A new mayor, measles and a march
Plus how Yellowknifers feel about the new aquatic centre
Hello readers, this is Emily, Cabin Radio’s assistant editor with another week of news from across the Northwest Territories.
Happy May! We’re starting to get warmer weather here in the North and the ice and snow is beginning to melt.
With former Yellowknife mayor Rebecca Alty elected as the territory’s new MP, city councillors have appointed Ben Hendriksen as mayor until the next municipal election in 2026. Councillors will now have to decide what to do with Hendriksen’s empty councillor seat.
Dene leaders, Elders and community members are gathered in Yellowknife this week for a public safety forum focused on addressing the drug crisis in NWT communities. So far, delegates have discussed forming a Dene-led task force as well as policing and legal options to tackle public safety issues.
Meanwhile, the NWT’s chief public health officer has confirmed one case of measles in Yellowknife, leading to some temporary school closures and a public advisory of potential exposure sites.
In other news, the NWT government has placed the Hamlet of Enterprise into the care of a public administrator, an NWT slo-pitch team dominated at a tournament in Alberta, biathlete Brendan Green is being inducted into the NWT Sport Hall of Fame, and the territorial government has announced a transitional housing project in Yellowknife.
We also learned this week that Cabin Radio has been shortlisted in four categories for the 2025 Digital Publishing Awards.
IN THIS NEWSLETTER
Our best stories
Eager Yellowknifers take a dip in the new pool
What we’re reading
Stories to catch up on
1. Advocates say GNWT transitional homes plan is ‘excellent idea’
"Decisive and realistic." An NWT government proposal to create temporary transitional housing on the edge of Yellowknife drew widespread praise.
2. ‘That doesn’t line up. She wasn’t even listening to me.’
Getting a second opinion can be awkward at the best of times. How do you navigate that in the NWT's strained healthcare system? Here's one patient's story.
3. Tenants struggle with NWT’s market housing rent hike
A Fort Liard tenant says his rent is going from $1,138 to $1,938. The territory defended that NWT-wide rent hike for some public housing, saying it's necessary.
4. Yellowknife businessman pleads guilty to fraud
Liang Chen pleaded guilty to defrauding the Business Development Bank of Canada in relation to Yellowknife-based Northern Sky Films. He'll be sentenced in July.
5. Ethics complaints filed amid Fort Simpson village departures
Two ethics complaints have been filed against one or more members of Fort Simpson's village council. Meanwhile, a senior administrator and councillor each quit.
6. Hundreds of Yellowknifers march for Red Dress Day
"Let's remember who we're protecting and what we're walking for." Hundreds of people marched through downtown Yellowknife on Monday in honour of Red Dress Day.
7. Hundreds gather at Yellowknife memorial for Vancouver tragedy
Some 200 Yellowknife residents gathered on Friday evening to remember the lives lost in Vancouver's Lapu-Lapu Day festival tragedy.
8. Court dismisses Inuvik man’s attempted murder appeal
The NWT Court of Appeal upheld an Inuvik man's attempted murder conviction but stayed a lesser charge of aggravated assault related to the same incident.
9. Gwich’in group says US is ‘undermining Arctic cooperation’
A group representing 9,000 Gwich'in members across the NWT, Yukon and Alaska accused the United States of "undermining cooperation on Arctic challenges."
10. New home found for leftover donated clothing from 2023 fires
In 2023, huge amounts of donated clothing arrived to help NWT wildfire victims. Now, there's a fresh effort to find a home for all the unclaimed items.
Yellowknifers say new aquatic centre is ‘beautiful’
Yellowknife’s new aquatic centre opened on Monday.
Jasmine chatted with some of the first Yellowknifers to try out the new facility who gave it a big thumbs up.
What we’re reading
How the Most Remote Community in America Gets Its Mail
In this interesting story for The Atlantic, Sarah Yager writes about the last USPS route to deliver mail by mule.
Met Gala 2025 Red Carpet: See All the Fashion, Outfits, and Looks
Every year I always enjoy looking at the fashion and the Met Gala’s red carpet and how celebrity stylists have interpreted the year’s theme. (Although it does feel a bit like watching a broadcast from the capitol in the Hunger Games.)