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Ollie here. Emily has your round-up below, but first: I need your help.
The CRTC is the federal regulator in charge of handing out FM licences.
On February 11, 2025, the CRTC will hold a public hearing at The Explorer Hotel to assess one FM application from Cabin Radio alongside an application for a second Yellowknife FM licence from Vista Radio, which operates True North FM.
The CRTC will have a choice: does it give a licence to Cabin Radio, a second licence to Vista Radio, or simply choose not to award any new licence and leave Yellowknife with True North FM as its only commercial FM station?
We believe Cabin Radio fills a large gap in the market: we’re locally owned, our money stays in the North, and we’re dedicated solely to the Northwest Territories, the musicians and performers who live here, and the residents who rely on us for news.
But the thing is: of course we’d say that. It makes so much more difference if residents of Yellowknife tell the CRTC what they think of Cabin Radio.
That’s why, if you’d like Cabin Radio on your FM dial, we need you to send the CRTC one last message of support. Even if you’ve sent in letters before (and trust us, we passed all of those on).
To do that, follow this link. We’ve provided a link to the CRTC’s form and a guide to how it works.
It may take 20 to 30 minutes, which we recognize is a lot. It might take you less. Either way, the time you invest in us now is time we promise to invest back in our community on the air. We’re grateful for your support.
Now, over to Emily with our top stories this week.
Hello readers, this is Emily, Cabin Radio’s assistant editor.
Happy October!
The trees are beginning to turn colour, the weather is getting chillier, and the Cabin Radio office is decorated for Halloween. And as ever, we are busy with plenty of northern news.
In an unusual story this week, the NWT Department of Environment and Climate Change reported a tourist was bitten by a lone grey wolf while viewing the northern lights outside Yellowknife. We spoke with the tour operator, who said the wolf encounter was like nothing he’s ever experienced during his 11 years offering tours.
This is the second wolf bite reported in the past month. In September, a resident said they were bitten while walking their dog on the Ranney Hill Trail. While wildlife officers subsequently killed a female wolf in the area, they have been unable to confirm whether it was the same animal that attacked the resident.
In other news, Délı̨nę and its place in history as the birthplace of hockey were recently featured in a heartwarming Quaker Oats commercial, while the kitchen in the community’s arena got a makeover.
And a whole whack of NWT politicians and Indigenous leaders travelled to Ottawa to promote northern priorities. It’s the first time the NWT Council of Leaders – made up of representatives from the territorial and various Indigenous governments – has travelled together to Canada’s capital with a united message. (Our article on the trip got a shoutout in Politico.)
IN THIS NEWSLETTER
Our most important stories
Some real good spellers
What we’re reading
Stories to catch up on
1. ‘We’re aware of it, we’re on it,’ Ekati says of benzene issue
An Ekati mine executive outlined steps being taken to protect workers over a benzene concern at the site – and addressed some of the mine's recent statements.
2. Jurors issue 11 recommendations in Tuk inquest
On the final day of an inquest into the in-custody death of Sylvia Panaktalok in Tuktoyaktuk, jurors issued 11 recommendations to prevent future similar deaths.
3. Fort Liard actor landed Netflix Avatar role after six auditions
Stevie Nande hopes his appearance on Netflix's Avatar can serve as inspiration for younger people in his hometown, Fort Liard.
4. Aklavik-born pilot, 89, receives award for book on aviation career
Fred Carmichael, an 89-year-old NWT resident, received an Indigenous literature award for a picture book that tells the story of his six decades in aviation.
5. The future of the IRC’s child and family services plan
The IRC will focus on preventing children from being taken into care as it takes control of child and family services for its members.
6. GNWT releases $1.8M rescue package for Sahtu, Beau Del businesses
"We are all in this together." The Town of Norman Wells issued a message to residents as it reported gas prices nearing $5 a litre amid other economic woes.
7. Exhibition brings art, tools and clothes back to Fort McPherson
A couple living in Fort McPherson in the 1970s had a range of items made locally at the time – and have now given them back, to become an exhibition.
8. ‘You’re not going to take my language away’
In the NWT's Dehcho region, people are pouring their lives into restoring Dene Zhatıe – a language once taken from many of them by residential school.
9. ‘Lots of red tape’ for duo planning Behchokǫ̀ highway gas station
Two people hoping to build a gas station at a "prime location" next to the highway outside Behchokǫ̀ say it's been a lengthy process.
10. Beau Del residents told some dental work this year carried a risk
People who received dental care at five facilities in the Beaufort Delta earlier this year could be at risk of infection exposure, the GNWT said.
Feudalism, lozenge, zucchini and epiglottis
We’re well into our first adult spelling bee and you can watch the daily contest!
Thirty contenders have signed up to show off their spelling skills and try to reach the live final. You can listen to competitors face off daily on Mornings at the Cabin or check out highlights on the show’s Instagram page.
The final will take place at the Top Knight in Yellowknife on October 26, with proceeds from the event going to the NWT Literacy Council.
What we’re reading
Under the white gaze
I recently finished this excellent and thought-provoking book by Christopher Cheung, a talented Vancouver-based journalist who I was privileged to once call a classmate. For both journalists and news consumers, it offers research, insight and solutions on race and representation in Canadian journalism.
Researchers find cannibalized victim of 19th-century Arctic voyage
More than 170 years later, much about the failed Franklin expedition is still shrouded in mystery. For the New York Times, Alexander Nazaryan writes about the latest research discovery.
The City That Loves Its Housing Crisis
For Jacobin, Alex Hemingway argues that a ban on apartments in single-family areas is exacerbating Vancouver’s housing crisis and climate pollution. He urges other cities not to follow suit.
'Not much has changed': Indigenous physicians reflect on healthcare in Canada
Anti-Indigenous racism in Canada's healthcare system has been well documented and the Canadian Medical Association recently delivered a historic apology to Indigenous people. For The Canadian Press, Hannah Alberga spoke with Indigenous physicians about the apology and what needs to change.