Whitehorse Daily Star

March 24, 2006

• Bookends A fool-proof cure for the crazy years Every so often, a reviewer gets a chance to peak behind the curtain and see where the ideas come from.
• YTG boosts School of Visual Arts with $542,822-cheque DAWSON CITY With the provision of a $542,822-cheque to the partners behind the new School of Visual Arts, the Yukon government has taken a huge step toward making sure that there is programming to fill the building that used to be the old liquor store at Third Avenue and Queen Street.
• Dawson City Arts Society president Greg Hakonson realizes a dream DAWSON CITY Looking at the two spacious classrooms that are nearly completed on the north side of the second floor of the School of Visual Arts in Dawson, one is hard-pressed to recall the cramped office spaces and crowded public library that used to occupy the area.
• The Twisters gear up for new blues CD, play locally The W.C. Handy Awards have been renamed The American Blues Awards.
• Simapaloozaa hits the slopes tomorrow There will be more than winter sports on the slopes of Mt. Sima on Saturday.
• Seized tablets included crystal meth Crystal meth was an ingredient of ecstasy seized by police officers outside a Whitehorse rave at Takhini Arena in early February, RCMP have confirmed.
• Large local businesses on the move this spring Canadian Tire will indeed be moving locations, as will a number of other longtime Whitehorse businesses.
• Condos born into a waiting market A new downtown condominium project set for construction this spring is nearly sold out, says the building's developer, Gordon Clark.
• Safeguard your drinks, RCMP warn Whitehorse RCMP are reminding people to be extremely vigilant when drinking as officers continue to investigate how benadryl found its way into one man's drink last month.
• Emergency responders receive more money Community Services Minister Glenn Hart has announced $750,000 in funding that will be injected into the department's protective services branch in the 2006/2007 budget.
• New budget to boost highways improvements Yukoners can expect several highway projects to receive funding in the 2006/2007 budget, Highways and Public Works Minister Glenn Hart said Thursday.
• Colourful Five Per Centô This is a very interesting train engine! Is there anyone out there who can tell us the history of this particular train engine?
• City is determined to enforce smoking ban 'Fifty years of research has established that cigarette smoke contains more than 4,000 chemicals, including carbon monoxide, formaldehyde, benzene, and hydrogen cyanide.'
• Size of bison population is unclear The recent attempt to complete a comprehensive bison count in southwest Yukon failed to produce the desired results, says Yukon government biologist Tom Jung.
• Residents want more data on proposed quarry project At a meeting organized with two days' notice, Whitehorse residents have expressed concern over the city's land use planning practices and plans for a concrete batch plant and quarry operation in the McLean Lake area.
• Westmark Hotel's trip-and-fall hazard' flooring to be redone The city's Westmark Whitehorse Hotel will be getting another new floor. That's the word from Westmark spokesperson Steve Leonard.
• Inn will help out family The High Country Inn/Convention Centre plans to help out the ailing proprietor of the Roadhouse and his family.
• Refugees are facing horrendous hardships A small child struggles through snow and cold, cheeks burned bright by sun, snow and wind.
• Yukoners to attend Ottawa anti-violence conference The Yukon government and representatives of the aboriginal women's community will take part in a national policy forum on aboriginal women and violence in Ottawa this coming Monday and Tuesday.

March 23, 2006

• Hostages' freedom spurred tears of relief It was a phone call of a life time, of a life.
• It is essential we voice our concern' Coincidence, perhaps.
• Court hears of blood-soaked crime scene When Whitehorse RCMP Const. Michelle Aimoe was called to a Fourth Avenue apartment building last September, she arrived to find a man unconscious in the lobby, blood dripping from his head.
• Change motto, Doer urges OTTAWA (CP) Manitoba Premier Gary Doer is throwing his support behind a campaign to rewrite Canada's motto.
• More Shakwak highway projects set for fiscal year Several new highway construction projects under the Shakwak Agreement are planned for 2006-07, the Yukon government said Wednesday.
• Government enriches funding to museums The Yukon's museums will receive $200,000 in new funding during the 2006/2007 fiscal year, Tourism and Culture Minister Elaine Taylor announced today.
• Hundreds watched historic ordination Bishops must laugh heartily when engaged couples tell them they are stressed about their wedding preparations.
• PIONEER COMPANY CLOSES STORE After 42 years in Whitehorse, and more than 100 in the north, the Northern Commercial Company Limited announced today that it will close its Whitehorse department store as of this Saturday. When the key is turned in the lock at 5:30 it will be for the last time.

March 22, 2006

• Election time is before us': Fentie When the 2006/2007 territorial budget is tabled next week, it will be the Yukon's largest ever.
• YTG's payment plans called ridiculous' An agreement presented to city council on Monday highlighting a $2-million Yukon government (YTG) contribution to Canada Games Centre costs is not the same deal that was negotiated three years ago.
• Council weighs big watermain project City council will decide next week whether to spend nearly $750,000 this year to replace a watermain servicing two Whitehorse subdivisions.
• Racism glowers in many ways, crowd told Efforts to eliminate racism drew a noon-hour crowd of about 30 at the Elijah Smith Building Tuesday for a ceremony hosted by L'Association Franco-Yukonnaise (L'AFY) and other partners working on the initiative.
• New vehicle hoist needed, city told The city will likely spend $20,000 on a new vehicle hoist to ensure the health and safety of city mechanics.
• Liberals, NDP realign shadow cabinets With the changing sizes of the two opposition parties in the territory's legislative assembly, both party leaders have announced who will head up the various critic responsibilities.
• Consumer advocate seeks fees for his work Roger Rondeau, president of the Utilities Consumers' Group, says he should be entitled to full compensation for his work preparing for last spring's electrical rate hearings.
• Use of road to mine suspended TORONTO (CP) Aber Diamond Corp. (TSX:ABZ) says the use of a road to the Diavik mine northeast of Yellowknife has been suspended because of deteriorating ice conditions but mining is continuing.
• Students helped out in fight against muscular dystrophy Students at Golden Horn Elementary school raised $3,277.26 and counting for Muscular Dystrophy Canada's BUCK-for-LUCK campaign.
• Campaigns to target healthy bodies, teeth Two initiatives that help mark March as Nutrition Month and April as Dental Health Month in the Yukon were unveiled Tuesday.