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According to Environment Canada’s report, the temperature will moderate to some degree during the daytime for "some communities" but will likely drop again overnight. Wind chills of up to -60 are expected in the Aklavik region until Thursday morning, while in Colville Lake and the Tuktoyaktuk region, the extreme cold is anticipated to extend into the weekend.

Snowkings’ Winter Festival organizers are busy getting preparations underway for this year’s much anticipated snowcastle. The Snowkings’ snow and ice fortress is expected to burst back to life on Yellowknife Bay on March 1. For 31 years, the festival has attracted thousands of visitors from across the territory and from across the globe. Organizers are looking for people within the local community of Yellowknife who are interested in volunteer roles.

A series of workshops focussed on “climate resiliency” have reached three hubs of the N.W.T. Organizers say the initiative has helped to build local capacity around recovery, resilience and emergency preparedness. The gatherings brought together about 30 representatives from Indigenous governments, Northern NGOs,community organizations, and health and wellness workers for psychological first aid training and community-led planning focused on climate resilience.

The Yellowknife Street Support Network is holding a community gathering in front of the post office on Franklin Avenue starting at 12 p.m. on Feb 13. Everyone is invited to share a meal, where soup, bannock and coffee are being served and learn more about the group’s vision and plans. 

Operations at the Gahcho Kué diamond mine in the Northwest Territories are being scaled back, according to a recent announcement from Mountain Province Diamonds Inc. 

Environment Canada has issued several yellow cold warnings across the territory, including for Sachs Harbour, Aklavik, Fort Good Hope, Tulita, Norman Wells, Ulukhaktok, Colvile Lake, Deline, the Inuvik region, Tuktoyaktuk, Paulatuk, Tsiigehtchic and Fort MacPherson along with areas of the North Slave region. This evening the cold warning was also extended into the communities of Wekweeti, Whati and Behchoko, with wind chills of -50 degrees expected tonight.

A precautionary boil water advisory has been announced for the community of Sachs Harbour. 

The Canadian Armed Forces announced planned military activities in the Yellowknife area for the next couple of weeks as part of their annual winter operations, called “Operation NANOOK-NUNALIVUT.” Increased military presence and activity within the city and and surrounding areas is anticipated, including the communities of Behchokǫ̀ and Whatì beginning Feb. 10 to Feb. 27.

It’s a labour of love for the people who work to bring the Snowkings' palace to life. “My favourite part is just being out here, just working on it, working with a good team of people working towards a similar goal and working really hard and the satisfaction you get from every day of accomplishing something like this,” Rehak said.