Fort Good Hope

Two dogs have died from wolf attacks, according to the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (ENR) — and community members say the number could be higher. Westwick said wolf aggression toward dogs is most likely during the breeding season between December and February, and during the denning period from April to May.

From lack of animals on the landscape to safety concerns, to stories of changes in the snow and wind, several northerners discussed the ‘weird’ season and its impact on hunting this year.

What has people talking is the length of the bear’s neck. Some locals wondered if it might be a hybrid polar bear and grizzly or black bear, but officials say it's likely a juvenile black bear.

A wildfire burning near Fort Good Hope, N.W.T. has increased in size to over 8,000 hectares and is moving closer to the community.

Northwest Territories hydrologists say heavy snowpack farther south could help spring flows on the Mackenzie River rebound toward near-normal after several years of low water that disrupted barge shipments. Officials caution summer levels will still depend on rainfall and temperatures, and ice-jam flooding remains a break-up risk.

Riverbank erosion linked to thawing permafrost and landslides is threatening dozens of homes, the community water reservoir, and an old cemetery in Fort Good Hope, N.W.T., along the Mackenzie River. Local leaders say multiple houses may need urgent relocation, but there is not yet a clear plan for mitigation or resettlement.