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Around Nunavut
February 3, 2006
Jericho processes first diamonds
The Tahera Diamond Corp.’s Jericho mine used its newly constructed on-site diamond processing plant to produce its first batch of diamonds late last month.
In a press release issued this week, Tahera said workers are now moving the mine rapidly forwards towards full production by the end of March. They achieved “substantial completion” of the mine this past December, well ahead of schedule.
Right now, they’re not able to say how many carats of diamonds have been produced and how much money they’re worth. That’s because they have to wait until they conclude their first sale.
But the company says they will provide information on production results and revenue figures in their first-quarter financial report, due in May.
Their winter road, which they’ll used to ship 450 truck-loads of material to Jericho, is expected to be ready for use later this month.
Meanwhile, Tahera has started evaluating the nearby Muskox kimberlite pipe, which they believe may contain two-and-a-half times more diamonds than the Jericho pipe.
January 13, 2006
Advance polling starts today
Advanced polling for federal elections will be available in select communities around Nunavut on Jan. 13, 14 and 16.
Voting in advance is recommended for residents who’d like to vote, but are nervous or unsure about the process, according to chief elections officer Ranbir Hundal. It’s also a solution for residents who will be away during the Jan. 23 election date.
Advanced polling stations will be available in Iqaluit, Pond Inlet, Igloolik, Pangnirtung, Cape Dorset, Arviat, Rankin Inlet, Baker Lake, Gjoa Haven, Cambridge Bay and Kugluktuk.
Advance polling stations will be open from noon to 8:30 p.m. Voting in Iqaluit takes place at the Cadet Hall. Voters must bring two pieces of identification.
January 13, 2006
Pang attacker appears in court
Tommy Nuvaqiq appeared in an Iqaluit courtroom this past Tuesday, just in time to hear two lawyers repeat, for his benefit, what they had already decided before they realized Nuvaqiq was present in the courthouse.
Nuvaqiq is charged with attempted murder, related to an attack on a Pangnirtung woman in June of last year. Other charges include breaking and entering to commit an offense, resisting arrest, and aggravated sexual assault.
The 31-year-old woman was a student, working on a special assignment in Pangnirtung at the time of the attack.
Nuvaqiq was arrested on July 16 and has been in police custody ever since.
Defence counsel Sue Cooper, and the Crown attorney agreed to defer setting a date for a preliminary enquiry until after Nunatsiaq News press-time this week.
The preliminary inquiry is expected to take two days, and will likely be held in Iqaluit.
January
6, 2006
Bill Riddell to run for NDP
After an enthusiastic start, Nunavut’s New Democratic Party candidate
Amanda Ford-Rogers backed out of the Jan. 23 federal election race just before
Christmas.
Bill Riddell, Nunavut’s NDP candidate in the 2004 election, has stepped
in to take her place.
“She hadn’t registered with Elections Canada yet so there was no
harm done,” Riddell said this past Tuesday.
Ford-Rogers changed her mind after considering the substantial commitment that
a federal election campaign would require — especially if she won, Riddell
said.
With that in mind, Riddell said, she decided to “save it for another time.”
In the spring election in 2004, Riddell took 15 per cent of the vote, just
behind independent candidate Manitok Thompson.
“This time I have a better handle on some of the issues that need to be
addressed,” Riddell said.
Riddell has lived in Iqaluit for the past 23 years. He originally moved north
to teach social work at Nunavut Arctic College. Eventually, he became a justice
of the peace, and then a residential tenancies officer, handling conflicts between
landlords and tenants.
January
6, 2006
What about the North?
premiers query party leaders
The three northern premiers want to make sure federal party leaders make their
northern policy positions clear to Canadians in the campaign leading up to the
Jan. 23 election.
To do that, they sent a joint letter to Liberal Leader Paul Martin, Conservative
Leader Stephen Harper, New Democratic Party Leader Jack Layton and Bloc Québécois
Leader Gilles Duceppe on Dec. 14.
The letter outlines four issues that they want party leaders to clarify. That
includes:
- Funding for federal programs — the premiers are concerned that Northern
jurisdictions are shortchanged when programs are funded based on population.
- Northern development — the premiers want to know how each party would
complete a comprehensive development strategy for the North.
- Devolution and land claims — the premiers want to hear clear positions
on devolution, the completion of outstanding land claims, and implementation
of land claims.
- Outcomes of the First Ministers’ Meeting on aboriginal issues —
the premiers want to know whether the commitments made in Kelowna in December
will be honoured.
Nunavut Premier Paul Okalik, Yukon Premier Dennis Fentie and Northwest Territories
Premier Joe Handley all signed the letter.
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