A new cabinet and premier just in time for the holidays
RJ Simpson is the NWT's first premier to hail from Hay River.
December 14, 2023
Hello dear readers, this is Emily, Cabin Radio’s assistant editor.
The holidays are fast approaching, we have a new premier and cabinet, and the staff at Cabin Radio keep working away to bring you the latest news from across the NWT.
If you’re looking for holiday events from markets and decorating contests to concerts, check out our holiday events guide. If you see an event we haven’t included, please fill out the form at the bottom of the guide and let us know.
In this newsletter you can find a round-up of our most important journalism from the past few weeks, all the places you can find our work, and a selection of articles from other outlets that we’ve recently enjoyed.
IN THIS NEWSLETTER:
Our most important stories from the past few weeks
Check out our TikTok
What we’re reading
Stories to catch up on
Premier plans ‘immediate attention’ for people thinking of leaving
RJ Simpson was elected as the NWT’s new premier last week. He is the first premier to be chosen from outside Yellowknife in 12 years and the first ever from Hay River.
Simpson said collaboration will be a hallmark of his government, which he said must focus on addressing the immediate concerns of residents thinking of leaving the territory.
As well as being premier, Simpson will be responsible for the Department of Executive and Indigenous Affairs and Department of Justice. He’ll also serve as government house leader.
In one of his first decisions as premier, Simpson appointed former deputy minister Joe Dragon as his principal secretary.
Serving alongside Simpson will be Speaker Shane Thompson, who dropped out of the premiership race to take the role, along with six other cabinet members.
Caitlin Cleveland - Education, Culture and Employment alongside Industry, Tourism and Investment;
Lucy Kuptana - Housing and Status of Women;
Jay Macdonald - Environment and Climate Change;
Vince McKay - Municipal and Community Affairs, Workers’ Safety and Compensation Commission, Public Utilities Board;
Lesa Semmler - Health and Social Services; and
Caroline Wawzonek - Deputy premier, Finance, Infrastructure, NWT Power Corporation.
Check out what Simpson said of his four-year vision for the territory, our minute-by-minute coverage of the vote for premier, speaker and cabinet, and what leaders and residents had to say about their hopes for the new premier.
If you missed our election coverage, here’s a quick summary.
Now, on to other stories.
Firefighter Greg Pratt remembered for his heart, humour and grace
Former Yellowknife firefighter Greg Pratt, who has passed away at the age of 48, was effortlessly funny, a mentor to many, and held a grace in adversity that gave everyone around him strength.
Giant Mine mystery waste probe finds not one but two incidents
Last month, the federally-led Giant Mine Remediation Project said potentially contaminated or hazardous waste had been taken off the site without anyone knowing for sure what it was. An investigation revealed a second recent failure, saying the incidents amounted to “a near miss.”
Setting up a daycare in a small NWT community? ‘It’s brutal.’
“My eyes are a bit filled with tears right now, because it’s been such a brutal process.” Many people in the NWT struggle to find childcare and in some communities there are no formal daycares or dayhomes. Changing that isn’t easy.
Housing confusion leaves Enterprise family ‘nowhere to go’
The wildfire that tore through Enterprise in August left many families without a permanent home and few alternatives in the North. For the Cleary family, mixed messages about emergency accommodation left them with just a week’s notice to find a new place to stay.
Are we all about to get a shock to our insurance?
The Insurance Bureau of Canada says the NWT’s summer wildfires caused more than $60 million in insured losses. Many residents wonder if an increase in insurance claims related to natural disasters could increase their insurance premiums.
Evacuations, costs and housing make moving to the NWT tough lately
Among many people who struggled with this summer’s wildfire evacuations, new arrivals to the NWT had "no idea what was happening." Some people never returned. And it's not the only challenge when it comes to settling in the territory.
Rebuilding isn’t straightforward for this Enterprise family
The Clarke family’s seven-bed home burned in the Enterprise wildfire. They still aren't sure if they'll get financial help to rebuild, and may not know until January.
Bacteria, glass and cement could be long-term Giant Mine solutions
You may have missed the Giant Mine Oversight Board’s public meeting about long-term plans for toxic arsenic trioxide at the former mine site – it fell on the same night as the election. We provide a breakdown on the latest research.
Facing drugs and crime, Hay River tries to find ways forward
The Town of Hay River is facing an increase in opioid toxicity deaths and concerns about crimes that police say are linked to the illicit drug trade. The town and RCMP say they’re taking a multi-pronged harm reduction approach.
Cricket in Yellowknife knows no boundaries. Here’s when to play
Four, six, wides, no balls, overs, centuries and maidens. As cricket's World Cup concluded, the sport's drop-in program in Yellowknife was growing.
How will the 19th Legislative Assembly be remembered?
As the 20th Legislative Assembly begins, what legacy does the previous legislature leave behind? From disasters to disputes and legislation, we take a look back at the highs and lows of the past four years.
Tourism award for lodge that ‘played key role’ helping community
When all of Yellowknife was evacuated due to a wildfire this summer, Frontier Lodge helped to make sure residents of Łútsël K’é had food when supply lines were cut off. Those efforts earned the lodge the title of 2023’s NWT Tourism operator of the year.
How a man managed to escape from Fort Smith’s jail
In May 2022, the NWT’s Department of Justice announced an inmate had escaped from the Fort Smith Correctional Complex and been arrested after one night at large. Through an access to information request, we now know what happened. It involved a classic trick: clothes under blankets to make it look like you're in bed, sleeping.
Man who oversaw 9-1-1 rollout pleads guilty to influencing officials
You may have read about the overlap of emergency dispatch services between Yellowknife and the NWT since 9-1-1 was introduced in the territory. In an unusual case last month, the man tasked with rolling out 9-1-1 territory-wide admitted attempting to deceive Yellowknife’s mayor and council into transferring responsibility for the city’s dispatch services to the GNWT.
Follow us on TikTok
In case you didn’t know, we have a TikTok page. You can find news content and fun videos like this one from Cabin Radio’s recent open house, where Yellowknife musician Carmen Braden was joined by some of the musicians that performed Handel’s Messiah at the Northern Arts and Cultural Centre.
You can also follow our work on Telegram, Threads, X/Twitter, and of course our website.
What we’re reading
Deep in the wilderness, the world’s largest beaver dam endures
This was a fascinating read. The largest beaver dam on Earth was discovered in Wood Buffalo National Park by satellite imagery in 2007.
Federal government reaches deal with Google on Online News Act
While Meta’s pesky ban on Canadian news in response to the Online News Act has made it harder for people to access information, many news organizations like Cabin Radio have still been finding ways to get their reporting to audiences. While it’s still unclear what exactly this deal will mean for Canadian news organizations, I do know it would be bad news if Google began blocking links to articles and news sites.
The Fence
I appreciated this long-form read in Hazlitt by culture writer Niko Stratis on her experience growing up in the Yukon in the 1990s as a transgender person with undiagnosed ADHD. "The labels we put on the parts of our identities do not define us so much as they contextualize our stories."
WHO declares loneliness a ‘global public health concern’
From Aastha: This research is very interesting and links loneliness to a variety of health concerns. Dr Vivek Murthy mentions “health risks are as bad as smoking up to 15 cigarettes a day, and even greater than those associated with obesity and physical inactivity.” The report found social isolation or loneliness in older adults to be linked with 50-percent increased risk of developing dementia, 30-percent increased risk of coronary artery disease or stroke, and a 26-percent increased risk of all-cause mortality.