Whitehorse Daily Star

December 3, 2009

• Architectural design teams named for two new hospitals Two Vancouver firms have been awarded the design contracts for the territory's two newest hospitals.
• Justice body has new name, co-ordinator DAWSON CITY – There have been a few changes at the Dawson City Community Group Conferencing office over the last several months.
• Annual Tradition Tradition A Success Wednesday's annual Blue Feather (now Angels Nest) Christmas dinner welcomed 27 people this year.
• Drivers' use of phones may trigger new laws Laws prohibiting the use of cell phones and other hand-held electronic devices while driving could be coming to the Yukon, but not before a round of public consultations, MLAs decided Wednesday.
• Students' Show Premieres Tonight Music Art and Drama program students are presenting Jungle Winter at the Wood Street Centre at at 7:30 tonight and Friday night.
• Petition seeks union of compensation boards A petition released this week urges the Yukon's workers' compensation board to look at merging with another jurisdiction to make the territory more attractive to new and existing businesses.
• Law students receive eight scholarships The Yukon Law Foundation is providing $12,800 to eight students for the 2009-10 academic year.
• Peel plan's future is open-ended There are no time lines governing what happens now with the recommended land use management plan for the Peel watershed.
• Dawson employees join the YEU City of Dawson employees will soon find themselves negotiating their first collective agreement after officially unionizing under the Yukon Employees Union,
• Wilderness protection lobby wins Peel debate The Peel Watershed Planning Commission is recommending maximum protection for 80 per cent of the watershed.

December 2, 2009

• Alberta wines are worthy of more recognition The enSanté Organic Winery in Brosseau, Alta., produces some orchard wines that deserve far more acceptance and recognition by the public!
• The Freedom Tour to premiere tomorrow In honour of Disability Awareness Week in the Yukon and the United Nations' International Day for Persons with Disabilities,
• Seniors fill up the ODD Gallery What began as the seniors' art class in the Oddfellows' Hall a few years ago has evolved into a Saturday artists' drop-in,
• Lights of Life's opening ceremony set for Dec. 17 Hospice Yukon's 19th annual Lights of Life will begin at 12:15 p.m. Dec. 17 with the opening ceremony at the Elijah Smith Building.
• Labour, business figures support credit union revival A local labour leader and the Whitehorse Chamber of Commerce president are supporting New Democratic Party MLA Todd Hardy's call to re-establish a credit union in the Yukon.
• Preparing The Parade Props Tessa Park (left) and Alissa Anderson, from Takhini Elementary School,
• Dawson heritage plan receives national award One of the last actions of the 2006-2009 Dawson City council on Oct. 6 was to give third reading to a cluster of bylaws which enacted the provisions of the new Zoning and Heritage Management Plan.
• Seasonal Sounds he All City Band performs during the Celebration of Music at the Yukon government main administration building Tuesday.
• Housing called essential to combat poverty Tony Martin, the NDP MP for Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., has spent close to two years pushing for a national poverty plan, but the time it's taking isn't deterring him.
• Correction The caption under a photograph in Tuesday's Star incorrectly identified two employees of Yukon Energy.
• Woman appeals murder conviction The woman found guilty of the beating and drowning death of Evangeline Billy is appealing her conviction.
• Homelessness very visible here, captains find Five months into their posting in Whitehorse, the Salvation Army's new captains are undertaking their most intensive fund-raising effort of the year:
• Mines chamber denounces teachers' stance The Yukon Teachers' Association is calling for widespread wilderness protection for the Peel River watershed.

December 1, 2009

• Mineral exploration guide being created A new guide on mineral exploration could serve as a "one-stop shop” for the regulations and how to best go about doing exploration work in the territory, city council and staff were informed last Friday afternoon.
• Dying For Climate Change Leadership Local climate change activist Malkolm Boothroyd (foreground) organized a die-in at the Elijah Smith Building
• Clarification Monday's edition reported a question period exchange last week between Economic Development Minister Jim Kenyon and NDP MLA Steve Cardiff
• MP welcomes personal apology from minister Central Nova MP Peter MacKay offered a personal apology to Yukon MP Larry Bagnell
• Yukoner Met Royal Couple Ranger David Illituk presented The Prince of Wales, Prince Charles, with the traditional Ranger uniform
• System operators provide first line of defence The number four turbine at the Whitehorse Rapids Dam was shut down Monday morning because of a problem with its governor, causing brief power outages in Porter Creek and Riverdale.
• Territory to host finance ministers Premier Dennis Fentie hopes to renew a multimillion-dollar deal with the federal government to top up funding for the Yukon's health budget when Canada's provincial,
• Groups call for national anti-poverty policy Local organizations leading the crusade to eliminate poverty are calling on the federal government to come up with national anti-poverty and housing strategies.