Learning centres, a music festival and a fashion designer
Plus listen to Sechile Sedare's new single
Hello readers, this is Emily, Cabin Radio’s assistant editor.
It’s flu season here in the NWT and I’m currently recovering from a pretty nasty bout of some kind of respiratory illness. The NWT’s wastewater dashboard indicates that viral loads of influenza and RSV have increased in Yellowknife and Fort Simpson this month.
Make sure to take care of yourselves and please stay home or consider wearing a mask if you’re sick.
In the news these week, many people in the NWT were surprised when Aurora College announced it plans to shut down all of its community learning centres across the territory by the end of June. The Union of Northern Workers has filed a grievance and said it “will use every tool available” to protect the 47 unionized positions affected. We broke down why Aurora College says it plans to close the centres and what some employees, MLAs and organizations think of the move.
Watch out for more reporting on that to come in the next few days, including the view of the NWT’s education minister, the college’s response to criticism from the Dene Nation, and a former college president’s perspective.
In lighter news, the inaugural Still Dark Festival begins in Yellowknife on Friday. It will feature more than 20 musical acts from across the NWT and elsewhere in Canada at several venues in the city’s downtown. You can check out our guide to the festival here, and watch our website on Friday morning for a preview with some of the Yellowknife acts taking part.
IN THIS NEWSLETTER
Our most important stories
Listen to Hold On
What we’re reading
Stories to catch up on
1. Could bail reform improve public safety in the NWT?
With some crime rates up, the NWT premier and RCMP are pursuing stricter bail laws to protect the public. Critics say that won't deliver the outcomes they want.
2. NWT MP wants IRCC to reverse nominee program decision
The NWT's MP says the halving of a key territorial immigration stream is the unfair outcome of a separate argument between Ottawa and southern provinces.
3. Norman Wells mayor wants five-year plan to secure town’s future
Norman Wells' mayor wants the GNWT to establish a five-year plan with local leaders in the face of climate change, resupply worries and economic uncertainty.
4. Délı̨nę Got’ı̨nę Government exploring hydro power on Great Bear River
The Délı̨nę Got'ı̨nę Government is exploring whether a hydro project on the Great Bear River could someday provide affordable power for the community.
5. This Gwich’in designer is taking her brand to a Paris fashion show
Dorathy Wright is preparing to showcase her parkas at a fashion show coming up in Paris. Her friend, Behchokǫ̀'s Mercedes Rabesca, will be one of the models.
6. Hay River resident ‘injured by vehicle being pursued by RCMP’
A Hay River resident questioned police tactics after she said her truck was struck by another vehicle being pursued by RCMP in a high-speed chase.
7. How Lance Beaulieu’s partner, Kari, remembers him
Kari VanGeffen fell in love with Lance Beaulieu aged 14 in high school. She remembers Lance, who passed away aged 41 this month, as her constant companion.
8. ‘Now I’ve got this second chance, I’m going to use every bit of it’
Aaron "Godson" Hernandez is throwing himself back into music and family life. He's in remission after almost a year "on pause" battling a rare blood cancer.
9. Lawyers make final arguments in former YK councillor’s trial
The Crown and defence each urged the jury to accept their version of events and reject the other side's evidence as Robin Williams' trial neared a conclusion.
10. YK councillors disagree over late bid for federal transportation cash
Some Yellowknife councillors are exasperated that the city isn't applying for a big federal funding pot. Others say applying makes less sense than you'd think.
Sechile Sedare release Hold On
Sechile Sedare, the musical group made up of NWT siblings Leela and Jay Gilday, released their first single this week: Hold On.
Leela said the song – dedicated to her husband Darrel Mack, a “miraculous stage-four cancer survivor of four years” – is about “digging deep despite terrifying odds.”
What we’re reading
'I did not expect to be a slave': Amnesty International report exposes abuse of migrant workers
For CBC, Aloysius Wong explores Canada’s temporary foreign worker program, which has been heavily criticized in a new report from Amnesty International.
Video spotlight: Indigenous learners delve into archaeology
The University of Alberta is highlighting a new micro-course in archaeology that it says is helping young Indigenous adults investigate and identify cultural artifacts on First Nations land.
Tom Green, Former Provocateur, Is Building Something New
I remember when Canadian-American comedian Tom Green was at the height of fame in the late nineties and early aughts. In this profile for the New York Times, Maya Salam catches up with Green on his farm in Ontario and what he’s doing now.