Boys to get HPV vaccine
A vaccine for one of the most common sexually transmitted infections in Canada was to be covered for boys and young men across the territory starting in June.
Gardasil, a vaccine for Human Papillomavirus (HPV), has been free for girls since 2009. It currently costs $150 for boys aged nine to 14, and $225 for young men 15 and above. Not only would the vaccine become free for boys aged nine to 26, the type of vaccine is being updated to one that guards against nine strains of the virus. The vaccine would be available as part of the standard immunization schedule in NWT schools between Grades 4 and 6, depending on the community. A Grade 9 catch-up program for students who may require a booster or are missing a dose was expected to be put in place.
NWT opioid deaths on the rise
The NWT's chief coroner said opioid-related deaths were on the rise in the territory.
According to a report released in June by a national advisory committee on the opioid epidemic, deaths across Western Canada, including the NWT, were the highest in the country in 2016. NWT chief coroner Cathy Menard said the territory was experiencing an increase in deaths where opioids were a factor, yet cautioned the numbers in National Report: Apparent Opioid-Related Deaths looked higher than they were due to the NWT's small population. There were 2,458 apparent opioid-related deaths across Canada in 2016, bringing the death rate to 8.8 per 100,000 population. The NWT saw 10 to 14.9 deaths per 100,000 people in 2016.
Hay River man graduates from Cambridge University
Matthew Scarborough, who attended kindergarten to Grade 12 in Hay River – graduated with a PhD from the faculty of classics at the famed University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom.
After graduating, Scarborough worked as a research associate for a project based at the Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History in Germany, as well as teaching part-time in Cambridge.
He said he hoped young people might see from his example that there are opportunities for them to advance their education and possibilities in the world that they might not have even thought of pursing in high school. Scarborough recalled that, as a student at Diamond Jenness, there were many teachers and staff dedicated to their profession working to bring out the best in students.
New chief for Wekweeti
Whati, Wekweeti, Gameti and Behchoko all went to the polls on June 12 to elect chiefs and councillors. Wekweeti elected a new chief, Charlie Football, with 46 votes, while 17 votes were cast in favour of Johnny Arrowmaker. In Behchoko, incumbent Chief Clifford Daniels was re-elected with 416 votes, ahead of four challengers. The closest runner-up was Leon Lafferty with 380 votes.
In Gameti, incumbent Chief David Wedawin came in ahead of challenger Doreen Arrowmaker.
Whati saw incumbent Chief Alfonz Nitsiza re-elected with 124 votes, followed closely by Isidore Zoe with 122 votes.
Automatic recounts were triggered in all four communities for the election of councillors, due to close or tie votes. The Tlicho Community Government Act requires a byelection to be held within 14 days in the event of a tie.
Margaret Thom new commissioner of the NWT
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's office announced on June 14 that Margaret Thom of Fort Providence was chosen to be the NWT’s commissioner.
Thom told News/North she was both excited and honoured to be named to the position.
She said she found out about the appointment in a phone call from Governor General David Johnston a few days before the announcement but was sworn to secrecy until it was officially announced. Thom, who was deputy commissioner from 2005 to 2011 under then-commissioner Anthony Whitford, said she had submitted a letter of interest in the position to the territorial government.
She replaces George Tuccaro, who retired in 2016. The role had been filled since then by deputy commissioner Gerald Kisoun of Inuvik.
Mackenzie Valley Fibre Link goes live
On June 11, Premier Bob McLeod and Finance Minister Robert C. McLeod turned on the long awaited Mackenzie Valley Fibre Link.
The 1,154-km fibre line connects High Level, Alta. to Inuvik. Along the way, the line connects six communities in the Mackenzie Valley to high-speed internet and state-of-the-art telecommunications infrastructure.
Northwestel, which would operate the line, stated that customers in Inuvik would see monthly recurring rates reduce by $7 on average on their Northwestel Internet bill.
Planet Labs, who along with Kongsberg Satellite Services invested $10 million to expand their operations at the private satellite facility in Inuvik, stated in a news release congratulations and appreciation for the completion of the project.
No explanation for Arctic grayling missing from Kakisa River
Arctic grayling in the Kakisa River seemed to be disappearing with no identifiable cause in June.
Statistics from a sampling survey run during the height of the grayling spawning run from 2011 to 2013 showed 1,293 grayling caught in 2011 and 965 caught in 2013. Grayling spawn in the springtime, in temperatures between six and eight degrees. The past few years had seen temperatures at the Kakisa River fluctuate, warming up quickly at times.
There were also irregularities elsewhere in the Deh Cho. Monitoring done at the Providence Creek, just south of the Dehcho Bridge, showed the run there had been disrupted as well.
The federal Department of Fisheries and Oceans said the reports of grayling population decline would be examined.
No sexual assault unit for NWT
Some residents were concerned after the Northwest Territories justice minister said a specialized RCMP unit dedicated to investigating sexual assaults wouldn't be appropriate for the territory. Louis Sebert made the comment May 25 in a response to questions from Yellowknife Centre MLA Julie Green about the high rate of sexual assaults declared unfounded in the NWT.
Her questions followed a national Globe and Mail investigation that included data indicating 30 per cent of sexual assault complaints made in the NWT between 2010 and 2014 were dismissed as unfounded.
The RCMP later adjusted its unfounded sexual assault rate to 18.7 per cent for the territory as a whole, as its review of the cases found many were classified as unfounded due to a "coding error."
NWT talks pot
The justice department planned to kick off online consultations on cannabis legalization by the end of June before hosting public meetings in seven regional centres and two small communities in September. Officials were looking for feedback on possibly increasing the federal age limit for cannabis consumption above the age of 18, and reducing the federal carry and home-growth limits. The GNWT was exploring distribution models similar to liquor commissions in other jurisdictions where sales are controlled by government, or restricting sales to licensed retailers.
MLAs raised concerns about youth access, mail orders and how jurisdictions that have self-government will be able to govern cannabis policy.