ᐹᕙᓐᓛᓐ ᐅᑕᖅᑭᕗᑦ ᒪᑐᔭᕆᐊᖃᑐᐃᓐᓇᕆᐊᓕᖕᒥ ᐊᑦᑎᒃᑐᓂ ᓴᕕᕋᔭᖕᓄᑦ ᐊᑭᐅᔪᓂ ᓇᓚᐅᑦᑖᖅᑕᐅᔪᒥ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐱᖁᔭᑎᒍᑦ ᓇᓗᓇᕐᓂᐅᔪᒥ, ᐅᔭᕋᖕᓂᐊᕐᕕᒃ ᑲᒻᐸᓂᐅᔪᖅ ᐃᓂᖅᑎᕆᕗᖅ ᓄᓘᔭᕐᓂ ᐅᔭᕋᖕᓂᐊᕐᕕᖓ ᒪᑐᔭᐅᑐᐃᓐᓇᕆᐊᖃᖅᐳᖅ Waiting for 14 years for housing Volume 76 Issue 2 MONDAY, MAY 10, 2021 $.95 (plus GST) Baffinland braces for potential shutdown With low iron prices forecast and regulatory uncertainty, mining company warns Mary River mine may be shuttered Done in 10 minutes! Here is Bobby Ekpakohak of Cambridge Bay, Nunavut with his enokhok he built, one of the contests held at the mental health event held down on the ice on Saturday, May 2. Navalik Tologanak/NNSL photo House parties to blame Guest comment: Berger’s Special for rise in COVID-19 death reminds us to keep insert on cases in Iqaluit fighting for environment mining in Nunavut 2021 Publication mail Contract #40012157 “Nature’s work of art brings pure solitude.” Craig Kakolak doesn’t let unexpected problems get him down while travelling on the land, page A4. 7 71605 00200 2 A2 Monday, May 10, 2021 Nunavut News kNKu W?9oxJ5 www.nunavutnews.com www.nunavutnews.com Nunavut News kNKu W?9oxJ5 Monday, May 10, 2021 A3 Did we get it wrong? Nunavut News 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 Nunavut News/North, call (867) 979-5990 and ask to fact FILE speak to an editor, or email [email protected]. We'll get a correction or clarification in as soon as we can. NUNAVUT Covid-19 SITUATION AS OF MAY 6 Active cases: 86 Confirmed cases by community News Confirmed cases: 552 Recovered cases: 462 Iqaluit: 149 (84 active, 65 recovered) Briefs Total persons followed: 8,656 Kinngait: 6 (2 active, 4 recovered) Current persons followed: 437 Rankin Inlet: 21 (0 active, 21 recovered) ᑭᒻᒥᕈᑦ ᓯᓚᑖᓂ, ᐊᐃᑉᕆᓕ 24–ᒥ. ᐅᑎᖅᑕᓲᓂ Completed tests in Nunavut: 13,010 Arviat: 339 (338 recovered) ᑐᒃᑐᓂ ᐅᑎᖅᐸᓪᓕᐊᕗᑦ ᕿᑭᖅᑖᓗᖕᒧᑦ. Deaths: 4 Whale Cove: 23 (all recovered) Vaccine doses given: 28,963 (16,271 first doses) Sanikiluaq: 2 (all recovered) Source: Government of Nunavut Department of Health Migrating caribou are making their way back to Baffin Island. At least three house parties in Photo taken outside of Kimmirut April 24. photo courtesy of Rose Kolola ᓄᓇᕗᒥ ᓯᓚᑦᑐᖅᓴᕐᕕᒃᑯᑦ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᕆᐊᕈᒪᔪᓂᒃ ᐱᕙᓪᓕᐊᓂᐊᕐᓂᖏᑦ Iqaluit account for increased 2021-22-ᒥᓗ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᕐᓇᐅᓂᐊᖅᑐᒧᑦ ᓄᓇᕗᑦ ᓄᓇᕗᑦ ᓯᓚᑦᑐᖅᓴᕐᕕᖓᑦ (NAC) ᓴᖅᑭᑎᑎᓚᐅᖅᐳᑦ ᐄᐳᕈ 26-ᒥ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᕆᐊᕈᒪᔪᓂᒃ ᐱᕙᓪᓕᐊᓂᐊᕐᓂᕋᖅᖢᑎᒃ 2021- COVID-19 transmission 22ᒥᓗ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᕐᓇᐅᓂᐊᖅᑐᒥ ᐱᒋᐊᕐᓂᐊᖅᑐᒥᒃ ᓯᑉᑕᐱᕆ 2021-ᒥ. ᑕᒪᒃᑯᐊ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᕆᐊᖃᑕᐅᒍᒪᔪᑦ ᖃᕆᑕᐅᔭᒃᑯᑦ There are 30 people under 18 in the capital ᑕᑕᑎᕆᔪᓐᓇᓕᖅᐳᑦ ᓯᓚᑦᑐᖅᓴᕐᕕᒃ ᐃᑭᐊᕿᕕᖓᒍᑦ, ᐅᕙᓘᓐᓃᑦ ᑕᑕᑎᒐᒃᓴᒥᒃ ᐊᒥᓱᓕᐅᕐᓗᑎᒃ ᓇᒃᓯᐅᑎᓗᒍᓗ ᑕᑕᑎᖅᓯᒪᔪᑦ ᓯᓚᑦᑐᖅᓴᕐᕕᒃᑯᑦ ᐊᑎᓕᐅᖃᑕᐅᓂᕐᒧᑦ who have COVID-19 ᑎᑎᕋᕐᕕᖓᓐᓄᑦ. ᒫᓐᓇ ᑖᒃᑯᐊ ᓯᓚᑦᑐᖅᓴᕐᕕᓕᕆᔨᒃᑯᑦ By Trevor Wright ᒪᐃᔭᒋᔭᐅᔪᖅ ᐃᖃᓗᖕᓂ ᑲᓂ ᐱᐅᓪ ᓂᕈᐊᖅᐳᖅ ᐊᖏᕈᑎᖃᕐᓂᐊᖏᑉᐳᑦ ᓄᓇᕗᒥᐅᑕᐅᖏᑦᑐᓂᒃ ᐅᕙᓘᓐᓃᑦ Northern News Services ᐊᑐᓕᖅᑎᑕᐅᓂᖓᓂ ᓄᓇᓕᖕᓂ ᑐᐊᕕᕐᓇᕐᓂᐅᓂᖓᓂ ᖁᓛᓂ ᑲᓇᑕᒥᐅᑕᐅᖏᑦᑐᓂᒃ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᕆᐊᖃᑕᐅᖁᔨᖏᑉᐳᑦ, ᓄᓇᕗᒥᐅᑦ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᕆᐊᕈᒪᓂᕐᒧᑦ ᑐᒃᓯᕋᐅᑎᖃᕈᓐᓇᖅᐳᑦ The Government of Nunavut (GN) announced May 6 that ᒪᐃ 3–ᒥ. ᑕᑕᑎᖅᓯᒪᔪᒃᑯᑦ ᐊᕐᕌᒍᒥᒃ ᐊᑕᐅᓯᕐᒥᒃ ᓄᓇᖃᖅᓯᒪᓕᕈᑎᒃ there are 12 new cases of COVID-19 in Iqaluit and there have ᓄᓇᕗᒥ. been eight recoveries in the territorial capital. ᓄᓇᕗᒥ ᓄᓇᑖᕐᓂᕐᒧᑦ ᐊᖏᕈᑎᒥ ᐃᓚᒋᔭᐅᔪᑦ ᐊᖏᕈᑎᒥ There are a total of 86 active cases of COVID-19 in Nunavut, ᓇᓂ ᓄᓇᖃᖅᓯᒪᓂᕐᒥᖕᓄᑦ ᑎᑎᕋᖅᓯᒪᔪᖁᑎᖃᕆᐊᖃᓗᖏᑉᐳᑦ. 84 of which are in Iqaluit and the remaining two are in Kinngait. ᑭᒃᑯᑐᐃᓐᓇᐃᑦ ᐃᑲᔪᖅᑕᐅᒍᒪᔪᑦ ᑕᑕᑎᕆᒍᑎᓂᒃ ᐅᕙᓘᓐᓃᑦ On April 27, an individual who was transferred to Baffin ᐊᓯᖏᓐᓂᒃ ᐊᑲᐅᖏᓕᐅᕈᑎᖃᖅᑐᑦ ᐊᐱᖁᑎᖃᖅᑐᑦ Correctional Centre (BCC) tested positive for COVID-19. The ᖃᐅᔨᒋᐊᕈᓐᓇᖅᐳᑦ ᓯᓚᑦᑐᖅᓴᕐᕕᒃᑯᓐᓄᑦ. individual had already been placed in isolation from the gen- please see NAC, page 13 eral population on arrival per the facilities’ protocols. There have now been 10 cases of COVID-19 identified at the Baffin Correctional Centre. ᕿᑭᖅᑕᓂ ᑐᒃᑐᑕᐅᔪᓐᓇᖅᑐᑦ ᑲᑎᓪᓗᒋᑦ “All individuals are stable and are isolating on-site, said chief ᐱᔭᐅᔪᓐᓇᖅᑐᑦ ᐃᓱᓕᓐᓂᖏᑦ public health officer Dr. Michael Patterson. ᕿᑭᖅᑕᓂ The GN is also asking people who have attended any house ᑕᐃᒪ ᑐᒃᑐᒍᓐᓇᖅᑎᓪᓗᒋᑦ 250-ᓂᒃ ᒫᓐᓇ, parties within the last three weeks to contact the COVID hotline ᐊᕙᑎᒥᐅᑕᓕᕆᔨᒃᑯᑦ ᑐᓴᖅᑎᑎᓚᐅᖅᐳᑦ ᐊᐃᑉᐱᕐᒥ ᕿᑭᖅᑖᓗᖕᒥ and request swabbing. ᑐᒃᑐᒍᓐᓇᐃᓪᓕᑎᑕᐅᕗᑦ ᑐᒃᑐᓯᐅᕐᓂᖅ ᒪᑐᔭᐅᕗᖅ. “These activities put people at risk and will extend the out- ᑭᒃᑯᑐᐃᓐᓇᐃᑦ ᑐᒃᑐᓯᐅᖏᓐᓇᖅᑐᑦ ᕿᑭᖅᑕᓂ break if they continue. Gatherings of individuals at different ᒪᓕᒐᕐᓂᒃ ᓄᓇᕗᑦ ᐆᒪᔪᓕᕆᓂᕐᒧᑦ ᒪᓕᒐᐃᑦ households can expose everyone at the gathering and everyone they live with to COVID-19,” said Patterson. ᓯᖁᒥᑕᐅᒐᔭᖅᐳᑦ, ᖃᐅᔨᓴᖅᑕᐅᓕᕐᓗᑎᒡᓗ ᐃᒻᒪᖄᓗ There are three house parties that public health authorities “ᖃᓄᐃᓕᐅᖁᔭᐅᒍᑎᖃᖅᖢᑎᒃ”, ᑎᑎᕋᖅᓯᒪᕗᑦ ᓄᓇᕗᑦ know of where transmission of COVID-19 took place. ᒐᕙᒪᒃᑯᖏᑦ. It is now safe for people to stay at the Tammaativvik Boarding ᑐᒃᑐᒍᓐᓇᐅᑎᑦ ᐊᒥᐊᒃᑯᖏᑦ ᓂᕕᖓᑖᑦ Home with staff who tested positive April 27 now isolating at ᐊᑐᖅᑕᐅᓂᐊᖏᓕᖅᐳᑦ ᐅᑎᖅᑎᑕᐅᓗᑎᒡᓗ ᓄᓇᓕᖕᓂ home and all the other staff having tested negative. ᐆᒪᔪᓕᕆᓂᕐᒧᑦ ᑎᒥᖁᑎᖑᓐᓄᑦ. “The boarding home also has processes in place to reduce the “(ᑲᑎᓪᓗᒋᑦ ᑐᒃᑐᑕᐅᔪᓐᓇᖅᑐᑦ ᖃᑦᓯᐅᓂᖏᑦ) risk of COVID-19, including enhanced cleaning, encouraging ᐋᖅᑭᒃᑕᐅᓚᐅᖅᓯᒪᕗᑦ ᒪᒥᑉᐹᓪᓕᕆᐊᖃᕐᓂᖏᓐᓄᑦ and supporting guests to isolate in their rooms. There are no Mayor of Iqaluit Kenny Bell votes for the implementation of a State of Local ᕿᑭᑦᑖᓗᖕᒥ ᑐᒃᑐᐃᑦ, ᐊᐅᓚᑦᓯᖃᑕᐅᓂᕐᒧᑦ ᐱᓇᓱᐊᕈᑎᑦ visitors allowed and current public health measures prohibit Emergency at noon on May 3. Facebook live screenshot ᒪᒥᑉᐸᓪᓕᖁᓪᓗᒋᑦ ᖃᑦᓯᐅᓂᖏᑦ ᑐᒃᑐᐃᑦ ᓯᕗᓂᒃᓴᐅᓂᐊᖅᑐᒧᑦ visiting around the city, clients are only asked to leave for their ᑐᒃᑐᓯᐅᒃᑲᓐᓂᖃᑦᑕᕈᓐᓇᖁᓪᓗᒋᑦ ᐃᓄᐃᑦ,” ᐅᖃᓚᐅᖅᐳᑦ appointments and to pick up perscriptions. Food and beverages ᑐᓴᒐᒃᓴᓂ ᐊᐃᑉᐱᐅᓚᐅᖅᑐᒥ ᓄᓇᕗᑦ ᒐᕙᒪᒃᑯᖏᑦ are being delivered to the rooms, no one is allowed to gather - Ensure water security measures are in place for human health ᑎᑎᕋᐅᓯᖃᓚᐅᖅᐳᑦ. inside, only clients are allowed on the property and social dis- and hygiene. please see Baffin, page 13 tancing is required while outside, masks and distancing are The total amount of people under 18 with COVID-19 stands mandatory,” said Patterson. at 30, with increased household transmission being the cause. Medical travelers cleared to leave from Iqaluit still have to ᕿᑭᖅᑕᓂ ᐃᓄᐃᑦ ᑲᑐᔾᔨᖃᑎᒌᒃᑯᖏᑦ isolate for 14 days when they get home, household members Pfizer vaccine for youth being considered ᐃᑲᔪᕐᓂᐊᕐᓂᖏᑦ ᐃᓐᓇᑐᖃᓂᒃ also have to isolate when the medical traveller goes home, to On May 5 the Government of Canada approved the use of ᓂᕿᑖᕈᑎᒃᓴᓄᑦ ᑐᐊᕕᕐᓇᖅᑐᒃᑯᑦ keep risk of spread between communities “as low as possible.” the Pfizer vaccine for children ages 12 and over and the GN is ᕿᑭᖅᑕᓂ Three people have been medevaced to Ottawa due to complica- considering the use of it. ᕿᑭᖅᑕᓂ ᐃᓄᐃᑦ ᑲᑐᔾᔨᖃᑎᒌᒃᑯᖏᑦ tions from COVID-19, however, “no other Nunavummiut have “Right now we are looking at all options including if there’s ᒪᑐᐃᖅᓯᒃᑲᓐᓂᓕᕆᕗᑦ ᑐᐊᕕᕐᓇᖅᑐᒃᑯᑦ ᓂᕿᑖᕈᑎᓴᓂᒃ been admitted to hospital due to this outbreak,” said Patterson. an opportunitiy to use Pfizer in the near-future for at least some children in Nunavut,” Patterson said. ᕿᑭᖅᑕᓂ ᓴᕿᖅᑎᑎᓂᕐᒧᑦ ᐃᓐᓇᑐᖃᓂᒃ ᒪᐃ 11-ᒥᑦ ᔫᓐ State of local emergency With the Pfizer vaccine’s cold storage requirements very few 22-ᒧᑦ. On May 3 at noon, the City of Iqaluit held an emergency communities in Nunavut can safely store it, with Iqaluit being ᑕᒪᒃᑯᐊ ᕿᑭᖅᑕᓂᒥᐅᑕᐃᑦ ᐅᑭᐅᖃᖅᑐᑦ 60-ᓂᑦ meeting over Zoom, implementing a State of Local Emergency one of those. ᐅᖓᑖᓄᑦ. ᐃᖃᓗᖕᓂ ᑭᓐᖓᕐᓂᓗ ᕿᑭᖅᑕᓂ in the territorial capital. “It has to be shipped and stored at minus 80, once it gets outside ᐃᓄᐃᑦ ᑲᑐᔾᔨᖃᑎᒌᒃᑯᖏᑦ ᐱᓕᕆᖃᑎᖃᕐᓂᐊᖅᐳᑦ Councillor Kyle Sheppard called for a State of Local Emer- of that temperture range even if it’s in a freezer it’s only good ᓂᐅᕕᕐᕕᖕᓂᒃ ᐃᑲᔪᖃᑎᒌᖕᓂᐊᖅᐳᑦ ᑕᒪᒃᑯᐊ ᐃᓐᓇᑐᖃᐃᑦ gency in the city. The motion passed unanimously and the State for two weeks, once it’s thawed it has to be used within five days. ᓴᐳᒻᒥᔭᐅᒋᐊᖃᕐᓂᖏᓐᓄᑦ ᐱᓕᕆᖃᑎᖏᓪᓗ. of Local Emergency was put into effect 12:00 a.m. Tuesday, So far 16,271 Nunavummiut have received their first dose of ᐊᑐᓂ ᓂᕿᑖᕈᑎᒃᓴᐃᑦ ᐊᑭᖃᖅᑎᒋᓂᐊᖅᐳᑦ $250 ᐊᑐᓂᓗ May 4, 2021. the Moderna vaccine and 12, 692 are fully vaccinated. ᐃᓐᓇᐃᑦ ᑲᑎᓪᓗᒋᑦ ᓯᑕᒪᓂᒃ ᐱᑎᑕᐅᔪᓐᓇᖅᐳᑦ, ᓂᕿᑖᕈᑎᒃᓴᐃᑦ The State of Local Emergency will unlock limited authorities There have been 71 recoveries since this outbreak began last ᐊᑐᓂ ᐱᔭᐅᔪᓐᓇᖅᖢᑎᒡᓗ ᓄᓇᓕᖕᓂ ᓂᐅᕕᕐᕕᖕᓂ ᒪᐃ for the City under the Emergency Measures Act, these include: month. 11-ᒥᑦ ᐊᒻᒪ 22. ᑕᒪᓐᓇ ᐱᓕᕆᐊᕆᔭᐅᔪᖅ ᐃᑲᔪᕈᑕᐅᓪᓗᓂ - Giving the City additional powers to support compliance “Remember that your actions can impact everyones health, ᕿᑭᖅᑕᓂ ᐃᓄᖕᓂᒃ ᓄᓇᖃᖅᑐᓂᒃ ᓄᓇᕗᑦ ᓯᓚᑖᓂ. efforts, as needed; public health is everyones duty, so Nunavummiut please continue please see QIA, page 13 - Allows the City to take additional measures to support the to follow all the measures we have in place,” said Joe Savikataaq, vulnerable population outside of existing support; Nunavut’s Premier. A4 Monday, May 10, 2021 Nunavut News kNKu W?9oxJ5 www.nunavutnews.com Kakolak gets back on track Veteran snowmobiler finds his way between Kitikmeot communities, sometimes with a little help by Derek Neary on his GPS and rode the final stretch into “’I’m so glad that I met up with you journeys from Gjoa Haven to Kugaaruk and Northern News Services town, without the sled, his body sore and guys,’” he told them. “So these boys were from Kugaaruk to the Naujaat area – each tired from the trip. kind enough to help me out to get back of those legs taking approximately 13 hours. Craig Kakolak is an experienced snowmo- “I didn’t want to sleep on the ocean,” said into town.” When he’s heading out on the land, he biler who has made numerous long journeys Kakolak. If he hadn’t encountered them, he predict- makes sure that he carries a SPOT device, from one Kitikmeot community to another. He went back out to retrieve his sled a ed he would have ran out of gas heading which makes possible emergency notifica- Even though he packs a variety of gear, he couple of days later, on May 2, but then his eastward. tions to search and rescue.