Whitehorse Daily Star

November 28, 2007

• Government moves to relieve labour shortage Education Minister Patrick Rouble announced changes to the Yukon Nominee Program (YNP) today that should see more jobs being filled in the territory's starving job market.
• Opposition parties critique planned welfare reforms The leader of the territory's official Opposition says he wants to know when social assistance recipients will actually see an increase in their monthly cheques.
• Yukon Party to table own smoking legislation The proposed territory-wide smoking ban won't be legislated under Bill 104: The Smoke Free Places Act, as it was originally proposed by NDP Leader Todd Hardy.
• French-language services improving, Hart believes The territorial government has made 'excellent progress' on improving French-language services, says Glenn Hart, the minister responsible for the French Language Services Directorate.
• Chamber to build new bridges with government, first nations The Yukon Chamber of Mines wants to further its relationship with the territorial government and first nations, says its newly-appointed president.
• Summit to be followed-up: minister The next steps in changing the role of aboriginal women will be determined at a collaborative meeting held in the next couple weeks, says Elaine Taylor, the minister in charge of the Women's Directorate.

November 27, 2007

• Minister proposes social assistance increases The Yukon's just-under 750 social assistance recipients could be seeing some major changes to their rates as early as next month.
• Yukon rallies around family Donations continue to pour in for the silent auction on Dec. 9 that will raise money for Paul and Jeanine Baker, whose home was destroyed by vandals using a stolen bulldozer on Nov. 16.
• Drugs destroy lives,' parents reminded In Douglas Green's opinion, the war on drugs is over.
• MLA wonders about nursing plans A paramedic does not have the same training as a nurse does and can't be expected to take on the responsibilities of an on-call nurse, says the NDP's health and social services critic.
• Crown has charges stayed The trial of a man charged with sexual assault ended abruptly last Friday when the Crown prosecutor told the jury that 'unforeseen events that came to light in the last 24 hours, which impeded our ability to prosecute the case, led me to make the assessment that we had no reasonable prospect of conviction.'
• Well water quality concerns Liberal MLA There's no room for error when it comes to drinking water, says Vuntut Gwitchin MLA Darius Elias.
• Coroner orders autopsy The body of a 56-year-old man who checked himself out of hospital was discovered near Hospital Road Tuesday morning.
• Companies lauded for outstanding reclamation Yukon Nevada Gold Corp., for its reclamation work at Ketza River, and No Name Resources Inc., for its reclamation at Ten Mile and Thirteen Mile creeks, received the annual Robert E. Leckie Award on Monday evening.

November 26, 2007

• Harassment of teachers called serious' The prevalence of abuse and harassment in schools throughout the North is a reflection of modern society, the president of the Northwest Territories Teachers' Association believes.
• Date of WCB officials' visit to house is unclear Liberal labour critic Don Inverarity has been left wondering when the Yukon Workers Compensation Health and Safety Board (WCB) will make an appearance in the legislature this year with just over 10 days left in the fall sitting.
• Climate change affecting North: ministers Climate change is having a huge impact on the North and its infrastructure, it was agreed by provincial and territorial ministers of northern development and the federal Conservative government.
• City resident points to some mapping errors Mapping errors have one Whitehorse resident asking why he has had to go through a lengthy bylaw process to fix city mistakes.
• Council debates development proposal City council held a first reading Monday evening of Kayelle Enterprise's plans for a four-storey mixed use development on First Avenue.
• White Ribbon Campaign is underway In the long and looming shadow cast by the recent discovery of missing teen Angel Carlick's remains, the territory joins Canada in condemning violence against women with the White Ribbon Campaign.
• Aboriginal women stronger than ever': activist Aboriginal women are natural leaders who must be involved in all aspects of decision-making, the president of the Native Women's Association of Canada has told a Whitehorse audience.
• Mine training association's board gains members Paul Birckel, Dave Keenan and Greg Charlie have been appointed to the Yukon Mine Training Association's board of directors.
• Questions raised over Porter Creek land Development and how land is used in Porter Creek needs to be better thought-out, says one of the three MLAs representing the Whitehorse subdivision.
• Mining booming in Alaska, B.C. Mining and mineral exploration are setting new heights in Alaska and northwestern B.C., just as they are in the Yukon.