 | Home page |  | Text size |  | E-mail this page |
Friday, May 2, 2014
Diamond Cabs suspended
Yellowknife bylaw took Diamond Cabs off the road yesterday, suspending the company's licence for not having all of its vehicles inspected.
Deborah Klengenberg, with Diamond Cabs, said one of the company's drivers was in hospital and unable to get his vehicle inspected.
Diamond Cabs was suspended as of midnight Thursday. Klengenberg said she hoped to have the inspection completed by Thursday afternoon, but said by that time, the company will have already lost a considerable amount of money.
- Daniel Campbell
Northland solution pushed
City council approved a motion aiming to help people in Northland Trailer Park insure their homes sooner rather than later during a Monday night meeting.
Homeowners in Northland have been told by the Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) that banks will not insure mortgage loans on their homes until water and sewer work is completed.
The motion calls for the city to try and co-ordinate talks between the CMHC, the condo corporation and the GNWT.
- Cody Punter
Grace Lake moves ahead
City council passed a motion Monday night to proceed with public consultation for the Grace Lake South residential development.
The original motion called for the city to proceed with design plans for the 85-lot development concurrently with public consultations.
The motion also provided for the city to authorize up to a 30-year lease of the Grace Lake South sod farm to Arctic Farmer for the purposes of a golf course.
- Cody Punter
Wild moose chase
Reports of a rare moose sighting near Yellowknife made the rounds Wednesday.
While Yellowknifer could not confirm the sighting, Environment and Natural Resources spokesperson Judy McLinton did confirm the department received a call Wednesday morning saying a moose was seen near Ndilo point and making its way toward Yellowknife River.
As the animal was reported to be mobile and not within city limits, wildlife officers were not sent out to investigate, said McLinton.
- Laura Busch
Thursday, May 1, 2014
Bridge-users face obstacles
Scheduled maintenance is resulting in restrictions and closures at the Deh Cho Bridge.
The bridge will be reduced to a single lane April 28 to May 4. Traffic control personnel will be on the bridge and motorists are asked to obey all signs and signals.
The bridge will also be closed to all traffic from 10 p.m. on May 1 until 5 a.m. the next morning. The same closure also took place from April 29 to 30. The maintenance includes washing the sand and gravel that accumulated during the winter months from the bearings, cables and bridge deck. New expansion joints will also be installed.
Soccer teams hit the road
Athletes from two Deh Cho communities will be competing in Alberta this weekend.
Bompas Elementary School and Echo Dene School are both sending teams to Ernie's Rock Around the Clock Indoor Tournament. Thirty Fort Simpson athletes will be participating in a U12 boys team and a U12 girls team. One athlete from Behchoko is expected to join them.
From Fort Liard, 23 athletes and three chaperones will be making the trip to Alberta. Fort Liard will form one team and will contribute players to Fort Simpson's teams. The tournament takes place May 2 to 4.
Community signs on to investment
Acho Dene Koe First Nation and Quicksilver Resources Canada Inc. were scheduled to sign a community investment agreement April 29.
The agreement is for the Fortune Creek Gas Plant that Quicksilver has in northern B.C. The plant is within the First Nation's traditional territory.
The signing was to take place during a barbecue dinner held jointly by the two parties in the Fort Liard community hall. Community members were invited to pose any questions they have about the project and agreement to the representatives at the dinner.
Fort Liard gets physical
A six-week session of Pilates exercise classes has started in Fort Liard.
The classes are taking place every Tuesday and Thursday in Echo Dene School's gym starting at 5:30 p.m. The first class was scheduled for April 29. The classes are designed to strengthen abdominal and back muscles, reduce stress and increase flexibility.
Step exercise classes are also being offered in the gym on Saturdays beginning at 10:30 a.m. Women and men are invited to both classes.
Clara Hughes in town
Clara Hughes, a multiple Olympic medal winner in cycling and speedskating, will be in town on May 6.
Hughes, who is best known these days for her extremely popular Let's Talk campaign with Bell Canada to raise awareness for mental illness, has embarked on a cross-Canada bike ride to bring more awareness to the issue.
Called Clara's Big Ride, this campaign is focused on reducing the social stigma facing people with mental illness.
Details are still being finalized for her visit, but the celebration is expected to include a community feast, organizing committee members said.
Northwestel expands services
Northwestel has announced it has doubled bandwidth capacity to the Mackenzie Delta communities.
It's part of a $3.5-million Northwestel program to expand microwave radio infrastructure along the Dempster Highway and into communities in the Mackenzie Delta.
Microwave capacity has been significantly increased in the communities of Tuktoyaktuk, Aklavik, Fort McPherson and Tsiigehtchic. New, higher-speed packages were introduced into Inuvik last year.
Ice road closes for season
As the unseasonably warm weather continues, the Inuvik to Tuktoyaktuk ice road and the ice road to Aklavik have closed.
The announcement was made the morning of April 29 by the NWT Department of Transportation (DOT), although some Inuvik residents said it closed sometime on April 28. No barricades were present on the entrances on that date.
The ice crossings to Tsiigehtchic and Fort McPherson along the Mackenzie and Peel rivers remain open, although DOT officials say those crossing could close any time.
The road remained opened long enough for people to attend all of the Delta jamborees. The Mackenzie Jamboree in Tsiigehtchic over the weekend was the last one scheduled.
Youth ambassadors sought
The Department of Municipal and Community Affairs is now accepting applications for the 2014-2015 Northwest Territories Youth Ambassador Program.
In the past, NWT Youth Ambassadors have attended the Arctic Winter Games, Canada Winter Games and the North American Indigenous Games.
Applicants are selected based on community involvement, commitment to a healthy lifestyle and a personal reflection on how the Youth Ambassador Program will help them in the future.
| 
