Whitehorse Daily Star

December 19, 2014

• A pair of Canadian mysteries to contemplate ( Bookends ) Cut to the Bone is the fourth of the Hollis Grant mysteries, though it is the first I’ve seen.
• Municipal domestic water well program set New legislation will allow people living inside municipal boundaries to access the successful rural well program, if their municipality has chosen to participate.
• Caribou under a growing threat, CPAWS warns Threats from industrial development to boreal woodland caribou have continued to increase, the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society (CPAWS) said Tuesday.
• Tardy parkers helped city’s needy Mayor Dan Curtis and Deputy Mayor Dave Stockdale presented this year’s Food for Fines donations to the Whitehorse Food Bank and Kaushee’s Place on Thursday.
• A Valuable Load The new MRI was delivered to Whitehorse General Hospital earlier this month.
• Driver was extricated A 71-year-old man was extricated from his SUV Tuesday evening after driving off the Alaska Highway into a ditch.
• Tuning Up Daniel Janke, top right,
• Finalists named for Yukon Digital Storytelling Project Four successful producers have been named as finalists in the Yukon Digital Storytelling Project,
• Historic buildings earn official designation The Old Log Church and Rectory were officially designated as a Yukon Historic Site last month.
• Snowmobilers urged to ride safely The city’s Bylaw Services Department has partnered with Mothers Against Drunk Driving and the Klondike Snowmobile Association to promote awareness of the severity and consequences of drinking and riding.
• Youthful Warblers Members of Christ the King Elementary School’s Kindergarten class perform
• YP was on the defensive for much of sitting ( Analysis ) The legislature opened its combative fall sitting nearly two months ago with that rare thing in Yukon politics: a moment of silence.
• Bison hunting opportunities increase with regulation change The mid-winter closure of the bison hunt has been cancelled in nine game management subzones in an attempt to increase the harvest levels.
• City waives $79,710 development charge The city has waived a $79,710 charge Northern Vision Development (NVD) was facing for the subdivision of property at the former Motorways truck yard site.
• Salvation Army hopes to see kettles enriched It’s become part of the bustling Christmas shopping scene,
• Committee’s deadline extension formalized The legislature’s Select Committee Regarding the Risks and Benefits of Hydraulic Fracturing has been formally granted the extension it requested to complete its final report.
• ‘You’d think people would clue in’ It’s 6:40 p.m. on a Friday.
• MP hands out awards to territory’s ‘unsung heroes’ They are the unsung heros, those who make a major contribution to the community which hasn’t been recognized in a big way.
• Territory will need 320 new continuing care beds Whitehorse’s new continuing care facility, slated to open in 2018, will be built in Whistle Bend as a public-private partnership.

December 18, 2014

• Development protocols empower municipalities Five Yukon municipalities have recently signed Land Development Protocol Memorandums of Understanding (MOU) with the Government of Yukon.
• Teddy bears back in liquor stores The annual Twin Bear program, which donates toy teddy bears to Yukoners in need, is back for the Christmas season.
• Government quizzed on workplace office NDP Leader Liz Hanson called out the government last Thursday for a supposed absence of oversight on its Respectful Workplace Office.
• Time For Talent The Porter Creek Grade 8 Band performs Tuesday evening
• Reconciliation agreement talks planned The Yukon government and the White River First Nation jointly announced they have initiated preliminary negotiations with the goal of reaching a reconciliation agreement.
• Winter's Coming Teslin Lake
• Bridge users are in for treats Friday Those cycling or walking over Robert Campbell Bridge from 7 a.m. to 9 a.m. Friday will be treated to festive lights and refreshments.
• Correction A photo caption in Tuesday’s paper
• Plan may involve fracking form, Yukoner believes There’s a concern the proposal to rework two natural gas wells in southeast Yukon involves a form of fracking.
• Public hearing set for property rezoning Whitehorse residents will have their chance to let the city know what they think of changing the zoning on a property on Roundel Road to allow an established garden centre to be relocated.
• Territory purchases two new ambulances The territory’s latest efforts to upgrade its fleet of 23 ambulances is coming in at a cost of $310,000 with the purchase of the two new state-of-the-art units.
• Local man pursues NDP nomination A fourth candidate has entered the race to represent the Yukon in Ottawa.
• Total school costs soar to $54 million The Yukon government will likely tack on at least another $3.3 million to construction costs at the F.H. Collins Secondary School building site — already budgeted at $38.6 million — according to government documents.

December 17, 2014

• ‘Destination Yukon’ promoted in Vancouver Destination Yukon was in the spotlight after the territory was featured in the Dec. 7 Rogers Santa Claus Parade in downtown Vancouver.
• Toxic chemicals caused latest test failures If the Dec. 8 backup and spill of effluent from the wastewater treatment plant was not enough bad news from that troubled facility, Dawson’s council package from two nights later had potentially worse news.
• Taking Stock One of the lynx
• Artist’s works included in international art volume Works by well-known Yukon artist Halin de Repentigny are included in the art publication, International Contemporary Artists Volume published by ICA Publishing of New York.
• Suspect still in custody; no charges laid The suspect arrested last week in connection with the death of 17-year-old Brandy Vittrekwa is still in police custody, but has not been charged.
• Contents of new Land Titles Act, Condominium Act now available The Department of Justice has released documents outlining details of the new Land Titles Act and Condominium Act.
• Sounds Of The Season The All City Junior Concert Band performs
• Wholesale sales figures released The preliminary unadjusted estimate for wholesale sales in the Yukon for October was $11.2 million, Statistics Canada reported today.
• Some bears haven’t denned yet A grizzly bear was seen Tuesday morning near the small community at Morley Bay along Teslin Lake, just east of Teslin along the Alaska Highway.
• Segregation ‘depends on the context of the breach’ Five days in segregation for swearing at a guard.
• Sneak Peel appeal announcement planned: NDP The NDP said Tuesday it’s an “open secret” the government will appeal the Peel watershed court decision, a possibility the cabinet has not officially settled on.
• Alleged pay imbalances spur formal complaint Local mechanical workers have filed a complaint with the Yukon government’s employment standards branch over an alleged pay imbalance between them and their out-of-town counterparts at the F.H. Collins Secondary School construction site.
• Desperate man ponders declaring refugee status Donovan McGlaughlin admits his story is hard to believe.