Nunavut News - Feb. 21, 2022 Edition

ᐊᕐᕌᒍᓄᑦ-ᑕᓪᓕᒪᓄᑦ ᐃᓗᐊᖅᓴᐃᔨᓄᑦ ᐸᕐᓇᐅᑎ ᓴᖅᑭᑕᐅᕗᖅ ᓄᓇᕗᒻᒥ ᐸᕐᓇᒍᑎᖓ ᑐᙵᕕᖃᖅᐳᖅ ᑕᓪᓕᒪᓂ ‘ᑐᙵᕕᖃᑦᑎᐊᕐᓂᐅᔪᒥ’: ᐃᖅᑲᓇᐃᔭᖅᑎᐅᔪᓄᑦ ᐸᕐᓇᐃᓂᖅ ᐊᒻᒪ ᖃᐅᔨᓴᐃᓂᐅᔪᖅ, ᐃᖅᑲᓇᐃᔭᖅᑎᑖᕐᓂᕐᒧᑦ, ᐃᓕᓯᒪᑦᑎᐊᕐᓂᕐᒧᑦ ᐱᕙᓪᓕᐊᑎᑕᐅᓂᖓᓂ, ᐊᕙᑎᒧᑦ ᐊᒻᒪ ᓯᕗᓕᐅᖅᑎᐅᓂᕐᒧᑦ

Teaching kindness at any age Volume 76 Issue 42

MONDAY, February 21, 2022 $.95 (plus GST)

Five-year nursing plan released

GN’s strategy is based on five ‘pillars’: workforce planning and evaluation, recruitment, professional development, environment and leadership

A fresh take on delivery

With the support of family and friends, John Niakrok is ready to take your orders at Iglu Donairs, which opened in the Agnico Eagle Arena in Rankin Inlet, Jan. 30. Stewart Burnett/NNSL photo

Astro Theatre persevering through pandemic Publication mail Contract #40012157

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71605 00200

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Clyde River declares state of emergency

Covid rapid tests being provided by GN, NTI

News North Nunavut

www.NunavutNews.com

Correction:

In the Feb. 14 edition of Nunavut News ‘Blizzard-ravaged Clyde River ponders state of emergency’ Jerry Natanine was identified as Clyde River’s mayor. Natanine is currently serving as the Hamlet’s chief administrative officer. Nunavut News regrets the mistake and any confusion or embarrassment it may have caused.

News Briefs ᓄᕙᕐᔪᐊᕐᓇᖃᕐᒪᖔᖅᐱᑦ ᖃᐅᔨᓴᕈᑎᑦ ᐃᓇᖏᖅᓯᓂᐊᖅᐳᑦ ᐃᓄᑑᑲᐃᓐᓇᕆᐊᖃᕐᓂᕐᒧᑦ ᐊᑐᖅᑕᐅᕙᒃᑐᑦ

ᓄᓇᕗᑦ ᓄᓇᕗᑦ ᑐᙵᕕᒃᑯᑦ ᑎᒥᖓᑦ ᓅᑉᐸᓪᓕᐊᓕᖅᐳᑦ ᐃᓄᑑᒋᐊᖃᕐᓂᕐᒧᑦ ᐊᑐᖅᑕᐅᕙᒃᑐᓂ ᑭᓯᐊᓂ ᑐᓂᐅᖅᑲᐃᓂᖅᓴᐅᓂᐊᓕᖅᐳᑦ ᓄᕙᕐᔪᐊᕐᓇᖃᕐᒪᖔᖅᐱᑦ ᖃᐅᔨᕈᑎᓂᒃ ᐊᖏᕐᕋᒥ ᖃᐅᔨᓴᕈᑎᑦ ᐃᖕᒥᓂᒃ ᑐᓂᐅᖅᑲᐃᖃᑦᑕᕐᓂᐊᖅᖢᑎᒃ ᐸᐃᕆᕕᖕᓄᑦ ᐊᒻᒪ ᐊᑯᓂᐅᔪᒥ ᓇᔪᖅᑕᐅᕕᖕᒦᑉᐸᒃᑐᓄᑦ ᐃᓐᓇᑯᕕᖕᓄᓪᓗ. ᑐᓴᖅᑎᑦᑎᒍᑕᐅᓚᐅᖅᐳᖅ ᕕᕗᐊᕆ 16-ᒥ, ᐅᖃᖅᖢᑎᒃ 6,300 Artron ᓄᕙᒡᔪᐊᕐᓇᖅ-19 ᓄᕙᕐᔪᐊᕐᓇᖃᕐᒪᖔᖅᐱᑦ ᖃᐅᔨᓴᕈᑎᑦ ᑲᖏᖅᖠᓂᕐᒧᙵᐅᓕᖅᐳᑦ ᐊᒻᒪᒃᑲᓐᓂᖅ 4,300 ᖃᐅᔨᓴᕈᑎᑦ ᐊᐅᓪᓚᖅᑎᑕᐅᓂᐊᖅᖢᑎᒃ ᑕᕝᕙᓂ ᑕᖅᑭᒥ. “ᓄᓇᕗᑦ ᒐᕙᒪᒃᑯᖏᑦ ᐃᓄᑑᒋᐊᖃᖅᑐᓄᑦ ᓂᕿᑖᖅᑎᑦᑎᖃᑦᑕᕐᓂᕐᒥᒃ ᐃᓄᑑᒋᐊᖃᖅᑐᓄᑦ ᐱᓕᕆᐊᖃᕐᒪᑕ, ᓄᓇᕗᑦ ᑐᖓᓐᕕᒃᑯᑦ ᑎᒥᖓᑦ ᐃᓱᒪᓕᐅᕈᑎᖃᖅᓯᒪᕗᑦ ᓄᕙᕐᔪᐊᕐᓇᖃᕐᒪᖔᖅᐱᑦ ᖃᐅᔨᓴᕈᑎᓂᒃ ᑐᓂᐅᖅᑲᐃᓂᐊᖅᐳᑦ ᓄᕙᕐᔪᐊᕐᓇᖅ ᓯᐊᒻᒪᒃᑎᑕᐅᖁᓇᒍ,” ᓄᓇᕗᑦ ᑐᙵᕕᒃᑯᑦ ᑎᒥᖓᑦ ᑎᑎᕋᓚᐅᖅᐳᑦ ᑐᓴᒐᒃᓴᑎᒍᑦ. ᓄᓇᕗᑦ ᑐᙵᕕᒃᑯᑦ ᐃᓄᑑᒋᐊᖃᕐᓂᕐᒧᑦ ᑐᓂᐅᖅᑲᖅᑕᐅᕙᒃᑐᓂᒃ ᑐᒃᓯᕋᐅᑕᐅᔪᓂᒃ ᐱᑎᑦᓯᖃᑦᑕᕐᓂᐊᙱᓕᖅᐳᑦ ᕕᕗᐊᕆ 16-ᒥᑦ. ᑲᑐᔾᔨᖃᑎᒌᑦ ᐅᖃᓚᐅᖅᐳᑦ ᑮᓇᐅᔭᓂᒃ ᐊᑐᖅᓯᒪᓕᕐᒪᑕ ᐅᖓᑖᓄᑦ $3–ᒥᓕᐊᓐᓂ ᐊᒥᓲᑎᒋᔪᓂᒃ ᐅᖓᑖᓄᑦ 6,000 ᐃᓄᑑᒋᐊᖃᖅᑐᑦ ᐊᑐᒐᒃᓴᖏᓐᓂᒃ ᓄᓇᕗᒻᒥ ᐃᓄᖕᓄᑦ ᐃᒡᓗᒥᐅᖃᑎᒌᓄᑦ ᑕᐃᒪᙵᓂ ᓄᕙᕐᔪᐊᕐᓇᐅᒋᐊᓚᐅᖅᓯᒪᔪᒥᑦ, ᐊᑐᖅᓯᒪᓕᖅᖢᑎᒡᓗ $2,550,126–ᓂ ᓄᓇᖃᖅᑳᖅᓯᒪᔪᓄᑦ ᓄᓇᓕᖕᓂ ᐃᑲᔪᕈᑎᒃᓴᓂᒃ ᐊᒻᒪ $461,000–ᓂ ᑲᓇᑕᒥᐅᑦ ᓂᕿᑖᕈᑎᒃᓴᖃᕐᕕᖓᓐᓂᑦ ᑲᓇᑕᒥ. ᐊᕕᒃᑐᖅᓯᒪᓂᐅᔪᓂ ᐃᓄᐃᑦ ᑲᑐᔾᔨᖃᑎᒌᒃᑯᖏᑦ ᓂᕿᑖᕈᑎᒃᓴᓂᒃ ᓱᓕ ᐱᓕᕆᐊᖃᐃᓐᓇᖅᐳᑦ, ᓄᓇᕗᑦ ᑐᙵᕕᒃᑯᑦ ᐅᖃᓚᐅᖅᐳᑦ. please see Rapid, page 10

ᑮᓇᐅᔭᓂᒃ ᐊᑐᐃᓐᓇᖅᑕᖃᖅᑐᖅ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᕈᑎᒃᓴᓂᒃ ᐱᙳᐊᖅᑐᓕᕆᒍᑎᒃᓴᓂᒡᓗ

ᖃᒪᓂ’ᑐᐊᖅ ᑭᕙᓪᓕᕐᒥ ᐃᓄᐃᑦ ᑲᑐᔾᔨᖃᑎᒌᒃᑯᖏᑦ ᑐᓴᖅᑎᑦᑎᓚᐅᖅᐳᑦ ᖃᒪᓂ’ᑐᐊᒥ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᕐᓂᕐᒧᑦ ᐱᙳᐊᖅᑐᓕᕆᓂᕐᒧᓪᓗ ᑮᓇᐅᔭᖅᑕᖃᕐᓂᖓᓄᑦ, ᐊᑐᐃᓐᓇᐅᑎᑕᐅᓪᓗᑎᒃ ᐃᓄᖕᓄᑦ ᑭᓯᐊᓂ ᓄᓇᓕᖕᓂ ᐃᑲᔪᕈᑎᖃᕐᓂᕐᒧᑦ ᐅᑎᖅᑎᑕᐅᒋᐊᖃᖏᑦᖢᑎᒡᓗ ᑮᓇᐅᔭᑦ ᐊᑐᐃᓐᓇᐅᓪᓗᑎᒡᓗ $1,000 ᐊᑕᐅᓯᕐᒧᑦ ᐃᓄᖕᒧᑦ $5,000 ᑲᑎᒪᔪᓄᑦ ᐃᓄᖕᓄᑦ. ᑐᒃᓯᕋᐅᑎᖃᖅᑐᑦ ᑮᓇᐅᔭᓂᒃ ᐃᑲᔪᕈᑎᖃᕆᐊᖃᖅᐳᑦ 10-ᐳᓴᓐᑎᓂᒃ ᑲᑎᓪᓗᒋᑦ ᓂᐅᕕᖅᑕᐅᓗᑎᒃ ᐊᑭᓪᓗᐊᖏᓐᓂᒃ. ᑕᒪᒃᑯᐊ ᓂᐅᕕᖅᑕᐅᔪᓐᓇᖅᖢᑎᒃ ᐱᙳᐊᕈᑎᓂ ᐃᓚᖏᓐᓂ, ᓴᓇᐅᒐᓕᕆᔨᓄᑦ ᓴᓇᕐᕈᑎᓄᑦ, ᐱᙳᐊᕆᐊᖅᑐᕐᓂᕐᒧᑦ ᖃᓄᐃᓐᓂᐅᔪᓄᑦ, ᐊᐅᓪᓛᕐᓂᕐᒧᑦ ᓄᓇᒥ, ᐃᓚᐅᖃᑕᐅᓂᕐᒥ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᕐᓂᐅᔪᓄᑦ, ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᕐᓂᕐᒧᑦ ᐊᑭᓕᐅᑎᓄᑦ, ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᕐᓂᕐᒧᑦ ᓱᓇᒃᑯᑖᖏᓐᓄᑦ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐅᓄᕐᓂᖅᓴᓂ. ᖃᐅᔨᒋᐊᒃᑲᓐᓂᕐᓂᕐᒧᑦ ᐊᑐᐃᓐᓇᐅᕗᑦ ᕿᕙᓪᓕᕐᒥ ᐃᓄᐃᑦ ᑲᑐᔾᔨᖃᑎᒌᒃᑯᑦ ᐃᑭᐊᖅᑭᕕᖓᓐᓂ. please see Funding, page 10

ᓄᓇᕗᒻᒥᐅᑦ ᐃᓄᒋᐊᒃᓯᕙᓪᓕᐊᓂᖏᑦ

ᓄᓇᕗᑦ ᓄᓇᕗᒻᒥᐅᑦ ᐃᓄᒋᐊᒃᓯᕙᓪᓕᐊᕗᑦ, ᐱᕈᖅᓯᒪᓂᖃᖅᖢᑎᒃ 914 ᐃᓄᐃᑦ ᐊᑯᓐᓂᖓᓂ 2016–ᒥ ᐊᒻᒪ 2021–ᒧᑦ, ᖃᐅᔨᓴᖅᑕᐅᓯᒪᓪᓗᓂ ᑲᓇᑕᒥ ᑭᓪᓕᓯᓂᐊᖅᑎᒃᑯᓐᓂ 2021ᒥ ᓈᓴᐃᓚᐅᖅᓯᒪᑎᓪᓗᒋᑦ ᓄᓇᕗᒻᒥ, ᓴᖅᑭᑎᑕᐅᓯᒪᓪᓗᑎᒃ ᓈᓴᐃᒍᑎᑦ ᕕᕗᐊᕆ 9– 2.5 ᐳᓴᓐᑎᒥ ᐱᕈᕐᓂᖃᖅᖢᑎᒃ ᐃᓄᒋᐊᒃᓯᒍᑎᖃᖅᖢᑎᒃ ᐅᑭᐅᓂ ᑕᓪᓕᒪᓂ. ᑭᓯᐊᓂ, ᑕᕝᕙᓂᔅᓴᐃᓐᓇᖅ ᓄᓇᓕᐸᐅᔭᓖᑦ ᐃᖃᓗᖕᓂ 4–ᐳᓴᓐᑎᒥᒃ ᐃᓄᒋᐊᖏᓐᓂᖅᓴᐅᓕᕈᑎᖃᓚᐅᖅᐳᑦ 7,740-ᒥᑦ 2016-ᒥ 7,429-ᒧᑦ 2021-ᒥ. ᓄᓇᓖᑦ 8 ᐃᓄᒋᐊᖏᓐᓂᖅᓴᐅᓕᕈᑎᖃᓚᐅᖅᐳᑦ ᖃᒪᓂ’ᑐᐊᖅ, ᐃᖃᓗᒃᑑᑦᓯᐊᖅ, ᑭᙵᐃᑦ, ᐃᒡᓗᓕᒑᕐᔪᒃ, ᐃᖃᓗᐃ, ᖁᕐᓗᖅᑐᖅ, ᒥᑦᑎᒪᑕᓕᒃ, ᖃᐅᓱᐃᑦᑐᖅ ᐊᒻᒪ ᑕᓗᕐᔪᐊᖅ. ᑕᓗᕐᔪᐊᒥᐅᑦ ᐃᓄᒋᐊᖏᓐᓂᖅᓴᐅᓕᕈᑎᖃᓚᐅᖅᐳᑦ 14.5 ᐳᓴᓐᑎᒥ, ᓄᓇᓕᖕᒥᐅᑦ ᐅᓄᕐᓂᖃᓕᖅᖢᑎᒃ 1,029-ᓂᒃ 934-ᓄᑦ. ᐃᖃᓗᒃᑑᑦᓯᐊᕐᓗ ᖃᒪᓂ’ᑐᐊᕐᓗ ᐃᓄᒋᐊᒃᓯᖏᓐᓂᖅᓴᐅᓂᖃᓚᐅᖅᐳᑦ 6 ᐊᒻᒪ 8 ᒪᓕᖃᑦᑕᐅᑎᔪᓂ. ᐃᓄᒋᐊᒃᓯᓂᖃᖅᑐᑦ 10 ᐳᓴᓐᑎᒥ ᐅᖓᑖᓄᑦ ᖃᐅᔨᓴᖅᑕᐅᓚᐅᕆᕗᑦ 8–ᓂ ᓄᓇᓕᖕᓂ. ᐃᒡᓗᓕᒃ ᐃᓄᒋᐊᒃᓯᓂᖃᓚᐅᖅᐳᖅ 17.5–ᐳᓴᓐᑎᒥ ᐅᕝᕙᓘᓐᓃᑦ 305 ᐃᓄᐃᑦ, ᐃᓄᒋᐊᕐᓂᖃᓕᖅᖢᑎᒃ 2,049–ᓂᒃ. ᐱᖓᓱᑦ ᓄᓇᓕᑦ ᐃᓄᒋᐊᖕᓂᖃᓕᓚᐅᖅᐳᑦ 1,000 ᐅᖓᑖᓄᑦ: ᓴᓪᓕᖅ, ᑰᒑᕐᔪᒃ ᐊᒻᒪ ᓴᓂᑭᓗᐊᖅ. please see Population, page10

Monday, February 21, 2022 A3

fact file Nunavut COVID-19 situation as of Feb. 17 Active cases: 362 Confirmed cases: 2,341 Recovered cases: 1,974 Deaths: 5 Vaccine uptake: 32,860 first doses/ 92 per cent 27,289 second doses/ 73 per cent 13,182 third doses

Breakdown by community: Pangnirtung: 11 Arviat: 17 Pond Inlet: 2 Baker Lake: 11 Naujaat: 4 Cambridge Bay: 14 Qikiqtarjuaq: 2 Coral Harbour: 11 Rankin Inlet: 49 Gjoa Haven: 4 Resolute Bay: 9 Iglulik: 38 Sanikiluaq: 13 Iqaluit: 109 Sanirajak: 15 Kinngait: 11 Taloyoak: 23 Kugaaruk: 18 Kugluktuk: 1 Source: Government of Nunavut Department of Health

Teaching kindness at all ages ᒪᕐᕉᖕᓂ-ᐅᑭᐅᓕᒃ ᓈᓐᓯ ᒦᑯ ᐊᑐᖅᐳᖅ ᐊᐅᐸᔪᒃᑐᕐᒥ ᐅᕕᓂᕈᖓᓂ. ᐊᓈᓇᖓ, ᑎᐊᓴ ᓇᐅᓪᓛᓕᒃ ᐅᖃᓚᐅᖅᐳᖅ ᓱᓕ ᑐᓂᓯᓇᓱᓲᖑᕗᖅ ᖃᓄᖓᓴᖅᑕᐃᓕᒪᑎᑦᑎᓂᕐᒥ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᕐᓂᐅᔪᓂ ᕿᑐᕐᙵᖏᓐᓂ.

Two-year-old Nancy Meeko models her Pink Shirt Day wear. Her mother, Tessa Naulalik, said she tries to instill anti-bullying teachings in her children. Photo courtesy of Tessa Naulalik

Anti-bullying a lifelong pursuit

By Stewart Burnett Northern News Services Kangiqliniq/Rankin Inlet

Tessa Naulalik knows you can never start too young with teaching children about bullying.

“I’ve taught them that bullying is not acceptable anywhere, anytime,” she said, as her two-year-old daughter Nancy Meeko modelled a Pink Shirt Day T-shirt.

Naulalik has tried to instill on her children that people are different and to never judge or bully others for how they look or sound.

She grew up in Rankin Inlet, and her daughter is growing up

A survivor’s welcome

here too. Naulalik said she had some bullies growing up, and her six-year-old faced some bullies in the past year, but those issues have improved since changing houses.

“I told my kids, if anybody is bullying them to ask them to stop,” said Naulalik. “If that doesn’t work, go tell us, their parents or teacher.”

Pink Shirt Day is held every year on the last Wednesday of February. It originated from David Shepherd, Travis Price and their teenage friends organizing a high-school protest to wear pink in support with a Grade 9 boy who was being bullied for wearing a pink shirt in 2007. It has since become an international campaign.

ᐆᓂ ᐃᑦᑐᖅ ᐱᓚᐅᖅᐳᖅ ᐊᖏᕐᕋᒧᑦ ᑐᙵᓱᒋᒻᒥ ᓇᓗᓇᐃᒃᑯᑕᖓᓐᓂ ᔮᓐ ᐊᕐᓇᓗᒃᔪᐊᖅ ᖁᑦᑎᒃᑐᒥ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᕐᕕᖓᓂ ᐅᑎᖅᑎᓪᓗᒍ ᐊᕐᕕᐊᓄᑦ ᓄᓕᐊᖓᓗ, ᐋᓐᔨᓖᓇ.

By Stewart Burnett Northern News Services

ᐆᓂ ᐃᑦᑐᖅ ᐱᓚᐅᖅᐳᖅ ᐊᖏᕐᕋᒧᑦ ᑐᙵᓱᒋᒻᒥ ᓇᓗᓇᐃᒃᑯᑕᖓᓐᓂ ᔮᓐ ᐊᕐᓇᓗᒃᔪᐊᖅ ᖁᑦᑎᒃᑐᒥ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᕐᕕᖓᓂ ᐅᑎᖅᑎᓪᓗᒍ ᐊᕐᕕᐊᓄᑦ ᓄᓕᐊᖓᓗ, ᐋᓐᔨᓖᓇ. ᐃᑦᑐᖅ ᐅᓪᓗᓂ ᑕᓪᓕᒪᓂ ᐊᔪᖅᓯᓯᒪᓚᐅᖅᐳᖅ ᐱᖅᓯᒥ ᑎᓯᐱᕆᐅᑉ ᐱᒋᐊᕐᓂᐸᓗᐊᓂ ᖃᖓᑕᓲᒃᑯᑦ ᐊᐅᓪᓚᖅᑎᑕᐅᓚᐅᖅᑳᕋᓂ ᐅᐃᓂᐱᐊᒡᒧᑦ, ᑕᒪᒃᑭᑦ ᐊᒡᒐᖏᑦ ᓇᑲᑕᐅᓪᓗᑎᒃ ᕿᕿᓐᓂᕐᒧᑦ. ᐋᓐᔨᓖᓇ ᓴᓂᐊᓃᖏᓐᓇᓚᐅᖅᐳᖅ ᒪᒥᓴᖅᑎᓪᓗᒍ ᐊᒻᒪ ᐊᐃᑉᐸᕇᒃ ᐅᑎᑕᐃᓐᓇᓚᐅᖅᐳᑦ ᕕᕗᐊᕆᐅᑉ ᐱᒋᐊᕐᓂᐸᓗᐊᓂ. ᐃᑦᑐᖅ ᓱᓕ ᐅᑕᖅᑭᕗᖅ ᓴᓇᐅᒐᓂ ᑕᓕᙳᐊᓂ.

Ernie Eetuk received this welcome home sign from John Arnalukjuak High School upon returning to Arviat with his wife, Angelina. Eetuk spent five days trapped in a blizzard in early December before being medevaced to Winnipeg, where he had both hands amputated due to frostbite. Angelina stayed by his side during his recovery and the two finally returned home in early February.

Eetuk is still waiting for his prosthetic arms.

Ernie Eetuk, left, received this welcome home sign from John Arnalukjuak High School upon returning to Arviat with his wife, Angelina. Photo courtesy of Angelina Eetuk

A4 Monday, February 21, 2022

News North Nunavut

www.NunavutNews.com

ᐃᖃᓗᖕᓂ ᐋᔅᑐᕉ ᑕᕐᕆᔭᕐᕕᖓ ᐱᓇᔪᐃᓐᓇᖅᐳᑦ ᐊᒥᓱᓄᑦ ᖃᓂᒻᒪᓐᓇᐅᔪᒥ ᐊᒃᓱᕈᕐᓇᕐᓂᐅᔪᓂ ‘ᐊᓕᐊᓇᐃᓐᓂᐊᖅᐳᖅ ᑕᐃᒃᑯᓂᖓ ᑕᓗᐊᓗᖕᓂ ᑕᑯᒃᓴᐅᑎᑦᑎᒃᑲᓐᓂᕐᓂᖏᓐᓂ ᑕᕐᕆᔭᓂ’ ᐅᖃᖅᐳᖅ ᓇᖕᒥᓂᖃᖅᑎ

Northern News Services

ᐋᔅᑐᕉ ᑕᕐᕆᔭᕐᕕᖓ ᐱᓇᔪᐃᓐᓇᖅᐳᑦ ᑕᐃᑲᓂ ᓄᕙᒡᔪᐊᕐᓇᖅ-19 ᐊᒥᓱᓄᑦ ᖃᓂᒻᒪᓐᓇᐅᔪᒥ, ᖁᔭᓐᓇᒦᒃ ᐃᓄᓕᒫᓄᑦ ᐱᔪᒪᓂᐅᔪᒥ ᑕᕐᕆᔭᖅᑎᑕᐅᓂᕐᒥ ᑕᕐᕆᔭᕐᕕᖕᒥ ᐃᖃᓗᖕᓂ ᖁᑦᑏᓐᓇᕐᓂᖓᓂ, ᐅᖃᖅᐳᖅ ᓇᖕᒥᓂᖃᖃᑕᐅᔪᖅ ᓵᓕᑦ ᑎᐅᓪᕝ. “ᐊᐱᕆᔭᐅᖏᓐᓇᖅᐸᒃᐳᒍᑦ ᕙᐃᔅᐳᒃᑯᑦ, ‘ᖃᖓ ᒪᑐᐃᓛᖅᐱᓯ?’” ᒪᕐᕉᖕᓂ-ᑕᓗᓕᖕᓂ ᑕᕐᕆᔭᕐᕕᒃ ᒪᑐᐃᕈᓐᓇᖅᓯᒪᙱᓚᖅ ᑕᑖᕐᓗᓂ ᑕᒪᕐᒥᒐᓚᖕᒥ ᖄᖏᖅᓯᒪᔪᒥ ᐊᕐᕌᒍᓄᑦ ᒪᕐᕉᖕᓄᑦ, ᐃᓄᓕᒫᓂ ᐋᓐᓂᐊᖃᕐᓇᙱᑦᑐᓕᕆᔨᒃᑯᓐᓂ ᑭᒡᓕᖃᖅᑎᑕᐅᓂᐅᔪᓂ ᓇᑉᐸᓪᓗᐊᖓᓂ ᐅᓄᙱᓐᓂᖅᓴᓂᒡᓘᓐᓃᑦ ᐃᓯᕈᓐᓇᖅᑎᑦᑎᑐᐃᓐᓇᖅᐸᒃᖢᑎᒃ ᐊᐃᑦᑐᐃᓂᖃᖅᑎᓪᓗᒍ. ᐊᓂᑦᑕᐃᓕᒪᓂᐅᔪᓕᒫᒥ ᑕᕐᕆᔭᕐᕕᖓᑕ ᓂᐅᕕᕐᕕᕋᓛᖓ ᒪᑐᐃᖓᐃᓐᓇᓚᐅᖅᐳᖅ, ᑭᓯᐊᓂ ᐅᑯᐊ ᓂᐅᕕᖅᑕᐅᕙᒃᑐᑦ ᓈᒻᒪᑐᐃᓐᓇᖅᐳᑦ ᐊᑭᓖᓂᕐᒧᑦ ᑮᓇᐅᔾᔭᒃᓴᓂᐅᔪᓂ ᐅᓪᓗᓕᒫᖅᓯᐅᑎᓂ ᐃᖅᑲᓇᐃᔭᖅᑎᐅᔪᓄᑦ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐊᓯᖏᓐᓂ ᐊᑭᐅᔪᓂ ᐊᑭᓖᔪᓐᓇᙱᓚᑦ, ᐅᖃᓚᐅᖅᐳᖅ ᑎᐅᓪᕝ. ᒫᓐᓇ ᑕᐃᒪᐃᒃᑲᓐᓂᓕᖅᐳᖅ ᑎᑭᐅᑎᔪᒥ ᐆᒥᖓ ᒫᓐᓇᐅᔪᒥ ᐊᐃᑦᑐᐃᓂᐅᔪᒥ ᓄᕙᒡᔪᐊᕐᓇᖅ-19–ᒥ ᐱᒋᐊᓚᐅᖅᑐᒥ ᑎᓯᐱᕆ 2021 ᓄᙳᐊᓂ. “ᐊᒃᓱᕈᕐᓇᖅᓯᒪᕗᖅ … ᐊᕐᕌᒍᑦ ᒪᕐᕉᖕᓂ ᐊᒻᒪ ᓇᑉᐸᓪᓗᐊᖓᓂ ᒪᑐᓯᒪᔭᕆᐊᖃᓚᐅᖅᐳᒍᑦ ᓄᑖᙳᕆᐊᖅᑎᑕᐅᓂᐅᔪᓄᑦ, ᐊᓱᐃᓛᒃ ᓄᕙᒡᔪᐊᕐᓇᖃᓕᓚᐅᖅᐳᖅ. ᐱᓕᕆᓯᒪᑐᐃᓐᓇᖅᐳᒍᑦ ᐱᓕᕆᔭᕆᐊᖃᖅᑕᑦᑎᓐᓂ.” ᐋᔅᑐᕉ ᑕᕐᕆᔭᕐᕕᖓ, ᑕᐃᒪᓐᓇᑎᑐᑦ ᐊᓯᖏᓐᓂ ᓇᖕᒥᓂᖃᖅᑎᐅᔪᓂ, ᐊᑐᖅᑎᑦᑎᓚᐅᖅᐳᑦ ᓄᓇᕗᒻᒥ ᒐᕙᒪᒃᑯᓐᓂ ᒥᑭᑦᑐᓄᑦ ᓇᖕᒥᓂᖃᖅᑎᐅᔪᓄᑦ ᐃᑲᔪᖅᓱᐃᓂᕐᒥ ᐱᓕᕆᐊᖑᔪᓂ ᐊᒻᒪ ᑎᐅᓪᕝ ᐅᖃᖅᐳᖅ ᐃᑲᔪᖅᓯᒪᔪᒥ, ᐃᓚᖃᖅᖢᓂ ᐊᓯᖏᓐᓂ ᐃᑲᔪᖅᓱᐃᓂᐅᔪᓂ ᐱᓕᕆᐊᖑᔪᓂ ᐊᑐᐃᓐᓇᐅᑎᑕᐅᔪᓂ ᒐᕙᒪᑐᖃᒃᑯᓐᓂ ᑕᐃᑲᓂ ᐊᒥᓱᓄᑦ ᖃᓂᒻᒪᓐᓇᐅᔪᒥ. ᑕᕐᕆᔭᕐᕕᖓᓂ ᒪᑐᐃᖓᓂᖓᓂ ᐊᑲᐅᓚᐅᕋᔭᖅᑎᓪᓗᒍ, ᓇᖕᒥᓂᖃᖅᑎᐅᔪᑦ ᑐᑭᓯᐅᒪᕗᑦ ᐱᔭᕆᐊᖃᕐᓂᐅᔪᒥ ᐃᓄᓕᒫᓄᑦ ᐋᓐᓂᐊᖃᕐᓇᙱᑦᑐᓕᕆᓂᕐᒧᑦ ᐱᓕᕆᐊᖑᔪᓂ. “ᐃᒃᐱᒋᑦᑎᐊᕆᐊᖃᖅᐸᐃᑦ ᐱᒻᒪᕆᐅᓂᖅᓴᐅᖕᒪᑦ ᓄᓇᓕᖕᒥᐅᓄᑦ ᐊᑦᑕᓇᔾᔭᐃᖅᓯᓯᒪᓂᖏᓐᓂ. ᑭᒃᑯᓕᒫᑦ ᐊᒃᓱᕈᖅᐳᑦ ᐊᒻᒪ ᐃᓚᖏᓐᓂ ᓴᒃᑯᐃᓐᓂᖃᕆᐊᖃᖅᐳᒍᑦ,” ᐅᖃᓚᐅᖅᐳᖅ.

Spiderman–ᒥ ᑕᕐᕆᔭᕈᒪᓂᖅ: No Way Home, ᖁᑦᑎᓛᖑᔪᒥ ᑮᓇᐅᔾᔭᒃᓴᓂᐅᔪᒥ ᑕᕐᕆᔭᓕᐊᖑᔪᒥ 2021–ᒥ, ᖁᑦᑏᓐᓇᕆᕗᖅ ᐊᒻᒪ ᐃᖃᓗᖕᒥᐅᑦ ᑕᕐᕆᔭᕆᐊᕈᓐᓇᓛᖅᐳᑦ ᐃᓄᓕᒫᓄᑦ

ᐋᓐᓂᐊᖃᕐᓇᙱᑦᑐᓕᕆᓂᕐᒧᑦ ᐱᓕᕆᓂᐅᔪᑦ ᖃᓱᒋᐊᖅᐸᑕ, ᐊᒻᒪᓗ Sing 2, ᐊᓕᐊᓇᐃᒋᔭᐅᕐᔪᐊᓚᐅᕐᒥᔪᖅ ᐃᖃᓗᖕᒥᐅᓄᑦ, ᐅᖃᐅᓯᐅᓪᓗᓂ ᑎᐅᓪᕝᒧᑦ. “ᑕᑯᒃᓴᐅᑎᑦᑎᑐᐃᓐᓇᖃᑦᑕᙱᓚᒍᑦ ᕼᐋᓕᕗᑦᒥ ᑕᕐᕆᔭᓕᐊᖑᔪᓂ, ᑕᕐᕆᔭᖅᑎᑦᑎᓲᖑᒋᕗᒍᑦ ᓄᓇᖃᖅᑳᖅᓯᒪᔪᓄᑦ, ᓄᓇᕗᒻᒥ ᓴᓇᔭᐅᓯᒪᔪᓂ

ᑕᕐᕆᔭᓕᐊᓂ, ᑕᕐᕆᔭᖅᑎᑦᑎᓯᒪᒋᕗᒍᑦ ᓄᓇᕗᒻᒥ ᕿᕐᓂᖅᑕᓄᑦ ᐊᑐᖅᐸᓚᐅᖅᑕᖏᓐᓂ ᑲᑐᔾᔨᖃᑎᒌᖑᔪᓄᑦ. ᑕᕐᕆᔭᕐᕕᑐᐃᓐᓇᐅᙱᑦᑐᖅ, ᓄᓇᓕᖕᓄᑦ ᑕᕐᕆᔭᕐᕕᐅᕗᖅ,” ᐅᖃᓚᐅᖅᐳᖅ. “ᐊᓕᐊᓇᐃᓐᓂᐊᖅᐳᖅ ᑕᐃᒃᑯᓂᖓ ᑕᓗᐊᓗᖕᓂ ᑕᑯᒃᓴᐅᑎᑦᑎᒃᑲᓐᓂᕐᓂᖏᓐᓂ ᑕᕐᕆᔭᓂ.”

ᐊᔪᕐᓇᕋᓚᐅᖅᑎᓪᓗᒍ ᐊᒃᓱᕈᕐᓂᐅᔪᓂ ᓄᕙᒡᔪᐊᕐᓇᖅ-19 ᐊᒥᓱᓄᑦ ᖃᓂᒻᒪᓐᓇᐅᔪᒥ, ᐃᖃᓗᖕᓂ ᐋᔅᑐᕉ ᑕᕐᕆᔭᕐᕕᖓ ᓱᓕ ᐊᑦᑕᑕᖅᐳᖅ.

Despite the challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic, Iqaluit’s Astro Theatre is hanging in there. Trevor Wright/NNSL photo

Iqaluit’s Astro Theatre persevering through pandemic challenges ‘It’ll be nice to have those screens showing films again’ says owner

By Trevor Wright Northern News Services Nunavut

The Astro Theatre continues to persevere throughout the Covid-19 pandemic, thanks largely to public demand to see movies in a theatre in Iqaluit remaining high, says co-owner

Charlotte DeWolff.

“We’re always being asked on Facebook, ‘when are you going to open?’”

The two-screen theatre has been unable to open at full capacity for much of the past two years, with public health restrictions often only allowing half-capacity or less during outbreaks.

Throughout the lockdowns the theatre’s concession stand remained open, however those sales are only enough to cover the wages of full-time employees and not other costs, said DeWolff.

This is the case once again with the arrival of this current wave of Covid-19 which started in late Dec. 2021.

“It’s been a rough couple two and a half years because we were forced to shut down because of the renos, then Covid hit.

We’ve been just doing what we have to do.”

The Astro Theatre, much like many other small businesses, applied for the Government of Nunavut’s small business support program and DeWolff says that has helped, along with other support programs offered by the territorial and federal governments during the pandemic.

While having the movie theatre open would be ideal, the owners understand the necessity of public health measures.

“You have to respect it because it’s more important for community members to be safe. Everybody is struggling and you have to make some sacrifices,” she said.

Demand to see Spiderman: No Way Home, the highest grossing movie of 2021, also remains high and Iqalummiut will still have a chance to see it when public health measures ease, alongside Sing 2, which also was a big hit among Iqaluit residents, according to DeWolff.

“Not only do we play a lot of mainstream Hollywood movies, we played a lot of Indigenous, made-in-Nunavut productions, we’ve played films for the Nunavut Black History Society. It’s more than just a theatre, it’s a community theatre,” she said.

“It’ll be nice to have those screens showing films again.”

www.NunavutNews.com

News North Nunavut

Monday, February 21, 2022 A5

GN identifying ways to assist Clyde River in state of emergency Disabled fleet of heavy equipment takes toll; use of jet fuel in newer vehicles voids warranty

ᐊᖏᔪᒻᒪᕆᐊᓗᐃᑦ ᕿᒧᒡᔪᑦ ᑕᑭᓂᖃᖅᑎᒋᔪᓂ ᐃᒡᓘᑉ ᖄᖏᓐᓂ ᖃᓂᒋᔭᖓᓂ ᐊᖏᕐᕋᐅᔪᓂ ᓄᖅᑲᖅᑎᑦᑎᓯᒪᕗᑦ ᐃᒥᖅᑕᐅᑎᓂ ᐃᒥᖅᑕᕐᓂᖏᓐᓂ ᐊᒻᒪ ᒥᓪᓗᐊᕈᑎᓂ ᒥᓪᓗᐊᖅᓯᔪᓐᓇᕐᓇᑎᒃ ᑲᖏᖅᖢᒑᐱᖕᒥ. ᓄᓇᓕᒃ ᐅᖃᖅᓯᒪᕗᖅ ᓄᓇᓕᖕᓂ ᑐᐊᕕᕐᓇᕐᓂᖃᕐᓂᖓᓂ.

By Derek Neary Northern News Services Kangiqtugaaqpik/Clyde River

The Government of Nunavut is looking at ways to assist Clyde River after hamlet council – struggling to clear roads of deep snow, deliver water to homes and pump out sewage – declared a state of local emergency at a meeting held on Feb. 10.

Hit hard by repeated blizzards and a fleet of inoperable heavy equipment, the community needs to get its loaders and bulldozer running again. The type of fuel required for some of the equipment and its effects on the warranty of those vehicles is posing another obstacle.

Clyde River’s older heavy equipment has run on jet A1 fuel for years and the hamlet has an ample supply, according to a statement from the Department of Community and Government Services (CGS) on Monday morning. However, newer pieces of equipment are experiencing technical issues from that type of fuel.

Speaking with Nunavut News last week, chief administrative officer (CAO) Jerry Natanine called upon the territorial government to fly in a supply of diesel fuel that would allow the community’s new heavy equipment to run properly. However, that option is not being considered, CGS stated.

The more sophisticated emission controls on the newer equipment do not make those vehicles compatible with jetA1 fuel, CGS acknowledged.

“The municipality’s capacity to maintain services in the community has (been) drastically reduced due to required maintenance on older equipment and breakdowns of newer equipment because it has been operating on jet A1 fuel,” the department acknowledged.

Without diesel, the hamlet is once again arranging to bring in a

Massive snowbanks standing as high as the roofs of nearby homes are preventing water trucks from making deliveries and vacuum trucks from performing sewage pump outs in Clyde River. Photo courtesy of ᐄᐊᓐ ᑎᒍᓪᓚᒐᖅ heavy equipment mechanic who will bypass the heavy equipment’s emission control systems, allowing jet A1 fuel to be used, but it will come at the additional cost of eliminating the warranty on the machines, Natanine noted.

“What we were hoping for was that the government might bring in heavy equipment that can use the Jet A fuel, or bring in proper diesel fuel for our equipment. Our equipment are still under warranty and the jet A will void the warranty,” he said.

“We’ll get (the technician) in ASAP, flights permitting and hire a charter if we have to … Hopefully the equipment will get fixed for good this time.”

The CAO also pointed out that disabling emissions regulations

requires an exemption from Transport Canada.

CGS stated that the Nunavut Emergency Management Division “is currently working with hamlet officials to implement their emergency response plan and to identify immediate and longer-term supports available through the territorial government.”

Meanwhile, residents, many whose homes are inaccessible to service vehicles due to towering snowbanks that continued to grow with another weekend blizzard, continue to submit an avalanche of water delivery and sewage pump out requests. Some people have approached the water truck with portable containers to fill.

With no other choice, the hamlet is using automated push snowblowers and corps of snow shovellers to clear paths.

A6 Monday, February 21, 2022

News North Nunavut

www.NunavutNews.com

Changes made to contact tracing Anti-viral drugs arrive; restrictions ease in some communities

By Trevor Wright Northern News Services Nunavut

As of Feb. 10 the department of economic development and transportation has started the distribution of rapid Covid-19 tests in Iqaluit to critical workers such as retail, emergency/ home repair workers, nurses, food producers and airport maintainers. The tests were received from the federal government who will be sending more to be distributed to other Nunavut communities.

Nunavut isn’t in the position right now to hand out rapid tests to the general public, said Nunavut premier P.J. Akeeagok.

“Right now our focus is on the critical businesses providing these services,” said Akeeagok.

More than 90 per cent of the cases in Nunavut are of the Omicron variant. The remaining 10 per cent are Delta, cases of which are being recorded mostly in Iqaluit and Pangnirtung, one of many details to come out of the Feb. 15 Government of Nunavut Covid-19 update as the briefing went online for the first time during this wave of the pandemic.

Three Nunavut communities have received shipments of the PAXLOVID Covid-19 anti-viral pill, which is intended to treat those who develop mild-to-moderate Covid-19 symptoms.

There are doses of this pill in Iqaluit, Cambridge Bay and Rankin Inlet, with plans to send the anti-viral treatment to other communities as more becomes available. The remedy has already been used to treat “at least two or three” Nunavummiut, according to chief public health officer Dr. Michael Patterson.

The territory has enough doses to treat 100 people at this time.

Changes to contact tracing Patterson also explained upcoming changes to how Covid infections will be traced.

“Individuals with diagnosed Covid-19 will in many instances will be asked to notify known high-risk contacts and only contacts who develop symptoms will be asked to call the hotline for their assessment or testing,” he said.

High-risk contacts are people you have had contact with closer than two metres for 15 minutes or longer without a mask, anyone who visited or slept at your house two days before you felt unwell, any you worked closely with, anyone you share a vehicle with while not wearing a mask. If you are identified as a high-risk contact, the department of health asks you to isolate for 10 days regardless of vaccination status.

On Feb. 10, Patterson announced he himself was a high-risk contact and was isolating but maintained he is healthy and has not tested positive.

Three of Nunavut’s correctional facilities have been affected by Covid-19, the new Aaqqigiarvik Correctional Healing Centre has eight active cases and 79 recoveries with clients and staff combined.

“The Rankin Inlet Healing Facility and the Women’s Correctional Facility staff have been impacted with two active cases and two recoveries so far,” said David Akeeagok, Nunavut’s justice minister.

Akeeagok also highlighted to anyone with correctional training that there are openings at Nunavut’s jails.

Restrictions ease in some communities Fifteen Nunavut communities will be able to enjoy some lessened Covid-19 restrictions as of Feb. 21.

Residents in Arviat, Baker Lake, Chesterfield Inlet, Clyde River, Gjoa Haven, Grise Fjord, Kimmirut, Kinngait, Kugluktuk, Naujaat, Pond Inlet, Qikiqtarjuak, Sanirajak, and Whale Cove will still be required to wear masks in public places and non-essential travel is still discouraged, but numerous public health orders will be eased.

Public health measures remain unchanged in Arctic Bay, Cambridge Bay, Coral Harbour, Iqaluit, Kugaaruk, Pangnirtung, Rankin Inlet, Resolute, Sanikiluaq, and Taloyoak.

– with files from Derek Neary

Covid-19 rapid antigen tests to be distributed to critical businesses and workers

By Trevor Wright Northern News Services Nunavut

As part of ongoing efforts to hand out rapid antigen tests (RAT) to critical and essential workers across the territory the Government of Nunavut (GN) has announced additional details on RAT distribution.

There are two types of test kits which will be distributed, the first announced previously has two tests per package and are being handed out to travellers coming into Nunavut or travellers

coming through travel hubs at gateway airports in Yellowknife, Ottawa, Rankin Inlet, Sanikiluaq, Winnipeg and Iqaluit. 7,500 tests or 3,750 kits will be given out.

The second type of kit has five tests in a box and will be handed out across GN departments, municipalities and critical businesses. Critical businesses include food retailers, emergency household repair services, transportation services such as taxis, meat and fish processing workers, as well as airport cargo workers and maintainers.

In February, 42,454 tests or 8,490 kits (rounded) were ordered for GN departments and agen-

ᐊᕕᒃᑐᖅᑕᐅᓯᒪᓂᖓᓂ ᖃᔅᓯᓂ ᖃᐅᔨᓴᕈᑎᓂᑦ ᑎᑭᓴᖅᑕᐅᓯᒪᓂᖓᓂ ᐱᓪᓚᕆᐅᔪᓄᑦ ᓇᖕᒥᓂᕆᔭᐅᔪᓄᑦ ᓄᓇᕗᒻᒥ.

A breakdown of how many tests have been ordered for critical businesses across Nunavut.

Image courtesy of the GN

cies to distribute. Nunavut Arctic College is allocated 420 tests or 84 kits, Nunavut Housing Corporation 250 tests or 50 kits and Qulliq Energy Corporation will be getting 1,500 tests, or 300 kits. Delivery is still pending as of Feb. 16.

Municipalities in Qikiqtani are scheduled to be sent 6,564 tests or 1,312 kits, Kivalliq 3,876 tests, or 775 kits and Kitikmeot communities will be getting 2,712 tests, or 542 kits.

Critical businesses across Nunavut will be getting 3,000 kits with 15,000 tests total. These tests are meant to support 1,876 critical workers across 195 businesses in the territory.

Having fun on the job

The Government of Nunavut worked with the federal government, territorial stakeholders and with its departments in securing RATs and are currently working to expand delivery of tests to the general public.

Nunavut chief public health officer Dr. Michael Patterson stated that rapid antigen tests should be used only when symptoms develop and are not a replacement for isolation. Isolation requirements remain the same, seven days from onset of symptom or positive test for fully vaccinated individuals and 10 days from onset of symptom or positive test for unvaccinated individuals.

ᓂᒃ ᑕᑦᑐᐃᓂ ᓯᒃᑲᖓᓴᒃᐳᖅ ᐊᔾᔨᓕᐅᖅᑕᐅᑎᓪᓗᒍ ᑲᖏᖅᖠᓂᐅᑉ ᐊᖅᑯᑎᖏᑦ ᐳᐊᕐᕆᔭᑦᑎᐊᖅᓯᒪᒐᓗᐊᕐᒪᖔᑕ ᖃᐅᔨᓴᖅᖢᓂ ᓇᒡᒐᔾᔭᐅᒥ ᕕᕗᐊᐱ 7–ᒥ.

Nick Tattuinee mugs for the camera while making sure Rankin Inlet’s roads are clear Monday, Feb. 7.

Stewart Burnett/NNSL photo

News North Nunavut

www.NunavutNews.com

Chasing a tasty dream

Monday, February 21, 2022 A7

ᐃᑲᔪᖅᑐᖅᑕᐅᑉᓗᓂ ᐃᓚᒥᓄᑦ ᐃᓚᓐᓈᒥᓄᓪᓗ, ᔮᓐ ᓂᐊᖁᖅ ᓂᕆᔪᒪᔭᑉᓯᓐᓂᒃ ᑐᓴᕈᒪᓕᖅᑐᖅ Iglu Donairs-ᒥ.

Rankin Inlet man quits GN to open Iglu Donairs

By Stewart Burnett Northern News Services Kangiqliniq/Rankin Inlet

With the support of those around him, John Niakrok has taken a leap of faith by quitting his government job to chase a dream of opening his own restaurant in Rankin Inlet.

“Yesterday was my last day with the Government of Nunavut,” said Niakrok while prepping Feb. 9 at Iglu Donairs, his new restaurant in the Agnico Eagle Arena.

“I made that choice to pursue my dream. It’s an exciting, big step.”

Two weeks earlier, he handed in his resignation as a corrections supervisor at the Rankin Inlet Healing Facility. He had been working for the government for more than 12 years.

When the opportunity came up for the restaurant spot in the arena last fall, he bid and won it.

“I had a lot of support from my family,” said Niakrok. “Before I got this canteen, every other week I would sell donairs at my place. The demand was high. I know they like donairs (here).”

In addition to donairs, Niakrok will be offering all sorts of arena food, including pizzas, fries, homemade burgers, hot dogs, poutines, nachos and more.

“Once we start going back to normal with tournaments, it’s going to be busy,” he said, adding that he was pleasantly surprised with how sales were going already.

He’ll need those sales, too – Niakrok spent about $9,000 to $12,000 on preparing the business for customers, including a trip to Winnipeg to buy kitchen gear.

“It costs money to start a business,” he said.

“You’ve got to spend money to make money.”

He plans to differentiate Iglu Donairs from other restaurants in Rankin Inlet by offering later opening hours and delivery. He plans to be full-time for lunch and supper, plus brunch on the weekends.

Niakrok got his interest in cooking from his father and cooking shows.

“I’m excited,” he said, adding that his family and friends have supported him during the journey. “We’re excited.”

With the support of family and friends, John Niakrok is ready to take your orders at Iglu Donairs, which opened in the Agnico Eagle Arena in Rankin Inlet, Jan. 30. Stewart Burnett/NNSL photo

Support strong for body cameras, RCMP survey shows National rollout timeline unclear

By Derek Neary Northern News Services Iqaluit

The majority of Nunavummiut and police officers surveyed on the use of RCMP body cameras in conjunction with a pilot project held in Iqaluit in 2020-‘21 agreed that the devices are useful.

But the timeline for implementing the cameras Nunavut-wide and across the country remains unclear.

The police force released the results of its research on body cameras on Tuesday afternoon. Fifty-three Iqaluit RCMP officers wore the devices while on duty between Nov. 30, 2020 and May 30, 2021.

Seventy-three community members participated in the RCMP’s related body camera survey,

ᑲᓇᑕᒥ ᐸᓖᓯᒃᑯᓐᓂ ᑎᒥᒧᑦ ᐊᑕᔪᒥ ᐊᔾᔨᓕᐅᕈᑎᒥ ᓯᕗᓪᓕᖅᐹᖓᓂ ᖃᐅᔨᓴᕈᑕᐅᓪᓗᓂ ᐱᓕᕆᐊᒃᓴᖃᓚᐅᖅᐳᑦ ᐃᖃᓗᖕᓂ ᓄᕕᐱᕆ 30, 2020–ᒥ ᒪᐃ 30, 2021–ᒧᑦ.

An RCMP body camera pilot project was held in Iqaluit from Nov. 30, 2020 to May 30, 2021. It was an initiative agreed upon by the Government of Nunavut, the Government of Canada and the Nunavut RCMP. Image courtesy of the RCMP

although the Mounties acknowledged an “underrepresentation of Inuit respondents.” Among those individuals, 68.5 per cent stated that the cameras increased their trust in police, 77.2 per cent agreed or strongly agreed that the cameras helped to make the police more transparent, 61.5 per cent felt that the devices increased public safety and 61.4 per cent could envision the cameras improving the relationship between the police and the community.

However, only 35.8 per cent of survey respondents agreed or strongly agreed that the devices would reduce police use of force.

Others raised concerns over privacy and when the cameras would be turned on or off.

“These issues are being considered and clarified in the development of national (body-worn camera) policy,” the RCMP stated.

There were “statistically significant differences” between the Inuit and non-Inuit respondents to the survey, according to the Mounties. Among Inuit, 69 per cent reported believing that the cameras would reduce police use of force while only 28 per cent of white respondents felt that way.

Close to three-quarters of white respondents didn’t feel that the cameras invade personal or community privacy, but only about one-third of Inuit respondents shared that outlook.

No white respondents reported having cultural, religious or spiritual concerns with the use of cameras, but 15 per cent of Inuit respondents did.

Among RCMP officers surveyed, 85 per cent supported the adoption of cameras for all frontline officers. Concerns primarily revolved around how the devices would perform, such as battery life and the quality of video footage in low-light conditions.

“Most officers reported that they did not observe a change in their behaviour or the behaviour of the public during the pilot project,” the RCMP stated.

fact FILE Body camera pilot project - 772 (14 per cent) of the 5,421 police occurrences during this period were captured on 3,651 videos; - Videos averaged nine minutes in length; - The 525 hours of recorded video required approximately 1,246 GB of

storage; - Roughly six per cent of all the videos were redacted for court, with every minute of video requiring approximately four minutes to redact; - There were 17 external requests for the (body-worn camera) policy.

Source: RCMP

In comparing statistics from the pilot project period to previous years, there was no significant difference in crime trends, the police use of force, public complaints or access to information and privacy requests, according to the Mounties.

The RCMP acknowledged that Covid-19 could have impacted these trends and committed to continuing its data analyses as part of a broader national rollout of body cameras.

But the police force didn’t specify Tuesday

when that national adoption of the devices will occur, only indicating that work across the country “is ongoing.”

However, “Iqaluit will be one of the first locations in Nunavut to receive the newly acquired tool and technology, once the national program is established,” the Mounties assured.

Nunavut Tunngavik Incorporated and the Qikiqtani Inuit Association didn’t respond to requests for comment prior to press deadline.

A8 Monday, February 21, 2022

News North Nunavut

Editorial & Opinions wh mK5

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Office: 626 Tumiit Plaza, Iqaluit, NU Box 28, X0A 0H0 Reporters: Trevor Wright, Derek Neary Advertising: Phone: (867) 979-5990 Fax: (867) 979-6010 Toll free: (855) 447-2584 Email: editor@nunavutnews.com Website: www.nnsl.com/nunavutnews Kivalliq office: Box 657, Rankin Inlet, NU, X0C 0GO Phone: (867) 645-3223 Fax: (867) 645-3225 Email: kivalliqnews@nnsl.com Website: www.nnsl.com/kivalliqnews Production facilities: Box 2820, Yellowknife, NT, X1A 2R1 Phone: (867) 873-4031 Fax: (867) 873-8507 Email: editorial@nnsl.com advertising@nunavutnews.com circulation@nnsl.com Website: www.nnsl.com Founder (1934-2018): J.W. (Sig) Sigvaldason GROUP PUBLISHER: Mike W. Bryant – mike.bryant@nnsl.com COORDINATING EDITOR: Craig Gilbert – craig@nnsl.com ACCOUNTING: nnsladmin@nnsl.com Editorial board: Mike W. Bryant • Craig Gilbert • Emily McInnis Derek Neary • Alyssa Smith NEWS EDITOR Emily McInnis Editorial Production: editor@nunavutnews.com Sports: James McCarthy – sports@nnsl.com Arts: entertainment@nnsl.com Business: business@nnsl.com Advertising production Production co-ordinator: Jennifer Reyes ADVERTISING advertising@nunavutnews.com All departments: advertising@nnsl.com National: James Boylan Classified Advertising: classifieds@nnsl.com CIRCULATION – circulation@nnsl.com Circulation Director: Amy Yang Subscriptions: One year mail $75 Online (entire content) $50/year

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ᑐᙵᓇᕐᓂᕐᒥ ᐃᓱᒪᒋᔭᖃᕐᓂᖅ ᐊᐅᐸᔪᒃᑐᒥ ᐅᕕᓂᕈᕐᒥ ᐅᓪᓗᖓᓂ Northern News Services

ᖃᓄᖓᓴᕐᓂᖅ ᐅᕙᑦᑎᓐᓂᓕᒫᖅ ᐊᒃᑐᐃᓲᖑᕗᖅ, ᖃᓄᖓᓴᖅᑕᐅᓯᒪᒍᕕᑦ, ᖃᐅᔨᒪᒍᕕᑦ ᑭᓇᑐᐃᓐᓇᒥᒃ ᖃᓄᖓᓴᖅᑕᐅᓯᒪᔪᒥ, ᐅᕝᕙᓘᓐᓃᑦ ᖃᓄᖓᔫᓗᓂ. ᐊᐅᐸᔪᒃᑐᒥ ᐅᕕᓂᕈᕐᒥ ᐅᓪᓗᖓᓂ ᑕᑯᔭᐅᓲᖑᕗᖅ ᑭᖑᓪᓕᖅᐹᒥ ᐱᖓᔪᐊᓐᓂ ᕕᕗᐊᕆᑕᒫᒥ ᑕᐃᒪᙵᓂ 2007–ᒥ. ᐅᓄᕐᓂᖅᓴᐅᔪᓂ 180–ᓂ ᓄᓇᐅᔪᓂ ᐃᓚᐅᖃᑕᐅᖃᑦᑕᓕᖅᐳᑦ ᖃᓄᐃᓐᓂᐅᔪᒥ, ᓴᖅᑭᑎᑦᑎᓇᓱᐊᓲᖑᔪᒥ ᑐᙵᓇᕐᓂᖅᓴᒥ, ᐃᓚᐅᑎᑦᑎᒃᑲᓐᓂᕐᓂᐅᔪᒥ ᓄᓇᕐᔪᐊᒥ ᓴᖅᑭᑎᑦᑎᓂᒃᑯᑦ ᐅᔾᔨᕈᓱᖕᓂᐅᔪᒥ ᐊᒻᒪ ᑮᓇᐅᔭᓂ ᖃᓄᖓᓴᖅᑕᐃᓕᒪᑎᑦᑎᓂᕐᒧᑦ ᐱᒋᐊᕈᑕᐅᔪᓂ. ᓄᓇᕗᒻᒥ, ᑕᑯᓲᖑᕗᒍᑦ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᖅᑎᓂ ᐊᑎᓂᖏᓐᓂ ᐊᐅᐸᔪᒃᑐᒥ ᐊᓐᓄᕌᖏᓐᓂ, ᐊᒻᒪ ᓄᓇᕗᒻᒥ ᒐᕙᒪᒃᑯᑦ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᖅᑐᓕᕆᔨᒃᑯᖓᑦ ᑐᓂᓯᓲᖑᕗᖅ ᐃᑲᔪᕈᑎᒃᓴᓂ ᐃᓕᓴᐃᔨᓄᑦ ᐃᑲᔪᕐᓂᕐᒧᑦ ᑭᐅᓂᕐᒥ ᖃᓄᖓᓴᕐᓂᐅᔪᒥ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᕐᕕᓂ. ᒫᔾᔨᐅᓚᐅᖅᑐᒥ ᒪᓕᒐᓕᐅᖅᑎᒃᑯᑦ ᑲᑎᒪᕝᕕᖓᓐᓂ, ᑕᐃᖦᓱᒪᓂ-ᐃᖃᓗᐃᑦ-ᒪᓂᕋᔭᖕᒧᑦ ᒪᓕᒐᓕᐅᖅᑎ ᐋᑕᒻ ᓚᐃᑦᔅᑑᓐ ᐅᐱᒋᔭᖃᓚᐅᖅᐳᖅ ᐊᐅᐸᔪᒃᑐᒥ ᐅᕕᓂᕈᕐᒥ ᐅᓪᓗᖓᓂ “ᑲᒪᓇᖅᖢᓂ ᐱᒋᐊᕈᑕᐅᓂᖓᓂ ᓴᖅᑭᑎᑦᑎᓂᕐᒧᑦ ᐅᔾᔨᕈᓱᖕᓂᐅᔪᒥ ᖃᓄᖓᓴᕐᓂᕐᒧᑦ ᐊᒻᒪ ᓱᔪᐃᔪᓐᓇᖅᑐᒥ ᐊᒃᑐᐃᔪᓐᓇᕐᓂᖓᓂ,” ᐃᒪᐃᖁᔨᓪᓗᑎᒡᓗ ,ᕐᕈᖓᓂ ᑕᐃᒪᐃᑦᑐᒥ ᐅᓪᓗᖃᒃᑲᓐᓂᕐᓂᖓᓂ ᓯᕗᓂᐊᓂ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᕐᓂᕐᒥ ᐊᕐᕌᒍᖓᓂ ᐃᑲᔪᕐᓂᕐᒧᑦ ᖁᕝᕙᖅᓴᐃᓂᕐᒥ ᐅᔾᔨᕈᓱᖕᓂᐅᔪᒥ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᖅᑎᓄᑦ ᑎᒥᖁᑕᐅᔪᓄᑦ. ᒫᓂ ᐅᓗᔪᖕᒥ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᕐᕕᖓᓂ ᐊᖓᔪᖅᑳᖑᓚᐅᖅᓯᒪᔪᖅ ᔭᓯ ᐸᐃᓐ ᐅᖃᓚᐅᖅᐳᖅ 2019–ᒥ ᐊᐱᖅᓱᖅᑕᐅᓂᕐᒥ ᐊᐅᐸᔪᒃᑐᒥ ᐅᕕᓂᕈᕐᒥ ᐅᓪᓗᖓ ᐊᖏᔪᐊᓗᖕᒥ ᐊᒃᑐᐃᓂᖃᖅᓯᒪᓂᖓᓂ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᖅᑎᓄᑦ ᑲᖏᖅᖠᓂᕐᒥ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᖅᑎᓂᑦ ᐅᔾᔨᕈᓱᖕᓂᖅᓴᐅᓂᖏᓐᓂ ᖃᓄᐃᓕᐅᕐᓂᖏᓐᓂ. ᐅᖃᓚᐅᖅᐳᖅ ᖁᙱᐊᑐᐃᓐᓇᙱᓪᓗᑎᒃ, ᐃᑲᔪᓲᖑᕗᖅ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᖅᑎᓂᑦ ᕿᑎᐊᓄᐊᕐᓂᖏᓐᓂ ᐊᒻᒪ ᐃᖅᑲᐃᑎᑦᑎᓪᓗᑎᒃ ᑕᐃᒃᑯᓂᖓ

ᖃᓄᖓᓴᑐᐃᓐᓇᕆᐊᓕᖕᓂ ᑕᒪᓐᓇ ᓈᒻᒪᙱᖦᖢᓂ ᐃᓕᖅᑯᓯᓂᐅᕗᖅ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᕐᕕᖕᒥ ᐅᕝᕙᓘᓐᓃᑦ ᓄᓇᓕᖕᓂ. “ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᖅᑏᑦ ᐃᓗᐊᖅᓯᓂᖅᓴᐅᕗᑦ ᓯᕗᒻᒧᐊᕆᓂᕐᒥ ᐊᒻᒪ ᐃᓐᓇᕐᒥ ᖃᐅᔨᑎᑦᑎᓂᕐᒥ ᑕᐃᒪᐃᑦᑐᖃᕐᓂᖓᓂ ᐱᖃᓐᓇᕆᔭᒥᓄᑦ ᐅᕝᕙᓘᓐᓃᑦ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᖃᑎᒥᓂᑦ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᕐᕕᖕᒥ,” ᐅᖃᓚᐅᖅᐳᖅ. ᖃᓄᐃᓐᓂᐅᔪᓂ ᓱᕈᓯᑦᑎᓐᓂ ᐊᖏᔪᐊᓗᖕᒥ ᐊᒃᑐᐃᓂᖃᕈᓐᓇᖅᐳᖅ ᐃᒻᒥᖕᓄᑦ. ᐅᔾᔨᕈᓱᒃᑐᐃᓐᓇᐅᕗᒍᑦ ᓄᓇᕗᑦ ᑎᒍᔭᐅᓯᒪᕐᔪᐊᕐᓂᖓᓂ ᐃᒻᒥᓃᕐᓂᕐᒧᑦ ᐊᓯᓱᓄᑦ ᐋᓐᓂᐊᖑᔪᒥ, ᐊᒻᒪ ᑐᙵᓇᕐᓂᖅᓴᐅᓂᕐᒥ ᑭᒃᑯᓕᒫᓄᑦ ᐋᖅᑭᒍᑎᐅᙱᓚᖅ ᐃᓱᓕᑦᑎᓂᖓᓂ ᐊᑲᐅᙱᓕᐅᕈᑕᐅᔪᒥ, ᓇᓗᓇᐃᖅᓯᓂᖅ ᐋᓐᓂᖅᓯᕆᓂᖅ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᖅᑎᐅᔪᓂ – ᑎᒥᒃᑯᑦ ᐅᕝᕙᓘᓐᓃᑦ ᐃᓱᒪᒧᑦ – ᐊᒻᒪ ᑭᐅᓂᕐᒥ ᓇᒡᓗᒍᓱᖕᓂᖃᑦᑎᐊᕐᓗᓂ ᐊᑕᐅᓯᐅᓪᓗᓂ ᐱᓕᕆᓂᐅᕗᖅ ᐃᑲᔪᕐᓂᕐᒧᑦ ᐱᕈᖅᓴᐃᓂᕐᒥ ᐊᒻᒪ ᐋᖅᑭᒃᓯᓂᕐᒥ ᐃᒻᒥᓂᒃ–ᐅᐱᒋᔪᓐᓇᕐᓂᐅᔪᒥ ᒪᒃᑯᒃᑐᓄᑦ. ᓄᖅᑲᖅᑎᑦᑎᓂᕐᒥ ᐆᒥᖓ ᐱᔪᒪᔭᐅᙱᑦᑐᒥ ᐃᓕᖅᑯᓯᐅᔪᒥ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᕐᕕᖕᓂ ᐅᖃᐅᓯᒃᓴᕐᔪᐊᖑᓯᒪᕗᖅ ᒪᓕᒐᓕᐅᖅᑎᓂᑦ ᐊᒻᒪ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᕐᕕᖕᓂ ᐱᓕᕆᔨᒻᒪᕆᐅᔪᓂ ᐊᕐᕌᒍᒐᓴᓄᑦ. ᐅᓂᒃᑳᕆᓂᕐᒥ ᐱᓕᕆᔾᔪᑎᒥᒃ ᐱᕙᓪᓕᐊᑎᑕᐅᓯᒪᔪᖃᖅᐳᖅ ᐊᕐᕌᒍᓄᑦ 8-ᓄᑦ, ᒫᓐᓇᓕᓴᐅᔪᒥ ᐊᐳᖅᓯᓂᖃᖅᑐᒥ ᐊᒡᕕᐊᕈᑕᐅᔪᒥ ᑲᙳᓇᕐᓂᖃᕆᐊᑲᕐᓂᖓᓂ ᐃᓱᒫᓘᑕᐅᔪᓂ ᐱᔭᕆᐊᖃᖅᑎᑦᑎᔪᒥ ᖃᐅᔨᓴᐃᓂᐅᔪᒥ, ᑕᐃᒫᒃ ᐸᐃᑉᐹᑎᒍᑦ ᐱᓕᕆᔾᔪᓯᐅᔪᒥ ᓱᓕ ᐊᑐᖅᑕᐅᕗᖅ. ᐅᓄᕐᓂᐅᔪᓂ ᐋᓐᓂᖅᓯᕆᓂᐅᔪᓂ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᕐᕕᓂᑦ ᑲᑕᒃᐹᓪᓕᖅᓯᒪᔫᔮᕋᓗᐊᖅᑎᓪᓗᒍ 165–ᓄᑦ ᓂᙵᐅᒪᔪᓂ ᐅᕝᕙᓘᓐᓃᑦ ᐋᓐᓂᖅᓯᕆᓂᐅᔪᓂ ᖃᓄᐃᓐᓂᐅᔪᓂ 2020-‘21–ᒥ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᕐᕕᖕᒥ ᐊᕐᕌᒍᖓᓂ –84-ᐳᓴᓐᑎᒥ ᑲᑕᖕᓂᐅᔪᒥ 1,093–ᓂ ᖃᓄᐃᓐᓂᐅᔪᓂ ᐅᓂᒃᑳᕆᔭᐅᔪᓂ CBC–ᑯᓐᓄᑦ ᖃᐅᔨᓴᖅᑕᐅᓂᐅᔪᓂ ᓯᕗᓂᐊᓂ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᕐᕕᖕᒧᑦ ᐊᕐᕌᒍᖓᓂ, ᑕᑯᒃᓴᐅᑎᑦᑎᓂᐅᑐᐃᓐᓇᕆᐊᖃᖅᑐᒥ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᕐᕕᐊᕈᓯᐅᑉ ᓯᓚᑖᓃᖃᑦᑕᕐᓂᖏᓐᓂ ᖁᔭᓐᓇᒦᒃ ᐊᒥᓱᓄᑦ ᖃᓂᒻᒪᓐᓇᐅᔪᒥ ᑭᒡᓕᖃᖅᑎᑕᐅᓂᐅᔪᓄᑦ,

ᐊᖏᓂᖅᓴᐅᔪᒥ ᑕᑯᓂᑦᑎᐊᕙᐅᔪᒥ ᐊᓯᔾᔨᖅᑕᐅᓯᒪᓂᐅᔪᓄᑦ. ᐃᓕᓴᐃᔨᓄᑦ ᐊᖓᔪᖅᑳᑦ ᐅᓂᒃᑳᓕᐅᓲᖑᕗᑦ ᑕᖅᑭᑕᒫᒥ ᐊᕕᒃᑐᖅᓯᒪᔪᓄᑦ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᕐᕕᖕᓄᑦ ᐊᐅᓚᑕᐅᓂᐅᔪᓄᑦ, ᐅᖃᐅᓯᐅᓪᓗᓂ ᑕᐃᔅᓱᒪᓂᓂ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᖅᑐᓕᕆᔨᒃᑯᓐᓄᑦ ᒥᓂᖦᑕᐅᓚᐅᖅᑐᒥ ᑕᐃᕕᑦ ᔪᐊᓇᓯᒧᑦ, ᐅᖃᓚᐅᖅᑐᒥ ᐊᕐᕌᓂ ᐊᔾᔨᒌᙱᕈᓘᔭᖅᑐᓂ ᐃᑲᔪᕈᑎᒃᓴᖃᕐᓂᖓᓂ ᐊᑐᐃᓐᓇᐅᑎᑕᐅᔪᓂ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᕐᕕᓄᑦ, ᐃᓚᖃᖅᑐᒥ ᐱᓕᒻᒪᒃᓴᐃᓂᕐᒥ, ᐊᑦᑕᓇᙱᑦᑐᒥ ᐊᒻᒪ ᐸᖅᑭᑦᑎᐊᕐᓂᕐᒧᑦ ᐊᑐᖅᑕᐅᔪᒃᓴᒥ ᐅᖃᓕᒫᒐᕐᒥ ᐊᒻᒪ ᐅᕘᓇ ᐃᓅᓯᕗᑦ ᐊᓐᓂᓇᖅᑐᖅ ᐱᒋᐊᕈᑕᐅᔪᒥ, ᓄᓇᕘᑉ ᐃᒻᒥᓃᖅᑕᐃᓕᒪᑎᑦᑎᓂᕐᒧᑦ ᐸᕐᓇᒍᑎᐅᔪᖅ. ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᕐᕕᖕᒥ ᐃᓅᓯᓕᕆᔨᐅᔪᑦ ᐅᖃᐅᓯᐅᓯᒪᕗᑦ ᐊᖏᓛᖑᔪᒥ ᐊᒃᑐᐃᓂᖃᕐᓂᖏᓐᓂ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᖅᑎᐅᔪᓄᑦ ᖃᓄᖓᓴᖅᑐᓄᑦ ᐅᕝᕙᓘᓐᓃᑦ ᖃᓄᖓᓴᖅᑕᐅᔪᓄᑦ ᐊᓯᖏᓐᓂ, ᑐᓂᓯᓂᕐᒥ ᐅᖃᐅᔾᔨᓂᐅᔪᒥ ᐅᕝᕙᓘᓐᓃᑦ ᐱᓕᕆᐊᖃᕈᓐᓇᕐᓂᕐᒥ ᐊᐅᓚᓂᐅᔪᓂ ᐊᒻᒪ ᐅᖃᓪᓚᖃᑎᖃᕐᓂᕐᒥ ᑕᐃᒃᑯᓄᖓ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᖅᑎᐅᔪᓄᑦ. ᐃᓅᓯᓕᕆᔨᖃᕐᓂᕐᒥ ᐊᑐᐃᓐᓇᐅᔪᓂ ᑕᒪᒃᑭᓄᑦ ᖁᑦᑎᖕᓂᓕᖕᓄᑦ ᑭᒡᓕᐅᔪᓄᑦ ᐃᑲᔪᕋᔭᑦᑎᐊᖅᐳᖅ ᐃᑲᔪᖅᓱᐃᓂᕐᒥ ᖃᓄᐃᙱᑦᑎᐊᖅᑐᒥ ᐱᕙᓪᓕᐊᑎᑕᐅᓂᖓᓂ. ᐱᑕᖃᕐᓂᖓᓂ ᐅᑯᓂᖓ ᐃᓂᒃᓴᐅᔪᓂ ᐊᔭᐅᕆᓇᔭᕆᕗᖅ ᐱᔭᕆᐊᖃᓪᓚᕆᒃᑐᓂ ᐅᖃᓪᓚᖕᓂᐅᔪᓂ ᒪᒃᑯᒃᑐᖁᑎᑦᑎᓐᓂ ᖃᓄᖅ ᐱᓕᕆᐊᖃᕐᓂᕐᒥ ᐊᒃᓱᕈᕈᑎᒋᔭᖏᓐᓂ ᓵᙱᖔᕐᓗᓂ ᓯᓚᒻᒧᑦ ᐊᓯᖏᓐᓄᑦ ᐃᒻᒥᓂᒃ–ᓱᔪᐃᓂᐅᔪᒥ. ᒫᓐᓇᐅᔪᒥ ᓇᖏᕐᓂᖓᓂ, ᐃᑲᔪᕈᑎᒃᓴᓂ ᐊᑐᐃᓐᓇᖃᙱᓪᓗᓂ, ᐅᖃᓪᓚᖃᑎᒌᖕᓂᐅᔪᒥ ᐃᒻᒥᖕᓄᑦ ᐊᒻᒪ ᐃᑲᔪᖅᓱᐃᖃᑦᑕᐅᑎᓂᕐᒥ ᐊᓯᐊᒎᖅᑐᒥ ᐅᔾᔨᕈᓱᖕᓂᐅᔪᒥ ᐅᓪᓗᕐᓂ ᓱᓕ ᒥᑭᒃᑲᓗᐊᖅᖢᑎᒃ ᐱᐅᔪᒧᑦ ᐱᓱᖕᓂᐅᕗᑦ ᐱᓕᕆᔪᓐᓇᖅᑕᑦᑎᓐᓂ. “ᐊᖏᔪᒥ ᐅᖃᕐᔪᐊᕐᓂᖃᕈᕕᑦ ᑲᑎᓪᓗᒍ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᖅᑎᐅᔪᓄᑦ ᑎᒥᐅᔪᓄᑦ 10 ᐳᓴᓐᑎᒥ ᐊᔾᔨᐅᙱᑎᑦᑎᓂᖃᖅᐳᖅ ᐅᕝᕙᓘᓐᓃᑦ 20 ᐳᓴᓐᑎᒥ ᐊᔾᔨᐅᙱᑎᑦᑎᓂᐅᔪᒥ, ᑕᐃᒫᒃ ᐊᒃᓱᕈᕐᓇᕐᓂᐅᓚᐅᖅᑐᒥ ᐊᑲᐅᓈᑦᑎᐊᖅᐳᖅ ᓴᖅᑭᑎᑦᑎᓂᕐᒧᑦ,” ᐅᖃᖅᐳᖅ ᐸᐃᓐ.

Keeping kindness in mind on Pink Shirt Day Northern News Services

Bullying affects all of us, whether you’ve been bullied, know someone who has been a victim, or are the bully.

Pink Shirt Day has been observed on the final Wednesday of each February since 2007. More than 180 countries now participate in the event, which strives to create a kinder, more inclusive world by raising awareness and funds for anti-bullying initiatives.

In Nunavut, we see students don their pink attire, and the Government of Nunavut’s Department of Education provides resources to teachers to help address bullying in schools.

Last March in the Legislative Assembly, then-Iqaluit-Manirajak MLA Adam Lightstone praised Pink Shirt Day as an “amazing initiative to raise awareness about bullying and the harmful effects it can have,” even recommending a second such day earlier in the school year to help bolster awareness among the student body.

Former Maani Ulujuk Ilinniarvik principal Jesse Payne said in a 2019 interview that Pink Shirt Day has definitely had a significant impact for students in Rankin Inlet, helping make students more aware of their actions.

He said instead of just being bystanders, it helps enable students to

step in and remind those who may be bullying that this is no longer acceptable behaviour at school or in the community.

“Students became a lot more comfortable with coming forward and letting an adult know that this was happening to a friend or a peer at school,” he said.

The actions of our children can have profound impacts on each other.

We’re well aware that Nunavut is in the grips of a suicide epidemic, and while being kinder to one another isn’t the silver bullet to end the problem, identifying the violence between students – physical or emotional – and addressing it compassionately is one way to help build and repair self-esteem in youth.

Curbing this unwanted behaviour in schools has been a hot topic among MLAs and education professionals for years. A reporting tool has been in development for eight years, most recently hitting a stumbling block of privacy concerns requiring an assessment, so a paper system is still in use.

While rates of violence in schools seem to have fallen significantly to 165 violent or physical assault incidents in the 2020-‘21 school year – an 84-per-cent drop from the 1,093 incidents reported in a CBC investigation the previous school year, that may be a reflection of spending so much time outside of class thanks to

pandemic restrictions, more than a glowing review of changes made.

Principals do report on a monthly basis to regional school operations, according to then-Education Minister David Joanasie, who stated last year that there are a variety of resources made available to schools, including training, the Safe and Caring Schools handbook and through the Inuusivut Anninaqtuq initiative, which is Nunavut’s suicide prevention strategy.

School counsellors are cited as having one of the biggest impacts on students who are bullying or being bullied by others, providing advice or coping mechanisms and talking with those students. Having counsellors available to all grade levels would certainly help support healthy development. The existence of those positions alone encourages needed conversations with our youth on how to deal with their struggles instead of turning them outward against others or inward in the form of self-harm.

As it stands, without the resources available, talking to each other and supporting one another on special awareness days are still small positive steps we can all take.

“Once you make that big a statement among your total student body, if it makes a 10 per cent difference or a 20 per cent difference, then it was well worth the effort to establish,” says Payne.

News North Nunavut

www.NunavutNews.com

Monday, February 21, 2022 A9

Schools and students doing their best Northern News Services

HALLUU INUIN. NAAMAGALLITTUGUT IQALUKTUUTIAMI. KIHIMI HILA NIGLAKPIAQTUK. QAIJUQNAQHIJUQ ILLA. APITAKHUNI NUNAKPUT. PINNIQHIJUQ NUNA. TAMNA QALAQJUAQNIQ TIKINMAN HAMUNGNA. ILAGNIT INUINLU NUTAQQATLU ANILAITTUT IGLUMNIN. KIHIMI QUANAQHIVAKTUT NIUVIKVIIT NIQIHANIK AKJAKTAUVAKTUT IGLUNUN HUMILIKIAK TAPKUAT ANILAITTUT. QUANAQQIVAKTUT ILLA. NUTAQQAT ILIHAKTUT ILANGNIT MAYUVAKTUT ILIHAKVINGMUN ILANGNIT AIHIMAJUT HULI. TAMNA AANIARUT HIVURANAQMAN HULI. ILIHAIJIIT TUNIQHAIVAKTUT MAQPIRANIK HAVAKTAKHAIT NUTAQQAT. IHUAQ TAIMA. BUS INGILGAGNINMAN HULI. NUTAMIK AQUIQTUQHIMAJUN BUS UMIAQKUT TIKITTUKHAK. QUANA. ALAPPAAKPALAK PIHURIAMI UNGNAHIKTUMIT. ILLA NAAMAINNAQTUT INUIN. ANGNAN MIQHUJAQPAKTUT QUANA. ILANILU UPLAKAIVAKTUT HAMLATKUT QARITAUJAKKUT ALIANAK QUNGNIARIAMI QUNGNIALIUQTUT TAKUJAMI QARITAUJAKKUT. UUKTUKPAKTUT INUINLU NUTAQQATLU INUTUKAILLU. TAKHIVAKTUT HUNAVALUNGNING. BINGOKPAKTUTLU HAMANI NALAUTIKKUT. NAAMAKLUHI ILLA. AYUKNAKMAN TAMNA AANIARUT PINGMAN HULI. TUHAKPAKLURIT MUNAQHIITLU DAKTIITLLU TAPKUATLU HAVAKTUT AANIAQVINGMI. IVJARUTIT ATUQATTAQLURIT PUIRUKTAILURIT. UQATTAQLURIT ALGATIT. QUANA INUIN IKAJUKPAKTUT NIUVIKVIINUNLU TITIRAQAQVINGMUNLU. Welcome to one of Canada’s coldest spots, Cambridge Bay, Nunavut, situated on Victoria Island, land of the Inuinnait.

Yes it has been extremely cold lately, and February is usually known as the coldest time of the year up here. But we hope everyone is staying safe and warm. With cold temperatures, many vehicle owners have to keep their vehicles plugged in overnight and start your vehicle about half-an-hour before using it, otherwise it will not turn on. I see a few snowmobiles running around. Vehicle owners who have garages to keep them overnight are very lucky to have that necessity.

Lately there have been many call-outs for people needing maintenance, either with furnaces or frozen pipes. So our maintenance workers are out there working in the cold to help the residents with problems at their homes. It is probably when many need fuel tanks filled up to keep their furnaces and heat going in their homes. We hope everyone is ok.

Our children are who we worry the most about during this pandemic, with schools operating at minimum capacity, but you know the teachers and staff are at work preparing learning packages and also devices. So many parents who wish to keep their children safe and at home receive homework to do at home or on-line work, while some are going in to school. Everyone is encouraged to still wear their masks, physical distancing is still important in the schools. Students are also taking turns going to classes on a schedule prepared by the school staff. This they call cohorting and practicing physical distancing. Masks at the schools are available for all students and staff.

The school bus has not been operating now since 2018/19, but a new school bus has been ordered and should be arriving on the sealift this coming summer. So many students and their parents rely on each other for rides and the local contractors are called to assist for now.

Please listen and keep updated on the restrictions and public service announcements which are available online on facebook

Cambridge Bay Tea Talk with Navalik Tologanak email: helent@qiniq.com

ᐊᓃᒃ, ᐃᑲᔪᕈᓐᓇᖅᐱᖓ? ᐅᓇ ᖁᑦᑎᖕᓂᓕᖕᒥ 2–ᒥ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᖅᑎ, 7-ᓂ-ᐅᑭᐅᓕᒃ ᐃᐊᓚ ᒪᕇ ᐳᑦᔪᑐᒃ ᐴᒡᔅᒪ, ᓴᐅᒥᖕᒥ, ᐊᒻᒪ ᐊᓂᖓ, 10-ᓂ-ᐅᑭᐅᓕᒃ ᑑᒥᓂᒃ ᑎᒋᐊᐸᒃ ᐴᒡᔅᒪ, ᖁᑦᑎᖕᓂᓕᖕᒥ 4–ᒥ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᖅᑎ, ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᕐᕕᖕᒥ ᐱᓕᕆᐊᒃᓴᓕᕆᔪᖅ ᐊᒥᓱᓂ ᖃᓂᒻᒪᓐᓇᐅᔪᒥ ᐃᖃᓗᒃᑑᑦᑎᐊᖅ, ᓄᓇᕗᒻᒥ.

Hey Brother, can you help me? Here is Grade 2 student, 7-year-old Ella Marie Pudjutok Bergsma, left, and her brother, 10-year-old Dominic Tegeapak Bergsma, a Grade 4 student, doing homework during the pandemic in Cambridge Bay. Photo courtesy of Kelly Bergsma through the Chief Public Health Officer and Government of Nunavut. Stay safe everyone.

Stay warm and look after each other.

God Be With You Son.

Enough is enough, when it comes to our rights Northern News Services

Basic human rights include but is not limited to food, shelter and clothing. This is a challenge at the best of times and is present.

In our desire for being organized and prepared, there is a lot of talking and planning to reach the goals of self sufficiency. There have to be considerations that are all-inclusive and sustainable. Our leaders who have been given the responsibility for our well-being have to see the whole picture and not what is convenient, or ‘politically correct’.

The leaders are guided by policies and protocol but should make decisions on our

ᑲᖏᖅᖠᓂᖅ/Rankin inlet

street talk with Stewart Burnett

ᑎᒍᒥᐊᖅ ᕼᐊᖅᐱ “ ᑎᑭᓴᖅᑕᐅᔪᓂ ᐊᒡᔭᖅᑕᐅᕙᒃᑐᓂ .”

Tigumiaq Haqpi “Takeout delivery.”

ing the Yukon are behalf after they have in deep negotiations weighed all pertinent with the federal information providgovernment around ed; demographic Harry Maksagak is a Cambridge Bay resident, former underground child welfare and our of population, geominer at the Lupin gold mine, now national Inuit body graphic location, retired from the Government of is not involved. We accessibility, infraNunavut. He has been married for 50 years and has five children and have a national leadstructure, capacity numerous grand- and great-grander who is knowledgeand sustainability. children. able and eloquent This requires close and is fully aware of communication and the needs of Inuit from Sanikiluak to Grise following the IQ Principles.

Fiord and in between but is not at the table.

We have to look at these principles closely The comment of, “Our children are our fufor direction, awareness and implementation. ture” should stir us enough to voice all issues Our counterparts in southern Canada includ-

In my View

ᑭᓱᒥᒃ ᓇᖕᒥᓂᖃᕐᓂᐅᔪᒥ ᐅᕝᕙᓘᓐᓃᑦ ᐱᔨᑦᑎᕋᕐᓂᕐᒥ ᑲᖏᖅᖠᓂᖅ ᐱᔭᕆᐊᖃᖅᐸ?

What business or service does Rankin Inlet need? ᑯᕆᔅᑕᕗ ᓴᐃᒦ “ Kentucky Fried ᐊᕿᒡᒋᕐᔪᐊᖅ .”

Christopher Shamee “Kentucky Fried Chicken.”

ᔭᐃᓴᓐ ᐸᓂᑲᓪᓚᑦᔪᐊᖅ “7/11- ᖑᔭᕐᒥ 24- ᐃᑲᕐᕋᓄᑦ ᓂᐅᕕᕐᕕᕋᓛᕐᒥ.”

Jason Panikaladjuak “A 7/11-style 24-hour convenience store.”

ᑐᒥ ᐊᓄᒑᖅ “ ᐅᖃᓘᑎᕋᓛᓄᑦ ᓂᐅᕕᕐᕕᖕᒥ .”

Tumi Anawak “Cellphone shop.”

regarding rights of Indigenous peoples across this country and to make every effort in making the powers that be aware and engaged.

I believe the way to really stir up our leaders is for the inter-agency to review local issues and bring them forward to our MLA. Our people are tired of lip service and want answers through tangible solutions; this is co-operation between those who can implement solutions and those who speak to the issues.

Do you remember a past president of the USA saying, ”Enough is enough?” Well I think that is where we are at today. Put words to action in addressing the basic human rights of us all Indigenous peoples.

ᑯᕆᔅ ᐃᑦᑐᖅ “ ᑖᒃᓯᑕᖃᒃᑲᓐᓂᕐᓂᖓᓂ .”

Chris Eetuk “More taxis.”

ᒍᓘᕆᐊ ᐊᓄᒑᖅ “ ᖃᕋᓴᐅᔭᕋᓛᓂ ᐊᖅᑭᒃᓱᐃᕕᖕᒥ .”

Gloria Anawak “Place to repair electronics.”

A10 Monday, February 21, 2022

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Around Nunavut ∂´êÄ∏∂Ò ¥∂fl±´ Phone: (867) 979-5990

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Fax: (867) 979-6010

ᐊᓃᒃ, ᐃᑲᔪᕈᓐᓇᖅᐱᖓ? ᐅᓇ ᖁᑦᑎᖕᓂᓕᖕᒥ 2−ᒥ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᖅᑎ, 7-ᓂ-ᐅᑭᐅᓕᒃ ᐃᐊᓚ ᒪᕇ ᐳᑦᔪᑐᒃ ᐴᒡᔅᒪ, ᓴᐅᒥᖕᒥ, ᐊᒻᒪ ᐊᓂᖓ, 10-ᓂ-ᐅᑭᐅᓕᒃ ᑑᒥᓂᒃ ᑎᒋᐊᐸᒃ ᐴᒡᔅᒪ, ᖁᑦᑎᖕᓂᓕᖕᒥ 4−ᒥ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᖅᑎ, ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᕐᕕᖕᒥ ᐱᓕᕆᐊᒃᓴᓕᕆᔪᖅ ᐊᒥᓱᓂ ᖃᓂᒻᒪᓐᓇᐅᔪᒥ ᐃᖃᓗᒃᑑᑦᑎᐊᖅ, ᓄᓇᕗᒻᒥ.

Sally Cormier-Ittinuar, coordinator with the Ikurraq Food Bank Society, displays some of the winter clothing available during a community giveaway in Rankin Inlet, Monday, Feb. 7. Stewart Burnett/NNSL photo

Ulu-making class announced

Kangiqinliq/Rankin Inlet The community wellness department in Rankin Inlet announced an ulu-making class for men.

A local Elder will teach groups of up to five people each, spread across three age groups, how to make a traditional ulu.

The age groups are 15 to 21, 22 to 35 and 36 and up. Classes begin Feb. 16 for the lowest age group.

For more information, contact community wellness coordinator Christina Best at 867-645-2895 ext. 1006.

– Stewart Burnett

Volunteer award winners announced

Iqaluit On Feb. 10 the City Iqaluit presented the 2021 Volunteer Appreciation Awards online, highlighting the contributions to the community given by its residents and organizations. The two-minute video, posted to social media, recognized individuals and community groups.

Iqaluit’s Angel Tree, led by Tina Morrissey, received the Outstanding Volunteer Service Organization Award, recognizing the compassion and support given to families over the holidays.

The Outstanding Volunteer Sports and Recreation Award went to Iqaluit Breaks Swim Club Coaches Sean and Stephanie Clark, for their time, experience and effort in providing a fun and safe environment for the youth of Iqaluit.

The City recognized Joseph Takpannie with the Outstanding Volunteer Youth Award, noting his “kind heart and ingenuity.”

Joseph helped gather and fix bicycles found in the landfill and donated them to the kids of Iqaluit.

Elisapi Aningmiuq received the Ikayuqtimarik (Good Helper) Award for continued community engagement with multiple intersecting groups to help meet the needs of Iqalummiut through grassroots cultural and community work.

For 24 years, Matty McNair has run Strings and Things, a weekly evening of music open to musicians of all ages – this earned McNair the Outstanding Volunteer Award for Arts and Culture for her hosting and facilitating music at all levels of experience.

The Community Development Award went to Jason Rochon, for starting a food bank for children at Joamie School six years ago, and maintaining it, ensuring kids have food to take home for lunch or at the end of the day. He was praised for recognizing a need and taking action.

– Trevor Wright

Funding available for education and recreation

Qamanittuaq/Baker Lake The Kivalliq Inuit Association (KIA) announced the Baker Lake Education and Recreation fund last week, available only to Inuit residents of the community.

Contributions do not have to be repaid and are available up to $1,000 per individual application and $5,000 for groups.

Applicants must contribute 10 per cent of the total purchase cost. Eligible initiatives include sport equipment, artisan tools, sports events, travel on the land, attending workshops, tuition,

course materials and more.

More information is available at KIA’s website.

– Stewart Burnett

Ikurraq society keeping Rankinmiut warm

Kangiqliniq/Rankin Inlet During a winter of extreme cold, the Ikurraq Food Bank Society gave out a community hall full of parkas, mitts, boots and other cold-weather gear, all for free.

“We want everybody to have a warm parka or warm boots for the rest of winter,” said Sally Cormier-Ittinuar, coordinator with the food bank.

A lot of people donated clothing over the Christmas holidays, she said, and more dropped off items specifically for the giveaway Monday, Feb. 7.

Upwards of 300 hats and gloves, 100 scarves, 100 adult parkas, 60 children’s parkas, 50 pairs of boots and more were available for residents to take as they pleased, no matter if they were picking up something for themselves or a family or friend.

As soon as doors opened at 3 p.m., the community hall was filled to legal capacity, and people continually flooded in during the opening.

All the parkas were gone by the end of the day, only leaving some hats and scarves left, as there were so many.

“There was quite a big crowd,” said Cormier-Ittinuar, adding that she heard many appreciative comments.

“A lot of, ‘Thank you so much.’ ‘I have a parka, now I can go out and play with my children.’ ‘My son will be warm now.’”

That’s why Cormier-Ittinuar and volunteers do it, she said: “A ‘thank you’ means everything to us.”

She hopes to make the giveaway an annual event.

– Stewart Burnett

Rapid tests to replace isolation kits from NTI

Nunavut Nunavut Tunngavik Incorporated is moving away from supplying isolation kits and instead will distribute Covid-19 rapid test kits to daycares and long-term care facilities.

The land claims organization made the announcement Wednesday afternoon, stating that 6,300 Artron Covid-19 rapid antigen tests are on the way to Rankin Inlet and another 4,300 tests will be shipped later this month.

“Now that the Government of Nunavut is providing isolation grocery hampers, NTI has made the decision to refocus our efforts on making antigen tests available to limit the spread (of the virus),” Nunavut Tunngavik wrote in a news release.

NTI will no longer accept applications for isolation kits as of Wednesday.

The organization stated that it has spent in excess of $3 million on more than 6,000 isolation kits for Nunavut Inuit households since the pandemic began, using $2,550,126 from Indigenous Community Support Funds and $461,000 from Canadian Food Centres Canada.

Regional Inuit associations continue to offer food support programs, NTI noted.

– Derek Neary

Research program extended to 2025

Kivalliq A Kivalliq Wildlife Board program spearheaded by research coordinator Clayton Tartak has received an extension until 2025.

The program tracks marine and caribou patterns around the Kivalliq, including a particular interest in the decline of ringed seal populations.

All the research and data collected through the program is owned by the wildlife board.

Work is also underway on an animated video that will sum up a large catalogue of literature in a more digestible format.

– Stewart Burnett

Population on an upward trend

Nunavut Nunavut’s population is on an upward trend, having grown by 914 people between 2016 and 2021, noted Statistics Canada in its 2021 Census Profile for Nunavut, published on Feb. 9 – a 2.5 per cent population growth over five years.

However, in the same time period the capital of Iqaluit experienced a four per cent population decline from 7,740 in 2016, to 7,429 in 2021.

Eight communities in total saw a decrease in population: Baker Lake, Cambridge Bay, Kinngait, Chesterfield Inlet, Iqaluit, Kugluktuk, Pond Inlet, Resolute and Taloyoak. Taloyoak was the most significant decrease at 14.5 per cent, dipping the community’s head-count from 1,029 to 934. Cambridge Bay and Baker Lake had the smallest decreases of six and eight residents respectively.

Population increases of more than 10 per cent were also recorded in eight communities. Iglulik had the most significant increase of 17.5 per cent or 305 people, bringing the population to 2,049.

Three other communities reached a population greater than 1,000 individuals: Coral Harbour, Kugaaruk and Sanikiluaq.

The complete Nunavut-wide population census, broken down by community can be found on the Statistics Canada website under ‘Census Profile, 2021 Census of Population.’

– Trevor Wright

Agnico, Kirkland complete merger

Kivalliq Agnico Eagle Mines and Kirkland Lake Gold announced the completion of their merger Feb. 8.

The combined company will continue as Agnico Eagle Mines Limited and hold the same stock listing ticker of AEM. Agnico issued approximately 209 million common shares to former Kirkland Lake Gold shareholders as consideration for their shares.

At the opening of markets on Feb. 8, the new Agnico Eagle held a market capitalization of approximately US$22.4 billion.

Agnico Eagle’s reconstituted board of directors now consists of Leona Aglukkaq, Sean Boyd Executive Chair, Martine Celej, Robert Gemmell, Jonathan Gill, Peter Grosskopf, Arnold Klassen, Elizabeth Lewis-Gray, Anthony Makuch (CEO), Deborah McCombe, Jeffrey Parr, J. Merfyn Roberts and Jamie Sokalsky.

– Stewart Burnett

News North Nunavut

Monday, February 21, 2022 A11

GN releases nursing strategy

www.NunavutNews.com

With a shortage of nurses territorially, nationally and globally, Nunavut’s health department sets out principles for recruitment and retention

By Derek Neary Northern News Services Nunavut

Amid an acute global shortage of nurses, the Government of Nunavut has released the backbone of its five-year plan to recruit and retain more of the healthcare professionals.

Primary among the territorial government’s goals is to train more made-in-Nunavut nurses and to make terms more appealing to attract nurses locally and from other jurisdictions, such as through “competitive” compensation.

Other objectives include creating a nursing residency program; examining human resource practices, policies and resources; offering flexible work arrangements; and achieving a representative Inuit nursing workforce in the GN, a goal that the territorial has failed to achieve across its workforce since division from the Northwest Territories in 1999. The GN’s Inuit workforce has held steady at close to 50 per cent, far from the 85 per cent target.

The Department of Health also intends to “assess the appropriateness of existing models of care, nursing roles, and nurse and nurse practitioner staffing levels to meet current and forecasted community population health needs: population size, health status and service delivery.”

The GN’s strategy is based on five “pillars”: workforce planning and evaluation, recruitment, professional development, professional practice environment and leadership.

“Each pillar is further developed to include initiatives and actions designed to recruit and train Inuit candidates for careers in nursing and other public health professions, implement a nurse residency program, create flexible work arrangements and support and develop nursing leadership,” the Department of Health stated.

The strategy was developed in consultation with Nunavut nurses and nurse practitioners, among other “key” groups, according to the GN. Denise Bowen, executive director of the Registered Nurses Association of the Northwest Territories and Nunavut, said she couldn’t provide comment on the topic prior to press deadline.

The government’s hardship in filling a significant portion of the 300 nursing positions across the territory has been evident through various

ᓄᓇᕗᒻᒥ ᒐᕙᒪᒃᑯᑦ ᐸᕐᓇᒃᐳᑦ ᑐᓂᓯᓂᕐᒥ “ᐊᑭᑦᑐᕋᐅᑎᔪᒥ” ᐊᑭᓕᖅᓱᖅᑕᐅᓂᐅᔪᒥ ᐊᑕᐅᓯᐅᔪᒥ ᐊᒥᓱᓂ ᐱᓕᕆᓂᐅᔪᓂ ᑐᕌᖓᔪᓂ ᐱᓇᓱᐊᕐᓂᕐᒧᑦ ᐊᒻᒪ ᐸᐸᑏᓐᓇᕐᓂᕐᒧᑦ ᐅᓄᕐᓂᖅᓴᐅᔪᓂ ᐃᓗᐊᖅᓴᐃᔨᓂ ᓄᓇᕗᒻᒥ.

The Government of Nunavut plans to provide “competitive” compensation as one of many measures aimed at attracting and retaining more nurses in the territory. Photo

by Cedric Fauntleroy/Pexels community health centres moving to temporary “emergency only” status over the past few years.

In addition, the Department of Health warned of health centre closures in several communities last summer, but that was averted when paramedics were pressed into service. As well, agency nurses were brought in through Bayshore Medical Personnel, a company that has supplied many temporary nurses to the territory.

Canada is expected to endure a shortage of 60,000 registered nurses in 2022 while the global shortfall is a staggering 10 million nurses, according to the Department of Health. This has been made worse by the Covid-19 pandemic, which has resulted in a higher rate of resignations from those in the profession.

Now health minister, John Main spoke of the often desperate state of staffing nurses while reflecting in the legislative assembly on Sept. 16 on his term as Arviat North-Whale Cove MLA. “There is a struggle by the Department of Health to hire sufficient nurses in Nunavut. When you have your constituents and they’re sick, when you discuss their concerns and feelings, ouch!

It is painful,” Main said at the time.

About a week earlier, then-Netsilik MLA Emiliano Qirngnuq addressed Nunavut’s shortage of nurses.

“I do recognize that there are huge pressures on the nursing profession across Canada, and I do understand that the Government of Nunavut

has struggled for several years to fill nursing positions across our territory. However, it seems that the situation is getting worse,” Qirngnuq said. “Those staff who are working — often late hours and double shifts — are easily overworked and burned out.”

Then Human Resources Minister David Akeeagok replied, “There is a crisis across Canada and our wages need to be at par or better in order to attract our nurses. That work is underway.”

He also noted that the collective agreement with the Nunavut Employees Union, which affects healthcare staff, hadn’t been settled, and that remains true today. That agreement needs to be resolved to make headway on improved compensation, Akeeagok added at the time.

A12 Monday, February 21, 2022

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Threads through generations Cathy Towtongie continuing skills passed down to her

By Stewart Burnett Northern News Services Kivalliq

Cathy Towtongie’s mother-in-law, Nakashuk Towtongie, used to always sew for her, making sure she and her young family stayed warm at all times.

So when she passed away some 30-odd years ago, Cathy was at a loss.

“All of a sudden, I was faced with a growing family,” said Towtongie. “I would always get kamiks from her, and my husband and my children traditional outfits, and I did not know how to sew.”

She missed the warmth of her mother-in-law’s traditional sewing, so she took up the craft herself to replace that new hole in her life.

Fortunately, her biological mother-in-law, Louisa Kaludjak, and Kaludjak’s younger sister Marie Nattar stepped in to train Towtongie.

They taught her how to use her hand, knuckles, fists and forearms for measurements.

“Things you don’t forget,” said Towtongie, who still measures by hand and custom fits any clothing she makes to the person because of that.

She learned how to make caribou outfits with the proper rules, of which there are many when it comes to the skin.

“When you start to cut the skin, you have to be 100-per-cent perfect,” said Towtongie. “You can’t just cut any old way. I used to cry when I would sew something and they would undo the whole thing, take all the threads off, start again.”

Even a tiny hole would mean she had to start over, because it meant the wind could get in, and more than any fashion or art, traditional clothing had to be of the highest survival quality.

The pair of Kaludjak and Nattar also taught Towtongie about the white stomach of the caribou, used for designs to show how rich a man is – not in terms of money, but in his ability to provide for his family and others.

For kamiks, the teachings were equally specific, and anything done wrong was undone.

“They would tell me you have to take all the thread out,” she said. “That was the way of teaching, for their specific type of sewing. Today, we sew like we’re running out of time.”

Before her passing, Nakashuk used to advise Towtongie to disconnect if she was sewing something important, to go to the cabin and not let any cell phone or person distract her.

Towtongie is humble. She doesn’t think she is the best, and she looks up to several seamstresses in the Kivalliq. Two women Towtongie also credits with helping pass on these skills over the years were Amagoalik Nutaraluuk and Monica Sateana.

“I’m still learning today,” she said. “Every skin is different.”

Many people ask her for patterns, but she doesn’t tend to share them, because she uses her hand measurements specific to the person she is sewing for.

She spends much of her time sewing for family, but she rarely sells anything – only if she needs some upgraded sewing gear, and she admits that a high-quality German-made sewing machine is one of her weaknesses.

Now she’s continuing to pass on the tradition to her daughter.

“I don’t like young girls saying, ‘Make this for me,’” said Towtongie. “I told her, ‘Don’t beg. Don’t ask other people to do it for you.’ That’s not the way our people were. They were dependent on themselves. I said to my daughter, ‘Look at this, look at how I’m doing this, look at how I’m stitching, look at the thread I’m using, look at the cut.’”

She will forever remember her mother-in-law and how spoiled she was to know her.

“She truly loved her adopted son, and really loved me,” she said.

ᑳᑎ ᑕᐅᑐᙱ ᐸᓂᓂᓗ ᑕᒡᕙᓂ ᐊᔾᔨᓕᐅᖅᑕᐅᓯᒪᔫᒃ ᐊᕙᑎᑦ ᐅᑭᐅᑦ ᐅᖓᑖᓂᐅᓕᖅᑐᖅ ᑕᐃᑉᓱᒪᓂ ᐊᑐᖅᖢᑎᒃ ᐊᒥᕐᓂᒃ ᓴᑭᖓᑕ ᓴᓇᓚᐅᖅᓯᒪᔭᖏᓐᓂᒃ.

ᔭᔅᑕᓐ ᐃᓴᒃᑭᐊᖅ, ᑳᑎ ᑕᐅᑐᙱᐅᑉ ᐃᕐᖑᑕᖓ, ᐊᑐᖅᑐᖅ ᕿᓯᖕᒥᒃ ᔭᐸᒥᒃ ᑳᑎᐅᑉ ᓴᓇᓯᒪᔭᖓᓂᒃ.

Cathy Towtongie and her daughter are seen here more than 20 years ago in a full caribou outfit her mother-in-law made for her. Photo courtesy of Cathy Towtongie

ᑲᒦᒃ ᑳᑎ ᑕᐅᑐᙱᐅᑉ ᐱᐊᓂᓵᖅᑕᖏᒃ ᐅᑯᐊᖓᑕ ᑲᒪᒃᓴᖏᑦ.

Justin Issakiark, Cathy Towtongie’s grandson, models a sealskin jacket she made. Photo courtesy of Cathy Towtongie

Kamiks Cathy Towtongie finished for her daughter-in-law. Photos courtesy of Cathy Towtongie

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ᐃᐊᕆᑲ ᑯᓐᓇᒃ

ᒥᑦᑎᒪᑕᓕᒃ ᐃᒐᕐᔪᐊᖅ ᒥᑦᑎᒪᑕᓕᒃ, ᓄᓇᕗᑦ ᖃᓂᒋᔭᖓᓂ.

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Monday, February 21, 2022 A13

ᐄᕙ P ᒋᐱᓐᔅ

ᐊᕐᕕᐊᑦ ᑲᔾᔮᕐᓇᖅᑐᑦ ᕿᓚᑦ ᐊᕐᕕᐊᑦ ᖁᓛᓂ.

INVESTMENT GROUP INC.

Do you have an amazing story from your adventures on the land? Tell us your story and show us your photos for a chance to win $100, sponsored by NCC Investment Group Inc., visit www.nccig.ca today.

Submit your story and photo to our Nunavut News Facebook page, or by email to editor@nunavutnews.com.

Entries will be placed on our Facebook page. They may also appear in this newspaper and other Northern News Services publications. The story and photo with the most reactions by noon each Thursday wins.

This week’s winner is Luba Nangmalik. Congratulations!

Erica Koonark

Pond Inlet Igaqjuaaq near Pond Inlet, Nunavut.

ᒫᓇᓯ ᓇᐅᓪᓚᖅ

ᓴᓂᕋᔭᒃ ᓯᓈ ᓴᓂᕋᔭᐅᑉ ᖃᓂᒋᔭᖓᓂ ᓯᕿᓐᓂᑦᑎᐊᖅᑎᓪᓗᒍ.

ᓘᐸ ᓇᖕᒪᓕᒃ

Eva P Gibbons

Arviat Beautiful skies over Arviat.

ᓘᒃ ᐊᐃᐅᓛ ᓄᓕᐊᔪᒃ

ᓴᓂᕋᔭᒃ ᑕᓯᕋᓛᒥ ᕼᐋᑭᖅᑐᑦ ᓴᓂᕋᔭᖕᒥ.

ᑕᓗᕐᔪᐊᖅ ᐸᖕᓂᖅᑑᑉ ᑕᓯᖓ, ᔫᓂ 21, 2021. ᑕᖅᑭᑦ ᑎᓴᒪᑐᐃᓐᓇᐃᑦ ᐅᓇ ᐅᑎᕈᓂ. ᒫᓐᓇ ᐸᕐᓇᒃᓯᒪᓂᐊᖅᐳᖓ ᐊᖑᓇᓱᖕᓂᕐᒧᑦ!

Luke Iola Nuliayuk

Manasie Naullaq

Sanirajak Floe edge near Sanirajak on a sunny day.

ᒍᕆᐊᒡ ᓴᑐᓚᓐ

ᑕᓗᕐᔪᐊᖅ ᑕᓗᕐᔪᐊᕐᒥ ᐱᓇᓱᐊᕈᓯᐅᓚᐅᖅᑐᒥ ᐆᕆᐋᓐ ᓴᐅᒥᖕᒥ ᐊᒻᒪ ᑭᖓᒃᕈᐊᖅ ᑐᓄᐊᓂ

Greg Sutherland

Winner: Luba Nangmalik

Sanirajak Playing pond hockey in Sanirajak.

Taloyoak Taloyoakmi last week with Orion to the left and Kingakruaq in the background.

Taloyoak Pangnirqtuuq Lake, June 21, 2021.Just 4 more months until this comes. This time I’m ready to harvest!

A14 Monday, February 21, 2022

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Building a Team Nunavut for video games Regional tournaments hosted; goal is growing skills

By Stewart Burnett Northern News Services Nunavut

Nunavut youth who excel at online gaming, now’s your time to shine.

The Nunavut Gaming Society has been hosting a territory-wide online tournament for PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds, with aims to grow the hobby into something more.

Beyond prizes for winning, the host society has a long-term vision and is looking to establish a team of players across Nunavut to practise together, compete in international gaming competitions and even get paid to play regularly.

“Especially with Covid and everything that’s happened in the world, we’re just trying to keep (youth) occupied,” said Valter Botelho-Resendes of Aaliak Consulting, whose organization was also responsible for development of Cambridge Bay’s digital makerspace, which opened last fall.

The makerspace is now run by the municipality of Cambridge Bay. The tournament, for players ages 14 to 30, has been making its way through Nunavut region-by-region. Upward of 55 youth played in the Cambridge Bay event, with about 100 in the Kitikmeot, and the Baffin portion of the events Feb. 12 and 13 proved to be the biggest yet.

On the Saturday there were 78 participants and 92 joined in for the Sunday session.

All in all over the course of that weekend 170 youth took part in several tournaments, including an impromptu teams match that saw 100 youth participate in teams of 4 for a 37 minute match.

On Feb. 19 and 20, it was the Kivalliq’s turn.

Afterward, Botelho-Resendes is hoping to have a top player from every community in the territory join to form a Nunavut team.

He said the reason PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds – better known to some as PubG – was chosen for the first tournament is because it’s popular among Nunavut youth and is relatively less intensive on internet needs, which is always a challenge in the North.

He explained that the challenge is latency, which means how fast data travels over the internet, not so much the consumption of data.

“In Nunavut, we’re getting anywhere between 400 to 700 (milliseconds) latency, which is really high,” he said.

For top players, he hopes to secure funding to provide them with LTE modems so they have better accessibility and can compete without too many disadvantages against southern gamers.

“We hope to then be able to travel to live tournaments,” he said, once the Nunavut team is ready and Covid allows. “That’s the end goal.”

Though he’s been happy with how the tournaments and feedback have gone so far, Botelho-Resendes said there has been some criticism about the initiative.

“There are some community members that haven’t been happy with what we’re doing,” he said.

“They feel that some of the youth should be out hunting and that sort of thing, and we’re not taking away from that. They’re already playing this, and some of them are really good.”

The world has changed, people can work remotely and youth should be able to as well, he added.

These tournaments and the Nunavut team can help get southern companies’ eyes on the North and

ᐃᖃᓗᒃᑑᑦᑎᐊᑉ makerspace ᒪᑐᐃᓚᐅᖅᐳᖅ ᐅᑭᐊᒃᓵᖑᓚᐅᖅᑐᒥ, ᐱᔪᓐᓇᖅᑎᑦᑎᔪᒥ ᒪᒃᑯᒃᑐᓂ ᑲᑎᓐᓂᖏᓐᓄᑦ ᐊᒻᒪ ᕿᒥᕐᕈᓂᕐᒧᑦ ᓄᑖᙳᖅᐸᓪᓕᐊᓂᐅᔪᓂ ᐃᒻᒥᒍᑦ. ᓄᓇᕗᒻᒥ ᐱᙳᐊᕐᓂᐅᔪᒥ ᑲᑐᔾᔨᖃᑎᒌᖑᔪᑦ, ᐋᖅᑭᒃᓱᖅᑕᐅᓯᒪᖕᒥᔪᒥ ᐊᓕᐊᒃ ᐅᖃᐅᔾᔨᔨᐅᔪᓄᑦ, ᑲᒪᒋᔭᖃᖅᐳᑦ ᖃᕋᓴᐅᔭᑎᒍᑦ ᓵᓚᖃᕋᓱᐊᕐᓂᐅᔪᒥ ᑲᑎᑎᕆᓂᕐᒧᑦ ᒪᒃᑯᒃᑐᓂ ᓄᓇᕗᓕᒫᒥ ᐊᒻᒪ ᓴᓇᓗᑎᒃ ᑲᑎᙵᓂᐅᔪᒥ ᖁᑦᑎᓛᖑᔪᓂ ᐱᙳᐊᖅᑎᐅᔪᓂ.

Cambridge Bay’s makerspace, organized by Aliak Consulting, opened last fall, allowing youth to gather and explore technology with each other. The Nunavut Gaming Society, also organized by Aaliak Consulting, is hosting an online tournament to connect youth across the territory and create a team of top gamers. Photo courtesy of Nunavut Gaming Society potentially create job opportunities for the youth.

“A lot of gamers end up going on to jobs like testing, IT support, security,” he said.

The goal is to mentor the youth and help them find new career opportunities.

“Initially, it’s about video games and getting them connected,” said Botelho-Resendes.

He even wants to eventually find funding to pay Nunavut youth to become professional gamers for a certain number of hours per week, as is seen with

top gamers in the south.

“I’d like to see them get paid as they would a normal job,” he said.

That would further reinforce youths’ responsibility toward each other to be ready and prepared when game time with their team comes, he added.

Botehlo-Resendes says the group has also started a Discord chat and “conversations are continuing daily on there about the tournaments and the games.”

x0p31Axy N4ystdJxl4

News North Nunavut

www.NunavutNews.com

Restaurant, food bank team up for love

Monday, February 21, 2022 A15

ᐳᓃᔅ ᓂᐊᖁᖅ, ᔮᓐ ᓇᔭᖓ, ᐃᑲᔪᖃᑕᐅᕗᖅ ᐅᑕᖅᑭᔪᓄᑦ, ᐊᑖᑕᖓ ᕼᐃᐊᕆ ᓂᐊᖁᖅ ᐱᓕᕆᓪᓗᓂ ᑐᓄᐊᓂ.

Bernice Niakrok, John’s sister, pitches in on the line, with father Harry Niakrok busy in the background.

Photos by Stewart Burnett/NNSL photo

ᑎᕇᓴ ᓂᐊᖁᖅ ᑐᒃᑐᒥ ᓂᕿᓕᐊᖑᔪᒥ ᒪᕐᕉᖕᓄᑦ ᑐᓂᓯᕗᖅ ᑭᖑᕙᖅᑐᒥ ᓇᒡᓕᒍᓱᖕᓇᐅᔪᒥ ᐅᓪᓗᖓᓂ ᖃᓄᐃᓐᓂᐅᔪᒥ .

150 couples served caribou dinner ᖃᐅᔨᓴᖅᑕᐅᓂᖓᓂ ᐃᒡᓗ Donairs–ᑯᓐᓄᑦ, ᒪᑐᐃᓚᐅᖅᑐᒥ ᔭᓄᐊᕆ 30–ᒥ ᐊᒡᓂᑯ ᐄᒍᓪ ᐊᓐᓂᑭᑕᕐᕕᖓᓂ.

By Stewart Burnett Northern News Services Rankin Inlet

ᐃᒡᓗ Donairs ᐊᒻᒪ ᐃᑯᕐᕋᖅ ᐊᔪᖅᓴᖅᑐᓄᑦ ᓂᕿᑖᕐᕕᒃ ᑲᑎᖃᑎᒌᓚᐅᖅᐳᑦ ᑐᓂᓯᓂᕐᒥ 150–ᓂ ᐊᐃᑉᐸᕇᖕᓂ ᑐᒃᑐᒥ ᓂᕿᓕᐊᖑᔪᒥ ᓇᒡᓕᒍᓱᖕᓇᐅᔪᒥ ᐅᓪᓗᖓᓄᑦ. ᐱᖅᓯᒧᑦ ᑐᑭᖃᓚᐅᖅᐳᖅ ᖃᓄᐃᓕᐅᕐᓂᐅᔪᖅ ᐱᓪᓚᕆᓚᐅᕐᓂᖓᓂ ᕕᕗᐊᕆ 15–ᒥ. ᖁᔭᓐᓇᒦᒃ ᑐᓂᓯᑦᑎᐊᖅᑐᓄᑦ, ᐊᔪᖅᓴᖅᑐᓄᑦ ᓂᕿᑖᕐᕕᒃ ᑲᒪᒋᔭᖃᕈᓐᓇᓚᐅᖅᐳᖅ ᖃᔅᓯᒐᓚᖕᓂ ᐃᓅᖃᑎᒌᖑᔪᓄᑦ ᓯᐊᒻᒪᖅᑎᑦᑎᓂᕐᒥ ᐱᙳᐊᕐᓂᐅᔪᓂ ᒪᓕᒃᐸᓪᓕᐊᔪᒧᑦ ᐊᓐᓂᓯᔭᐅᔪᓄᑦ ᓂᕆᔭᒃᓴᓄᑦ. ᖃᓄᐃᓕᐅᕐᓂᐅᔪᖅ ᐱᔨᑦᑎᕋᓚᐅᕆᕗᖅ ᓯᕗᓂᐊᓂ

Iglu Donairs and the Ikurraq Food Bank teamed up to serve 150 couples a caribou steak dinner for Valentine’s Day. A blizzard meant the event actually happened Feb. 15.

Thanks to generous sponsors, the food bank was also able to host several social media games in the run-up to the takeout dinner.

The event also served as an early test for Iglu Donairs, which opened Jan. 30 in the Agnico Eagle Arena.

ᐳᓃᔅ ᓂᐊᖁᖅ, ᓴᐅᒥᖕᒥ , ᐊᒻᒪ ᕼᐃᐊᕆ ᐱᓕᕆᖃᑎᒌᒃᐳᑦ 300 –ᓂ ᓵᓂ ᕕᕗᐊᕆ 15 –ᒧᑦ ᓂᕆᑎᑦᑎᓂᐅᔪᒧᑦ .

Theresa Niakrok serves a caribou steak dinner for two during the delayed Valentines Day event.

ᐃᐊᕆᒃ ᑲᑐᖃᖅ ᐊᒻᒪ ᑯᕆᔅᑎᓐ ᐳᕉᔅ ᖁᖓᑉᐳᑦ ᐊᖏᕐᕋᐅᕙᓪᓕᐊᑎᓪᓗᒋᑦ ᓂᕆᔭᒃᓴᒥᓂ ᓇᒃᓴᖅᖢᑎᒃ .

Eric Katokra and Kristen Bruce smile as they head home with their dinner.

Bernice Niakrok, left, and Harry work together to get 300 plates out for the Feb. 15 dinner.

ᐃᕚᓐᔨᓖᓐ ᐃᑎᓐᓄᐊᖅ ᐸᕐᓇᒃᐳᖅ ᐊᖏᕐᕋᐅᓂᐊᕐᓂᖓᓂ ᓂᕆᓂᐊᖅᑕᒥᓂ ᓇᒃᓴᖅᖢᓂ .

Evangeline Ittinuar gets ready to head home with her meal.

ᔮᓐ ᓂᐊᖁᖅ , ᓴᐅᒥᖕᒥ , ᐱᓕᕆᕗᖅ ᐊᑖᑕᖓ ᕼᐃᐊᕆ ᑐᓄᐊᓃᖦᖢᓂ .

Son and father: Iglu Donairs owner John Niakrok, left, stands with father Harry.

A16 Monday, February 21, 2022

News North Nunavut

Sports & Recreation

www.NunavutNews.com

Sports hotline • James McCarthy Phone: (867) 873-4031 • Email: sports@nnsl.com • Fax: (867) 873-8507

TTM tournament cancelled again Third straight year that Covid suspends iconic Rankin event

By Stewart Burnett Northern News Services Kangiqliniq/Rankin Inlet

For the third year in a row, the Terence Tootoo Memorial hockey tournament has been cancelled.

“We don’t want to have a tournament without fans,” said Troy Aksalnik, co-chairperson of the tournament committee, noting the number of Covid cases in the territory.

“The players love to have fans in the rink, and this town is just a crazy hockey town.”

It’s been since 2019 when the last Terence

ᑭᖑᓪᓕᖅᐹᖅ ᑎᐊᕆᓐᔅ ᑑᑑ ᐃᖅᑲᐅᒪᓂᐅᔪᒥ ᕼᐋᑭᒥ ᓵᓚᖃᕋᓱᐊᕐᓂᐅᔪᒥ ᒫᔾᔨ 2019– ᒥᐅᓚᐅᖅᐳᖅ, ᐅᕙᓂ ᑕᑯᒃᓴᐅᓂᐅᔪᒥ. ᓄᕙᒡᔪᐊᕐᓇᖅ ᒪᑐᓯᓯᒪᕗᖅ ᖃᐅᔨᒪᔭᐅᕐᔪᐊᖅᑐᒥ ᑲᖏᖅᖠᓂᕐᒥ ᖃᓄᐃᓐᓂᐅᔪᒥ ᐊᕐᕌᒍᓄᑦ ᐱᖓᓱᓄᑦ ᒪᓕᖃᑦᑕᐅᑎᔪᓄᑦ ᐊᒻᒪ ᓱᓕ ᐱᓕᕆᐊᖑᓚᐅᙱᓚᖅ ᓄᑖᖑᔪᒥ ᐊᒡᓂᑯ ᐄᒍᓪ ᐊᓐᓂᑭᑕᕐᕕᖓᓂ.

The last Terence Tootoo Memorial hockey tournament was back in March 2019, as seen here. Covid has shut down the iconic Rankin Inlet event for three years running and it has yet to be held in the new Agnico Eagle Arena. Photo courtesy of the Terence Tootoo Memorial tournament committee

Tootoo Memorial tournament was held. The tournament is named in memory of Jordin Tootoo’s brother Terence, who died by suicide in 2002.

“We’re kind of getting used to it,” said Aksalnik about Covid hampering plans once again. “It’s out of our control. There’s nothing we could really do about it. Safety of the players and the fans especially are our first concern.”

Last year, Rankin Inlet held a local tournament in lieu of the Tootoo memorial, and Aksalnik said that is still on the table between end of March and early April.

Aksalnik also coaches minor hockey, where his group of 50 youth are currently split into two, as only 25 are allowed on the ice for practice, due to Covid rules.

“The kids want to play against each other, and all you can do is practise,” he said, adding that the lack of game time also hampers professional development.

“When you can’t play, you can’t get better,” he said. “You can practise all you want but you need to get into game situations.”

He’s hopeful the Tootoo memorial can finally be held in the new Agnico Eagle Arena in 2023.

“I just hope this could all go away and we could get back to normal life and have all the tournaments that Rankin has every year,” said Aksalnik.

Juice ‘em if you got ‘em: Performance enhancers no problem in Beijing Northern News Services

Honestly, why bother anymore? Just let everyone snort, smoke, sniff, shoot and swallow whatever the hell they please and let the juice-pigging thrive. At least we’ll know it’s all on the level because all of the competitors will be doped through the nose. Or the esophagus. Or the bicep. Or whatever other crevice they can find.

Don’t tell my youngest daughter about the world’s heaviest strawberry on record because she will find it and eat it.

Guinness World Records has verified a 10.19 oz strawberry grown by Israeli farmer Ariel Chahi.

It’s apparently part of the Ilan variety, Movin’ on down which was first bred by Nir Dai, a reSo can we finally give up on the experiment searcher from the Israel’s Agricultural that is the Arizona Coyotes yet? As much Research Organization. Dai was on as the National Hockey League has tried, hand for the verification and credited hockey will simply never work in Arizona.

James McCarthy is the sports editor the strawberry’s size to unusually cold The Coyotes are being kicked out of at NNSL Media. Reach him at sports@ temperatures in January and February. their arena in the city of Glendale because nnsl.com I’ve seen bigger – the cartoon Hey the city doesn’t want them in it anymore.

Duggee had a massive strawberry It wasn’t even a negotiation – the city which looks heavier than 10.19 oz said get out and take your crap with you.

So, the Coyotes will be taking their crap with them to a brand and the character who grew it simply talked to it all day long.

Anyway. spankin’ new facility on the grounds of Arizona State University.

It’s a new multi-purpose job with what I assume will be state-ofthe-art amenities and plenty of seating.

Drugs, drugs, drugs …

I lied about that last part because the capacity is around 5,000 Remember last week when I told you about another Olympic drug cheat hailing from Russia? Well, maybe not really Russia because or so. This is where the team is now, gang. There are ECHL Russians aren’t allowed to compete as Russians at the Winter arenas with higher capacity and, most likely, a larger attendance Olympics after all, but figure skater Kamila Valieva is from Russia. per game than the Coyotes ever will get.

Valieva, who’s just 15 years old, recall, failed a pre-Olympic I can guarantee they won’t sell out this joint, either – the Coyotes drug test – it was a banned heart medication she juiced up on couldn’t sell out pad no. 3 of a four-plex in Mesa.

– and the threat of the non-Russian Russians having their gold Now, the Coyotes’ season-ticket base, all 17 of them, jumped medal taken away in the team competition was very real. But down my throat once upon a time because I had the nerve to fear not because the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has even mention the team moving. I would love for them to pick decided that it’s all OK. up on this one and defend what’s happening because the team’s In a press release, CAS stated that the investigation panel “… next move will probably be to someone’s makeshift, basement considered fundamental principles of fairness, proportionality, SportCourt rig. irreparable harm, and the relative balance of interests as between And finally … the Applicants and the Athlete, who did not test positive during Good Idea: Being a Little League umpire. the Olympic Games in Beijing and is still subject to a disciplinary Bad Idea: Being a Little League umpire and getting busted for procedure on the merits following the positive anti-doping test dealing meth. undertaken in December 2021 …. “ I’ve seen a lot of weird stuff go down in parking lots but this Essentially, CAS determined because it didn’t happen in Beijing, what’s the problem? And she’s 15 so if we don’t let her play, one is my new personal favourite.

We take you to Katy, Texas where an umpire working a Little she’ll have hurt feelings.

Valieva was able to skate in the women’s singles event on Feb. League tournament was charged by police for being in posses15 with no penalty and if she won a medal, there would be no sion of, and using, crystal meth in his car. Brent Thrasher was the arbiter in question and was picked up after parents noticed medal presentation. Whatever good that will do.

ᐃᖅᑲᖅᑐᐃᕕᖕᒥ ᐊᖏᖃᑎᒌᒐᓱᐊᕐᓂᕐᒧᑦ ᐱᙳᐊᕐᓂᕐᒧᑦ ᑐᑭᒧᐊᒃᑎᑦᑎᔨᒻᒪᕆᒃ ᒫᑎᐅ ᐲᑉ ᐅᖃᓪᓚᒃᐳᖅ ᑐᓴᒐᒃᓴᓕᐅᕐᓂᐅᔪᒥ 2022–ᒥ ᐅᑭᐅᒃᑯᑦ ᐱᙳᐊᕐᔪᐊᕐᓂᐅᔪᒥ, ᓇᒡᒐᔾᔭᐅᒥ ᕕᕗᐊᕆ 14, 2022–ᒥ, ᐸᐃᔨᖕᒥ. ᐃᖅᑲᖅᑐᐃᕕᒃ ᐋᖅᑭᒃᓯᓚᐅᖅᐳᖅ ᕿᓚᒻᒥᐅᔪᒥ ᐋᖅᑭᒃᓱᖅᑕᐅᔪᒥ ᑐᓵᑎᑦᑎᓂᐅᔪᒥ ᓇᒡᒐᔾᔭᐅᒥ ᐅᓪᓛᙳᖅᓰᓚᐅᖅᑐᒥ 15-ᓂ-ᐅᑭᐅᓕᒃ ᑲᒥᓚ ᕙᓖᕙ ᐱᓐᓇᕆᔭᐅᓛᖑᔪᖅ ᐊᕐᓇᓄᑦ ᓇᖕᒥᓂᖓᓂ ᒎᖢᒥ, ᓄᖅᑲᖅᑎᑕᐅᓪᓚᕆᒋᐊᖃᙱᓐᓂᖓᓂ ᓯᕗᓂᐊᓂ ᑕᒪᒃᑭᐅᒪᔪᒥ ᖃᐅᔨᒪᖅᑕᐅᒻᒪᕆᖕᓂᖓᓂ.

SPorts Talk

Court of Arbitration for Sport director general Matthieu Reeb speaks during a press conference at the 2022 Winter Olympics, Monday, Feb. 14, 2022, in Beijing. The Court ruled after a hastily arranged hearing that lasted into early Monday morning that the 15-year-old Kamila Valieva, the favorite for the women’s individual gold, does not need to be provisionally suspended ahead of a full investigation. AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki him up to “suspicious activity” behind the wheel. A total of 2.7 grams of meth was found by police and he was given the boot by tournament organizers.

Sports leagues of all sorts are facing shortages of suckers who think getting called every derogatory name ever invented is their idea of a good time. If someone needs a quick hit to make things go smoother, who are we to judge? Their strike zone already sucks, right?

Until next time, folks …