Prolonged drought has driven Mackenzie River levels near Fort Simpson, N.W.T., to historic lows, turning a community boat launch into a sandbar and making fall hunting by river hazardous. A territorial hydrologist cites climate change, El Niño, and upstream dams as contributors, while local leaders urge stronger action and monitoring.

Strong winds and blizzard conditions in Ulukhaktok, N.W.T., knocked down power lines Saturday, causing a community-wide outage. NTPC partially restored power early Sunday, with crews arriving later to assess and repair damage; warming shelters opened at the school and health centre.

Above-average fall temperatures in the Northwest Territories have delayed ice crossings on the Peel and Mackenzie Rivers, with officials warning this may become more common. The Peel River crossing opened later than average for light vehicles, while the Mackenzie River crossing at Tsiigehtchic remains closed.

A polar bear repeatedly entered Grise Fiord over four days, including after Halloween. After non-lethal deterrents failed, a local hunter shot and harvested the bear on Monday night.

Three wolves have been frequenting Fort McPherson, N.W.T.; one was shot this week and two remain. Authorities urge residents to leash and vaccinate dogs, avoid leaving food outside, and note rabies risks; traps have been set for the remaining wolves.

Elevated lead levels were found in drinking water fixtures at Mildred Hall School in Yellowknife, the fourth Yellowknife school to test positive this year. The N.W.T. government will fund alternate drinking water for any territorial school while testing and remediation continue.

With the ferry pulled for the season, West Dawson residents are waiting weeks for the Yukon River to freeze so they can cross, as unusually warm weather keeps water open. The delay disrupts access, raises safety concerns, and highlights increasingly unpredictable freeze-up.

Finland saw a sharp turn to winter with temperatures down to –20°C in Lapland and widespread snowfall, prompting traffic weather warnings in eastern and northern regions.

A magnitude 7.0 earthquake struck at 11:41 a.m. AKST on Dec. 6 about 58 miles north of Yakutat, Alaska, followed by a vigorous aftershock sequence with several above magnitude 5. No tsunami warning was issued and no injuries or damage had been reported as of early afternoon.

A young long-finned pilot whale stranded in Cow Bay, Nova Scotia, was stabilized and refloated by the Marine Animal Response Society and local volunteers, then guided to deeper water with help from a Jet Ski. The animal swam away strongly, and responders urged the public to report such incidents rather than attempt rescues themselves.

A 65-year-old man was injured after being attacked by one of two bears he encountered outside his home in Akita City’s Iijima area early on November 3. Police say the incident occurred around 5:30 a.m. within the residence’s premises.