UP HERE IN THE NORTH 

Regions across Canada are being hit hard by the Omicron variant of COVID-19, and the North is no exception. Cases are on the rise in all three territories. In Nunavut, there are 244 cases of COVID-19 in 12 communities. (Nunatsiaq News)

Meanwhile, the NWT is at 546 cases, with 319 of those in Yellowknife. Indoor gatherings have been restricted to a maximum of 10 people, and school reopenings were pushed back to January 10. (Cabin Radio)

Over in the Yukon, the territory is at an all-time high with 325 cases. (Yukon News) 

Despite this, the Yukon is one of the only jurisdictions in Canada to have opened schools in-person this week—a move criticized by both the teachers union and the Council of Yukon First Nations. (Whitehorse Daily Star)

Three northerners were among the 135 appointees to the Order of Canada in 2021. Nunavut politician Asger Rye "Red" Pedersen was named for his contributions to public government in the territory, and Charlie Kakotok Evalik of Cambridge Bay for his role as a key negotiator in the creation of Nunavut. In Yellowknife, Indigenous leader Gail Cyr was honoured for her career in local politics and her advocacy around Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls. Congratulations! (The Governor General of Canada)

Members of the Kwanlin Dün First Nation in Whitehorse are mourning the loss of Elder Louie Smith, who passed away last weekend at age 89. He’s remembered as an amazing storyteller with a sharp wit and great sense of humour. (CBC)

Nunavut officials are pleading with daycares in the territory to keep their doors open amid the current outbreak. In a press conference with reporters, Premier P.J. Akeeagok cited fears that not having childcare available for those still working could exacerbate staffing shortages and burnout. (CBC)

Brrrr! The Yukon is in the midst of a very chilly cold snap, with temperatures between -40C and -50C. It’s so cold, school buses have been cancelled, leaving many families scrambling to get their kids to school. (Yukon News)

Wolves lurking outside Fort Smith in the NWT have killed at least one pet in the area. The territorial environment department said Thursday that a pack of eight animals was spotted about five kilometres out of town. Locals have been warned to keep their pets on leash and avoid trails after dark. (Cabin Radio)

Earlier this week, the federal government released a $40-billion plan to compensate Indigenous families impacted by the Canadian child welfare system. In the Yukon, AFN Regional Chief Kluane Adamek says she’s “cautiously optimistic”—but there’s still a long way to go. (CBC)

A new Midnight Sun Fencing Club has started in the Yukon. It's run by Scott Dudiak, a former member of the Canadian National Fencing Team. Kids wishing to try their hand at the sport can now sign up for a weekly fencing class. En guarde! (Yukon News)

Well, I’ll be “dam-ed!” New research out of the University of Alaska, Fairbanks shows that beavers are making their way further and further north thanks to a warming Arctic. Numbers are estimated to range between 50,000 to close to 100,000. But their northward migration isn’t all cute and cuddly; in fact, the flooding caused by their dams is creating food supply and travel concerns for Indigenous communities in the area. (The Guardian)

Norway has closed its primary air base called Bodø, located 80 km above the Arctic Circle on the coast of the Norwegian Sea. Fighter jets had been stationed there since 1955 to guard against the Russian military, but it will now serve civilian air traffic and a squadron of rescue helicopters. (Barents Observer)

And an environmental group in the US is planning to sue the Biden administration for its alleged failures to protect polar bears from harm caused by an oil project on Alaska’s North Slope. The Center of Biological Diversity maintains that exploration in the area would further endanger the creature’s habitat, already plagued by a loss of sea ice and impacts of climate change. (Arctic Today)