UP HERE IN THE NORTH 

Burger Week has returned to Yellowknife! For the third year, Cabin Radio is hosting the event, where restaurants across the city compete to offer the best burger. For every burger bought, a portion of the cost goes toward Food Rescue Yellowknife. Burger Week goes on from March 23 to April 2 (so actually more like 10 days). (Cabin Radio)
 

It’s a 1,700 kilometre journey from Yellowknife to Arviat, Nunavut, but Neco Towtongie was determined to make the trip. The Rankin Inlet born man recently travelled that distance on his snowmobile over seven days in memory of his father’s late uncle. "I used to talk to him all the time and get advice from him," Towtongie told CBC. "He told me one time, in Inuktitut, he said: 'If you're not doing what you want, you're not going to be happy. And if you want to be happy, you have to do what you want.'" Towtongie lives by those words. (CBC)
 

Can your landlord decide how many plants you have? That question was brought up by the NWT Housing Corporation after filing an application to have a tenant transfer to another unit. During the ruling, the tenant had questioned how reasonable the “new rule the landlord imposed” was, which limited her to 20 house plants. Rental officer Adelle Guigon said the tenant had moved in with about 200 plants and several humidifiers. A while later, the tenant complained about white dust which may have been present due to the number of plants and humidifiers. (Cabin Radio)
 

Governor General Mary Simon met with Queen Elizabeth earlier this week, where they discussed Reconciliation. "I was talking to her about the various situations like in Canada," Simon told CBC. "The historical wrongs of the past and how we needed to change Canada's history books so that young people could learn what the real history is, without necessarily pointing fingers.” During their conversation, they also discussed the recent anti-vaccine protests in Ottawa as well as the war in Ukraine. (CBC)
 

A new strain of Omicron has reached the NWT and it’s even more infectious. The BA.2 variant is expected to be 30 percent more infectious than BA.1, but is not thought to lead to more severe illness. Chief Public Health Officer Dr. Kami Kandola said it will not effect the lifting of restrictions set to happen April 1. (Cabin Radio)

Congrats to Yellowknifers and former Up Here Associate Editor Jessica Davey-Quantick and Adrienne Cartwright for winning first place for NWT in the 48 Hour Film Festival. The duo submitted the short film The After, where “two companies seek meaning and belonging as they navigate a brave new world.” Local artist Jen Walden won second place. (48 Hour Film Fest)

A quick history lesson: Sid Grauman was a teenager in Dawson City, selling newspapers during the Gold Rush. But years later, he would be the owner of several L.A. theatres including the Egyptian, the Million Dollar and the Chinese. During the 1920s and ‘30s, many major cinematic productions would premiere in those theatres after being introduced by a full orchestra on ornate stages. (Yukon News)

A longtime Yellowknifer, Aya McHugh has recently published her first fantasy novel, Cursed Word: Initial Sparks. The tale follows Rei Scios, a northern girl with supernatural powers. McHugh plans for this to be the first book of a series. (Cabin Radio)
 

The Yukon and Philippines government have signed a memorandum to make it easier for Filipinos to immigrate to the Yukon. Simultaneously, Air North has signed an agreement with Philippines Airline making it possible for travelers to buy a single ticket to fly between Whitehorse and Manilla. (CBC)
 

Appearing at home in any environment, arctic and red foxes seem adorable and even approachable. But be advised, they don’t make good pets. (Up Here)

A natural phenomenon known as the “Blue Blob” is appearing to cool the ocean near Iceland and has likely been slowing the melt of nearby glaciers since 2011. A recent study by the AGU Geophysical Research Letters says the region of cooling water may continue to limit ice loss until about 2050. The Blue Blob's origins and cause are still being investigated. (Eye on the Arctic)
 

War propaganda is washing over Russian youth as videos produced by the Murmansk Government Youth Committee are being published. “We, citizens of the Murmansk region, like few others, understand that the fight against Nazism, against natural disasters or pandemics can be won only when we stand united, shoulder by shoulder,” three young women say in the video. They are all wearing sweaters with the letter Z on it, a symbol used by the Kremlin in its war against Ukraine. The video is just one example of war propaganda being shared with youth. (The Barents Observer)
 

As Moscow has banned most European airlines from flying over Russian airspace, Finnair has to make new detours to destinations like Shanghai, Seoul and Tokyo. The new route will mean going over the North Pole, turning what’s normally a nine or 10 hour flight to Tokyo into a 13 hour flight. (The Barents Observer)