Files found
Rankin Inlet
The North West Co. issued a public information release notifying Kivalliq residents that materials containing health information had been recovered from the Rankin Inlet landfill site this past Feb. 28.
The information belonged to patients of Sakku Drugs (since purchased by the North West Co.) and contained patient names, health card numbers, birth dates and prescribed medications.
It was not believed that anyone else viewed the files except for the person who found them at the landfill site.
Realistic drill
Rankin Inlet
The quest to have an emergency scenario as realistic as possible led to Fire Prevention Week being a bit more dramatic than usual when a pair of convincing fire drills were conducted at Simon Alaittuq School (SAS) and Maani Uluyuk Ilinniarvik to simulate a fire breaking out inside the two schools.
Production starts
Baker Lake
Commercial production began at Agnico Eagle Mines’s (AEM) Amaruq satellite deposit at the Meadowbank Complex near Baker Lake on Sept. 30.
“Congratulations to all of our employees at Amaruq for achieving commercial production in line with the original schedule,” stated AEM’s chief executive officer Sean Boyd in an Oct. 7 news release.
Film award
Nunavut
Isuma Distribution International announced on Oct. 6 that internationally acclaimed Nunavut filmmaker Zacharias Kunuk’s latest feature, One Day in the Life of Noah Piugattuk, was named Best Canadian Film at the 2019 Vancouver International Film Festival.
Sewing buzz
Rankin Inlet
A large number of people took full advantage of a sewing machine workshop, including free repairs, at the Rankin Inlet Visitor’s Centre from Oct. 7 to 10.
Facilitated by Winnipeg’s Gary Israel, sessions were held on a walk-in basis, with repairs being done in front of people while they listened and learned.
Learning skills
Chesterfield Inlet
Regular classes were put on hold for a week as senior students at Victor Sammurtok School (VSS) finally got the chance to take part in Trades Awareness, Skills and Knowledge (TASK) Week learning opportunities in Chesterfield Inlet from Sept. 30 to Oct. 4.
The TASK week initiative is a partnership between Agnico Eagle Mines, the Government of Nunavut, the territorial Department of Education and Nunavut Arctic College.
Tragic death
Rankin Inlet
An 11-year-old girl died when a 13-year-old driver lost control of the side-by-side utility vehicle they were driving in near Leo Ussak Elementary School in Rankin Inlet on Oct. 15.
Two other passengers in the vehicle – aged two and 13 – were treated for minor injuries at the Kivalliq Regional Health Centre and released.
Master visits
Arviat
Taekwondo students were in for a special treat when master instructor Jim Ripley paid an October visit to their new taekwondo club in Arviat.