What government & other agencies do if Canadian #Arctic waters are threatened by a spill- official #INAC document

RT @Northern_Clips:
What government & other agencies do if Canadian #Arctic waters are threatened by a spill
http://ow.ly/1RxZh

An official Indian Affairs and Northern Development #PDF document 

Published under the authority of the Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development Ottawa, 2003
QS-Y215-000-EFHIII-A-A1 Catalogue No. R2-266/2003 ISBN 0-662-67571-1
© Minister of Public Works and Government Services Canada

[excerpt]


WORKING TOGETHER
WHAT GOVERNMENT AND OTHER AGENCIES DO IF CANADIAN ARCTIC WATERS ARE THREATENED BY A SPILL
UN TRAVAIL D'ÉQUIPE
COMMENT LE GOUVERNEMENT ET LES DIVERS ORGANISMES RÉAGISSENT LORSQU'IL Y A DANGER DE DÉVERSEMENT DANS LES EAUX TERRITORIALES CANADIENNES DE L'ARCTIQUE




INTRODUCTION
Government departments, along with various boards and agencies, are responsible for regulating the development of natural resources in the North in a way that does the least harm to the environment and to northerners' quality of life. Companies are once again interested in exploring for oil and gas in the Arctic. This booklet explains the role of agencies in responding to spills of harmful substances in Canadian Arctic waters.
BACKGROUND
In the late 1980s, the Government of Canada, along with the governments of the Yukon and the Northwest Territories (which then included Nunavut), issued a Strategy for Major Pollution Incidents in the Arctic Seas Regions which described how agencies and people would work together if there was a major spill in Arctic offshore waters. Today, the agencies responsible for responding to spills continue to plan together and to conduct joint response exercises.
PLANS AND WORKING AGREEMENTS
The northern agencies that work together to ensure spills are handled properly are the Canadian Coast Guard, the National Energy Board and the Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development. Each agency has plans that describe how it will respond to a number of different situations. It is important that these plans take an integrated approach to avoid duplication or overlap, and to ensure that everyone works together when a spill occurs. The names of these plans, and contact information for the three agencies, appear in Appendix 1 (page 6).
Canada has also made a commitment to circumpolar environmental protection and is actively involved in the international efforts of the Arctic Council to prevent pollution and respond to spills into the Arctic Ocean.
The Northwest Territories/Nunavut Spills Working Agreement provides for a 24-hour spill reporting system, and a clearly understood division of responsibilities relating to the investigation and monitoring of spills in the two territories. (The Yukon has a similar arrangement.) This arrangement also provides for a system to disseminate information. The agreement designates a lead agency, depending on the specific legal and program responsibilities of the various agencies, their expertise, and the source of the spill. The division of responsibility for spills affecting Arctic waters is outlined below.
SPILL SOURCE
Spills from ships and barges
Spills from oil and gas exploration and production facilities
Spills from facilities/operations licensed under DIAND legislation
LEAD AGENCY
Canadian Coast Guard
National Energy Board
Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development
For a spill into Arctic waters, the lead agency may call upon other agencies to provide assistance. Resource agencies can be approached directly for help on specific issues. For example, Environment Canada may help with weather forecasts and information on ice conditions, or Fisheries and Oceans may provide information on the location and possible impact on important fish and marine mammal species, such as beluga whale populations.
Environment Canada may also activate the Arctic Regional Environmental Emergencies Team (REET). The Arctic REET is an interagency committee that includes representatives from federal, territorial and Aboriginal organizations with environmental expertise. It is chaired by a representative of Environment Canada. The purpose of the REET is to provide consolidated environmental advice to the lead agency. The objective of the REET is to minimize damage to sensitive resources and habitats, while making the best use of limited response resources. The Arctic REET Contingency Plan describes the organizational framework, purpose, functions and composition of the team; the notification and activation procedures; and the classification and escalation of response to environmental emergencies. Contact information for
all Arctic REET agencies, their respective team members and their alternates is attached to the plan. Resource agencies may provide essential services such as transportation, accommodation and communications.

GEORGE LESSARD
Information, Communications and Media Specialist
Spécialiste en l'information, communications et  media
451 Norseman Dr.
Yellowknife, Northwest Territories
X1A 2J1, Canada
Yellowknife Land Line # (867) 873-2662
Yellowknife Cell # (867) 445-9193
E-mail: mediamentorATgmailDOTcom
Website
Twitter Feed on Northern  & First Nations Issues
Twitter Feed on Journalism & Media Issues
Member:
Canadian Association of Journalists
Canadian Artists Representation / le Front des artistes canadiens
Canadian Artists Representation Copyright Collective

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Northwestel admits to restricting its DSL service.

RT @Northern_Clips: RT @yukon_news: Northwestel #DSL curbs internet connections #Yukon #throttling  or "flow control" ?  http://ow.ly/1Rn3M #NWTel #YZF #NWT #NUNAVUT

[excerpt]

Northwestel curbs internet connections

Friday May 28, 2010

By John Thompson

Mike Thomas/Yukon News

Northwestel admits to restricting its DSL service.

Internet on the fritz? Rob Hopkins has an idea why.

Northwestel may be intentionally crashing your connection.

The company, which enjoys a monopoly in offering high-speed internet in the territory, restricts the number of internet connections any DSL customer can open at once. Northwestel doesn't advertise this restriction, but if you run too many internet-dependent applications at once, your connection will be cut.

Hopkins calls this practice "throttling." Jason Bilsky, the company's vice-president of corporate services, calls it "flow control."

The two had it out Wednesday evening, during the annual meeting of the Utility Consumers Group at the Whitehorse Public Library. The debate was perhaps best summed up by Hopkins, who chairs the group's telecommunications committee.

"You're saying everything's great," he told Bilsky. "We're saying everything's crappy."

Every web page opened triggers a flurry of tiny packets of information exchanged between your computer and Northwestel's servers. A typical page may result in 30 connections.

Hit 500 concurrent connections and Northwestel will pull the plug on residential DSL customers. Commercial customers have a limit of 1,000 connections.

Cable internet customers don't appear to face any such restrictions.

The purpose of this restriction is to prevent a small number of data-hogs from eating up most of the territory's bandwidth, said Bilsky.

But Hopkins says it's akin to counting the number of grains of sand blowing through a pipe that remains largely empty. He's talking about capacity of the fibre-optic pipelines that connect the territory to Outside.

Slave River Paddlefest, Fort Smith NWT

Slave River Paddlefest
Check out these videos from the 2009 Slave River Paddlefest. This event is a positive protest against the proposed Slave River hydro dam to showcase the Zambezi of northeastern Alberta. Warm water, big rapids and wonderful hosts make the Slave a CAN'T MISS destination. These videos are 1.5 minutes each - perfect for e-mailing - please forward them to paddlers or friends who might be interested. - Kirsten Bradley, Fort Smith, NWT

Slave River Kayaking, Fort Smith, Northwest Territories, Canada
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sTE5vEcOwJU

Class V Kayaking on the Slave River, Northwest Territories, Canada
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6VZXEeL1nLw
French: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q5QScNebyc0

Here's an older video, if you haven't seen Jacqui's video from last year's Paddlefest, please check it out as well. She included more information about the proposed dam. It's excellent, but a little longer – around 17 minutes: http://vimeo.com/6712338

Wilfrid Laurier University & #NWT's Miltenberger sign $2-million research pact

Wilfrid Laurier University & #NWT's Miltenberger sign $2-million research pact http://ow.ly/1QtTS

"This agreement is a reflection of Wilfrid Laurier University's significant research expertise in water resources and northern environments," Blouw said. "We are delighted to partner with the Government of the Northwest Territories to engage in the science needed to make effective policy decisions involving water-resource management and the sustainability of northern ecosystems."

GEORGE LESSARD
Information, Communications and Media Specialist
Spécialiste en l'information, communications et  media
451 Norseman Dr.
Yellowknife, Northwest Territories
X1A 2J1, Canada
Yellowknife Land Line # (867) 873-2662
Yellowknife Cell # (867) 445-9193
E-mail: mediamentorATgmailDOTcom
Website
Twitter Feed on Northern  & First Nations Issues
Twitter Feed on Journalism & Media Issues
Member:
Canadian Association of Journalists
Canadian Artists Representation / le Front des artistes canadiens
Canadian Artists Representation Copyright Collective

Chat themediamentor

My Feeds of Interest FacebookFlickrdel.icio.usLinkedin

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CBCNorth Radio | Northwind Sound SlideShow - Mackenzie ice breaks

Mackenzie ice breaks

It happens once a year, and it's over in a matter of hours: Tons of ice suddenly break and start moving with the current of the Mackenzie river.

For residents of Inuvik, ice break marks a new season. A clear river allows boats for fishing and transportation, and also allows ferries to cross rivers that intersect the Dempster Highway, bringing food prices down and allowing travel south to Tsiigehtchic, Fort McPherson, Dawson City and Whitehorse.

When the day comes, people who live beside Canada's longest river watch the ice move as one might watch a parade. There are barbecues, picnics and people with bicycles or baby strollers.

On May 20 in Inuvik, the ice started moving in the mid-afternoon. By 7pm a small crowd of people had gathered at Inuvik's boat launch, enjoying the scenery in the almost 24-hour sunlight.

CBCNorth Radio | Northwind Sound SlideShow - Mackenzie ice breaks

"Perspectives différentes" a Yellowknife from: "Alison a fini l'école.

From: "Alison a fini l'école. 2 Là où il fait froid" -  http://alisonmccreesh.canalblog.com/

Governor General's Performing Arts Awards: Call for Nominations / Appel de candidatures pour les PGGAS

For distribution....

Governor General's Performing Arts Awards -  GGPAA Call for Nominations
Prix du Gouverneur général pour les arts du spectacle (PGGAS) mises en candidature

From: GGPAA – PGGAS [mailto:whitneyb@ggpaa.ca]
Sent: 25-May-2010 06:30
Subject: GGPAA Call for Nominations / Appel de candidatures pour les PGGAS


Un message en français suivra


GET INVOLVED. NOMINATE!


How did Michel Pagliaro, Buffy Sainte-Marie, Gordon Pinsent, Veronica Tennant and Eugene Levy all become recipients of Governor General's Performing Arts Awards?

They were nominated by members of the public who wanted to see their performing arts heroes recognized for their passion, creativity and inspiration.

All Canadians can play a role in Canada's most prestigious awards in the performing arts by making a nomination. The process is simple. All that's required is a strong letter of recommendation and a short biography of the nominee.


Deadline for 2011 nominations: June 21, 2010
For complete details, visit http://www.ggpaa.ca
http://www.pggas.ca/en/nomination.html

______________________________

PARTICIPEZ. SOUMETTEZ UN CANDIDATURE!


Pourquoi a-t-on accordé un Prix du Gouverneur général pour les arts du spectacle (PGGAS) à Michel Pagliaro, Buffy Sainte-Marie, Gordon Pinsent, Veronica Tennant et Eugene Levy?

Leur candidature a été soumise par des membres du public qui souhaitaient voir leurs héros récompensés pour leur passion, leur créativité et leur inspiration.

Les PGGAS représentent la plus haute distinction accordée dans le domaine des arts du spectacle au Canada. Tous les Canadiens peuvent contribuer à cette célébration en proposant une candidature. Le processus est simple : vous n'avez qu'à nous envoyer une lettre de recommandation passionnée et une courte biographie du candidat.

Date limite : le 21 juin 2010
Vous trouverez tous les détails au http://www.pggas.ca
http://www.pggas.ca/fr/nomination.html

Email communications from / Communications électroniques de la part de:
GGPAAF, 406 - 130 Slater Street, Ottawa, ON, CA, K1P 6E2.

Polar bears face 'tipping point'

* Polar bears face 'tipping point' *
Climate change will trigger a dramatic and sudden decline in the number of polar bears, concludes the first study to directly model the impact on their survival and reproduction.
Full story:
http://ow.ly/1PyVD
#Arctic

PHOTOGRAPHY Hunters Of The Far North: Eskimo & Aleut by Kiyoshi Yagi

#PHOTOGRAPHY
Hunters Of The Far North: #Eskimo & #Aleut by Kiyoshi Yagi
http://ow.ly/1OSy2
#Siberia #Alaska #Canada #Greenland

[excerpt, see photos at the above URL]

He works in a manner that has completely disappeared in my part of the world, photographing on 8 by 10 inch sheet film – the size of a magazine page – and printing them on hand coated paper.

Eskimo and Aleut, by Kiyoshi Yagi

The Eskimo and the Aleut, the hunters of the far north, reside across four countries from the Chukotka Peninsula in Siberia (Russia), through Alaska (U.S.A.) and Canada, to Greenland (Denmark). They live mainly along the coast and partly in inland mountain country of Arctic Alaska and Canada. The Aleut live in Komandorskie Ostrova in Siberia and the Aleutian Islands in the southwest of Alaska.

Existing beyond the most distant horizons of most of earth's inhabitants, the cultures of these native peoples are under unprecedented pressure from the outside world. They have experienced dramatic social changes within the last half century and also significant decline in the number of people who can speak their first languages.

The prohibition of speaking any native languages started at school from the beginning through to the middle of the 20th century in most areas of the north of America to assimilate the Native people. Consequently, the English language has become the major language for young people, and today many of them have difficulties in communicating with their elders who are, on the other hand, unable to understand English. If this pattern continues, it is only a matter of time until their native languages and cultural values completely disappear. Without their native languages the youth are in danger of losing a significant part of their cultural identity.

I have started traveling to Native villages with my 8×10 large format camera to photograph northern hunters in the family portrait style since 1994. I always include more than three or more generations to capture diverse values and historical backgrounds in one frame. The vast northern landscape and still life such as hunting equipment are also vital part in my project to show how people are dependent upon the harsh northern environment that surrounds them. The 8×10 inch negatives are printed on hand coated platinum-palladium papers that have rich tonal range and superb storage stability. It is my ultimate goal to complete my project by uniting Eskimo and Aleut people irrespective of national boundaries.

Arctic Landscapes: Art Show and Auction @ Engine Gallery Toronto

See http://www.enginegallery.ca/

Engine Gallery

37 Mill Street, Bldg # 37
Distillery District (Distillery Lane)
Toronto, Ontario M5A 3R6

Call Us

Toronto: 416 531 9905
Outside: 1- 416 531 9905

---------- Forwarded message ----------

From: <fgtossa@gmail.com>

Hello,

I just thought that this would be interesting for the Network. The exhibit is still on.

Cheers,
Fragile

---

From: "Barbara Kraus" <b.kraus@rogers.com>

Date: Thu, 6 May 2010 15:05:31 -0400

Subject: ART SHOW

Dear Friends,

 

Please join us at the Engine Room Gallery in the Distillery Disctrict of Toronto for the opening of our group show Arctic Landscapes (see flyer below).

 

In addition to the limited edition prints we are featuring, there will be a Silent Auction of northern portraits, the proceeds of which will go to Project North. Project North is a charitable organization that supports literacy and sports for Inuit youth in the communities. I have recently returned from Igloolik, Nunavut, where I was able to see first hand how important this type of support is to the children and their families.

 

Please join us .... we look forward to seeing you there!

 

For those unable to come to the opening, the show will run through May 30.

 

Barbara & Reiner

ARK Photography

--
Northern Research Network
http://northernresearchnetwork.electrified.ca

Submit inquiries and announcements to:
research.north@gmail.com

Exhibition: Arctic Perspective, Canada House, Trafalgar Square, London, UK, 21 May-30 Sept 2010

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Northern Research Network <research.north@gmail.com>
Date: 23 May 2010 16:16
Subject: Exhibition: Arctic Perspective, Canada House, Trafalgar Square, London, UK, 21 May-30 Sept 2010

APOLOGIES FOR CROSS-POSTINGS

 

From: Michael Bravo [mb124@cam.ac.uk]

 

Exhibition:

Arctic Perspective

Canada House, Trafalgar Square, London, UK

21 May-30 September 2010

 

Arctic Perspective highlights the cultural, geopolitical and ecological significance of the Arctic and its indigenous cultures. In collaboration with the people of Igloolik, Kinngait, Iqaluit, Mittimatalik and Kanngiqtugaapik in Nunavut, Canada and other Arctic communities, artists and architects are devising a mobile media and living unit and infrastructure, powered by renewable energy sources. The unit will be used by Inuit and other Arctic peoples for creative media production such as film-making, communications and monitoring the environment, while moving, living and working on the land. The exhibition includes architectural models of winning designs from the Arctic Perspective open architecture competition by Richard Carbonnier (Canada), Catherine Rannou (France) and Giuseppe Mecca (Italy), with photographs, videos and maps from the project. The exhibition is open from 10am to 5:30pm on weekdays.

The Arctic Perspective Initiative (API) is led by artists Marko Peljhan (Slovenia) and Matthew Biederman (US/Canada) and this exhibition has been curated by The Arts Catalyst. API collaborators are Miha Bratina and Ziga Testen, and partners are HMKV (Germany), Project Atol (Slovenia), C-Tasc (Canada), Lorna (Iceland), The Arts Catalyst (UK).

For more on this international collaborative project see:

http://www.artscatalyst.org/projects/detail/arctic_perspective_initiative/

--
Northern Research Network
http://northernresearchnetwork.electrified.ca

Submit inquiries and announcements to:
research.north@gmail.com

First Soil Atlas of Northern Circumpolar Region above latitude of 50° North published

RT @Northern_Clips: 1st Soil Atlas of Northern Circumpolar Region above latitude of 50° North published
http://ow.ly/1ONKI
#Arctic more @
http://ow.ly/1ONM0

[excerpts]

Soil Atlas of the Northern Circumpolar Region

Project Introduction

The SOIL Action (22004) of the Joint Research Centre's Land Management and Natural Hazards Unit (H07) has just completed a comprehensive three year collaborative project to collate information on soil in northern latitudes.

The 144 pages atlas is the result of a three-year collaborative project with partners from northern EU countries, as well as Norway, Iceland, Greenland, Canada, the USA and Russia and gives a detailed overview of circumpolar soil resources relevant also to agriculture, forest management, water management, land use planning, infrastructure and housing and energy transport networks. In a clear style, the atlas describes the origin and major characteristics of the different soil types that can be found in this environment. The atlas is a visually stunning publication using striking maps, informative texts and dramatic photographs to explain and illustrate the great diversity of soils in northern landscapes.

The atlas aims to :

• support EU policies such as the ERA, the Soil Thematic Strategy, the Northern Dimension and Climate Change;
• promote the soil related activities and global dimension of the JRC,
• bring circumpolar soils into policy focus by identifying needs for policy and research strategies aimed at soil protection and mitigating climate change with specific emphasis on soils.

[...]

Key Message 1: One of the resulting outputs is the first ever Soils Atlas of the Northern Circumpolar Region � encompassing all land surfaces in Eurasia and North America above the latitude of 50o N. Key Message 2: The main goal of the atlas is to inform the general public, policy makers, land managers, teachers and the general scientific community of the unique characteristics of northern soil and raise awareness of its environmental importance and global significance. Key Message 3: Unbeknown to most people, soil in the northern latitudes store up to half of the Earth�s soil carbon; about twice the amount of carbon stored in the atmosphere. The importance of this carbon sink is immeasurable. Permanently frozen ground keeps this organic carbon locked in the soil and, together with extensive peatlands, ensures that northern circumpolar soils are a significant carbon sink . Key Message 4: While most people are aware of the reduction in Arctic sea ice extent, the majority are unaware of the impact of global warming on soil. Increased temperatures in the Arctic and boreal regions are causing permafrost-affected areas to thaw thus ensuring that the huge mass of poorly decomposed organic matter that is presently locked in the frozen soil will start to decompose. As a result of this decay, significant quantities of greenhouse gases (e.g. CO2, CH4, N2O) could be released into the atmosphere. These emissions can initiate a snow-ball effect that will increase greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere at an accelerating rate and greatly intensify the processes driving climate change.

M�ire Geoghegan-Quinn, European Commissioner for Research, Innovation and Science, launched the Atlas on 4th May 2010 in Brussels at the European Parliament at the inauguration of an exhibition on the work of the Commission's Joint Research Centre .

Press release: New atlas underlines significant role of northern soils in climate change

In a clear style, the atlas describes the origin and major characteristics of the different soil types that can be found in this environment. The atlas discusses the possible impacts of climate change on permafrost-affected soils and explains the critical role that they play in the global climate and global carbon cycles. 6. For the first time ever, the distribution of soil types for the entire northern circumpolar region can be visualised in a comprehensible manner by the lay-person. Information on the major soil types is presented in detail on twenty six map plates (the atlas has an A3 page size giving a dramatic A2 spread for maps). In a novel exercise, the World Reference Base for Soil Resources has been used as a framework for correlating knowledge from diverse national soil classification systems into a single, coherent, inter-continental product.

Undertaken under the auspices of the International Polar Year Programme (IPY), the atlas positively showcases collaboration between the JRC and internationally renowned soil scientists from northern countries within the EU, Norway, Iceland, Greenland, Canada, the USA and Russia. In addition to the preface from Commissioner Potocnik, the atlas is supported by the Director-General of the JRC, Prof. Jerry Brown (Woods Hole Inst.), the outgoing President of the International Permafrost Association, and Prof. Vladimir Kotlyakov, Head of the Russian Arctic Programme of the Russian Academy of Science and IPY Joint Committee Member.

The atlas illustrates the diversity of soil in the permafrost and seasonally frozen environments through a series of maps supported by explanatory and easily readable texts, high quality photographs and descriptive graphics. The atlas presents the reader with a series of maps that show the variation of soil properties in a circumpolar context and from a polar perspective, allowing comparisons to be made across international boundaries. In addition, larger scale maps show the distribution of major soil types by regions with descriptions of the major issues. The maps have been produced through the elaboration of harmonized soil databases for the northern circumpolar areas by Geographic Information Systems software (GIS).Through supporting texts, the atlas describes the major soil types found in northern latitudes, together with their principal properties and characteristics, the main soil forming processes, the importance of soil classification and the use of soil.

Special attention is given to impact of cold climates on soil characteristics and on the relationship between climate change and soils properties (e.g. carbon dynamics, carbon sinks and sources, methane emission). In addition, the atlas illustrates how soil can be used as indicators of past climate change and present examples local and regional perspectives of the importance and functions of soil for society as a whole and particularly for indigenous northern cultures.

[...]

So many missed opportunities means Canada must fight for Arctic sovereignty

RT @Northern_Clips: So many missed opportunities means Canada must fight for #Arctic #sovereignty http://ow.ly/1OLnH

[excerpt]

As early as 1875, the British expressed interest in transferring the Arctic islands to Canada. The Canadian government, however, didn't seem to be keen on the idea. Losing patience, the British foreign secretary sent a letter to Lord Dufferin, the governor general of Canada, in 1877, pointing out that Canada was in danger of losing the High Arctic to the United States and other countries if it didn't accept the gift that was being offered.

That didn't happen until 1880, when an order-in-council set out terms of the transfer. Those terms, however, were so vague that it was unclear what territory Canada was actually getting.

In the years that followed, foreign interests continued to treat the Arctic as if it didn't belong to anyone. In 1902, Sverdrup claimed Axel Heiberg, Amund Ringnes, and Ellef Ringnes islands for Norway following his overland expeditions to the region. Amundsen followed shortly after by sailing through the Northwest Passage between 1903 and 1905 without seeking Canadian permission.

[...]

Some of the smaller Arctic nations believe that Canada could take a leadership role in creating a blueprint for this. But there is also growing concern that Canada is uninterested in working with other countries.

"Canada is a giant in the Arctic, and many of us look to it for leadership on many issues," says Morten Hoglund, who chairs Norway's Arctic parliamentary delegation.

"But we are getting the sense that Canada wants to go it alone. Increasingly, we're finding it easier to get agreements on the Arctic with the United States than with Canada. In the past, on most other issues, it was the reverse situation."

The wild card in all of this is the Inuit. For far too long they have been pawns in the sovereignty game both in Canada and abroad. Through the Arctic Council, Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami, and other indigenous organizations, they have made it clear that they are not going to be left out of the decision-making process in the future.

"Sovereignty begins at home," says Mary Simon, president of Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami, the voice of 55,000 Inuit living in 53 communities across the country.

"Canada cannot successfully assert its national agenda in the Arctic while ignoring the state of civil society in the Arctic.

"The key to sustainable Arctic policies and creative policy-making in Canada," she says, "must be anchored in establishing a constructive partnership with Inuit."

The Canadian government may have been able to ignore the Inuit and other countries' interests in the Arctic in the past. But there is growing international support for them and others becoming meaningful participants in the discussions. U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton made that clear in early April when she chastised Canada for not inviting the Inuit and other Arctic countries to participate in discussions on the future of the Arctic.

"We need all hands on deck because there is a huge amount to do and not much time to do it," she said. "The melting of sea ice, glaciers and permafrost will affect people and ecosystems around the world, and understanding how these changes fit together is a task that demands international co-operation."

It seems appropriate to note that 50 years after Bernier made that historic trip to Melville Island, then-prime minister Louis St. Laurent observed that the Arctic was being "governed in a fit of absence of mind."

Canada got away with that attitude for a long time afterward because no one was interested in capitalizing on it. The Arctic, however, is no longer a frozen wasteland of interest only to Mounties, missionaries and the Hudson's Bay Company. Now the world wants a part of it. Another "fit of absence of mind" could prove to be extremely costly to Canada's position in the Arctic.

Edmonton Journal

© Copyright (c) Canwest News Service

Paulatuk NWT school "a champion in creating growth opportunities, skills development and reduction of risk factors"

 http://ow.ly/1OqHl

Paulatuk school "a champion in creating growth opportunities, skills development and reduction of risk factors"

Trip an eye-opener, says youth residences head

Published Friday May 21st, 2010

[excerpt]

The executive director of Moncton Youth Residences says a recent trip to a tiny village in the Northwest Territories was an eye-opener as he realized the challenges faced by young people Canada's north are similar to those faced by youth in New Brunswick.

"The risk factors facing young people in Angik School in Paulatuk, NWT are in many ways similar to the challenges some young New Brunswickers struggle with each day," says Mel Kennah. "School breakdowns, family violence and neglect, substance abuse, poverty, lack of successes, and too few meaningful relationships in their lives. "It was a privilege to convey information to the school that will assist its efforts to help young people succeed. Growing our youth for the future is a common goal shared by all Canadian communities."

Kennah recently travelled to Paulatuk, a tiny village of just under 300 people, to share information and advice from Moncton Youth Residences, which provides a variety of services to at-risk youth and their families. During the trip, Kennah visited the school to talk about fundraising and professional development. He also ate caribou meat and spaghetti sauce with ground muskox, saw the northern lights, experienced an Arctic blizzard and saw hunters with sled dogs in search of polar bears.

[...]

Despite its remote location and limited resources, Kennah said the school is a champion in creating growth opportunities, skills development, and reduction of risk factors.

"In an effort to push out the front edges of its work Angik School principal, Jessica Schmidt, is inspiring new programs and generating fresh options for students through fund raising. New initiatives the school is endeavouring to establish include a library expansion, super soccer in Yellowknife, a literacy program, and a vocation skills development program."

© 2010 CanadaEast Interactive, Brunswick News Inc. All rights reserved

Yellowknife City Council LIVE Webcast Experiment

Yellowknife City Council
LIVE Webcast Experiment

On May 25th at 7pm the MediaMentor http://mediamentor.ca

will produce an
experimental LIVE webcast
direct from the

Yellowknife City Council Chamber.

To view this live webcast of the City Council meeting go to this page
http://www.yellowknife.ca/City_Hall/Webcasts.html
on the City of Yellowknife website
Alternate viewing page in case of problems with the above URL
http://www.ustream.tv/channel/yellowknife-city-nwt

To follow the webcast on Twitter search/follow hashtag #YZFCC

or view the Tweets via
http://twitter.com/mediamentor

Feedback on this experimental webcast is welcome;
on Twitter use hashtag #YZFCC
or via e-mail  send to mediamentor@gmail.com

GEORGE LESSARD  is the MediaMentor
Information, Communications and Media Specialist
Spécialiste en l'information, communications et  media
451 Norseman Dr.
Yellowknife, Northwest Territories
X1A 2J1, Canada
Yellowknife Land Line # (867) 873-2662
Yellowknife Cell # (867) 445-9193
E-mail: mediamentorATgmailDOTcom
Website
Twitter Feed on Northern  & First Nations Issues
Twitter Feed on Journalism & Media Issues
Member:
Canadian Association of Journalists
Canadian Artists Representation / le Front des artistes canadiens
Canadian Artists Representation Copyright Collective

Chat themediamentor

My Feeds of Interest FacebookFlickrdel.icio.usLinkedin

Fulbright scholarship winner David Walsh to work with the NWT Dene

Arizona State University's Fulbright scholarship winner & religious studies doctoral candidate David Walsh to work with the #NWT Dene
http://ow.ly/1NMR6

[excerpt]

David Walsh, a doctoral candidate in religious studies with an interest in indigenous people, will go to Canada to work with the Dene people of the Northwest Territories. He'll explore Canada's innovative dialogue between modern science and aboriginal traditional knowledge, since their scientists have incorporated the knowledge of tribal elders and hunters into their research on climate change, for instance.

Sarah Auffret, sauffret@asu.edu

480-965-6991

Arizona State University Media Relations

GEORGE LESSARD
Information, Communications and Media Specialist
Spécialiste en l'information, communications et  media
451 Norseman Dr.
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FYI JOB Location Manager, Yellowknife - Employer: First Student Canada

Employer: First Student Canada

http://jobs.montrealgazette.com/careers/jobsearch/detail/jobId/25975137/viewType/featured

[excerpt]

The Manager for the Yellowknife operation oversees a small but diverse operation providing transit and school bus services in the Yellowknife area.  Under limited supervision, the Location Manager plans, directs and supervises work activities, customer satisfaction, profitability and the day-to-day operations and management of the Yellowknife operations.  The manager is also responsible for identifying profitable market segments and business opportunities while maintaining solid customer relationships with new customers.

Wingsuit BASE jumping in Baffin Island

Review of Whitehorse author Linda Johnson's "Kandik Map"

Book Review of Whitehorse author Linda Johnson's frustrating search for the origins of the "Kandik Map" 
http://ow.ly/1MboR

[excerpt]

FAIRBANKS - "The Kandik Map" by Canadian author Linda Johnson is something of a detective story. It's an attempt at learning the origins of the map referred to in the book's title, an effort that came up frustratingly short.

Drawn up in 1880, the Kandik Map was, at its creation, the most detailed map available of the Yukon River, Interior Alaska and environs. It included the first known outline of the upper Tanana River and numerous other landmarks that were unfamiliar to white explorers entering the region for the first time. It also provided information on traditional transit pathways used by Natives for centuries.

The map itself is surprisingly clear in its details considering the time it was created. The real mystery, however, involves the circumstances under which it was produced. To this day, it is not known who commissioned the map, although many suspect that Ivan Petroff, an immigrant from Russia who was hired to conduct the 1880 census of Alaska may have requested it. He certainly possessed it at one time, since notes in his handwriting accompany it.

Petroff's notes credit the map's artwork to a man named Paul Kandik, who is listed as a Yukon Indian, and the annotation to Francois Mercier, a French Canadian fur trader who was active in Interior Alaska at the time.

Of Mercier a fair bit can be learned. He was well known in the region, and others documented many of his activities. He also wrote a popular memoir of his Alaska days later in his life. But nowhere does he or anyone else mention his work on the map.

Of Paul Kandik, nothing is known beyond his elegant artwork and the notation that he was a Native. The name Paul was commonly taken by Athabascan Natives of the time after they were baptized into Christianity, but Kandik is not known today as a Native surname, and isn't found in any of the census records from the last 130 years. Hence Paul Kandik is the ghost who inhabits this story, his presence always felt, but never seen.

Johnson, who lives in Whitehorse, made the map the center of her research when she entered the Northern Studies Masters Program at UAF. The resultant book zigzags down numerous blind alleys, uncovering plenty of history about a very specific time in Alaska. Johnson falls short of finding out who Paul Kandik was, but she does offer important insight into a period of dramatic upheaval during the decades between Alaska's purchase and the Gold Rush that forever changed it.

Come Make Your Mark NWT's Touts

Come Make Your Mark NWT's Touts
http://www.comemakeyourmark.ca

as of May 16, 2010

They come from only two communities Yellowknife & Hay River

Yellowknife:

1. Adele Bisaillon  Indian & Northern Affairs http://www.artbyadele.bisaillon.biz/ - Government of Canada employee
2. Cailey M
3. Diana C   Graphic Designer/ business owner
4. Elizabeth C  Diavik
5. Gayla M Northwest Territories Teachers Association 
   
6. Aaron "Godson" H Manager CD/video store / musician
7. Janet Pacey www.janetpacey.com / www.ptarmiptown.com - Contractor for GNWT
   
8. Jeninifer H  Government Communications Officer - GNWT employee
9. Jennifer Y  Business Owner J. Carey Consulting
10. Juli J  Manager Indian & Northern Affairs Aboriginl Consultation Support Unit - Government of Canada employee
11. Megan H.  http://www.snowcoveredhills.com/ Writer / editor
    
12. Michelle H.  Species at Risk Coordinator, ENR  - GNWT employee
13. Nigel F.  Designer/Account Manager/ Photographer - Kellett Communications - Contractor for GNWT
14. Norm Glowach Media Preservation Technician / Business Owner Prince of Wales Norther Heritage Centre - GNWT employee
15. Scott R  Primary Community Services Chief Nursing Officer - GNWT employee
    
16. Sheri T  Paralegal - Justice Canada - Government of Canada employee
    
17. Ssusan T.  High School Career Counsellor - School board employee
    
18. Susan M. Managing Partner, Top of the World Travel Agency - Contractor for GNWT
19. Andrew B. Communications Consultant - Tait Communications - Contractor for GNWT
20. Kyle M,  Maintenance Engeneer, Snap Lake

Hay River

1. Glen M Compensation/ HR Officer Hay River Hospital - GNWT employee

'Be the Lead Dog' - Team & Trail | Helen Hegener

http://betheleaddogbook.com/

What Does Scooping Poop and Putting on Thousands of Dog Booties have to do with Developing Leadership, Effective Teambuilding, Perfecting Communications and Achieving Your Goals?

EVERYTHING!

'Be the Lead Dog'

Team & Trail | Helen Hegener

http://www.alaskadispatch.com/blogs/team-a-trail/5344-be-the-lead-dog

Two women with a passion for mushing share stories, provide explanations, and detail the seven key lessons -- taught by their sled dogs -- that can be applied to the reader's own life.

'Be the Lead Dog' [excerpt]

Helen Hegener | May 14, 2010

"Be the Lead Dog" co-author Liz Parrish

To celebrate her 50th birthday, musher Liz Parrish wanted to train her own dog team and run the 2008 Iditarod. After retiring from a high tech career in California's Silicon Valley, Liz bought a beautiful lodge near Klamath Falls, Ore. and began turning it into a pet-friendly destination resort, Crystalwood Lodge. After attending a mushing boot camp and discovering a passion for the sport, she assembled her first dog team from her motley crew of housedogs, including an Australian Shepherd, a Norwegian Elkhound, and a Beagle mix. But Liz got hooked on the mushing lifestyle, and set racing in the Iditarod as her 10-year goal. Finally, in March 2008, Liz and her team -- huskies now -- finished the Iditarod in 14 days with 14 dogs, an extraordinary achievement for a rookie. Liz had achieved her lifelong dream.

"Be the Lead Dog" co-author Barbara Schaefer

Barbara Schaefer had always been interested in animals, and although her schooling led to a degree in mechanical engineering from UCLA, Siberian huskies have been her abiding passion for over 20 years. She volunteered for the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race for 10 years, earning the nickname Barbara "Dog Drop" Schaefer for her outstanding care of dropped dogs at remote checkpoints. Barbara and her Siberian huskies have been featured on the Discovery Channel's Animal Planet, PBS and other television shows, and she raised and trained the dog who played the lead in the Disney movie "Eight Below." She and her Siberian huskies have earned numerous awards in dog shows and mushing events across the country, and she and her husband and 20 Siberian huskies live in northern California.

Sharing a passion for mushing and sled dogs, Liz and Barb teamed up and created a business together called Life... Through Dogs, which is focused on sharing life lessons they've learned from their many years of working with their sled dog teams. Offering clinics, workshops, seminars, camps, individual and group coaching and more, Barb and Liz reach out beyond the dog world to help others achieve their full potential, and to have fun celebrating and enhancing personal relationships with dogs. Their clients range from Intel Corporation and the Oregon Institute of Technology to the Boy Scouts of America, from elementary through high schools and to the International Sled Dog Racing Association.

Now Liz and Barb have teamed up to write "Be The Lead Dog: 7 Life-Changing Lessons Taught By Sled Dogs." The book lays out foundational lessons and strategies for achieving success in leadership, team building, communications and life, developed from their extensive experiences with sled dogs. Drawing on their hard-won "insider secrets" on the relationships between sled dogs and their mushers and how those secrets can be applied to everyday life, Liz and Barb share stories, provide explanations, and detail the seven key lessons taught by their sled dogs, but which can be applied to the reader's own life: "Sometimes it takes thought to see how a situation would have a different outcome if you were to apply these lessons. Other times it is an intuitive recognition, a gut feeling, an 'aha.'"

CBC As It Happens interview: Iqaluit fire chief expresses concerns about conditions in a local jail, he's summarily fired

Interview is towards the end of the file....

Direct access mp3 http://ow.ly/1Lf9O #Iqaluit fire chief expresses concerns about conditions in a local jail, he's summarily fired #Nunavut

http://podcast.cbc.ca/mp3/asithappens_20100513_32323.mp3
or via
http://www.cbc.ca/podcasting/pastpodcasts.html?2#ref2

See also

Ex-fire marshal's #Nunavut jail complaints http://ow.ly/1Lam9 no "...other prison having fallen so short of legal standards..."

#Nunatsiaq News- NEWS: Nunavut dismisses whistle-blowing fire marshal: Updated May 12, 11:50 a.m. The Government ... http://bit.ly/ckeEJ4

[excerpt]

Nunavut dismisses whistle-blowing fire marshal

"I didn't expect to come back to Canada and get shot in the back by our own politicians"

CHRIS WINDEYER

Tony Noakes holds the letter informing him he'd been fired as Nunavut's fire marshal. Noakes sought criminal charges May 7 against the Government of Nunavut over fire hazards at Baffin Correctional Centre. On May 11 he was fired. (PHOTO BY CHRIS WINDEYER)

Updated May 12, 5:57 p.m.

Nunavut's former fire marshal, Tony Noakes Jr., was fired for asking too many questions about the safety of numerous buildings in the territory, including the Baffin Correctional Centre, he said in an interview May 12.

"I was told, 'you'll be fired,'" Noakes said.

Noakes said officials with the Department of Community and Government Services, which oversees the fire marshal's office, didn't like that he'd been asking about what would happen if he ordered BCC closed while fire hazards were fixed.

That prediction came true May 11, after Noakes gave information about BCC to the RCMP May 7. exactly one year after he took the fire marshal's job.

He was still on probation as a new hire, which made it easy for the GN to dump him.  A letter from the Department of Human resources said the decision to terminate Noake's employment was approved by Kathleen Lausman, the deputy minister of the CGS department.

But Noakes said that as fire marshal, he held the authority — and the duty — to act on numerous safety problems at the jail, including a faulty fire suppression system in the kitchen, problems with electrical boxes and BCC's notorious overcrowding problem.

Last week, Nunatsiaq News reported that BCC housed a record high number of inmates, 102. The building was built to house about 48 inmates and crams extra prisoners into cells and the centre's gymnasium.

RCMP Chief Superintendent Steve McVarnock said he received a complaint from Noakes this past Friday. McVarnock said the matter has been assigned to an investigator, who will review it before deciding whether to launch an investigation.

"He mentioned he's done some fire marshal related activity that had caused him some concern and obviously he was not happy with the response he got from his higher[-ups] and he believes there may be some criminal consequences," McVarnock said Wednesday.

Yukon Arts Centre: video art call for submissions

Yukon Arts Centre: video art call for submissions
   Posted by: "Jessica Vellenga" gallery1@yac.ca
   Date: Thu May 13, 2010 10:42 am ((PDT))

Call for Submissions:

The Yukon Arts Centre would like to invite all video artists to submit
short films, animation and video to be featured as the video artist of
the month at the Yukon Arts Centre.  The selected artworks will be
displayed in the foyer of the Yukon Arts Centre for one month.  This
opportunity gives local artists the ability to have their artwork
displayed in a high traffic venue in Whitehorse, YT. All video artists
are encouraged to submit artworks.



Please include:

Short artist bio

Short artist statement/description of the artwork

DVD or QuickTime File of the proposed work: maximum length 20 minutes



**All selected artists will be asked to provide digital files conducive
to compiling and burning

onto multiple DVD's.



Please send your submissions to:

Yukon Arts Centre

Attention: Jessica Vellenga - video artist of the month

Box 16 - 300 College Drive

Whitehorse YT Y1A 5X9





Jessica Vellenga



Community Engagement - Visual Arts

Yukon Arts Centre Public Art Gallery
Tel: (867) 393 - 7109
Fax: (867) 393-6300
gallery@yac.ca <mailto:curator@yac.ca>
http://yukonartscentre.com/gallery.htm
<http://yukonartscentre.com/gallery.htm>

Jack Layton talking to students from Salluit, Nunavik

GNWT Supplementary Health Benefits Plan PROTEST VIDEO - May 11, 2010

Protest against the proposed changes to the GNWT Supplementary Health Benefits Plan on May 11, 2010 at the Legislative Assembly of the Northwest Territories in Yellowknife.

Arctic Stock Images « Images and footage from the #Arctic circle & #Antarctica http://ow.ly/1JAIe

Arctic Stock Images

Professional royalty free stock images and footage for commercial and personal use

Arctic Stock Images is a royalty free stock photography archive aiming to provide customers with affordable stock images and footage from the arctic and Antarctica. We have a vast archive of high quality images from the arctic region covering all kinds of topics - taken by more than 70 photographers specializing in arctic photography.

Find arctic photos of Glaciers, Polar Bears, Penguins, Inuits, Cities and much more.

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• Aerials
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Inquiry: Female leadership among #Inuit

---------- Forwarded message ----------

From: Northern Research Network <research.north@gmail.com>
Date: 5 May 2010 08:55
Subject: Inquiry: Female leadership among Inuit



From: Lisa Gregoire [lisagreg@sympatico.ca]

Inquiry: Female leadership among Inuit

My name is Lisa Gregoire and I'm a freelance magazine writer based in Ottawa, Canada. I've been asked by a prominent national magazine to write a profile of Nunavut Premier Eva Aariak. One of the themes I'm exploring is female leadership among Inuit. From what I understand, traditional Inuit communities were governed equally by men and women. I would like to explore how gender roles have evolved in Inuit society and why. I wonder if any members of the Northern Research Network have examined this topic. If so, and you are willing to be interviewed on the subject, please email me. Thank you in advance. Lisa Gregoire, 613-521-2825, lisagreg@sympatico.ca

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#NWT & #YZF Seniors to march when the legislature resumes to combat health benefit changes

More than 1,000 sign petition

Seniors to march when the legislature resumes to combat health benefit changes
Elizabeth McMillan
Northern News Services
Published Friday, May 7, 2010

SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE - A Yellowknife Seniors Society petition opposing proposed changes to the NWT extended health benefits program now has well over 1,000 signatures and the group is planning to voice their frustrations next week when the legislative assembly resumes.

Last February dozens of seniors marched outside the legislative assembly protesting proposed changes to the extended health benefits program, prompting Health Minister Sandy Lee to shelve the proposed legislation. Pictured here is Jim Wylie and Mary Carr (far right). - NNSL file photo

The petition is in favour of extending health coverage but not if seniors have to pay a portion of the costs. It says, "We the undersigned want to affirm our support for expanding access to supplementary health benefits to include everyone in the NWT and ... strongly disapprove of requiring income tested co-payments from the sick and the elderly and we strongly favour using the existing revenues from territorial income taxes to fund the expansion."

The Department of Health and Social Services held public consultations last month on a proposal to change the existing extended health benefits plan for non-aboriginal Northerners. The plan now provides eye care, medical equipment and prescriptions for seniors, people with specified conditions and people on income support. Under proposed changes, people who fall under a graduated income scale would get full coverage regardless of their age and medical condition. Representatives from the department have argued this would help people without third party insurance, members of the "working poor," who up until this point have had to pay out-of-pocket for such benefits or go without.

But while extending coverage to low-income earners, the changes would scale back coverage for high income earners, some of whom are seniors. Everyone making more than the proposed income thresholds - $30,000, $50,000 or more for people with dependants - would be required to pay a percentage of the cost of the services they use. That amount varies depending on whether they already have third party insurance.

Seniors society member David Wind, who has called the co-payment plan a "tax on the sick and elderly," said the petition shows the opposition demonstrated at a public meeting in Yellowknife last month hasn't faded.

"There's a real chill over the community, that the non-aboriginal residents are the only ones being asked to make these co-payments. It's pitting one group in our society against another," he said.

Carolyn Kobelka said she has spent almost 30 hours in the past few weeks canvassing houses across Yellowknife and has encountered overwhelming support from people of all backgrounds.

She estimates more than 90 per cent of people asked signed the petition.

"We ran into the same opinions across the board," she said.

Kobelka said she chose to get involved because she has seen health benefits for her elderly mother in Alberta erode and she didn't want the same thing to happen in the NWT.

She said she opposes co-payments and believes the territorial government could keep existing coverage and expand coverage by shifting money around from other departments or increases taxes for that purpose.

"It's the government's responsibility to look after citizens," she said. "They're doing things like throwing money at the Deh Cho Bridge ... and saying we can't afford to look after sick people."

Herself a senior with a specified medical condition, she said paying even a portion of medical costs would make it "financially untenable" to stay in the NWT.

Kobelka hopes the petition sends a message to MLAs when they return to the legislative assembly next Tuesday.

"It seems the government has been holding its breath and saying 'we only have a week, two weeks to go before it becomes official policy,'" she said. "They're gritting their teeth and barrelling through. "

Wind said the society is also planning a protest at the legislature.

He is worried it may be the last opportunity for seniors and concerned residents to have their voices heard.

Wind was also planning a meeting to be held last night at the Baker Community Centre.

A month ago, Health Minister Sandy Lee said her department planned to analyze the results of the public meetings held across the territory and present the results to the territorial government in May.

With the department sticking to a implementation date of Sept. 1, many have speculated Lee will be bringing forward legislation for MLAs to vote on.

Last winter, Lee said she was going back to the drawing board after an initial proposal to change the extended health benefits program drew the ire of seniors and people with chronic medical condition who said they would leave the territory if the policy passed.