Whitehorse Daily Star

April 8, 2016

• Procurement policy’s effectiveness debated It took little time for questions to arise over the territory’s procurement policy on Thursday, the opening day of the spring sitting in the legislature.
• No Sour Notes Here The Lemon Bucket Orkestra will perform
• Program brings CPR training to Yukon youth The Advanced Coronary Treatment (ACT) Foundation and the Paramedic Council of Yukon are bringing the ACT High School CPR and Defibrillator Training Program to the Yukon.
• Transgender Yukoners can self-identify more easily Standards for gender designation on drivers’ licences and general identification cards are changing in the Yukon.
• Preparations underway for 23rd bridge building event Some 343 bridge builders have registered for the 23rd annual Bridge Building contest to be held Saturday at the Porter Creek Secondary School gym.
• Despoiling Nature Garbage is seen strewn at the old Whitehorse dump site last week.
• Improvements planned for airports around the territory Included in Thursday’s record territorial budget is $395,000 to look at Dawson City’s desire for an improved airport, including a paved runway that can handle larger Boeing 737s.
• Canada Games Centre may have neared or set attendance record It seems the Canada Games Centre (CGC) was the place to be last weekend.
• There's No Stopping Spring Crocuses
• Buses roll back onto council agenda Funding announced by the federal government for public transit initiatives will not equate to new buses for the city, at least for now.
• Yukon government supports clinic’s move into Watson Lake Hospital The Government of Yukon is pleased to announce that the Parhelion Medical Clinic and medication dispensary will relocate into the Watson Lake Hospital.
• City council approves festival funding The city will spend more than $23,600 and further provide nearly $25,000 worth of in-kind support to 10 events set to happen in the city between July and December.
• Premier defends Yukon Party’s economic efforts Premier Darrell Pasloski defended his government’s work on the territory’s economy in the legislature Thursday as NDP Official Opposition Leader Liz Hanson pointed to the continual decline in economic growth.
• Premiering Today Scott Price will open Separate Realities, new works by Scott Price
• Yukon Forum took place today The territorial government and Yukon First Nations held a closed-door Yukon Forum today in Whitehorse.
• Hospital joins move to enhance seniors’ care Whitehorse General Hospital (WGH) will be part of a new initiative to improve health care for seniors.
• Council members planning summer, Christmas breaks Council members wanting a break from their weekly meetings will be waiting until June.
• Opposition detects a ‘cynical’ vote-buying scheme Territorial party leaders accused the premier of vote buying after the Yukon Party tabled its 2016-17 budget in the legislature Thursday.
• Late-Winter Meandering A member of the Southern Lakes caribou herd
• Lassen looks to lift Liberals to victory Known to most Yukoners as an Olympic weightlifter, Jeane Lassen was acclaimed this week as the Liberal candidate for Takhini-Kopper King in the pending territorial election.
• Food bank to start growing its own food The Whitehorse Food Bank will soon have another supplier of fresh produce – itself.
• More RCMP officers, Crime Stoppers’ return set Whitehorse will soon have four more RCMP officers and a resurrected Crime Stoppers crime prevention program.
• ‘It was a really nasty shock,’ mom says The mother of a seven-year-old girl who was sexually assaulted by her father received no notification the man was being released early from jail.

April 7, 2016

• Land Titles Modernization Project progresses The Yukon government plans to committing $1.1 million to advance the Land Titles Modernization Project.
• Premier demonstrates the spirit of buying local In keeping with tradition, Premier Darrell Pasloski went shoe shopping Wednesday ahead of tabling the 2016/17 budget this afternoon.
• Heat Last Week, Snow Today After an extremely mild March,
• Diners munched on pre-budget day appetizers There will be no territorial tax increases this year, Premier Darrell Pasloski told a luncheon hosted Wednesday by the Yukon Chamber of Commerce.
• Spring Reflections This shallow lake
• Alsek moose recovery to be assisted The Government of Yukon will continue its work with the Champagne and Aishihik First Nations (CAFN) and the Alsek Renewable Resource Council on a pilot project to improve moose populations in the Alsek area.
• Yukon College student could spend semester in Japan A Yukon College student is slated to become a Nagoya University for Foreign Studies student in Japan in the next academic year.
• Premier hails win in Saskatchewan Premier Darrell Pasloski has extended his congratulations to re-elected Saskatchewan Premier Brad Wall and the Saskatchewan Party.
• Man sought following break-in Whitehorse RCMP are looking for a suspect thought to be involved in a break-in at G-P Distributing Inc. last Sunday.
• Youth addiction services to be available next fall Youth dealing with addiction won’t have to seek treatment outside of the territory as of next September – if everything goes on track.
• Budget punts Yukon into record spending territory Premier Darrell Pasloski used his first pre-election budget today to deliver another record spending plan totalling $1.39 billion for the Yukon over the 2016-17 fiscal year.

April 6, 2016

• Budget’s campground plans unveiled early The Yukon government will invest up to $350,000 in 2016/17 to develop new campsites and improve facilities in government campgrounds.
• Comprehensive mine impact study summarized Representatives from Kaminak Gold Corp. and the environmental consultancy firm, Hemmera, were in Dawson late last month.
• Photographer In Winning Form Peter Mather was the presenter at a Whitehorse Photography Club event held Tuesday evening at the Whitehorse Public Library.
• Council considers resolution for AYC There’s a clear need for the territory to keep municipalities involved and updated on infrastructure spending plans, says Coun. Betty Irwin.
• Changing climate causes ice pool contest worries The IODE in Dawson received approval this morning from Lotteries Yukon to end sales of the annual ice pool (or ice guessing) contest 10 days earlier than normal due to this season’s unusual conditions on the Yukon River.
• Witnesses have come forward after fire: police Witnesses to a fire that tore through an abandoned house on 14th Avenue at Elm Street in Porter Creek have identified potential suspects, police say.
• Yukon Party MLAs still silent on election plans Two Liberals and one NDP candidate entered the territorial election race Tuesday, begging the question: which incumbents from the ruling party will seek re-election?
• Potential NDP candidate emerges Sally Wright, a renewable energy expert, artist, writer and longtime Kluane Lake resident, plans to run for the Yukon NDP in her home riding in the pending territorial election.
• Conditional use OK in sight for disc golf course The Whitehorse Disc Golf Association could have an ace on hole with its proposed new course.
• Public invited to comment on Casino’s mammoth proposal The wheels are starting to turn on what will be the first panel review in the Yukon under the Yukon Environmental and Socio-economic Assessment Act.
• Housing money badly needed, CMHC head says New funding announced in the March 22 federal budget will help address the urgent need for adequate and affordable housing in the North,
• NDP MLA welcomes survey on mobile homes It’s taken years, but NDP MLA Kate White says she’s “pumped” that the Yukon government is finally moving ahead with a survey of those who own homes in mobile home parks and park owners.