Ramadan, hand games and a proposal
Plus meet a Canadian Space Agency astronaut
Hello readers, this is Emily, Cabin Radio’s assistant editor.
The month of March is sure flying by fast.
In one of his first moves as prime minister, Mark Carney has scrapped the consumer carbon tax with the NWT government following suit. He has also pledged spending to expand Canada’s military presence in the Arctic. Later this week, Carney is expected to call a snap federal election for as soon as April 28.
In territorial politics, an MLA has drafted a bill that would give nurses in the NWT their own bargaining unit. The Public Service Alliance of Canada says it is not opposed to the idea but has some concerns with the proposed legislation.
There was lots of exciting sports news in the territory this week. Yellowknife speed skater Josh Boudreau brought home three medals from the Special Olympics World Winter Games while Hay River biathlete Kason Coombs won double gold at the Canadian and North American Championships.
IN THIS NEWSLETTER
Our best stories
Meet Jeremy Hansen
What we’re reading
Stories to catch up on
1. Joe Handley to step down as chair of Aurora College board
Joe Handley says he is stepping down as chair of Aurora College's board of governors as he and the NWT's education minister are "on different tracks."
2. The NWT’s budget has new housing cash. What will it buy?
Budget negotiations resulted in a new NWT housing commitment worth tens of millions of dollars a year. This is what we know about how the money will be spent.
3. Watch: ‘I lost my voice on the first two games. It was worth it.’
"It's more electrifying, more intense." Meet some of the competitors at the huge Ediwa Weyallon hand games tournament in Behchokǫ̀.
4. Dene leaders will gather to discuss drugs and justice
Dene National Chief George Mackenzie called for discussion of the "ability to screen persons at our borders" as leaders look for solutions to the drug crisis.
5. How – and where – Yellowknife is celebrating Ramadan this year
"We are lucky we got this small place." With the building of a mosque pushed back, Yellowknife's Islamic community relies on various venues for Ramadan prayers.
6. What new legislation means for NWT engineers, geoscientists
"The amount of work far exceeds the capacity here." Fresh legislation is designed to plug gaps and make the NWT more attractive to engineers and geoscientists.
7. ‘YK businesses are going to have a hard time providing services’
The Yellowknife Chamber of Commerce says federally imposed cuts to a key NWT immigration stream are creating a "severe labour crisis" in the city. Here's why.
8. Watch: Drum Dance at the Snowcastle
Head inside Yellowknife's Snowcastle for a drum dance celebrating the end of a programming season at the Tree of Peace Friendship Centre.
9. A one-of-a-kind proposal in Yellowknife
A rough diamond, aurora borealis and a former Bachelorette contestant. Here's how a Winnipeg man pulled off a dream proposal in Yellowknife.
10. In pictures: Wood Buffalo Frolics takes over Fort Smith
A four-day Fort Smith festival brought in hockey teams from across the territory, food from across the globe and local youth talent. Take a look.
Jeremy Hansen visits Yellowknife
Youth in Yellowknife, Dettah, Ndılǫ and Łútsël K’é recently had the opportunity to meet a real life astronaut.
Jeremy Hansen is set to become the first Canadian astronaut to take part in a lunar mission. He is one of four crew members on the Artemis II mission scheduled to orbit the Moon in 2026.
Jasmine Nasogaluak and I spoke with him following a public presentation at the Prince of Wales Northern Heritage Centre.
What we’re reading
Brandi Morin: On anniversary of my arrest, I’ve emerged as a warrior armed with words
For Ricochet Media, journalist Brandi Morin reflects on her arrest while reporting on a police raid of a homeless encampment in Edmonton last year. “Every lens turned away, every notebook closed, every journalist silenced means critical incidents go undocumented, patterns of violence remain hidden, and families are left without witnesses to their truth.”
I’m the Canadian who was detained by Ice for two weeks. It felt like I had been kidnapped
When Jasmine Mooney went to an immigration office at the San Diego border to apply for a US work visa, she never expected she would be detained in Ice facilities for two weeks. For The Guardian she wrote about the ordeal. “This is not just my story. It is the story of thousands and thousands of people still trapped in a system that profits from their suffering. I am writing in the hope that someone out there – someone with the power to change any of this – can help do something.”
Local news coverage in Canada in steep decline, inviting misinformation: report
The Canadian Press’s Rosa Saba writes about a new report from the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives about the significant decline in local news outlets in Canada and how disinformation has filled the gap.