain hope in building a recreational paddling community.

The paddlers learned flat-water canoeing skills and how to teach them during the course, which ran from Aug. 5 to 7. Participants from Inuvik, Tuktoyaktuk and Fort McPherson attended the course, designed to build up the recreational paddling community.

By having paddling instructors in the communities, there will be more training opportunities and local paddlers won't have to wait for southern instructors to travel North.

Welder's Daughter plays in Inuvik

Welder's Daughter, the popular band usually found at Yellowknife bars, spent the summer in Inuvik playing at the Mad Trapper.

The band calls North of 60 home and is booked solid until 2013. They split their time between the Gold Range in Yellowknife and the Mad Trapper. The group consists of Tom Benke, Karen Single, George Orliczki and Attila Novak. Welder's Daughter play more than 40 songs a night, with a set that ranges from Rihanna to Rammstein and also take requests, but not without practising them first.

Sunchild E-Learning a success

Since the Sunchild program began in Februray 2010, its students' course completion rate has risen from zero per cent to 80 per cent.

Last semester, 11 of its 12 available sorts were filled and so far this summer they've received 30 applications for the September 2011 semester, but have just three open spots since students will continue their studies. The age of students ranges from 18 to 28. Each semester they take three courses to fill in the gaps of their high school transcript.

End of the Road festival

The eight annual End of the Road Music Festival drew hundreds of Inuvik residents and out-of-town visitors to venues throughout town, despite being run by a bare-bones organizing committee and group of volunteers.

The three-day event included a licensed Much Music Video Dance, performances at Jim Koe Park, a concert at the community hall and an all-day jam fest. There was also an old-time dance and video dance for youth, but both failed to attract more than a dozen people.

Inuvik Huskies win

The Inuvik Huskies won four games back-to-back to clinch the top spot in the slo-pitch league championship tournament.

The team, led by MVP-winning shortstop Gary Gordon, won all five games on the last day of the playoffs after not playing a single game on Friday or Saturday.

The Huskies, who recently competed in the Western Canadian Senior Fastpitch Championships in Manitoba, were scheduled to play two teams, but both games were cancelled because of a shortage of players.

September

Inuvialuit elder wins award

An Inuvik resident who helps revitalize and teach Inuvialuit traditions to the younger generations has received an award recognizing his contributions.

Abel Tingmiak, 66, received the Minister's Cultural Circle Award alongside four other NWT residents. He teaches and demonstrates the culture and traditions of the Inuvialuit in the community and at local schools.

Gwich'in elder remembered

Hundreds of people attended a funeral celebration of life for Elizabeth Crawford-Hansen, who died Aug. 29.

Crawford-Hansen was the first aboriginal teacher in the NWT and did significant work on the Gwich'in Language curriculum for the Beaufort Delta Education Council and was one of the most qualified Gwich'in teachers in the region. She was raised on the Peel and Mackenzie Rivers and spent early years on the land before attending residential schools in Aklavik and Saskatchewan before receiving her teaching certificate.

Drug raid in Inuvik

RCMP at the Inuvik detachment completed a drug raid and seized enough cannabis for 30,000 joints.

Nine officers executed a search warrant on a home on Alder Drive and found 6.8 kilograms of marijuana, a significant quantity of cash and drug paraphernalia. They were able to enter the home safely without any incident.

Police say the seizure will have a large impact on the drug community.

WWF office opens

Inuvik continued to be a prime destination for those concerned about Arctic offshore drilling.

In the same month the National Energy Board opened an office in Inuvik, the World Wildlife Fund also found a home in the community at the new Aurora Research Institute building.

The pace of development in the Beaufort Sea is picking up and the WWF wants to participate in the Beaufort Sea Partnership, which brings together groups to sustainably develop the Beaufort Sea.

The WWF sees its role in the partnership as one that will provide resources and energy to assist in the development.

End of Ramadan

The Muslim community of Inuvik celebrated its first Ramadan in the community's new mosque.

The mosque arrived in Inuvik in September 2010 and Ramadan, the holy month of fasting in Islam, finished in August. The community celebrated with a feast, games, toys, sweets and prayers.

Ramadan marks a period of doing without during sunlight hours. Since Inuvik has 24-hour sunlight, the community followed the sunrise and sunset times of Winnipeg.

Reindeer Station re-opens

After three years of work, the Inuvik Community Corporation had completed six cabins and a community hall at the former community of Reindeer Station.

Located approximately 45 km from Inuvik by boat on the shores of the Mackenzie River's East Channel, Reindeer Station now operates as an Inuvialuit culture, tradition and language camp. An opening celebration has at least 50 people participating in feasts, hikes, berry-picking and the sharing of memories.

Four candidates in Inuvik Boot Lake

For the first time in eight years, residents of Inuvik Boot Lake got to vote for an MLA, while Inuvik Twin Lakes residents take a break from the democratic process.

Inuvik Twin Lakes incumbent Robert C. McLeod was acclaimed to his seat in the legislative assembly, the first time that has happened since the riding was created in 1999.

The four candidates in Inuvik Boot Lake included Grant Gowans, Chris Larocque, Alfred Moses and Paul Voudrach.

National Energy Board meetings

At a major gathering of stakeholders of offshore drilling in the Arctic, community residents and leaders within the Inuvialuit settlement region voiced their concerns for preventing, responding to and cleaning up after a hypothetical blow-out.

The National Energy Board of Canada event drew more than 175 participants to Inuvik for the final discussion in offshore drilling in the Arctic before it releases a public report later this year.

The roundtable comes after a year and a half of consulting with communities and calling for information on what Northerners and other Canadians would like to see in future applications for offshore drilling.

Daycare needed in Inuvik

Inuvik's daycare situation had become dire, with parents having to put their children on waiting lists as soon as they became pregnant.

The Children First Society hopes that with the construction of a new early childhood centre in the community it will meet the need, help the economy and give children a headstart in learning.

The new centre will house the Inuvik Child Development Centre, Totspot Daycare, Aboriginal Headstart and the Inuvik Preschool.

Baby grand piano finds home in Inuvik

The Northern Arts and Cultural Centre purchased a baby grand piano and donated it to the Iglu Church to lure quality musicians to Inuvik.

In a set of fortuitous circumstances, Inuvik's Catholic church was set to be home to the 100-year-old piano and performances scheduled with visiting musicians. At the first show of the season, Montreal jazz pianist Lorraine Desmarais played the baby grand for the first time and said it had great sound.

October

Online student wins literacy award

After dropping out of high school five years ago, an Inuvik student received recognition from the territory for her commitment to literacy and being a role model for other youth.

Clarissa Rogers, 22, of Inuvik won the Ministerial Literacy Award for her hard work at the Sunchild E-Learning school. She said she felt overwhelmed by emotion during her acceptance speech. Rogers dropped out of school to help her mother raise her five younger siblings, but decided to head back to school once they had grown up.

Alfred Moses new MLA

Inuvik Boot Lake constituents voted for Alfred Moses by such a slim margin that there had to be a recount.

Moses won the Inuvik riding by five votes over deputy mayor Chris Larocque, 216 to 211 on the Oct. 3 territorial election. Two other election candidates ran, but did not come close to competing with Moses or Larocque. Results were slow to come into the Inuvik Boot Lake riding, keeping the Moses and Larocque camps on edge for most of the night.

Girls' hockey celebrated

In a unifying moment, girls and women around the world played hockey on Oct. 2 to support the sport and gave females an opportunity to try it out.

Inuvik participated in the International Ice Hockey Federation-organized event titled World Girls' Hockey Day, along with 21 other countries. The event introduced girls and women to the basic skills of hockey and give them the chance to fall in love with a new sport. At least 24 women and girl participated and about 10 signed up to play on the girls-only team.

Inuvik figure skating coach arrives

After visiting Inuvik for the past three season, a professional figure skating coach has moved to the community for the entire winter.

Danyelle Ellis was to stay in Inuvik to train figure skaters for the Arctic Winter Games and to provide consistency in training for all skaters in the club. Since 2007, Ellis has travelled North to hold clinics, but decided to stay this year.

National award for language teacher

Sandra Ipana's passion for teaching children their Inuvialuktun language and heritage nabbed her a national award for teaching excellence.

Ipana, who teaches the Inuvialuktun immersion kindergarten class at Sir Alexander Mackenzie School, received the Prime Minister's Award for Teaching Excellence. She has taught the course since 1991 and engages the students with modern technology while sharing their culture. Ipana lets them move forward into the 21st century, but reminds them where they came from.

Fatal house fire

A house fire in Inuvik left one child dead, but the heroics of another child saved others in the house.

A 12-year-old boy rescued an 11-month-old baby and got six to eight other people in the house up and out when the fire started on Oct. 16. The Inuvik RCMP were the first to arrive at the smoke-filled house. When they arrived, bystanders told officers a two-year-old was on the second floor, so the two officers entered the building and retrieved the child, who was not breathing at the time and pronounced dead later at the Inuvik Regional Hospital.

The community pulled together to collect donations for the family.

Former teacher faces sex charges

Inuvik RCMP charged a former teacher at two Inuvik schools with seven offences including sexual assault and making child porn.

Hugues Latour, a 38-year-old resident of Inuvik, has been charged with one count of possessing child porn; making child porn; sexual assault; touching a minor for sexual purposes; unlawful confinement; assault; and failing to comply with conditions of a prior conviction.

Inuvik speed skaters take top spots

Twelve Inuvik speed skaters went to Edmonton for a tournament and came back victorious.

Inuvik claimed two first places, three seconds and a third place finish in the Edmonton Fall Classic, which draws skaters from the North, British Columbia, Alberta and Saskatchewan. With 161 skaters competing in 11 different divisions, Inuvik had an impressive showing.

Even skaters who didn't place, returned home with personal bests.

November

Roosting with the Halpines

Underneath a family's home in Inuvik, there was something a little different going on.

Besides the usual items stored under many Inuvik homes, nine roosters had a warm place to live until they become dinner for the Halpine family. Kim and Dave Halpine built the chicken coop to experiment with chicken husbandry and teach their kids a bit about animal care and responsibility.

Children's First Centre looking for votes

The Children's First Centre made the semifinals of the Aviva Community Fund, thanks to votes from the community and around the country.

If the early childhood development centre were to win, it would be judged by a panel of judges to see if it will received up to $275,000 for the project.

The project bounced between 10th and 13th place before finishing in ninth place. The top ten moved on to the semifinals.

Bingo discussions

The lottery committee in Inuvik proposed changes to how profits from fundraising bingos are divided. The changes would see funds evenly split between all organizations.

The current system has different organizations in town vying for more profitable dates, such as Saturday evenings or government paydays to get more money from bingos.

The changes would have the entire year evenly split amongst all groups, no matter which night members volunteer on.

New pool manager

The swimming pool in Inuvik had a new pool manager for the first time in more than a year and he wants to get more people in the facility.

Blair Smith arrived in town from Saskatchewan, where he worked as a lifeguard. He planned to increase programming to draw more people to the pool, and also after better hours and longer swim times.

4G network in Inuvik

Inuvik caught up with the rest of Canada when it came to cellphone service with a 4G network providing the community with faster downloading.

Bell Canada upgraded the cellphone service in Inuvik from a second generation network that downloads at speeds of one megabyte per second to fourth generation, which downloads at speeds of 21 megabytes per second. This means cellphone users can use the newest products on the market.

Utilidor woes continue

Inuvik's 50-year-old utilidors require more time, money and personnel than the town has available, meaning repair costs will rise while replacement of the corridors moves at a snail's pace.

Two engineers with AECom presented Inuvik's town council with a grim picture of the state of utilidors during a council meeting.

Inuvik has 17 km of utilidors which carry water and sewage to and from buildings. To replace the entire aging infrastructure would cost an estimated $140 to $170 million, 10 times the cost in the south. The town currently has to replace $80 million worth of utilidor, which the town is doing at a pace of 150 metres per year. At that rate, it would take over 50 years to finish.

Inuvik curlers compete at nationals

Two Inuvik curling teams represented the Northwest Territories at the nation-wide Dominion Curling Club Championship in British Columbia.

The men's team, skipped by Mel Sittichinli and the women's team, led by Diane Baxter competed against 13 other amateur teams from across Canada to determine the best club team in the country.

Blues in Schools

Yellowknife recording artists Leela Gilday and Juno-nominated bluesman Rick Fines taught students at Samuel Hearne Secondary School the history of blues and the importance of self-expression.

The Blues in the Schools program started in Chicago and Memphis to teach African-American students about the role blues has played in North American music. The program has now spread around the world.

Gilday and Fines also taught basic guitar skills, songwriting and singing.

Town to fund Children's First

The Children's First Centre received a large amount of support from the Town of Inuvik when council passed its interim budget, which included $2.3 million earmarked for the early childhood education centre.

The project, costing $5.5 million, has already fundraised some money but needed more to make the project feasible. The investment is the largest item in the town's capital budget.

December

Inuvik student smartest in NWT

Malcolm Gorrill, administrative assistant for academic programs at the Aurora Campus of Aurora College and a graduate of the business administration diploma program this past spring, received the Governor General's Academic Medal on Nov. 23.

Gorrill had the highest grades of all students who graduated in 2011. He worked on the diploma over the past six years and finished with a 94-per-cent average. This was the first time a student from Inuvik has won the award.

Action needed for addictions

More action and less talk needs to be done to stop drug and alcohol addictions in Inuvik, one parent said during National Addictions Awareness Week.

During the parents' talk on drugs, parents had a chance to learn about drugs, paraphernalia and behaviour of people on drugs, but for one Inuvik resident, talk is only good up to a point.

The resident said police and social workers are burning out and more needs to be done to help the next generation.

Inuvik Gas sends proposal to ConocoPhillips

Inuvik Gas partners have submitted a proposal to ConcoPhillips to drill a new well and pipeline before the current natural gas well runs out well ahead of schedule.

ConocoPhillips received the proposed project implementation plan at the beginning of November and were reviewing Inuvik Gas's plan to drill a new natural gas well at Parson's Lake to meet the natural gas needs of Inuvik. According to preliminary reports, Inuvik Gas has less than two years' worth of natural gas in its current reserve.

Inuvik trapper best youth

Marilyn Maring has been a trapper for so long that she doesn't remember her first time trapping, or her first animal caught. She's a third-generation trapper who won, at 19, Youth Trapper NWT of the Year for being the most productive youth trapper in the territory. She learned trapping skills from her father and grandfather.

Other trappers recognized from the Inuvik Region include James B. Firth for highest sales and most number of pelts in the Inuvik Region and Sam (Inglangasuk) Lennie for senior trapper in the Inuvik Region.

Aurora Campus receives accreditation

The pre-apprenticeship carpentry program at Inuvik's Aurora College campus became the first such accredited program outside of Fort Smith, meaning trades training in the Beaufort Delta region has gained much more weight.

The Aurora Campus received the recognition after a year's worth of upgrading the Mobile Trades Training Lab from NWT Apprenticeship, an arm of the Department of Education, Culture and Employment.

The program and accreditation will benefit students because of all the construction work going on in the region.

A 'phenomenal accomplishment'

Alison Lennie of Inuvik received news that seven years of schooling and more than 4,000 hours of articling had paid off.

On Dec. 2 she passed the uniform evaluation, or UFE – a three-day exam required to become a chartered accountant. The exam challenges accountant-hopefuls to prove their competency in a variety of accounting areas. Lennie passed on her first attempt and before she had gained all hours to achieve the chartered accountant status.

Once Lennie has completed all the required hours of experience, she will become the second Inuvialuit chartered accountant.

Boost for maternal health

Moms, babies and obstetrics team members celebrated the launch of the third and final stage of a program designed to improve patient safety through professional development at the Inuvik Regional Hospital on Dec. 7.

There were refreshments, information and games for the parents as the hospital kicked off the final stage of the Managing Obstetrical Rick Efficiently (MORE Ob) program, which builds patient safety by creating a team environment where everyone has the same knowledge.

New fire chief

Inuvik's newest fire chief has moved not only himself, but his wife, two foster children, two daughters and a son-in-law to the community. Sawkins comes from a unique firefighting background. He spent his first 20 years serving as a firefighter in the Canadian Air Force, gaining training and work experience overseas. In 2000, he switched to civilian fire departments and became chief of the volunteer fire department in Tiny, Ont., before taking on the chief position in Muskoka Lakes.