Fort Good Hope, N.W.T., 'trying to be together' after shots fired near band office

Residents in Fort Good Hope, N.W.T., say they're taking back their community after a gunman fired shots outside a meeting nearly two weeks ago.

It happenedaround 7 p.m. on Nov. 25 near the band office where the meeting was taking place. Even though no one was hurt in the incident, community officials describeit as a "traumatic" experience.

"People are on edge and uneasy about what's been happening in the community," said Ron Pierrot, a community council member.

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TonyKakfwi, 49, of Fort Good Hope is facing seven firearms-related charges in connection with the incident.

The incident comes at a difficult time for the community, Pierrot explained. There have been "more than a couple" recent suicide attempts, he said,and the holiday season tends to bring about sad memories for some.

"A lot of community members are trying to be together, talk to one another and try to overcome a lot of the difficulties that have been happening in the community."

'Brought the community... together'

Over the past two weeks, residents in the community of about 570 people have beencoming together for sharing circles and volleyball tournaments in an effort to bond and possiblyheal from recent events.

The community is also bringing in in an Elvis impersonator and a hypnotist.

"It is very important, mainly in terms of youth or young people," Pierrot said. "Particularly with Northern communities you're isolated in a small community. It's very stressful, particularly for young people and the challenges they face.

"Talking together, being together, it's very important."

Pierrot said he's received messages of support from people in other parts of the territory, givinghim hope that things could get better in the new year.

"It put a damper on the community," Pierrot said. "But on the flip side, it brought the community and leadership together to make things happen in the community.

"It was a horrific incident, but we learned from it."