Whitehorse Daily Star

October 13, 2009

• Staking ban was popular refrain at forum If a show of hands at last Thursday afternoon's all-candidates' forum is any indication, the new slate of city councillors will be lobbying the territorial government to protect the Mount McIntyre ski trails from mineral staking – regardless of who gets elected.
• Jobless rate remained stable Steady as she goes appear watchwords for employment prospects in the Yukon – the territory's unemployment rate inching downwards to 6.3 per cent in August, where it held firm in September.
• BIRD'S EYE VIEW This rare bird, believed to be a Eurasian collared dove
• Art and recovery is the theme for special week Four art forms are helping to celebrate Yukon Mental Illness Awareness Week, which began last Tuesday and runs until Friday.
• Children escape serious injury in collision Airbags and seat belts proved their worth this morning in a deadly-looking collision on the Alaska Highway in Whitehorse.
• Jury being selected for murder trial Nearly 16 months after Evangeline Billy's body was found on the banks of the Yukon River in downtown Whitehorse, the details of the events surrounding her death will be made public.
• Mayoral candidates pleased with campaigns Two days before the civic election, incumbent Bev Buckway and her only opponent, Al Fedoriak, are reaching the end of their individual campaigns to serve as mayor of the territory's capital into 2012.
• Injured teenager is medevaced to Vancouver One Whitehorse teenager was medevaced to Vancouver and another taken into custody last Saturday following a stabbing in Riverdale.
• Man faces second-degree murder charge Whitehorse RCMP have charged a man with second-degree murder following a death last Friday.

October 9, 2009

• Writing about the Barron unleashes the tears Ed. note: the first part of this two-part columnwas published last Friday. It's about the writer's memories of his prized dog, the Barron.
• Mrs. McNabb gets her own mystery "A partially open door always has a question in it.”
• Documentary opens a window on a special culture The Gwitch'in peoples have long been the human presence in the North.
• Local stories will inspire new play As part of Nakai Theatre's focus on script and artist development in the 2009/2010 season, playwright, actor and dancer Tanya Marquardt has been commissioned to write a play gleaned from Whitehorse stories.
• Seasonal sun transit may disrupt satellite services Northern telecommunications users served by satellite may be experiencing brief service disruptions this month, caused by sun transit.
• Turn former store into social centre: Stockdale Candidates running for a spot on Whitehorse's city council offered wide-ranging opinions on and solutions to an equally diverse number of issues raised by voters at an all-candidates' forum Thursday.
• Mistake led to power failure An error made while conducting routine maintenance at the Whitehorse Rapids Dam killed power to Riverdale briefly Wednesday afternoon.
• Governments pour money into trails The snowmobile trail system and parts of the Trans Canada Trail will be upgraded, thanks to $40,000 in joint funding from the Yukon and federal governments.
• RCMP greet arriving passenger by seizing thousands of dollars Whitehorse RCMP seized $8,450 at the Whitehorse airport this morning from a known associate of the five men arrested recently in an undercover drug sting.
• Some people have already voted It's not up by much, but it's up.
• Politicos recount their week of couch surfing The brutal realities of being homeless were experienced in several shades this week by a handful of notable Whitehorse faces, including Mayor Bev Buckway, Yukon NDP Leader Liz Hanson and federal Green Party candidate John Streicker.
• Swizdaryk: it's time to give back to the community After building a successful business over the last quarter-century, Ron Swizdaryk, a long-time Whitehorse resident, says it's time to give back to the community.
• Stockdale: still interested, 26 years later If anyone thinks Dave Stockdale should step away from city council and give someone else at chance, the 69-year-old veteran councillor hasn't heard about it.
• Roberts: a desire to see projects finished After three years as a city councillor, Florence Roberts is ready for another three years.
• Pillai: some decisions are problematic Having spent little more than eight years in Whitehorse, city council candidate Ranj Pillai has built an impressive résumé of local service.
• Myhre: purchasing policy needs refinements he last time Jeanine Myhre ran for council, she did it on principle.
• Miller-Wright: council must listen better fter winning his most recent court battle with the city over a proposed concrete batch plant in his neighbourhood, Skeeter Miller-Wright is hoping to win a seat on city council next week.
• Lang: the city needs a ward system The high-profile Lang name could be making its way to yet another level of government soon.
• Irwin: ‘Now is an ideal time' to run 's been 30 years since Betty Irwin and her husband came up to the Yukon for a holiday and decided to make it their home.
• Graham: progress made on several issues It's been three terms of office since Doug Graham was first elected to council, but he's ready for another.
• Buurman: bus ridership should be encouraged Michael Buurman is straight up when it comes to acknowledging he's probably not the most experienced as a local resident running for city council.
• Brault: it was time to become involved "Can you sing?”
• Austin: still enjoying the interaction Despite the "time-consuming” work of a city councillor, Dave Austin is ready for another term.
• Fedoriak: ‘We have to listen to the people' Turning off Wann Road onto Basswood Street, one is immediately drawn to the canary yellow and royal blue campaign sign perched in the front yard of mayoral candidate Al Fedoriak.
• Buckway: ‘I still have a passion for the job' With three years under her belt as mayor along with three years prior to that as a city councillor, Mayor Bev Buckway says she has the experience needed to lead the city into 2012.
• This is going to be a special day' ‘The Olympic Torch will make a stop in Whitehorse early next month on its 1,000-stop journey across Canada, Mayor Bev Buckway announced today.

October 8, 2009

• A windy afternoon at beautiful Peggy's Cove PEGGY'S COVE, N.S. – One of our favourite places to spend an hour or two is Peggy's Cove in Nova Scotia.
• PMO salutes local childcare giver Johanne Moreau, of La garderie du petit cheval blanc in Whitehorse, has received an Achievement Certificate from the Prime Minister's Office (PMO).
• STUDENTS ENRICH FOOD BANK Catholic schools' food drive
• Incumbents, hopefuls expand on their views Last night's election forum for the 12 candidates seeking one of six seats on city council in the Oct. 15 election was sometimes comical, sometimes abrasive.
• College plans education summit Yukon College is taking steps to further advance post-secondary education for first nations.
• LATE-SEASON LINGERING A flock of swans departs Schwatka Lake
• Smokers' Helpline services now available to Yukoners Yukoners now have access to a new toll-free "quitline” service to help smokers break the habit.
• New licences won't act as passports By next summer, Yukon motorists will be issued new driver's licences from the motor vehicles branch, but the improved document, to include a hologram and barcode, will not replace passports as valid identification necessary to cross U.S. borders.
• Mayoral candidates square off at forum Mayor Bev Buckway stood on city council's record during a public election forum Wednesday evening as she defended her desire for re-election on Oct. 15.