April 11, 2008
Around Nunavik
Confusion, injuries mar Kuujjuaq race
About 20 snowmobilers sped off March 29 on Kuujjuaq's annual cross-country snowmobile race - this year, two return trips using a trail down the frozen Koksoak River.
Huge clouds of snow marked the start of the race as the snowmobilers headed down the trail.
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But the race was soon marred by near-fatal accidents when three competitors suffered serious injuries, ranging from a broken leg to cracked ribs.
Afterwards, the winning times of the top three winners came under question.
Junior May finished first, followed by Bobby Gordon and Jacob Saunders.
The Kuujjuaq Recreation Committee's organizing body then reviewed results to clear up complaints alleging that the first and third place winners had not followed the marked trail.
But the committee members decided not to change the order of winners due to a technicality: they had not posted anyone to direct the flow of traffic at the point where the trail turned.
At the same time, they say everyone taking part in the race had been told which route to take.
"We put a lot of faith and trust in the racers as they were all Kuujjuamiut and knew the trail well. They were all clearly told which route to take...," said a statement from Kuujjuaq Pinguatitsijingit Inc., the group organizing the games.
"It was a beautiful day so nobody should have made a mistake on the trail, since the trail was clearly marked all the way... Unfortunately, a couple of racers had taken a short cut."
Man dies from stab wounds in Puvirnituq
On March 21, a late-evening argument between a Puvirnituq couple turned ugly, resulting in the stabbing death of a local man.
When members of the Kativik Regional Police Force in Puvirnituq answered a call at a private residence about 11:30 p.m., they found that Charlie Amarualik, 45, had already died of stab wounds.
At the request of the KRPF, the Sûrété du Québec major crimes squad travelled to Puvirnituq from Montreal to investigate the death. The arrival of the provincial police investigator team was held up by bad weather of for three days.
On March 26, Kitty Qumaluk, 25, of House 155 in Puvirnituq, was charged with first-degree murder.
The SQ would not say whether alcohol was involved in the incident.
The SQ said Qumaluk is now held in preventive custody at a detention centre in Rouyn-Noranda while she awaits her first court appearance.
