Inuvik
An Inuvik man who pleaded guilty to recklessly firing a gun after attempting suicide two years ago will spend another five months behind bars following a sentencing decision in NWT Supreme Court on May 3.Corey Cardinal, who has been in custody since his arrest, was handed a three and a half year sentence by Justice Louise Charbonneau.
With credit for time already served – amounting to just over three years – Cardinal will remain jailed for five more months.
In 2016, an intoxicated and suicidal Cardinal attempted to shoot himself with a shotgun, but a friend pushed the gun away. Angry, Cardinal fire two shots – into the door of his residence and at a snowbank outside. No one was injured.
Cardinal faced a five-year mandatory minimum sentence because he used a prohibited sawed-off shotgun during the incident.
Cardinal challenged the five-year minimum and in February, Charbonneau struck down the mandatory sentence, ruling it would be unconstitutional. But, she still had to decide an appropriate sentence for Cardinal.
In handing down her sentence on May 3, Charbonneau agreed with Cardinal's lawyer, Kate Oja, who said the incident was linked to abuse and inter-generational trauma.
Upon his release, Cardinal will be on probation for three years and cannot possess firearms for 20 years.
– Brendan Burke
NWT Chamber of Commerce opposes land transfer tax
NWT
The NWT Chamber of Commerce is "adamantly opposed" to the territorial government's proposed land transfer tax, says the chamber's president.
"We see this as a shortsighted endeavour and we encourage the GNWT to look at other ways to re-energize property ownership that will be more sustainable," Trevor Wever said May 4 at the chamber's annual general meeting.
Finance Minister Robert C. McLeod said in February that the government is working on proposals for a land transfer tax as a new source of income that could help offset the territory's declining revenues.
The prospect of a land transfer tax has drawn the ire of observers in Yellowknife who say such a levy would disproportionately affect home buyers in the territorial capital, where real estate costs are high.
– Sidney Cohen
National Day of Kindness
NWT
The first National Day of Conscious Kindness will be happening in the territory on May 16. The day is set aside for acts of kindness and the United Way is asking the NWT to take part. Simply perform an act of kindness for a friend, co-worker or even a stranger if you're interested in participating. To share your act of conscious kindness on social media, use the hashtags #locallove #localloveyk or #locallovenwt.
The day for kindness started in Winnipeg in 2015 as a way of engaging community and volunteers during United Way Winnipeg's semi-centennial.
"It's about creating the kind of community where everyone cares about each other – the kind of community we all want to live in – and putting our brand at the center of that happy experience," stated
Erica Glasier, spokesperson for United Way Winnipeg, in a news release.
– Michele Taylor
Five-year sentence for man who fired gun outside band office
Radilih Koe/Fort Good Hope
A man who fired a gun outside a Fort Good Hope band office in 2016 was handed a five-year sentence in NWT Supreme Court on May 1.
Tony Kakfwi, 50, was sentenced by Justice Louise Charbonneau on three charges stemming from the shooting incident.
On one count of reckless discharge of a firearm, Kakfwi received a four-year custodial sentence.
A second charge of using a firearm while committing an indictable offence earned Kakfwi another 12 months to be served consecutively.
A final count, threatening to cause death, resulted in a 12-month sentence to be served concurrently.
Kakfwi has spent 521 days in custody, amounting to two years with credit for time served, meaning he will serve another two years and 11 months.
On Nov. 25, 2016, a distraught Kakfwi fired a gun outside a Fort Good Hope band meeting before firing more warning shots during a standoff with police. No one was injured.
Facing a four-year mandatory minimum sentence for reckless discharge of a firearm, Kakfwi launched a constitutional challenge, arguing the sentence would be grossly disproportionate to the crime.
Corey Cardinal, an Inuvik man charged with the same offence, also challenged the sentence and in February, Charbonneau reviewed both cases.
In assessing a realistic hypothetical scenario presented by Cardinal, Charbonneau ultimately struck down mandatory minimum sentences for the reckless firing of a gun. In doing so, the mandatory sentence didn't apply in the sentencing of Cardinal or Kakfwi, with Charbonneau holding complete discretion to impose a sentence – whether it be higher or lower than the tossed mandatory sentence – she deemed fit.
While Charbonneau said the five-year sentence handed down to Kakfwi won't be fit for everyone, his particular offence, coupled with his criminal record, meant the sentence was fit for him.
Cardinal was sentenced to three and a half years on May 3.
Kakfwi now faces a lifetime ban of possessing firearms, and is required to provide his DNA to a database.
– Brendan Burke