Aurora, garba and a state of emergency
Plus NWT MLAs return to the legislature
Hello readers, this is Emily, Cabin Radio’s assistant editor.
This week, we’re talking about the weather.
Northerners – and people across the globe – were blessed with beautiful aurora displays last Thursday. (I have serious FOMO that I didn’t end up seeing them.)
Meanwhile, fog in Yellowknife affected flights and disrupted some residents’ travel plans.
In other news, NWT MLAs returned to the Legislative Assembly in Yellowknife on Thursday for their fall sitting.
One of the items on their agenda will be a new report from the NWT’s integrity commissioner. It recommends sanctioning and fining Tu Nedhé-Wiilideh MLA Richard Edjericon for a campaign to remove the nurse-in-charge at Fort Resolution’s health centre. Edjericon says he accepts the report’s findings about his actions.
MLAs will also likely discuss a recent call from Norman Wells to declare a state of emergency related to skyrocketing fuel prices in the community in order to unlock federal financial support.
Meanwhile, three striking workers from the Fort Simpson Housing Authority held a protest outside the legislature building.
And lastly, a note from Ollie: There are just a few days left to send the CRTC your comment about Cabin Radio’s bid for an FM licence. Hundreds of you have already done so and we want every voice we can get to show the CRTC that this matters to residents of Yellowknife and the NWT.
If you haven’t yet filled out the form, please take some time to do so before 6pm MT on Monday, October 21. Thanks to everyone for the support!
IN THIS NEWSLETTER
Our most important stories
What we’re reading
Stories to catch up on
1. Should the NWT have a new body to oversee its police?
A recent inquest revealed details about how NWT RCMP are investigated when things appear to have gone wrong. Some experts say the process could be improved.
2. Canada Energy Regulator to give Imperial ‘interim extension’
Regulators could let Imperial Oil keep running its Norman Wells facility through an environmental assessment, which may address a key concern the company had.
3. Yellowknife ‘should expect 1,000 new households in next decade’
What's the housing picture in Yellowknife and what will the city need in the years ahead? A new study tries to answer that. Here are the key findings.
4. China has looked to build in northern communities, premier says
China has made offers to build infrastructure in northern communities as a "foot in the door," the NWT's premier said, raising a concern over foreign influence.
5. Tuk mayor wants action after call for emergency medical service
"We're still sitting here." People keep recommending an ambulance service be created in Tuktoyaktuk, but the mayor sees no sign of it actually happening.
6. A city councillor wants four months’ unpaid leave. Is that OK?
Yellowknife's city council is mulling an unusual request: one member wants four months' unpaid leave after a "pretty challenging" year. Should they get it?
7. What harm reduction programs does the NWT offer?
At a legislature briefing, GNWT staff set out how they are working to expand harm reduction services as part of their response to the territory's drug crisis.
8. Program rooted in Gwich’in chef’s cuisine earns awards
"Our food, our stories should be showcased." Gwich'in chef Steph Baryluk's work on Rooted, a dining program at Simon Fraser University, is winning awards.
9. In pictures: Yellowknife’s 2024 garba celebration
"Now it is so huge. I am so grateful." A celebration of a Hindu festival in Yellowknife proved far more popular than some organizers initially imagined.
10. Local, free produce at Sambaa K’e garden promotes food security
"On your own, quiet, hands in the dirt is already such a benefit." From mental health to climate, Sambaa K'e residents say their expanding garden is paying off.
What we’re reading
The fight for life downstream of Alberta’s tailings ponds — full of arsenic, mercury and lead
In this stunning photo essay for The Narwhal, Amber Bracken documents residents of Fort Chipewyan and their concerns living downstream from Alberta’s oil sands.
Self-identifying Indigenous group got $74M in federal cash, Inuit leader wants change
Alessia Passafiume and Sarah Smellie from the Canadian Press explore ITK president Natan Obed’s concerns after the federal government gave millions to a Labrador group whose claims of Inuit identity have been disputed.
Air India flight leaves Iqaluit after Canadian military steps in
Passengers on an Air India flight headed to Chicago made an unexpected stop in Iqaluit due to an online bomb threat. CBC’s Samuel Wat spoke with some of the passengers.