A Canadian Army ranger says he was hoping for the best when he rushed to the plane that crashed near Fort Smith, N.W.T., Tuesday, leaving six people dead and one injured.

Two people have been arrested and charged in the N.W.T. for allegedly carrying illegal weapons and 740 grams of crack cocaine.

Community members gathered to support one another and honour the six people who lost their lives and one survivor in Tuesday's plane crash.

In a decision released this week, the N.W.T. Court of Appeal said a judge made an error in 2017 when she sentenced Noel Avadluk to an indeterminate sentence.

Investigators with the Transportation Safety Board of Canada have begun the process of combing through the site of Tuesday's fatal plane crash just northwest of Fort Smith, N.W.T.

The City of Whitehorse is conducting a survey to learn more about how and why people use city transit, as council considers whether or not to permanently waive bus fares.

City councillor says the territory needs to have a bigger conversation about how to address public safety.

Nunavut students enrolled in full-time technical or professional studies programs have a few more days to apply for a Government of Nunavut scholarship.

Scholarships are available for Nunavummiut studying in a range of courses including engineering, community planning, business, firefighting and fire prevention, land administration and informatics, or the collection and storage of data.

The deadline to apply is Jan. 29, the Department of Community and Government Services said in a release Thursday.

Depending on their year of study, successful applicants can receive as much as $5,000.

For information on the application process, email [email protected]. Application forms are on the Government of Nunavut website.

RCMP in Behchokǫ̀ say they have charged two people after seizing a handgun and 140 grams of crack cocaine during a traffic stop on Tuesday night.

Nunavut’s information and privacy commissioner is undertaking a review of the Government of Nunavut’s plan to protect sensitive information in the mail it sends out.

Graham Steele’s concerns were sparked by changes to the way mail is delivered in Iqaluit after a new post office opened in the city in October.

Residents complained of delayed or lost mail and confusion around a new system that required them to switch from using a post office box number to a civic address, which was then associated with a new box number.

Steele initially set a Jan. 17 deadline for three GN departments — Finance, Family Services and Human Resources — to assess the risk of privacy breaches and explain how they are acting to prevent them.

He extended the deadline to Jan. 24 because of last week’s devolution signing agreement between the territorial and federal governments and Nunavut Tunngavik Inc.

Steele shared a reply he received Tuesday from Anna Fowler, the deputy minister of executive and intergovernmental affairs, with Nunatsiaq News.

In it, she acknowledged a “heightened risk” around mail security “as evidenced by numerous reports on social media and firsthand experiences of our staff.”

“This is a first-of-its-kind situation for us, we do not typically encounter privacy risks that have the potential to affect services across all bodies,” Fowler said.

She said the issue seems to be localized to Iqaluit.

Fowler outlined actions the departments will take, including the creation of a dedicated channel on their websites for public notices as well as internal bulletins to promote awareness of privacy matters.

Her department has not received any reports of privacy breaches, she said, and it “appears that mail not belonging to the recipient is being responsibly returned to Canada Post or forwarded to the intended recipient.”

But what Steele asked for in December was an assessment of the privacy risks created by the Canada Post change.

Responding to Fowler’s letter, Steele wrote, “Given the lack of detail, I can only assume that risk assessments and mitigation plans have not been completed.”

Additionally, he noted that he asked the Finance Department to explain how records of GN employees living in Iqaluit would be updated to reflect their new addresses, since that department maintains the employee compensation database.

“Your letter indicates that all deputy ministers have been asked to submit information about postal privacy risks, and [Executive and Intergovernmental Affairs] is still gathering that information,” Steele said.

The review will examine GN practices for delivering sensitive information and how it plans to mitigate the risks of mail being lost or misdirected.

Examples of sensitive mail coming from those departments includes pay and tax slips, income assistance, workplace matters, and health cards.

Steele said he aims to have the review and a final report completed prior to his appearance at a legislative assembly standing committee meeting at the end of April.

He said he is interested in hearing from anyone who has a story to share about lost or misdirected sensitive GN mail. He can be reached by email at [email protected].

Residents of Fort Smith, N.W.T. cried, hugged, and laughed together as they gathered for a vigil Wednesday night to remember those lost in Tuesday’s plane crash and offer support to their grieving loved ones and to the crash’s sole survivor.

The Yellowknife Salvation army food bank saw its usage more than double after people returned from the wildfire evacuation - and months later the demand has not subsided.

An Iqaluit elder wants city council to take action over public drinking — an issue he says has gotten worse since the city’s beer and wine store opened in 2017.

Lew Phillip, an educator and retired RCMP officer, asked council at Tuesday’s meeting to consider asking the Nunavut Liquor and Cannabis Commission to lower purchase limits at the store.

Currently, people are allowed to purchase up to 24 cans of beer and coolers per day.

Speaking in Inuktitut, he said elders and children suffer the most from alcohol-related incidents in the community.

“It’s like Las Vegas,” Phillip said, describing the way he said he has seen people drink in public around Iqaluit.

“Our elders are in fear due to alcohol daily and through the night.”

Phillip pointed to Rankin Inlet which in September set a purchase limit of a maximum of 12 cans per day.

“Purchasing alcohol is way too much, I wonder if they can be cut a bit. I know that you can talk to government officials,” he told councillors.

Several councillors echoed Lew’s concerns.

Mayor Solomon Awa said he’s aware of the issue and council should discuss it.

Coun. Harry Flaherty said staff at the nearby Baffin Gas Bar have reported being assaulted by intoxicated people. Flaherty is president of Qikiqtaaluk Corp., which owns the gas bar.

He said he believes it’s only about two per cent of Iqaluit residents who cause problems. Nevertheless, he said council should take what Phillip said to heart and table a solution.

“It’s only been seven years and we hear [the] amount of problems that have been raised here in the public, here in the chamber, at the [legislative assembly], but we seem to be just going around in circles,” Flaherty said.

“There’s no accountability… I think as the city councillors, we could do better and we need to do better.”

For years, officials have been raising issues surrounding Iqaluit’s beer and wine store.

Former mayor Kenny Bell proposed closing down the store in 2022, but the GN said that would undo progress that’s been made to curb bootlegging.

Last summer, the RCMP warned residents of thefts that were happening in the vicinity of the store. Those incidents prompted the GN to hire security to patrol the site.

Iqaluit-Manirajak MLA Adam Arreak Lightstone, whose riding includes the store, rose in the legislature last fall to call for action on public intoxication.

Around 55 per cent of all service calls Iqaluit RCMP responded to last year involved alcohol, according to a monthly report Staff Sgt. Darrell Gill presented to city council at Tuesday’s meeting.

Nunatsiaq News is publishing profiles of the three candidates for Makivvik Corp. president ahead of the organization’s 2024 election.

Makivvik Corp. presidential candidate Suzy Kauki says she has a three-pronged approach to solving issues in Nunavik: Adapt the justice system to recognize the needs of Inuit, improve education, and fix health care.

All three systems are closely related and by improving one, she said, they can all be made better.

“They are all connected,” Kauki, 34, said in a phone interview, adding her main focus would be the justice system.

Kauki studied for five years at Carleton University in Ottawa in legal studies and sociology. Now she works at the Kativik Regional Government as a socio-judicial services co-ordinator.

“We do not have a justice system in Nunavik, the system we have is from Abitibi-Témiscamingue that has been imposed on Nunavik,” she said.

She noted the incarceration rate of Indigenous people in Canada is disproportionately high compared to the wider population.

She also referred to a federal law passed in 2019 — known then as Bill C-92 — to help Indigenous children across Canada remain connected with their families by allowing Indigenous communities to develop their own child welfare policies and laws.

The bill was enacted as law in 2019, but in 2022 Quebec appealed it, arguing that parts of it are beyond federal powers. The matter is currently before the Supreme Court of Canada.

“Bill C-92 has made a difference in nine different First Nation communities across this province, to the point we were able to diminish foster care placements by 10 per cent,” Kauki said.

She believes that one way to regain power in the justice system is to revive the Nunavik Inuit Justice Task Force. Formed around 1990, the task force was a response to how Nunavik Inuit were not adequately consulted on issues concerning the administration of justice.

Kauki said “I was two years old when it was created, now I am 34 and it is still not being used.”

She said the education system could be improved by promoting Inuit values and providing more aid for post-secondary students moving out of the communities.

For the health system, she wants to make available more lawyers who deal in medical issues, as a way to reduce instances of medical malpractice and patients receiving late diagnoses.

Also running for president of Makivvik Corp. are Harry Tulugak and incumbent Pita Aatami.

"Our community is struggling like any other community and we want to ensure everyone is taken care of and not having to worry."

Nunavut's information and privacy commissioner is launching a formal review of the government of Nunavut's practices of sending sensitive mail though Canada Post.

The Yukon Fish and Game Association is launching a two-year pilot project aimed at working with hunters, farmers and government on elk management.  Applications for the role of elk-agriculture coordinator were due by Monday.

Total hours put in by the town's protective services department nearly doubled between 2022 and 2023. They're raising fees and adding a new position.

Twelve firefighters spent several hours getting the blaze under control. In their quest, they emptied the water reservoir.

A disaster report on the 2021 flooding in N.W.T. says governments need to improve their communications with residents. Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs Vince McKay agrees that it's an issue.

Construction on the Dettah ice road is set to begin. This will be the latest the road has opened in the last 30 years.

People in and around Fort Smith, N.W.T., have been doing what they can to support their fellow community members as the town reels from Tuesday's plane crash that claimed six lives.

Boolesque may have been cancelled in October but the organizers are back with a "spooky and sexy" Valentine's Day-themed show.

Recent numbers from the territory's chief public health officer reveal another four babies have been born with the congenital form of the disease, which — if left untreated — can lead to blindness, deafness or deformed bones. That means over the past five years, a total of eight babies have been born with the disease.

The city said workers had to shut off water twice to address the break. As of 2:30am Wednesday, it said there were no further disruptions to water service.

Candlelight vigils have been organized in Fort Smith on Wednesday night and in Hay River on Friday night following a fatal plane crash.

In the North, having local technicians trained to repair snowmobiles and all-terrain vehicles is vital.

That’s why Arctic Co-operatives Ltd. sends instructors into communities around Nunavut and the Northwest Territories to help local mechanics keep their skills up to date.

Kinngait is the latest community where local technicians are receiving instruction in repairing snowmobiles and other motors. After that, the training program moves to Naujaat.

This is the first time the course is being offered in Kinngait, said Sherry Smadella, training co-ordinator for the learning and performance department at Arctic Co-operatives.

And, she added, it’s possible some free repair work could be provided to residents while the course is on, if time permits.

Over five days from Jan. 23 to 27, three mechanical technicians from the Co-op store in Kinngait are learning about two-stroke and four-stroke engines from Jackson Lindell, an instructor from Rankin Inlet.

Subjects being studied range from tools and manuals to testing an engine’s fuel and compression, as well as troubleshooting.

“Snowmobiles and ATVs, outboard motors, boats are the main mode of transportation in the territory,” said Smadella.

Because Co-op stores in Nunavut are authorized dealers of Yamaha and Polaris-brand vehicles, “it is quite vital” that technicians are able to service them in the communities.

“Technicians need some training and we put this course on once a year,” she said.

Smadella said “it’s critically important to properly service any of these machines.”

In recent years, she said, Co-op has been working with Inuit instructors such as Lindell, and “we think that is helpful for the participants because of language. He is quite knowledgeable.

“One of the things that we are teaching this year is how to use computerized diagnostic equipment. It is important to know what the problem is using this equipment.”

The course in Kinngait wraps up Saturday and if time allows, the technicians will service residents’ ATVs and snowmobiles.

“There are already machines in the garage that need repairs,” said Smadella. “If a customer who has the part in the community, as time permits, [technicians] will take in machines and they will provide free service on the machines as long as the customer provides the parts.”

That’s good for the customers, she said, “and the technicians themselves are very appreciative in receiving industry standards training in their communities” and are proud to take part in the course.

A Yukon man's painful experience trying to pull his own tooth with a set of pliers has some in the territory calling for better dental services in rural communities.

A man in Fort McPherson, N.W.T., has been charged with manslaughter in connection with the death of a woman whose remains were found after a house fire in the community last month.

The process is underway to fill a seat on Iqaluit city council that has been vacant since shortly after the Oct. 23 municipal election.

Council approved a motion during Tuesday’s council meeting, put forward by Coun. Romeyn Stevenson, to launch a call for candidates.

Deputy Mayor Kim Smith declared a conflict of interest and left the council chambers while the matter was discussed.

She explained her decision to declare the conflict in a message to Nunatsiaq News, saying she is in a relationship with one of the candidates from the last municipal election.

“Though it is not a financial conflict, nor does it actually violate the Conflict of Interest Act, I felt it best to abstain from any discussion or vote on the item,” she said.

Under the Nunavut Elections Act, municipalities do not hold byelections to fill vacant council seats. Instead, they can either choose from candidates who were not elected in the last election or from eligible applicants.

City council asked municipal staff in November to develop a policy for appointing members to fill vacancies on council. Administration presented a policy in December, but council sent it back and deferred its decision on filling the vacant seat, criticizing the policy for not being prescriptive enough.

At the time, Stevenson indicated he wanted the city’s policy to specify that council should always put out a call for candidates, not pick the runner-up from the last election.

Council came back this week with a new policy — which retains the option to pick the runner-up — but council still had some issues with the details.

“I’m concerned about being too prescriptive with times,” said Stevenson, referring to the requirement for council to have a meeting between seven and 21 days after the deadline, in cases where council opts to hold a call for candidates.

“I know that administration sometimes needs flexibility.”

Sheppard echoed the concern, citing Christmas as a time when it can be hard to meet requirements like these.

Council sent the policy back to administration again, for more review.

The runner-up in the October election was Lewis Falkiner MacKay, who received 525 votes compared to Anawak’s 635.

He told Nunatsiaq News in November he’d be “happy” to fill the seat if asked.

City spokesperson Aleksey Cameron said city has set a tentative Feb. 5 deadline for candidates to apply for the vacant seat, and Feb. 13 for when candidates will present themselves before council.

She said those dates could be changed if chief administrative officer Steve England and staff require more time for the process.

The city will issue a public service announcement about the dates and details “in the coming days,” Cameron said in an email.

The council seat has been vacant since Jack Anawak, who was elected in October, resigned Nov. 6 after being charged with impaired driving.

Anawak is scheduled to make a first appearance on that charge in court Thursday.

Gov. Gen. Mary Simon offered a message to Canadians on Bell Let’s Talk day about the importance of reducing the stigma for mental health challenges.

“I’ve had experiences in my life that have left me with a lifelong commitment to ensuring that we treat mental health as a fundamental aspect of our overall well-being — as equally important as our physical health,” Simon said in a news release issued Wednesday to coincide with the annual day to encourage Canadians to talk about mental health issues.

Simon emphasized the importance of open dialogue, saying that approaching someone and simply offering to talk can go a long way in helping them.

“I am encouraged to see a younger generation who are more open about the importance of speaking up about mental health and sharing their healing journeys,” she said.

The annual Bell Let’s Talk campaign began in 2011 in an effort to encourage Canadians to normalize and reduce stigma around surrounding mental health challenges.

In the past year, Simon has used her position as the King’s representative in Canada to comment on contemporary social issues.

Last February, Simon temporarily shut down commenting on her social media pages in response to what she called “an increase in abusive, misogynistic and racist” posts.

In her New Year’s message, she said Canadians have taken steps “toward making the internet a safer place for women and girls.”

Premier RJ Simpson, communities minister Vince McKay, and MLA Sheryl Yakeleya have postponed their visit to Enterprise and Kátł'odeeche First Nation.

The Igloolik-based film Tautuktavuk (What We See) is going on a theatrical tour across Canada.

What’s billed as the Tautuktavuk Grassroots Community Tour will kick off with a premiere at Igloolik High School on Friday at 7 p.m. and a second screening Saturday evening.

The tour is organized by Isuma Distribution International and Nunavut Independent Television Network.

The goal is to increase access to the film in Inuit and Indigenous spaces both in southern Canada and across Inuit Nunangat and other northern communities, according to a news release from Isuma TV.

Tautuktavuk (What We See) is co-directed by Lucy Tulugarjuk and Carol Kunnuk, who are scheduled to attend the Igloolik screenings, and stars Tulugarjuk, Kunnuk, Benjamin Kunuk and Madeline Ivalu.

After experiencing a traumatic night of domestic violence, Uyarak (portrayed by Tulugarjuk) leaves her community and family in Nunavut for Montreal.

When COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns close off the Canadian Arctic from the rest of the world, Uyarak is further separated from her closest confidant and eldest sister, Saqpinak (portrayed by Kunnuk).

Through a series of video calls and Uyarak’s eventual return to Nunavut, the sisters embark on a difficult journey of heartache and healing.

The film premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in September, where it won the Amplify Voices BIPOC & Canadian First Feature Award. It later won the Sun Jury Award at the 2023 ImagineNATIVE Film Festival in Toronto in October.

The film had a screening in Montreal earlier this month.

A community feast is scheduled before Friday’s Igloolik screening, and elders and a mental health support worker will be present to provide emotional support.

Here’s where viewers can catch a screening of Tautuktavuk (What We See):

• Jan. 26 and 27: Igloolik High School;
• Jan. 26: Toronto, TIFF Bell Lightbox TIFF TOP 10 Screening;
• Feb. 9: Victoria, B.C., Victoria Film Festival;
• Feb. 15:  Whitehorse, Yukon, Available Light Film Festival;
• Feb. 28 to March 3: Kingston, Ont., Kingston Canadian Film Festival;
• March 1: Saskatoon, Sask., Remai Modern at Sasktel Theatre;
• March 8, 9, 10: Winnipeg, Man., Dave Barber Cinematheque;
• End of March: Film tours of Nunavik and central Nunavut.

The NWT's chief coroner says four passengers and two crew members on board a flight that crashed near Fort Smith have passed away. One survivor is in hospital.

Police initially charged Randall Blake with arson. Following further investigation, they said they have also charged him with manslaughter.

Six people died in a plane crash Tuesday near Fort Smith, N.W.T., the territory's coroner service has confirmed.

Nunatsiaq News is publishing profiles of the three candidates for Makivvik Corp. president ahead of the organization’s 2024 election.

Pita Aatami says he wants self-government for Nunavik.

The 64-year-old politician faces two opponents in his run for a second consecutive term as president of Makivvik Corp., the organization that represents Inuit in the region. The election is set for Feb. 1.

Aatami was also Makivvik president from 1998 to 2012 and has held several other high-ranking political positions in Nunavik over the years.

“We were forced into an agreement that we did not want,” he said in a phone interview, referring to the James Bay and Northern Quebec Agreement, which Inuit in Nunavik signed in 1975 with the Quebec government.

He said the deal was reached using Quebec’s laws and rules, never taking into consideration that Nunavik’s Inuit had never signed an agreement in the past.

“[Quebec was] holding on to the lands, but it should have been the other way around,” Aatami said.

He said he’s been in discussions with provincial government leaders where he has promoted the idea of Inuit self-determination. Those leaders have been hearing him out, he said.

“I think a lot of politicians are in agreement, but it is also very scary for them,” Aatami said.

Because Nunavik is a source of valuable minerals, he said, many politicians fear that federal and provincial governments could lose control over regulations and royalties related to the mining industry.

Aatami and Quebec Premier François Legault signed an accord on Dec. 20 with the aim of furthering discussions on modernizing Nunavik’s governance.

Another priority for Aatami is youth. He said 60 per cent of the region’s population is under the age of 35, and he feels it’s important that this group has a political voice.

“I can’t pretend to know all the needs of the youth, so we work with the youth,” he said.

Aatami also wants to keep Inuit children who are in the care of Quebec’s Department of Youth Protection from being sent out of Nunavik.

Revitalization and protection of the Inuktitut language and solving the housing crisis are also among Aatami’s priorities.

Also running for president of Makivvik Corp. are Harry Tulugak and Suzy Kauki.

Some Enterprise residents say while they paid off equity leases years ago, they still don't own land. That makes rebuilding from a wildfire complicated.

The NWT government has released its review of the 2021 flood season. Here's what you need to know.

A Monday presentation to Yellowknife City Council suggests the city may not be able to complete all of its upcoming projects with its current resources.

Teal snow pants and a teal puffer with a navy blue outer shell. Check out the uniform NWT athletes, coaches and volunteers will wear at the 2024 games.

A nation-to-nation agreement between Quebec Cree and Innu leaders will allow Innu hunters to harvest 50 caribou from the Leaf River herd in 2024.

Calling all Nunavut composers, the deadline has been extended to submit an original composition to the 2024 Qilaut songwriting contest, the Department of Culture and Heritage announced Tuesday.

The new deadline to submit an entry is midnight on Feb. 16.

In a news release, the department said Qilaut celebrates Nunavut’s vibrant Inuktut music scene and aims to promote the use of Inuktut.

Over the past nine years, more than 90 original Inuktut songs have been submitted through contest entries by singers and songwriters from across Nunavut.

“For nine years, Qilaut has inspired singers and songwriters across Nunavut to write over 91 original Inuktut songs.”

This year’s theme is Naglingniq, meaning love. Nunavummiut can submit original songs for the chance to win cash prizes.

The first-place finisher will receive $5,000, second place gets $2,500, third place receives $1,500 and seven runners-up will each get $500.

Also, the winning submissions will be professionally recorded to be included on a compilation album to be distributed this year.

All submissions can be sent to [email protected].

For more information on contest rules, requirements for applications or to listen to previous years’ winners, go to the Government of Nunavut website.

Kerry Galusha says she’s hoping for a good showing and a fun week at the Scotties Tournament of Hearts next month so that her team can go out on a high note.

The Town of Fort Smith is advising residents to avoid the area of an "aviation incident" to allow for emergency response.

The Town of Fort Smith has notified citizens of what it calls an 'aviation incident.' It is asking people to stay away from the airport.

Traffic flow and the need for housing units large enough to support families were the main concerns surrounding a proposal to build three eight-storey residential towers in Iqaluit at a public meeting Monday.

The City of Iqaluit hosted the event at the Cadet Hall after city council requested feedback from the community about the proposal. Around 30 people were in attendance.

TBG Construction Ltd. is behind the project, which would create 500 new housing units on Sivumugiaq Street, just north of Inuksugait Plaza.

If built, the complex wouldn’t be the first eight-storey buildings in Iqaluit. That milestone belongs to the Tukturjuk Tower, which is part of Astro Hill complex.

Valérie Beaulieu Blanchette told Nunatsiaq News before the meeting that she thinks it’s good to see more housing in the city, but she hopes part of the process is a requirement to “ensure some of the units would be affordable.”

She is one of several residents who brought up the need not only for affordable housing, but also for bigger units tailored to the needs of families.

Glenn Malloy, owner of TBG Construction Ltd., said he was interested in what the public had to say about the city’s needs for the proportion of three-bedroom units as opposed to one- and two-bedroom units in the proposed buildings.

Others spoke about their concerns about traffic flow and parking in the area, should the towers go up.

Vance Fok, who was at the meeting, told Nunatsiaq News his concern is the lack of walking infrastructure in the area. There are no sidewalks. Instead, there are barriers that separate parking lots, which pedestrians need to navigate.

“It’s a little bit awkward,” he said, adding he hopes the proposed development doesn’t make the situation worse.

Mathew Dodds, the City of Iqaluit’s planner, moderated the event and answered questions. He said the city will consider how the project fits into its traffic plan, and public transportation as well as infrastructure will be part of that.

There was also concern from the public about the ability of the fire department to service the city with the addition of such a large apartment complex.

Dodds said the fire department’s approval will be required for a building to go ahead with construction.

He said anyone who did not attend the meeting but still wants to give input can email [email protected].

Enterprise NWT will host the 25th Gateway Jamboree this August. Event organizers say the hamlet needs the event now more than ever after last summer's wildfire.