Nunavut News/North: 2011 - The Year in Review

JANUARY

January slip and slide

Slippery roads due to warm weather and rain in Iqaluit closed schools, city offices and the airport for parts of Jan. 4 and 5, giving some people extra time off after the holidays.

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Daytime temperatures were above freezing for both days, with the city even experiencing periods of rain, at a time when normal daytime temperatures should hover around -22 C. A couple of municipal vehicles slid off the road and Iqaluit Mayor Madeleine Redfern had said she almost slid off herself while driving.

Bag fees introduced

Shoppers in the territory's NorthMart and Northern stores started getting charged a quarter for every plastic bag starting Jan. 17.

The North West Company, which owns 21 stores in Nunavut, started charging the fee for environmental reasons, not economical ones, said Michael McMullen, executive vice-president of Northern Canada retail for the company.

He added Northern and NorthMart shoppers in the territory use 3.3 million plastic bags a year, including about 950,000 yearly just at Iqaluit's NorthMart store.

Seal deal signed with China

Nunavut hunters will be able to export seal meat and oil to China after Canada signed an exclusive deal with its Asian counterpart on Jan. 13. The deal had been a year in the making.

With the deal, Canada is the only country permitted to export edible seal products to China. Those products include smoked and cured meats, terrine and omega 3-rich oil supplements.

A new tool in fighting tuberculosis

Taima TB, a public education campaign to help prevent the spread of tuberculosis in Nunavut, was launched with the help of $800,000 from the federal government.

Taima TB, which means "stopping TB" in English, involves distributing information on prevention and treatment of the disease door-to-door, through town hall meetings, focus groups and the use of social media to help spread the word and educate Nunavummiut on how to manage and prevent the disease. The program was set to start in Iqaluit for the time being.

Priest faces sex charges

A priest facing sex crimes accusations in Iglulik was back in Nunavut for his first court appearance in Iqaluit on Jan. 20.

Eric Dejaeger, who had been held in the city of Bruges, Belgium, since his arrest on Jan. 3 on immigration law violations, landed in Montreal on Jan. 19 before arriving in Iqaluit on Jan. 20.

He was immediately brought to the Nunavut Court of Justice for a court appearance, where he looked tired and disheveled.

A warrant for Dejaeger's arrest was issued in 2002 for six sex charges stemming from his time in Iglulik in the late 1970s and early 80s. Dejaeger had turned himself in to Belgian police in the fall of 2010 before being released.

Arctic Bay airport change

The last scheduled flight into Nanisivik and the first into Arctic Bay took place during the second week of January, meaning a shorter commute to the airport for Arctic Bay residents and hopefully fewer flight cancellations due to weather.

First Air landed its last scheduled flight to Nanisivik Airport on Jan. 12, en route to Resolute from Iqaluit. The following day, the same aircraft and crew heading back to Iqaluit from Resolute landed at the new Arctic Bay airport.

The new airport is closer to town and closer to sea level at 649 metres.

Victims settle deal with government

A second group of students of former teacher and convicted pedophile Edward Horne received $15 million in an out-of-court settlement of their lawsuit against the governments of the NWT and Nunavut. The 66 claimants will share the settlement. The creation of a fund to provide counselling and treatment services to the plaintiffs and their families was in the settlement terms.

The deal was reached through an alternative dispute resolution process from November 2008 to July 2010.

Energy rate hikes proposed

Qulliq Energy Corporation's proposal to increase electricity rates by 19.3 per cent across Nunavut was met with opposition as residents and business owners echoed their discontent at a series of public hearings.

The corporation had filed a general rate application to the minister. Based on Qulliq's budget, it would be short $22.7 million for the 2010-11 fiscal year.

Hearings on the proposed rates were held across the territory.

FEBRUARY

School bus burns

Elementary school students in Iglulik had to walk to class for the rest of the school year after the community's only school bus was destroyed in a fire.

Iglulik's three-bay parking garage caught fire on Jan. 11, destroying two vehicles - the school bus and one water truck - and damaging two others. The school bus and one water truck were gutted. The sewer truck was salvageable while the fate of the garbage truck still needed to be determined.

Preliminary estimates of the damages were at $1.5 million to $2 million.

Sewage woes

Many of the sewage lagoons in Nunavut are leaking raw effluent and dumps are leaching hazardous waste, according to water use inspections conducted by Indian and Northern Affairs Canada in the summer of 2010.

The president of the Nunavut Association of Municipal Administrators had said the results are nothing new to the hamlets but the problem won't be fixed overnight as it has been ongoing since the 1950s.

Teachers, government reach tentative agreement

Nunavut teachers voted in favour of a tentative agreement with the territorial government, ending 20 months of negotiations.

In the four-year contract, effective from July 1, 2009 to June 30, 2013, teachers' salaries were set to increase 4.5 per cent in the first year, 2 per cent for each of the following two years and 2.5 per cent in the final year. Language allowances were to stay at current rates while the Northern living allowance was to stay at April 1, 2010 rates.

The deal also called for the establishment of a safe schools anti-violence committee and allows teachers to take up to two days off per year to hunt, fish or harvest.

Police see drop in calls for service

RCMP statistics on detachment activity in Nunavut for 2010 show police responded to 1,431 fewer calls than in 2009, processed 694 fewer prisoners but laid 778 more charges.

The RCMP had said even though the volume of calls for service decreased in 11 communities, a lot of them involved violence. Getting the territory's violent crime rate down was the next step, the RCMP had said.

A lifelong romance

A 67-year-old love story ended with the death of Peter Kamingoak, leaving his loved ones a lifetime of memories to cherish.

Peter died at his home in Kugluktuk on Feb. 17 at age 88.

He and his wife Cecile, also 88, had celebrated their 67th wedding anniversary in October 2010 and were honoured with a Commissioner's award for special skills in December 2010 for the longevity of their marriage.

They have 13 children, 42 grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren.

Food prices remain extremely high

With pictures of highly-priced items on grocery store shelves coming out of Arctic Bay, many Nunavummiut were still confused as to how the federal government's changes to the food subsidy program were going to help them lower their grocery store bills.

Nunavut MP Leona Aglukkaq blamed the retailers and not the federal government program for prices on shelves photographed at the Northern Store in the High Arctic community.

Included were photos of Cheez Whiz at $29 a jar, bottles of Ocean Spray cranberry cocktail at $38 and breaded chicken strips for $77.

A step toward reviving Jericho

The Nunavut Resources Corporation signed a mutual co-operation agreement with Shear Diamonds, owners of the Jericho Diamond Mine calling for both companies to co-operate when examining infrastructure and other development opportunities related to the potential re-development of the mine.

Jericho, located 420 km northeast of Yellowknife, is the territory's first and only diamond mine.

The agreement was NRC's first with a mining company.

Housing corp to get board

The Nunavut Housing Corporation will now have a board of directors to oversee operations and a centralized office to handle its finances - changes its president, Alain Barriault, said will strengthen its financial management.

"We're working on the paperwork now to make the legislative changes," he said in February.

This development comes on the heels of an external audit which found the corporation had a $50 million shortfall to complete 285 housing units.

MARCH

Grave desecrater gets almost two years in jail

The man who desecrated a grave and indecently interfered with human remains in his home community of Baker Lake was sentenced to two years less a day in jail.

Bobby Suwarak, 40, who is deaf and mute, had pleaded guilty in January to the offences, which took place in June 2010. He has been in custody since Sept. 12, 2010.

Building burns in Iqaluit

No one was injured after an early-morning fire destroyed a three-storey apartment building by the Road to Nowhere in Iqaluit on March 24.

When the Iqaluit Fire Department arrived, the fire was located outside the 30-unit apartment building but working its way into the structure.

Funding goes down, taxes go up

Residential and business property owners in the territory's capital were paying more taxes in 2011 because of Government of Nunavut funding cuts to the City of Iqaluit.

Councillors unanimously approved a balanced $36-million budget, which called for the mill rate for residential property owners to increase by 0.25 cents and for the rate for commercial, government and institutional properties to go up by 1.75 cents.

This means someone with a residential property assessed at $300,000 was to pay an additional $90 to $150 per year while someone with a commercial, government or institutional property was pay an additional $150 to $240 per year. The GN cut the city's funding by 75 per cent, or $400,000.

New school programming

Nunavut high schools will start offering the multiple options program in the 2012-13 school year, but some schools are too small to offer all six choices, said the president of the Nunavut Teachers' Association in March.

Under the program, Grade 9 students would choose one of six options: trades and engineering, community caregiving and family studies, fine arts and crafts, information technology and communication/media, entrepreneurship and small business studies or history, heritage and culture.

Out of the 100 credits students needed to obtain their Nunavut Secondary School Graduation Diploma, an option would encompass 20 credits or four courses. The bulk of the courses will be at the Grade 11 and 12 levels.

Sea shipping cheaper

In March, the federal government reinstated food items previously dropped from the Nutrition North Canada subsidy list until October 2012.

The shipping subsidies have been reinstated for items such as dry rice, pasta, condiments, tea and coffee, Cheez Whiz and bacon.

The extension will allow retailers two sealift cycles to order products cheaper to ship by sea than air.

Territorial foster care system criticized

Nunavut's health and social services department has placed children in foster homes without conducting criminal record checks of the adults residing there, according to a federal auditor general report tabled at the legislative assembly on March 8.

The audit of the territory's children, youth and family programs and services said the department is not meeting many requirements under the Child and Family Services Act and under its own standards and procedures.

Budget priorities

Children and youth, reducing poverty and helping communities become self-reliant were set to be the priorities of the Government of Nunavut over the next two years, according to the Throne Speech delivered at the legislative assembly.

However, achieving these goals would mean running a deficit of $50 million. The territory's revenue is projected at $1.35 billion, an increase of $89 million, according to the budget tabled on March 1.

This boost comes largely from the increase in the amount given to Nunavut through the federal-territorial formula.

APRIL

Remembering residential schools

The events happened decades ago but the pain of residential schools was still present for the survivors who took their turns at the microphone in Iqaluit recalling the smells, sounds and feelings they experienced at the schools.

Tears flowed from some in attendance and many of the now-middle-aged survivors while they told their stories at the Truth and Reconciliation Commission.

Cape Dorset loses water supply

Some were melting snow or blocks of ice, others were buying bottled water - but everyone in Cape Dorset was conserving water April 18 because the community had been without a water supply for about five days.

The situation was challenging for families but eased when a temporary water supply line to bypass the main one that froze became operational.

Treatment centre delays

The opening of two addictions treatment centres for Nunavut residents had been delayed by a couple of years because more planning needs to be done, said deputy minister of health and social services Peter Ma.

The GN will not open residential addictions treatment centres in Cambridge Bay and Iqaluit in the spring, as was planned.

The territory's requests for proposals for the centres, which had received two responses, were on hold pending funding and proper planning, said the deputy minister.

Death inquest ends

Eva Michael said her family was relieved the nine-day inquest into the death of her sister Elisapee Michael is over and hoped the recommendations of the jury are taken seriously by all parties.

Eva had said the most important thing is communication in emergency situations.

Elisapee Michael died as the result of a head injury on Aug. 13, 2009 at Ottawa Hospital after being medevaced from Iqaluit. On Aug. 8 she had been drinking at the bar in the Nova Inn. She was asked to leave and was seen falling down the stairs of the hotel. After being sent by ambulance to Qikiqtani General Hospital and examined, she was deemed to be disruptive by hospital staff, who called the RCMP.

Some recommendations were that the city's building inspectors ensure all licensed establishments have proper stairways, lighting and railings up to the National Building Code, and that guards working at the RCMP cells receive full and complete training which should be updated semi-annually.

Francophone association money mismanagement

Nunavut's francophone association owed creditors about $752,000, a debt accumulated over three years as grants were misspent and bills went unpaid, said association president Eric Corneau.

He added half the money was owed to the federal government while the rest was owed to other agencies, private enterprises and individuals. The association also owed a former employee $40,000 for association bills she paid with her personal credit card.

Herd moves on

Beverly caribou were to be counted by the territorial government for the first time in 17 years in June and one hunters and trappers organization told Nunavut News/North the herd is changing.

The survey included counting the animals as well as determining their condition and distribution.

The survey area included the traditional Beverly herd calving ground, west of Baker Lake; the Queen Maud Gulf area, where the caribou were calving; and east almost up to Repulse Bay, where there is local knowledge of caribou calving in the area.

Family abuse intervention 'failing'

An act meant to facilitate intervention in cases of family abuse is "failing," according to a report tabled at the legislature.

The report stated the three-year-old Family Abuse Intervention Act's failings include low awareness of the act's contents among the people tasked with implementing it and problems at the community justice outreach worker level due to unqualified personnel and a structure that makes them employees of the hamlet while having to follow advice from the territorial government.

This results in inadequate supervision, reporting, accountability, control or direction of workers by either the hamlets or the territorial government, stated the report.

The candidates emerge

Canadians were headed to the polls on May 2 to elect a new government.

Four people were vying to represent the Nunavut riding in Ottawa - incumbent Conservative Leona Aglukkaq, former premier Paul Okalik for the Liberals, Jack Hicks for the NDP and Scott MacCallum for the Green Party.

MAY

Aglukkaq wins again

Nunavut residents re-elected Conservative MP Leona Aglukkaq on May 2, this time as part of a majority government with the NDP forming the official opposition.

Liberal candidate Paul Okalik finished second in Nunavut, followed by NDP candidate Jack Hicks and Green Party candidate Scott MacCallum.

Following the win, Aglukkaq said she felt absolutely wonderful and very proud of the results.

She also acknowledged Okalik, Hicks and MacCallum for getting into the race, recognizing the challenges of campaigning in the North in Canada's largest riding, which covers three time zones.

Aglukkaq was eventually named health minister and Minister Responsible for the Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency.

MLA resigns

Tununiq MLA James Arvaluk resigned from the legislative assembly effective May 16, citing health reasons.

The 63-year-old had been representing Pond Inlet since 2006.

Arvaluk's resignation meant three seats were vacant at the legislative assembly when it reconvened for the spring session.

Recycling program set to launch

Arctic Co-operatives was set to launch an aluminum can recycling program in every Nunavut community except Iqaluit and Clyde River, which don't have co-ops.

The company is not developing recycling depots. Rather, community groups would organize the collection of the cans and be compensated for their efforts.

Arctic Co-ops will pay non-profit groups $1,500 for every 20-foot shipping container filled with cans.

A 10-cent levy on plastic bags will partially fund the program and reduce the number of plastic bags in the North.

If the co-operatives can prove the model works, only then will they start investigating multiple waste streams. But in the interest of keeping it simple and effective, they are focusing on aluminum.

Speedy fingerprint checks

The RCMP updated its fingerprint technology hoping to improve turnaround times on criminal record checks.

The new LiveScan fingerprint storage and search system uses a laser scanner instead of ink and paper. The system will locate criminal records and histories, generating a response in seven or eight days.

If an individual has no identification or refuses to give police their identity, they can get the results back in minutes.

All fingerprints are sent to a central repository in Ottawa.

Cultural education centre opens

The Piqqusilirivvik cultural centre in Clyde River opened its doors to the public for the first time on May 4.

It was set to offer courses on youth Inuktitut and traditional activities such as hunting, craft-making and Arctic outdoor survival skills for all Nunavummiut. The centre will be the home and school for 26 students, with two coming from each community to be taught by 14 staff.

Construction of the 2,200-square-metre building began in September 2009 at a cost of $23 million.

Monument work begins

Three of Nunavut's renowned carvers combined their creative forces to work on a monument to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Nunavut Land Claims Agreement.

Inuk Charlie from Taloyoak, Paul Malliki from Repulse Bay and Looty Pijamini from Grise Fiord were chosen to work on the project set to be unveiled July 9, 2013 at the Four Corners intersection in Iqaluit, in front of NTI headquarters.

The design tells the story of how Inuit have had to adapt to the modern world while maintaining their traditions. The bottom features an iglu and sod house while the middle has a drum dancer, a woman wearing an amauti, a raven, a muskox, a walrus, seals, birds and an Arctic hare. At the top sit two people lighting a qulliq.

Search and rescue agreement signed

The Agreement on Co-operation on Aeronautical and Maritime Search and Rescue in the Arctic was signed by Canada, along with Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Russia, Sweden, the United States of America and Norway.

It allows information to be shared for fuel sources, supplies and equipment as well as what search-and-rescue facilities are available.

Water line relief

A temporary water supply line in Cape Dorset to bypass the main one that froze in April became operational in early May.

This was a temporary solution as the main stainless steel three-inch water pipe, which froze and cracked on April 14 because the heat tracer used to keep the pipe warm failed, will be fixed this summer.

JUNE

Cross-territory trip

A brother and sister team successfully completed a 3,300-km kite-ski trek across the Northwest Passage in 85 days, arriving in Pond Inlet on June 11.

Sarah McNair-Landry, 25, and her brother Eric, 26, had left Tuktoyaktuk, NWT, on March 19.

The duo stopped in Kugluktuk, Cambridge Bay, Gjoa Haven, Taloyoak, Arctic Bay and Pond Inlet. The longest distance they travelled in a day was 153.7 km. They travelled over cliffs, tundra, sea ice and snow mostly by kiting, but sometimes by foot or skiing.

Education strategy unveiled

First Canadians, Canadians First: The National Strategy on Inuit Education was unveiled in Ottawa on June 16 by the National Committee on Inuit Education.

The strategy focuses on education in early childhood, K-12 and post-secondary programs in four Inuit regions in this country, including Nunavut.

Mobilizing parents, increasing the number of bilingual teachers and programs and expanding early-education programs are three of the 10 recommendations aimed at improving Inuit education.

More MLAs

recommended

Adding three MLAs to the Nunavut legislative assembly and re-thinking the cross-regional Akulliq riding were some of the recommendations in the Report of the 2011 Nunavut Electoral Boundaries Commission.

Commission head Justice J. Edward Richard said the legislature should grow to 22 seats from 19, as the existing constituencies were very uneven in population size.

This would give Arviat, Iglulik and Iqaluit an extra MLA each.

Iqaluit voices Nutrition North concerns

After their first public meeting, members of the Nutrition North Canada advisory board had lots to chew on as Iqaluit residents said they were not satisfied with the changes the program promised them.

Approximately 60 people turned up to voice mostly their concerns with the Nutrition North Canada program, which replaced Food Mail. The meeting started at 6:30 p.m and was cut short at 9:30 p.m. with many more people still having questions.

Tootoo becomes Speaker

Iqaluit Centre MLA Hunter Tootoo was named the new Speaker of the legislative assembly following a leadership forum.

He resigned as minister of education and human resources following his nomination to the speaker's position by Nattilik MLA Jeannie Ugyuk. He obtained more votes than Akulliq MLA John Ningark on the first ballot.

Tragedy in Iqaluit

A family killing left Iqaluit shaken and grieving.

Vivian Sula Enuaraq, 29, her daughters Alexandra Degrasse, 7, and Aliyah Degrasse, 2, were found dead in the their Tundra Valley home in Iqaluit on June 7. RCMP found the body of Sylvain Degrasse, 44, Enuaraq's common-law partner and father of the two girls, at the city's cemetery. A long rifle was taken from the scene. Police found the body at the cemetery first, then an investigation led to the residence.

NTI, feds reach a deal

Nunavut Tunngavik Inc. withdrew its court challenge against the federal government as both have agreed to work together to deal with the export ban of narwhal tusks in most territorial communities. The land claims organization had launched a court challenge against the federal government in January challenging Ottawa's decision to ban the export of narwhal tusks from 17 Nunavut communities. With an agreement between the Department of Fisheries and Oceans and NTI reached on June 17, NTI withdrew its court challenge.

JULY

Order of Nunavut gets first members

The Order of Nunavut named its first members, the late Jose Amaujaq Kusugak, the late Mark Kalluak and Reverend Michael Gardener. The territory's highest honour recognizes individuals who have made outstanding contributions to the cultural, social or economic well-being of Nunavut.

Rankin Inlet's Kusugak, who died in January, was a nationally respected Inuit leader who headed Nunavut Tunngavik Inc. from 1984 to 2000, Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami from 2000 to 2006, and then the Kivalliq Inuit Association until 2010.

Kalluak, a businessman and former mayor of Arviat, was widely known as an expert in Inuit culture and language. He died in May.

Gardener is a retired Anglican minister ordained in England who moved to Canada in 1955. A minister in Kimmirut, Cape Dorset and Pangnirtung, he settled in Iqaluit in the 1980s and served as dean of St. Jude's Cathedral until 1996.

Police kill dogs that attacked toddler

RCMP killed five sled dogs in Arctic Bay after the dogs attacked a two-year-old boy in June.

The dogs were loose and roaming the community when they attacked the boy, leaving him with scars on his face, legs and arms.

Air Canada ends Iqaluit route

Air Canada pulled out of Nunavut, terminating its route between Iqaluit, Ottawa, and Montreal.

High fuel costs meant the routes were not profitable, the company stated. Passengers set to fly with the company were given the option of taking Canadian North flights instead. The Air Canada Jazz route had been operating since March 2010.

Bieber thrills Cambridge Bay fans

Justin Bieber fans in Cambridge Bay got a thrill when their letter-writing campaign to the singer got a response from the star.

Thirty girls aged four to 15 attending an after-school program at the library wrote a total of 100 letters to Bieber for Valentine's Day. Each got an autographed card in return. With their success, the group was considering doing a similar campaign to other celebrities.

Nuliajuk heads to sea

Nunavut Premier Eva Aariak broke a glass bottle of Perrier water on the hull of MV Nuliajuk, Nunavut's newly commissioned research vessel.

The $3.2 million vessel left Iqaluit for Cumberland Sound to perform fisheries research this summer. The research team's main goal is to identify species and fisheries development potential in offshore and inshore waters. Gjoa Haven child Rudy Alaaq Aaluk chose the name in tribute to a figure in Inuit legend believed to have nourished generations with the sea's bounty.

Iqaluit drug bust nets Viagra

Two men were arrested in Montreal after a sting that netted 761 Viagra pills at a house in Iqaluit.

The men had left Iqaluit before they were stopped at Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport, where they were arrested while claiming their luggage, which contained $88,000 in cash. It was the first time Iqaluit RCMP had seen the erectile dysfunction medication being sold on the street, and they sent the pills to a lab in Ottawa to determine if they were real.

Hunger crisis in Iglulik

Some Iglulik residents ran out of food when the community freezer broke down and the Canada Post strike delayed the delivery of old age security cheques.

"People were getting pretty hungry," social service worker Margaret Sweet said.

The freezer breakdown led to the loss of 20 caribou and 700 pounds of fish. An e-mailed plea to the government requesting access to the emergency fund was not well-received.

"FYI, not our problem; people get emaciated after two weeks without food," regional supervisor of income support Harry Dialla replied.

Irene Tanuyak, assistant deputy minister of education, the department responsible for income support programs, later apologized.

Hospital scrambles as 12 nurses quit

Administrators at Iqaluit's Qikiqtani General Hospital had to call in casual and agency nurses after 12 nurses in the 32-nurse in-patient unit quit over a period of five months.

Two went on maternity leave, some left to go home south, some wanted to work part-time, and others quit after not receiving bonuses they felt they deserved.

Five rescued from boats stuck in ice

A government researcher, a contractor and three guides had to be rescued by helicopter near Iglulik after their boats got trapped in pack ice for four days. The five men were conducting bowhead whale population tracking.

They ran out of food, but were able to catch a seal to sustain themselves. Hamlet officials called the rescue team after the men missed their scheduled return date. All were in good health when rescued.

Petitioners call for Canada to keep Baymaud

Cambridge Bay residents launched a campaign to keep the half-sunk ship Baymaud in the community after its Norwegian owners announced plans to return the shipwreck to Norway.

Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen, the first person to successfully cross the Northwest Passage, tried drifting across the North Pole with the then-named Maud in 1918 but was unsuccessful.

Hudson Bay Company bought the ship in 1925 and turned it into a floating warehouse and wireless radio station. It sank in 1930, and the people of Asker, Norway bought it for $1 in 1990.

AUGUST

Parks Canada to change gun rules

Parks Canada started consulting residents living near Nunavut's four national parks to discuss regulation changes that would allow guides to carry firearms in the parks.

While general visitors to parks would still be barred from carrying a loaded firearm, bear monitors, beneficiary and non-beneficiary guides, researchers (in places where bear monitors are not available), commercial sport hunting guides travelling through the parks and members of the Department of National Defence would be eligible for a permit. Aboriginal people would also be allowed to carry guns when exercising their right to conduct harvesting and related activities.

Bare shelves in Resolute, Cape Dorset

Resolute residents were running out of choices at the Tudjaat Co-op after resupply orders were not placed after the store's general manager left town.

"We have a little bit of cereal on the shelves but there is no milk, no eggs, no vegetables, no meat, nothing," said resident Sheeba Nangmalik, adding the situation was dire all of July. Toilet paper and diapers were also scarce. Arctic Co-operatives staff stepped in to help get shelves restocked by early August.

Fog kept supply flights from landing in Cape Dorset for eight days, and both grocery stores ran out of fruit, vegetables, milk, eggs, bread, and fresh and frozen meat.

Meanwhile, the Grise Fiord Co-op had enough supplies to last until the Aug. 31 sealift, with one exception: pop. The price per can went as high as $5 before they were sold out.

Arctic Bay mourns brothers

Two brothers were found dead three days after their six-metre boat capsized south of Arctic Bay July 30.

Tommy, 42, and Noah Kalluk, 46, were seal hunting when ocean swells of five to six metres caused the boat to flip. An RCMP plane found the boat in Admiralty Inlet, and the men's bodies were found aboard after Coast Guard crews turned the boat over.

Hikers evacuated from Auyuittuq

Hikers had to be evacuated from areas of Auyuittuq Park after flooding made some rivers and creeks in the park impassable.

Two hikers had to be flown to Pangnirtung after one suffered a broken foot and another a bruised back and hypothermia after falling in a creek. Hikers without injuries were flown to safer locations within the park to continue their hikes.

'Hot, toasty and dry' Kivalliq

The scorching sun in the Kivalliq region set records on July 24. Baker Lake had the highest temperature, with 27.1 C, surpassing its previous record of 25 C set in 1962. Chesterfield Inlet was 26.5 C, 3.5 C higher than its previous record set in 1998. Rankin Inlet had a high of 26.1 C, three degrees higher than its previous record, also set in 1998. Arviat also broke a record, coming in at 23.9 C, a mere 0.4 C higher than its 1998 record.

Norwegian divers assess Baymaud shipwreck

Meeting with local representatives, Norwegian divers were surprised at the support for their idea to move the Baymaud shipwreck from Cambridge Bay to Norway to become the focal point of a future museum.

Vicki Aitaok brought two petitions to keep the ship in the hamlet, a paper one with 200 signatures and an online one with 65. Most residents, though, were ambivalent, Mayor Syd Glawson said, noting 80 to 90 per cent of the people he spoke to were of the view that, "if it goes, it goes, if it stays, it stays."

The group Aitaok represented later withdrew its opposition to the project.

Nunavut plans to sue tobacco companies

With the highest smoking rates in Canada, Nunavut looked to follow the lead of the NWT to pursue tobacco-recovery legislation to sue tobacco companies for health care costs.

In 2010, Statistics Canada found that 54.4 per cent of people aged 12 and up in the territory smoked, compared to 21 per cent nationally. The government also wants tobacco companies to increase education about the harmful effects of smoking.

Rare hunt nets 13 beluga whales

Hunters in Kugluktuk harvested 13 beluga whales after hundreds were spotted in the Rae and Richardson Rivers Aug. 6. Susie Evyagotailak, 55, was the only woman to catch a whale while her husband steered their boat. After losing his harpoon, another resident, Stanley Anablak, used a makeshift harpoon made with a fishing rod and spearhead to catch another.

"Even the other boats around me trying to harpoon a whale were wondering how I managed to get one with an Ugly Stik fishing rod," Anablak said.

Resolute crash kills 12

Twelve people died when a First Air 737 en route from Yellowknife crashed near Resolute Aug. 20. Three people survived, including geologists Nicole Williamson and Robin Wyllie, and Gabrielle Pelky, 7, whose sister Cheyenne Eckalook, 6, died in the crash. Most of the people on board were returning to jobs in the hamlet's hotel and other businesses owned by Pelky and Eckalook's grandfather, Azzis 'Ozzie' Kheraj, who hired the charter. Rescue operations were expedited thanks to the presence of Canadian Forces who were planning to simulate a plane crash rescue in the hamlet as part of their annual sovereignty exercise, Operation Nanook.

Governor General visits Nunavut

Nunavut welcomed Canada's Gov. Gen. David Johnston Aug. 15 to 21, treating him to raw caribou, Arctic char and beluga whale. Johnston avoided controversy by visiting when seal was out of season; anti-sealing groups protested when his predecessor Michaelle Jean indulged in seal heart at a 2009 visit to Rankin Inlet. Johnston and his wife Sharon were in Resolute when the First Air plane crashed.

Iqaluit gets a bowhead whale

Iqaluit hunters landed a bowhead whale Aug. 15 within 24 hours of setting out on their hunt in Frobisher Bay. The community shared Nunavut's quota of three bowhead whales, the Arctic's biggest whales, with Kugaaruk and Coral Harbour. Nunavut Tunngavik Inc. president Cathy Towtongie, whose brother-in-law Eneasie Kanayuk's boat was the first to the whale, celebrated the hunt.

"Our ancestors would have rejoiced to see this day," she said.

Iqaluit animal shelter shuts down

The territory's only animal shelter closed Aug. 9 due to a lack of volunteers. Iqaluit Humane Society president Janine Budgell and a friend opened the shelter in 2008 in a rent-free property owned by the city and shared with the municipal pound. Budgell hoped to reopen the shelter after a fundraising effort to find $750,000 for a new, larger facility to house and heal abandoned and abused animals.

SEPTEMBER

Rangers to get new rifles

After more than 65 years as the rifle of choice for the Canadian Rangers, the .303-calibre Lee-Enfield is being retired in 2014. The Canadian Forces announced a move to a NATO standard .308-calibre rifle for the force, which will be expanded from the current roster of 4,700 to 5,000 members. Rangers say they will miss the weapon, which was taken out of production decades ago and is now difficult to repair as parts must be scavenged from out-of-service rifles.

The rifles are intended not only as a military weapon; Rangers are to use them as protection against large animals during patrols, and for personal hunting purposes.

Pond Inlet environmental program in doubt

Despite overwhelming success and support across the country, Nunavut Arctic College's environmental technology program at Pond Inlet cancelled the fall semester due to a lack of funding. The pilot project offered a one-year certificate in 2010-11 and graduated all but one student, who left because he got a job. All 13 graduates were ready to start the second year, which would upgrade the certificate to a diploma, but the college was unable to secure the needed funding. The full two-year program is offered in Iqaluit, but staff held out hope that funding would be secured to run the Pond Inlet program before the winter session started.

Nunavut shorebird flies through hurricane

Chinquapin, a male whimbrel that spends its summers breeding on or near Southampton Island in northern Hudson Bay, flew through 2011's most powerful hurricane without a scratch. The Arctic shorebird, which is satellite-tagged as part of an American tracking project, braved Hurricane Irene, which caused US$10 billion in damage along the United States' eastern seaboard, en route to its winter home.

"There was a period there when we knew the bird was in the storm and then it wasn't reporting," said researcher Bryan Watts. "When it next reported, it had hit landfall in the Bahamas."

Co-op sells off its old pop

If you were at Pond Inlet's Tununiq Sauniq Co-operative in the days leading up to the early September sealift, you might have looked twice to see pop selling for $5 for a 12-pack, but that price was not a typo. Such cases normally go for $24 per case, but the store received a double order last year, and the warehouse had to be cleared for the new supply.

"We had to do something to get rid of it," manager Dave Pike said.

Suicide Prevention Strategy Action Plan unveiled

The Government of Nunavut unveiled its plan to reduce suicides in the territory. Among the initiatives, the government plans to establish mental health and addictions facilities, increase the number of mental health workers and provide age- and culturally appropriate grief counseling. Health Canada statistics say Nunavut's youth suicide rate is 11 times the national average; RCMP responded to 983 incidents where people attempted or threatened suicide in Nunavut in 2009. Many of the three-year plan's objectives focus on increasing communication about suicide, teaching people to recognize the signs before it happens, and developing ways to reach out to people at risk.

Crash kills 14-year-old Cambridge Bay boy

A 14-year-old Cambridge Bay boy was killed after his motorcycle collided with a pickup truck. The teen, who was wearing a helmet, was pronounced dead at the community health centre. None of the four people in the pick-up was hurt.

Sea ice hovers around all-time low

Depending on the data source, the amount of open water in Nunavut communities set or almost set a new record this summer. A University of Bremen (Germany) report said this year's sea ice reached an all-time low, beating the previous 2007 record by 200,000 square km. The report was refuted by the National Snow and Ice Data Centre in Boulder, Colorado, which called the season a close second to 2007.

European Union court rejects challenge

The European General Court refused an application by Canadian and Greenlandic Inuit to overturn the European Union's ban on seal products, saying the application was inadmissible. Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami and the Fur Institute of Canada, two of the applicants to the case, said they were "disappointed" by the court decision. A second case before the EU court had a lower bar for admissibility.

Ooyoumut finally gets recognition

He drowned fishing for food for RCMP sled dogs in 1954, but it took a decade of dedication by Special Const. Andrew Ooyoumut's granddaughter Deborah Kigjugalik Webster to get the RCMP to recognize that Ooyoumut died while on duty. The honour finally came Sept. 11 when Gov. Gen. David Johnston and RCMP Commissioner William Elliott recognized Ooyoumut's sacrifice at the RCMP national memorial service in Regina, Sask. Webster continues to fight for compensation and further recognition.

New MLAs sworn in

Three new MLAs were sworn in after a byelection that saw Monica Ell, Joe Enook and Hezakiah Oshutapik become the representatives for Iqaluit-West, Tununiq and Pangnirtung respectively. They replace: former premier Paul Okalik, who vacated his seat to run federally; Adamee Komoartok, who left to face criminal charges that were eventually dropped; and James Arvaluk who quit for health reasons. The next election is expected in 2012.

Vote leaves Gjoa Haven dry

More than 60 per cent of Gjoa Haven residents voted in favour of keeping the hamlet dry in a liquor plebescite. With a threshold for change at 60 per cent, support for allowing controlled access was more than 100 votes away from success. Voter turnout was high, with 83 per cent of eligible voters casting a ballot.

OCTOBER

Satellite problems isolate Nunavut

Nunavut was isolated from the rest of the world on Oct. 6 due to a satellite malfunction. A software glitch made the Anik F2 satellite put itself into safe mode, turning away from Earth and toward the sun to remain powered. This left Nunavummiut without the ability to make long-distance phone calls, use the Internet, or make bank transactions requiring communications with southern networks. Because the satellite is used for radar, weather information and flight planning, no planes came from the south and none were able to fly between communities. Emergency crews used satellite telephones to stay in touch with other communities.

Schell minister of human resources

After promoting the Cape Dorset MLA to cabinet in September, Premier Eva Aariak named Fred Schell the new human resources minister. Schell's predecessor, Arviat MLA Daniel Shewchuk, retained his other portfolios, including environment and minister responsible for Nunavut Arctic College.

Nunavut expects more inmates

Nunavut's deputy justice minister Janet Slaughter expected a proposed federal crime bill would mean a 15 per cent increase in the number of prisoners in Nunavut's jails. The bill would toughen penalties for sexual offences against children as well as for the production and possession of illegal drugs for the purpose of trafficking, and end house arrest or conditional sentences for serious and violent crimes. Currently, Ontario and the NWT take overflow prisoners, but they too will experience increased numbers, and will struggle to accommodate an increase of prisoners from Nunavut.

MLA guilty of integrity slip-up

Nunavut's Integrity Commissioner found South Baffin MLA Fred Schell guilty of using his position to try to influence a government employee after sending an "intimidating" e-mail about a contract between his company, Polar Supplies, and the Hamlet of Cape Dorset. Schell was accused of four breaches of the Integrity Act, and found guilty of only one. Commissioner Norman Pickell recommended a $500 fine and a public apology.

The legislative assembly rejected his report because Pickell should not have investigated comments Schell made in the legislative assembly, where his right to freedom of speech is protected by parliamentary privilege. They accepted his apology and fined him $1,000.

Icebreaker propeller breaks

The Canadian Coast Guard Ship Louis St-Laurent had to return to St. John's after one of its three propellers came loose and repair attempts in Cambridge Bay were unsuccessful. The Coast Guard's biggest icebreaker was concluding its seismic work for the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea when the problem was discovered. It was the first time a propeller has come loose since they were installed in 2000.

Rescuer dies in Iglulik mission

A search-and-rescue technician died in the waters near Iglulik during a hazardous operation that resulted in the successful rescue of two Iglulik residents. Sgt. Janick Gilbert, 34, of Baie-Comeau, Que., died after he and other rescuers parachuted from a Hercules aircraft into the Hecla Strait to help two hunters stranded in an open boat after the condition of one of the hunters began to deteriorate.

The hunters and the other rescuers survived the incident.

MLA Taptuna is the top earner

Kugluktuk MLA Peter Taptuna snuck in just above Premier Eva Aariak as the highest-paid MLA, and he also spent the most travelling between Iqaluit and his home community. Taptuna, who is also the deputy premier, earned a salary and allowances totalling $193,936, while Aariak earned $193,499. With travel expenses, temporary housing and MLA indemnities, Taptuna cost taxpayers $287,735 a year.

"To get back and forth, I have to go through Rankin (Inlet), Yellowknife, overnight in Yellowknife and then on up," the MLA for Nunavut's westernmost region said. "It's a costly expense."

87,000 litres of fuel spilled

Crews worked to contain an 87,000 litre fuel spill at the tank farm in Resolute. Ministry of Environment staff suggested the cleanup may have to wait until the spring. The cause of the spill was not known.

Pangnirtung students share school after oil spill

Students at Attagoyuk High School in Pangnirtung had to share their facility with students from Alookie elementary school after fumes from a September fuel oil spill were detected in late October. Alookie students used the school in the mornings while the high school students attended class in the afternoons while tests determined the cause of the problem.

A doll for the North

A new Inuk doll by Avonlea Traditions was named one of Canada's top toys for 2011. Saila joined five other Canadian-themed dolls representing different regions of the country, each with distinct personalities, lifestyles and interests. Saila has Inuk features and wears a T-shirt with a polar-fleece vest, jeans and kamiit. Accessories, such as an amauti made in Arviat and a hat made from the Uqqurmiut Centre for Arts and Crafts in Pangnirtung, are also available for sale. The doll also comes with a journal describing her family, interests and life in Iqaluit in English, French and Inuktitut.

NOVEMBER

MLAs grill Nutrition North officials

MLAs shared their concerns about Nutrition North with program officials at a special caucus meeting, saying the program benefits retailers but not the average citizen. Kugluktuk MLA Peter Taptuna suggested the program needs to increase the subsidy rate for country foods so the less fortunate can access nutritious food. MLA Joe Enook said the program fails to meet its goal of reducing the price of quality food. Retailers suggested shoppers are already seeing price drops; in Hall Beach, a Northwest Company executive said, the price of 4L of milk dropped from $11.49 to $5.09, making milk 80 per cent lower priced than the same amount of non-nutritious drink.

Assembly adds three more seats

Arviat, Iglulik and Iqaluit will each get another MLA at the next territorial election after the legislative assembly voted to redraw the electoral map. The move means Whale Cove will join Arviat North in a new constituency, Repulse Bay and Coral Harbour will be paired, and Kugaaruk and Taloyoak will be paired. Gjoa Haven will have its own MLA after the shuffle. Nanulik MLA Johnny Ningeongan said his constituents in Coral Harbour and Chesterfield Inlet opposed the bill, saying they believed "it will not lead to more benefits for the communities." Tununiq MLA Joe Enook, also in opposition, said the move was too expensive.

MLA and wife call Pond Inlet shack home

Tununiq MLA Joe Enook and his wife Mary Kilabuk were living in a shack in Pond Inlet after Enook was unable to find a private rental to fulfil a campaign promise to move to the hamlet upon election. The couple moved to the shack Nov. 3, days after Enook's first legislative session as MLA, and stayed until Nov. 21, when they returned to Iqaluit for committee meetings.

Unable to find any private accommodations, the MLA put his name on the social housing waiting list, and disputed suggestions that he was trying to use his position to be bumped to the top of the list.

The Nunavut Housing Corporation reminded the local housing authority, which had a house for the couple, that Enook did not qualify due to, among other reasons, his earnings and residency.

Arctic fox feasts on runway light cables

Airport workers in Iglulik had to wrap electric cables in aluminum tape to stop an Arctic fox with an appetite for the cables. The problem has arisen in other communities in the past, as fall sets in and the food supply dwindles. Whale Cove's cables are all wrapped in aluminum tape, while workers in Sanikiluaq used Vaseline and Tabasco sauce, which "seemed to do the trick," Nunavut airports director Shawn Maley said.

Resolute to get new utilidor by 2017

The federal government will invest $30 million to replace Resolute's utilidor system by 2017. The hamlet's current utilidor was installed in the 1970s, and the hamlet was unsure whether Ottawa would simply upgrade the current one or move the hamlet to trucked utilities. The project is expected to employ 12 Resolute residents.

Students start at Piqqusilirivvik

After sealift delays and enrolment problems, classes at Piqqusilirivvik started Nov. 7, two months later than planned. Clyde River's $32 million Inuit cultural learning centre welcomed 25 students - 13 women and 12 men - aged 21 to 53 from Arviat, Cape Dorset, Clyde River, Hall Beach, Iglulik, Iqaluit, Pond Inlet, and Repulse Bay. Classes are almost exclusively in Inuktitut, and focus on passing on traditional knowledge that will help students survive on the land and embrace their heritage.

National award-winning elder dies

Paingut Annie Peterloosie was remembered for her humour, warmth, and most significantly for her efforts to preserve Inuit culture and heritage. The Pond Inlet elder died of stomach cancer Nov. 12, less than a year after receiving the National Aboriginal Achievement Award for Culture, Heritage and Spirituality. Her husband Jayko, with whom she regularly performed drum dances, died the previous November; the two are survived by five children, Kaujak Komangapik, Jeannie Koonoo, Fiona Atagootak, Michael Peterloosie, and Tommy Peterloosie.

Nunavut's water worst in Canada

Ecojustice gave Nunavut a D grade, the lowest among all Canadian provinces and territories, in a report that evaluated water policies, programs and legislations. The report said the territory has no source water protection in place and its water treatment standards are among the lowest in the country. The territory was downgraded from the C it previously earned from the watchdog in 2006.

Cambridge Bay mourns Paul Laserich

Seasoned pilot and Adlair Air general manager Paul Laserich was found dead of natural causes in Yellowknife Nov. 19. He was 52. A born entrepreneur, the Cambridge Bay native started a wholesale store and taxi company before, at age 23, he restructured his family business, when he and his brother Rene secured a charter licence from Transport Canada. His death came 11 days before the end of a lucrative Nunavut government medevac contract his company held for 20 years. This summer, the government handed the contract, worth millions annually, to Yellowknife-based Air Tindi and partner Aqsaqniq Air.

Two shot in Iqaluit firefight

A male suspect was shot in the chest and another man was hit by a stray bullet in a police firefight Nov. 23 in Iqaluit. The incident began when police responded to reports of shots fired in the city's 100 block. They arrived to find a man pointing a gun at them, shots were fired and then he fled the scene. The suspect was found bleeding from the chest near House 238. A bystander sleeping in a neighbouring house was grazed by a stray bullet, and needed five staples to seal the wound to his head.

DECEMBER

Minister resigns over expected department split

Rankin Inlet North MLA Tagak Curley, who resigned from cabinet Nov. 16, said he did so because he didn't want to be in charge of splitting the Sealth and Social Services Department. The split, which the government has been considering throughout 2011, would hurt programs and services, Curley said. Cambridge Bay MLA Keith Peterson took over Health and Social Services while South Baffin MLA Fred Schell became the minister responsible for the Nunavut Housing Corporation, for homelessness and for the workers' safety and compensation board.

Beverly herd changes calving ground

Scientists confirmed Inuit knowledge that the Beverly caribou herd's calving ground has shifted north from the Kivalliq region to the Queen Maud Gulf area. Government biologists, confirming traditional knowledge, believe caribou will return to the Kivalliq calving ground at some point. "My father used to tell me they would leave for 20-25 years because of the droppings," Gjoa Haven hunter Willie Aglukkaq said. "All their droppings cover the land and they need to move on because they'll get sick if they're eating their own droppings." The government will continue to assess how the change will affect the population as the caribou will need to walk longer distances, which could affect their energy needs.

Aglukkaq recognized with aboriginal achievement award

Nunavut MP Leona Aglukkaq was named one of 15 recipients of the National Aboriginal Achievement Award Nov. 23 for distinguishing herself as a "powerful political leader and negotiator." Aglukkaq, first elected in 2008, is the federal minister for both Health and the Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency. The awards will be given at a Vancouver ceremony Feb. 24, 2012.

Burglar finds child porn

A pedophile, whose computer was stolen from his home by a burglar who then threatened him with blackmail, turned himself in to the police and confessed to possessing the child porn images on the computer. At the man's court appearance Dec. 7, he pleaded guilty to sex offences involving two boys under the age of 14 in the south and in Nunavut starting in 2008.

The man surrendered to RCMP July 27, telling them a burglar who took his computer was trying to blackmail him after seeing photos and a two-minute video on the computer. These images showed the man engaged in sex acts with one of the two boys. Nunavut's chief justice recommended that the man, a long-time child and family counsellor, spend four-and-a-half years receiving treatment in a psychiatric hospital.

Former Iqaluit planner sues city

Iqaluit's former planning and lands director Michele Bertol, fired Jan. 26 after seven years of service, launched a lawsuit against the city for wrongful dismissal, saying she was "subjected to harassment and a hostile work environment." In her statement of claim filed Oct. 28, she is seeking more than $700,000 in damages.

Bertol is seeking 30 months salary, or $456,540, benefits worth $91,308, $60,000 for losses incurred in the rush to sell her house, $9,696 for removal assistance, and $100,000 for moral damages. The city plans to fight the suit, saying it did nothing wrong.

New military facility in Resolute

Construction has started on a new Arctic training centre in Resolute for Canadian Forces, expanding and renovating the existing Natural Resource Canada polar continental shelf facility. A 1,200 square-metre, two-storey accommodation wing will be built to accommodate 140 people while an existing warehouse will be doubled to a total of 2,000 square metres of usable space for offices, classrooms, an operations centre, a small medical treatment room, a mechanical work bay and storage space for vehicles.

In addition to training, the centre will be used if Canadian Forces are needed to assist in an emergency, a spokesperson said.

Vet sets up semi-permanent shop

Apex native Dr. Leia Cunningham launched the territory's first veterinary clinic, a mobile one based in a fully stocked van, in hopes of establishing a permanent clinic when she and her husband move to Nunavut. Cunningham predicts Nunavet will be a part-time operation - several weeks in, several weeks out - until mid-2013.

The van is a fully-fitted surgery facility where she will be able to do X-rays and blood testing.

Airline schedules High Arctic trial

Spurred by area MLAs, Canadian North will operate a trial route to allow Pond Inlet and Iglulik residents to visit Arctic Bay, and vice versa, over Easter 2012. Currently, Iglulik residents who want to visit Arctic Bay need to travel to Iqaluit first.

The flights between Pond Inlet and Arctic Bay start at $290 each way, and between Iglulik and Arctic Bay start at $400 each way. The trial run will operate the weekends of April 6 and April 13.