January 4, 2008
Iqaluit: 2007 in review
January
Blizzard strikes Ottawa
The Iqaluit Blizzard peewee hockey team rose to the top of a 510-team hockey tournament in Ottawa, posting a 2-1 double-overtime win over the Cumberland Arctic Wolves at Scotiabank Place.
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Patrick MacMunn, 12, scored the game-winning goal.
"I though my head was going to explode from all the cheering," said Iqaluit mayor Elisapee Sheutiapik, whose son Iola played on the team, and whose husband Brian Twerdin was an assistant coach.
The Blizzard beat out 47 other teams in its division in the world's largest minor hockey tournament. More than 25,000 players from 90 countries took part.
Kamotiq rumours pick up speed
Rumours of the impending sale of Iqaluit's famous, or infamous, Kamotiq Inn restaurant gather steam after circulating for months.
The igloo-shaped eatery, located on prime real estate at Iqaluit's downtown Four Corners intersection, was said to be eyed by developer Mike Mrdjenovich, who was in the process of building the Nova Hotel and Convention Centre at a nearby location.
Meanwhile, Kamotiq manager Brian Czar had no idea if any buyers for the 20-year old building had come forward.
February
Giant Airbus returns to Iqaluit
The world's largest passenger airplane, the Airbus A380, made its second stop at Nunavut's capital for a final round of cold weather testing before going on sale to the world's airlines.
The A380's engines alone are almost as large as some of the smaller passenger jets that frequent Iqaluit's airport.
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"You could almost put a 737 into the intake of that engine," said John Graham, the manager of Iqaluit's airport.
The mammoth plane's European manufacturer was hoping for temperatures of -35 or lower, to get an idea of how the plane handles in cold weather.
At full capacity, the A380 can hold 873 passengers. Most airlines were planning to add amenities and reduce its capacity to around 550. One customer, Virgin Atlantic Airways, announced plans to include casinos, double beds, gymnasiums and showers inside its A380s.
Iqaluit hosts opera company
What may be Iqaluit's first-ever performance by an opera company takes place before a packed house at Aqsarniit middle school.
Frobisher tells the story of Anna and Michael, young filmmakers from Alberta who become obsessed with the idea that Martin Frobisher was actually searching for an untouched tropical paradise that he believed to exist near the North Pole.
The eight "emerging artists" of the Calgary Opera also give daytime performances to local students.
March
Iqaluit speed skater chosen for Olympic pitch
Aqpik Peter, a young Iqaluit speed skater, appears in posters from the committee organizing the Vancouver 2010 Olympics meant to encourage aboriginal youth to take part in sports.
Peter accepts no credit for looking so cool in the Olympic poster.
"It was the photographer," he said. Peter hopes his poster, along with equally slick posters featuring a First Nations snowboarder from British Columbia and a Métis biathlete from Quebec, gets Inuit kids more interested in sports.
"Hopefully it will inspire them to do better in their sports," he said.
April
Jeffrey pleads guilty
Child killer Mark King Jeffrey pleads guilty to second-degree murder in the brutal 2002 stabbing death of Jennifer Naglingniq, 13, in Iqaluit.
Jeffrey, 26, is later sentenced to life in prison with no chance of parole for 14 years.
May
City mulls plastic bag ban
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After melting snows reveal discarded plastic grocery bags strewn around the city, Iqaluit councillors consider banning them.
The Nunavut Research Institute handed out biodegradable corn-based bags at the Nunavut Trade Show, much to the delight of Coun. Glenn Williams, who said he was sick of seeing rivers choked with plastic bags, just weeks after volunteers had cleaned up the waterways.
"You could see me crying as I drove by because the river had filled up with bags again," he said.
June
Ground broken on new church
Surrounded by hundreds of parishioners, Rev. Paul Idlout turns the sod on the future site of the new St. Jude's Cathedral June 3.
Reading from the book of Ephesians, Rt. Rev Andrew Atagotaaaluk, the bishop of the Arctic, called on worshippers at the outdoor service to donate money and volunteer to help complete the new church.
At the time, donors had raised about $1.5 million of the estimated $8 million cost of rebuilding.
Alianait! kicks off
The third installment of the Alianait! arts festival kicks off in Iqaluit.
Igloolik-based circus troupe Artciq wows a sold-out crowd opening night at Aqsarniit Middle School with jaw-dropping feats of acrobatics. Local drum dancers and throat singers also take the stage.
Dozens of other acts from across Nunavut and as far away as Alaska and Norway perform to large crowds during the 10-day event.
White Stripes rock capital
Detroit rock duo The White Stripes become what may be most famous rock act ever to play in Nunavut, giving an energetic show at the Arctic Winter Games arena in front of 600 adoring fans.
The Iqaluit concert is the most far-flung date of the band's cross-Canada tour, which saw them visit every province and territory.
July
Shootout shuts down city core
An exchange of gunfire between an armed man and Iqaluit RCMP members forces authorities to seal off the city's downtown for 13 hours on July 8.
Gunshots echo throughout the city for about two hours in the morning. The suspect later surrendered after hours of negotiations.
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Kevin Tikkivik was arrested in connection with the incident and faces charges of discharging a firearm, pointing a firearm, using a firearm while committing an offence and careless use of a firearm.
August
Kamotiq to face wrecking ball
After months of speculation, rumours that Iqaluit's famed Kamotiq restaurant will face the wrecking ball turn out to be true.
Nova Builders confirmed it bought the igloo-shaped restaurant, and will eventually redevelop the prime downtown location with a 30,000 to 40,000 square-foot office block
Iqaluit presses on with port pitch
Stung by a federal decision to locate a new Arctic port in Nanisivik, officials with the City of Iqaluit look at private investors to help fund the construction of a dock in the capital.
Mike Bozzer, Iqaluit's economic development officer, states he's not ready to identify investors, but adds the city is serious about pressing on with the project.
September
Anablak trial resumes
The Crown wraps up its case in the trial of Pat Anablak, accused of second-degree murder in the 2004 death of Sylvia Lyall in Iqaluit.
But in October, Justice Robert Kilpatrick declares a mistrial after Anablak says he lost confidence in his lawyer, Sue Cooper, and wants a new lawyer.
At Anablak's next court appearance, set for Feb. 20, he'll be represented by lawyer Andy Maher.
Right now it's not clear if the process will lead to a new trial or a plea-bargain.
October
Cops seize crack
After months of being berated by Iqaluit city councillors, RCMP seize $400,000 worth of crack cocaine in a major bust.
Deputy mayor Al Hayward and other councillors complain the police were ignoring the capital's growing hard drug problem.
Officers from the RCMP's drug section raided two Iqaluit homes, seizing 1.6 kilograms of crack-close to 2,000 hits of the drug-an allegedly illegal rifle and $92,000 in cash.
A 22-year-old Edmonton man is arrested as a result of the raid.
November
Officials track raven cereal killer
After a year's hiatus, Iqaluit's mysterious raven killer resurfaces with a new batch of grain laced with Avitrol, a substance used by farmers to control scavenging birds.
In Iqaluit, someone used enough Avitrol to kill the birds, prompting wildlife officials to issue a public plea for information that might lead them to whoever poisoned the ravens.
December
Fundraisers tap recycling
The Government of Nunavut's recycling pilot project turns into a source of money for community groups looking to rebuild St. Jude's cathedral and open a composting site in Iqaluit's landfill.
The Bill Mackenzie Humanitarian Society begins collecting non-alcoholic drink containers along with the regular pickups of compost from its members.
The cans and bottles are cashed in for a nickel apiece at a local recycling depot. The society splits proceeds with the committee raising money to rebuild St. Jude's cathedral.