The Week's News: Early melt, early departure
Plus an FM licence update
Hello. It’s Ollie. I already have the wildfire maps up on a screen in this office. Isn’t that depressing?
Sending strength to those people in northern Alberta who’ve already faced evacuation orders and other alerts this past week.
So far, the NWT is quiet on the wildfire front – but I know it’s right at the front of many people’s minds.
We just released a podcast in which experts talk about how the burn areas from wildfires are changing. In the past, you could count on 20 or 30 years’ protection from a burn area once a fire rolled through, and you just can’t do that any more. But there are more profound landscape changes coming from that same process, too.
Listen to the show here. We’ll have a written version on our website soon.
Meanwhile, the big news this week was less fire, more ice: the early melt on Yellowknife Bay and vehicles sinking. The city manager quitting after two weeks caught a lot of people’s attention, too. Here’s our recap of the week’s top stories.
IN THIS NEWSLETTER:
Our most important stories
FM licence update
Stories to catch up on
Yellowknife Bay melt ‘definitely feels two to three weeks early’
Multiple vehicles have gone through the ice near Yellowknife Bay's Mosher Island. Diver Jeremy MacDonald says people need to know the spring melt is here early.
Yellowknife’s city manager resigns after two weeks
Yellowknife's new city manager has resigned after two weeks in the role. City Hall said John Collin will work till May 13 then leave "for personal reasons."
Conservatives may rule Schumann out of NWT race
Former NWT minister Wally Schumann may be excluded from the run-off to decide the territory's next Conservative candidate, party members say.
Gamètì ‘almost begging for support’ from RCMP over drug dealers
"Community safety is on the back burner." Leaders say they know how drug dealers are exploiting Gamètì's isolation and they want a full-time police presence.
Inside Yellowknife Airport’s control tower
From wildfire water bombers to strange lights in the sky, Yellowknife's air traffic controllers deal with a wide range of things. We spent some time with them.
Man’s 2017 Hay River murder sentence reduced to manslaughter
James George Thomas, found guilty in 2021 of robbing and murdering a man near Hay River four years prior, had his conviction reduced to manslaughter on appeal.
Blood cancer services for many patients move from NWT to Alberta
Most blood cancer patients in the NWT will have to travel to Alberta for treatment from the start of May, the territory's health authority said.
Yellowknife’s old hospital reopens soon. Here’s what’s moving.
At the end of May, various Yellowknife health services will move into the city's old hospital – now called the Łıwegǫ̀atì Building. Get the list of changes.
Parks Canada loses Thaıdene Nëné lodge reconciliation case
Parks Canada unreasonably denied the business licence application of a lodge in Thaıdene Nëné, a judge ruled, in a case where reconciliation was a key factor.
New North Arm campground opens May 15 with 15 powered sites
There's a new camping spot on Highway 3. The North Arm Territorial Park's campground, just south of Behchokǫ̀, opens for the first time on May 15.
Work begins on new Canadian Rangers, JTFN facility in Yellowknife
Federal ministers broke ground on a new Canadian Rangers headquarters being built in Yellowknife's Engle Business District with $136 million in funding.
What’s going to be different in Hay River this summer?
At a public meeting, officials set out how Hay River is preparing for flood and fire season – and what the town wants residents to do. Here are some notes.
Top Knight stage dilemma leaves Yellowknife performers in limbo
Yellowknife burlesque show organizers built a sturdy stage for a pub – a stage other groups can use. Now, the futures of the stage and the show are in question.
Store dedicated to NWT food opening in downtown Yellowknife
A store selling food made, grown or processed in the Northwest Territories is about to open in downtown Yellowknife.
Acho Dene Koe First Nation sues resource company for $1M-plus
The Acho Dene Koe First Nation says Paramount Resources owes years of missed payments. Paramount, meanwhile, is in trouble over cleanup work west of Fort Liard.
Is it getting any easier to rely on a bike in Yellowknife?
Cyclists will briefly take over Yellowknife's main street on Monday as they advocate for better infrastructure. What's cycling here like right now?
We asked Vince McKay what the GNWT’s doing to better handle crises
Minister Vince McKay's department runs emergency management in the NWT. Read our interview with him about how GNWT crisis response might be better in future.
Gwich’in look to new national park for ‘land-based economy’
The Gwich'in Tribal Council is among groups exploring the feasibility of establishing a new national park in the Peel Watershed.
NWT issues first breakup report of 2024 spring season
Even as many residents have one eye on wildfires, the GNWT began issuing spring breakup reports to keep communities updated about flood risk.
Man shot in early hours of Sunday, Yellowknife RCMP say
Police in Yellowknife say a man was shot on the city's 52 Street early on Sunday morning. RCMP are asking residents for video from the area of Bison Estates.
Taltson delays mean South Slave will have spent a year on diesel
South Slave communities are still chugging along on diesel because work to refurbish a hydro dam has taken the NWT Power Corporation twice the time it expected.
NWT hires specialists to target ‘person-caused’ wildfires
It's rarely arson. But it's sometimes stupid. The GNWT is hiring people to help residents learn enough to avoid inadvertently starting wildfires.
FM licence update
It’s that time of year when the ice melts, the flowers bloom and a young internet radio station’s hearts and minds turn to getting an FM licence. Hope springs eternal.
The latest: the CRTC has agreed to look again at Cabin Radio’s bid to get on the FM dial in Yellowknife. What does that mean? Here’s a quick guide.
May 13 is a big day
That’s the deadline for the CRTC to receive applications for a Yellowknife FM licence.
The CRTC is addressing the issue by inviting Cabin Radio to re-apply and also asking anyone else who might want a Yellowknife FM licence to apply at the same time.
If you or your business get an email from a radio company asking you for a letter of support, this will be why. In the past, other big radio companies have applied at the same time as Cabin Radio. They all have to meet the same May 13 deadline.
What happens after May 13?
That part isn’t yet clear. Here’s what we know so far:
The CRTC has said it will “announce, at a later date, the public proceeding to consider applications.”
As part of that process, the CRTC added in this notice, “the public will be given the opportunity to comment on any application by submitting written interventions.”
Thanks to our lovely audience, we already have hundreds of letters of support in our application package – we think those make some important points. When the CRTC opens the public comment portion, we’ll be coming back to you for more.
Watch this space or, better yet, watch our dedicated website for our FM licence campaign. We’ll post updates there.