Mining, pipelines and a dog with a new home
Plus burger week has begun!
Hello readers, this is Emily, Cabin Radio’s assistant editor.
There have been lots of stories about the NWT’s extractive sector in the news this week.
The owners of the Ekati diamond mine withdrew an application to begin mining beneath an open pit one day before a public hearing on the matter was due to start.
Burgundy Diamond Mines also sent a strongly worded letter to NWT Premier RJ Simpson calling for more support for the mining industry amid falling diamond prices. In particular, Burgundy criticized the territory’s regulatory process – which aims to protect the environment and taxpayers from having to foot the bill for costly cleanups – as too restrictive. Simpson has said he is reviewing those concerns.
At another NWT diamond mine, Rio Tinto has offered permanent Diavik employees the option to end their contract sooner than expected in the face of “continued cost pressures.”
Meanwhile, the Sahtu Secretariat has referred Imperial Oil’s proposed project to replace pipelines in Norman Wells to environmental assessment. The company has said the project needs to happen urgently or else it may shutdown its operations in the Sahtu community.
Also in the news this week, an adorable dog found a forever home in Invuik, a longtime northerner is now a mayor in BC and a woman in Tuktoyaktuk was recognized by the governor general for her environmental work.
IN THIS NEWSLETTER
Our most important stories
Burger Week is here!
What we’re reading
Stories to catch up on
1. Inuvik dog adoption program records first happy customer
Bella became the first dog to find a new home through an adoption program launched by Town of Inuvik municipal enforcement officers.
2. Ron Barlas appeals Denesoline court ruling, seeks trial
A judge found the former CEO of Łútsël K’é Dene First Nation's business arm misappropriated millions. He’s challenging the way the court reached that ruling.
3. ‘Yellowknife will lose a lot’ from Coleen McClean’s passing at 74
Coleen McClean passed away on August 29, 2024. She is remembered for her humour, love of talking to people, and dedication to the Yellowknife Food Bank.
4 ‘Everyone should feel safe.’ Yellowknifers take back the night
Yellowknifers chanted and held signs as they marched through the city's downtown on Saturday night to reclaim the streets from gender-based violence.
5. Longtime NWT resident elected mayor of BC’s Harrison Hot Springs
A former GNWT negotiator who spent decades in Yellowknife was recently elected the new mayor of Harrison Hot Springs in southern BC.
6. Tuktoyaktuk local awarded medal for northern environmental work
Deva Lynn Pokiak received a King Charles III Coronation Medal from Governor General Mary Simon, recognizing her work fighting coastal erosion in Tuk.
7. YK trio tout houseboats as a solution to homelessness
An unhoused couple says moving onto a houseboat has brought them "peace and quiet and happiness." The owner hopes to build more.
8. Q&A: City of Yellowknife explains new bus routes
From why there is no bus route to the airport to the reason for changes to the route in Northlands, the city answered questions about upcoming transit changes.
9. Conference brings northern healthcare workers together
Healthcare practitioners from across the North gathered in Yellowknife for the second PEER North conference to discuss practising medicine in underserved areas.
10. Indigenous leaders call on Ottawa to improve procurement policy
Federal Indigenous procurement policy is allowing bad actors to thrive, some critics say, but others say the policy is a successful and "crucial" mechanism.
Yellowknife Burger Week
This year’s burger week has begun! Eat burgers, collect stamps and win prizes, all while contributing to a good cause.
Until October 5, nine participating restaurants in the city are serving up a unique menu of burgers. A portion of the proceeds from each burger sold will go to the Yellowknife Food Bank. Diners can pick up a passport at the restaurants and collect three stamps to enter a draw to win a selection of prizes.
What we’re reading
Who’s Afraid of Country Food?
For The Walrus, Laakkuluk Williamson Bathory writes about the importance of inussiutit or Inuit cultural food. “Imagine growing up with the possibility of aspiring to become not just a nurse, a doctor, or an engineer but also a hunter. Imagine, too, the day when a self-employed Inuk artist does not have to dig her heels in to make the magic of feeding a single seal to many hundreds of people at a Canadian gallery. Imagine when we have the capacity to feed our children our own food so that they all have enough to eat whenever they want to eat.”
The scary truth behind this viral video of Jagmeet Singh
In this opinion piece for the Toronto Star, Luke LeBrun writes about public officials across Canada facing an increasing number of “volatile confrontations.” “In our democracy, the public has a right to question elected politicians. In fact, the public has a democratic duty to hold them accountable. But this group is confusing public accountability with personal abuse.”