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News Briefs: Friday, January 4, 2013
Giant Mine town site No. 1 ghost town
The Giant mine town site was recently featured by Maclean's magazine as the No. 1 ghost town in Canada.
The article, titled "11 ghost towns to see before they're completely gone," describes it as "the site of a deadly bombing during a labour dispute that killed nine replacement workers in 1992, and is currently an environmental concern due to arsenic tailings. Visitors ... can walk among abandoned houses, barracks and disused playgrounds."
An update to the story, which encourages Canadians to visit the ghost towns, clarifies the Giant Mine town site is not open to the public.
- Laura Busch
Christmas tree pick-up
With the holidays coming to a close, the Christmas trees are coming down and the city is preparing to pick them up from the curb.
Any wilted Christmas trees will be picked up free of charge between Jan. 7 and 11 with the help of the North Slave Correctional Centre.
To have a tree picked up, contact the City of Yellowknife with your address and place your tree on the curbside with your regular garbage.
Visit the city's website for a pick-up schedule.
- Laura Busch
Snowboarder off to Worlds
Yellowknife snowboarder Andrew Matthews got some great news to start the new year.
He was invited to join Team Canada at the biennial FIS World Snowboarding Championships in Quebec City beginning on Jan. 18. Matthews will be competing in the big air competition and is one of four from Canada competing in the event overall.
In an e-mail to Yellowknifer, Matthews said he was thrilled to be invited to such a prestigious event.
- James McCarthy
Robbery at Co-op
Yellowknife RCMP are investigating a robbery at the Co-op Gas Bar and Convenience Store that occurred Thursday morning.
At approximately 7:30 a.m., police were alerted that an employee at the gas bar had been assaulted and an unspecified amount of money was taken from the cash register, police stated in a news release.
The employee's injuries were described as minor. The Yellowknife RCMP forensic identification section attended the scene to gather evidence and police continue to investigate, stated the release. RCMP were unavailable for further information before deadline.
- Laura Busch
Target 2014
Mayor Mark Heyck says one of his new year aims is to get city council to adopt a motion in support of a new federal funding program for municipal infrastructure.
The Building Canada Fund, a federal funding agreement between the federal government and the Federation of Canadian Municipalities for major municipal infrastructure investments, is set to expire in 2014.
"There are a lot of municipalities adopting resolutions to show their support for the Target 2014 campaign to express the critical need we have to see more funding come from other orders of government for community infrastructure and I would like to see council entertain a resolution like that," said Heyck.
- Simon Whitehouse
Greenhouse study
A team led by the Aurora Research Institute, the research division of Aurora College, is getting $896,414 to fund a study examining how to grow more produce in the NWT from greenhouses.
The Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency (CanNor) is putting forward the largest portion of funding with $270,000, followed by the National Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada with $180,833, according to a CanNor news release.
- Lyndsay Herman
Animals and the cold
Tasha Stephenson of Ecology North will host a public speaking engagement called Animal Adaptation to Winter: Flight, Fat, and Fur.
The event, which is to be held at the museum Jan. 17 from 7 to 9 p.m., is part of Ecology North's Natural History Speakers Nights and will touch upon how various types of animals survive in -40 C temperatures.
- Simon Whitehouse
City special grants
Yellowknife organizations have until Jan. 10 to apply for city special grants. Recipients of the fund are planned to be approved by council Feb. 18; last year the city doled out $105,000 to 18 groups.
The special grants are one of two ways non-profit groups can obtain money from city council. If an organization receives special grant funding three years in a row, it can then become eligible for funds from a bigger pool of money, core grants, which are handed out in the fall.
In October, council approved $342,000 in core grant funding to 21 groups for 2013.
- Simon Whitehouse
News Briefs: Thursday, January 3, 2013
Balanced budget for village council
The Fort Simpson Village Council passed a balanced operation and maintenance budget for the village on Dec. 20. The village estimates its revenues for the year will be $4,586,249. There are expected to be expenditures of $3,539,733, said Sebastien Goyer, the village's senior administrative officer.
"We have a balanced budget that allows for some growth," he said.
At this point, council isn't expecting to raise taxes. That position will be assessed when the budget is amended in April.
The pool is one area of increased spending. New equipment needs to be purchased for the new facility and the pool manager position is being extended from an approximately four- to eight-month term.
This will allow for more planning and programming, said Goyer. Last year, $69,000 was budgeted for the pool. The amount has been increased to $134,000.
Call for public health care inquiry
Nahendeh MLA Kevin Menicoche is calling for a public health care inquiry into the treatment of a nine-year-old Fort Simpson boy.
Menicoche said Sakaeah Charles Winter only received cursory treatment from the Fort Simpson Health Centre for four weeks. Sakaeah lost 25 per cent of his body weight before being medevaced to Yellowknife on Dec. 6 to be treated for pneumonia and diarrhea. He was later transferred to Edmonton due to complications.
Menicoche and Denise Winter, Sakaeah's mother, met with Tom Beaulieu, the minister of Health and Social Services, on Dec. 20.
Beaulieu committed to an internal review of the case. Menicoche said he wants a public review because it will force the department to do a more thorough job and release the findings.
Walking challenge enters third year
The Northwest Territories Recreation and Parks Association is encouraging NWT residents to get active this winter. The association is holding its third annual Mackenzie River Walking Challenge.
The event challenges teams to collectively walk 1,658 kilometres, the equivalent distance along the Mackenzie River between Fort Providence and Tuktoyaktuk.
Teams have from Jan. 7 to March 4 to log the necessary kilometres. People of all ages and from all communities are welcomed to join in the challenge.
Potential prizes for the teams who walk the equivalent distance to Tuktoyaktuk include a flight voucher from First Air. Teams must register by Jan. 14.
Proceedings against Latour suspended
A judge has suspended court proceedings against Hughes Latour, a former Inuvik schoo teacher charged with abduction.
Justice Karan Shaner made the decision Dec. 18 after Latour submitted a stay application. Latour argued the court had violated section 11(b) of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, which says any person charged with an offence has the right to be tried within a reasonable time.
The total time between when Latour was charged and when the matter went to court was two years, according to Crown prosecutor Glen Boyd.
Shaner did not make any comment from the bench on her decision but is expected to release a written statement in the new year.
The stay could still be appealed by the Crown. Boyd said they are waiting for the judge's statement before making any decisions.
A chance at $10,000
Residents have just a couple weeks left to buy a ticket for the Art Travel Club’s $10,000 grand prize raffle. The East 3 club is selling tickets to raise money for its trip to London, England, this March break. The cost to enter the draw is $100. Winners will take home one of 12 prizes ranging from cash to a flat screen TV to a Canon PowerShot.
Only 350 tickets will be sold. The draw will be held in East 3 Secondary School on Jan. 15 at 5 p.m.
Welcome back sun
Inuvik's annual Sunrise Festival kicks off Jan. 4 at the Midnight Sun Complex Community Hall.
Residents can come out from 6 to 9 p.m. and enjoy delicious eats prepared by local restaurants in town. Later in the evening there will be an Old Time Dance featuring James Rogers and the Delta Good Time Band.
The following day, pancake lovers are encouraged to visit the Royal Canadian Legion for breakfast from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Then at noon there will be a snowmobile parade to Jim Koe Park. Participants should meet at the Inuvik boat launch.
In the evening residents can warm up by the fire down at Roads End Golf Course at 6 p.m. The celebration ends at 7 p.m. with the Return of the Sun Fireworks.
Goodbye poverty
The Government of the Northwest Territories is looking for feedback on the recently released anti-poverty strategy.
Residents are being asked to read over the document titled Poverty Free NWT, on the GNWT and Alternatives North websites, and e-mail their thoughts to povertyfreenwt@gov.nt.ca.
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