Health orders threaten NWT businesses: letter Chambers of commerce fear lack of 'sense of urgency' from GNWT

Online first at NNSL.com

St. Pat's graduates!

Volume 49 Issue 30 friday, july 3, 2020 75 CENTS ($1.00 outside city) New grad focused on food security

Blair McBride/NNSL photo Recent university grad and award winner Aimee Yurris with her vegetable plot at the Community Garden Collective site June 27. Read the full story on page 13.

Comment: Former NWT Dene artist the secret commish creates life of rabbit honoured in MMIWG droppings new book VR video

$1.00 outside Yellowknife Publication mail Contract #40012157 "It's just fun times since I've been here."

7 71605 00100 5 – Bunches of kids with interest in tennis attended a camp run by Jan Martinek Tuesday, page 16. 2 yellowknifer, Friday, July 3, 2020 news Yellowknifer, Friday, July 3, 2020 3 Did we get it wrong? Yellowknifer is committed to getting facts and names right. With that goes a commitment to acknow- ledge mistakes and run corrections. If you spot an error in Yellowknifer, call 873-4031 and ask to speak to an editor, or email [email protected]. We'll get a correction or clarification in as soon as we can. News Briefs Powerful opioid carfentanil found in NWT Public health officials are "very" concerned about the lab-confirmed presence of the power- ful opioid carfentanil in the NWT. "Confirmation of this drug in the NWT is very concerning to all those involved in addressing the opioid crisis. All those who use, provide, or are part of the response to illicit drug use in NWT, including experienced users, should be alarmed that carfentanil is present in NWT drugs," Dr. Andy Delli Pizzi, dep- uty chief public health officer, said in a news release Wednesday. Carfentanil is among the most toxic known opioids, with studies showing it is 10,000 times more toxic than morphine, 4,000 times more toxic than heroin, and 100 times more toxic than fentanyl. The Office of the Chief Public Health Officer (OCPHO) warns the public against touching or handling any suspicious substance Blair McBride/NNSL photo and advises that unintentional exposure to pure fentanyl or carfentanil can cause severe harm happy or death. Merlyn Williams, left, and Floyd Adlem, members of the NWT Pipe Band, rest after performing for Canada Day at Naloxone kits are available at all hospitals, City Hall Wednesday. health centres and pharmacies in the NWT. – Blair McBride Fire ban lifted The ban on open air fires in Yellowknife has been lifted, a City of Yellowknife spokesperson New book of poems angry stated in Thursday afternoon news release. The relaxed measure covers Yellowknife and Fred Henne and Yellowknife River Ter- ritorial Parks. The ban was put in place on June 19. and absolutely brilliant If very dry forest condition return the ban will be imposed. "Please practice fire safety at all times, burn responsibly and ensure your fire is cold before leaving," the release stated said. Book To learn more about fire prevention, visit this site. review – Blair McBride Grace Guy is a lifelong Yellowknifer and lover of literature. Police on the water Northern News Services on Canada Day Billy-Ray Belcourt's most recent collection of poems, NDN Cop- RCMP responded to three incidents on the ing Mechanisms, is passionate, angry and absolutely brilliant. water on Canada Day involving stranded ves- Longlisted for CBC's Canada Reads this year, this collection sels and a missing boater, police said in a news places destruction next to creation, fostering creativity and hope in release on Thursday. an age where both things are a hot commodity. Half a remix – with Around 11:49 a.m. on Wednesday, Yellow- poems pieced together from old texts – and the rest pure creation, knife RCMP received a call for help after a NDN Coping Mechanisms packs a very articulate punch. Since June pontoon boat was stranded on the Northwest is both Pride Month and Indigenous History Month, I am enthusiastic Arm of Great Slave Lake. to recommend NDN Coping Mechanisms right off the bat as this col- The boat was taking on water and the seven lection documents Billy-Ray Belcourt's experiences as a queer Cree passengers inside couldn't operate it due to high man who is thriving in a world designed to snuff his voice out. winds. To give some context on how good the book really is, I have to RCMP contacted Yellowknife Marine Res- make it clear that I don't like poetry. I usually find that reading poems cue, a unit of the Canadian Coast Guard Aux- is a slow and tedious process, leaving me exhausted with nothing to iliary (CCGA), who mobilized two vessels and show for it. NDN Coping Mechanisms was the opposite of all that. seven volunteers for the rescue. Belcourt's poems are direct, understandable, and far from melo- All passengers were safely brought back to dramatic. After the first five lines, I found myself genuinely inter- Yellowknife. ested in every word: where it was, who it was about, and how it fits About an hour later, around 1:02 p.m, into the story of Belcourt's life. While I won't do him a disservice Yellowknife RCMP received another call about and say that his poems fostered empathy (as Belcourt points out, a boat that had run aground near the Con Mine empathy is becoming a cheap buzzword), all the feelings he expresses boat launch in Yellowknife Bay. All four pas- – love, rage, and nostalgia for the future – feel close enough to touch. sengers and three dogs were rescued, without Thought-provoking, snarky, and often funny, NDN Coping Mechan-

injuries. isms acts as both a personal confessional and an exposé on the seem- photo courtesy of Amazon In a third incident, around midnight on ingly endless cycle of colonial violence that has actively destroyed the NDN Coping Mechanisms is a collection of poems for Wednesday, Lutselk'e RCMP received a report lives of Indigenous peoples in North America and the world. of a missing boater. The boater, from Lutselk'e, Snatching text from various authors and legislations, Billy-Ray people who love books, love music, love pop culture, had departed in the direction of Yellowknife. Belcourt is as good at painting his world with the words of others as and love Leonardo Decaprio (or not), columnist Grace Members of the community prepared a search he is at crafting his own. When I finished the last poem in NDN Cop- Guy writes. plan with local resources. ing Mechanisms, I flipped the page right over and read the endnotes On Thursday morning, the boater, who had and acknowledgements just so that I could get a few more moments of to a Rihanna song, this collection has something for everyone. While safely reached Yellowknife, reported himself to Belcourt's writing. My favourite poems of this collection, all highly I find poetry is rarely engaging, even when it is interesting, NDN Yellowknife RCMP detachment and confirmed recommended, are A Country Is How Men Hunt, At The Mercy Of Coping Mechanisms lights up on the page. Somewhere between the his wellbeing. Due to weather, the boater had The Sky, Ars Poetica, and Leonardo Decaprio. artistic simplicity of Rupi Kaur and the manically detailed, emotional decided to camp overnight. NDN Coping Mechanisms is a collection of poems for people punch of Shane Koyczan, Billy-Ray Belcourt's NDN Coping Mech- – Blair McBride who love books, love music, love pop culture, and love Leonardo anisms is a great read for everyone who loves poetry (and everyone Decaprio. From dancing along to Bryan Adams' Heaven or humming who doesn't). 4 yellowknifer, Friday, July 3, 2020 commentary The Bristol on a pedestal Looking Back with Candace McQuatt

email: [email protected] 50 years ago Pioneer Park – just behind the Welcome to Yellowknife sign was opening that summer. Its key attrac- tion consisted of the Ward Air Bris- tol which was originally planned to be set up on the site of the proposed PWA hotel on the hill west of the medical clinic on Giant Road, over- looking Frame Lake. Prior to PWA making an offer to the city for the site, consider- able work had been done towards developing the park at the Airport Road location. One of the condi- tions of the land sale was that PWA turn over $30,000 to the city in compensation for the work done and that money would be set aside for NNSL archive photos development of a park in another Above: Ward Air's Bristol, TFX, the first freight aircraft to serve in the North out of Yellowknife, arrived in 1957. A year later it location. was used to bring in the town's first fire truck. Below: The structure on which the Bristol was mounted was 20 feet in the air and At that time the Yellowknife Rotary Club stepped in recom- on an angle to simulate flight, so that it dominated the skyline as visitors approached along the road from the airport. mending the new site and offered to undertake responsibility for its maintenance. Inmates from the correctional institute did much of the preliminary work. 40 years ago Whether sand or rock, the first annual Yellowknife folk festival was held at Long Lake and was termed a total success by audience, perform- ers and organizers alike. 30 years ago For the first time since 1978 there would be no citizenship court as part of the annual Yellowknife Canada Day Celebrations. The reason was there was no cit- izenship judge to hold the court. Citizenship judge Don Sian had resigned in April, and chief ter- ritorial court judge Robert Halifax had been asked to fill in but was not available. Chuck Larocque, then director for the secretary of state, said that as many as 15 people were eligible that year to be sworn in. 20 years ago In the markets, Gold was trading at $283.00 USD down from its pre- vious week of $286.20 USD. The Canadian Dollar was at 67.44 cents, also down from a week prior of 68.27 cents and the Bank of Canada rate was 6.0 per cent. news Yellowknifer, Friday, July 3, 2020 5 Dene artist honours MMIWG with virtual reality music video The video is inspired by the Highway of Tears, Casey Koyczan says by Blair McBride "The summer solstice sym- red dresses in various scenes, Northern News Services bolizes a time of renewal, of like a mother holding the hands A Yellowknife-born artist rejuvenation, and of growth." of a daughter, a daughter with has created a video that is vir- Koyczan, who lives in Win- her hand on the shoulder of the tual in design but dedicated to nipeg, created virtual reality mother or people on the street a tragedy that is all too real for (VR) graphics for the video protesting. One scene that was Indigenous communities. using a program called Tilt heavily inspired by the NWT Tlicho Dene artist Casey Brush, one of the many tools was a person scraping a moose Koyczan collaborated with the in his artistic array. hide. And there was a scene of Native Women's Association The VR graphics of a person making a fire." of Canada (NWAC) and Van- unidentified human figures in NWAC provided statistics couver-based rock band Small red dresses set in misty for- to Koyczan that are inter- Town Artillery (STA) to make ests also matched the purpose spersed throughout the video the music video for their song of the video in honouring the in three-dimensional blocks of Trauma Below. memory of the missing and text, related to the dispropor- The song honours the mem- murdered Indigenous women tionate rates of violence faced ory of Indigenous women and and girls (MMIWG). by Indigenous women and girls who have been murdered "I had a meeting with the girls and the systemic nature or went missing along High- NWAC and we agreed not to of the violence that requires image courtesy of Casey Koyczan way 16, or the "Highway of show any images of actual vic- urgent action. Tlicho artist Casey Koyczan created the virtual reality graphics in the video for Tears" in northern British Col- tims or even any images that "The NWAC (also) sub- Trauma Below, a song by rock band Small Town Artillery. umbia since 1970. Most of the would resemble victims. But mitted photos of protests and disappearances haven't been we agreed to show images of people at powwows and cere- gles for justice goes back sev- a live performance painting independent video game. solved and only a handful of women in the red dresses, and monies. I thought it would be eral years. where he used a hockey stick "We applied for funding cases have led to criminal con- it was going to the concept of a good mix to speak to the His Gone but not Forgot- to shoot pucks covered in red, for the video game project victions. remembrance and empower- empowerment and the fight ten installation was made from white and black paint at a can- to develop our team and to The video was released on ment," said Koyczan. for justice," Koyczan said. pieces of driftwood he col- vas. It communicated the inter- create incentive. The concept YouTube on June 22, the day Red dresses have emerged "Overall the video has a heavy lected himself. It commemor- generational effects of residen- is basically inspired by the after the summer solstice and as a symbol to remember and feeling because it deals with ated victims of violence whose tial schools and the racism that myths, stories, legends and National Indigenous Peoples raise awareness of MMIWG important issues. It was a very bodies were found along the Koyczan and his father faced visions of the NWT passed Day, "a significant marker for in Canada. emotional scenario for me to Red and Assiniboine Rivers while playing hockey. down by Elders. We also want Indigenous people and com- "The video is inspired by work on in VR, but that's what around Winnipeg. That instal- For an upcoming project to do a heavy dream-like feel munities across Canada," an the Highway of Tears," Koy- it called for." lation was displayed at the he will work with Travis Mer- so it feels like you're in a NWAC spokesperson stated in czan said. "Setting up scenes Koyczan's art about Winnipeg Art Gallery. credi, a digital media artist dream. We'd like to keep our a recent news release. of women or LGBTQ people in Indigenous rights and strug- Residential Values was from Fort Smith, to create an team all Indigenous." 6 yellowknifer, Friday, July 3, 2020 Editorial & Opinions Published Wednesdays and Fridays Comments and views from Yellowknifer and letters to the editor

P.O. Box 2820, Yellowknife, NT, X1A 2R1 Office: 5108 50th Street, Yellowknife Phone: (867) 873-4031 Fax: (867) 873-8507 Toll free: (855) 873-6675 E-mail: [email protected] Website: www.nnsl.com

FOUNDER (1934-2018): J.W. (Sig) Sigvaldason PUBLISHER, CEO: Foster care reform pro- Bruce Valpy – [email protected] Chief Financial Officer: ponents protested the Judy Triffo – [email protected] slow progress in address- MANAGING EDITOR: ing problems in the ter- Mike W. Bryant – [email protected] ritory's child and family services system Monday. ACCOUNTING: [email protected] A blistering auditor gen- Florie Mariano • Cindy Minor • Salleah Wagas eral's report found many Assignment editor Craig Gilbert – [email protected] aspects of the system Editorial board: have only worsened since Bruce Valpy • Mike W. Bryant an earlier report in 2014. Craig Gilbert • Simon Whitehouse NNSL file photo

Copy editor: Brett McGarry

Photo: Emily McInnis - [email protected]

Reporters: [email protected] Simon Whitehouse • Brendan Burke Blair McBride

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ADVERTISING: [email protected] Representatives: Petra Memedi • Laura Whittle James Boylan • Echo Xin Advertising manager: Zerline Rodriguez Features coordinator: Emmanuel Ramos GNWT cannot fail Social Media manager: Vincent De Leon

ADVERTISING PRODUCTION Production co-ordinator: Jennifer Reyes Zdena Kunderlik • Randy Hiebert Joshua Uson • Wesley Cook foster families Customer Service: Holly Yestrau [email protected] Government response to long-standing grievances

CIRCULATION: [email protected] seems to have lost momentum Circulation Director: Amy Yang Northern News Services Jewala Jhankur were abuse and neglect resumed. A highly visible demonstration in The issue: These were long-standing com- Subscriptions: the streets on Monday put the spot- plaints, enduring over several years. Print: (mail) $90/year light on a problem that largely exists foster families Perhaps this contributed to the drastic Online: (entire content) $50/year behind closed doors. We say: drop off in the number of foster fam- Sandra Noel and close to 25 progress lagging ilies to 156 in July 2019 from 230 in others – including Mayor Rebecca 2011. Alty – marched from Franklin Avenue As of earlier this week, those num- NORTHERN NEWS SERVICES LIMITED to Ruth Inch Memorial Pool to bring bers had not changed, even thought a 100% Northern owned and operated further attention to the plight of foster services workers; 88 per cent of work- few items had target dates that have Publishers of: children. ers failed to meet minimum require- come and gone. Inuvik Drum •Kivalliq News Yellowknifer • Hay River Hub Having grown up as a foster child ments in 2018. "Things have not gotten better for NWT News/North herself, Noel has seen some of the The GNWT responded by creating anybody on the ground. If anything it's Nunavut News/North worst the system has to offer. When its Child and Family Services System's gotten worse," Tammy Roberts said in

Member of: she required care in Yellowknife at Quality Improvement Plan in 2019. January. Roberts is the executive dir- Canadian Community Newspapers Association age 10, she began an painful odys- It contains 70 action items, many of ector for the Foster Family Coalition of Ontario Community Newspapers Association Manitoba Community Newspapers Association sey that saw her change foster homes them pertaining to accountability, the NWT and she has been assisting Saskatchewan Weekly Newspapers Association eight times over nine years. She training and ensuring best practices. at-risk children for nearly three dec- Alberta Weekly Newspapers Association Ontario, Manitoba and Alberta Press Councils recounted being abused and made As of December – following a terri- ades. Yellowknife Chamber of Commerce many appearances in court. torial election in October – 23 action To the GNWT's credit, it recently Contents copyright – printed in the North The system, she says, is "broken." items were completed, while 47 are invested almost $3.7 million to add by Canarctic Graphics Limited Sadly, Noel's experiences are fam- on track, according to the GNWT. 20 positions to support child and iliar to some existing foster children A few months later, more than family services. Utilized optimally, in our city. A 2018 report by Can- a dozen foster parents, with strong those people will make a difference. Send us your comments ada's auditor general – a follow-up backing from the Foster Family Coali- It's entirely possible that Covid-19 You can e-mail us at [email protected]; mail to to another damning report in 2014 tion of the NWT, spoke up about hor- has set back some of the objectives Box 2820, Yellowknife X1A 2R1; or drop your letter off at our office at 5108-50th Street. -- stated that NWT children in perma- rid conditions and seeming indiffer- that the Department of Health aimed All letters submitted must be signed with a return address and daytime telephone number so that we nent care will move homes an aver- ence that persisted from the bureau- to achieve for foster families. That can confirm it came from you. age of 12 times. So much for stability cracy and elected officials. The list of brings us back to Monday's protest Not all letters will necessarily be published. Pref- erence is given to short letters of broad interest or and consistency. critiques, encapsulated in a 27-page in the streets. While the coronavirus concern. We particularly encourage new contributors as There were numerous other grim letter to the health minister, was long demands to be taken seriously, so too we attempt to publish a cross-section of public revelations in that report: 89 per and disturbing. Foster parents said does the future of our territory. Chil- opinion. Letters of more than 300 words, open letters and cent of foster families didn't receive they sometimes faced verbal abuse dren in foster care – represented by those published elsewhere are seldom used. We reserve the right to edit for length or taste and to a required annual review to ensure and were lied to by child protection a disproportionately high number of eliminate inaccurate or libelous statements. quality care; 90 per cent of children workers. Children were being removed Indigenous youth – represent a vital We may also choose to use a letter as the basis for a story. in foster care went without required from foster homes without notice, part of our future. The GNWT cannot regular contact with health and social sometimes returning to circumstances afford to forget that. commentary Yellowknifer, Friday, July 3, 2020 7 More than you ever wanted to know about poop

The water column

photo courtesy of Walt Humphries Rabbit pellets could be mistaken for bridge mixture, columnist Walt Humph- ries writes. Northern News Services When I was a kid, I was fascinated by rab- bit poop. It was sometimes called rabbit pel- Tales from lets because of their uniform size and pellet like shape. I mean really, what kid wouldn't be the dump interested in them. Rabbits, deer, moose and even goats, how do they make all those little Walt Humphries is a well-known turds almost identical? Yellowknife artist and prospector. Looking at them, I am sure more than one person has thought if they were covered in they are creating these pellets earlier in the chocolate and put in with a bowl of chocolate process. covered nuts, I bet people would eat them. Exactly how, I have never read a good That would be pretty funny. I discovered that account of. I assume as the poop in a tube is they indeed would eat them, but be warned, going through a section, it gets pinched off some people are not amused. In fact, some get into the pellets before the sphincter. In one downright angry. Apparently not everyone has account it suggested it was like pinching off NNSL file photo a great sense of humour, because they were sausages into links when making them at Firefighters rush into the freezing water at Fred Henne Territorial Park still angry, even after I ate one to prove it was home. Maybe the hare has a sphincter or two during a charity Polar Plunge in May 2019. Warm or cold, a lot of time in no big deal. we don't know about and they would have to the water can lead to a pesky case of swimmer's ear, columnist Aaron La Being the curious sort I wanted to know do this automatically without thinking about Borde writes. how and why the rabbits and hares did it. it. Now regardless of the mechanism to create What was the purpose or advantage to doing the pellets, why create them in the first place it this way, instead of how cows, bison, bears, and not just poop elongated tubes like the rest Swimmer's ear is a condition that some- humans and other critters do it? of the critters? times occurs when people spend a lot of The vape-way to cigarettes? To start with in the North, we don't have Here is my theory. There are the hunters time in the water. It manifests by an itch- ing or irritation inside the ear, Is vaping with e-cigarettes a gateway to rabbits, but we do have hares which are sort of and the hunted. Hare and other pellet makers smoking cigarettes? So far it's like big rabbits even if they are another spe- are hunted. If you are being hunted, you don't a feeling of blockage in the ear decreasing hearing and a feeling not proven to be so but a review cies. They make even nicer poo pellets. Read- want to have to stay still and wait around for of many studies of e-cigarette ing up on the subject, one expert attributed the a tube to come out. They can drop a load of of water in the ear. A solution of one part white vinegar to one use found that almost 20 per cent pooh pellet phenomena to their colon, rectum, pellets real quick and stay attentive to possible of e-cigarette-users were more possibly their sphincter and diet. He named hunters lurking around. They can also drop part rubbing alcohol can help relieve this problem by pro- likely to move on to cigarettes. a lot of body parts but didn't really explain the pellets while on the run. So far, there is only an associa- anything. The pellets might help the wild animals moting drying and preventing bacterial growth. Instill about a tion and not a causation. Having Let's start with the sphincter. That is a ring conserve moisture. Since a lot of it is wood said this, vaping is never recom- of muscle that helps control the flow on vari- pulp and fibers maybe it might help prevent teaspoonful into each and let it drain out. mended due to the high addiction ous organs. You have a number of them in splinters. Think of the hare poo here today rate of nicotine. your body and there is one at the end of your and gone tomorrow because the little pellets Capsule poop chute. If you relax it, poop can come out, of fertilizer disintegrate quickly. How much water Comments Board games and if you tighten it up, you can end a poop. In the winter hare poo is mostly wood is too much? So theoretically, if you practised you could fiber and pulp because they eat small willow Aaron La Borde is good for you People are often told to drink turn your bowel movement into pellet shaped branches and growth off of trees. In the sum- a pharmacist at Remember board games? pieces. But that is something you would have mer they add green vegetation to their diets eight glasses of water a day to Sutherland Drugs. keep healthy. Those who should They can be good for your to do consciously and practise at. and if you look at the pellets carefully with health. There seems to be a Sounds like a solution to this question but a hand lens or magnifying glass you can see heed this are those with kidney stones and those suffering from a urinary relationship with regularly playing board hold on before you jump to any conclusions. I this. If you study nature you can learn a lot by games and protection of cognitive decline have watched a few of these critters poop and studying the pooh of critters which is the sci- tract infections. People in kidney failure should not drink that much water. Four and might even increase function in seniors they open their sphincter and a whole bunch ence of scatology. especially those in their 70s and 80s. of pellets drop out, so they have been turned Nature is full of mysteries, many still wait- glasses a day is adequate for most people. into pellets, before the sphincter opened. So, ing to be observed and possibly solved. 8 yellowknifer, Friday, July 3, 2020 news GNWT's Covid-19 response is harming businesses: Chambers

The Chateau Nova. Five business and tourism organ- izations have criti- cized the GNWT's response to the Covid-19 pandemic for not properly bal- ancing the econom- ic concerns of the territory. NNSL file photo

Rules 'woefully out of step with business' by Blair McBride those entering the territory Northern News Services • Bring GNWT employees back to the work- NWT business and tourism organizations place in ways consistent with the private sector are urging the territorial government to do a • Give consistent and prompt answers from better job of introducing its Covid-19 response the Office of the CHPO on how rules will be measures that are harming NWT enterprises. interpreted and exemptions given Calling the Office of the Chief Public • Ensure consistent and accurate messaging Health Officer and GNWT's response during regarding the public health emergency phase two of Emerging Wisely "woefully out "The GNWT relinquished many of its gov- of step with the private sector," representatives erning responsibilities at the outset of this of five organizations stated in a joint letter that pandemic. The decision-making authority of urgent action is needed to ensure the survival of the (chief public health officer) can no longer the private sector. take place in a vacuum. Businesses in the NWT The letter was signed by leaders of the NWT are doing their best to survive. Our elected and Yellowknife Chambers of Commerce, the officials need to step up and govern, lest we see NWT and Nunavut Chamber of Mines, the irreparable damage to our once vibrant busi- NWT and NU Construction Association and ness community," the organizations concluded NWT Tourism. in their letter. Though the organizations applauded the In an email to Yellowknifer on June 30, response to the pandemic by the Office of the Premier Caroline Cochrane stated the GNWT CHPO and some of the economic relief from takes the concerns of the business community the GNWT, they cited the economic devasta- seriously and was working with the Office of tion facing the tourism, hospitality, minerals the CHPO and stakeholders to address them. and aviation industries. The government, led by the Department of "In an economy dominated by government, Industry, Tourism and Investment, is planning we fear there is no sense of urgency. GNWT a meeting with the Business Advisory Council, workers remain on full pay with no conse- the chief public health officer and Cabinet to quences to their personal incomes, household discuss their concerns and better understand costs, or pensions (which we note, are largely the GNWT's planned health measures and pos- supported by the taxes paid by the Northern sibilities for restarting the NWT economy. and Indigenous-owned businesses that we rep- Cochrane acknowledged that Covid-related resent)," they stated in the June 26 correspon- disruptions of GNWT operations have delayed dence. projects and business re-openings and stated "The GNWT has shown no initiative in the government is working on finding solutions. adapting to phase two restrictions while virtu- Responding to the request that the pandem- ally all its employees continue to work from ic's cost to the territorial economy be revealed, home, where that is possible. the premier stated that a survey of NWT busi- "The NWT business community is leading ness owners has been conducted and its results the way in adapting to phase two restrictions by would be released shortly. reopening safely in the face of an opaque and However, travel restrictions are a necessary restrictive public health regime." measure to protect public health as new cases The organizations listed some calls to action of Covid-19 were still occurring daily in south- for the GNWT and CHPO: ern Canada, the premier said. Cochrane stated • Reveal to the public "the economic costs the government will continue reviewing the for the NWT of the pandemic so far and eco- need for restrictions, but those measures would nomic forecasting the GNWT has done" remain in place "so long as they are needed to • Ease travel and quarantine restrictions for keep our people and communities safe." Yellowknifer, Friday, July 3, 2020 9 10 yellowknifer, Friday, July 3, 2020 Yellowknifer, Friday, July 3, 2020 11 12 yellowknifer, Friday, July 3, 2020 news Yellowknifer, Friday, July 3, 2020 13 Health sciences grad hopes to bring food security to the North

Blair McBride/NNSL photo Aimee Yurris stands next to her vegetable plot at the Yellowknife Community Garden Collective site on Saturday. 'Eye-opening' courses at Hay River experimental farm changed path of her studies by Blair McBride some "eye opening" short individual perspective. table food system on univer- cate for healthier foods on Now that she's back in Northern News Services courses at the Northern Farm "(It's) looking into dif- sity campuses. campus and general access to Yellowknife, she plans to Aimee Yurris has Training Institute in Hay ferent interventions that can MX began at Wilfrid Lau- healthy food. focus on her new job with the returned to Yellowknife with River. benefit the whole commu- rier University in Waterloo, "One event we did in the Student Support and Well- a degree in health sciences, "When I was growing up nity. It's more prevention ori- Ont. in 1993 as a way for stu- fall was the Eat Think Vote ness Division of the terri- an academic gold medal and in Yellowknife I didn't do ented than treat- dents to share campaign, a way to encour- torial government's Depart- a desire to help Northerners much gardening and I didn't ment oriented," their unused age voters in Canada to ask ment of Education, Culture develop better food security. think we had much capacity she said. campus meal their candidates and MPs and Employment. Born and raised in Yel- to grow food. After going to She excelled "I think we plans with other to do something about food There, she works to sup- lowknife, the recent graduate the institute, I learned dif- academically, students who security. This past semester port the wellness of NWT from the University of Leth- ferent tricks for tailoring our and was award- have more might not have I engaged in conversations students who have complex bridge came to appreciate the gardens so we can grow food ed at her con- capacity enough to eat. with working groups in Leth- needs. importance of access to food in the North. The institute is vocation with Chapters have bridge about that," she said. "As I was going through in the North in a roundabout trying to motivate people to the Faculty of to grow since sprouted Asked if she would try my program there were so way that picked up steam do more and get out in the Health Sciences up at campuses to open an MX chapter at many specific areas in health when she was a student at Sir garden. I think we have more Gold Medal for food than across Canada. Aurora College, Yurris said sciences and Indigenous John Franklin. capacity to grow food than having the high- Yurris was she has thought about it. health that caught my inter- "When I was at Sir John I we might assume." est grade point we might inspired to open "I plan on staying in touch est," she said. was really into cooking and While Yurris still loves average in the assume." the chapter after with MX and maybe seeing "Right now my focus is baking. I joined the Skills cooking, her path led her program. she attended a how we can bring their pro- just to get a sense of what it's Canada Baking Club and it away from a cooking job But her pas- Aimee Yurris National Stu- gramming here." like to be working in health became a big passion. I grad- as she learned more about sion couldn't be dent Food Sum- While her scope is broad and seeing where that takes uated from Sir John in 2013 Northern food systems, and contained by mit at McMas- for the time being, the area me." and then went to cooking towards other possibilities classroom and ter University in where she sees the greatest She also plans to focus school at the Northern Alber- that would combine food, laboratory studies. Hamilton, Ont. last summer, need is the high cost of food on her new vegetable plot of ta Institute of Technology in society and health. Last year, for her pro- where she was the only rep- in the North, especially in the Yellowknife Community Edmonton in 2014-2016. But For her degree at Leth- gram's final practicum seg- resentative from Alberta and remote communities. Garden Collective. when I came back here in bridge, she majored in Indig- ment, she started the Leth- the NWT. Her long-term goal is to "I got (the plot) for the the summers I learned more enous health and minored in bridge chapter of Meal Yurris explained that MX stay in the North and do what first time. It's a way for me about health and food secu- population health, the study Exchange (MX), a student has since broadened its man- she can to enhance health to learn more about what it rity," she said. of health from a group per- organization seeking the date and now focuses on sup- and wellness among North- takes to grow food in Yel- One summer, she took spective rather than from an development of a more equi- port for students who advo- ern residents. lowknife." 14 yellowknifer, Friday, July 3, 2020 news Yellowknifer, Friday, July 3, 2020 15 Former commissioner Hodgson's legacy remembered in new book 'Basically Hodgson, in the very early days, was more powerful than the Prime Minister'

by Simon Whitehouse Ootes said it may be hard for people today to appreciate the impact Hodgson, particularly as a young individual enthusiastic to make Northern News Services that the introduction of local governance systems with open, elect- a difference. Stuart Hodgson, the ' first residing com- ed councils and standard municipal services had on the North. "It was really fascinating to work for this man and that was missioner, is the subject of a new book that examines the evolution "There were no roads other than the one into Yellowknife," he because he had that instinct to be sensitive to what people in the com- of the North under his tenure, from the perspective of someone said of the period before Hodgson. "There were no communica- munities needed," he said. "That was a wonderful experience for me." who knew him personally and professionally. tion systems, no transportation systems, other than the barges and Jake Ootes, former executive assistant under Hodgson from sealifts, no extensive housing programs and no extensive health 1967 to 1975, explained to Yellowknifer in an interview this week and social services programs. that Hodgson should be remembered as a man who held a great "People had been congregating into communities and lived in deal of power and responsibility when he came north to establish a communities and lived off the land. But that was becoming a dif- capital, set up a territorial administration, create a political system ficulty for a lot of people because, as it turned out, when people and then set in motion the devolution of powers to local people. crowded into one place, they had to go further and further out "Basically Hodgson in the very early days was more powerful on the land to harvest animals. It needed attention and a system than the Prime Minister (of Canada) because he had total control where people could control themselves with things like garbage of all of that," Ootes said. "So he was extremely powerful." pickup, community roads, housing, building or water delivery." The book covers a period from the early '60s – when the Car- rothers Commission under Prime Minister Lester Pearson was set Movement for self-determination up to establish territorial governance in the NWT – to Hodgson's During the '70s there was also great movement for self-deter- departure from the North in 1979. mination among Indigenous people of the North, as described Ootes, MLA for Yellowknife Centre from 1995 to 2003, in the book's foreward by Tlicho Elder James Wah-shee, former focuses on Hodgson's character being suited to bring Indigenous, president of the Indian Brotherhood (now the Dene Nation). non-Indigenous, Inuit and Metis people together and his willing- "There were conflicts between (the Indian Brotherhood) and ness to work with and build northern communities. Hodgson because some of their programs conflicted with the "For Hodgson, it was a case of getting out there and meeting programs that had been developing, for instance with community, the people and saying, 'OK, this is what government's all about,'" settlement and hamlet councils," Ootes said. "Hodsgon always saw Ootes explained. those councils as the way to administer communities. He never felt "He set up the territorial administration and over the following that there shouldn't be Aboriginal organizations." couple of years (in the '70s) spent a lot of time travelling to deal Ootes said Wah-shee should be remembered as a young leader with what the people and the communities needed. who had a lot of responsibilities to set and advance the Indian "His job was to take (Northerners) into the Canadian main- Brotherhood's objectives and meet the needs of its membership. stream in order to give people in the Northwest Territories the Eventually some of the conflicts between the Indian Brother- photo courtesy of Jake Ootes kinds of things that were available to other people in Canada." hood and Hodgson's efforts were resolved as territorial represen- Jake Ootes, former executive assistant under Before Hodgson became commissioner, communities through- tation was increasingly made up of Indigenous people, including former Commissioner Stuart Hodgson and former out the North had administrators who reported to the federal Wah-shee himself, who became an MLA. MLA for Yellowknife Centre, has written a book government in in a more distant and colonial relationship. Looking back, Ootes said he greatly enjoyed working under about Hodgson's contributions to the NWT. Integrity czar mum on Thom complaint

Nunakput MLA Jackie Jacobson wrote a letter con- cerned about a party the health minister attended shortly after declar- ing a public health emergency in the NWT. NNSL file photo Health minister attended party in March by Blair McBride attended a cabin party in gation. In an email to Yellow- Northern News Services March at Airport Lake near knifer, they said Jacobson's The status of a complaint Inuvik where there were letter contained "uncertain- about Health Minister Diane allegedly at least 10 people ties" in regards to which Thom's alleged violation of present, including some peo- health orders were in place Covid health orders is unclear ple who were supposed to be at that time of the incident in after Integrity Commissioner self-isolating, according to a March. David Phillip Jones declined letter Jacobson sent to Jones "Given the uncertainty and to discuss the issue on Tues- on June 26. out of respect for the commis- day. Jacobson also claimed in sioner and any investigation "It would not be appropri- the letter that the premier mis- he might choose to undertake, ate for me to make any com- led MLAs when asked about we are not going to com- ment about this specific case," the gathering and encouraged ment publicly on this matter said Jones, the NWT's integri- Thom to downplay the inci- while he is still looking into ty commissioner, in response dent "in an effort to save face it. Should the commissioner to a question from Yellowknif- publicly." decide to investigate the com- er as to whether he planned The MLA concluded his plaint, Cabinet will co-oper- to investigate allegations by letter by recommending that ate fully with him," they said. Nunakput MLA Jackie Jacob- an investigation be conducted Jacobson has been con- son against Thom and Pre- into the allegations against tacted for further comment mier Caroline Cochrane. Thom. on the complaint and possible Jacobson accused the Cochrane and Thom had investigation. Yellowknifer is health minister of having little to say about the investi- awaiting a response. 16 yellowknifer, Friday, July 3, 2020 Sports & Recreation Sports hotline • James McCarthy Phone: (867) 873-4031 • Email: [email protected] • Fax: (867) 873-8507 The future of tennis on display Tennis NWT hosts junior high performance camps by James McCarthy The older group focused more on Northern News Services the technical aspect of the sport, mainly If you were to ask the young play- because it's the group which could pro- ers taking part in Tennis NWT's junior vide the bulk of the team that will head high performance camps this week about to the 2021 Canada Summer Games in what's happening right now, they'll tell Ontario next July. you simply that it's good to be out there. If that happens, of course. The camps at the Yellowknife Ten- "That's for the kids who want to get nis Club wrap up today better and compete against with several young players other kids and win tour- between the ages of six to "We learned naments," said Martinek. 15 hitting the courts for a "They're the ones who week of instruction under how to aim want to take it seriously. the tutelage of coaches Jan The kids out in the after- Martinek and Tamara Jovic. and hit the noon are the ones who are Martinek, who's back for ball." up-and-coming. If they his second straight year as stick with it, they'll become the head pro at the club, Melanie Messier good at it." said the one thing everyone Martinek also said he agreed upon was the abun- can see which ones seem to dance of hot weather but everyone was have a grasp of the sport already. still enthusiastic enough to play. "Some of them have a good judg- "Lots of kids this year," he said. "I ment already of where to hit the ball and told people that I'm back in the city and to how fast it is and all that," he said. "It's come out. It's good to see so many show tough sometimes because you can't tell up and I think it's because people know if they're here because they like it or if me. That initial step of being nervous their parents signed them up but you can around someone new is totally gone and see two different groups: the ones who it's just fun times since I've been here." will continue and the ones that probably Like everyone else who came from the won't." south to work – Martinek is from Van- When it comes to the players, the couver – he had to self-isolate for 14 days common theme was one of learning how upon his arrival before heading out onto to aim the ball, such as Melanie Messier. the courts. She comes from some good racquet The players were split into one of sports pedigree as her older brother, three groups for the week: Smashers for Stephen Messier, is one of the best young ages six through eight; Aces for ages tennis and squash players in the territory. eight through 10 and the high perform- "We learned how to aim and hit the ance group for the 10 to 15-year-olds. ball," she said. The Smashers and Aces were out on Tendesai Mufandeadza said she liked court in the afternoons with the focus learning how to serve. James McCarthy/NNSL photos on learning ground strokes and footwork "I do overhand," she said. "I learned Araliya Fox steps into a forehand return during an accuracy drill during a junior high per- among other things. Each group played how to do that. The coaches have been formance camp run by Tennis NWT at the Yellowknife Tennis Club on Tuesday. fun matches to wrap things up each day. OK."

Abigail Dewling pulls off a two-handed forehand return during a junior high performance camp run by Tennis NWT at the Yellowknife Tennis Club on Tuesday. sports & recreation Yellowknifer, Friday, July 3, 2020 17 Bottom-seeded curlers into the final

Confirmation of the 2020 mixed curlers advancing to the final of NNSL Media's Greatest Of All Time competi- tion. image courtesy of PrintYourBrackets

2020 mixed curling outfit advances to deciding match-up of GOAT

by James McCarthy The mixed squad had four lowknife Coyotes broomball on the post of your choice Once the final two teams the winners being announced Northern News Services times as many votes on their team and the 2013-2014 Yel- at our Facebook page. As a are confirmed, the grand final on July 15. One-half of the final in way to victory. lowknife Wolfpack peewee reminder, you are also allowed will happen on July 13 with NNSL Media's Greatest Of Koe and company started development hockey team. to send in your votes by email All Time is now set and it's off by defeating the top-seed- That match-up will go this as well to [email protected]. the 16th seeds that occupy ed 2014 NWT Rebels women's coming Monday, July 6, with No matter your method, that slot. broomball squad in round one voting beginning at 9 a.m. you can only vote once. If you The 2020 mixed curling and knocked off the darts duo This match-up ensures it will vote on Facebook, you can outfit of Jamie Koe, Kerry of Elvis Beaudoin and Keith be curling vs. either broom- only like, share or comment. Galusha, David Aho and Way in round two before over- ball or hockey. If you do all three, only your Megan Koehler will compete coming Team Galusha. You have until 11:59 p.m. like will be counted. If you for the title after taking down They will now await the the following day to cast your vote on Facebook and email the 2018-2019 line-up of Team winner of the second semi- vote. You vote by either lik- later on, only your Facebook Galusha in the semifinals. final between the 2016 Yel- ing, sharing or commenting vote will be counted.

Valerie Simard/Curling Canada photo The 2020 mixed curling squad of Jamie Koe, left, Kerry Galusha, David Aho and Megan Koehler have defied the odds of being the 16th seed in NNSL Media's Greatest Of All Time competition to advance to the final. They defeated the 2018-2019 Team Galusha line-up in their semifinal match-up. 18 yellowknifer, Friday, July 3, 2020 Yellowknifer, Friday, July 3, 2020 19

Yk City Hall, library reopen to public Municipal Enforcement Division (MED) service desk will be available for walk-ins

by Simon Whitehouse The Municipal Enforcement Division will be extended until Saturday, July 4. Over- Northern News Services (MED) service desk on the lower level will be due fines for items signed out haven't been Yellowknife City Hall and the library available for walk-ins during City Hall open- charged since the library was closed in March. reopened to the public Thursday, with limited ing hours. Appointments can also be booked Residents can continue to access city ser- capacity and reduced hours. with the MED by emailing med@yellowknife. vices online by emailing CustomerService@ The reopenings, announced in a news ca or calling 920-5630. yellowknife.ca or visiting the City's website. release on Tuesday, come more than three The Yellowknife Public Library (YPL) Physical distancing guidelines set out by months after the facilities were closed due to will be open from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., Monday the GNWT still apply at all city facilities and the Covid-19 pandemic. to Friday by appointment only. visitors should follow signage in place. City Hall will be open to the public from To book an appointment for Wi-Fi use or to Visitors must check in and out with the 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., Monday to Friday and will pick up resources email library@yellowknife. front desk at each facility entrance. be accessible only through the lower entrance ca or call 920-5642. Anyone experiencing symptoms such on 49 Ave. To enter the library, the elevator should be as fever, new or worsening cough, shortness The customer service desk in the main used by one person at a time, unless users are of breath, tiredness, muscle aches, sore throat, lobby should be accessed only by the elevator from the same household. To exit, the stairs runny nose, headache, diarrhea, loss of appe- NNSL file photo – one person at a time, unless users are from should be used. tite, loss of taste, or loss of smell should not Yellowknife City Hall is open to the pub- the same household. Due dates for items currently checked out enter. lic again on weekdays, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. 20 yellowknifer, Friday, July 3, 2020