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Ban on indoor gatherings

"We're sitting ducks here. We have no authority to govern our community."–Tuktoyaktuk Mayor Erwin Elias says NWT residents should have to self-isolate before returning to the territory, not after, page 10.

Birthday parades take hold in Hay River

Behchoko bones up back-up health-care workers

Tulita holds radio funeral for beloved Elder

Eggs for seniorsin Hay River

Paul Bickford/NNSL photo

Sandra Lester, vice-chair of the Hay River Seniors' Society, distributing 60 dozen eggs to seniors on April 2. The weekly donation from Polar Egg is for seniors staying at home because of the Covid-19 crisis.

Outdoor gatherings limited to 10 people, some types of businesses ordered to close

Volume 74 Issue 49 MONDAY, APRIL 13, 2020 $.95 (plus GST)

Wrigley may barricade: chief

2 NEWS/NORTH NWT, Monday, April 13, 2020

NEWS/NORTH NWT, Monday, April 13, 2020 3

The Government of the Northwest Ter-ritories announced a ban Friday on all indoor gatherings, effective the following day.

The order came in a news conference led by Dr. Kami Kandola, chief public health officer; Katrina Nokleby, minister of Industry, Tourism and Infrastructure; and Diane Thom, minister of Health and Social Services.

The three introduced increased emergency measures to fight the spread of the corona-virus pandemic that took effect over the weekend with legal enforcement for those that do not comply.

Earlier in the week, the GNWT announced its intent to back up its orders with an NWT Compliance Taskforce.

With Friday's emergency measures, offi-cials threatened that it will have the power to "track down and investigate complaints" concerning violations of the Public Health Act or directives made by Kandola.

"Our message has always been that public health measures will get stronger before they let up," Thom said. 

"With the leadership of the Chief Public Health Officer we have moved forward with some of the most aggressive policies in the country.

"While we provided advice weeks ago, we are confident that it is necessary to put legal weight behind these measures to respond to

this unprecedented threat."Anything that brings together people who

don't live together – including things like house parties, funerals, meetings, feasts, bon-fires, church services or team sports – will be banned Thom said.

This was to take effect on Saturday, April 11 at noon. Kandola also banned any outdoor gatherings of more than 10 people.

According to a news release issued Friday, a gathering is defined as "a group of people of any size who do not live in the same household who are not able to maintain social (physical) distance indoors."

Kandola said the most important thing residents can do to stem the spread of Covid-19 is to practice social distancing, or staying six feet apart from others.

"We all need to keep our social circles small," she said. "I recognize this is going to be a huge adjustment for (NWT residents). It is not lost on me that this will affect mental health."

She said people should get creative, point-ing to churches holding online sermons, groups of Facebook and virtual kitchen par-ties.

"Go outdoors," she said. "This is a healthy way to decrease stress."

"We are in this for months, not weeks, and if we're not all on the same team, it could be much longer," Thom said.

To those who ignore these new orders and measures, Thom said: "We're coming for you."

Friday's measures included closure orders directed at tour operators, bars and night-clubs, dine-in portions of restaurants, theatres, gyms, fitness centres, art galleries, bottle depots and personal services establishments, such as hair salons and spas.

Strict measures on oil and gas, minesThere are also strict measures to be imple-

mented on mining and oil and gas sites.This includes screening of transient work-

ers when they arrive in the NWT and when they depart, and follow-up calls with those that leave the territory, Nokleby said.

Nokleby added that southern workers would be segregated from Northern workers where possible.

This order came into effect Friday, April 10 at noon.

"The situation is evolving quickly across Canada which is why these additional meas-ures announced today are needed," Nokleby said.

"By implementing these measures we con-tinue to ensure the right precautions are in place from the risks of having southern transi-ent workers from entering the territory."

As of the end of day Friday, there were five confirmed cases in the territory with 1,397 completed tests. Of those there were 1,392 that were negative, according to the Depart-ment of Health and Social Services website.

To date are also 77 tests pending and one recovered case.

Did we get it wrong?News/North is committed to getting facts and

names right. With that goes a commitment to acknowledge mistakes and run corrections. If you spot an error in News/North, call (867) 873-4031 and ask to speak to an editor, or email editorial@nnsl.com. We'll get a correction or clarification in as soon as we can.

New restrictions on what businesses can operate, too

Indoor gatherings banned in NWT

NeWsBriefs

Legislature to resume May 20MLAs will return to the legislative assem-

bly on May 20 after ending their sitting early to tackle Covid-19 in their respective constituen-cies last month.

The legislative assembly is looking at differ-ent ways to reconvene, spokesperson Danielle Mager said over email. That could involve lim-iting the number of members in the chamber, or conducting business online.

In the meantime, all 11 regular MLAs meet three times a week to teleconference as the Standing Committee on Accountability and Oversight. So far, the committee has passed several motions, including a request that the government enforce a formal pause on evic-tions and provide relief for Northern airlines.

– Nick Pearce

Inuvik men facing charges after crack-cocaine bust

InuvikAt 1:54 a.m. April 1, police received a

complaint about a disturbance at a residence on Boot Lake Road. Upon arriving at the residence, police discovered two men in pos-session of "Canadian currency and drug para-phernalia."

Police investigated the home and quickly discovered an undisclosed amount of crack-cocaine in addition to the paraphernalia and money.

"Inuvik RCMP is committed to keeping our community safe and deterring crime," stated Staff Sgt. Grant Thom. "We will not tolerate outside drug dealers coming into our commun-ity to prey upon our vulnerable people."

Adar Mahad Mohamed, 25, from Saskatoon, has been charged with one count of possession for the purpose of trafficking, one count of pos-session of a controlled substance, one count of possession of property obtained by crime over $5,000 and three counts of fail to comply. He remains in custody and is scheduled to appear in court in Yellowknife on April 5.

Aaron Kay, 38, from Inuvik, faces charges of possession for the purpose of trafficking, possession of a controlled substance and pos-session of property obtained by crime over $5,000. He has been released from custody and is scheduled to appear in court in Inuvik on Aug. 31.

– Eric Bowling

No commitment on internet overages break come May

Northerners stuck inside during the Covid-19 pandemic may be streaming and binge-watching Tiger King without fear of exorbitant overage fees for now but that luxury might not be avail-able come May.

Last month, internet provider Northwestel waived data overage fees for residential custom-ers until the end of April. The company also doubled internet usage caps in satellite com-munities, including Colville Lake, Gameti, Lut-sel K’e, Paulatuk, Sachs Harbour, Samba K’e, Ulukhaktok and Wekweeti. But it’s not clear that the Bell Canada subsidiary will continue with the waiver.

“As of today we have not made any addition-al applications to the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) on residential usage,” Andrew Anderson, North-westel spokesperson Wednesday.

As of press time, a petition for affordable and accessible internet launched by a Yellowknife resident had garnered 1,025 signatures, and increased its initial goal of 1,000 to 1,500.

The CRTC has declared high-speed internet an essential service, vital to one’s quality of life," Melaw Nakeh'ko, the petition author, wrote.

– Blair McBride

by Simon Whitehouse Northern News Services

NWT

news

NNSL file photo

TErriTorial parks WoN'T opENNormally available for camping by reservation May 15, the NWT's territorial parks will remain closed until further notice. An announcement said the closures are a part of the territory's efforts to limit the spread of Covid-19. Walking trails within parks remain open but residents are asked to keep six feet apart and pick up after their pets.

4 NEWS/NORTH NWT, Monday, April 13, 2020

For residents of Wrigley, their main connection to the outside world is the Macken-zie Highway, which ends at their small community. 

And if Covid-19 reaches here, residents know the silent enemy will probably come via the all-season road. 

"We barely get any visitors," Chief Maurice Moses told News/North. 

But while that fact helps protect Wrigley – or Pedzeh Kı in the Dene language – against coronavirus, the com-munity's remoteness is also its vulnerability because there are no doctors, nurses or stores there. 

"I think this weekend we're sending out some hunt-ers and they're going to see if they can get some moose for the community and some fish so we don't have to rely on the Northern Store. We have to go to Fort Simpson for gro-ceries," a 220-km drive away,

the chief said.Moses is well aware of

Wrigley's vulnerability and said the community will take extra precautions to guard against the pandemic. 

"As soon as there's a case in Simpson we'll barricade ourselves," he said.

Even with its small popu-lation of about 120 people,

the community is taking social distancing seriously. 

"Everyone phones one another. We don't socialize anymore. We only have one staff member in the band office (now), who does the mail. Everyone has quaran-tined themselves," Moses said.  "We know there are cases in Yellowknife and

elsewhere. It's coming. Hope-fully everyone takes care of themselves because it's pretty serious. It's a serious virus." 

Wrigley's school is closed and the only public place still open is the health centre, which has maintained regu-lar hours and is staffed by a health support worker. 

A small number of people

in Wrigley have been tested for Covid-19. The support worker in the health centre administers the tests. 

Moses said everyone seems healthy for now.

"The health authority has given (medic-al) gear to the support work-er. As soon as someone reports they're getting sick ... people could quarantine themselves until test results are back. I already told the Dene Nation in our last meet-ing that there should be (a doctor) here full-time just to be on the safe side."

Most residents pass the time inside their homes. Others go hunting.

The youth, like the chief's two sons, play online video games. 

When his boys aren't play-ing inside they also hunt. 

"They're steady out on the land. They go out as a group to the islands and look for

moose. They keep away from town. It keeps them busy. But I tell them when they're out there they have to keep their distance, they can't hud-dle up together. They know and they're doing their part.

I tell them to be careful," Moses said. 

Some fam-ilies have gone out on the land but the

chief said other families are waiting until the community receives its share of the $2.6 million earmarked by Ottawa for transportation, fuel, food, and medical equipment for NWT Indigenous people who want to self-isolate on the land. 

Wrigley is a member of the Dehcho First Nation, which is among the designated recipi-ents of the funding. 

"Our people want to go back on the land but there's just no funding and it's sure taking its time to come," Moses said.

by Blair McBride Northern News Services

Wrigley/NWT

'As soon as there's a case in Simpson we'll barricade ourselves,' chief saysScant services leave Wrigley vulnerable

NNSL file photo

The small community of Wrigley sits on the east bank of the Mackenzie River.

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CommuNity Report

NEWS/NORTH NWT, Monday, April 13, 2020 5

Behchoko's municipal adminis-tration is working to ensure basic essential services can still function if Covid-19 reaches the community.

"Behchoko has both above-ground and underground water services, so we are looking at how do we main-tain services during the time of a pandemic when we may lose 30 per cent of our workforce," said Larry Baran, interim senior administrative officer. "They may be sick or have to stay home to take care of family who are sick, so we started a pro-cess of job shadowing and ramping up backup staff.

"They are not on-call but physic-ally working with full-time staff so that if we do lose somebody, we can slide somebody in right away."

Water, sewer and garbage collec-tion remain high priorities and Baran was adamant that no one is getting cut off from service, even if residents have outstanding accounts.

"We want people to do extra hand-washing, extra cleaning and laundry, so we want to make sure that water is not an issue," he said.

Other municipal services have wound down over the last few weeks.

"The first thing here that took a hit was the recreation programs," the interim SAO said. "That was hard to shut down but we had to deal with it because of social distancing issues."

Last week, the community was the last office in the territory to still offer motor vehicle services.

The municipal office has also been closed to the public and work hours for staff have been reduced to four hours a day from eight.

Behchoko's administration is in daily contact with the GNWT's Department of Municipal and Com-munity Affairs (MACA) for daily reports on the status of the corona-virus in the NWT and has also enlist-ed assistance with emergency plan-

ning.With the

closing of Ekati and Dia-vik Mines last month, Baran

said there have been mine workers who have returned to the community and brought their talents home with them – things such as heavy equip-ment and machinery operations skills that can be useful in the community.

Community connectionsBaran said Behchoko, which lies

northwest of Yellowknife on High-way 3, has also been working closely with the other three communities under the Tłıcho government – Gam-eti, Whati and Wekweeti. So far, he said he has been impressed with how all representatives have been working together during these extraordinary times.

Tłıcho inter-agency meetings involving the regional communities

started about three weeks ago. The four communities have been meet-ing twice weekly with representatives from the Tłıcho Community Services Agency, the Tłıcho Government, and  the Tłıcho Investment Corporation to share information and keep up to date on how they are responding to the pandemic.

"I am so impressed with how folks in Behchoko and the Tlicho agencies have been working in cooperation," said Baran. "It has not been seam-less but we are watching out for one another.

"I think each one is finding little blind spots in one another's approach-es that we may not have been able to see otherwise. As a result, we are covering more bases and using our joint resources a lot more effectively."

Food security Behchoko, with a population of

approximately 1,875 people, has a Northern Store, unlike the other three communities which have food stores run by the Tlicho Investment Cor-poration.

Baran said like many other north-ern communities, there were initial worries about panic buying that cleaned out food and cleaning and emergency supplies quickly. He has been in constant contact with the Northern store's regional manage-ment in regards to food cycles and supply chains.

"They're stocking up the ware-houses with the intention in recog-

nizing that there may be a  periodic interruptions on the supply chain," he said, "but so far we have been doing well here."

However, due to difficulty in getting people to follow health and safety guidelines, the local Northern store is cutting back hours.

"I think the Northern store is doing the best they can to disperse people and reduce the number of people in the store," said Baran. "I just got an email Saturday from the store saying they were going to reduce the hours and start closing store on Sunday because the stress on the staff. They are trying to do work but also at the same time trying to correct people and it is creating some concerns there."

Anna Sahadat, store manager of the Northern Store in Behchoko said that buying patterns have stabilized over the last week, but there has been panic buying since early March.  

"I can't believe it has only been a few weeks since this was exploding and it feels like several months," she said. "We did see quite a bit of panic buying. We did institute limits on key items so that of  those key items are spread out across households instead of one or two houses hoarding." 

Sahadat said the store has lim-ited hours because of staff shortages. There have been cases where staff have travelling out of the territory in early last March and had to self-isolate upon returning. 

Several health and safety meas-ures have been put in place including mandatory hand washing for staff. Cashiers must take 15 minute breaks to sanitize while grocery clerks must break every half hour. 

"Those working in our back room and doing grocery shelving are a little less exposed to our  customer base," she explained. 

Sahadat said she is in constant contact with the community govern-ment and the Tlicho government on food security,  but items that have been short due to panic buying – toi-let paper, flour and disinfectant wipes – have been slowly replenishing. 

"I think if we can continue with the normalized pattern that we saw

this week into next week and if we can get products onto the shelf with-out panic buying then we might be able to reduce panic overall and it will ease the outages," she said.

Taking health and safety seriously Even as local facilities have

closed, including schools, and muni-cipal services have been reduced, Baran said there are some in the community who are still not taking the risk of the coronavirus seriously.

"I don't know that everyone really appreciates how serious the situa-tion is," he said.  "I am dealing with emergency responders everyday that recognize seriousness of this situa-tion and recognize the importance of everyday we have that we don't have to respond to Covid in the commun-ity -- that these are precious times for us to prepare ourselves.

"We see it downtown, where you will be driving and you see four or five people wandering together and almost leaning on each other," he said. "They don't recognize the importance of keeping that distance or staying at home.

Alcohol concernsDuring the first weekend of April,

the Dene Nation sent a motion to the Premier Caroline Cochrane request-ing that restrictions be put in place on alcohol territorially during the pandemic.

Baran pointed out that Behchoko is the only one of the four com-munities that has allowed alcohol consumption since lifting the liquor ban in December 2016.

This week the community is revis-iting the issue as many communities across the North are finding that alcohol consumption can fuel public gatherings – something the GNWT is trying to avoid during the pandemic.

"There are some council members who would like to see prohibition restored or at least something tem-porarily put in place because they were concerned about drug and alco-hol abuse happening right now at a difficult time in history," Baran said. "If everyone would go home to get drunk that would be one thing – they would be maintaining social distan-cing."

by Simon Whitehouse Northern News Services

Behchoko/NWT

Hamlet prepares in case health-care workers fall ill

Behchoko training backup staff

NNSL file photo

The municipality of Behchoko is training backup staff in case some essential workers are stricken with Covid-19 and unable to report for duty.

communities

CommuNity Report

Google image

Store shelves are staying stocked in Behchoko, says SAO Larry Baran.

6 NEWS/NORTH NWT, Monday, April 13, 2020

The community of Whati, about  165 kilometres northwest of Yellowknife, has become a quieter place as most residents stay home during the Covid-19 pandemic. 

"I drive around now and I hard-ly see anyone out walking," Chief Alfonz Nitsiza said. 

"I see some (young people) go out to the lake and they check their (fishing) nets. I've seen some snow-mobiles around. (But) there's not much to be done except stay at home."

Several families have gone out onto the land and to cabins that are on the islands on Lac la Martre.  

"They come back for a while and then they go back out," Nitsiza said. "We have people helping others with gas and food that they want to take out onto the land." 

The First Nation has been tell-ing residents to stay home, to con-stantly wash their hands and it has programs to deliver food to homes when necessary. 

"We've been talking on the radio in our language and giving them updates on how serious this virus is. We don't know how long this will last." 

Offices and public places in the Tlicho community of about 500 people are closed except for the local store and health centre, which has reduced its hours. 

While access to other communi-ties is maintained through the ice road, the closure of most offices in Whati and elsewhere has led to a reduction in the flight schedules. 

"We had scheduled flights six days a week, sometimes twice a day but now they've decreased them to three flights per week. All the services are down. There were a lot of government people coming and

going for meetings but they're all done by teleconferences now," the chief said. 

In normal times, Whati residents would use the winter road to stock up on food in Yellowknife and sometimes in Edmonton to "take off the pressure on the local store," Nitsiza said. 

For now the store remains well-stocked and the Tlicho regional government has stepped in to help ensure there is sufficient food by sending in food hampers. 

Residents are also staying home because several were laid off from

their jobs in the dia-mond mines. Diavik, Gahcho Kue and Ekati have all sus-pended or reduced operations as a pan-demic safeguard, and

sent home workers. "More than 10 people were laid

off from Dominion and Gahcho Kue and Diavik and they're not get-ting paid from the mine. We're help-ing those employees to get access to EI and other money that might be

available from the federal govern-ment. We have staff working with these people." 

There is no full-time doctor in Whati but the full-time nurses in the health centre are doing well for now, Nitsiza said. 

The Tlicho Community Servic-es Agency, based in Behchoko has plans in place to send out the proper medical personnel in case there is an outbreak. 

Still, residents are aware of their vulnerability in case the virus reaches Whati and there is fear in the community of what could hap-pen. 

"With social media people are scared all the time. Because of this virus, things are happening every week and every day and every hour. People are really trying to listen and expecting some change.

"Especially hearing from the Elders when there's no church ser-vice in the community on Sun-days. It's hard for them to take that because the Elders pray a lot. On Fridays we used to gather for rosary prayers in the evening. That's not happening. That really says a lot about the seriousness of what's hap-pening. (The Elders) advise young people to pray more until this thing passes."

by Blair McBride Northern News Services

Whati/NWT

Flight schedules reduced, offices and buildings closed

In whisper-quiet Whati, Elders miss mass, encourage prayer

NNSL file photo

Several families have gone out onto the land and to cabins that are on the islands on Lac la Martre, according to Whati Chief Alfonz Nitsiza.

communities

CommuNity Report

NEWS/NORTH NWT, Monday, April 13, 2020 7

The threat of Covid-19 has moved the com-munity of Tulita to look inside itself for strength during this difficult time. 

After the winter road closed on March 20, the Sahtu hamlet of about 500 people became effectively isolated except for a few flights a week. The first barge is scheduled to arrive along the Mackenzie River in July, deputy mayor Janet Bayha told News/North. 

This quiet, remote community facing the Mackenzie Mountains found itself in uncharted territory as the pandemic escalated. 

"Everything happened so fast and suddenly there was a state of emergency," said Bayha. 

The hamlet dusted off its old flu pandemic emergency plan and designated the Tulita Com-munity Arena as the triage location where people would be isolated if they're infected with coronavirus. Local hotels would also be used as isolation spots for families in case of an outbreak. 

New reality for communityBayha said "reality kicked in maybe two

weeks ago" when residents understood the ser-iousness of the pandemic. 

"We're realizing that everything is shut down, there's got to be a reason why these things are shut down."

The surreal nature of the pandemic was particularly brought home when a 97-year-old resident recently passed away. In line with social distancing protocols, and because Tulita's two churches were already closed, a funeral service was held over the radio.  

Four or five people carried out the burial in the graveyard while other mourners watched the scene from a distance inside their vehicles. 

"It was very different than usual. Families had to stay apart and we couldn't go to the burial site to pay our last respects," said Bayha. "This was a learning as-we-go experience. The hardest part is because he was an Elder, not paying our last respects to that man." 

Relying on radioDespite its isolation and

unfamiliarity with such an abnormal state of affairs, Tulita is still running its nursing sta-tion, RCMP outpost, hamlet office, water treatment plant, garbage services and Northern Store.

Hamlet authorities are making efforts to keep people busy, with the local radio station as a key medium of communication. 

"Our recreation department has been doing a lot of activities at home with the kids, the elderly and the public," said Bayha. "We're coming up with projects for them to do at home, like paint-ing windows, Easter drawings, short stories, sculptures outside their houses. And we're trying to do our traditional sewing, and arts with our youth and Elders. 

Daily radio shows"And we're recording Elders telling stor-

ies about decades ago and the pandemics in the 1920s. We're thinking about the kinds of projects we can do for our history and projects we can use for the future, with Elders speaking about them. 

"We're doing daily radio shows with a Covid co-ordinator we hired – in English and Slavey – with updates on the community with what's happening. And keeping them engaged with contests and giving out prizes of cleaning sup-plies and gift cards for the Northern Store."

With the churches closed, people lead daily

prayers in English and Slavey on the radio at 11 a.m. and 7 p.m. 

The Northern Store has reduced its hours and is now open from noon to 5 p.m. To facili-tate social distancing, the retailer only allows only 20 customers inside at once. 

For the past two weeks the store has been running out of bread, milk and eggs because of lesser amounts of those items on plane ship-ments, Bayha said. 

"There's fear out there and confusion about running out but we were told by the Northern manager that he's trying to get all we need. Now we get deliveries only twice a week, but there is fear that the planes might not come. That's

why people are stocking up on things. We have lots of Kleenex and paper towels but the bread, milk and eggs are going fast." 

Medical preparednessThere are no health professionals stationed

permanently in Tulita. Three nurses come up for six-week rotations and doctors come through every three months. 

"Since the pandemic started the doctors haven't come yet. But the nurses agreed to stay another six weeks because they're worried about the community and they don't want new people coming in," Bayha said. 

The nurses have Covid-19 test swab kits and at least one person has been tested so far. 

"They're only testing people who have ser-ious symptoms," said Bayha.

Hamlet officials are working on plans to begin screening visitors at the airport. Bayha said most people flying into the community have been cooperative and respectful. 

"They've been very good at sending the community their manifest and asking if it's OK to come in," she said. "At the hamlet we put in an essential service charter flight protocol. We ask them a whole bunch of questions before

they come in for the charter services. One is how many employees are coming, where they're coming in from, when they're coming." 

Out on the landResidents are coping well with social distan-

cing even though they find it difficult to avoid socializing in such a small place. 

But Bayha said the safest place for people to be is out on the land. 

"Families are all by themselves. Basically you live your life out there. Freedom by your-self. You rarely get sick in the bush. There's no interaction with other community members, and you're doing daily exercise, daily outings, eating your traditional food that's all healthy. It's the healthiest place." 

About 10 families are preparing to go out and more children than usual will get a chance

to experience life on the land with schools closed. 

"Everybody is saying this is a really good chance to take all of their kids out onto the land and practise our traditional ways. That way they can fall back on the survival skills and provide for the community and bring back fish and meat to the community."

Trips to the bush will also take pressure off the hamlet through fewer trips to the store, reduced water delivery and less need for gar-bage services.  But whether people are outside or inside, Bayha said the pandemic has brought families together. 

"A lot of people are pretty relaxed (and) understanding. The kids have been very good. They've been home with their families. Fam-ilies are liking that they're staying home with families." 

by Blair McBride Northern News Services

Tulita/NWT

Young and old trying to keep busy with activities

Pandemic helps bring Tulita families together

photo courtesy of Kimberly Mary Stewart

The Covid-19 pandemic has helped to bring the residents of Tulita together as a community, says deputy mayor Janet Bayha.

communities

CommuNity Report

8 NEWS/NORTH NWT, Monday, April 13, 2020

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CommeNts aNd vieWs from NEWs/NorTh aNd letters to the editor

Editorial & opinions

Facebook photo

“All vehicles will be stopped and people who do not live in Fort Resolution will have to turn around except for essential service workers and grocery/fuel trucks,” Deninu Kue First Nation chief Louis Balsillie posted on Facebook after the revelation that one of the NWT’s cases of coronavirus was a resident of the village. At right, The First Nation is circulating a petition soliciting sup-port for the roadblock.

Privacy and the pandemic

Not identifying small communities with Covid-19 makessense but not always possible to keep under wraps

the two territories Northern News services covers have taken two very different approaches to public interest and privacy during the pan-demic.

While the GNWt has taken the position of not identifying the home community of a person infected with the coronavirus, officials in Nunavut declared april 8 that they would.

Nunavut’s argument was about avoiding panic.

"if we announce it and just that it's somewhere in the territory, there will be 25 communities of people who are very concerned and feeling the urge or the need to get tested or at least assessed at the health cen-tres," dr. michael Patterson, Nuna-vut's chief public health officer, said, according to the CBC.

"By identifying the community where it is without any of the other specifics, we have the ability to shift staff into that community to do the work that needs to be done without overloading the other communities."

that’s solid reasoning. But NWt chief public health officer dr. Kami Kandola also makes a compelling

argument for refraining from nam-ing a community where a case has been confirmed.

it’s also about avoiding panic, and harm.

as the territory has seen in recent days, some communities are tak-ing matters into their own hands, erecting barricades, announcing warnings – as occurred in lutsel K’e where residents have been advised that snowmobiles will be seized if residents don’t respect isolation measures.

Communities are right to be concerned and it’s understand-able they will want to take steps to protect themselves. But it’s also easy to see how announcing cases in small communities where most people know each other can quickly devolve into a witch hunt as com-munity members try to surmise who among them has the illness. this

may lead to stigma directed toward the infected and for some people to take drastic and harmful action as the fear and rumour mill grows. hence, the GNWt’s decision not to name communities.

But while Kandola’s stance is hard to argue with, it is challenged by the speed at which information spreads over the internet and social media in particular.

it took less than 12 hours for the territory to learn the single NWt case coming from a small commun-ity was in fort resolution.

(as of april 10, there are five cases in the territory, three in yellowknife, one in inuvik).

once people in the community began taking to facebook, includ-ing deninu Kue chief louis Balsillie, that was it. We’re in a democracy after all, and secrets to don’t keep well in an open society such as ours.

this is the needle the chief public health officer will have to thread – aim for discretion and privacy where able but be prepared for word to get out and deal with the aftermath once it does.

so far so good. here’s hoping it stays that way.

Northern News Services

The ISSue:NOT NAMINg COMMuNITIES

We SAY:SECRECY A CHALLENgE

NEWS/NORTH NWT, Monday, April 13, 2020 9

Friends, this is the way author and film-maker Raymond Yakeleya says his uncle Johnny Lennie recalls the devastating 1928 flu epidemic.

As related in his about-to-be-released book, We Remember the Coming of the Whiteman, this happened in Tulita, but was a familiar tragedy all along the Duhogah, Mackenzie River.

One figure puts the Indigenous death at a range of from 10 to 15 per cent! This is a great number, given our relatively small population.

The travel vessel, Distributor, was responsible for the way young men were kept busy, just digging graves.

I have a house right next to an old graveyard which was set up right at the time, to take care of the overflow of the dead. There are no individual markers, so they must have been simply dropped into a mass grave.

The way I heard it the chief at the time ordered all the men to go out on the land, col-lecting bodies which needed burial.

I have been in touch with Raymond Yake-leya over the last several months, for a project with much the same goal in mind as his book.

One of the main aims of Dene Nation presi-dent Norman Yakeleya is for a Dene Reunion,

to find out about and at least make a record of our People.

As it is you will have no problem finding Dene all the way from the northern Alaskan coast all the way south to the Mexican border.

One of our long-forgotten rela-tives, though, are the Kets, in Siber-ian Russia. Word is they speak a language very similar to ours.

I have been to that very area a total of five times, from the early 2000's, when the Government of the NWT took part in Siberfest, an event for the circumpolar native Peoples.

I personally believe there is a very strong connection to the Kets, because on a tour of the Siberian Rus-sia/Mongolian border country I had a total of five dejà vu's, and one right at the gates to the dwelling of a famed shaman's son!

Raymond Yakeleys's new book also began as a reworked version of his Seventies film, The Last Mooseskin Boat.

Those times are also included in my first book, From Bear Rock Mountain; The Life and Times of a Dene Residential School Survivor. It was some wild ride, let me tell you, out of the

mountains, back to the river!Both Raymond and I feel that the youth of

today need these ways to help preserve their Dene identity.

My Indigenous PhD Studies also includes this major purpose as its research proposal. Indeed, our traditional Dene Burial customs

will be the focus of my work with the young people of Radelie Koe, Fort Good Hope, this coming summer.

For now, we should be truly grateful for those like Raymond Yakeleya, who in their way bring yesterday back to the light of day. Mahsi, thank you.

A new way to DIE!

Eric Bowling/NNSL photo

CarEMoNgEriNg iN iNuvikMike Lee shows off care packages he put together for the Inuvik Warming Cen-tre April 3. Lee assembled the packages from a variety of donors assembled through the Caremongering Inuvik Facebook group.

editorial – opinions

MOuNTAIN ViewAntoine Mountain is a Dene artist and writer originally from Radilih Koe'/Fort Good Hope. He can be reached at: amountainarts.com.

"How are you coping with self-isolation?"

Mickey Andre:"No one on the streets to talk to. Just like old days, everyone's out in the bush getting ready for spring hunt."

Faye d'eon-eggertson:"Bread making seems to be a big quarantine hobby, I've heard there are flour and yeast shortages all over the place. I'm not normally a 'take photos of food' person, but isolation brings out a weird side of people "

Arianna Cardinal:"I've been coping by making bracelets, watching golden girls, playing outside and sliding."

Lawrence Norbert:"I waited all afternoon for the parking lot social distance gather-ing down by Mackenzie River ice road crossing but no one came … "

Dreydin Chilson: "Pretty bad and pretty good. Finding fun things to do, but bored all the time too.

Sarah Reindeer-Brooks:"Her mom Stacey Reindeer had her head bowed to pray during our little radio station Palm Sunday service. I looked up at her and saw her like this copy-ing me to pray. So cute I thought."

We asked you!with Eric Bowling

nwtnewsnorth@nnsl.com

Northern News Services

10 NEWS/NORTH NWT, Monday, April 13, 2020 news

Tuktoyaktuk Mayor Erwin Elias is calling for the government of the Northwest Territories to stop allowing people who have left the ter-

ritory back until they have completed a period of self-isolation in wake of revelations a case of Covid-19 in Inuvik earlier this week.

"I don't think it's a shock here. Everybody knows this was bound to happen the way the system is set up with the GNWT," he said on

April 3. "We're sitting ducks here. We have no authority to govern our community.

"One of the big problems we're having is they're allowing people with a high poten-tial of being infected in from the south and they're isolating in the North. Why would we ever allow anyone to come in from the south whether they be residents or not? Why can't they isolate before they board the plane? I don't understand why they want to bring infected people into the North and put them in a hotel in Inuvik – why can't they put them in a hotel in Edmonton?"

Noting that Nunavut cut out all travel and has not had a single case to date, Elias said the GNWT was limiting the ability of local governments to respond to the crisis by allow-ing potential carriers of the virus back into the territory.

He said by the time someone is self-isolat-ing in their home, it's too late.

"If you're going to Nunavut, you have to isolate in Winnipeg or Ottawa before entering. I'm saying we have to do that in the North-west Territories too," said Elias. "You should not be allowed on the plane unless you have documentation saying you were isolated for two weeks.

All cases related to travel"On March 20, there were zero cases in

the Northwest Territories. The only way we've received cases is we've allowed them to fly in without isolation from Edmonton and White-horse."

Elias said he sympathized with the long hours GNWT employees were working and understood everyone was trying their best, but said the current strategy was showing to not be effective at keeping the virus out and should be reassessed and quickly.

But he says he's becoming frustrated with being told to just self-isolate while the problem seemingly gets worse.

"When I brought it up they started talking about the work fields in Norman Wells, but I'm talking about everyone," he said. "Everybody by now should have known that they shouldn't have left the North to begin with a month ago, at least. Everybody was warned that this was going to take place, and if you're stuck in the south, then that's your decision at the time.

"It's frustrating. The GNWT is telling us 'Go sit in your house and isolate because we're going to bring people in who might be infected, and we're going to continue to bring them in, so

we want you to stay in your house and social distance.'

"Does that make sense?"A news release Friday evening from Nun-

akput MLA Jackie Jacobson said he supported Elias' requests.

"We cannot afford to allow the spread of this virus into the communities. If this hap-pens, lives will be lost. I support the Mayors 100 per cent in their request for stricter mea-sures," said Jacobson.

"The GNWT must halt all travel into and between the smaller communities, except for those transporting necessities. Any residents returning to their home communities at this point in time should be required to produce written medical clearance. No one else should be allowed in. Period."

A second change Elias is calling for is a restriction on liquor sales – not to prevent people from being able to buy it, but to limit the volume being purchased by bootleggers to re-sell.

He said there was a serious concern in the community about the virus being spread by unauthorized liquor sales and suggested a limit on volume being purchased would stop them in their tracks.

Restrict the liquor: mayor"There has to be a restriction at the liquor

store," he said. "It shouldn't be shut down, because there are people who need it and that would cause other problems, but you can restrict it and the only people you're going to hurt is the bootleggers, which is not a big deal right now.

"The people that are in need of it shouldn't be cut off, but if you restrict it to a 40 and a flat or something like that, you'll hurt the bootlegger, which is OK. Right now, people are loading up the back of their truck and they're driving out to communities and taking advan-tage of this crisis."

A special council meeting has been sched-uled for Monday, April 6.

On the agenda for the meeting are water and sewer contribution agreements, operations and maintenance contribution agreements, approval of minutes and financial statements, a temporary prohibition order and passing the 2020-2021 hamlet budget. It is closed to the public.

On April 7, a checkstop was established on the Inuvik-Tuktoyaktuk highway to prevent unauthorized visitors from entering the hamlet. 

Cites Nunavut's lack of cases as direction NWT should follow

Isolation should be done outsideNWT, says Tuktoyaktuk mayor

Tuktoyaktuk Mayor Erwin Elias is call-ing on further restrictions to people com-ing into the Northwest Ter-ritories after a report of a case of the Covid-19 virus in Inuvik.photo courtesy of Annangoniak Mangelana

by eric Bowling Northern News Services

Tuktoyaktuk

NEWS/NORTH NWT, Monday, April 13, 2020 11

More Covid-19 drive-through swab test sites are setting up across the NWT in an effort to meet the needs of territorial residents.

In addition to the drive-through testing tent in Yellow-knife, health authorities have installed similar sites in Beh-choko and Fort Smith.

"Behchoko has an in-car screening service where you call the health centre and the nurse meets you in the parking lot for screening," a GNWT spokesperson told NNSL Media.

It is open Monday to Fri-day from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and there is after hours and on-call weekend support.

Fort Smith has an off-site screening spot and an in-car screening service is in the works. Its services have the same hours as Behchoko, as well as on weekends and statutory holidays from noon to 4 p.m.

"Inuvik has an off-site screening location in the Legion, if demand necessi-tates they could quickly adapt to a drive-thru model," the spokesperson said.

As there are lower vol-umes of people seeking to be tested in those communities,

the Northwest Territories Health and Social Services Authority (NWTHSSA) has not deemed it necessary to set up outside tents staffed by medical personnel, like in Yelllowknife.

"All sites noted have expressed that they do not have significant wait times and are meeting demand," the spokesperson said.

According to the Depart-ment of Health and Social Services (HSS), more than 1,160 tests have been admin-istered, most of them in Yellowknife, as of Friday.

Test results turnaround concerns

The time elapsed while test results are being processed is a source of anxiety for people because even if they're not showing serious symptoms they might be inadvertently at risk of spreading coronavirus.

The HSS said it takes up to one week for test results to be known. Swabs must be sent to a laboratory in Alberta.

A senior medical official with the NWTHSSA told a teleconference on April 8 that one factor behind the time lag is a backlog at the Alberta lab.

"The average is still four days but there is variability. We know they're working 24 hours a day at the provincial

lab in Alberta. But sometimes it's more than (four days), sometimes it's less. It depends on where the swab is coming from and how many sam-ples the lab is processing," said Dr. Sarah Cook, terri-torial medical director with NWTHSSA.

But faster test turnaround times could be in sight, as Dr. Tom Wong, Chief Medical Officer of Public Health for Indigenous Services Canada

explained to reporters during a teleconference on April 9.

"There are exciting developments in technology," Wong said, referring to point-of-care tests that take a blood sample and require as little as 15 minutes to process results. These would be less need to send samples to off-site labs.

"There are point-of-care test kits as we speak that have been approved in the United States and Canada. There's

one test that's already been approved in both countries and there's another test that's just been approved in the US. And there are other test kits being actively evaluated by the regulators in both countries.

"Once those are commer-cially available in sufficient quantity those would be tre-mendously helpful if both test kits can be used in a clinic setting, in a doctor's office setting, in a nurses station set-

ting. Those would drastically reduce the turnaround time."

The federal govern-ment has invested more than $300 million in research to enhance the medical response to Covid-19, according to a government news release on Thursday.

There are four point-of-care projects underway at Canadian universities and receiving a total of $2.9 mil-lion in federal investment.

by Blair McBride Northern News Services

NWT

Point-of-care tests underway, could vastly reduce results wait times

Drive-through Covid-19 testing expands in NWT

Paul Bickford/NNSL photo

Drive-through swab test sites for Covid-19 are expanding across the NWT.

news

The Workers' Safety and Com-pensation Commission (WSCC) has extended assessment payment dead-lines until the summer for employ-ers unable to make their payments because of the Covid-19 pandemic. 

Late payment interest charges are also suspended, the commission said in a news release on April 8. 

Effective April 1 the new dead-line is Aug. 1, 2020. 

The payments comprise employ-ers' annual contributions to the Workers' Protection Fund to cover work-related injury and illness costs.

The amounts vary depending on the annual assessment base rate for employers subclass or industry and payroll estimates for the year. 

"The purpose of these changes is to give extra time to employers to adjust their payroll estimates for 2020 and to make their payments later in the year without facing any penalties," said Debbie Molloy,

WSCC president and CEO.Employers currently registered

with the WSCC can switch to two equal installments paid in August and October 2020 of this year. 

Renee Comeau, executive direc-tor of the NWT Chamber of Com-merce, said the chamber supports the WSCC's payment measures.

"It's a good initiative to assist business in keeping business going in the short term," she said. 

The measures don't apply to the GNWT and the Government of Nunavut which remain on a four-installment schedule.

  "All employers with changes to their workforce as a result of Covid-19 are encouraged to look at their payroll and submit a revised estimate to the WSCC for their 2020 assessable payroll as soon as possible," Molloy said. 

"Estimated payroll includes pay-roll for workers, casual labourers, and any contractors you are cover-ing for work taking place in the Northwest Territories and/or Nuna-vut in the current calendar year."

by Blair McBride Northern News Services

NWT

Measure gives relief to employers affected by pandemic

Workers commission extends assessment payment deadlines until later this year

Blair McBride/NNSL photo

The Workers' Safety and Compensation Commission (WSCC) has extended the assessment payment deadline for employers to Aug. 1, 2020.

12 NEWS/NORTH NWT, Monday, April 13, 2020 news

NWT friendship centres marched into the Covid-19 crisis weathering a tighter budget.

With the onset of the pandemic, the organizations have less money than previous years to help provide their services: shelters, meals, community support, and Elders programs.

That's because last month the main 2020-21 budget estimate for the ter-ritorial government signalled the end of a two-year program that provided friendship centres with $250,000 in funding.

On April 3, regular MLAs called on the GNWT to earmark crisis fund-ing for the centres, to organize com-munity responses and to help them access federal food bank money and northern food security support.

That would all be welcome for Anthony Rabesca, president of NWT and Nunavut's Council of Friend-ship Centres, as he wants "to battle this (Covid-19) and start helping our people."

The centres provide service to roughly 13,000 people in seven com-munities across NWT. During the crisis, they've transitioned to food delivery and broadcasting community news updates over the radio, Rabesca said.

Some federal money keeps them at a baseline of operations, but doesn't support a full slate of services, Rabesca said.

To change that, Deh Cho MLA Ronald Bonnetrouge asked the gov-ernment for crisis funding to support the friendship centres facing down the pandemic.

He was motivated to do so because he saw his local centre in Fort Provi-dence struggling.

"There's no other organization in our community that can provide that kind of service," Bonnetrouge said. "There's nobody else running those organizations. We don't have any vol-unteer organizations and stuff like this. Friendship centres have been counted on to run a lot of things."

The requested money isn't a replace-ment for the lost funding, which Bon-netrouge said was his original propos-al. Rather, he sees it as crisis funding acting as a stepping stone to regular funding.

The NWT government didn't respond to News/North's request for comment by press time.

Responding to concerned MLAs in budget talks on March 4, Premier Caroline Cochrane said "that we need to care for the friendship centres. They do provide valuable services."

Additionally, deputy minister of Executive and Indigenous Affairs

Martin Goldney said the GNWT fund-ing was short-term, encouraging the centres to find other sources of money "by offering some time-limited match-ing funds."

"It wasn't intended as ongoing funding to replace federal government funding. It was meant to support the association's own efforts to find new sources of ongoing funding," he said.

In response, Thebacha MLA Frieda Martselos and Hay River South MLA Rocky Simpson both took up the issue. Noting Elder and youth programming, Simpson called the centres more than a non-profit, being "a home for First Nations, Metis and others to gather."

Meanwhile, Rabesca, despite reduced resources, said the centres would still aim to offer services and get the word out about social distan-cing and Covid-19 safety practices.

There hadn't been a wave of illness of this magnitude in the NWT since a devastating influenza outbreak in the 1920s, he said, calling the situation "a battle" the centres needed to take part in.

"We're going to continue. It's some-thing that's in our blood as a friendship centres in the North and a movement that we've been doing for many, many years," he said. "We need to work together making sure that our people are aware of it, so that they themselves can save their lives.

by Nick Pearce Northern News Services

NWT

MLAs pass motion asking government for temporary money

NWT friendship centres soldier through crisis with lost funding

photo courtesy of Anthony Rabesca

Anthony Rabesca, president of NWT and Nunavut's Council of Friendship Centres, says the organizations will continue to work through the pandemic.

NEWS/NORTH NWT, Monday, April 13, 2020 13news

Life in the remote, mountainous area around Norman Wells might be harsh at times but people still cherish their creature comforts, like spic and span vehicles. 

Resident Bonnie Deschene is ready to respond to that niche and is launching Deschene Diamond Detailing to give vehicles "deep, thor-ough cleaning with specialized tools," she told News/North. 

"(It's) things you can't get with a wash rag, the nooks and crannies. (Detailing) also includes reconditioning (and) restoration of leathers and cloths and stain removal and basically making a vehicle feel newer," she said. 

"It happens a lot with old cars for show and shine (events). Prior to going to any kind of show and shine, owners will have the interiors and exteriors buffed up and shined and pro-tected from the elements."

Covid-19 pauses launchDeschene was ready to open the business and

begin working on customers' vehicles last week, but the Covid-19 pandemic had its own plans. 

During the day, she works as a resource man-agement officer with the GNWT in the Depart-ment of Lands. 

"I might be moved to Hay River for border patrol, because of that the soonest I could start (detailing vehicles) would be the summer."

Deschene came up with the business idea as a way to keep herself busy in the Sahtu town. 

"In Norman Wells there's not particularly a lot of outlets (for activities), so to keep myself busy and out of trouble I need to have something on the side. I don't get into much trouble any-ways, (but) instead of sitting at home and being unproductive I thought it would be good to do something that would keep me busy and provide a service to the community," she said. "Initially it was just an idea for a few years, and then when I heard other people talk about the same idea I thought, 'OK, time to get the ball rolling.'" 

Several years ago she worked as a mechanic in Edmonton and, among other responsibilities, she was in charge of maintaining and cleaning her company's fleet of vehicles. 

But a car accident left her with injured wrists, restricting her ability to continue repairing auto-mobiles. 

"In the mechanic world there is no light-duty work," she said, so she moved on to a career with the government. 

high demandNorman Wells is accessible by road only

during the winter and with a small population of about 800 people, it's not exactly buzzing with cars and trucks.

Still, Deschene said the desire for detailing services is relatively high in the community. 

"All of last year, any time I would work on my vehicle or other peoples' vehicles, people would drive by and ask if I could do it for them," she recalled.

"Some were joking but some were serious. There's quite a lot of demand for this."

She plans to offer customers a service pack-age menu ranked by degree of cleaning. The most basic service would be standard rug clean-ing, for which she hopes to charge less than $100. 

An intermediate cleaning would consist of window and floor work while advanced service would focus on all components including doors, dashes, mirrors and leather seats. 

"I want anyone and their dog to be able to afford it, but I don't want to be losing out on money based on the materials used," she said. "If it grows enough to provide students with summer jobs that would be ideal, as well with a shop I would be able to run year round."

by Blair McBride Northern News Services

Lli Goline/Norman Wells

Norman Wells entrepreneur launching detailing company

Pandemic has delayed company start until summer

photo courtesy of Bonnie Deschene

Bonnie Deschene poses with her truck in Edmonton. The Norman Wells resident plans to launch her own interior detail-ing company by the summer.

14 NEWS/NORTH NWT, Monday, April 13, 2020

Short story contest closesTulita

Kids and adults had their chance to get creative while com-peting in a short story contest for cash prizes thanks to the Hamlet of Tulita's recreation department

Participants were tasked with writing a story or essay about either a young person who gets three wishes from a magic genie, a young, poor person who becomes rich unexpectedly or their version of how Yamoria defeated the giant beavers.

Contestants competed in one of four age categories: six to nine, 10 to 13, 14 to 18 and adults over 18.

First place will receive $100 with second place receiving $75 and third place receiving $50.

The contest closed April 11.– Erin Steele

Water schedule extendedTulita

The Hamlet of Tulita has extended water service for residents by giving them one extra day of delivery.

"Due to the Covid-19 pandemic and residents practicing the self-isolation rule with more hand washing, more dishes and laundry, the Hamlet will be giving one extra day of water to housing units and private homeowners," states a bulletin on social media.

"Keep in mind once the Covid-19 pandemic subsides your water delivery schedule will go back to your regular deliveries."

Those wanting an extra day of water delivery added to their water schedule are asked to contact the Hamlet to put in their request.

– Erin Steele

On the land funding available

Dehcho RegionFamilies of the Dehcho region can access funding to go on

the land thanks to Dehcho First Nations."This funding has been distributed to all the member com-

munities to support physical distancing on the land," states a bulletin on social media.

"This means going on the land with members of your own household and maintaining a six-foot distance from members of other households!"

Those accessing the funding can use it for food, supplies and transportation costs to go on the land.

"Alternatively, a grocery or wood supplement could be pro-vided to those left behind or house-bound," states the bulletin.

– Erin Steele

Sewers make facemasksNWT

Residents of NWT communities will be able to have access to handmade facemasks thanks to the Arctic Indigenous Well-ness Foundation.

"We are in the process of looking for one to two traditional sewers in each of the NWT small communities to make masks based on a provided pattern," states a bulletin on social media.

"We will arrange getting the supplies to the sewers and one mask is to be distributed to each household in the communities using safe drop off techniques."

Those receiving masks are advised to wash them prior to use.Anyone looking to support this project can donate materials

or make a financial donation.– Erin Steele

Easter egg hunt revamped

Liidlii Kue/Fort SimpsonThe annual Easter egg hunt put on by Open Door Society

was cancelled in Fort Simpson.In lieu of the Easter egg hunt, the organization continued to

keep Easter spirits up by providing treat bags instead."We have a number of pre-made treat bags available to

families of children zero to 12 years," states a bulletin on social media from the Open Door Society.

Treat bags were delivered to children April 10 and left at the doors of the families who had requested to take part in the initiative.

– Erin Steele

Thousands of booksavailable online

NWTBook worms throughout the NWT looking for books to read

now have access to another online resource thanks to NWT Public Library Services.

"Reading is a free e-book service with an online library of thousands of titles/books for readers aged approximately eight years and up," states a bulletin on social media.

"The variety of categories range from comic to cookbooks to fiction and non-fiction that would appeal to any reader."

To sign up for an account, residents will need their library card and PIN number from their local library.

Anyone with an account can download up to six free e-books per month.

– Erin Steele

Grocery delivery for Elders

TsiigehtchicTsiigehtchic's charter council is stepping up to help Elders

keep their pantries stocked during the Covid-19 epidemic.A public notice issued April 2 notes that any Elders in

Tsiigehtchic who need help getting groceries from the store are welcome to call the charter office at 954-3201 and the SAO will arrange for any help needed.

Younger residents in Tsiigehtchic are asked to be mindful of their use of snowmobiles on the roads. A second public notice from the charter community notes there had been a couple of near accidents between larger motor vehicles and Ski-doos.

The charter asks residents to make sure their children are obeying stop signs and watching for any vehicles.

– Eric Bowling

Greenland bans alcohol sales

GreenlandAs debate over alcohol sales in the Northwest Territories

rages on, neighbouring Arctic self-governing body Greenland has banned all sale of liquor in its capital, Nuuk.

Greenland prime minister Kim Kielsen said March 29 that the move was intended to reduce violence against children in the territory. Since schools closed down March 22, the state saw a spike in domestic violence.

The ban is scheduled to last until April 15. Greenland has also banned gatherings larger than 10 people and air traffic to the island has been halted.

– Eric Bowling

Ulukhaktok thanks nursesUlukhaktok

Residents of Ulukhaktok didn't let something little like a major blizzard stop them from showing their local nurses how much they appreciate their hard work in these difficult times.

A blizzard on April 3 led to water rationing and reduced services as visibility was at a minimum, but a kind soul helped a local nurse get to work in the blizzard and another cooked the good workers at the Ulukhaktok medical centre a warm meal.

Ulukhaktok nurse took to the local Buy and Sell group to express her thanks.

"I am overwhelmed with gratitude today. Thank you all for posting and expressing your respect,

Around the Northif you have an item of interest from your community, call (867) 873-4031, or email: editorial@nnsl.com

photo courtesty of Hamlet of Tuktoyaktuk

if ThE housE is a roCkiN'It might fall into the ocean. A project in Tuktoyaktuk is moving homes away from the crumbling coastline to more solid ground. The hamlet released a notice April 1 asking residents to stay off a specially constructed ice road during the project.

Please see page 16

NEWS/NORTH NWT, Monday, April 13, 2020 15

Even difficult times like these can't prevent families – or the whole commun-ity – from celebrating birthdays.

However, the celebrations are being done in a creative and, more importantly, safe way as a result of the Covid-19 crisis.

Melanie King has brought the idea of weekly birthday parades to Hay River, with the first held on March 27 and another on April 3.

King said she came across the idea on Facebook when a friend shared a report, possibly from the United States, of chil-dren's birthdays being celebrated through parades to maintain social distancing.

"And it was right before my son's birth-day and I thought, 'Oh, what a fantastic idea. I would love something like this for my son,'" said King.

So she shared the post and asked who would be interested in doing a drive-by birthday celebration for her son and many of her friends jumped at the idea.

"Everybody was so excited about it and I thought, 'Hey, you know what, I know of a few other kids that are celebrating their birthdays, as well,'" she recalled. "Why don't we include them and make a rounds of it?'"

In less than 24 hours the first parade was organized and featured about 30 vehicles, some decorated with signs and balloons.

"It far, far surpassed my expectations," said King, who noted she couldn't have done it without help from Jennifer Tweed-ie.

Of course, a person celebrating a birth-day – either that day or recently – has to be home to receive the birthday wishes.

"Whoever requests the drive-by, it's up to them to make sure that child or adult – we have done a couple of adults – are

standing outside or waiting in their win-dows for the drive-by," said King.

The first birthday parade on March 27 visited a half-dozen houses.

"Especially for a child, their birthday is the one day that is their day and where they're celebrated and where they get to feel special," said King, explaining that they can't celebrate in the traditional way during the social distancing for Covid-19.

Her son Louis turned 13 on March 27."At first, I could tell he was a little

bit embarrassed," King said of her son's reaction to the idea of a birthday parade, but he smiled when he actually saw the procession.

"It succeeded what I wanted him to feel on his birthday," she said. "It's to feel like he was appreciated for that day."

Louis said the parade was something different.

"I really liked it," he said.

Louis and his mother also joined the first parade to visit others, either celebrat-ing their birthdays on the same day or in recent days.

"It was pretty funny to see their faces and like the shock," he said.

On April 3, almost 40 vehicles joined the parade.

It first drove by the home of Kairyssa Jacobs, who turned 11 on March 30.

"It was amazing," she said. "It was like fun."

King is hoping the birthday parades become weekly events.

"As long as we have to practise this social distance, I think it's only fair that all kids get this opportunity when we can't have birthday parties," she said.

Plus, King noted that the parades give all participating families a chance to come together and to still feel like a com-munity.

Weekly mobile celebrations replace parties in era of social distancing

Need a safe celebration?Try a birthday parade

Paul Bickford/NNSL photos

Melanie King introduced Hay River to the idea of birthday parades, which celebrate people's special days while maintaining social distancing in light of the Covid-19 crisis.

On April 3, a birthday parade in Hay River turns into Delancey Estates. The parades are an alternative to traditional birthday parties and are designed to maintain social distancing.

Kairyssa Jacobs, who turned 11 years old on March 30, was visited by Hay River's weekly birth-day parade on April 3.

by Paul Bickford Northern News Services

hay River

16 NEWS/NORTH NWT, Monday, April 13, 2020 around the NWT

humanity, and compassion for what we (the nurses) do! Thank you to the amazing human being who brought us a wonderful warm meal, and who is always humbly caring for others!

"Thank you to the selfless, funny and very gen-erous human being who picked me up in a blizzard and got me to the health centre in one piece. It was not a pretty (sight) getting into the truck, just ask my neighbour, but it worked!" she wrote.

"Thank you for the very generous gift of healthy snacks, fresh food and edible energy for the nurses from the Northern Store! Simply, thank you, from the bottom of my heart! We are all in this together!"

– Eric Bowling

Thebacha Trade Show postponed in Fort Smith

Thebacha/Fort SmithThe 15th-annual Thebacha Trade Show in

Fort Smith has been postponed due to the Covid-19 crisis.

The event had been set for April 25 at the Fort Smith Centennial Arena.

However, Thebacha Business Development Services, which organizes the event, announced on March 30 that it had been postponed.

No new date was announced for the trade show.

– Paul Bickford

Remote school to beoffered in Fort Smith

Thebacha/Fort SmithJoseph Burr Tyrrell School in Fort Smith is

planning to offer a remote school, beginning in mid-April.

Teachers at the elementary school have been call-ing the families of students to determine existing technology in the homes and each student's learning

needs."You will be hearing from us as we begin our

journey together with remote learning," stated a Facebook post for parents and students.

"Our goal is to begin remote learning on April 14. Remote learning will look different for each class and student. Please be patient with us as we are learning, too."

– Paul Bickford

Drive-in wi-fi atFort Smith library

Thebacha/Fort SmithA drive-in wi-fi service is being offered in the

parking lot of Mary Kaeser Library in Fort Smith.The wireless internet will be available from 9

a.m. to 9 p.m. every day.No password is required.Like many other public facilities in the NWT,

Mary Kaeser Library has been closed because of the Covid-19 crisis.

– Paul Bickford

IRC's interim Emergency ChildFirst Initiative support maxed out

Beaufort DeltaA relief fund to help Inuvialuit Regional Cor-

poration (IRC) beneficiaries in need during the Covid-19 crisis has reached capacity and the IRC is promising to locate more funding to continue pro-viding the social safety net.

A modification of the existing Inuit Child First Initiative, the fund was used to help provide one-time bulk food orders for some 320 families with children, however the IRC announced that fund had been effectively maxed out in an April 2 press release.

The press release goes on to note the IRC is in negotiations to set up another fund and operations were expected to resume mid-month.

– Eric Bowling

ATN, from page 14

Paul Bickford/NNSL photo

a liviNg libraryChristine Gyapay, head librarian at NWT Centennial Library, says home delivery of books is beginning, while maintaining social distan-cing and using other safety measures in light of the Covid-19 crisis.

NEWS/NORTH NWT, Monday, April 13, 2020 17

All of the excitement of the Northern Hockey Challenge between the Hay River Husk-ies and Yellowknife Flyers was cut in half thanks to you know what.

The Hay River Huskies and the Yellowknife Flyers were tentatively set to have the second half of the series in Hay River on the weekend of March 28 to 29.

"Obviously, everything is changed, which we fully understand," said Greg Rowe, one of the organizers of the games, referring to the Covid-19 crisis that has closed the Hay River Community Centre.

"But our intent is to keep it going," he said. "And, cer-tainly, the players and the communities have supported it very well, so we fully expect that we'll be able to again host it next year, and keep moving it forward."

Rowe said the Northern Hockey Challenge has been "thrown some curveballs" since it began as a six-team event.

The challenge began in the 2012-2013 season with three teams in the NWT and four in Nunavut.

It has since become a com-petition between Hay River and Yellowknife.

However, it was not held for two years as the Hay River Community Centre was rebuilt, and it was not held in 2018 because of the South Slave Arctic Winter Games.

And last year, there were

two games in Hay River, but none in Yellowknife.

This year, there was a game in Yellowknife on Feb. 8 as part of the Hockey Day in Can-ada national event.

"It worked out with Hockey Day in Canada," said Rowe. "We were able to tie it together and really showcase senior hockey at a prominent venue, and certainly Hockey Day in Canada was a great audi-ence to be able to play senior hockey."

However, the game itself didn't turn out as he had hoped, with the Yellowknife Flyers winning by a score of 11-5.

"It sounds a little more lop-sided than it really was," said Rowe. "We just didn't have the

start we wanted. Yellowknife had a very strong team and they jumped out in front of us and we just got a little too far behind. But we did make a game of it in the second and third periods, and it was a clos-

er game than the final score. I think we outshot them badly."

Rowe said it was fun to get back to Yellowknife this year.

"There's certainly been an appetite from both commun-ities to want to have good cali-

bre, fast, fun games to watch," said Rowe of Hay River and Yellowknife. "So that's really what we're trying to do is just keep it going, and there's cer-tainly been good support from both communities."

Re-birth of annual competition between Hay River Huskies and Yellowknife Flyers only half completed because of Covid-19

No Northern Hockey a in Hay River

James McCarthy/NNSL photos

Connor Goudreau prepares to smother the puck during action in the opening – and now only – weekend 2020 Northern Hockey Challenge between the Hay River Huskies and Yellowknife Flyers back in February.

Curtis Rowe heads up the ice with the puck dur-ing action in the opening – and now only – week-end 2020 Northern Hockey Challenge between the Hay River Huskies and Yellowknife Flyers back in February.

by Paul Bickford Northern News Services

hay River

SportS hotline • JameS mccarthyphone: (867) 873-4031 • email: sports@nnsl.com • Fax: (867) 873-8507

Sports & recreation

18 NEWS/NORTH NWT, Monday, April 13, 2020

So as we carry on with the isolation and social/physical/whatever distancing, I'm reminded of what we're dealing with.

I saw a photo online ear-lier this month of a soldier from World War II carry-ing a donkey on his back. Why? Well, apparently the field was full of mines and if the donkey stepped on one, it would set one off and cause as much damage as if a soldier did the same. The moral of the story? The ones you have to watch out for the most in times of danger are the jackasses who don't know any better.

Anyway:

So it's a maybe?In his own words, Karlos

Williams has been his own worst enemy and is the rea-son he hasn't played profes-sional football since 2015.

Williams plans on mak-ing a comeback and will do so this coming season with the Toronto Argonauts ... so long as there's a season. But he hasn't forgiven the way the Buffalo Bills, one of his former teams, supposedly treated him, specifically the team's former general man-ager, Doug Whaley.

Whaley drafted Williams in 2015 and it looked like a great move as Williams and LeSean McCoy turned into a big one-two punch for the Bills. Williams, though, ended up being suspended before the 2016 season began for violating the National

Football League's sub-stance abuse policy and was

released by the Bills during that year's training camp. Two subsequent suspensions saw Williams forced to sit out for an entire calendar year.

He could have played in the XFL this past season but he didn't want to because Whaley is employed by the XFL as the league's senior vice-president of football operations.

In an interview with The Athletic published on April 9, Williams let loose on Whaley, saying he could consume a body part, die in a hole and drink bleach. In case you aren't understand-ing, Williams doesn't like Whaley.

Williams is convinced that Whaley gave up on him too soon and he plans on sticking it to him by tearing up the Canadian Football League this season.

You know, I don't feel the least bit sorry for this guy. He decided to make his own

decisions and blames his for-mer employer because they decided to go in a different direction? That's on him and if he's accepted responsibility for his past actions, that's a good first step.

Something else which bothers me: he's proclaimed that he's going to "tear up" the CFL and they don't know what's coming. Right, junior. We've heard that song and dance before from so many people – Lawrence Phillips, Dexter Manley, Chad John-son, Johnny Manziel – and they fizzle out worse than an East German sparkler. He'll be brought back down to planet normal in no time.

Let's hope they make itCovid-19 is playing havoc

with everything and that includes sports leagues of all sorts. I talked about how mid-level minor professional hockey players have lost any source of income until at least next season.

There's another league which is facing an uncertain future, though its commis-sioner has said it will push on no matter what.

The Intercounty Baseball League has been in operation in Ontario for more than 100 years and has featured some of the best amateur senior men's baseball in the country over that time. It's featured some players who have either gone on to play in or played Major League Baseball over the years such as Fergie Jenkins (Baseball Hall of Fame member), Rob and Rich Butler, Rob Ducey, Paul Spoljaric and Pete Orr. Former prime minister Les-ter B. Pearson even played with the Guelph Maple Leafs at one time.

But things are very much up in the air as the Brantford Red Sox and Barrie Baycats,

the six-time reigning league champions, both announced they will not play in 2020 no matter what happens. The league is hopeful to have baseball of some sort in 2020 but Ontario is one of the hardest-hit places in Can-ada and Baseball Ontario has said there will be no action until July 1, which is the downswing for the league's annual calendar.

Again, this is just one of many leagues facing such a situation but it's tough. I used to go to Christie Pits in Toronto from time to time and watch the Toronto Maple Leafs (the baseball team, not the hockey team) in action. Good quality baseball for not a lot of money and it was entertaining.

And finally ...Good Idea: Contactless

tap payment method using a hockey stick.

Bad Idea: That the unit has to be passed using a hockey stick because of Covid-19.

Thanks to Covid-19, we've had to change the way we live. Literally. Luckily, there's Harveys and Bauer to keep us happy that we're Canadian.

My favourite burger joint in the entire world has gone all drive-thru on its restau-rants and does it without contact. The difference here is that Harvey's employees are passing out the payment unit attached to a Bauer hockey stick. This is perhaps the most Canadian thing I've seen since Vasek Pospisil of Vancouver drank maple syrup during a crossover in a tennis tournament earlier this year.

It's enough to make you smile and sweet baby Jesus knows we need to smile.

Until next time, folks ...

Gee, Karlos Williams, tell us how you really feel about your former boss

photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Dominico Field at Christie Pits in Toronto has been hosting the Toronto Maple Leafs baseball club for decades. It could be empty this season if the Intercounty Baseball League, which has been around for more than 100 years, cans the 2020 season, which looks more and more likely by the day.

Northern News Services

SPORTSTalk

with James McCarthyemail: sports@nnsl.com

sports & recreation

SportS Cardtrack and field

Declan munro

AGe: 17 COMMuNITY: hay RiverThe perpetually happy Declan Munro is a jack of all trades when it comes to sport-ing exploits but track and field is where his strengths are. His specialties are the middle distances – 400 and 800-metre events – and has seen plenty of success in those over the years.

NEWS/NORTH NWT, Monday, April 13, 2020 19

Everyone loves a great upset, don't they?Nothing like seeing the bottom seed take

out the top dogs because that's what makes people interested.

Well, that happened in round one of the Greatest Of All Time tournament.

The NWT Rebels women's broomball team came into the tournament as the No. 1 seed but they were bounced out by the 2020 Canadian Mixed Curling Champion-ship bronze medalist-winning team of Jamie

Koe, Kerry Galusha, David Aho and Megan Koehler, the No. 16 seeds, in the first big upset of the tournament.

It was really no contest as Koe and com-pany received roughly two votes to every one received by the Rebels. Votes were cast online at NNSL Media's Facebook page and through e-mail.

The next match-up starts today, April 13, as the 2008 Canadian Firefighters Curling Championship winners of Steve Moss, Chris Haichert, Kevin Whitehead and Ingo Bauer go up against the duo of Elvis Beaudoin and Keith Way, who won the men's doubles crown

at the 2019 Canadian National Darts Champi-onships in Saskatoon, the first national darts championship ever won by players from the territory.

Moss and his rink ran the table at the 2008 edition of the event, becoming the second rink from the territory to win the title at the event, following in the footsteps of Howard Brazeau and his rink from the Fort Smith Fire Depart-ment that won back-to-back titles in 1976 and 1977.

Brazeau and company will enter the ring, so to speak, in the coming weeks.

Beaudoin and Way, meanwhile, made his-

tory by beating the Nova Scotia duo of Nick Smith and Rob Piercy in the final to make his-tory. Beaudoin clinched the title in the third leg of the best-of-five affair by checking out (finishing) 155 with his last three darts.

Voting will begin on April 13 at 9 a.m. and will continue through to 11:59 p.m. the following day. You can vote by visiting NNSL Media's Facebook page or by sending an e-mail to sports@nnsl.com. The team which receives the most votes will move on to face Koe and company in round two.

Do you like the curlers or is darts your thing? It's all up to you.

sports & recreation

by James McCarthy Northern News Services

NWT

No. 16 beats No. 1 in first match-up of greatest Of All Time competition

Curlers upset the broomballers

Valerie Simard/Curling Canada photo

The 2020 Canadian Mixed Curling Championship bronze medal-winning rink of Jamie Koe, left, Kerry Galusha, David Aho and Megan Koehler pulled off the big upset of round one in the Greatest Of All Time tournament as they beat out the top-seeded 2014 NWT Rebels broomball squad that won the gold medal at the World Broomball Championships that year.

20 NEWS/NORTH NWT, Monday, April 13, 2020