Northwest Territories News

I was saddened to hear of Bern Will Brown’s passing this past Friday, July 4th.  Bern Will Brown is known throughout the north as an artist, author, builder, ethnologist,  journalist, photographer, pilot, and priest.  A true Renaissance man,  Bern Will Brown documented the lives of the people in the Delta in his Aklavik Journals, built Our Lady of the Snows log Catholic church in Colville Lake, opened a museum where he displayed his paintings of the northern people and artefacts he found in his many trips across the north, learned and spoke fluently, the Hareskin dialect of the Colville Lake Dene. Most recently, he had published End-of-Earth People, a portrait of the Hareskin Dene.
A true loss for the north, I wish to extend my sincerest condolences the people of Colville Lake, particularly to his wife Margaret, during this difficult time.

High winds and extreme weather conditions on Friday, July 04 pushed a fire near Consolation Lake towards Reid Lake.  This fire is currently 7.5 kilometres east of the Ingraham Trail.

Weather conditions on Saturday allowed for Environment and Natural Resources teams to assess the fire and plan further operations over the coming days.  Additional resources from BC, Alaska and Saskatchewan will be  supporting efforts.

The Ingraham Trail  is open as of noon Sunday, July 06.  Reid Lake Territorial Park remains closed; all other parks are open.  These circumstances could change on short notice.

The public is advised to use caution, to only use fire when necessary for warmth or cooking and to respect all fire bans.  These are the most extreme fire conditions in more than twenty years.

Updates will be available at: www.enr.gov.nt.ca and the NWT Fire Facebook page.

Residents:

For more information on matters related to evacuation and emergency efforts related to this situation please call  920-2303

Media:

For more information please call:
Judy McLinton – Environment and Natural Resources
867-445-2297

High winds and extreme weather conditions on Friday, July 04 pushed a fire near Consolation Lake toward Reid Lake.  This fire is currently 11 kilometres east of the Ingraham Trail.

Environment and Natural Resources have brought in additional resources, including an Incident Management Team, to support operations.  Today personnel will continue to assess the situation and plan operations to begin securing the southern flank of the fire tomorrow.

The Ingraham Trail remains closed beyond kilometre 38 and all parks and day use areas beyond this point are closed until further notice. 

Updates will be provided once a day on weekends at 3:00pm and twice daily on week days at 11:00 am and 3:00pm until further notice.

Residents: 

For more information on matters related to evacuation and emergency efforts pursuant to this situation please call:
24-Hour Emergency Call Line
867 920 2303

Media:

For more information please call:
Judy McLinton – Environment and Natural Resources
867 445 2297

Extremely dry conditions across the Northwest Territories have led to high to extreme wildfire danger in most forested areas of the territory. Various government departments are working to coordinate resources and response to these wildfires. These departments and their responsibilities include:

Municipal and Community Affairs (MACA)

MACA is responsible for emergency measures and coordinating resources and information between all GNWT departments as well as community governments and stakeholders to ensure the security of NWT communities and residents during wildfire season.

MACA officials are working with regional and local officials to ensure community emergency plans are in place should a community be threatened by wildfire and an evacuation be required.

MACA is reminding anyone living in remote areas to maintain awareness of fire activity in their area and to evacuate if necessary. All residents should also ensure that their insurances are valid and current and, if possible, work to clear any brush or other flammable materials around their properties.

Transportation (DOT)

The Department of Transportation is monitoring wildfire situations and smoke conditions on NWT highways to ensure that roadways are safe. DOT is effecting road closures in areas where smoke or fire may prevent safe passage of highways.

DOT is providing regular updates to NWT residents through local media, twitter, the DOT website, email commercial alerts and a toll free phone line.

Variable message boards are in place on highways where there may be safety issues due to wildfire. Residents should observe any signage and follow instructions.

All NWT highways are open to traffic; however, the status may change on short notice due to changing weather conditions.

Highway 1: Smoke from a forest fire is reducing visibility on Highway 1 near of kilometre 158 between Enterprise and Kakisa. Drive with caution. Highway 1 is open to traffic at this time; however, conditions may change on short notice.

Highway 3: Highway 3 is open to traffic. This may change on short notice. Visibility continues to be reduced due to heavy smoke. Drivers are asked to drive with caution.

Environment and Natural Resources (ENR)

Environment and Natural Resources is coordinating fire suppression activities and providing information on current wildfire conditions across the territory.

An Incident Command team, fire crews, helicopters and water bombers are on the Kakisa fire.  Crews have cat guards in place and are working on a burn-out line along the Kakisa access road and Highway 1 to stop the spread of the fire.

ENR has a structural protection team from Alberta monitoring the structures in Kakisa to protect community infrastructure. No structures have been impacted to date.

Fireguards are holding around the Taltson dam.  A burn out operation to protect the facilities on Wednesday was successful.  Crews are currently mopping up and putting out hot spots There are 22 firefighters and two helicopters working the fire today.

A complex of fires is burning in the Birch Lake/Chan Lake area about 80 km south of Behchoko.  The fires total about 90,000 ha in size.  Smoke from this complex resulted in the closure of Highway 3 Wednesday and Thursday.  The situation is being evaluated for long term growth and response options.

ENR is evaluating a several other fires in both the North and South Slave regions.  Values at risk are being protected as required.

The Territorial Fire Centre in Fort Smith coordinates fire suppression, resources and provides up to date information on fire conditions across the NWT.

Quick Facts:  Kakisa Fire:

•  Fire is now approximately 60,000 hectares in size.
• On 27 June, 28 residents of Kakisa evacuated to Hay River and Fort Providence.
• On 1 July, the remaining seven residents of Kakisa also evacuated.
• Late on 2 July and early 3 July the fire burned around the community without loss of community structure.
• It may be a few more days before the wildfire risk reduces and ENR completes clean-up operations.

Contacts:

For updates on evacuations and emergency management efforts call :  Amy Simpson (MACA) at 867-873 – 7613

For updates on road closures and highway safety call : Patricia Russell (DOT) at  867-447-1368 (1DOT)

For updates on wildfires and suppression efforts call: Dawn Curtis (ENR) at 867-446-6169

Information current as of 3:24 p.m., July 4, 2014. Further updates will be issued as new information becomes available.

FORT SMITH (July 4, 2014) – Inmates in a Fort Smith facility have chosen to once again help their community and learn valuable skills in the process.  The Bikes for Kids program is a joint initiative with many partners in Fort Smith.

The Fort Smith Métis Council approached corrections facility staff to see if they would be interested in having inmates learn to repair unclaimed bikes provided either by the Town of Fort Smith or donated by community members.  Staff at the Fort Smith Correctional Complex (Male Unit) quickly saw the benefits both for the inmates and community and agreed to start the Bikes for Kids program. The Métis Council provided funds towards the purchase of tools and bike parts and local business partners in the community, such as Lou’s Small Engines, were quick to agree to match funds for the needed tools.

“People in every community in the Northwest Territories use bikes but few have people who can do bicycle repairs,” said Minister of Justice David Ramsay. “The skills the inmates learn will be transferable when they return home and is one more avenue that could present future employment for inmates. The added bonus is that kids who might not otherwise have them can have a chance to get a bike of their own.”

Inmates felt so strongly about the work and the chance to give back to their community that they took money from their Inmates’ Welfare fund to start the project off and bought two new bikes, as repaired bikes were not yet ready to be donated.  The Fort Smith Métis Council matched their donation, allowing a total of four bikes to be presented to deserving Grade 1 and 2 students at the end-of-year celebration at Joseph Burr Tyrell School.

One organization has already had the opportunity to use the services to repair a child’s bike.  Mary Bishop, Acting Social Work Supervisor for the Fort Smith Health Authority, sent a letter to the inmates thanking them for their good work, “we are sure this program will be a great success. It’s a wonderful idea for the inmates and for our community,” said Bishop.

For more information:
Sue Glowach
Department of Justice
Tel: 867-920-3130
Email: sue_glowach@gov.nt.ca

YELLOWKNIFE (July 3, 2014) – The delivery of funding to filmmakers in the Northwest Territories has been improved to better reflect the stages through which a film is developed, thanks to revised Government of the Northwest Territories (GNWT) film funding contribution guidelines.

The Department of Industry, Tourism and Investment (ITI) is now providing funding for film development under the Support to Entrepreneurs and Economic Development (SEED) Policy.  The funding will assist with costs associated with completing film projects in two key areas: small production and trailer/pitch production.

The existing Marketing and Promotion category has also been adjusted to provide separate dedicated funding for pitch marketing and production and services marketing.

“We have seen an exciting growth in our film industry and we want to continue to improve and adapt our programs to provide the most timely and appropriate supports for resident filmmakers,” said Minister of ITI David Ramsay. “Broadening our criteria means we will be better able to provide NWT filmmakers with the financial support they need to do what they do best.”

Through SEED, the GNWT provides $100,000 in support of NWT filmmakers annually. Improvements to the SEED funding for filmmakers were identified and designed in consultation with the NWT Film Commission, ITI regional offices and the NWT Professional Media Association.

Program improvements to the GNWT’s film funding contributions were identified in part through the ongoing process to develop an NWT film strategy and come in response to recommendations made in the NWT Economic Opportunities Strategy.

Backgrounder – GNWT Film Funding

For more information:

Alayna Ward
Manager, Public Affairs and Communications
Industry, Tourism and Investment
Government of the Northwest Territories
Tel: (867) 920-8696
Email: alayna_ward@gov.nt.ca

YELLOWKNIFE (July 2, 2014) – The Office of the Regulator of Oil and Gas Operations (OROGO) in the Northwest Territories has launched a new website that provides information about the role of the Regulator in the NWT, access to the public registry and guidelines and application forms for industry.

“The website helps to raise public awareness about the Office of the Regulator and its related responsibilities,” said Minister David Ramsay, Regulator of onshore oil and gas activities in the NWT.  “We want to ensure regulatory practices reflect the needs and priorities of NWT residents, provide industry with a clear outline of the territory’s regulatory process and support responsible development.”

Except in the Inuvialuit Settlement Region and on federal lands, the Office of theRegulator ensures oil and gas exploration and development operations are conducted in a safe and environmentally responsible manner that conserves oil and gas resources. This includes reviewing applications, regulating seismic and drilling operations, pipeline and well regulation, inspection and compliance, and emergency response and investigation. The office is responsible for territorial lands

Industry, Tourism and Investment Minister David Ramsay, was appointed Regulator by the Executive Council of the Northwest Territories effective April 1, 2014.

Please visit the OROGO website at: www.oilandgasregulator.iti.gov.nt.ca

For more information:

Leslie Campbell
Senior Communications Officer
Industry, Tourism and Investment
Government of the Northwest Territories
Tel: (867) 920-3343

Email: Leslie_Campbell@gov.nt.ca

Hay River (June 30) – A new reality television series will debut tomorrow and is expected to increase awareness and understanding of the Northwest Territories’ traditional economy while providing valuable exposure to the territory’s burgeoning film industry that produces it.

Fur Harvesters NWT, will follow Hay River resident-trapper, Andrew Stanley, as he earns his income primarily from trapping fur-bearing animals.  Produced, directed, filmed, and edited solely by resident members of the NWT film industry, it is the first reality series of its kind and the third main-stream national TV show produced entirely in Yellowknife in the last two years. The Series is also scheduled to air in the NWT and Yukon on NorthWesTel Cable.

Minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment (ITI), David Ramsay looks forward to the show’s premiere, saying, “Fur Harvesters NWT is as much a  showcase of our emerging film industry as it is of our world-renowned fur industry,” he noted. “This series will help provide context and information on our traditional economy, which is an important part of life in the territory, and I am proud to see a quality NWT-produced show that explores and celebrates it.”

Andrew Stanley’s self-documented day-to-day adventures on the trap-line have already drawn thousands of views on YouTube.

The Department of ITI is supporting the production of Fur Harvesters NWT with film funding from its Support for Entrepreneurs and Economic Development (SEED) Policy.  The production is also sponsored by the Fur Harvesters Auction, Canada’s primary wild fur auction and a partner in the Department’s Genuine Mackenzie Valley Fur Program.

Through its promotion of trapping and the fur industry and by supporting and profiling the NWT and its film industry, Fur Harvesters NWT will support recommendations in the NWT Economic Opportunities Strategy which was developed to meet the 17th Assembly’s priority to strengthen and diversify the NWT economy.

For more information, contact:

Alayna Ward
Manager, Public Affairs and Communications
Industry, Tourism and Investment
Government of the Northwest Territories
Tel: (867) 920-8696
Email: alayna_ward@gov.nt.ca

Premier Bob McLeod officially opens Inuvik’s Petroleum Resources Office

INUVIK (June 27, 2014) – This year’s Inuvik Petroleum Show (IPS) set the stage for the opening of the Petroleum Resources Office in Inuvik on June 24, 2014.

The Petroleum Resources Division develops and implements programs, strategies and policies in support of managing the development of the territory’s petroleum resources. This includes leading and managing the call cycle process for future oil and gas exploration in onshore NWT, the first cycle of which is expected to be launched in the fall. The division will also lead the development of Hydraulic Fracturing Regulations and provide support for GNWT initiatives to enable development of the Canol Shale in the Sahtu Region.

Premier Bob McLeod was in attendance to officially open the doors and welcome staff into their new roles.

“Having the Petroleum Resources Office located in the Beaufort Delta Region will help further establish Inuvik as a hub of oil and gas development,” said Premier McLeod. “We are committed to developing our resources in a responsible way that reflects the priorities and values of Northerners, investing in the infrastructure needed to do this in partnership with the Government of Canada and creating prosperity and economic opportunities for the North and the nation.” 

Deputy Minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment, Peter Vician delivered a keynote address at the IPS in which he recognized the NWT’s world-class inventory of energy resources and discussed the increasing demand for energy. “This growing worldwide demand bodes well for the Northwest Territories’ economy because we are uniquely positioned to provide safe and secure energy to customers around the world,” said Mr. Vician.

The Inuvik Petroleum Show is the premier conference and tradeshow for the oil and gas sector. Each year, it hosts over 500 participants, including delegates and exhibitors from across Canada and beyond.

For more information:

Alayna Ward
Manager, Public Affairs and Communications
Industry, Tourism and Investment
Government of the Northwest Territories
Tel: (867) 920-8696
Email: alayna_ward@gov.nt.ca

INUVIK (June 27, 2014) – Creative displays at several NWT airports are part of a new Government of the Northwest Territories (GNWT) initiative to promote NWT arts and crafts and profile the work of NWT artists to visitors.

Deputy Minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment Peter Vician unveiled a display at the Inuvik airport Wednesday, one of six displays that have been created and installed in NWT airports. These airport displays, made possible in partnership with the Department of Transportation, are also located in Norman Wells, Fort Simpson, Hay River, Fort Smith and Yellowknife.

Many of the artists represented in the Inuvik art display were on hand for its official unveiling. This announcement also marks a step in the implementation of the GNWT’s overall Arts Program, introduced in March, to support and increase the profile of NWT art and artists.    

“Our airports provide a perfect venue to profile the diverse and creative works of NWT artists, and we anticipate that travellers will appreciate the introduction to regional artists and communities, and also the opportunity to purchase these fine arts and crafts,” said Mr. Vician. “The promotion and sale of these products also helps to stimulate our grassroots economy and provide artists, especially those in smaller communities, with income opportunities and a chance to showcase their talent.”

While varied in their construction, the airport displays are comprised of a mounted, flat-screen monitor, surrounded by a stylized graphic border containing information about local arts, artists and the NWT Arts Program.

During the Economic Opportunities Strategy engagement sessions held across the territory, many participants and stakeholders identified the need to better develop and promote markets for the NWT’s traditional arts and crafts.  In particular, it was recommended that these identifiable symbols of the NWT be linked to the NWT’s emerging Aboriginal tourism sector.

For more information:

Alayna Ward
Manager, Public Affairs and Communications
Industry, Tourism and Investment
Government of the Northwest Territories
Tel: (867) 920-8696
Email: alayna_ward @gov.nt.ca

YELLOWKNIFE (June 27, 2014) – Minister of Transportation Tom Beaulieu announced today that the Government of the Northwest Territories is seeking input from Northerners to update the NWT Transportation Strategy.

“This strategy will guide planning and progress in all transportation modes over the next 25 years,” said Minister Beaulieu.  “Key factors considered in the strategy will be improving the safety and efficiency of existing transportation facilities and services while making strategic improvements to promote economic development and improve community access.”

The public is encouraged to provide input by visiting the Department of Transportation’s website at www.dot.gov.nt.ca and completing a brief online survey about the transportation system.

Over the summer, the Department will also be conducting interviews with Aboriginal leaders, transportation stakeholders and Members of the Legislative Assembly to gain their perspective on the territory’s transportation needs and priorities.

After reviewing and considering comments and suggestions, the Department will begin drafting the NWT Transportation Strategy.  This will be followed by public meetings in regional centers across the NWT in late fall or early winter 2014 on the draft strategy.

For more information:

Patricia Russell
Communications
Department of Transportation
Government of the Northwest Territories
867-873-7764 or 867-447-1368 (1DOT)
patricia_russell@gov.nt.ca