Whitehorse Daily Star

March 13, 2020

• Yukon, Quebec invest in territory’s francophonie The Yukon and Quebec governments will invest $100,000 toward the Intergovernmental Cooperation Program for 2020-21.
• Long Ago Yukon plans speaker event Long Ago Yukon will welcome its fifth speaker – Dr. Danielle Fraser of the Canadian Museum of Nature
• Late_Weekend Extravaganza String Extravaganza 3 was held last Sunday at the Yukon Arts Centre.
• Fighting climate-induced stress through activism In the upstairs meeting room of Alpine Bakery last month, 40 Yukoners arranged themselves into a line.
• Bike relay registration has been postponed Registration for the 2020 Kluane Chilkat International Bike Relay has been postponed so the board can assess the impacts of the COVID-19 outbreak.
• Parties demand action; premier brands YP ‘paranoid’ The opposition parties are expressing frustration at the Liberal government’s response to the potential economic fallout of COVID-19 and a lack of information-sharing in the legislature.
• Budget for stairs has climbed City council voted Monday to increase by $150,000 the budget required to repair the Puckett’s Gulch Stairs, otherwise known as the Black Street stairs.
• Premier stays here, urges calm Premier Sandy Silver had decided not to attend today’s planned first ministers’ meeting even before it was cancelled due to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s self-isolation, which will last two weeks.
• Internet outage hits territories, B.C. A technical issue halted Internet service in the Yukon, northern B.C. and the Northwest Territories today, according to a Northwestel Inc. statement released at approximately 10:30 a.m.
• Yukoners face drug charges Two women and a man are facing drug charges after the RCMP seized suspected heroin, drug paraphernalia and cash on the evening of March 4.
• Above-average snowpack carries flood implications The snowpack across the Yukon is above average, and way above in some places like the Klondike.
• COVID-19 bodychecks hockey tournament The 43rd annual Kilrich Yukon Native Hockey Tournament scheduled to take place at the end of the month has been cancelled over concerns of the COVID-19 pandemic.

March 12, 2020

• Road name change finalized The main road leading off of Range Road to Yukon College has been changed from College Drive to University Drive.
• Officials prepared for potential COVID-19 cases The risk of COVID-19 in the territory is low, with no cases confirmed, but the Yukon’s chief medical officers say there is a multi-tier pandemic plan if that changes.
• Tourism industry seeks stimulus for industry operators The Tourism Industry Association (TIA) Yukon is asking the territorial government to allocate at least $2.5 million in stimulus to support tourism operators through 2020.
• Teachers seek injunction against government plan The Yukon Teachers’ Association (YTA) is taking the territorial government to court over its plan to post job openings this spring, before offering those positions to teachers who will be laid off this summer.

March 11, 2020

• Dawson’s chamber of commerce has risen from the ashes The Dawson City Chamber of Commerce has enthusiastically celebrated a revived presence in the community.
• Party leadership candidates officially OKed The three candidates for the leadership of the Yukon Party have been officially accepted.
• Air North waives change fees, helps Arctic Winter Games travellers Air North waives change fees, helps Arctic Winter Games travellers
• ‘We are truly heartbroken’ by Games’ icing: mayor Mayor Dan Curtis opened Monday evening’s city council meeting with somber words regarding the cancellation of the Arctic Winter Games.
• Kent endorses Dixon as party leader Scott Kent became the first Yukon Party MLA to publicly endorse a party leadership candidate Tuesday, and it isn’t fellow MLA Brad Cathers.
• TIA scouring the world for COVID-19 data The Tourism Industry Association (TIA) of the Yukon is conducting globe-spanning research to assess the impact of COVID-19.
• ‘Now is not the time to panic,’ says premier The Yukon’s ministers doubled down Tuesday on assurances that the territory is well-prepared for the threat of COVID-19.