An ambassador, a minister and an actor
Plus we're hosting an adult spelling bee!
Hello readers, this is Emily, Cabin Radio’s assistant editor.
We’ve had a couple of high-profile visitors to our office this past week from the United States ambassador to Canada’s foreign affairs minister.
Minister Mélanie Joly travelled to Yellowknife to speak with northerners about plans to develop an Arctic foreign policy amid rising tensions in the region.
David L Cohen, who has been the US ambassador to Canada since November 2021, made his first visit to the NWT. He discussed a wide range of shared priorities including Arctic security, critical minerals, reconciliation with Indigenous people and infrastructure.
Also in the news this week, a new music festival is launching in Yellowknife this winter, a Wekweètì graduate is pursuing an acting career and the Canadian Medical Association made a historical apology to Indigenous people.
IN THIS NEWSLETTER
Our most important stories
Are you the NWT’s best adult speller?
What we’re reading
Stories to catch up on
1. How a Yukon court ruling could affect NWT’s Scan act plans
A judge struck down a section of Yukon's safer communities act as unconstitutional. Advocates say that should influence NWT's plans to develop similar legislation.
2. Imperial Oil warns Sahtu leaders with regulatory stand-off looming
Imperial Oil said its Norman Wells operation could shut down sooner than planned in a letter that one official called "blackmail." Others don't see it that way.
3. Coroner holding inquest into 2021 death at RCMP detachment
A coroner's inquest into the death of a woman at Tuktoyaktuk's RCMP detachment in 2021 will take place in Inuvik next month.
4. This Wekweètì graduate is pursuing his acting dreams
"I am hoping to play any character big or small." Melvin Tom graduated from the Vancouver Film School last month. Now he is pursuing a career in acting.
5. Canadian Medical Association apologizes to Indigenous people
The Canadian Medical Association formally apologized for its role in past and ongoing harms to Indigenous people in Canada's healthcare system.
6. Northerners remember Tony Whitford
People across the Northwest Territories are remembering former politician and commissioner Tony Whitford.
7. Fibre line giving parts of North new backup is complete, Yukon says
A fibre-optic line running from Inuvik to Dawson City is complete. It will soon offer internet and phone redundancy to parts of the Yukon and NWT.
8. Gwich’in Tribal Council appoints interim grand chief
The Gwich'in Tribal Council's board has appointed Michael Greenland as interim grand chief until a court case regarding last month's election has concluded.
9. Fort Smith skate park vandalized weeks after reopening
Just two weeks after reopening, the town of Fort Smith says its skate part was vandalized, resulting in significant damage.
10. New winter music festival coming to Yellowknife
A new music festival is hoping to brighten Yellowknife during the deep dark winter. A bowling dance party fundraiser for the Still Dark Festival is set for next month.
Cabin Radio’s adult spelling bee
We're trying to find the best adult speller in the Northwest Territories. Sign up by 11pm MT on September 26, and you could be in our live final at Yellowknife's Top Knight next month! All proceeds from the final will go to the NWT Literacy Council.
What we’re reading
Moose cam: how Magnetawan First Nation is tracking wildlife
For The Narwhal, Amy Romer writes about how an Anishinaabe community in northern Ontario is tracking wildlife as moose and other mammal populations decline in their territory.
Women in Canadian Prisons Are Routinely Separated from Their Newborns
For The Walrus, Robin F Hanson shares the story of a woman who gave birth while she was an inmate in Saskatchewan, and the practice of separating babies from incarcerated mothers. “Not only was she sentenced to time in prison but she was also sentenced to lose her child at birth.”