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.

It Bears Repeating is a counting picture book and will be published on Aug. 20, 2024.

Parks Canada underwater archeologists have finished their seasonal research at two shipwrecks related to the doomed 1845 Franklin expedition, the agency said in a statement Monday.

Conducting 68 dives over a 12-day period at the wreck site of HMS Erebus, they found navigation, science and leisure equipment, including a parallel rule, intact thermometer, leather book cover and fishing rod, in what is believed be the officer’s cabin of Lt. Handry Dundas Le Vesconte.

As well, in a location believed to be the captain’s steward’s pantry, a leather shoe, boot bottom, storage jars and a sealed pharmaceutical bottle were located.

Archeologists also found “unidentified fossils” similar to those found during their 2022 work.

The largest finds were in a seamen’s travel chest.

“The team began excavating a seamen’s chest in the forecastle area, where most of the crew lived, that held numerous artifacts including pistols, military items, footwear, medicinal bottles, and coins,” Parks Canada said.

Exploration of HMS Terror site was limited to remote sensing, recording and surveying the site from aboard ship “to capture a snapshot of its condition and widening the mapping of a vessel access corridor into this mostly uncharted bay,” Parks Canada said.

The recovered artifacts will be sent to Ottawa for study and preservation. Many will then be returned for display at the Nattilik Heritage Centre in Gjoa Haven.

On May 19, 1845, HMS Erebus and HMS Terror set sail from England in search of the Northwest Passage, led by Sir John Franklin.

After reaching an area northwest of what is now Gjoa Haven, the expedition became locked in thick year-round ice and never returned.

The location of HMS Erebus was discovered in 2014 and HMS Terror was located in 2016. Since that time, the federal government has sent almost yearly expeditions to excavate the two ships and recovered hundreds of artifacts.

A GNWT worker whose division removes illegal cabins is accused of having (you guessed it) an illegal cabin. Did the GNWT mishandle his conflict of interest?

An Iqaluit man will wait until next month to learn his sentence for attempted murder and forcible confinement after the judge and Crown and defence lawyers deliberated Monday over how much time he should spend in jail.

At an earlier court appearance, Mosesee Nakashook pleaded guilty to the 2020 attempted murder of a woman and forcible confinement of two of her friends.

The young victim was left with permanent injuries, court heard.

On Feb. 9, 2020, the RCMP asked for the public’s help in locating Nakashook, before he was found and arrested the next day.

In court in Iqaluit Monday, Chief Justice Neil Sharkey said he’s looking to sentence Nakashook to 12 years in prison, citing a need to denounce violence against Indigenous women.

Crown lawyer Stephanie Boydell and defence lawyer Alison Crowe provided a joint submission proposing a seven-year sentence, citing case law, factors related to Nakashook’s upbringing and what they described as his positive rehabilitation while in custody.

Boydell read several examples of attempted murder cases in Canada in which the offenders were handed sentences similar to the lawyers’ joint submission.

She also read out some of the details from Nakashook’s Gladue report — a pre-sentencing report which describes an Indigenous offender’s life experience — that included details of childhood trauma, abuse and periods of homelessness.

“He has done a significant amount of programming,” Boydell said, highlighting the rehabilitation efforts Nakashook put in during the nearly four years he has been in custody.

Sharkey acknowledged all those factors, saying Nakashook has received “outstanding references” from counsellors and is unlikely to reoffend.

However, Sharkey noted that denunciation of violence against Indigenous women is the “larger issue.”

The Criminal Code says courts should consider denunciation and deterrence in cases where the victim is a vulnerable Indigenous woman.

“Parliament is telling me I should impose a harsher sentence — should I not?” the judge said.

Sharkey said he is not comfortable with a sentence that is close to half of the 12 years he’s considering.

Crowe spoke briefly, saying Boydell covered the details of the joint submission, especially those relating to Nakashook’s life story.

“It’s a small miracle he survived his childhood,” Crowe said.

She also calculated the number of days Nakashook has spent in custody, for which he would receive one and a half days’ credit for every day in jail since his arrest.

Based on that calculation, the nearly four years he has spent in jail would equal about six years’ credit for time served, she said.

After a brief break, Sharkey told the court he wants to consider the information in the joint submission before making a final decision.

He also told Nakashook, who sat attentively through Monday afternoon’s proceedings, that his case would soon be finished.

Feb. 20 has been set as the sentencing date.

Whitehorse will become one of the first cities in Canada where the RCMP will collect data specific to Indigenous and other racialized people. Active data collection begins in March.

"Looking back, the lack of infrastructure investments, in particular to housing, has really prohibited the advancement of Nunavut," P.J. Akeeagok told CBC's The Current.

Last week's devolution ceremony in Iqaluit was more than just a signing ceremony, it was a showcase of Inuit talent and tradition from across the territory. 

Three Inuit artists have been chosen for the inaugural Nunavut Artist in Residence Program hosted at the Winnipeg Art Gallery – Qaumajuq, the Department of Culture and Heritage announced.

A committee made up of the Government of Nunavut, Nunavut Tunngavik Inc. and the Winnipeg Art Gallery – Qaumajuq selected one artist from each of the three regions in Nunavut.

The selected artists are Aghalingiak Ohokannoak from Cambridge Bay, Eva Qirniq Noah from Baker Lake, and Dayle Kubluitok from Iqaluit.

Ohokannoak is a bachelor of fine arts graduate who specializes in multimedia and digital art with a “recent focus on and research into Inuit traditional tattoo history and embodied practices,” according to the GN’s announcement Friday.

Qirniq-Noah is a textile artist whose work features in various museum collections and finds healing through art. Drawing inspiration from Inuit storytelling, she plans to explore “new mediums, including acrylic painting,” the release noted.

Kubluitok draws inspiration from their Inuit and Dene roots. Kubluitok is an illustrator and digital artist merging traditional narratives and contemporary pop culture, creating art that bridges the ancestral part with today’s digital age.

The Nunavut Artist in Residence Program allows Inuit artists to develop their art through experimentation without the pressure to present a finished body of work. It also provides the chance to engage with the community through weekly public events.

Qaumajuq is a new museum in Winnipeg, connected to the Winnipeg Art Gallery. It is home to the world’s largest public collection of contemporary Inuit art.

The artist in residence program will be a four-week post and the selected artists will receive a $10,000 artist fee, per diems, and accommodations within walking distance to the gallery. They will also have daily access to studio space at WAG – Qaumajuq and the gallery’s media arts equipment and facilities.

Police are asking Yellowknife residents to get in touch if they are missing any valuables, including this antler carving, after recovering items they believe may have been stolen.

Dr. Rao Tadepalli says the Yukon’s healthcare system hasn’t kept up with the needs of a growing population, and a lack of resources —  including a shortage of family doctors —  means people are increasingly turning to the emergency department for various medical needs. 

A new report by the U.S. branch of the Environmental Investigation Agency says that investment interest and government tax incentives are fuelling intense mining exploration in remote northern B.C. — raising concerns about the environmental impacts of the work and its financial implications.

The Northwest Territories' chief public health officer says the exact number of people who died from drug overdoses in 2023 may never be known because some of those deaths occurred outside the NWT. 

A youth and elder gathering planned for Feb. 23 and 24 aims to connect the two generations. The event will take place at the Gwich’in wellness camp south of Inuvik.

Students at Chief Jimmy Bruneau School have been working to construct insulted houses to help dogs in Behchokǫ̀ during the frigid winter months.

Nunavut’s coroner has announced an inquest into a fatal “RCMP-involved” shooting of a man in Kinngait four years ago.

Ottawa Police Services announced in August 2020 that no charges would be laid in the death of Attachie Ashoona, who died Feb. 26, 2020.

The inquest will explore the circumstances surrounding Ashoona’s death and consider recommendations to prevent deaths under similar circumstances in the future, according to a news release from chief coroner Khen Sagadraca.

A coroner’s inquest does not have the power to recommend charges or to decide who is at fault.

The inquest is scheduled to be held Feb. 5 to Feb. 9 at Kinngait’s community hall. Coroner’s counsel Sheldon Toner will lead the inquest, which Sagadraca will preside over.

An inquest is mandatory when a person has died while detained or in custody.

Anyone who wants to participate or make a presentation at the inquest should contact the office at 867-975-6562, the release said.

What started for Leslie Wakelyn as a six-month mapping contract in 1996 turned into a 27-year career as a caribou biologist.

Now Wakelyn is retired, as of Jan. 1, from her position with the Beverly and Qamanirjuaq Caribou Management Board.

Reflecting on her career, Wakelyn said she felt like she played a small role in conservation.

“Something that I believe is very important and where you can make a difference,” she said.

The Beverly and Qamanirjuaq barren-ground caribou herds are found in Manitoba, Saskatchewan, the Northwest Territories and Nunavut.

The board’s responsibility is to protect these herds in collaboration with nearby communities as well as provincial and territorial governments and the federal government.

Wakelyn said there were multiple reasons that she stayed with the board for 27 years: The variety of projects, the people she worked with, and the ability to work in the world of caribou were some of them.

She said she had the chance to participate in projects involving mapping and community-based monitoring as well as caribou management plans.

But what Wakelyn said she will miss most is the people. That includes the board staff she worked with as well as those with other wildlife organizations, such as the hunters and trappers in the Kivalliq region.

She’s grateful for having the chance to travel throughout the North and learn from people from different cultures.

“Meeting people in their own communities has been really valuable to me,” Wakelyn said.

She pointed to challenges in her career as well. When the board first formed in 1982, its mandate was to address the “quite deep divisions” between how the government and local communities viewed conservation.

“There’s been a lot of work that’s been done to get people to understand each other’s point of view,” Wakelyn said.

People still have disagreements over conservation, she added, but the points of view from Nunavummiut on conservation are included in land-use plans.

“The main point is everybody needs to work together,” she said.

As for future challenges, Wakelyn pointed to climate change and the need to ensure there are no barriers to caribou movements.

“That’s fundamental to the continuance of caribou herds,” she said.

Even with those challenges, Wakelyn said it’s a good time to retire, as there are good, dedicated people working on caribou management.

“Things are in place to make good [outcomes] to happen,” she said.

Wakelyn anticipates the Beverly and Qamanirjuaq Caribou Management Board will soon release a new caribou management plan for the herds.

An N.W.T.-based thriller that follows a woman and her dog along a frozen highway when they are suddenly hunted by a stranger in a semi-truck is set to premiere later this month in Iqaluit.

Cold Road stars Roseanne Supernault, a Cree and Métis actress who starred in the Indigenous-led sitcom, Acting Good.

A behind-the-scenes shot of director Kelvin Redvers and crew shows them filming in the Northwest Territories. (Photo courtesy of Kelvin Redvers)

Director Kelvin Redvers, a member of Deninu Kųę́ First Nation, said he integrated his experiences of travelling on isolated northern highways with the emotions that came from moving away from his home community into the film.

Beneath the thrills, Cold Road is an emotional story of an Indigenous woman recognizing the strength of where she comes from as she travels to reach her home community before her mom passes.

“On these roads, on these long journeys by yourself, it kind of forces you to reckon with yourself. And there’s a value to going through who you are and what your goals are and what’s in the future,” said Redvers.

“I think there’s a powerful story underneath, of this Indigenous woman who’s coming to terms with her guilt of leaving home and being away for so long but recognizing where she is from is one of her strengths.”

The film was shot in South Slave region of the Northwest Territories. Redvers pointed to the determination of the cast and crew, who toughed out cold -25 C conditions for hours while filming, sometimes at night.

“Audiences can tell when things are real, you can see the lead character at night with her breath coming out of her mouth,” he said. “That’s not CGI, we filmed this outside at night in the winter.”

The shoot involved shutting down a Northwest Territories highway and crashing a semi-truck and car into each other.

“We did genuine action sequences, and seeing it in theatres is gripping,” said Redvers.

“All the audiences we’ve shown it to say they felt tense and nervous and I think a lot of people like that from the movies.”

Redvers said the film is “truly a northern-produced movie.”

“Indigenous folks, we don’t get to see ourselves on screen very often, but this is one of those opportunities for both Indigenous folks and northerners,” he said.

Cold Road premieres Jan. 26 at Astro Theatre in Iqaluit.

The signs suggest the GNWT doesn't really want an independent inquiry into last year's wildfires. Critics say existing government reviews won't be enough.

Going through decades of satellite images pixel by pixel, scientists found dozens of tundra fires that came and went unnoticed. This is why that matters.

Behchokǫ̀ elder Celine Whane has had no running water in her house since about a week before Christmas. She says she's been promised help — but she doesn't know how long it'll be before that happens.

With a population that hasn't grown (or shrunk) since 2016, the NWT is asking for feedback as it "extends" an immigration strategy that expired in 2022.

An Aurora College nursing student with Dene and Cree roots is the winner of a $20,000 stipend that helps students take part in research while they study.

The Yukon seed library has had its most prolific year, distributing a record number of seed packets to eager local gardeners.

So, what do you do for an encore, Nunavut, after hosting the prime minister and inking what Justin Trudeau called the largest land transfer in Canadian history? You get busy making it work, of course.

It’s going to be a tall order for a tiny population whose government routinely faces challenges exercising the powers it has already been responsible for over the past 25 years.

The devolution agreement — officially known as the Nunavut Lands and Resources Devolution Agreement — is a big deal … in a couple of ways.

Trudeau quipped during Thursday’s signing ceremony that it took so long to add everyone’s signatures on the 200-page agreement because “it’s a lot of paper, but it is two million square kilometres.”

The deal means the federal government is going to transfer responsibility for Nunavut’s land, water and natural resources to the territorial government.

Understandably, there was boundless enthusiasm for this historic deal.

“We did it and we’re ready. Our land, our resources. In the hands of our people,” Premier P.J. Akeeagok said as he took to the podium, pausing, then repeating it to let the words sink in.

There’s no question that transferring these responsibilities to the people of Nunavut is appropriate. They deserve to be in control of what happens in their own lands, as Trudeau acknowledged.

“In this step that we’re taking — to recognize that Nunavummiut deserve to have more control over their lives, their future, their land, their territory — is entirely what Canada is all about,” the prime minister said to reporters after the ceremony.

While the crowd at the Aqsarniit hotel for the signing ceremony was jubilant, in some corners, devolution was divisive.

In this paper’s comments section, some readers questioned whether Nunavut was, indeed, ready to take on more responsibilities.

As many as one-quarter of Government of Nunavut jobs are not filled.

“Send us (Nunavut) back to the N.W.T. and feds. This is embarrassing,” one reader wrote.

“How can Nunavut handle devolution? [The] Government of Nunavut can’t even collect rent from its tenants??!!” another said.

There are plenty of signs the Government of Nunavut might not have the capacity to take on something so new and so big. It’s no secret the GN has trouble delivering the services it’s already responsible for — particularly in health care and education, the areas that, arguably, affect people most directly.

Last year, the GN and the Nunavut Employees Union agreed to shovel more money out the door in the form of bonuses to recruit and retain health-care workers.

Information and privacy commissioner Graham Steele’s most recent annual report chastised the GN for not responding to access to information tips within the timeframe they’re required to by law.

That might seem like a little thing, but if a bureaucracy doesn’t have the capacity to manage that, is it capable of taking on something as big as the new powers bestowed on it by the devolution agreement?

In the immortal words of the Amazing Spider-Man (or French philosopher Voltaire, if you prefer), with great power comes great responsibility.

Ottawa transferred a lot of new power to Nunavut this week. The territory has to get ready to assume the responsibility that comes with it.

All Nunavummiut and all Canadians must hope that Akeeagok is right — that Nunavut is ready.

For English version, see Fleets of northern airlines don’t include Boeing 737 Max 9s

ᑕᒪᐃᓐᓂ ᑲᓃᑎᐊᓐ ᓄᐊᑦ ᐊᒻᒪ ᐃᓄᐃᑦ ᖃᖓᑕᓲᖏᑦ ᐅᖃᖅᑐᑦ ᖃᖓᑕᓲᓂ ᐳᐃᖕ 737 ᒫᒃᔅ 9ᓂ ᐱᖃᙱᓐᓂᕋᖅᖢᑎᒃ.

ᑕᐃᒪᐃᑦᑐᖅ ᖃᖓᑕᓲᖅ ᑐᓴᒐᒃᓴᑎᒍᑦ ᐅᖃᐅᓯᐅᓛᖑᑲᑕᖕᒪᑦ ᖃᖓᑕᓲᑉ ᐹᖓ ᐱᒃᓯᒃᑎᓪᓗᒍ ᐊᓛᔅᑲ ᖃᖓᑕᓲᖅ 737-9 ᓱᒃᑲᔪᕐᔪᐊᖅ ᖃᖓᑦᑕᓵᖅᑎᓪᓗᒍ ᐅᕆᑲᓐ ᖁᓛᒎᓕᖅᖢᑎᒃ ᔭᓄᐊᕆ 5-ᖑᑎᓪᓗᒍ.

ᑲᓃᑎᐊᓐ ᓄᐊᑦ ᖃᖓᑕᓲᖃᐅᕐᒪᑕ ᐊᔾᔨᒌᒋᑦᑑᑎᓂ ᐳᐃᖕ ᖃᖓᑕᓲᓂ ᑭᓯᐊᓂᓕ ᐱᖃᙱᖢᑎᒃ ᒫᒃᔅ 9-ᒥ, ᐅᖃᖅᑎᒋᔭᐅᔪᖅ ᐋᓂ ᑖᒻᓕᓐᓴᓐ ᓇᓗᓇᐃᓚᐅᕐᑐᖅ ᖃᕋᓴᐅᔭᒃᑯᑦ ᑎᑎᕋᖅᖢᓂ.

ᖃᖓᑕᓲᖅᑎᒋᔭᐅᔪᑦ ᐊᓛᔅᑲ ᖃᖓᑕᓲᒥ ᑐᐊᕕᕐᓇᖅᑐᒥ ᒥᑦᑕᕆᐊᖃᓕᓚᐅᕐᓯᒪᔪᑦ ᑖᔅᓱᒪ ᓴᓂᕋᖓ ᐊᖕᒪᔪᓕᐊᓘᓕᕐᒪᑦ. ᐅᓄᕈᓘᔭᒻᒪᕆᒃᑐᑦ ᐃᑭᒪᔪᐃᑦ ᐋᓐᓂᕈᓘᔭᓚᐅᕐᑐᑦ ᑲᒪᒋᔭᐅᔭᕆᐊᖃᓕᖅᖢᓂ ᐋᓐᓂᖅᑐᓕᕆᔨᓄᑦ, ᑖᒃᑯᐊ ᑐᓴᒐᒃᓴᑎᒍᑦ ᐅᖃᓚᐅᕐᑐᑦ ᔭᓄᐊᕆ 6-ᖑᓕᕐᑎᓪᓗᒍ.

ᐃᓄᐃᑦ ᖃᖓᑕᓲᖏᑦ ᓇᓗᓇᐃᓚᐅᕐᒥᔪᑦ ᐱᖃᙱᓐᓂᕋᖅᖢᑎᒃ ᐳᐃᖕ 737 ᒫᒃᔅ 9-ᓂ ᖃᖓᑕᓲᓂ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐅᖃᖅᖢᑎᒃ ᖃᖓᑕᓲᖏᑦ ᐊᒃᑐᖅᑕᐅᙱᓐᓂᕋᖅᖢᒋᑦ ᓄᖃᖅᑎᑕᐅᓂᖓᓄᑦ ᒫᒃᔅ 9.

“ᐅᖃᕈᓐᓇᖅᑐᖓ ᑖᓐᓇ ᐃᓄᐃᑦ ᖃᖓᑕᓲᖏᓐᓂ ᐊᒃᑐᐃᙱᓐᓂᖓᓂᒃ,” ᐅᖃᓚᐅᕐᑐᖅ ᐃᓄᐃᑦ ᖃᖓᑕᓲᖓᓄᑦ ᐊᖓᔪᖅᑳᖅ ᐊᒻᒪ ᐊᐅᓚᑦᑎᔨ ᑯᕆᔅᑎᐊᓐ ᐳᔅ ᖃᕋᓴᐅᔭᒃᑯᑦ ᑎᑎᕋᖅᖢᓂ.

Vital Metals asked a former top GNWT bureaucrat to help mend local relations as its controversial deal with Chinese firm Shenghe continued to raise questions.

Gary Magee, a longtime lawyer in the North who had risen through the ranks at the Public Prosecution Service, became the NWT's latest judge.

Joshua Russell (Photo courtesy of Joshua Russell/LinkedIn)

In Nunatsiaq’s own words regarding the return of the letters to the editor feature: the news “should inform, it should entertain and, as was once famously said, it should comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable.”

To that end, I want to praise Nunatsiaq News for its recent foray into longer articles that strive for the above objective. Notably, David Venn’s four-part deep dive into housing, and Randi Beers’ commitment to shining a spotlight on the frightening working conditions of the territory’s health-care workers.

These pieces stand in stark contrast to the bulk of Nunatsiaq News’ “articles” that either parrot other publicly available information or merely state that an issue exists and leave the reader thinking: “Gee, I wonder why?” Both of which could be found faster on any communities’ Facebook public service announcement group.

Nunavut desperately needs committed journalists to dig into important topics and arm Nunavummiut with the knowledge to act and create change. It equally needs news organizations that support its journalists to fearlessly pursue these issues so that they can indeed comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable.

Nunatsiaq News is going in the right direction. I hope it stays the course.

Joshua Russell,
Iqaluit

Nunatsiaq News inviters readers to submit letters to the editor. They should be under 250 words, may be on any topic and must be signed by the author, whose name will be published with the letter. To have a letter to the editor published, please submit it to [email protected].

How to better protect salmon appears to be a central theme of Yukon Energy’s current proposal to renew its 25-year operating licence for the Whitehorse hydro dam. The current licence expires next year.

Anthony Andre was convicted in 2022 of two counts of impaired driving causing death and one count of impaired driving causing bodily harm after a judge-alone trial in Yukon territorial court.

Inuvik hospital's obstetrics program will resume on Tuesday next week, the NWT's health authority said, after a 12-day pause over staffing issues.

The new study, published Wednesday in the peer-reviewed journal Science Advances, follows the journey of the mammoth, named Elma, from western Yukon to the interior of Alaska where she likely lived side by side with people.

When Dawson City, Yukon, resident Mike Najman's filling fell out and his tooth broke, he was in a lot of pain. And with no resident dentist in town, he decided he had to take matters into his own hands.

After Thursday’s busy afternoon of celebrations, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau spent his final morning in Iqaluit at the Nunavut legislative assembly and then at Sylvia Grinnell Territorial Park.

Trudeau’s two-day visit was to sign the Nunavut Lands and Resources Devolution Agreement – the “largest land transfer in Canada’s history,” according to his office, giving Nunavut new authority over federal lands in the territory.

Hundreds watched the signing ceremony at the Aqsarniit hotel and on an online webcast.

Friday morning was back to regular business, but also an opportunity for Trudeau and his youngest son, Hadrien, to enjoy some time on the land.

The prime minister’s day started with the signing of a guestbook at the legislative assembly. Similar to the previous day’s devolution agreement signing, Trudeau inked his name in syllabics.

After being greeted by Premier P.J. Akeeagok, the pair toured the legislative assembly chamber and then met in private.

Several MLAs and legislature employees gathered on the walkways above the assembly’s main lobby to snap pictures of Trudeau as he walked in and spoke alongside Akeeagok.

Trudeau reflected on his earliest travels to Iqaluit — called Frobisher Bay at that time — with his father, prime minister Pierre Elliott Trudeau.

“My dad brought me up here 50 years ago, and over the past 50 years or so I’ve seen tremendous transformation, changes, strengthening in so many different ways,” Trudeau said.

“Yesterday’s announcement was a huge step for us.”

Both Akeeagok and Trudeau spoke about the significance of the previous day’s events.

“There’s important work ahead of us, but to be sharing the stage with the many elders that were there and incredible youth that were playing yesterday really showed the importance around that,” Akeeagok said.

Trudeau repeated his promise to support Nunavut as it enters a three-year transition period, before devolution takes effect April 1, 2027.

“While we do that, we’re also going to be taking care of other big things, whether it’s continuing our great work on housing … whether it’s talking about sovereignty and protection of the Arctic,” he said.

“We’re really excited.”

After the meetings, the Trudeaus, Akeeagok and Nunavut Tunngavik Inc. president Aluki Kotierk headed to Sylvia Grinnell Park for a dogsled ride.

Trudeau also stopped at an igloo at the front of the park, where elders showed him how to add chunks of ice to the top of the structure.

“An igloo is not only an important cultural symbol, but it also represents housing and community,” Akeeagok said in an Instagram post.”We hope that the federal government will partner with us to build many more homes in Nunavut.”

The Government of Nunavut asked for more time to show that sensitive information contained in government mail is being protected during changes to delivery in Iqaluit, says the territory’s information and privacy commissioner Graham Steele.

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

That followed complaints from residents late last year regarding the opening of second Canada Post office in Iqaluit.

People were required to change their address from a post office box number to a civic address, which is then associated with a new box number. Several challenges arose, including complaints of substantial delays, confusion and late or mishandled mail.

This week, Steele said the Department of Executive and Intergovernmental Affairs wants to put forward a “co-ordinated response” from the GN, rather than three separate departmental responses.

He said the department requested an extension due to its work in preparing for this week’s signing of a devolution agreement between the federal and territorial governments and Nunavut Tunngavik Inc.

The new deadline is Jan. 24, Steele said.

He said he is unsure what to expect from the “co-ordinated response,” since he wrote separate letters to each department because of the unique types of mail they send.

“Finance runs the database for GN employees, so presumably they’re going to have to someone change the address information for the several thousand GN employees who live in Iqaluit,” said Steele. “That’s not a challenge faced by the other departments.”

Paul Napash, or PaulStar, who's originally from Chisasibi, Que., officially released his album Bring It All Together on Friday. The album features genre-bending sounds drawn from rock, alternative and hip-hop.

Two men who worked for years to help Nunavut stand on its own say witnessing the signing of the devolution agreement with the federal government and Nunavut Tunngavik Inc. on Thursday was a landmark event.

James Eetoolook, now retired, was a vice-president of NTI for 29 years and one of the original signatories to the 1993 Nunavut Land Claims Agreement.

Former Nunavut senator Dennis Patterson retired at the end of December after 14 years representing Nunavut. Before that, he was an MLA and premier of the Northwest Territories, which at the time included the land that would become Nunavut.

Both were impressed by the importance of the moment — and by watching Prime Minister Justin Trudeau sign the document in Inuktitut.

The agreement — the largest land transfer in Canadian history — allows Nunavut to assume control over the vast majority of Crown lands within its boundaries. It’s expected to create jobs and open the door to the potential of millions of dollars flowing into the territory from future resource development.

Eetoolook was asked to be a witness at the signing ceremony, held at Iqaluit’s Aqsarniit Hotel, of the signing on behalf of Nunavut.

Interviewed in Inuktitut, he said: “I was happy and excited [about] this agreement we signed. It gives more independence for Nunavummiut in controlling resource development in Nunavut.”

He noted it also gives Nunavut more decision-making power over how the lands can be used and that will have a positive impact on the territory.

“We will have to not wait for Ottawa to make decisions,” said Eetoolook, adding that was the intention right from the start when land-claims negotiations with the federal government got underway.

He called the day “historic.”

Patterson told Nunatsiaq News he thinks of the devolution agreement as “decolonization.”

“It was never appropriate for our lands and resources should be managed remotely from an unaccountable federal minister,” he said.

“This is on the principle, if it is about Nunavut it should be done by Nunavut. And there is nothing more important than our wildlife and our land and resources.”

An important part of the agreement, he said, is that it was signed by NTI as well as the federal and territorial governments.

He said he’s hopeful the agreement will “signal a new era” of co-operation between NTI and the GN.

“It is no secret that there is some tension now in certain areas between NTI and the GN,” Patterson said.

The original vision for Nunavut, he said, was of co-operation and collaboration.

Patterson also called the agreement the “end of a very long journey,” considering he was involved in early devolution negotiations when he was N.W.T. premier in the 1980s.

“For me, it’s progress and concluding a chapter that I was involved in,” he said.

“I was very happy to make the journey here and observe it all.”

As for the event, Patterson said it was “appropriately solemn.”

Solemn in marking the hug step forward for Nunavut and constitutional development, he said. Joyful, he said, “Because it promises a better future for people of Nunavut, who are now going to have an equal voice like every other territory and province in managing their own lands and resources.”

Thursday was the deadline for businesses across the country to pay back the COVID-era CEBA loans, which the federal government provided to small businesses during the pandemic. Yellowknife small business owners say they need more time.

The NWT's Diavik diamond mine says approximately 50,000 litres of diesel has spilled in a storage facility. Rio Tinto said "cleanup and monitoring continue."

Construction of Rankin Inlet’s new elders centre is behind schedule but not over budget, says the Department of Community and Government Services.

The federal government announced earlier this month it is giving $25 million to the long-term care home, a project that is 90 per cent complete.

That money is issued through Infrastructure Canada’s Green and Inclusive Community Buildings program.

In order to be eligible to receive funding through the program, CGS had to identify projects that could be completed by a 2025 deadline, according to department spokesperson Hala Duale.

Now, GN money that had already been allocated to the long-term care home can be spent on other projects, she said in an email.

The $59.35-million project is within budget, she confirmed.

The Green and Inclusive Community Buildings program supports retrofits and new construction that is green and accessible to “high-needs, underserved communities,” states the program’s website.

The federal government reimburses spending retroactively for projects going back to April 1, 2021, said Caleb Spassov, spokesperson for Infrastructure Canada, in an email to Nunatsiaq News.

The remainder of the project’s cost, $34.35 million, is still the GN’s responsibility.

Rankin Inlet’s 24-bed long-term care centre was originally set for completion in 2023.

Duale said construction delays affected the project, but did not provide further details.

She said the project is 90 per cent finished and expected to be complete later this year.

The post 24-bed elders home in Rankin Inlet expected to be ready this year appeared first on Nunatsiaq News.

Uquutaq Society’s plan to build a new low-barrier shelter took another step forward Tuesday when Iqaluit’s planning committee voted unanimously to approve a development permit for it.

A low-barrier shelter does not require users to be sober in order to access services, executive director Laurel McCorriston told the committee during Tuesday’s meeting. However, alcohol consumption will not be allowed on site.

“I know how badly we need a facility like this,” Coun. Kyle Sheppard said. “For our most vulnerable population to have a place like this to go is critically important for our community.”

Uquutaq Society currently operates a high-barrier shelter at building 1077 for people who are not intoxicated, and a low-barrier shelter at building 534.

The current low-barrier shelter can only accommodate 17 people at a time, is over capacity and turns away an average of 50 people a month, said McCorriston.

She added people who are turned away from the high-barrier shelter because they are impaired often turn to the low-barrier shelter, further straining capacity.

The proposed new shelter will be built on two currently empty lots, one of which used to be the location of the country food store.

Uquutaq Society’s plan for a new low-barrier shelter includes 44 shelter beds, plus 13 transitional housing units. The facility would include five eight-bed shelter dorms and two two-bed isolation rooms on the second floor, according to planning documents.

“This provides the widest level of support to the community, but may have impacts on the surrounding uses,” cautioned Samantha Toffolo, the city’s consultant planner.

Coun. Harry Flaherty wanted to know what “disadvantages and challenges” might arise for homeowners and businesses in that area if the shelter is built there.

“What steps have been taken to mitigate that?” he asked.

A neighbour has come forward with concerns, McCorriston said. Discussions are ongoing, but she noted one issue involves shelter users loitering when they go outside to smoke.

McCorriston said the proposed shelter includes an enclosed smoking area, an on-site security guard and continuous perimeter checks which should help mitigate concerns.

“So not only will there be a security guard at the door, but more constant patrols. And this site will be much more highly staffed,” she told committee members on Tuesday.

Security staff will check for weapons, drugs and any other contraband, which would be confiscated if found.

McCorriston noted the current low barrier shelter is scheduled to be demolished in 2025. “That’s what made this project a priority for us,” she said.

In an interview Wednesday, she said the facility will also offer a warming centre operating 24 hours a day, seven days a week, something Iqaluit “doesn’t have at the moment.”

The shelter, which is expected to be completed by 2025, already has $17 million in funding from Indigenous Services Canada but is expected to cost approximately $30 million to build. McCorriston said that number could rise depending on the tendering process.

She said Uquutaq Society is seeking multiple additional funding sources, including applications to the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp.’s co-investment fund and National Indigenous Collaborative Housing Inc.

Nunavut Housing Corp. has committed $800,000 to the project, she said.

McCorriston said the location was selected because it’s already zoned to allow a shelter and boarding house. She noted the Qikiqtani Inuit Association provided funding for demolition and clearing of the site.

She said the Uquutaq Society plans to hold consultation sessions for the public regarding its plans. As well, it still needs full council approval for a development permit and then a building permit before it start to look for a builder.

The post Planning for new low-barrier shelter in Iqaluit moves forward appeared first on Nunatsiaq News.

When their home caught fire last week, a Yellowknife family of seven had to work out: what options does this city really have if you need housing in a hurry?