Budgets, birds and bands
Plus what we're reading
Hello readers, this is Emily, Cabin Radio’s assistant editor.
Happy December!
In Yellowknife, city councillors are poring over the draft 2025 budget and we’ve been dutifully covering deliberations. You can read about night one, night two and night three. Councillors will conclude deliberations on Thursday night and are set to approve a final budget on December 9.
In Norman Wells, where residents are facing soaring fuel costs, the Délı̨nę Got’ı̨nę Government has offered payments to beneficiaries to help.
In territorial news, the NWT government announced it will provide $48 million over four years to the NWT Power Corporation to soften expected energy rate hikes.
Meanwhile, people across the North are preparing for the holidays and future fun winter events. You can find our list of holiday markets and events here.
The scouts are now selling Christmas trees in Yellowknife following a slight delay and the Northern Arts and Cultural Centre has been celebrating its 40th anniversary with shows across the territory.
The Snowkings’ Winter Festival has announced its 2025 international snow carving symposium will have a medieval theme, musical acts from across Canada are preparing for Yellowknife’s upcoming inaugural Still Dark Festival, and a new Arctic comedy filmed in Iqaluit will launch early in the new year.
IN THIS NEWSLETTER
Our most important stories
Mornings at the Cabin: Wrapped
What we’re reading
Stories to catch up on
1. Inflation and barge crisis push Sahtu to look at more food banks
Sahtu leaders are meeting with food bank experts and Nutrition North to look at new ways of getting affordable food into the region. We joined their discussion.
2. Unusual Arctic sightings of seabird that ‘shouldn’t be there’
Multiple Arctic communities have reported odd sightings of short-tailed shearwaters. Experts say the birds are in the wrong hemisphere for this time of year.
3. How the GNWT’s workforce is changing in nine charts: 2024 edition
The NWT government costs $200 million more in pay and benefits than it did five years ago. Its workforce grew by 22% in that time. Here's how things changed.
4. How a GNWT funding policy change might affect residents’ water bills
Some NWT communities fear upcoming changes to a territorial funding policy could leave many residents paying much, much more for water.
5. Owner of Fort Smith’s only full-time salon plots a new future
Natalie Melnyk's Fort Smith salon will close for a time so she can "reset and come back better." Another stylist said more people should consider the industry.
6. Environmental assessment of Imperial in Norman Wells will go ahead
An environmental assessment of Imperial Oil's Norman Wells operations, which an Indigenous body had requested but Imperial had sought to avoid, will proceed.
7. Acho Dene Koe First Nation looks to merge with Fort Liard’s hamlet
The Acho Dene Koe First Nation is exploring the idea of merging with the municipality of Fort Liard to form a single local government.
8. Naka Power calls for simplification of NWT’s power rate system
Naka Power called for the NWT to streamline its electricity system from seven rate zones to two – and told MLAs some bigger changes could be contemplated.
9. St Joe’s renames gymnasium for the late Eugène Roach
A Yellowknife school renamed its gymnasium in honour of a former teacher, Eugène Roach, who passed away at the age of 45 in 2022.
10. Aurora College nursing students share their research
From the cultural safety of virtual care to the use of traditional healing in harm reduction, NWT nursing students presented research this week in Yellowknife.
Mornings at the Cabin: Wrapped
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What we’re reading
How an Astrophysicist Became the Most Accurate Political Forecaster in Canada
For The Walrus, Carmine Starnino interviews Phillipe J Fournier, the creator of 338Canada, who has correctly called 90% of elections across Canada.
The Indigenous Economy Is About to Take Off
For Maclean’s, Carol Anne Hilton, CEO and founder of Indigenomics Institute, writes about the Indigenous economy in Canada.
'There is no trust': Indigenous leaders tell Feds to take action on contamination
For the National Observer, Natasha Bulowski writes about Indigenous leaders demanding federal action after Transport Canada failed to inform them about water and soil contamination at a community dock in Fort Chipewyan, Alberta.