Friday, 31 July 2009

Moore restructuring Canada Music Fund

Moore restructuring Canada Music Fund
Heritage Minister James Moore has announced an increase in the Canada
Music Fund, the federal government's main fund to support the music
industry, but changes are coming in the way the fund distributes its
money.
Full Story:
http://links.cbc.ca/a/l.x?T=jncickgkjncnomlogooncokjng&M=34

AFRICA: BREAKING THE CURSE: LACK OF TRANSPARENCY IN MINING CONTRACTS

AFRICA: BREAKING THE CURSE: LACK OF TRANSPARENCY IN MINING CONTRACTS

http://tinyurl.com/ngpsvq

This report has been compiled by a group of African and international civil society organisations concerned about the lack of transparency in mining contracts, as well as the revenue that national budgets forego because of excessive mining tax concessionsas well as multinational mining companies avoiding and evading tax. Our analysis, drawn from research conducted in Ghana, Zambia, Tanzania, Sierra Leone, Malawi, DRC and South Africa, shows that African governments are foregoing millions of dollars in tax revenue from the mining industry. This is largely because of overly generous tax concessions, usually granted discretionarily in secret mining contracts, as well as tax avoidance and illegal tax evasion practices by multinational mining companies. Fuelling these losses is a lack of transparency and oversight of the financial remittances from mining companies to government institutions, coupled with the inability of government institutionsto audit the complicated accounts of multinational mining companies.
******
<http://www.sarwatch.org/publications/research-reports/36-research-reports/279-breaking-the-curse.html>

PDF
<http://www.sarwatch.org/sarwadocs/BreakingTheCurse.pdf>

Thursday, 30 July 2009

Canada must fight for its northern rights

Northerners push for Arctic ambassador
Regina Leader-Post - Regina,Saskatchewan,Canada
Simon, president of Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami and Canada's inaugural ambassador for circumpolar affairs from 1994 to 2003, says the job is crucial for giving ...
<http://www.leaderpost.com/Northerners+push+Arctic+ambassador/1844578/story.html>

Canada must fight for its northern rights
Times Colonist - Victoria,British Columbia,Canada
Before its release, Canada was one of the few circumpolar nations that had not issued a government policy outlining its vision and commitment to its Arctic. ...
<http://www2.canada.com/victoriatimescolonist/news/comment/story.html?id=9abee057-3d69-42af-8f37-497d5dcc7e53>

Canada's Relationship with Inuit: A History of Policy and Program Development

From: Diane Montreuil [Diane.Montreuil@ainc-inac.gc.ca]

Publication Available:
Canada's Relationship with Inuit: A History of Policy and Program Development

The Research and Analysis Directorate of Indian and Northern Affairs Canada, in conjunction with the Inuit Relations Secretariat, have published a book on Canada's relationship with Inuit. This book provides an overview of the Federal Government's Inuit policy and program development from first contact to 2006. Topics that are covered include the 1939 Re Eskimo decision that gave Canada constitutional responsibility for Inuit, post World War II acculturation and defence projects, law and justice, sovereignty and relocations, the E-number identification system, Inuit political organizations, comprehensive claim agreements, housing, healthcare, education, economic development, self-government, the environment, and urban issues.

For more information, please visit
http://www.ainc-inac.gc.ca/ai/rs/pubs/rsh4-eng.asp
To order a print or electronic (PDF format) copy of this publication, please contact INAC's Public Enquiries Contact Centre:

E-mail: Infopubs@ainc-inac.gc.ca
Phone:(toll-free) 1-800-567-9604

Minister Bob McLeod's Reply Re.: ITI and GNWT's NWT Arts release form and artists rights in the NWT

"... ITI would be open to again inviting CARFAC to conduct such workshops and ensuring that they are available to artists in all NWT regions. ..."
---

GEORGE LESSARD
Information, Communications and Media Specialist
451 Norseman Dr.
Yellowknife, Northwest Territories
X1A 2J1, Canada

Yellowknife Land Line # (867) 873-2662
Yellowknife Cell # (867) 445-9193
SKYPE: themediamentor

Online Business Card:
http://lessardcard.notlong.com

E-mail: mediamentor@gmail.com

Home Pages: http://mediamentor.ca
My panoramic images
http://panoramas-by-george.notlong.com
My YouTube:
http://www.youtube.com/user/mediamentor
Online Activities: http://www.web.ca/~media/index.html
Photos: http://photosbygeorge.notlong.com
Photo Illustrations: http://www.flickr.com/photos/george-lessard/sets/72157603627797568/
Etcetera: http://www.flickr.com/photos/george-lessard/sets/459582/

My Public Bookmarks: http://del.icio.us/themediamentor

Member:
Canadian Association of Journalists http://www.caj.ca
Canadian Artists Representation / le Front des artistes canadiennes http://www.carfac.ca/
Canadian Artists Representation Copyright Collective http://www.carcc.ca/

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Bob McLeod <Bob_McLeod@gov.nt.ca>
Date: 2009/7/30
Subject: FW: ITI and GNWT's NWT Arts release form and artists rights in the NWT
To: mediamentor@gmail.com
Cc: Bob Bromley <Bob_Bromley@gov.nt.ca>, David M Krutko <David_M_Krutko@gov.nt.ca>, David Ramsay <David_Ramsay@gov.nt.ca>, Floyd Roland <Floyd_Roland@gov.nt.ca>, Michael Miltenberger <Michael_Miltenberger@gov.nt.ca>, Glen Abernethy <Glen_Abernethy@gov.nt.ca>, Jackie Jacobson <Jackie_Jacobson@gov.nt.ca>, Jackson Lafferty <Jackson_Lafferty@gov.nt.ca>, Jane Groenewegen <Jane_Groenewegen@gov.nt.ca>, Kevin Menicoche <Kevin_Menicoche@gov.nt.ca>, Michael McLeod <Michael_McLeod@gov.nt.ca>, Norman Yakeleya <Norman_Yakeleya@gov.nt.ca>, Paul Delorey <Paul_Delorey@gov.nt.ca>, Robert C McLeod <Robert_C_McLeod@gov.nt.ca>, Robert Hawkins <Robert_Hawkins@gov.nt.ca>, Sandy Lee <Sandy_Lee@gov.nt.ca>, Tom Beaulieu <Tom_Beaulieu@gov.nt.ca>, Wendy Bisaro <Wendy_Bisaro@gov.nt.ca>

Mr. Lessard,

Thank you for your email about the NWT Artists Database and artists' rights. Promoting arts in the NWT is very important to the Department of Industry, Tourism, and Investment (ITI).

The NWT Artists Database is an NWT Program with the goal of providing exposure and publicity to NWT artists. Ensuring that artists are paid for the exhibition and use of their photographs is important to the Government of the Northwest Territories (GNWT). This particular Database is a voluntary promotional program for interested artists. More than 200 NWT artists have opted in to this Program so that their art can be featured on the web site and in related publications such as "ARTISTS' NEWSLINE", a regular GNWT Newsletter for the NWT Arts Community. It is just this sort of promotion of artist's works that is contemplated and allowed by the release form as presently worded.

In the case of public exhibitions of physical works of art, ITI either purchases the work in question or provides the artist with financial compensation for its display, even in cases where images of the work have been submitted to the NWT Artists Database. In your letter, you specifically mentioned tourism campaigns as being of concern; please note that NWT tourism campaigns are generally created by NWT Tourism, an outside agency that does not have the right to use photos submitted to the NWT Artists Database according to the terms of the release form in question. Furthermore, the Tourism and Parks Division of ITI has a policy of only using pictures from their photo library (which is distinct from the NWT Artists Database) and even then, only using photos once explicit consent has been obtained.

We also appreciate you expressing concern about the importance of artists being educated about their legal rights and obligations. To this end, the GNWT invited Canadian Artists' Representation/Le Front des Artistes Canadiens (CARFAC) to the NWT to deliver CARFAC's Copyright Workshop for artists. This was done both by directly inviting CARFAC to deliver a workshop, on July 15, 2004, and by providing funding for workshops generally to the Great North Arts Festival, with which the festival paid for a CARFAC representative to deliver such a workshop. ITI would be open to again inviting CARFAC to conduct such workshops and ensuring that they are available to artists in all NWT regions.

We appreciate your concerns and thank you for your interest in the NWT Artists Database Program which aims to help promote and advertise NWT artists and their works.

From: George Lessard [mailto:mediamentor@gmail.com]
Sent: Saturday, July 25, 2009 4:39 PM
To: YT CARFAC
Cc: Carla Wallis; Peter Vician; Bob Bromley; Bob McLeod; David M Krutko; David Ramsay; Floyd Roland; Michael Miltenberger; Glen Abernethy; Jackie Jacobson; Jackson Lafferty; Jane Groenewegen; Kevin Menicoche; Michael McLeod; Norman Yakeleya; Paul Delorey; Robert C McLeod; Robert Hawkins; Sandy Lee; Tom Beaulieu; Wendy Bisaro; Boris Atamanenko

Subject: Re: ITI and GNWT's NWT Arts release form and artists rights in the NWT

Mario Villeneuve

National President
Canadian Artists Representation / le Front des artistes canadiennes
P.O.Box 31256
Whitehorse, Yukon
Y1A 5P7
867-393-4515
Website: http://www.carfac.ca
carfac.yukon@hotmail.com

Mario,

Thanks for your interest in this issue here in the NWT.... as a long time member of Canadian Artists Representation / le Front des artistes canadiennes and the Canadian Artists Representation Copyright Collective, this issue, the lack of payments to artists by the Government of the Northwest Territories for their exhibition rights and the lack of education for artists on all of their artistic rights is of great concern to me, especially as the government's Department of Industry, Tourism and Investment is mandated to assist our artists in the development of the arts sector in the territory

"... Building on partnerships, our vision is to foster a diversified economy that provides all communities and regions of the NWT with opportunities and choices.

The Department of Industry, Tourism and Investment is working to meet this vision by: promoting development that reduces regional and community disparities; working with regional business corporations and other partners to identify new economic opportunities; Advancing alternative energy initiatives and supporting the development of sustainable local economies through small businesses and community-based sectors such as tourism, agriculture, arts and crafts, and the traditional economy. ..."
http://www.iti.gov.nt.ca/about-iti/

"... A valued reflection of the culture and history of the NWT's Aboriginal people, the production of traditional arts and fine crafts is also an important element of the Northwest Territories' economy.

This vibrant cottage industry is one of the key areas in which the Government of the Northwest Territories is working to promote economic activity in smaller communities and to expand and diversify sectors like tourism and the traditional economy.

The Department of Industry, Tourism and Investment supports the arts and crafts industry with a variety of programs and services developed and guided by the NWT Arts Strategy. Read more... ..."
http://www.iti.gov.nt.ca/artscrafts/

A little background....

About four years ago, when I lived in Fort Smith NWT, The Department of Industry, Tourism and Investment (ITI) http://www.iti.gov.nt.ca/artscrafts/ held its first (I believe) public workshop concerning its NWT Artists Database http://www.nwtarts.com/NWTArtist.aspx and during that workshop it became clear that they required a release for any images images an artist would contribute to their own entry in the database that would release it, automatically, for any use by any sector of the territorial government. See the text of the release here
http://www.nwtarts.com/pdf/Releaseformpackage.pdf

The lady presenting this workshop was / is Carla Wallis Manager, Arts & Fine Crafts... CARLA_WALLIS@gov.nt.ca (867) 920-6130 who also is listed as serving as NWT Film Commissioner (867) 920-8793 in the governments phone directory at
http://directory.gov.nt.ca/utility/directory/index.html

When I queried this provision of the release, pointing out that would automatically remove any potential for licensing (and realizing income from) these submitted images to any NWT government department (especially the tourism campaigns run by their department) I was told that their lawyer had told them that this was the only way that they could do this and if I had a problem with it I should talk to their lawyer... I did do this and the lawyer simply said... in effect, that I did not know what I was talking about, and as a lawyer, this person knew more than I did and I had the choice of not participating... but the release could not change because it represented the requirements of the law.

I suggested to the group that they should go to the CARFAC and Copyright Collective websites to learn about their rights as artists.

About a year ago, here in Yellowknife, Ms Wallis gave a very similar presentation and the same release form with the same conditions attached was included in the package of information and I brought up the same question concerning the apparent rights grab by the territorial government... this time there were several other artists in the audience who were also equally concerned with the "license" and the potential loss of revenue to the submitting artists.... The reception our queries received was as frigid as an Arctic night in February and we were once again told the same platitudes expressed to me in Fort Smith.... One individual was even motivated to bring it to the attention of CARFAC as I had also done..

This brings me to the most recent ITI presentation at the Great Northern Arts Festival...
Well... four years later... same old same old... no change... still the same rights and income grab from a government department that is supposed to be helping artists with the same defensive attitudes of the department's position.

Any help you and CARFAC can offer to the artists of the Northwest Territories to protect their rights and incomes against what seems to me as a rip-off, would, I'm certain, be welcome by the artists... and any understanding / implementation of policies recognizing / protecting these rights you and CARFAC might be able to help ITI and the GNWT with would, I'm also certain, be greatly appreciated by the artists and their heirs.

FYI .... I am CCing this to INDUSTRY, TOURISM & INVESTMENT's Ms Wallis and

ITI Minister......................Bob McLeod................ (867) 669-2388 BOB_MCLEOD@gov.nt.ca
ITI Deputy Minister...............Peter Vician............ (867) 920-8048 PETER_VICIAN@gov.nt.ca
and the MLAs of the NWT.

I am also releasing this e-mail to the NWT media and Artists organizations.... four years is too long for this issue to have remained hidden and for NWT artists to have been treated in this deplorable way by their government.

Yours truly,

GEORGE LESSARD
Information, Communications and Media Specialist
451 Norseman Dr.
Yellowknife, Northwest Territories
X1A 2J1, Canada

Yellowknife Land Line # (867) 873-2662
Yellowknife Cell # (867) 445-9193
SKYPE: themediamentor

Member:
Canadian Association of Journalists http://www.caj.ca
Canadian Artists Representation / le Front des artistes canadiennes http://www.carfac.ca/
Canadian Artists Representation Copyright Collective http://www.carcc.ca/

Online Business Card:
http://lessardcard.notlong.com

E-mail: mediamentor@gmail.com

Home Pages: http://mediamentor.ca
My panoramic images
http://panoramas-by-george.notlong.com
My YouTube:
http://www.youtube.com/user/mediamentor
Online Activities: http://www.web.ca/~media/index.html
Photos: http://photosbygeorge.notlong.com
Photo Illustrations: http://www.flickr.com/photos/george-lessard/sets/72157603627797568/
Etcetera: http://www.flickr.com/photos/george-lessard/sets/459582/

My Public Bookmarks: http://del.icio.us/themediamentor

2009/7/21 YT CARFAC <carfac.yukon@hotmail.com>

Thanks (...),
I will look into this, it is a bit of a broad request of rights. An other case of people just put legal jargon on a for without knowing what it means. I will get in touch with George via e-mail tonight, to see what we can do.
Thanks again for the head-up.
later
Mario

C/O Yukon Representative
National President
Mario Villeneuve
P.O.Box 31256
Whitehorse, Yukon
Y1A 5P7
867-393-4515
Website:www.carfac.ca

Wednesday, 29 July 2009

Call for Submission - 2010 Olympic - Northern Doll Exhibit

Call for Aboriginal Dolls
From: "Jennifer Bowen" Jennifer.Bowen@yac.ca
Date: Tue Jul 28, 2009 9:36 am ((PDT))

Attached is an information sheet and poster regarding the upcoming Northern Dolls Exhibit being held at the 2010 Olympics and the Yukon Art Center Gallery. If you know of any Aboriginal artists who are interested in participating or you wish to participate yourself, please contact Jennifer Bowen at the Yukon Art Center Office at (867)667-8460 or email jennifer.bowen@yac.ca

Deadline for applications is September 1, 2009.

Jennifer Bowen
Yukon Arts Center http://www.yukonartscentre.com/
Culture at 2010 - Visual Arts Coordinator
Tel: 867-667-8460

2010 Olympic - Northern Doll Exhibit
Call for Submission

The Yukon Arts Center is currently accepting submissions of hand-made dolls from Aboriginal Artists in Yukon, Northwest Territory, and Nunavut. Artists/Doll-makers are invited to design original dolls for the exhibit and doll owners are invited to lend dolls to the exhibit.
The dolls should represent the lifestyle of the North and its people. We are looking for a wide selection of dolls which can be contemporary or traditional and created from a variety of materials. The dolls selected by a curatorial committee, will be sent as an independent exhibit to the 2010 Vancouver Olympics, and will also be shown at the Yukon Arts Centre Public Gallery following the Olympics.
Eligibility
• Doll-makers/Artists, must be of Aboriginal decent and reside in Yukon, Northwest Territories or Nunavut
• Entries must be original, handmade and entirely the work of the entrant
• Entries must not be copies, derivatives, or based on other copyrighted material
Conditions
• Entries will be juried from digital images submitted by internet
• No work may exceed 50 pounds in weight
• Doll-makers/Artists, may not substitute another work for an accepted work, nor withdraw the
work after it has been accepted.
• No plastic dolls accepted

Accepted Work

• Doll-makers/Artists agree to allow accepted work to remain with the exhibit until the close of the exhibit, August 28, 2010. Artist retains all copyright on work.
• Artists will be paid CARFAC fees which are approximately $270 per doll and per exhibit. CARFAC is the federally certified representative organization of professional visual and media artists in Canada.
• The Yukon Arts Center will pay for shipping with insurance to and from the Yukon Arts Center and the Vancouver Olympic site. The doll’s value must be included for insurances purposes.
• The Yukon Arts Center reserves the right to photograph entries for the purpose of
documentation, education and publicity.
Deadline for submission: September 1, 2009

Application to Northern Doll Exhibit
Name:
Aboriginal Community:
Email:
Telephone:
Mailing Address:
Doll Description (50 to 100 words):
Materials Used and Measurements of Doll:
Application details can be copied and pasted into an email or faxed directly to 867-393-6300
All images must be sent via email to jennifer.bowen@yac.ca

Tuesday, 28 July 2009

Deh Cho Bridge delayed by a year

Deh Cho Bridge delayed by a year
Construction of the Deh Cho Bridge in the Northwest Territories will be delayed by at least one year, meaning it won't open in fall 2010 as planned, officials with the N.W.T. government and the company building the bridge said Tuesday.
Full Story:
http://links.cbc.ca/a/l.x?T=jncickgkoameoogdfigifkbn&M=26

Mouseland

Tommy Douglas and a vision for Saskatchewan

Sunday, 26 July 2009

57 Years Of Silence: Arviat's Annie Ollie has heard enough. "They were so racist.."

57 Years Of Silence
Now-60-year-old documents shed light on the 'racist' aftermath of a plane
crash that killed 20 whites and Inuit

http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/opinion/columnists/57-years-of-silence-51734227.html

[excerpts]

"... Annie Ollie has heard enough. Searching for years now for some basic truths about a plane crash in Northern Manitoba that took the life of her father's young, polio-stricken sister in 1949, the Arviat resident is struck silent by new facts revealed about the RCAF accident.

The plane crash was this province's greatest air disaster. The RCAF investigation into the cause of the crash was never made public, the truth carefully, purposely hidden for 60 years now.

This spring, spurred on by a call for help from Inuit families in the Eastern Arctic, I went looking for answers to a lot of outstanding questions about the tragedy. A month ago, the government files I requested from Library and Archives Canada arrived. I spent about eight hours combing through the faded copies of microfilmed documents.

The details of the investigation's findings are unsettling for Ollie and other residents in Nunavut who lost loved ones when the amphibious plane crashed in a severe storm Aug. 21 1949, near Norway House.

Only three years ago they found out their loved ones were buried in a mass, unmarked grave at the reserve, ending 57 years of mystery surrounding the crash there. Now, they've been given the answer -- or likely the closest thing to it -- to the mystery behind that decision, some explanation for why the bodies of the seven Inuit were treated differently than the 13 others, all white, all from Southern Canada, and taken with care and respect south to Winnipeg, then transported across the country to the hometowns for burial.

That decision to bury the Inuit -- bundled in canvas, placed into a single wooden coffin at the local cemetery -- appears to have been that of a single man, Dr. Joseph P. Moody, who was hired by the federal government to serve at Chesterfield Inlet. Moody handled, by himself, at least in the early days, a virulent polio epidemic that raced through the families and hamlets along the Hudson Bay coast in the winter of 1948 and into 1949.

An RCMP report and memos attached to it indicate that Dr. Moody issued the order not to bring the bodies of the seven Inuit, airlifted out for medical care at Winnipeg's King George Hospital, back to the Arctic.

It's a hard landing for the families who have been struggling to understand why the bodies weren't flown home.

"They were so racist," says Annie Ollie, of the mindset of non-aboriginals in authority in the mid-century administration of the Eastern Arctic, a land of nomadic Inuit only just starting to settle into centres with basic, government services.

"My people had to live that (racist attitude). I think it also affected how Dr. Moody made his decisions," says the soft-spoken Ollie...."

"...The tragedy, however, was compounded by a monumental betrayal out of the high offices of the Defence Department that hid from Canadians the truth behind, and the government's own culpability in, the crash.

In fact, the details were even withheld from the Manitoba attorney general, who deferred calling a routine inquest, assuring the public that the Air Force investigation would reveal all.

"Transcripts of evidence may be released to the Attorney General but the
findings and recommendations must not, repeat must not, be disclosed," wrote R.V. Mulligan from Air Force headquarters in Ottawa, on Sept. 10, 1949.

"It's so overwhelming," says Ollie.

Many elderly Inuit remember Dr. Moody, who served at a Chesterfield Inlet hospital run by Catholic missionary nurses.

One Rankin Inlet resident, who lost his mother and three other relatives
in the crash, is dumbfounded to learn, after all these years, that Moody is the reason the bodies did not come home.

Agnes Adams says her elderly uncle, Francois Kaput, is adamant that Moody never told his family their mother, Arnaluktituaq, her granddaughter,
son-in-law and niece would not come back to Chesterfield.

"They were never told the bodies were going to be buried down south," says Adams, whose sister Aniasie (Arnaluktituaq's granddaughter) perished in the crash. "They waited for the bodies (to be sent back) but they never came."

It is a cruel blow to her uncles, Kaput and Tony Amarok, who wondered for years where their mother's body lay...."

"...For the Inuit, the story unveiled by the faded documents and memos, copied to microfilm and filed away for antiquity, is particularly awful.

An RCMP report of the details on how the bodies were handled gives abundant detail about the white bodies and their personal effects, right down to the concern over finding a diamond engagement ring the physiotherapist's fiancé had sent to her at Chesterfield Inlet.

An RCMP memo indicates someone recognized the insensitivity of Dr. Moody's order to take the Inuit bodies to Norway House.

Underscoring a paragraph that relayed Moody's instructions, a handwritten note to the director of the Northwest Territories and Yukon Administration said: "Apparently Dr. Moody has advised the next of kin of the Eskimos killed in the crash. I think it would be interesting to have a report from< him regarding the reaction and his views."

The paper trail stopped there.

For Ollie, having searched for years for the story of the fate of her aunt, the story confirms what she's been told by elders of life with the white man in the days the North was being "settled."

Ollie has been to the mass grave at Norway House.

The story's not over yet. Ollie wants to reclaim the remains of her fathers' sister.

"That day will come that my aunt will be buried where she is from."

catherine.mitchell@freepress.mb.ca

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition July 26, 2009 A10..."

Arctic ice photos kept secret by the Bush Administration

More of the Arctic ice photos kept secret by the Bush Administration

Almost two weeks ago, the Obama Administration declassified about 1,000
satellite photographs of Arctic ice the Bush Administration had kept under
wraps. The photos didn't make much of a splash until this morning,
however, when two English newspapers, the Guardian and the Daily Mail,
published this startling specimen:

http://trueslant.com/jeffmcmahon/2009/07/26/declassified-arctic-ice-photos/

- - - - -

Revealed: the secret evidence of global warming Bush tried to hide

Photos from US spy satellites declassified by the Obama White House
provide the first graphic images of how the polar ice sheets are
retreating in the summer. The effects on the world's weather, environments
and wildlife could be devastating

http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2009/jul/26/climate-change-obama-administration

- - - -

Revealed: The secret evidence of global warming in Alaska that President
Bush did not want you to see

Saturday, 25 July 2009

Preview this book Language, politics, and social interaction in an Inuit community By Donna Patrick

Language, politics, and social interaction in an Inuit community
By Donna Patrick

"Since the early 1970s, the Inuit of Arctic Quebec have struggled to
survive economically and culturally in a rapidly changing northern
environment. The promotion and maintenance of Inuktitut, their native
language, through language policy and Inuit control over institutions,
have played a major role in this struggle. Language, Politics, and Social
Interaction in an Inuit Community is a study of indigenous language
maintenance in an Arctic Quebec community where four languages -
Inuktitut, Cree, French, and English - are spoken. It examines the role
that dominant and minority languages play in the social life of this
community, linking historical analysis with an ethnographic study of
face-to-face interaction and attitudes towards learning and speaking
second and third languages in everyday life."

http://books.google.com/books?id=7-mJPQxJQVgC&dq=nunavik&source=gbs_navlinks_s

Nunavik By Ann Vick-Westgate

As a history of the development of self-government in education, Nunavik
provides Native perspectives on formal education in Nunavik while offering
readers a unique view into contemporary Inuit society. This book documents
the development of education from the arrival of the first traders and
missionaries in the mid-nineteenth century through the creation of the
Kativik School Board and the evaluation of its operations by the Nunavik
Education Task Force in the 1990s. Richly illustrated.

http://books.google.com/books?id=F-NhZqwCFRMC&dq=nunavik&source=gbs_navlinks_s

De Beers 1H Sales -54%, Profits -99%, production fell 73 percent

De Beers 1H Sales -54%, Profits -99% - Democratic Underground

[excerpt]

RAPAPORT... De Beers Group's sales for the first half of 2009 fell 54
percent to $1.7 billion. The company reported net earnings of $3 million,
which was a drop of 99 percent. De Beers registered underlying losses —
i.e., operating losses — of $164 million, compared with underlying
earnings of $350 million one year ago. First-half sales for the Diamond
Trading Company (DTC) were down 57 percent to $1.4 billion. De Beers
noted the sales decline was "due to reduced purchases by sightholders as
they worked to reduce inventory levels and increase liquidity in the face
of the global economic downturn."

Production fell 73 percent to 6.6 million carats as many mining operations
were placed on care and maintenance during the first quarter.
Subsequently, though, all except one mine have resumed operations,
according to De Beers. For the full year, De Beers predicts production
will be half that of 2008.

De Beers reduced costs by more than 50 percent in the first half,
realizing $612 million in savings and reducing capital expenses by $241
million. Shareholders provided $500 million in additional subordinated
loan funding, brining total loans to $817 million before International
Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) interest adjustments. The company
stated that it is working with banks to renew a $1.5 billion term loan,
which expires in March 2010. Net debt as of June 2009 was at $4.1 billion,
up from $3.8 billion in December.

http://www.diamonds.net/news/NewsItem.aspx?ArticleID=27267

Re: ITI and GNWT's NWT Arts release form and artists rights in the NWT

Mario Villeneuve
National President
Canadian Artists Representation / le Front des artistes canadiennes
P.O.Box 31256
Whitehorse, Yukon
Y1A 5P7
867-393-4515
Website: http://www.carfac.ca
carfac.yukon@hotmail.com

Mario,

Thanks for your interest in this issue here in the NWT.... as a long time member of Canadian Artists Representation / le Front des artistes canadiennes and the Canadian Artists Representation Copyright Collective, this issue, the lack of payments to artists by the Government of the Northwest Territories for their exhibition rights and the lack of education for artists on all of their artistic rights is of great concern to me, especially as the government's Department of Industry, Tourism and Investment is mandated to assist our artists in the development of the arts sector in the territory

"... Building on partnerships, our vision is to foster a diversified economy that provides all communities and regions of the NWT with opportunities and choices.

The Department of Industry, Tourism and Investment is working to meet this vision by: promoting development that reduces regional and community disparities; working with regional business corporations and other partners to identify new economic opportunities; Advancing alternative energy initiatives and supporting the development of sustainable local economies through small businesses and community-based sectors such as tourism, agriculture, arts and crafts, and the traditional economy. ..."
http://www.iti.gov.nt.ca/about-iti/

"... A valued reflection of the culture and history of the NWT's Aboriginal people, the production of traditional arts and fine crafts is also an important element of the Northwest Territories' economy.

2009/7/21 YT CARFAC <carfac.yukon@hotmail.com>

Thanks (...),
I will look into this, it is a bit of a broad request of rights. An other case of people just put legal jargon on a for without knowing what it means. I will get in touch with George via e-mail tonight, to see what we can do.
Thanks again for the head-up.
later
Mario

C/O Yukon Representative
National President
Mario Villeneuve
P.O.Box 31256
Whitehorse, Yukon
Y1A 5P7
867-393-4515
Website:www.carfac.ca

Wednesday, 22 July 2009

Vancouver Screening with Natar Ungalaaq (Atanarjuat: The Fast Runner)

Screening with Natar Ungalaaq

Inuit actor Natar Ungalaaq (Atanarjuat: The Fast Runner) will be visiting Vancouver for a special screening of Benoît Pilon's compelling feature The Necessities of Life (Ce Qu'il Faut Pour Vivre) presented as part of the First Weekend Club's Canada Screens series.

Ungalaaq won best actor at Quebec's Jutra Awards and Vancouver Critics Circle awards for his lead role as an Inuit hunter who faces culture shock and language barriers when he is quarantined and relocated to a Quebec City sanatorium during a tuberculosis outbreak.

The film was also a semi-finalist for a best foreign language Oscar.

At the screening on August 5 at District 319 (319 Main Street), Ungalaaq will participate in a post-screening Q&A.

There'll be a wine reception (7 p.m., with music by Jen Hershman) before the show (8 p.m.) and a post-screening party as well.

Tickets must be purchased by August 4 (2 p.m.) from the FWC Web site or calling 604-734-8339.

via

http://www.straight.com/article-241524/flick-picks-natar-ungalaaq-visits-vancouver-vancouver-film-race-screening

Shark meat to provide energy source for Inuit villages

Shark meat to provide energy source for Inuit villages
Biofuels International - London,UK
The Arctic Technology Centre (ARTEK) is heading a pilot study to produce
biofuel from fishing industry waste. The Greenland Shark, one of the
world's ...
<http://www.biofuels-news.com/industry_news.php?item_id=1060>

"...The Greenland Shark, one of the world's largest species of shark, is
killed in large numbers by fishermen, either accidentally when they become
entangled in nets or deliberately to prevent predation of commercially
valuable species such as squid.

Unfortunately, the flesh is toxic to humans, and so the bodies, which can
weigh up to a tonne, are usually thrown back into the sea.

Now researchers at ARTEK are experimenting with an alternative use for the
oily flesh – producing biogas to supply the energy needs of isolated
Arctic villages...."

Images of Inuvik's Great Northern Arts Festival 2009 by George Lessard

Monday, 20 July 2009

Weather History - July 20 1973- Arviat, Nunavut

1973
Nunavut Canada's hottest day on record as the town of Arviat hit 93°.

From
http://www.examiner.com/x-4645-Wilmington-Weather-Examiner~y2009m7d19-Weather-History--July-20-Record-Heat-Severe-Storms-Flooding-Hurricane-Danny--Hurricane-Emily

Saturday, 18 July 2009

The rights of Arctic peoples - Not a barren country

The rights of Arctic peoples

Not a barren country

Economist - UK
The Inuit Circumpolar Council (ICC), which brings together Inuit representatives from around the Arctic, declared "sovereignty" over the Arctic's natural ...
<http://www.economist.com/world/international/displaystory.cfm?story_id=14031276>

"... From New Zealand to Peru, the cause of indigenous people is one that stirs passion and widespread sympathy. A common struggle is either to curb mining or gain a share of the proceeds. In Canada a pressing demand is for consultation about their fate well before the prospectors arrive; in many places (Australia for example) the aboriginal peoples are struggling with social problems from alcoholism to domestic violence, brought by Europeans' arrival and the end of traditional nomadism.

But if the indigenous peoples have a good chance of asserting real economic and political power anywhere, then it is probably the Arctic. The polar peoples are still relatively numerous; few outsiders have been able to adapt to the beautiful but harsh physical environment. And most of the countries where they live happen to be democracies.

The sense of pride in Greenland is palpable. Greenlandic has become the official language. Embassies will soon be replacing consulates in Nuuk. "It's our land, our language, we have to do things ourselves," explains a local woman....

[...]

A pair of trump cards

Two factors, however, may boost Inuit bargaining power. One, oddly, is climate change. The receding ice cap in Greenland, and the melting of sea ice in the Arctic Ocean, are both threats and opportunities for his region, argues Mr Kleist. On the one hand warmer winters can make life harder for hunters, especially for those who rely on predictable sea ice. More rain and snow fall on Greenland in the winter. In some low-lying parts of the Arctic, the rising sea and storms are forcing whole villages to up sticks. Elsewhere melting permafrost is harming roads and runways. That raises costs for mining companies, seeking gold, rubies, diamonds, zinc, iron and more.

But warmer weather also stokes tourism: watching icebergs, for example, in Ilulissat, the third-largest town, where plans to extend the airport for long-haul flights are under way. The loss of pack ice also makes sea-transport in the Arctic easier for longer periods each year. And fishermen report a rise in some fish stocks.

Thinner sea ice is also making it easier to drill for oil and gas in the region, a second factor which could improve its prospects. Many local leaders worry that a large hydrocarbon industry in otherwise untouched parts of the Arctic threatens a vulnerable ecology—but they can hardly ignore a potential bonanza.

In the short term, many decisions about energy extraction in the polar regions will be made in courts and legislatures much farther south. For example, courts in the continental United States have been hearing disputes between oil firms and environmental groups about drilling in Alaskan waters.

A mixture of green challenges and the uncertain geopolitical outlook (Russia has identified the Arctic as a place where its aspirations may well conflict with those of neighbouring powers) mean that the world's oil and gas companies will have some hard calculations to make before they plunge into the melting waters of the pole. Almost all the sovereign powers in the region are making claims under the United Nations Law of the Sea, which allows countries to claim ownership of economic rights in parts of the seabed that are a physical extension of their own territory. Canada has until 2013 to file its claim—and intends to do so.

Friday, 17 July 2009

Artcirq at GNAF 2009... # 6

Artcirq at GNAF 2009 http://www.gnaf.org/ ... for more information see:
http://www.artcirq.org

Guillaume Ittukssarjuat Saladin clown@total.net
Quebec Province
1.514.581.8033
or
PO Box 215
Igloolik (Nunavut)
X0A 0L0
Canada
1.867.934.8033

Artcirq at GNAF 2009... # 3

Artcirq at GNAF 2009... # 1

2009 International Polar Year Film Festival - CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS

2009 International Polar Year Film Festival - CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS
Posted by: "Dan Sokolowski" filmfest@kiac.ca dawsonfilmfest
Date: Thu Jul 16, 2009 6:36 am ((PDT))

2009 INTERNATIONAL POLAR YEAR FILM FESTIVAL – CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS

Letter of Introduction & Call for Submissions:

The Canadian Film Institute, working in partnership with the
International Polar Year, is seeking entries for the International Polar
Year Film Festival. The International Polar Year is an event with over
60 countries involved in an intense program of scientific research
focused on the Arctic and Antarctic. This special film festival will
bring together an international selection of works exploring the issues
and activities of the International Polar Year. Ranging from educational
works (documentaries, industrial films) to fiction films, the Festival
will celebrate the rich diversity of the polar region, as well as
examine the many challenges it faces in the 21^st Century.

The Canadian Film Institute, committed to programming a dynamic and
diverse selection of works related to the representation of the Arctic,
welcomes submissions from all film and video practices, including
science and research.

The IPY Film Festival will take place from September 28-30 in the
Auditorium of Library and Archives Canada in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.

Submissions must be sent in a playable DVD or video format (NTSC). Send
submissions as soon as possible, as the process of selection is already
underway. If possible, please include a director's biography,
filmography, a film still, contact information, and any other relevant
information.

Send submissions to:

*CANADIAN FILM INSTITUTE*
2 Daly Avenue | Suite 120
Ottawa | Ontario | Canada
K1N 6E2
Tel: 613.232.6727
Fax: 613.232.6315
info@cfi-icf.ca <mailto:info@cfi-icf.ca>

Contact Scott Birdwise of the Canadian Film Institute at
birdwise@cfi-icf.ca <mailto:birdwise@cfi-icf.ca> for further information.

Please forward this email to relevant producers, filmmakers, and other
parties who may be interested.

We look forward to hearing from you.

All the best,

Canadian Film Institute

George Lessard on CBC Radio North today

Interviewed about Northern artists rights and my work by Roy Goose here in Inuvik yesterday... word is that the interview / feature will air today (Friday July 17th) sometime during the noon hour broadcast (Mountain Time) on CBC North (radio) which streams via the UR below L.. (see the "Listen live to CBC Radio" click on the CBC Radio One Yellowknife or the CBC Radio One Inuvik feed)
http://www.cbc.ca/north/

Might also appear on Podcasts The North This Week

---

GEORGE LESSARD

Yellowknife, Northwest Territories

Yellowknife Land Line # (867) 873-2662
Yellowknife Cell # (867) 445-9193
SKYPE: themediamentor

Online Business Card:
http://lessardcard.notlong.com

Home Pages: http://mediamentor.ca
My panoramic images
http://panoramas-by-george.notlong.com
My YouTube:
http://www.youtube.com/user/mediamentor
Online Activities: http://www.web.ca/~media/index.html
Photos: http://photosbygeorge.notlong.com
Photo Illustrations: http://www.flickr.com/photos/george-lessard/sets/72157603627797568/
Etcetera: http://www.flickr.com/photos/george-lessard/sets/459582/

Thursday, 16 July 2009

Good Time Delta Band # 02

The Old Time Dance - Jig 'Till You Can't Jig No More... with James Rogers and the Good Time Delta Band, Monday July 13, 2009 at the Great Northern Arts Festival in Inuvik Northwest Territories, Canada
For more on GNAF, please visit their website at http://www.gnaf.org/

Good Time Delta Band # 03

Good Time Delta Band # 04

MLA requests privacy in probe of N.W.T. premier's affair

CBC.ca - Toronto,Ontario,Canada
Northwest Territories Premier Floyd Roland is set to ask a conflict-of-interest adjudicator Thursday not to make public some emails he had exchanged with a ...
<http://www.cbc.ca/canada/north/story/2009/07/16/roland-hearing.html>

NWT joins cross-border Pacific-Northwest group of states, provinces

NWT joins cross-border Pacific-Northwest group of states, provinces
The Canadian Press
The Northwest Territories is joining a cross-border group of five US states and three Canadian provinces and territories seeking to promote global economic ...
<http://www.google.com/hostednews/canadianpress/article/ALeqM5gfHuG-fkCF544nfq4ib4AD77bI2Q>

Wednesday, 15 July 2009

NWT crime prevention projects get $9M

NWT crime prevention projects get $9M
CBC.ca - Toronto,Ontario,Canada
Five crime prevention projects in the Northwest Territories, including three in Yellowknife, will receive a total $9 million in federal funding announced ...
<http://www.cbc.ca/canada/north/story/2009/07/13/nwt-crime-prevention.html>

Five crime prevention projects in the Northwest Territories, including three in Yellowknife, will receive a total of $9.3 million in federal funding announced late last week.

Most of the multi-year funding, announced Friday, will go toward projects targeting at-risk youth in Yellowknife, Hay River, and on the K'atlodeeche First Nations Reserve near Hay River.

The youth projects aim to build up young people's abilities to cope with problems, set goals, and resist violence and substance abuse.

"You don't see the results right away, but years into the future we hope that we will see, through initiatives like this, stronger, more vibrant, safer, better more pleasant communities," Public Safety Minister Peter Van Loan told reporters in Yellowknife on Friday.

Receiving the largest share of federal money is the Yellowknife Catholic Schools board, which will get $7.1 million over five years for a youth leadership program for high-risk children and teens.

The South Slave Divisional Educational Council in Hay River will receive $1.4 million over five years for its own leadership program, working with youths aged 12 to 19.

The K'atlodeeche First Nations Reserve will get just under $474,000 over three years to provide workshops in life skills, personal development and employment skills, as well as provide outdoor and cultural activities.

Two other Yellowknife-based crime prevention programs are receiving federal funding, including a pilot project by the Coalition Against Family Violence subcommittee.

The project, which will receive $160,000 over 15 months, will target men who are likely to use violence in their intimate relationships. It will be based in Yellowknife, the capital city.

"I know everyone thinks Yellowknife gets everything, but Yellowknife also gets a lot of people that aren't welcome in their home communities because they've burned bridges or because they've made the choice. Some people just choose to live in a bigger centre because maybe there are more job opportunities," said Lydia Bardak, executive director of the John Howard Society of the N.W.T., who is also a member of the coalition's subcommittee.

"If we look at, for example, the homeless population, so many of those people are from another original home community but [are] living here. So yes, Yellowknife does seem to get a lot, but we also have a lot of the social problems that exist, and we have a lot of the service providers here and the expertise for delivering the services."

Bardak said the project will be tested in Yellowknife before being implemented in other northern communities.

Also receiving funding will be a territorial government program that works with 85 crime prevention professionals across the territory. That initiative will receive $166,000 over 15 months.

Northern aboriginal suicide rate lower in Norway: researcher

Northern aboriginal suicide rate lower in Norway: researcher
CBC.ca - Toronto,Ontario,Canada
Silviken said such factors mean the Sami are not as disadvantaged as some other indigenous groups around the circumpolar world. At the same time, she said, ...
<http://www.cbc.ca/canada/north/story/2009/07/14/sami-suicide.html>

Nunavut struggles with 'hidden homelessness'

Nunavut struggles with 'hidden homelessness'
CTV.ca - Canada
Many Nunavut families are living in substandard housing conditions, a widespread problem that is mostly unknown to those living outside the far north ...
<http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20090714/habitat_humanity_090714/20090714?hub=Canada>

100-plus firms dropped from Nunavut registry

100-plus firms dropped from Nunavut registry
CBC.ca - Toronto,Ontario,Canada
The Nunavut government's registry of businesses http://nni.gov.nu.ca/ eligible for preferential access to government contracts has shrunk by more than 100 listings recently. ...
<http://www.cbc.ca/canada/north/story/2009/07/14/nni-businesses.html>

Tuesday, 14 July 2009

Mary Simon: Canada - act with vigilance on the climate crisis ..

Mary Simon: Canada - act with vigilance on the climate crisis ...

Canada's Shameful Inaction on Climate Change

by Mary Simon

(First published July 10, 2009 in the Toronto Star)

Each day that Canada delays taking concrete action on climate change, more
shoreline erodes in the Northwest Territories hamlet of Tuktoyaktuk,
narrowing the peninsula on which it sits and bringing its 1000 residents
ever closer to the ...
<http://www.studentsonice.com/blog/?p=787>

North Arrow Discovers New Spodumene Pegmatites at Phoenix Lithium in NWT

North Arrow Discovers New Spodumene Pegmatites at Phoenix Lithium ...
Market Wire (press release) - USA
... and mapping program at its Phoenix Lithium project in Canada's
Northwest Territories has resulted in the discovery of spodumene-bearing
pegmatites at ...
<http://www.marketwire.com/press-release/North-Arrow-Minerals-Inc-TSX-VENTURE-NAR-1016661.html>

Parks Canada offered role in search for Franklin ships

Parks Canada offered role in search for Franklin ships
CBC.ca - Toronto,Ontario,Canada
He said the British remain fascinated with Franklin's disappearance and
locating the ships would be big news in both England and in Nunavut, where
the ...
<http://www.cbc.ca/canada/north/story/2009/07/13/franklin-search-procom.html>

She's Having Nunavut: Flip that THULE house!

She's Having Nunavut: Flip that THULE house!
By Hazell
She's Having Nunavut. An Archaeologist and Friend in the Canadian High
Arctic. Monday, July 13, 2009. Flip that THULE house! Ok Folks. Welcome to
the hottest new house and home renovation show: Flip that THULE house! ...
<http://havingnunavut.blogspot.com/2009/07/flip-that-thule-house.html>

RCMP officer in Nunavut charged after alleged assault in police lockup

RCMP officer in Nunavut charged after alleged assault in police lockup
The Canadian Press - IQALUIT, Nunavut
IQALUIT, Nunavut — An RCMP officer from Iqaluit is accused of assaulting
two people who were in police custody. Police say the Mountie was on duty
in the ...
<http://www.google.com/hostednews/canadianpress/article/ALeqM5iwE-loP-I_ZI5SKNcGNiuWOEc2rw>

Passport Canada Mobile Passport Unit in Yellowknife July 22, 2009

Passport Canada Mobile Passport Unit in Yellowknife

GATINEAU, QC, July 13 /CNW Telbec/ - Officials from the Passport Canada
Mobile Passport Unit will be in Yellowknife on July 22 to review and accept
completed passport applications.

Date: July 22, 2009

Location: Chateau Nova Hotel and Suites
4401 50th Avenue
Yellowknife, NWT

Time: Noon to 8 p.m.

The only acceptable methods of fee payment at these clinics will be:
certified cheque, money order (postal or bank) made payable to the "Receiver
General for Canada", VISA, MasterCard and American Express. Payment by
cash or
debit will NOT be accepted.
Passport application forms can be downloaded from the Passport Canada
website, completed electronically, printed and signed. The form can also be
obtained at any Passport Canada office, Service Canada Centre or Canada Post
office.
For more information, please visit the Passport Canada website at
www.passportcanada.gc.ca or call 1-800-567-6868.
Passport Canada reminds Canadian citizens to prepare for any travel to
the United States by applying for a passport to enter the United States under
the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI).
The WHTI is a US law that requires all travellers, including Canadian and
American citizens, to present a valid passport when entering the United
States
from within the western hemisphere.

For further information: Media enquiries: (819) 934-3837

Monday, 13 July 2009

Inside the 2009 GNAF Gallery

Sunday, 12 July 2009

Delta Drummers and Dancers of Tuktoyaktuk, Inuvik and Aklavik, NT

"....Delta Drummers and Dancers of Tuktoyaktuk, NT. These songs are really old and we are proud of our culture. Performing in Tuktoyaktuk at Kitti Hall, dancing the polar bear song. ..."
05 October 2008

Lawsuit Pending to Protect Polar Bears From Pesticides

Lawsuit Pending to Protect Polar Bears From Pesticides
Environment News Service - USA
The Center found support for its position in conclusions reached last week by polar bear scientists and managers representing each of the five circumpolar ...
<http://www.ens-newswire.com/ens/jul2009/2009-07-10-093.asp

Saturday, 11 July 2009

The Whale Bone enters

Tribute to Artists Past, Great Northern Arts Festival 2009, Inuvik NWT

Nellie Cournoyea Opening the Great North Arts Festival 2009 Inuvik, NWT

Derek Lindsay, Mayor of Inuvik NWT Opens GNAF 2009

Tony Whitford Opens the Great Northern Arts Festival in Inuvik NWT

Opening Prayers at the GNAF 2009

Friday, 10 July 2009

GNAF Inuvik Prequil

Internet access a bit of a problem... there will be a delay while
internet connections are established... have arrived..things look
interesting... more later.. am actually sending this via my cell
phone..

--
---

GEORGE LESSARD

451 Norseman Dr.
Yellowknife, Northwest Territories
X1A 2J1, Canada

Yellowknife Land Line # (867) 873-2662
Yellowknife Cell # (867) 445-9193
SKYPE: themediamentor

Online Business Card:
http://lessardcard.notlong.com

E-mail: mediamentor@gmail.com

Home Pages: http://mediamentor.ca
My panoramic images
http://preview.tinyurl.com/georges-panoramic-photos
My YouTube:
http://www.youtube.com/user/mediamentor
Online Activities: http://www.web.ca/~media/index.html
Photos: http://photosbygeorge.notlong.com
Photo Illustrations:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/george-lessard/sets/72157603627797568/
Etcetera: http://www.flickr.com/photos/george-lessard/sets/459582/

My Public Bookmarks: http://del.icio.us/themediamentor

Member:
Canadian Association of Journalists http://www.caj.ca
Canadian Artists Representation / le Front des artistes canadiennes
http://www.carfac.ca/
Canadian Artists Representation Copyright Collective http://www.carcc.ca/

Thursday, 9 July 2009

Today's stories about Nunavut from the web

Government of Canada Assists Nunavut With 2008 Flood Costs

Market Wire (press release) - USA
IQALUIT, NUNAVUT--(Marketwire - July 8, 2009) - The Honourable Peter Van Loan, Minister of Public Safety, was joined by Nunavut's Premier Eva Aariak and the ...
<http://www.marketwire.com/press-release/Government-Of-Canada-1014651.html>

Industry and tradition clash in Nunavut
Northern News Services (subscription) - Yellowknife,Northwest Territories,Canada
Carson Gillis, director of lands and resources for Nunavut Tunngavik Inc., said instances of workers failing to show up are often a function of bad timing. ...
<http://nnsl.com/northern-news-services/stories/papers/jul6_09wf.html>

Nunavut updates emergency plans
CBC.ca - Toronto,Ontario,Canada
Outdated emergency readiness plans are being dusted off and updated across Nunavut, says its manager of emergency preparedness and protection services. ...
<http://www.cbc.ca/canada/north/story/2009/07/08/north-emergencyplans.html>

Updated Tuesday, July 7, 2009 / Distributed in all Nunavut communities
Northern News Services (subscription) - Yellowknife,Northwest Territories,Canada
Johnny Meeko accepts a $3600 cheque from Annie Kittosuk, Chair of Najuqsivik Society. Meeko has volunteered with the local non-profit society for years, ...
<http://nnsl.com/northern-news-services/stories/papers/jul7_09nunavut.html>

Nunavut's first Olympic volunteer
Northern News Services (subscription) - Yellowknife,Northwest Territories,Canada
IQALUIT - Nunavut will have at least one volunteer at the 2010 Winter
Olympic Games in Vancouver. Dallas Anderson of Iqaluit has been selected by the ...
<http://nnsl.com/northern-news-services/stories/papers/jul7_09holder4.html>

Public support builds for Iqaluit-Nuuk flights
CBC.ca - Toronto,Ontario,Canada
Officials with Air Greenland will travel to Nunavut this month to talk about re-establishing direct flights between Iqaluit and the Greenland capital of ...
<http://www.cbc.ca/canada/north/story/2009/07/07/iqa-nuuk-flights.html>

Media Advisory: Human Resources and Skills Development Canada
NewsBlaze - Folsom,CA,USA
IQALUIT, NUNAVUT - (Marketwire - July 7, 2009) - The Honourable Leona Aglukkaq, Minister of Health and Member of Parliament for Nunavut, and Mr. Jean-Guy ...
<http://newsblaze.com/story/2009070710040200001.cc/topstory.html>

Nunavut joins Vancouver 2010 Team: Torch planned to come through ...
IQALUIT, Nunavut - With only seven months to go until the start of the 2010 Winter Games, Nunavut has joined in the excitement. The territory's unique culture will be showcased to a global audience during the Games as part of a ...
<http://www.usoc.org/news/article/14128>

Nunavut updates emergency plan
By yukonmuse
Nunavut's emergency preparedness plans are outdated, the director of Nunavut emergency services said. Read the full story ·
<http://yukonmuse.com/2009/07/08/nunavut-updates-emergency-plan/>
yukon muse
<http://yukonmuse.com/>

We Still Have A Lot Of Work To Do | Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami
By Mary Simon
I was quite surprised to learn, so soon after the 10th anniversary of the creation of Nunavut, that a recent Canada Press / Harris Decima poll referenced in an online news article found that as many as 58% of Canadians are unaware that ...
<http://www.itk.ca/blog/we-still-have-lot-work-do>
Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami
<http://www.itk.ca/>

Wednesday, 8 July 2009

WestJet to go year-round between Edmonton and Yellowknife as of November 1, 2009

WestJet announces year-round service

Airline expands non-stop service between Edmonton and Yellowknife

CALGARY, July 8 /CNW/ - WestJet today announced it will expand its
daily, non-stop service between Edmonton and Yellowknife from seasonal
to year-round as of November 1, 2009.
"The expansion of this service from seasonal to year-round is a
strategic decision that demonstrates our commitment to serving this
route," said Chris Avery, WestJet's Vice-President, Revenue and
Planning. "As we'd hoped, the service has proven to be popular and
thousands of guests from both regions are taking advantage of our
market-leading fares, convenient connections to our 66-city network
and world-class guest experience."
Following are the schedule details of WestJet's new year-round non-stop
daily service between Edmonton and Yellowknife, starting November 1, 2009.
(This service has been operating on a seasonal basis since May.)

Edmonton - Yellowknife (daily)

Introductory fares starting at $99 (taxes and surcharges extra)

More at
http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/July2009/08/c4732.html

Canadian North Great Northern Arts Festival

Canadian North Great Northern Arts Festival

I will be in Inuvik from July 10th to 19th.... and will present the following workshop....

Introduction to Digital Imagery and the Internet with George Lessard (Yellowknife)
Saturday July 18 1:00PM

This 4-hour workshop is designed to introduce participants to digital photography and the use of digital photographs to increase their income and protect their intellectual property rights. Participants will learn how to choose the right digital camera to buy; basic photography skills; and how to show your work online for little or no money. In the end you will have the tools to be able to buy the right camera at the right price that will be a good investment and meet the your needs; understand how to edit images for use on the internet or for print use; and how to have a presence on the internet that you can maintain yourself. $65
Visit George's website at http://mediamentor.ca

Watch for daily posting of images on my Flicker site

and videos on my YouTuble page

Tuesday, 7 July 2009

Today's NWT Stories On-Line from CBC & NNSL

Yellowknife struggles with pesky mosquito problem
CBC.ca - Toronto,Ontario,Canada
Plentiful spring showers have brought out more mosquitoes in Yellowknife, compared with past summers, city officials say. In fact, this year's mosquito ...
<http://www.cbc.ca/canada/north/story/2009/07/07/yknife-mosquitoes.html>

Card fraud not in NWT: RCMP
Northern News Services (subscription) - Yellowknife,Northwest Territories,Canada
SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE - A reported incident of debit card fraud reported to the RCMP last week was not perpetrated in the NWT, according to police. ...
<http://nnsl.com/northern-news-services/stories/papers/jul6_09cf.html>

Group gives NWT a failing grade for history
Northern News Services (subscription) - Yellowknife,Northwest Territories,Canada
SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE - A national organization has given the NWT a failing grade on its history curriculum. The Northwest Territories, along with the rest ...
<http://nnsl.com/northern-news-services/stories/papers/jul6_09fg.html>

Shelter use higher than thought
Northern News Services (subscription) - Yellowknife,Northwest Territories,Canada
SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE - The number of homeless in the city is higher than previously reported, according to the Yellowknife Homelessness Coalition. ...
<http://nnsl.com/northern-news-services/stories/papers/jul6_09bum.html>

'You can change'
Northern News Services (subscription) - Yellowknife,Northwest Territories,Canada
SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE - An important step to curing alcohol and drug abuse in society may involve changing the way people think about addiction. ...
<http://nnsl.com/northern-news-services/stories/papers/jul6_09ch.html>

Students to teach NWT history
Northern News Services (subscription) - Yellowknife,Northwest Territories,Canada
SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE - Pieces of Northwest Territories' heritage will be on display in the country's capital this week. Out of 40 students who participated ...
<http://nnsl.com/northern-news-services/stories/papers/jul6_09his.html>

Colville Lake builds roads for fire, water truck access
CBC.ca - Toronto,Ontario,Canada
There are only about 10 vehicles in Colville Lake, a traditional Dene community of 160 located 750 kilometres northwest of Yellowknife. ...
<http://www.cbc.ca/canada/north/story/2009/07/06/colville-lake-roads.html>

Mitch Taylor, polar bear expert barred from meeting over climate views

Polar bear expert barred from meeting over climate views, he says
CBC.ca - Toronto,Ontario,Canada
(CBC) A polar bear biologist formerly from Nunavut says he was barred from
an international scientific meeting because his beliefs on climate change
and its ...
<http://www.cbc.ca/canada/north/story/2009/07/06/pbear-taylor-meeting.html>

Arctic oil, gas on hold from lawsuits, economy

By Cassie Fleming THE WASHINGTON TIMES | Saturday, July 4, 2009

http://washingtontimes.com/news/2009/jul/04/arctic-oil-gas-kept-on-hold-by-lawsuits-economy/

[excerpts]

The global recession and lawsuits from environmental groups have slowed
the scramble for previously unattainable oil and gas reserves and shipping
routes in the Arctic caused by climate change, and have provided a window
to resolve complicated ecological and security concerns, specialists say.

Many major international oil and gas companies have put large-scale
projects on hold, said Alexander Braun, a specialist on Arctic change and
sea dynamics at the Arctic Institute of North America at Canada's
University of Calgary in Alberta.

[...]

Shell announced earlier this week that it was withdrawing its 2007-2009
drilling plan in the Beaufort Sea and would submit a new plan for 2010.
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit in San Francisco blocked the
company from oil drilling in July 2007.

The center was also responsible for several lawsuits that led to last
year's listing of the polar bear as a threatened species under the
Endangered Species Act.

In addition to the United States, major countries including Russia,
Canada, Norway, Iceland and Denmark via Greenland are vying for investment
in the Arctic. The area is warming faster than any other region and will
be ice-free in the summer by 2013, according to a new report by the
Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, Dartmouth College and the
University of the Arctic in Canada.

"The present global economic slowdown provides a much-needed hiatus in
Arctic commercial pressures during which important Arctic powers could
work on developing coordinated rules and best practices by which to govern
Arctic resources," the report said.

Melting ice has allowed for expanded oil and gas production, mining,
fishing, shipping and cruise ship tourism, but it also causes safety and
environmental concerns such as moving glaciers, sea rise and coastal
erosion, Mr. Braun said. To assess and manage these consequences, he said,
governments must use this window to establish a monitoring network for the
Arctic by using technology that is already in use for other continents and
oceans.

[...]

The Arctic is believed to hold 90 billion barrels of undiscovered oil - 10
percent of the world's remaining reserves and enough to supply current
world demand for three years. An estimated 30 percent of the world's
remaining reserves of natural gas are also in the region, according to the
U.S. Ecological Survey.

Companies such as BP - formerly British Petroleum - ConocoPhillips, Exxon
Mobil Corp., Shell, Pioneer Natural Resources, Eni, Anadarko and
StatoilHydro are currently the most active in Alaska and off-shore, Mr.
Ranger said.

BP and Exxon Mobil are also exploring the Canadian Arctic, he said.

"There's a growing energy demand and there's untapped energy sources in
the Arctic," said David Balton, a deputy assistant secretary of state at
the Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific
Affairs. "Knowledge is growing of what is down there, and this is becoming
an issue."

U.S. policy for the Arctic has evolved more slowly than the ice is melting.

[...]

Under a 1994 treaty, the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea,
countries have the sovereign right to the seabed and soil beneath it out
to 200 nautical miles from their coast, and in some cases, these nations
can claim sovereignty as far out as 600 miles, said Cmdr. James McMahon,
staff judge for the 17th District of the U.S. Coast Guard.

In the Arctic, however, scientists do not know where nations' continental
shelf ends and the international oceanic crust begins.

Without clear scientific data, many countries have been claiming more than
they can legally justify, Mr. Braun said. "If there are major offshore oil
fields in an area where we don't know who owns it, it is worth fighting to
ensure your nation's sovereignty, especially with oil prices coming back
up." Mr. Braun said.

The Coast Guard has teamed its icebreakers with other government agencies
to do seabed maps and has developed a strong working relationship with the
Canadian Coast Guard and Russian border guards in the Arctic, Cmdr.
McMahon said.

Mr. Balton said U.S. efforts are under way to define the shelf boundaries.

[...]