Whitehorse Daily Star

July 29, 2007

• Low run threatens sport fishery's future Restricting the chinook salmon sport fishery on the Yukon River to zero retention later this week is under consideration by the federal Department of Fisheries and Oceans.
• Whitehorse Copper subdivision lots disposed of A country residential lot lottery was held last Thursday, with 51 lots in the Whitehorse Copper subdivision up for grabs.
• Boater flown to Vancouver after collision on Marsh Lake A boating collision on Marsh Lake late Friday night resulted in one of the occupants being medevaced to Vancouver for treatment.
• Sandbagging crews taking welcome respite Work crews and volunteers at Marsh Lake will finally be able to catch their breath.
• Fire destroys Squatters Row cabin It was thanks to both Golden Horn and Whitehorse firefighters that a blaze, which destroyed a cabin on Squatters Row on Saturday, was extinguished.
• Several local bear sightings Recent bear sightings close to downtown Whitehorse have conservation officers warning residents to 'be wary.'
• Shipyards Park building proceeding well: mayor The new building at Shipyards Park is well on its way to completion, says Mayor Bev Buckway.
• Climbing food prices raise concerns Rising costs of fresh foods, combined with stagnant social assistance rates, are leaving many people living in poverty in Whitehorse with fewer and fewer options at the grocery store.
• Five new fires reported over the weekend There were five new wildfires reported over the weekend in the territory, all of which were caused by lightning.
• Territory a climate change catalyst: Fentie The Yukon is helping lead the way in adapting to climate change, says Premier Dennis Fentie.
• Campaign emphasizes camp site cleanliness Campers along the Yukon River should not begin a trip cleaning up human waste and toilet paper, but that is becoming common practice, eco-tourism workers warn.

July 26, 2007

• Death prompts YTG-wide safety audit Following the 2006 death of one of its geologists, the Yukon government has been ordered to pay for an independent safety audit for every department.
• Contractor severs town's phone service One-hundred-and-sixty residential homes and 117 businesses in Watson Lake were without telephone or Internet services last night after a cable was accidentally severed.
• Former RCMP officer convicted of harassment A former Yukon RCMP officer, who resigned from the force in 1999 after being convicted of sexual assault, found himself on the wrong side of the law again this week.
• High water a catastrophe', premier says Premier Dennis Fentie and other Yukon Party officials toured the Southern Lakes region Thursday, inspecting the flooding damage.
• New water park's season will be brief After numerous delays, the Lions Club says its proposed water park will now likely not open until the end of the summer.
• Man is found not guilty of robbing apartment occupant A visiting territorial court judge says he's certain a young man was robbed in a McIntyre subdivision apartment last March 15, but he's not so sure the intruder was Gordon Bill.
• Mother Nature has given us a recess' While sandbagging efforts remain crucial, water levels in the Southern Lakes region have plateaued over the past 36 hours.
• Beware of bogus cheques around city, RCMP warn Whitehorse RCMP are warning local businesses to be wary of cashing cheques.
• Woman awaits her bail hearing A woman whose conviction of second-degree murder was overturned and a new trial ordered, will likely have to wait until September before she gets a bail hearing.
• RCMP probe major cash theft It may not be a good time to be shopping with a lot of $5-bills.
• Firefighters encounter dangerous threat Yukon firefighters faced a new and dangerous type of forest fire in B.C. they call the 'red and dead'.
• RCMP seek Yukoners from city, Carcross The public's assistance is requested in locating three Yukoners wanted by the RCMP as of noon Wednesday.
• Youth should be aware of hep C: advocate A major part of keeping at-risk youth safe is through raising awareness about the dangers posed to them. And while hepatitis C might not be on most youths' radar screens, local agencies are hoping to change that.
• Phone book's missing postal codes explained The territory's phone company removed postal codes from its phone book to keep the directory slim and to avoid complaints.
• Cougar, lynx stage live-or-die tag game Any cougar sighting in the Yukon is rare. A three-hour showdown between a cougar and lynx is a once in a lifetime experience one highway worker was lucky enough to witness.
• Mine's decommissioning plan agreed to The detailed decommissioning and reclamation plan for the Minto mine has been given the green light. The plan was approved after eight months of extensive discussions among the Sherwood Copper Corp., the Selkirk First Nation, and the mineral resources branch of the territorial Department of Energy, Mines and Resources.
• John Howard, Elizabeth Fry Societies plan kick-off event It's been a busy summer for members of the John Howard and Elizabeth Fry Societies.
• Flood not likely to impact property values, realtor says The president of the Yukon Real Estate Association, Mike Racz, isn't expecting this month's Southern Lakes flooding to make any difference on property values in the area.
• Anti-smoking move is a good one On March 6, the B.C. government got it right by introducing legislation to ban smoking in indoor public places, on school grounds and to restrict where tobacco products are sold.
• Joseph Tyrrell: a life full of accomplishments Many of the folks who got caught up in the international adventure that was the Klondike Gold Rush went on to lead interesting lives and do great things afterwards.
• Four friends on a quest to solve the Rule of Four I have mentioned previously that Dan Brown seems to have started a trend in suspense novels.
• The outdoor cafeteria can mean survival The only plant you do not want to come in contact with in the bush is poison ivy.
• Great Lake Swimmers ride the wave in Dawson DAWSON CITY Fans came out in full force last weekend to see the Great Lake Swimmers, a melodic folk rock quartet from Toronto, packing the Palace Grand Theatre two days in a row.
• The African Children's Choir is coming to Whitehorse Yukoners can be thankful to the state next door that the African Children's Choir will be doing a show at the Yukon Arts Centre next month.
• New groups tuned up at Dawson festival DAWSON CITY Two new groups of Yukon musicians came together in new bands at the 2007 Dawson City Music Festival held last weekend.
• They came, they listened, they raved DAWSON CITY The 2007 Dawson City Music Festival is over, the equipment is struck and the musicians are in the recovery process from the closing night party.

July 25, 2007

• Premier ponders pursuit of federal flood aid Premier Dennis Fentie spent much of today surveying the damage in the Southern Lakes region.
• RCMP involved in seven-hour standoff A Pelly Crossing man is facing charges of assault and forcible confinement after the territory's RCMP Emergency Response Team spent about seven hours negotiating to get a woman out of the house Tuesday.
• Ambulance services will stay available, Fentie tells towns The Yukon government will spend whatever it takes to keep community ambulance services on life support, Premier Dennis Fentie said Wednesday.
• Driver's licences proposed for use at border crossings An idea to have cross-border travellers use driver's licences instead of passports is a possibility for Yukoners.
• Engine restorer never tires of talking locomotive history After being outside for more than 120 years, you might need a makeover too.
• CDF invests $166,000 in Yukon projects The Community Development Fund (CDF) has awarded funding to 14 projects across the territory.
• Ottawa may review erritory's violence prevention needs After announcing $56 million in violence prevention funding that excludes the North, the federal government may take a closer look at the needs of the Yukon.
• Log is jammed in fish ladder Yukon Energy staff are scrambling to remove a log that became lodged in the Whitehorse Rapids fish ladder yesterday.
• New deputy minister of Health appointed Stuart Whitley, QC, a former Yukon deputy justice minister, has been appointed deputy minister of the Department of Health and Social Services.