An appeal, a mosque and a dump fire
Plus what we're reading
Hello readers, this is Emily, Cabin Radio’s assistant editor.
The new year is in full swing here in the NWT.
Construction has officially begun on Yellowknife’s iconic Snowcastle, which will host the 2025 Snowkings’ Winter Festival in March. It will also be home to an exhibit from the Far North Photo Festival, which is currently accepting submissions from photographers in Nunavut, NWT and the Yukon.
In other news, the NWT Court of Appeal has upheld the Colville Lake Renewable Resources Council’s ability to manage harvesting of the Bluenose West caribou herd in the Sahtu. Colville Lake leaders say they welcome the decision, which “emphasized the need for culturally appropriate conservation tools.”
In lighter fare, the new series North of North – which was filmed in Iqaluit and set in the fictional Arctic community of Ice Cove – debuted on CBC and APTN this week. We spoke with one of the stars about the show.
IN THIS NEWSLETTER
Our most important stories
What we’re reading
Stories to catch up on
1. Listen: ‘Drugs have always been around, but we are seeing a shift’
Listen to our full discussion with the NWT's top police officer about his priorities for the territory, RCMP staffing, drug-related crime and public safety.
2. Yellowknife’s new Islamic Centre nears completion
Construction of Yellowknife's Islamic Centre is nearly complete. Learn more about the design, including an intricate dome, and see renderings of how it'll look.
3. Why did Fort Smith lose power for seven hours?
NTPC has some sense, but not a complete understanding, of why Fort Smith lost power for so long last week. Broader problems at a hydro plant are a factor.
4. Relatives mourn Nunavut man during manslaughter sentencing
Relatives said they deeply miss Adam Kakolak at a sentencing hearing for Darren Nulliayuk, who admitted manslaughter in Kakolak's 2023 death in Yellowknife.
5. Northern wrestling program is ushering in young coaches
A wrestling program focused on three small NWT communities is trying to take a big step toward sustainability: the creation of a new generation of coaches.
6. Mackenzie Valley Highway ‘comes with problems but we need it’
Residents on the Mackenzie Valley Highway's proposed route are wary of it but many ultimately want the project to go ahead, recent community meetings suggest.
7. NWT ‘first in Canada’ to phase out polluting anesthetic gas
The NWT has scored a climate knockout: doctors say it's the first Canadian jurisdiction to stop using an anesthetic gas many times more damaging than CO2.
8. Yellowknife’s battle against landfill fire enters fourth month
A landfill fire has been burning for months at Yellowknife's dump. Here's what the city says it is doing to address the problem.
9. How warm was 2024 in the Northwest Territories?
Temperatures in some Dehcho communities briefly soared as high as 7C on Tuesday and Wednesday, some 30C above the mid-January norm.
10. Combined Fort Smith-Hay River team wins West Ed Mall tourney
A U15 Fort Smith and Hay River hockey team travelled more than 1,000 km to win a tournament inside one of the largest malls in North America.
What we’re reading
In Nunavut, finding rocks before a mineral rush
For The Narwhal, Meral Jamal writes about how Nunavummiut are learning about more than just rocks in an introductory prospecting course.
The best photos of 2024
From Chappell Roan to Teezo Touchdown, Rolling Stone magazine shared its 50 favourite photos from 2024.
Is Canada Ready for Life Without the CBC? Pierre Poilievre Thinks So
The Conservative party leader has vowed to “defund the CBC'“ if he becomes the next prime minister. For The Walrus, Tom Jokinen looks beyond campaign slogans to explore what that means.