A new transmission line is set to be built in both Fort Providence and Kakisa.

The Government of Canada is investing $45 million in this project while the GNWT is investing up to $15 million.

The project involves the construction of a 170 km transmission line that connects the communities of Fort Providence and Kakisa to the existing Taltson hydro power transmission system south of Hay River.

This project will reduce diesel fuel consumption by approximately one million litres and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by approximately 2.75 kilotonnes.

NWT MP Michael McLeod says this new transmission line will provide a reliable and efficient source of energy for the communities of Fort Providence and Kakisa.

“Access to reliable sources of energy is essential for northern communities to thrive,” he adds.

Minister of Infrastructure Diane Archie says by partnering on energy projects like the transmission Line, the GNWT is taking action that will Improve electricity reliability while reducing greenhouse gas emissions and stabilizing energy costs

“Climate change is a serious challenge for our economy and for all levels of government,” he adds.

This project is in line with the GNWT’s commitment to reducing greenhouse gas emissions from diesel electricity generation in its remote off-grid communities by 25% by 2030.

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Dentals services in several rural communities in the Northwest Territories will resume, after they'd been suspended because of COVID-19.  

Back in March, Indigenous Services Canada told NWT Dental Contractors and NWT Health Centres that due to COVID-19 guidelines all non-urgent dental travel would have to be suspended.

Now, services will resume in Fort Providence, Sambaa K’e, Fort Simpson, Norman Wells, Fort Resolution and Aklavik.

“Oral health and access to dentists is a critical part of overall health and wellness," Julie Green, Minister of Health and Social Services said in a statement. "I am pleased with the collaborative work across Government to resume these services.”

Other communities in the territory will have visiting dental services return when required upgrades to medical facilities are completed, according to the health department.

In addition to private practice dental clinics providing services in Yellowknife, Fort Smith, Inuvik and Hay River, visiting private dentists will now also be able to resume in these communities.

Although dental services in the Northwest Territories aren't covered by insurance, the GNWT is continuing to partner with Indigenous Services Canada to set aside space in GNWT health facilities for private dentists to practice, as well as supporting travel of dentists to deliver services to NWT residents.

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Renovations to the Deh Gáh Got’ıe Koe Seniors complex in Fort Providence have been completed, the GNWT announced.

The renovations will allow four more seniors to live in the community, by providing seven extra units in the complex.

The centre is made up of three buildings, a main building which is supported by two independent “wings.”

“Seniors are a key part of our community,” Fort Providence Mayor Danny Beaulieu said in a statement. “Ensuring that seniors have housing in the community is important to us.”

Enabling seniors to age in place with dignity is one of the 19th Legislative Assembly’s points on their mandate.

“This government is committed to ensuring that our elders receive support to age in place with dignity,” Paulie Chinna, the Minister Responsible for the Northwest Territories Housing Corporation said in a statement. 

“A crucial part of ensuring the health and well-being of our elders is housing and I am pleased to have worked with the community leadership and local businesses to work on this project,” she added. 

“Together we are ensuring our elders can stay in their home communities, surrounded by their family, friends and familiar supports.”

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Environment Canada has issued heat warnings for several southern NWT communities as temperatures are expected to reach 29 degrees Celsius for more than 5 days combined with overnight lows of near 14 degrees.

Fort Providence, Fort Simpson, Hay River, Fort Smith and surrounding regions are the areas that will be affected by the surge of heat.

Environment Canada warns residents of those areas to watch for the effects of heat illness: swelling, rash, cramps, fainting, heat exhaustion, heatstroke and the worsening of some health conditions. People at higher risk of adverse health impacts include young children, pregnant women, the elderly, people with chronic illnesses or on certain medications, and those who spend large amounts of time outdoors.

"Heatstroke is a medical emergency. If you feel dizzy or disoriented seek medical attention. Call your local emergency number. If someone has a high temperature and is unconscious or confused or has stopped sweating. Cool the person right away."

Ways to reduce risk of extreme heat exposure include wearing loose-fitting light weight clothing, staying hydrated, closing curtains and windows during the hottest hours, using air conditioners or fans, and scheduling outdoor activities for cooler parts of the day.

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Update: As of 12:33 p.m. the communities of Hay River, Fort Simpson, and the Fort Providence are no longer under a poor air quality alert from Environment Canada.

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Environment Canada has announced that smoke from wildfires in northern Alberta is causing poor air quality and reducing visibility which continues to affect some areas in the southern NWT.

Air quality remains poor over Hay River, Fort Simpson, and the Fort Providence areas. Winds are expected to continue to shift to a more northerly direction this afternoon and move the smoke away from the area.

Individuals may experience symptoms such as increased coughing, throat irritation, headaches or shortness of breath according to Environment Canada.

"Children, seniors and those with cardiovascular or lung disease, such as asthma, are especially at risk. If you, or someone in your care, develop symptoms, reduce strenuous outdoors activities where ever possible until the air quality improves."

They add that if breathing becomes difficult or uncomfortable when outdoors, stop or reduce strenuous physical activities.

"If you experience irritation of eyes, nose or throat, shortness of breath or other respiratory symptoms, you should take action to reduce your exposure to smoke. If you are feeling unwell and experiencing symptoms, contact your health care provider for advice."

Additionally, in Hay River, the town has issued a partial fire ban. From 1 p.m. on Tuesday, May 21st, all fires other than those in approved backyard fire pits are banned and all previously issued permits are cancelled for the duration of the ban.

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RCMP has been able to locate and return stolen items in Fort Providence thanks to a public tip. In the morning of February 8th, residents in the community called RCMP reporting they saw three suspicious people leave a residence. RCMP arrived to find the house was broken into. Police began an investigation with descriptions of the three people from the locals who spotted them.

The investigation led to a search of a house where they found all the reported stolen property, including electronics and tools valued at over $1000. The male resident of the searched home was arrested.  The investigation is ongoing, and further charges are being explored. At this time, none of the charges have been sworn, so the name of the accused was not released by RCMP.

Cpl Jordan Forman thanks the public for their assistance.

“Property crime is not a victimless crime. The items stolen belong to someone and may have more important meaning than just the dollar value of the object. We are thankful we were able to retrieve the stolen property and provide some comfort to the victim(s) of this recent crime”.

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Vehicle thefts was a bit of a theme over the holidays in the Northwest Territories with two vehicles stolen between the 27th-28th of December in Fort Providence and Yellowknife.

Two people have been charged after an investigation into the vehicle theft in Fort Providence. The vehicle was stolen at the Big River Gas Station on December 28th.

27-year-old Dene Vital has been charged with vehicle theft, passport theft, dangerous driving and 5 counts of possession of stolen property.

20-year-old Janna Roach has been charged with vehicle theft and 4 counts of possession of stolen property.

Yellowknife RCMP are still investigating their theft with no charges given at this time. A white SUV was stolen in Yellowknife during the span of December 27th-28th.

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Fort Providence RCMP had a busy day on Saturday. At about 1:30 A.M., RCMP executed a search warrant at a residence, during which they seized cocaine, cash and various drug trafficking paraphernalia. The investigation is ongoing with no charges at this time.

Later that day at about 1:30 P.M., NT RCMP and Fort Providence RCMP both conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle in the community. During the stop, a loaded AR 15 carbine rifle, cocaine, cash and drug trafficking paraphernalia was seized. RCMP arrested two males, one a youth.

Cassiuis Paradis, age 30 and a 15-year-old male both from Edmonton, Alberta each face multiple drug and firearm related charges.

Both the search warrant and the vehicle stop were results of separate short-term investigations into alleged drug trafficking in Fort Providence.

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If you're in Fort Providence next weekend, you can expect to see 5,000 rubber ducks floating along the Mackenzie River.

The Juanita Hirtle Memorial Duck Race will be taking place in Fort Providence next Sunday, in honour of one of its residents who passed away from cancer last year.

Last year, a duck race was organized to help raise funds for Hirtle, says organizer Linda Croft.

"A very dear friend of mine, and to lots of members of the community passed away last year from cancer," says Croft. "And right before she passed away, she had to move home to Nova Scotia where she had a larger family base to take care of her. And we held a duck race to raise funds to help her out while she was there."

This year's race will be taking place during the Mackenzie Days Festival, but is not an actual Mackenzie Days Society event, Croft says.

The Mackenzie Days Society met one night and Croft brought up the idea of holding the race again this year.

"And they said, why don't we call it the Juanita Hirtle memorial duck race?" Croft explains.

"So then I ran with that and I've been selling ducks since back in March, when we came up with the idea. And people from as far away as Nova Scotia are buying ducks to put in the river in Juanita's memory."

If all of the ducks get a sponsor, there will be a $5000 prize for the first duck to cross the finish line. The rest of the money raised from the race will go towards benefitting youth in the community.

"That's something that Juanita felt very strongly about, were the kids and their well-being," Croft says. "And I think that she'd be very happy and proud to know that the event is going on in her honour."

Ducks are available for a $10 donation. Anyone who wants to sponsor a duck can contact organizer Linda Croft via mackenziedayssociety@gmail.com.

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There are currently no active wildfires in the North Slave region, but the fire danger forecast for Yellowknife is currently high and going up to extreme as the temperature increases over the next couple of days.

The South Slave Region currently has three active fires, and the fire danger forecast for Hay River and Enterprise is extreme today and for the next two days, according to the Department of Environment and Natural Resources' (ENR) website.

The South Slave Region currently has three active fires, according to the South Slave Fire Information Bulletin.

One of the fires, which was started by lightning, is currently less than one hectare. It is located 74 km north of Fort Providence and 64 km west of Highway 3 and is being monitored.

There is another fire located about 44 km southwest of Enterprise and 3 km west of Highway 1. This fire was also started by lightning and was detected on Friday morning at around 10 hectares in size. The fire was initial-attacked by air tanker and two crews are working on it.

Three other fires in the region, which were also started by lightning, have now been declared out.

The full wildland fire update for all regions of the territory can be found on ENR's website.

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