Whitehorse Daily Star

November 6, 2009

• Grizzly bears: just how big is big? There is a scientific difference of opinions on what is a brown bear and what is a grizzly.
• Two tales of the First World War "What would happen, I wonder, if the armies suddenly and simultaneously went on strike and said some other method must be found of settling the dispute.” – Winston Churchill, letter to his wife, Nov. 23, 1914.
• Dawson celebrates 110 years of libraries DAWSON CITY – As the territory's libraries celebrated 50 years of library services last week, the Dawson Community Library savoured a heritage that goes back quite a bit further than that.
• Festival has its roots in a young woman's death The Blue Feather Music Festival is nine years old this year, and is steadily gaining acceptance as the fall music festival of the Yukon.
• EAGER TORCH GREETERS Robert Service School during the Olympic Torch's venture
• THE BIG MOMENT Kevin Mendelsohn lights the cauldron
• FRIENDLY FIDDLING Fiddling Willie Gordon
• Council to vote on downtown road closure Whitehorse residents could get to have their say on a proposed street closure downtown before the year is done.
• Rendezvous renames popular dog races The races will be the same, but the name has changed.
• It's time to get serious about winter driving, police warn The snow is here to stay, and Whitehorse RCMP are reminding drivers to put proper winter tires on their vehicles.
• WCB rates drop, but chamber not pacified The Yukon's workers' compensation board announced Thursday it has reduced rates overall for employers in the coming year, but the Whitehorse Chamber of Commerce says rates have to drop even farther before they are fair to Yukon business owners.
• Why are voters tuning out civic lawmakers? Very little individual campaigning and fewer polling stations than in previous years are contributing factors to the worst voter turnout in the city's history for the Oct. 15 municipal election, say some successful candidates.
• George Black coaxed to its winter home DAWSON CITY – The last passengers on the George Black ferry were the crew of six who rode the boat from the ice-encrusted Yukon River to its winter berth up on the level of the dike.
• Fentie called ‘hijacker' after ending debate The Yukon Liberals have been sent back to the drawing board after tabling a bill aimed at preventing the sale of public energy assets.
• TORCH TOURS REMOTE VILLAGE Torchbearer Allan Benjamin carries the Olympic Flame
• RBC makes grant to the territory's hospital foundation RBC, through its charitable foundation, has made a $10,000 donation to the Yukon Hospital Foundation, supporting the Aboriginal Health Program. The announcement was made at Tuesday's Olympic Torch celebration at Shipyards Park.
• Loading dock fire put out, but is deemed suspicious A fire that burned the exterior of a loading dock at the Qwanlin Mall Thursday night has been ruled suspicious, says fire chief Clive Sparks.
• Stockdale plans motion on pressing for climate change City councillor Dave Stockdale is hopeful the voice of Whitehorse will be added to the chorus of Canadians calling on the federal government to take stronger action on the environmental front.
• Fentie ‘got off on a technicality': Mitchell The premier will not face a legislative trial by MLA peers on whether he deliberately misled the legislature last spring, according to a ruling delivered by house Speaker Ted Staffen.
• Bagnell leading new poll, but Greens making headway Poised to mark his 10th year next year as the territory's MP, Larry Bagnell continues to enjoy a huge lead in public support, according to a recent poll.
• Police still probing skull discovery Whitehorse RCMP have released more details about the the human remains found near Long Lake last month, but have still not identified the deceased person.
• Almost 14,000 Yukoners have been vaccinated Close to two weeks after the territorial government started doling out the H1N1 shot, 13,851 Yukoners have been vaccinated.
• Bylaw officer focuses on safety on the trails For Daniel Stach, hitting the trails around town by ATV or snowmachine is all in a day's work – that and a whole lot more.
• Phelps proposes new kid on the political block Former Progressive Conservative government leader Willard Phelps is coming out of political retirement and touting a new political alternative to the Yukon Party, Liberal and New Democratic parties.

November 5, 2009

• Inmates giving back to their community Low-risk inmates at the Whitehorse Correctional Centre are learning new skills that are bringing direct benefits to the community.
• The spirit of the flame visits Dawson DAWSON CITY – "I almost cried when I saw Kevin (Mendelsohn) coming up the street with the torch,” Jody Beaumont of Cirque Consulting and Communications and the local Olympic Torch relay organizer, said Wednesday.
• Yukon Energy reaches milestone Yukon Energy has attained its Certificate of Recognition (COR) for workplace safety.
• Social workers to gather at college The Association of Social Workers in Northern Canada and the Yukon College Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) Program will host a day of presentations and the association's annual general assembly on Friday and Saturday at the college.
• Flame delights throngs in two communities DAWSON CITY, OLD CROW – The shrill sound of a hundred whistles blowing in unison filled the air from excited young students in front of Robert Service School in Dawson City on Wednesday as they awaited the Olympic Torch's arrival.
• Yukoners to be consulted on MLAs' work After serving three terms in the legislature, Todd Hardy is finally getting the movement he wants on legislative reform.
• White Peace Dove campaign is meant to complement poppies As Remembrance Day draws near, Laird Herbert is hoping Yukoners and others throughout the country will be thinking of peace.
• Free vote influenced result, MP believes It didn't come as a shock to Yukon MP Larry Bagnell that second reading of a bill to abolish the long-gun registry passed in the House of Commons onWednesday.

November 4, 2009

• Matching a meal to a sturdy beer The Pilsen Urquell has been the first lager produced at the time of the discovery of bottom fermentation during the 19th century.
• Halloween proved a quiet one, police say The Whitehorse RCMP reported it was a safe and orderly Halloween in the capital last weekend.
• Dashing Through The Snow Olympic Torch bearer Dave Laxton
• Kenyon faces demand to retract comments DAWSON CITY – Greg Hakonson is furious with Economic Development Minister Jim Kenyon, and wants the world to know it.
• MLA proposes language commission Darius Elias, the Liberal MLA for Vuntut Gwitchin,
• Act extended to corporations, agencies Amendments to the Yukon's Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act
• Liberal bill would govern sale of assets As promised last June when the ATCO-Yukon Energy controversy hits the fan,
• Prestigious Performance The Whitehorse Community Choir performs at the Olympic Torch Relay finale in Shipyards Park
• Olympic Pic All Pic
• Yukon Energy investigating power outage The cause of this morning's systemwide power blackout is still under investigation,
• Territory takes starring role in German zoo The replacement of aging and archaic animal enclosures in a German zoo is turning out to be a windfall for the Yukon's tourism sector,
• Premier apologizes for ‘communication' failure Since the Yukon legislative assembly reconvened last Thursday for its fall sitting,