Climate change may be forcing foxes of different species to fight it out in the Northwest Territories in the near future.

Parks Canada identified the risk of certain species moving northwards and competing with native species for habitat back in 2017. One of the species who may be moving north are red foxes.

According to Darren Campbell, spokesperson for the GNWT’s Department of Environment and Natural Resources, studies have shown in Scandinavia the red fox can be more successful in some habitats than the Arctic fox.  

 

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Recent Grand Title Winners have encapsulated some vital stories about the changes our natural world is going through. From a distance, Don Gutoski could tell that the red fox was chasing something but it wasn’t until he got closer that he realised it was an Arctic fox. It took three hours in temperatures of –30 degrees Centigrade until the red fox picked up the eviscerated carcass and dragged it away to store it for later. Because of global warming, the range of red foxes is extending northwards and they are increasingly crossing paths with their smaller relatives becoming not just the Arctic fox’s main competitor but also their main predator. Few have been captured in such clarity, but this could become an increasingly common sight. The first virtual Wildlife Photographer of the Year awards ceremony is happening on 13 October 20:00 BST! Follow the link in our bio to find out how to watch the livestream and get involved and, if you’re in London, to book your tickets for this year's #WPY56 exhibition at the Natural History Museum. Image: A tale of two foxes by Don Gutoski, Canada. Grand Title Winner 2015. #WPY #WPY56 #WPYAlumni #WildlifePhotographerOfTheYear #Wildlife #Biodiversity #Anthropocene #NaturePhotography #RedFox #ArcticFox #Canada #GlobalWarming #Endangered #WildlifePhotography #Conservation #NaturalHistory #NaturalHistoryMuseum #Instanature #London #OnlineEvent #London #HintzeHall

A post shared by WildlifePhotographerOfTheYear (@nhm_wpy) on Oct 10, 2020 at 7:50am PDT

“It is difficult to predict what will happen as red foxes move into Arctic fox habitat in NWT and Nunavut,” he said in an email. “Currently, the arctic fox is the only species of fox that has shown it can survive and thrive in our harsh northern landscapes, northern tundra and sea ice.”

However that may be changing.  

The website INaturalist.ca — which uses crowdsourced public animal sightings to track animal populations — has reported sightings of both red and Arctic foxes in Inuvik during the summer months.

Campbell said ENR relies on public sightings to keep track of population numbers, so can’t be sure of the exact number of either red or Arctic foxes.

Mammals and other species moving northward is one of the predicted outcomes of climate change,” said Campbell. 

Arctic foxes’ populations already fluctuate year-to-year depending on the availability of food. Climate change may further impact food security for Arctic foxes and the extra competition from red foxes moving north could increase competition for food that may already be limited.

“These movements are happening now and will continue in the future,” added Campbell. “Reducing our greenhouse gas emissions will slow this phenomenon. But we will also need to adapt to species moving north.”

“ENR is developing an overall climate change adaptation strategy for wildlife management. Key actions, including possible mitigation,  will be included for many northern wildlife species.

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Waste reduction week is set to take place during the week of October 19 to 25, with Yellowknife running programs to help residents cut down on the amount of waste they produce.

Yellowknife has partnered with Ecology North to hold a salvaging event at the public-drop-off area of the Solid Waste Facility on Sunday October 25, between 11 a.m. and 4:15 p.m.

Residents can drop off salvage material, get more information from city staff about salvaging and have bicycles, clothes and other goods repaired by local vendors.

Other events include a waste reduction photo challenge, a lecture hosted by Ecology North about how people can transition towards a circular economy – a system that goods to be reused rather than thrown out and replaced – a tutorial on how to upcycle facemasks and a forum on waste reduction.

“Let’s take this opportunity to celebrate walking gently on the earth by learning how we can do better, and promoting what we already do,” said Dawn Tremblay, interim executive director of Ecology North.

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The GNWT has hired 15 new staff members aimed at improving the territory’s management of climate change.

The positions are mainly scientific research positions that will improve the territory’s climate data gathering abilities, in order to help inform strategies that will lessen the impacts of climate change on communities in the Northwest Territories, according to an email from Environment and Natural Resources spokesperson Darren Campbell.

“As climate change continues to impact Northerners, there is also a cost to not taking action on this significant challenge." — Darren Campbell, GNWT spokesperson

Thirteen full-time positions and two part-time positions have been created. Ten of the positions are in Yellowknife, with two full-time workers hired in Inuvik, one full-time and one seasonal worker hired in Fort Smith and one seasonal worker hired in Hay River.

“Climate change has been altering northern ecosystems and the way of life of NWT residents for decades,” Campbell said in an email. “This additional capacity to address climate change issues in the territory allows the GNWT to strengthen its leadership on climate change while supporting multiple departments, other governments and partners.”

The hirings are part of the 19th Legislative Assembly’s mandate to give greater prominence to climate change in decision making. The hirings had also been laid out in the GNWT’s 2030 NWT Climate Change Strategic Framework 2019-2023 Action Plan.

The hirings come at a time when the GNWT has been trying to boost revenues. Back in September, the territorial government issued bonds for the first time — $180 million worth. These hirings will cost $2.1 million annually, but the cost would be higher of not spending this money, said Campbell.

“As climate change continues to impact Northerners, there is also a cost to not taking action on this significant challenge,” he added. “With these additional positions, the GNWT is taking real action to transition to a lower carbon economy, improve knowledge of climate change impacts and build resilience and adapt to climate change.

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Boaters will continue to have access to Great Slave Lake near the Giant Mine site while cleanup efforts continue.

After the City of Yellowknife raised concerns about public access during the remediation project — with work set to begin in 2021 and cost nearly a billion dollars — an agreement was struck between Yellowknife, GNWT and the federal government.

The agreement has been two years in the making and included collaboration between the three levels of government and the public, according to a press release.

“We are really pleased that we were able to reach an agreement that ensures Yellowknifers will be able to access Great Slave Lake and maximize enjoyment of our spectacular boating season throughout remediation,” said Mayor Rebecca Alty in a statement.

The GNWT will be responsible for the maintenance, access and management of the townsite, when it is not required for remediation purposes. 

The agreement depends on a balance between ensuring remediation can continue uninterrupted, while public access to the area remains open.

Maintaining public access was important to the MacKenzie Valley Land and Water Board, with a condition included in the water license that the project must submit a Public Access Plan.

The plan includes how access to a public boat launch at the Giant Mine Town Site will be maintained at all times during the open water season.

The water licence was issued on September 18, and its approval allows for more active planning of the remediation work to begin.

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Coast guard services in Hay River are receiving new equipment from the federal government,  to help protect their waterways.

The Department of Public Services and Procurement are spending $1.7 million on a contract to purchase Tidal Seal Boom from a Canadian manufacturer.

Tidal Seal Boom acts as a barrier to protect coastal areas from spills and helps to contain pollution during active shoreline cleanup operations. 

The boom protects the shore by automatically adjusting to changing water levels, such as high and low tides, helping to ensure pollution doesn't reach the shoreline while cleanup crews are at work.

The money covers the purchase of 10,000 feet of environmental response equipment known as Tidal Seal Boom. The contract includes options for an additional 8,200 feet.

The funding falls under the $1.5 billion Oceans Protection Plan, a federal plan to protect and restore marine habitats across the country.

The Northwest Territories has also received money to fund community boat programs in Yellowknife, Tuktoyaktuk and Ulukhaktok to help fund the purchase of rescue boats.

A coastal restoration fund was also given to a project led by Dalhousie University to help restore marine ecosystems in  Inuvialuit Lands.

Under this contract, new equipment will also be delivered to coast guard facilities in Parry Sound and Prescott, in Ontario, and Saanichton, British Columbia

"Under the Oceans Protection Plan, we are providing our dedicated Canadian Coast Guard members across Canada with the best equipment possible,” Bernadette Jordan, Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard said in a press release.

“These investments will help strengthen the Coast Guard and ensure it remains a world-leader in ocean protection and marine environmental response."

This contract is an example of how we are stimulating the Canadian economy while helping the Coast Guard better protect our oceans and coastlines by strengthening its capacity with modern and effective equipment to safely and effectively address emergency situations,” said Anita Anand, Minister of Public Services and Procurement.

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The City of Yellowknife is partnering with the territorial government to encourage residents to download an app that’ll help make their home fire safe.

The app is called ‘FireSmart® Begins at Home’ and guides users through several steps on how to protect their properties from wildfires. 

These include tasks such as clearing deadfall, dead standing brush, pine needles, and removing tree branches.

The City will pick-up collected debris free of charge during a new Debris Pick-Up event. 

To have waste picked up, residents must submit the Debris Pick-Up form and place collected debris on the curb before 7:00 a.m. during Fire Prevention Week, October 4 – 10, 2020, on the designated day their address. 

Collected debris, such as deadfall, brush and branches, must be tied together or placed in a compostable bag, no longer than 2-metres or 6-feet in length, to be picked up. 

Leaves and grass clippings are not part of this event and will not be picked-up. 

Below are the dates pick-ups will be happening in different areas across the city. 

•       Monday, October 5, 2020 | Grace Lake, Hall Crescent, Frame Lake South 
•       Tuesday, October 6, 2020 | Range Lake North, Northlands
•       Wednesday, October 7, 2020 | Taylor Road, Matonabee, School Draw Avenue, Con Place
•       Thursday, October 8, 2020 | Niven, Old Town, Latham Island, N’dilo

The Debris Pick-Up form and full details are available at www.yellowknife.ca/FireSmarting.   

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All 2017 and 2018 participants in the Health Effects Monitoring Program will receive their complete results, for urine and toenail clippings, in a personal letter from Dr. Laurie Chan in mid-May.

Approximately 2,000 Ndilo, Dettah, and Yellowknife residents between the ages of 3 to 79 participated in the program which was launched in 2017 as part of the environmental assessment for the Giant Mine Remediation Project. The program will establish current or baseline levels of arsenic exposure among residents before remediation work begins.

The program states that current scientific methods "can only measure participants’ current levels of arsenic and other contaminants therefore during remediation, new monitoring results will be compared to the baseline to ensure participants' arsenic levels are not increasing because of work being done at Giant Mine."

Youth participants (ages 3 to 17 in 2017) will be invited to participate in a follow-up study in 2022/2023, and a follow-up study for all participants is planned for 2027/2028.

The main components of the program included:

• Lifestyle questionnaire
• Food frequency questionnaire
• Biological samples of toenails, urine and saliva (by swabbing your cheek)

Other components of the program included:

• Review of medical records
• A medical questionnaire and brief medical exam with a nurse (Yellowknives Dene First Nation)

Community meetings will be held the week of May 13th to share general results.

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The second year of the agreement saw that a joint fund was established with financial commitments from each jurisdiction over the next three to five years. It also saw the development of a monitoring plan for large transboundary rivers.

The GNWT and the Government of Alberta released the report on the outcomes of the second year of the Alberta-NWT Bilateral Water Management Agreement.

The report details activities between April 2016 to March 2017, including the results of an analysis of 2016 water quality and quantity monitoring data from the Slave and Hay rivers.

The Alberta-NWT Mackenzie River Basin Bilateral Water Management Agreement was signed on March 18, 2015. The agreement establishes a decision-making process between the jurisdictions as well as joint monitoring of water quality and biological indicators.

NWT Minister of Environment and Natural Resources Robert C. McLeod says that he’s pleased with the report that was released today and looks forward to continuing to work with Alberta and other jurisdictions.

“The negotiation and implementation of bilateral water management agreements are important to ensure our waters remain clean, abundant and productive for future generations.”

This bilateral agreement is one of four in Canada to manage water in the Mackenzie River Basin. The Agreement between Alberta and the NWT lays the foundation for long-term cooperative management to keep the eco-friendly integrity of the water flowing across the Alberta-NWT border.

Shannon Phillips, Alberta Minister of Environment and Parks said that she’s proud of the progress that has been made in the second year of the agreement.

“Together with the Northwest Territories, we will continue to effectively manage our shared water resources and ensure the long-term health of the Mackenzie River Basin.”

Bilateral agreements provide a long‐term framework for both upstream and downstream jurisdictions to manage shared water resources and ensure that upstream jurisdictions do not harm the aquatic ecosystem of downstream jurisdictions.

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The toxic Giant Mine closed nearly twenty years ago, but the clean-up isn't expected to begin until 2020.

In 2007, the Giant Mine Remediation Project team applied for a Type A Water Licence for its remediation plan in 2007, but due to public concern, the plan was referred to environmental assessment.

In 2013 the Mackenzie Valley Environmental Impact Review Board issued a report with 26 measures for the project team to address in order to re-apply for a water licence.

The project team has revised the plan and expects to re-submit that application to the Mackenzie Valley Land and Water Board sometime in 2019.

Once the licence is obtained, contractor Parsons will begin the actual remediation in 2020.

The site is currently in a care and maintenance phase until they get that water license to proceed with remediation.

Yellowknife media were invited on a tour of the mine last week to see what that care and maintenance looks like.

Scroll through the gallery above to take a tour around Giant Mine.

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