Whitehorse Daily Star

June 29, 2012

• Councillor flashes stop sign at free buses for ballplayers With the public pushing for a better bus system, it's not the right time to be handing out a freebie to an Outside organization, says city councillor Kirk Cameron.
• Mechanics shop owners seek zoning change After a decade of running a mechanics shop out of their home at 9 Gibbons Place, owners Mike and Elayne House are hoping the city will grant them zoning approval to do so.
• Parks and Recreation gift cards unveiled Stores offer them, restaurants have them and now the city does too.
• City grants for property taxes may be altered Time may be running out for local groups that have come to count on city grants to pay their property taxes and utilities.
• Parade marchers to salute Canada On Canada Day, a group of citizens will be joining the annual parade in Whitehorse to share what it is they want in a Canada to be proud of.
• Book bike to hit the road Sunday The Yukon Literacy Coalition and the Family Literacy Centre have decided Sunday's Canada Day parade will be the perfect time to launch their book bike.
• White Pass president envisions trains to Whitehorse If he gets the $50 million US he's asking for, White Pass and Yukon Route president Eugene Hretzay says, it would save Skagway.
• A Coin For The Premier Premier Darrell Pasloski is presented with a Diamond Jubilee Coin from the Royal Canadian Mint by Kerri Scholz
• AFY recruits new executive director The Association franco‐yukonnaise (AFY) has appointed Isabelle Salesse as its executive director, effective Sept. 1.
• Public input sought on ATV bylaw The city is once again asking what residents want to see in a new ATV bylaw.
• Two property owners may receive city grants The wallets of two local property owners could feel the impact on the plus side after fixing up their properties with more living space.
• The Yukon Queen II sails from Dawson one last time The Yukon Queen II sailed from Eagle, Alaska to Dawson City for the final time on June 13.
• Here's How It's Done Dawn Charlie demonstrates moose hair tufting
• Waste bylaw adopted The city's landfill has officially become a waste management facility.
• Proposed quarry needed for Whistle Bend: land owner Craig Beatty suspects the Stevens Quarry proposal is being pushed to the front of the line because of the Whistle Bend subdivision development – and errors made in its design.
• Territory will endorse the new Canadian Sport Policy The Yukon will endorse the new 10-year Canadian Sport Policy developed by federal, provincial and territorial governments at this week's annual meeting of ministers responsible for sport, physical activity and recreation in Inuvik, N.W.T., says Community Services Minister Elaine Taylor.
• A Rare Glimpse The photographer recently bushwhacked her way out through a very overgrown road to catch this view of the Morley canyon in the high water stage.
• Co-op gallery receives a grant to teach seniors art Yukon Artists @ Work (YA@W) has received a $25,000 New Horizons for Seniors Program grant from Human Resources and Skills Development Canada to teach art to Yukon seniors.
• Feds move on backdoor registry The federal government has proposed new regulations to ensure a "backdoor” long gun registry isn't created through the collection of point-of-sale data.
• Councillor has some concerns about plan for hazardous wastes By moving ahead on leasing out space at the city's landfill to a private company wanting to handle hazardous waste, the city is excluding anyone else interested in doing the work, says Coun. Kirk Cameron.
• Raven's Ridge is looking to spread its wings by 16 lots The city took a step closer Monday evening to permitting 16 new lots to be open in the Raven's Ridge subdivision, with council passing second reading of a zoning amendment.
• Fine Fiddling Ben Charlie, Gerald Edzerza and Boyd Benjamin (left to right)
• ‘An amazing leader' caps his 44-year career John Wright stops and greets each student he passes in the hall by name.
• Man targeted for eviction faces territorial court charge The Porter Creek homeowner suspected of bootlegging and targeted by the territory's Safer Communities and Neighbourhood Act (SCAN) for eviction, is now facing a charge in territorial court.
• Southern Lakes may reach flood levels It's most likely the Southern Lakes will reach flood levels later this summer, says the Yukon's expert on flood forecasts.
• Major overhaul urged for teachers program A review of the Yukon Native Teacher Education Program (YNTEP) is suggesting the program be dismantled, rebuilt from scratch, and run directly by Yukon College.
• Parks Canada cuts called threat to economy The Tourism Industry Association of Yukon (TIA Yukon) says it's "very concerned” with the federal government's decision to cut 30 of the 110 Parks Canada employees in the Yukon – almost 28 per cent of its presence in the territory.

June 28, 2012

• Yukon's jobless rate still rising Unemployment continues to rise in the Yukon, peaking at 8.8 per cent in May, up from 7.9 per cent in April for a labour force including workers aged 15 and above.
• Taylor was at conference on Canadian Francophonie Elaine Taylor, the minister responsible for the French Language Services Directorate, attended the 17th Ministerial Conference on the Canadian Francophonie.
• Citizens sought to become link between police, city The Whitehorse RCMP are looking for Whitehorse residents interested in being a connection between the community and the police.
• Performance Goes This Evening Gwaandak Theatre and the Savage Society, a Vancouver- based theatre company,
• Fires being fought, monitored One new fire was reported in the last 24 hours, Yukon Wildland Fire Management said this morning.
• Hunter receives a hefty fine A Mendenhall subdivision resident has been ordered to pay $3,500 to the Yukon Fish and Game Association's Turn In Poachers Fund after pleading guilty to hunting a mule dear without a permit.
• Food security, infrastructure were on premiers' agenda The 10th annual Northern Premiers' Forum wrapped up Wednesday in Iqaluit, with discussion topics ranging from food security and health funding to infrastructure and resource industry training.
• Staying Healthy Outreach Nurse Angie MacNeil, with the Departmenht of Health and Social Services' Yukon Communicable Disease Control unit,
• Government explores new home ownership program The Yukon government has announced it will look into developing a home ownership program to assist lower and middle income families, but the Opposition says it's still not enough.
• Serious cause backdrops paddlers' fun and fatigue If you ask members of the Interserve London Irish voyageur teams how much paddling experience they have, they'll be honest: zero.
• Californians become first Quest team into Carmacks The race is on.
• Treatment's suspension ‘another broken promise' Concerns are being raised about a decision to stop water treatment at the Tulsequah Chief mine site because of financial matters.

June 27, 2012

• Junior Rangers receiving training About 220 Junior Canadian Rangers from across the territories and Atlin, B.C. are receiving enhanced training sessions this week at the cadet training centre in Whitehorse.
• Did you know? On the trail of history! Ed. note: these historic items, submitted by the Whitehorse History Book Society, have been published every second Wednesday.
• First Highland Games in Dawson deemed a success When the committee for the first Top of the World Highland Games began to plan the event 18 months ago, they were all sure it would be a great success, but no one really thought there would be any records broken.
• Two fighting eagles wind up dead Two eagles are dead after flying into a power line on Range Road.
• Four men face charges related to seized drugs Four men from the Yukon and B.C. are facing a series of drug-related charges after the RCMP executed a search warrant on a Whitehorse home last Friday evening.
• Last six days have seen 64 new wildfires ignite Lightning was responsible for six new wildfires discovered Tuesday in the Yukon. That has brought the total for the season to 74, including 64 wildfires in the last six days alone.
• Two fishermen are found safe Two fishermen missing since last Sunday were located safe and sound on Dezadeash Lake in southwest Yukon on Monday morning.
• Air North called major pedestal of Yukon economy Air North provides the territory with valuable economic and social benefits, says an aviation consultant hired to complete an economic impact study on the company.
• ‘There is not enough chinook salmon at this point' There were some hard-nosed and emotional discussions Monday afternoon regarding what is looking like a poor, poor year for the return of chinook salmon in the Yukon River.
• Dog saves the day during brush with sow, cubs Two young Carcross women narrowly escaped a close encounter with a mother grizzly bear and her three cubs last week thanks in part to Mac, their 12-year-old yellow Labrador.
• Carelessness, complacency creating bear problems Conservation officers are calling on Yukoners to be more bear aware, undertaking a public awareness campaign to combat complacency.
• Residents, officials assess flood's devastation Most of the 14 homes flooded in Upper Liard recently are beyond repair, says the minister for the Yukon Housing Corp.