Old Stanton hospital renos on pace: GNWT Former hospital will house 90 long-term and extended care beds starting in 2022 Online first at NNSL.com A look back at in 2019 Volume 48 Issue 81 fr iday, January 3, 2020 75 CENTS ($1.00 outside city)

Volume 47 Issue 92 FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2019 75 CENTS ($1.00 outside city) Big find for TerraX MLAs to vote today Snowking battles 16,000 metres of historical core samples from 1960s to 1990s recovered from Giant Mine site show favourable sections from three of company's top gold deposit targets with Mother Nature in labour dispute Unseasonably warm weather Online first at NNSL.com Online first at NNSL.com Territory on pins and needles as politicians puts a damper on daytime Online first at NNSL.com vote on binding arbitration to avoid strike activities at snow castle Deceased identified in snowmobile crash Year of the Pig visits near Reid Lake Volume 48 Issue 1 WEDNESDAY, MARCH 20, 2019 75 CENTS ($1 outside city) Volume 47 Issue 85 WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 16, 2019 75 CENTS ($1 outside city) Legislative Assembly

News Malanka! News Violent sex offender gets time Budget for assault Sissons talks of Sports packed borrowing for town for wages hall meet Warm weekend for News Frostbite 50

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Australian Craig Rangers Cardiff in Yk

hits the Brett McGarry/ NNSL photo classroom Anthony Foliot, the Snowking, stands next Simon Whitehouse/NNSL photo to his slumping snow castle, recently More support for closed due to unusually warm weather. He Avery Zingel/NNSL photo was able to press his hand right into the women in office Serena Sevigny, left, Aida Reed, Noa Jackson-Grau, Vyka Washee-Letts, Janelle Jordison Shino Koyanagagi, 4, left, and Brigid Clancy, 6, show off some paper lanterns they made during the Chinese New Year festivities at the NWT Legislative Assembly, wall, which is typically nearly rock hard. and Shaeden Washee-Letts, front left, and Loic Hipfner do a performance on Jan. 12 as Feb. 3. Organizers included the Aurora College Literacy Outreach Centre, the Aurora College Integration Office and the NWT Literacy Council. Xiaoyi Yan, one of the See inside for full story. part of Malanka, the annual Ukrainian New Years festivities. main organizers of the event, said attendees reached capacity of about 200 people showing the event was quite popular among local people despite extreme cold temperatures.

$1.00 outside Yellowknife $1.00 outside Yellowknife Publication mail Contract #40012157 "Every capital city in the country, save Yellowknife and Iqaluit, $1.00 outside Yellowknife Publication mail Contract #40012157 "Rent is the biggest issue for any senior that lives alone and has to rent." Publication mail Contract #40012157 "I'm glad all the hard work I've done in running paid off." has a university based there." 7 71605 00100 5 – Grace Twa, talking about her gold medal win after competing in the 14 and Under 10K race 7 71605 00100 5 – NWT Seniors' Society executive director Suzette Montreuil, talking about the cost of living for seniors in the city, page 2. – Chris Loreto, principal with StategyCorp, talking about why Yellowknife would be best suited for the polytechnic university, page 4. 7 71605 00100 5 at the Maui Oceanfront Marathon in Hawaii last month, page 15.

Online first at NNSL.com Folk Finger lickin' late festival Trampoline off-limits Last year, Yellowknifers learned Kentucky Fried Chicken was coming back wraps to town but it doesn't look like that will be happening anytime soon with a bang Volume 48 Issue 35 WEDNESDAY, JULY 17, 2019 75 CENTS ($1 outside city) at Multiplex gym Online first at NNSL.com Online first at NNSL.com New insurance policy takes jump out of day camps, birthday parties 'Worried but working' Online first at NNSL.com Grand opening of Stanton Territorial Hospital marred by nursing shortage, Beer Barge arrives food concerns and shoddy janitorial services Volume 48 Issue 27 WEDNESDAY, JUNE 19, 2019 75 CENTS ($1 outside city) Cops and Courts: traffiCker gets two years Paddle Battle Volume 48 Issue 39 FRIDAY, AUGUST 2, 2019 75 CENTS ($1.00 outside city) Yk man "We've certainly had lots of Champs gets year crowned glitches with the building in jail for at NWT as we moved in," says Your complete pie iron Open Stanton boss Kim Riles events guide assault

City photo Nick Pearce/NNSL boundary News Opinion Sports

Brendan Burke/NNSL photo St. Patrick High School Grade 12 students, pictured here, faced rival racers from Sir John Franklin High School at the annual Narwal North-sponsored Paddle Battle. They made a big splash on Frame Lake Monday afternoon.

News Community Sports MMIWG: Yk darts Indigenous Women player graduates become keeps Yellowknives may Fundraiser aims to Micro condos Canadian celebrate advocates hitting the take over Yk Bay, replace damaged for lower cost boxing legend milestone after losing bull's-eye Jolliffe Island war memorial of living comes north in style Head-to-head loved ones Simon Whitehouse/NNSL photos Simon Whitehouse/NNSL

$1.00 outside Yellowknife "We have a dedicated staff, a fantastic learning community and committed parents. $1.00 outside Yellowknife "I hope people see the signs and realize that they matter." $1.00 outside Yellowknife Publication mail Contract #40012157 Publication mail Contract #40012157 Publication mail Contract #40012157 I love that there is always an opportunity for growth and that we are all learners." – Cicely Larocque-Norn, a member of the Tree of Peace Friendship Centre's youth "The real lesson of my book is how an autistic person sees the world." 7 71605 00100 5 7 71605 00100 5 committee, on a recently launched suicide awareness campaign, page 6. – Simone Gessler, on becoming the new superintendent of Yellowknife Catholic Schools, page 4. 7 71605 00100 5 – Coffee Break News editor Brad Hall on his 2009 novella Too Many Expresso Beans, page 12.

Online first at NNSL.com Golfers And they're off! support 'Violence' driving Francophone pans YWCA With the election officially starting Monday, candidates across the city register with Elections NWT, now they're hammering in signs and knocking on doors Volume 48 Issue 57 WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 2, 2019 75 CENTS ($1 outside city) new shelter policy health-care services #NWTVotes2018 Says hospital, clinics lack French speakers; health dept insists interpreter available Disabilities council says they can't ensure safety of clientele without it Online first at NNSL.com Online first at NNSL.com Mayor Online first at NNSL.com Grads make Alty's Step aside guys great carvers election Gender gap closes in historic election night as nine Grads get into column gingerbread women take seats in the legislative assembly debut Volume 48 Issue 80 frIdaY, december 20, 2019 75 ceNTS ($1.00 outside city) Volume 48 Issue 49 WEDNESDAY, SEptEmbEr 4, 2019 75 CENtS ($1 outside city) Volume 48 Issue 68 frIdaY, NOVEMBEr 8, 2019 75 CENTS ($1.00 outside city) #NWTvotes2019 See inside for ... Merry Christmas! Regaling Full coverage the pond of 2019 NWT regatta election results Climate Your complete Seabridge Snacks, events guide Gold shines sweets for Team NT (and skis!) Yellowknifers kennel march for controversy climate justice Crime New sports

recognized Jolly Old Saint Nick made an appearance on the ice at the Multiplex Dec. Man claims 11. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from everyone at Yellowknifer and in the NWT Northern News Services Ltd. This will be our final issue for 2019. Hilltop$1.00 outside Yellowknife Blair McBride/NNSL photo Apartments Police still Zimbabwean infestedPublication with mail Contract #40012157Jordan Mair, 11, left, and Lucas Pedersen, Another bear Your guide to Comment: 11, with their boat Rafty Crafty at the Old looking for community bed bugs Town Pond Sailor's Regatta on Saturday. spray incident at Remembrance inside the

For story and photos, please see inside. photo Simon Whitehouse/NNSL missing celebrates Crestview James McCarthy/NNSL photo Day events in AWG trials Toryn Wheler, left, and Anna Curran, members of the Yellowknife Ski Club's Track Attack program, man, 63 holidays serve up some homemade goodies during the annual Snow Show at the club's chalet Nov. 2. Yellowknife Brendan Burke/NNSL photo

$1.00 outside Yellowknife $1.00 outside Yellowknife Publication mail Contract #40012157 "I thought, what the hell, I'll add it in the cart with the Xanax." Publication mail Contract #40012157 $1.00 outside Yellowknife "(Women) make up 50 per cent of our population. We think differently. We don’t think better, Publication mail Contract #40012157 $1.00 outside Yellowknife Publication mail Contract #40012157 "The needs a party system with an opposition – Darcy Oake, taking the stand in his own defence in Supreme Court, recalling how he came to add we just think differently." "The worst part is feeling like there's no one looking out for you. But I guarantee there is." 7 71605 00100 5 7 71605 00100 5 furanylfentanyl to his dark web online shopping cart, page 5. –MLA-re-elect remarking on the eight other female MLAs who will be joining her in the legislative assembly, page 3. that facilitates and encourages robust debate." 7 71605 00100 5 7 71605 00100 5 – Paige Savard, one of the speakers at the third annual Jack.org Northern summit held in Yellowknife last weekend, page 5. 7 71605 00100 5 – Columnist Nancy Vail argues the NWT has outgrown consensus government, page A10. 2 yellowknifer, Friday, January 3, 2020 A Yellowknifer 2019

NNSL file photo Standing with Unist'ot'en " We think we're in this time now where people are getting 'woke.' There's reconciliation. We're having these conversations and people are doing traditional territory acknowledgements, but it's still a colonial state. It's still systemic racism." said Melaw Nakehk'o, joined by Maggie Mercredi and Coleen Canney during a day of action Jan. 8 in solidarity with the Unist'ot'en Camp after an RCMP raid to enforce a court injunction against an access blockade. Travis King, fighting back tears as he stood to address Justice Another flare-up with GNWT, union Louise Charbonneau in a Yellowknife courtroom. King, 22, pleaded guilty to possessing the proceeds of crime – under January After three years of negotiations to no avail, tensions $5,000 – following his arrest in 2017. between the GNWT and the UNW flared up in January as the New Harley's granted liquor licence King had previously been charged in 2016 after being caught government rejected submitting to binding arbitration. with 100 grams of cocaine during a traffic stop in Hay River. Harley's Hardrock Saloon was given the green light to serve Union president Todd Parsons accused the government of Crown prosecutor Brendan Green said King played an liquor at its new 48 Street location following a ruling from the acting in bad faith and misleading the public after a document "active role" in an illegal outfit that trafficked cocaine for profit, NWT Liquor Licensing Board. was released by the GNWT which was supposed to illustrate saying he should be sentenced as a drug runner. Billed as "Canada's northernmost strip club" and housed for union workers receiving fair wages. decades at its former Franklin Avenue location, shut its doors at While Parsons described the document as full of falsehoods, the end of November, announcing it would be moving into the the GNWT maintained it was factual. Polytechnic university former Lenny Burger building. The UNW continued to carry out strike training through the would cost $80 million The bar's co-owner Sara Handley said the bar was going to winter months. join forces with Twin Pine Diner to serve up all day breakfast A $50,000 report commissioned in 2018 to advisory firm and favourites like chicken and waffles. StrategyCorp recommended that the City of Yellowknife should Sara told reporters that the old building and long-standing home Junior member of cocaine ring busted actively peruse a polytechnic university. of Harley's was in poor condition. A "junior member" of a Yellowknife-based drug trafficking The report stated it could cost as much as $80 million. The new building would also boast a tattoo and piercing par- network convicted of possessing cash generated through the "In our estimation, you really have no choice but to do this," lour downstairs. Sara's T-Shirt Shack, housed beside the former sale of cocaine delivered an emotional apology Monday during said Chris Loreto, principal at the Ontario-based consultant Harley 's strip club, will also be moved into the new building for a sentencing hearing in NWT Supreme Court. StrategyCorp. "It's essential for (the) long-term sustainability more space and "more product," said Sara. "I'm not a bad person. I've just made wrong choices," said of the city." The report claimed that putting the institution in the territor- ial capital made the most sense and would likely curb the trend of outward migration. Biggest diamond theft in NWT history Samson Mkhitaryan, plead guilty and was later sentenced to 18 months in prison for his role in the biggest diamond theft in NWT history. The 40-year-old pocketed $400,000 worth of diamonds. While working at the Diavik product splitting facility located near Yellowknife airport, he stole 29 uncut stones between November 2017 and February 2019, slipping the stones into his pocket and replacing them with common stones of similar size and colour. An RCMP probe was conducted after other employees became suspicious Mkhitaryan was pocketing the stones. Mounties initially couldn't find the stones until Mkhitaryan cooperated and detailed where the stones were hiding, in between two pipes in his garage. Prosecutors said the theft was not committed in the heat of the moment, but required deliberation and forethought. Defence lawyers said Mkhitaryan was in serious debt and stole diamonds to support his family in Armenia.

NNSL file photo Local 11 president and Stanton Territorial Hospital nurse Frank Walsh, left, addresses UNW supporters and members at a practice picket outside the North Slave Correctional Centre Jan. 9. Please see February, page 4 news Yellowknifer, Friday, January 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 Holiday light contest winners The City of Yellowknife and Northland Util- ities announced the winners of the 2019 Holiday Lights Competition on Friday, naming five houses. The winning homes – 5204 54 Street, 5211 54 Street, 5 Wong Court, 6 Burwash Drive, 5009 Finlayson Drive – will receive $150 each. Registration prize winners 39 Johnson Cres- cent, will receive $100. The City thanked the utilities company and residents for "decorating and voting, to help brighten our community." – Nick Pearce Christmas Day break and enter Police are asking for the public's assistance after a suspect pulled a Grinch act and stole a large amount of cash from a house in Yellow- knife on Dec. 25. Around 6:15 p.m. on Christmas Day, police were called to a house where it is believed a man broke in and stole the money while the owner was home, according to an RCMP news release. An RCMP spokesperson told Yellowknifer the precise sum of money stolen is not being released but that it was a large amount. Members of the public are asked to get in Nick Pearce/NNSL photo touch with the RCMP if they had contact with roll call or video footage of a male, possibly wearing a green or dark coat/parka on Dec. 25 between Anneluzelia, Melissa, Noel, Aaron "Godson" and Jessy-Anne Hernandez watched their episode of Family Feud Canada 5 p.m. and 8 p.m. in the Latham Island or Old at the Top Knight with friends and family Dec. 30. They won $10,000 during their appearance. Town area. A similarly dressed male was observed in the same area on Dec. 24 between 7 p.m. and 10 p.m., carrying a shovel and offering to clear snow from the driveways and sidewalks of resi- Former hospital to house dences. To report any information on the case contact the RCMP Yellowknife detachment at 867-669-1111. – Blair McBride long-term care by 2022 Search for missing woman, 60, continues in Yellowknife Police in Yellowknife again issued a public The territory's rosy outlook for Legacy Building stands in appeal on Tuesday in the hopes of locating a missing 60-year-old woman last seen on Box- stark contrast with water, mould woes at new hospital ing Day. by Brendan Burke to heat and power the building as work remove mould was done quickly and by the Sladjana Petrovic was last seen in the Northern News Services continues, Healy stated, "utility costs for book. But problems at the hospital reportedly downtown area on Thursday, Dec. 26. RCMP The old Stanton Territorial Hospital in the building are under review as work pro- aren't going away. Neither are the frustrations launched an investigation the following day after Yellowknife, which the territorial govern- gresses." of employees. Petrovic was reported missing. ment now calls Legacy Stanton, is on pace Those costs are anticipated to vary as the Staff spoke out anonymously to Cabin Police describe Petrovic as "Caucasian, 5'7" to begin providing long-term care to patients building's development continues, he added. Radio last month. Ongoing water leaks, they / 170 cm, 257 lbs / 117 kg, heavy build, shoulder by 2022, the territory's health authority says. "It is expected that there will be an initial lamented, have forced the closure of crucial length 'salt and pepper' brown hair and blue The former hospital is being retrofitted to savings during remediation and demolition, with facilities multiple times. eyes." house 90 long-term and extended-care beds. costs increasing during tenant improvements." Anyone with information related to the The building now sits vacant near the Boreal Health Partnerships (BHP), con- Contractor under scrutiny whereabouts of Sladjana Petrovic is asked to capital's new $350-million hospital, which, tracted in 2015 to build the new Stanton Meanwhile, Stanton Territorial Hospital's contact either Yellowknife RCMP at 867-669- according to media reports, has been plagued Territorial Hospital under a public-private woes are being placed under the microscope 1111 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS, by a series of disruptive and damaging partnership (also known as a P3) with the nearly 2,000 kilometres away, in Saskatch- nwtnutips.com, (click on "submit a web tip") or water leaks since opening its doors in May, GNWT, is responsible for completing the ewan, according to CBC News. text: nwtnutips to 274637. resulting in mould and mounting concerns remediation work at the Legacy Building. That's because both Stanton Territorial – Brendan Burke from staff members. BHP has subcontracted Clark Builders to Hospital and the Hospital Meanwhile, work at the old Stanton site is carry out the work, according to Healy. North Battleford were initially tied to Caril- Yellowknife student selected for on schedule to be completed by spring 2022, lion Canada, once a P3 partner in the respect- with the building expected to become oper- Mounting concerns at new hospital ive projects. Carillion was set to maintain documentary training ational during the same time frame, stated While the health authority says things both hospitals for three decades under the Miranda Currie will join the National Screen spokesperson Damien Healy in an email to are running smoothly at the former Stanton agreement. Institute's IndigiDocs training course this Feb- Yellowknifer. site, the same apparently can't be said for the That never happened. ruary. Once work is completed, the plan is to newly-opened Stanton Territorial Hospital. In 2018, Carillion filed for creditor pro- As one of eight selected students, Currie will offer outpatient rehabilitation and other ser- An October report from CBC North, tection and liquidated its assets. Dexterra develop a documentary "with training sessions vices in the same building. citing internal documents, reported mul- then came on board as the third party partner and mentorship from Canada's most respected The anticipated completion date is in-line tiple water leaks had occurred at the facil- in Yellowknife to maintain and operate the documentarians," according to a Dec. 18 news with the department's original timeline for ity, including a grey water leak discovered facility. release. An artist, wilderness guide, teacher the project, according to Healy. Decommis- only a day after the hospital opened its Saskatchewan's new $407 million hospital and children's author, Currie aims to produce sioning and decontamination work at the doors. According to CBC North, documents has also been plagued by structural issues. family-friendly outdoor adventure films. She is former Stanton site began on time in July. revealed the leak, which contained bodily According to CBC News, the facility is in slated to graduate from University of Victoria's Crews began removing hazardous materi- fluids, caused damage to a wall in the hospi- need of a new roof, and that drinking water in Indigenous language revitalization program in als from the building in August, Healy stated. tal's dialysis unit. the building, containing high levels of copper March 2020. Remediation of hazardous materials A Northwest Territories Health and Social or lead, has been deemed unsafe to consume. "As an emerging filmmaker, Miranda cre- has been completed on all three levels of Services Authority spokesperson confirmed Similar problems at the two facilities tied ates northern Indigenous content that seeks to the building, writes Healy, adding ongoing to the broadcaster that since May there had to Carillion, reports CBC News, recently positively influence the Indigenous narrative in demolition work on the building's first level been five water leaks at the hospital and that prompted the province's official opposition to Canada," the organization said. is nearly wrapped up. two had caused mould to grow. call for a closer look into the contractor and – Nick Pearce Asked how much is being spent monthly The authority told CBC North work to P3 agreements as a whole. 4 yellowknifer, Friday, January 3, 2020 2019 Year in Review under mediator Vince Ready. ity engagement advisor to TerraX, in a statement to Yellow- A posting on the UNW website just after midnight stated knifer. February that although mediation efforts over the days leading up to the "Based on past years, the number of people required to run strike date did not reach a tentative agreement, "the parties a winter drilling program is about 50. This includes direct con- Two pilots dead in Air Tindi Crash have agreed to submit their outstanding issues to Mr. Ready for tractors and direct employees." binding recommendations." Some work would continue under the company's land use After an Air Tindi flight went messing in the tail end of permit, which was received "in a timely manner" according to January, the RCMP released word that the plane had crashed trade mission put on hold TerraX executive chairman Joe Campbell. That licence only and confirmed the deaths of the two pilots. allows for 99 cubic metres of water per day, compared to 299 RCMP stated that the crash site was "some 20-odd miles" The GNWT shelved its planned trade mission to China after under a water licence. The amount of water used corresponds outside of Whati. Bad weather conditions coincided with the the arrest of two Canadian citizens lead to diplomatic tensions. to the amount of drilling that can be done. crash. After China's Huawei Technologies chief financial officer It was later learned that Will Hayworth and Zach McKillop Meng Wanzhou was arrested in December at the Vancouver Please see next page were the pilots who had perished. airport, China detained approximately a dozen Canadians, An outpouring of support from Yellowknife and the aviation including entrepreneur Michael Spavor and Michael Kovrig, a community followed news of the crash. former Canadian diplomat. "It's a very sad day for everybody, including every man, For more than a decade, government resources have been woman and child in Yellowknife as much as the families and poured into promoting NWT tourism in the world's most popu- friends directly involved," said Adam Bembridge, president of lous nation. Acasta – a helicopter company based in Yellowknife. In the legislative assembly, MLA wanted the GNWT to express to Ottawa the potential harm to the GNWT hit with $1.2 million claim northern tourism economy that political tensions could have. A Yellowknife man who spoke out about dozens of alleged sexual encounters between himself and staff as an inmate at Search for bank robbery suspect North Slave Correctional Complex (NSCC) levelled a claim for Yellowknife Mounties searched for a suspect they say robbed more than $1 million in damages from the GNWT. a city bank in broad daylight. Kelly Canadian, 26, made the claims against the govern- RCMP said man entered the First Nations Bank of Canada ment after an NSCC employee "violated him physically, sex- on 48 Street just after noon on Feb. 13, where he allegedly ually, emotionally and spiritually," he said. demanded cash while brandishing what police believed to be He alleged he was abused between 30 and 40 times. a knife. Canadian's legal representation argued the GNWT is "vic- An "undisclosed amount" of cash was handed over to the ariously liable for the actions" of the employee, who took suspect by a bank clerk before the man fled on foot towards the advantage of "serious systemic" shortfalls at the jail to "sex- downtown area, according to a news release issued by Mounties ually assault" Canadian and actively avoid detection. hours later. NNSL file photo UNW strike averted Drilling jobs threatened by delay D ance the night away The Union of Northern Workers announced in the early As many as 50 jobs were threatened when TerraX Minerals Louise Debogorski, left, and Tracey Belton-Horton of hours of Feb. 10 that plans for a territory-wide strike would be Inc. scaled down its winter drilling program, according to an postponed. advisor to the company. Yellowknife Elders Folk Dance Collective swing each The UNW and territorial government were seeking to find "Without a water licence TerraX has cancelled its winter other around the floor at the Anglican Church during an 11th hour deal that could impact 4,000 GNWT workers drilling program," said David Connelly, strategic and commun- a regular meeting of the group Feb. 5.

NNSL file photo Rangers' first ride Steven Nitah of the Indigenous Leadership Initiative stands on the back of the sled as a group of rangers from Australia is prepared for their first-ever dog sledding trip Feb. 3. In the sled are, from right, Dean Yibarbuk, Lane Nothman, Sophia Walter and David Ross. 2019 Year in Review Yellowknifer, Friday, January 3, 2020 5 March Downtown 50/50 lot goes up for sale After years of attempting to find a use for the 50/50 lot next to Centre Square Mall, city council passed a bylaw to put the down- town lot, being used as parking, up for sale or lease. They set the asking price at what the city paid for it in 2014: $1.45 million. Over the years the city created multiple plans to utilize the lot, including a $6.5 million open air plaza, which ultimately fell through. The sale of the lot sparked a lot of debate as to whether the city should be trying to lease or sell land in its possession. The lot remains unsold. Council approves cannabis producer in Yellowknife Several city councillors had kind words about a cannabis pro- duction facility proposal for the Engle business district. Jordan Harker, the developer behind the project, said the facil- ity would produce competitively priced products and would create NNSL file photo roughly 12 full-time jobs and 20 to 25 part-time positions. The Cam Nuefeld Connection, Billie Zizi, left, Cam Neufeld, Daniel Stadnicki and Ryan Funk played with Harker said the proposed facility would be used to grow and an upbeat combination of fiddle, rock and folk songs at the 2019 Snowking Festival. wholesale cannabis to retailers. Coun. Steven Payne criticized the red-tape surrounding busi- Vince Ready. Violent sex offender imprisoned for assault After much tension between the union and the GNWT and nesses like this, noting the troubles that the brew pub went through When Travis Menacho, a Tulita man convicted of multiple before open. nearly a strike, both parties agreed to binding arbitration which sex crimes against children, was released from a territorial jail in lead to a final decision. Harker received the full support of city council, with members August 2016, RCMP took the rare step of warning residents across praising him for bringing the initiative forward and producing jobs The deal took effect retroactively to April 1, 2016 with no mon- the territory of Menacho's risk to re-offend. etary increases for two years. in the city. In May 2018 Menacho sexually assaulted a sleeping woman In March, he was still awaiting approval from Health Canada. Roughly 3,800 GNWT workers were affected by the new deal. in Yellowknife. Menacho was sentenced to a prison term of three Ready described the arbitration as "challenging." years and eight months for the assault – his fourth conviction for Snowking battles with mother nature sexual violence. For the first time ever, Snowking's Winter Festival snow castle "He took advantage of a sleeping victim while he was on proba- New sobering centre riles neighbour closed during the day due to high temperatures which lead to the tion," said Crown prosecutor Jeannie Scott. April Desjarlais, owner of the Finn Hansen building next door melting of the structure. Family members of Menacho said Menacho also lives with to the new government-operated day shelter and sobering centre "This is to protect the castle from all the wear and tear it would "cognitive challenges," and may have undiagnosed fetal alcohol on 50 Street, came before council March 25 to detail abuse and take during the day," said spokesperson Laura Busch. spectrum disorder (FASD). disruptions stemming from the presence of the shelter, including a For a matter of weeks the unseasonably warm temperatures At the time of his sentencing March 16, he had been in custody violent assault on a female tenant. plagued the festival, causing soft snow conditions which staff for 444 days. The shelter was moved from 49 Street in September and the monitored daily. sobering centre service was added. Desjarlais improved her fence The meltdown caused the cancellations of a few scheduled A deal after three years and installed a camera system, but found it difficult to review the events and some daytime programming. footage. Eventually the castle shut its doors early as melting snow and After a long standing labour dispute that dragged on for years "An unfortunate realization came to me," said Desjarlais. "The leaking lake water flooded it. between the Union of Northern Workers and the territorial govern- majority, 95 per cent, of the abuse I've seen on video was being ment, the two parties reached a deal with the assistance of mediator done to Indigenous females."

She noted large steps forward with reconciliation and how it pertains to local history. "When I hear what other (museums) are talking about, they're doing all this work on reconciliation and trying to get to where we've already been for the last 20, 40 years," said Carr-Locke. Strike threatened prior to negotiations After back and forth negotiations that have been ongoing since 2014, the Union of Northern Workers (UNW) issued another strike notice this week for employees with the NWT Power Corporation (NTPC). Workers would have walked off the job at 12:01 a.m. on April 8 if no agreement was reached during negotiation talks. The notice was released during a rally for NTPC workers outside of the Jackfish power plant in Yellowknife on April 3. "We want to make it clear that if we don't get a deal, we will go on strike at midnight on Monday," said Todd Parsons, presi- dent of the UNW. 911 start date to be re-evaluated The GNWT's previously stated commitment to launch a territory-wide 911 service by June 30 "will be re-evaluated shortly to ensure that it remains valid," said the deputy minister of Municipal and Community Affairs (MACA) during a meet- ing at the legislative assembly. The territorial bill for 911 was passed in March of 2019. NNSL file photo The department said it would be working with community The Grapes of Wrath governments to ensure they thoroughly understand the new 911 system and how it relates to local emergency services. Canadian rock band Grapes of Wrath played the first show of the YK Rocks concert series at the Top Knight Language was a hot button during the meeting, where it was April 6. The band played tunes from their first EP all the way to their most recent album High Roads. Yellow- revealed that translators will be on hand to assist those who do knife's Priscilla's Revenge and Patrick Jacobson opened for the sold out show. not use English as a first language, especially speakers of First Nations languages. Dr. David Pontin, territorial clinical lead for emergency ser- vices, said this was "better for his patients." Police increase downtown patrols Denise McKee, executive director of the NWT Disabilities April RCMP said they increased patrols in the city core following Council, said that the efforts of the shelter were keeping people alive. City councillors agreed with the need for the shelter but an incident April 9. Two people were hospitalized as a result of an alleged Police, health officials defend shelter not how it was being handled downtown, in the face of violence and disorder. assaulted in front of the joint sobering centre and day shelter. Police, health and emergency services providers converged One man was charged with assault and assault causing bod- on city hall in April to tout the benefits of the day shelter and ily harm in connection with the incident. Insp. Alex LaPorte sobering centre on 50 Street while warning city council of what YK Museum celebrates 40 years told media there would be an increase in patrols of the area. could be lost without one. First opened in 1979, the Prince of Wales Northern Heritage Since January the police had been steadily increasing patrols RCMP Insp. Alex Laporte spoke about officers responding Centre celebrated 40 years of serving the community. in the downtown core and the city as a whole. to significantly fewer calls related to social disorder since the Museum director Sarah Carr-Locke gave a speech on the LaPorte that a visible police force would improve not just opening of the shelter. He said call volume had decreased 21 per importance of the museum and announced a spring speaker safety, but community relations as well. cent compared to 2016. series to and called the facility "cutting-edge." Please see next page 6 yellowknifer, Friday, January 3, 2020 2019 Year in Review

NNSL file photo a sinking feeling First responders watch from the safety of the dock as a houseboat on Yellowknife Bay burned itself out May 15. One person sustained non-life-threatening injuries Crews couldn't battle the blaze because of thinning ice.

president of the Transportation Safety Board of news this May: Yellowknife has average arsenic the Northwest Territories government rejected Canada. The King Air 200 aircraft bound for levels, no more than anywhere else in Canada. their application took the matter to court later May Whati from Yellowknife took off with one faulty "We conclude that there is minimal immedi- this May. indicator; another failed moments before the crash. ate risk to the participants, but we continue to The french-speaking child couldn't go to No plane belongs in the air without an follow-up," said Dr. Laurie Chan of the Univer- school at Ecole Allain St-Cyr after falling short Faulty instruments blamed for altitude indicator, he said, blaming the faulty sity of Ottawa, who led the study. of the Department of Education, Culture and deadly Air Tindi crash instruments for the deaths of pilots Will Hay- Research found adults had roughly the same Employment's criteria last fall. worth and Zach McKillop. arsenic levels in their bodies as other Can- The department's directive aims to limit The Air Tindi plane that killed both of its adians, though youth had slightly higher levels, the number of children of non-rights holders pilots when it crashed in January should never Arsenic not poisoning residents but not by much. attending french schools. have taken off. Opened in 1948, Giant Mine roasted ore The family's lawyer, Francis Poulin, called That was the message from Al Martin, A long awaited study brought some welcome to extract gold, producing deadly arsenic tri- for the decision to be reviewed, not overturned oxide dust that contaminated the surrounding because it was based more or less on a technical- environment. ity: the student was born in Yellowknife, and didn't arrive here, leading to the Department's rejection. On the land camp turns one Arctic Indigenous Wellness Foundation's on Kids' health records the land healing camp celebrated its one-year found at the dump anniversary. Celebrating with bannock, tea and soup, Health care numbers, guardian contact infor- organizers chatted with successful clients at the mation and other documents from the Yellow- camp, one of whom described it as an "oasis" knife Minor Fastball Association appeared at outside the city. The camp is comprised of a the dump this May. few tents and a teepee a short walk from the Medical records, including full names, Multiplex. birth dates and emergency contacts of play- "I seen a lot of people come here angry, ers involved in the past baseball season were but leave with smiles or their faces … or a discovered disposed of insecurely. The league's look of hope in their eyes," the man, who now players are aged three to 16. volunteers there, said about the treatment he "At this point, we believe the information received. was contained in team rosters that are shared with coaches at the beginning of each season to ensure they have the information required to French school fight hits court respond in the event of a medical emergency," A family fighting to enrol their son in association president Kritsal Melanson said. Yellowknife's lone french language school after Please see next page

NNSL file photo A bright future Jaslynn Menton, a Grade 11 student at St. Patrick High School, welded at a Skills Canada national competition held at Exhibition Place in Halifax May 28-29. 2019 Year in Review Yellowknifer, Friday, January 3, 2020 7

NNSL file photo P addling to victory These St. Patrick High School Grade 12 students faced rival racers from Sir John Franklin High School at the annual Narwal North-sponsored Paddle Battle. They made a big splash on Frame Lake June 17. those who were unable to make it. under-staffing, resulting in reduced safety and poor work condi- "We are getting even $2,000, $3,000, $500 (contributions) tions in the old Stanton Territorial Hospital. June extra, so the figure is going up," he said, adding that he thinks the It also anticipated problems would persist in the new hospital. organization will hit its target of $250,000 next week. The letter, dated May 2019 and signed by the "Nurses of North- Hockey Day in Canada on the way Before the fundraiser, the centre had already raised about west Territories," appeared to have been written before the move $150,000 of the roughly $400,000 it needs for a new mosque. into the new hospital. The letter suggests nurses face staffing, Scotiabank Hockey Day in Canada was coming back North patient safety, workplace safety and health and welfare challenges. for its 20th anniversary to the capital where it had yet to visit, RCMP officer saves woman's life "Staffing is a huge concern at Stanton Hospital," it states. The Yellowknifer learned in June. letter also describes a "daily struggle" to find nurses and beds Sportsnet confirmed Yellowknife as the host city for the When Const. Nicholas Brame ran into a Yellowknife home on for patients. This results in long wait times for open beds in the annual hockey festival on June 1 during its telecast of Game 3 of New Year's Eve after hearing a woman's cries for help, the last emergency department. the Stanley cup final. It is the third the event will be held North of thing on his mind was that he'd receive any kind of recognition 60, following in Iqaluit in 2003, and in 2011. for his actions. Mayor Rebecca Alty was delighted when the news was "It's just something you do," he said. Council balks at liquor restrictions announced, stating hockey is in our DNA. Instead, he was focused on one thing: making sure the victim, City council fermented debate on the possibility of restricting "With many months of winter, Yellowknifers play hockey indoors a young mother, would see her kids again. liquor store hours in Yellowknife to reduce alcohol-related harms. in our top notch arenas, outdoors on the ice of Lake, and On the night of Dec. 31, 2018, Brame rushed into the house and "It's been raised in discussion when we talk about the down- on many yards and rinks," she stated in a news release at the time. found the young mother suffering from stab wounds, and began town about moving the liquor store or having restrictions on quan- applying pressure to her injuries. tities you can purchase," Mayor Rebecca Alty said. $210,000 raised for new mosque "Const. Brame continuously spoke with her to ensure she The mayor and council were discussing whether the city stayed awake, minimizing the chance the chance of her losing should lobby the NWT government to amend the Northwest Ter- The Islamic Centre of Yellowknife raised over $210,000 for a consciousness," said Brent Fowler in June, presenting Brame with ritories Liquor Act. new mosque at an Iftar dinner and fundraiser in June. a Saint John Ambulance Silver Life-saving Award. "He continued Citing research by a University of Victoria student that found "Everybody, I believe, felt it was their responsibility and have to treat the victim until emergency medical staff attended … the NWT as the second highest rate of alcohol consumption per an opportunity to be part of the new masjid, new mosque," he said. ensuring the safety and well-being of the victim." capita in Canada, Alty suggested Yellowknife follow Fort Simp- "The masjid will be there the next 50, 75, maybe 100 years. People son's example of limiting liquor store hours. don't want to miss it. This is time to be a part (of it)," he said. Roughly 220 members of Yellowknife's Islamic community Nurses allege poor staffing, work conditions attended the dinner. Awan said support is still flowing in from An anonymous letter obtained by Yellowknifer alleged serious Please see July, page 10

When Yellowknife RCMP Const. Nicholas Brame rushed to help a stabbing victim New Year's Eve 2018, he wasn't thinking of receiving any awards or recognition. His only focus was helping her. "It's just something you do," he said after receiving the St. John Ambulance Silver Life-Saving Award June 6. NNSL file photo 8 yellowknifer, Friday, January 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 City councillors will Phone: (867) 873-4031 have to work out how to Fax: (867) 873-8507 build a new, adequate Toll free: (855) 873-6675 aquatic centre that E-mail: [email protected] Website: www.nnsl.com the residents of this modern Northern city FOUNDER (1934-2018): need and deserve. J.W. (Sig) Sigvaldason They must also insist PUBLISHER, CEO: the GNWT get down to Bruce Valpy – [email protected] business and build the Chief Financial Officer: city a proper tourism Judy Triffo – [email protected] centre – missing from MANAGING EDITOR: the landscape now for Mike W. Bryant – [email protected] the better part of two

ACCOUNTING: [email protected] years. Florie Mariano • Cindy Minor • Amy Yang NNSL file photo Assignment editor Craig Gilbert - [email protected] Editorial board: Bruce Valpy • Mike W. Bryant Craig Gilbert • Simon Whitehouse

Copy editor: Brett McGarry Photo: Emily McInnis - [email protected] From change Reporters: [email protected] Simon Whitehouse • Brendan Burke Nick Pearce • Blair McBride

Sports: James McCarthy – [email protected]

ADVERTISING: [email protected] Representatives: to action Petra Memedi • Laura Whittle James Boylan • Echo Xin History was made in 2019, now the real work begins Advertising manager: Zerline Rodriguez Administrative assistant: Emmanuel Ramos Northern News Services newcomers, and after years of dismal Social Media manager: Vincent De Leon Not to sound clichéd but if we're The issue: returns for female candidates, nine looking back at the year that's been, women were elected to the legislative ADVERTISING PRODUCTION The year that was Production co-ordinator: Jennifer Reyes 2019 had all the hallmarks of what assembly. Diana Mathisen • Zdena Kunderlik people might call a "change" year. We say: Five of these women are now in Randy Hiebert • Joshua Uson After decades of navel-gazing and lsot of questions for 2020 cabinet – representing a majority political inertia, the GNWT finally on the seven-seat executive coun- Customer Service: Holly Yestrau launched a territory-wide 911 emer- cil – including the , Caroline [email protected] gency phone service. No more will Cochrane, the only cabinet minister Mark Poodlat outside the shelter in from the previous government to win CIRCULATION: [email protected] residents and visitors alike be left Circulation Director: Emma Thomas frantically trying to figure out what September – also caught on video, by re-election. Jewala Jhankur number to call in an emergency. At NNSL security cameras, which owns Cochrane quickly promised this long last, the NWT has joined the rest the property. These were sad and assembly would be the "most pro- Subscriptions: of North America by enacting the uni- shocking events but they also ush- gressive" in years, and with all the Print: (mail) $90/year ered in some much needed debate new blood and with more MLAs inter- Online: (entire content) $50/year versal phone number. It was also the first that NWT resi- and soul-searching. ested in social/environmental issues, dents were charged a carbon tax, A good neighbour agreement was there is little doubt about that. But although likely few noticed until see- signed in October between property now the hard work begins, and 2020 ing the rebate deposited into their owners, the city, health officials, will set the tone for what will or won't NORTHERN NEWS SERVICES LIMITED bank accounts. police, and the NWT Disabilities be accomplished before the next 100% Northern owned and operated Last year was the first full year Council, which runs the shelter. Hope- campaign in 2023. Publishers of: of cannabis legalization in Canada. fully, this new atmosphere of co-oper- If there's anything 2019 showed Inuvik Drum •Kivalliq News Yellowknifer • Hay River Hub In March, city council responded ation will lead to greater progress on Yellowknifers, it's that getting results NWT News/North News/North by approving a cannabis produc- the social issues front. Yellowknifer is more easily said than done. These tion facility in the Engle Business has argued for an expansion of servi- MLAs will be grappling with compet- Member of: District – a development that might ces downtown, and we continue to do ing needs, between the desire to Canadian Community Newspapers Association have seemed almost unthinkable a so -- one that benefits residents, prop- fight climate change and protecting Ontario Community Newspapers Association Community Newspapers Association decade ago. Owner Jordan Harker erty owners and the shelter users the environment and the realization Saskatchewan Weekly Newspapers Association who need these services. Alberta Weekly Newspapers Association predicts the legal grow-op will require that there is no ready alternative to Ontario, Manitoba and Alberta Press Councils a dozen full-time jobs and 20 to 25 One notable user group left in the replacing the emission-heavy mining Y ellowknife Chamber of Commerce part-timers – welcome news in a city cold are the shelter users who are that represents a full third of the ter- Contents copyright – printed in the North by Canarctic Graphics Limited facing a relatively grim and uncertain not "homeless," people with roofs ritory's economy. economic future with the expected over their heads but nowhere to go Their counterparts on city council, closure of diamond mines over the during the day. They were banned in meanwhile, themselves elected just next decade. November after the disabilities coun- a year earlier, will have to work out Send us your comments Perhaps 2019's biggest story in cil claimed their presence was creat- how to build a new, adequate aqua- Y ou can e-mail us at [email protected]; mail to Box 2820, Yellowknife X1A 2R1; or drop your letter off Yellowknife has been the troubles ing safety issues. Something must be tic centre that the residents of this at our office at 5108-50th Street. faced by the combined day shelter done to accommodate them. modern Northern city – all of them, All letters submitted must be signed with a return address and daytime telephone number so that we and sobering centre on 50 Street. The biggest change in 2019, no housed or not – need and deserve. can confirm it came from you. Not all letters will necessarily be published. Pref- Residents were shocked last spring doubt, was a political one. After dec- They must also insist the GNWT get erence is given to short letters of broad interest or when April Desjarlais, owner of the ades of advantage for incumbents down to business and build the city a concern. We particularly encourage new contributors as neighbouring Finn Hansen Building, in the legislative assembly – and proper tourism centre – missing from we attempt to publish a cross-section of public opinion. posted videos to Facebook depicting most of them men -- "the old boy's the landscape now for the better part Letters of more than 300 words, open letters and the mayhem and disorder outside, club" was shown the door. Out of of two years. those published elsewhere are seldom used. We reserve the right to edit for length or taste and to including one showing a tenant run- 11 incumbents seeking re-election There is much work to be done. To eliminate inaccurate or libelous statements. We may also choose to use a letter as the basis ning to the aid of a woman choked (not including acclamations) only all those who must do that work, we for a story. to unconsciousness. These incidents four prevailed. Of the 19 seats in wish you well. Here's to a prosperous culminated with the beating death of the legislative assembly, 12 went to and progressive 2020. Best of Henderson 2019 Yellowknifer, Friday, January 3, 2020 9 10 yellowknifer, Friday, January 3, 2020 2019 Year in Review

photo courtesy of Janet Diveky Educator mourned Lifelong educator George Zsolt Diveky, the Budapest-born educator who left his mark on many classrooms and communities across the North, died July 2 in Edmonton at 78.

dumping their contents at the city's landfill, with one photo captur- elder of Yellowknives Dene First Nation died in July. ing a garbage truck and a recycling truck passing each other as they Betsina, mother of Ndilo chief Ernest Betsina, was well known July dump their contents seemingly in the same area. and sought-after for her knowledge about the local history and "The city will be working with Ecology North to continue on impacts of arsenic emissions from Giant Mine on Indigenous our recycling efforts and explore new options that can enhance what people and traditional ways of life. Recycling trashed at Yk landfill we do," Mayor Rebecca Alty wrote in an email to Yellowknifer. Betsina was outspoken throughout her life as a survivor of Six recycling collection points around town all have a single "This is a temporary measure and we are working to address as eight years of residential school in Fort Resolution and from her destination: the city dump. quickly as we can," she wrote. "Recycling continues to be important experience living adjacent to Giant Mine during its years of gold Photos obtained by Yellowknifer reveal multiple recycling trucks given its use in diverting materials and giving them second life." extraction. The mayor did not state how long the city's recyclables have YKDFN stated that Muriel's greatest joy was her children and been sent to the landfill. that she will be sadly missed by many in the community. "Muriel will be missed beyond measure and the family is griev- 'Worried but working' ing their loss," it stated. As Stanton Territorial Hospital marked its grand opening, Union of Northern Workers Todd Parsons said nurses are stressed out, City joins YKDFN in overworked and under-staffed. proposed boundary change Parsons, who wasn't invited to the ceremony, told Yellowknifer nurses feel "drained" and "at risk." In July, it came to light that the City of Yellowknife would likely There had also been instances of unsanitary conditions at the join the Yellowknives Dene First Nation in a proposal to change the hospital due to a shortage of cleaners, he said. municipal boundaries as a part of the Akaitcho land claim process. There were ""four or five" instances when industrial floor clean- "I think it needs to be said this is a historic moment for recon- ers were used improperly and were "dragging (feces) throughout the ciliation with our Indigenous partners in YKDFN," Coun. Julian hospital," he said. Morse said. "It's extremely frustrating for nurses and allied health care pro- A memorandum came before council on July 15 to adopt a proposed change to community boundaries that would see Jol- NNSL file photo fessionals to be witness to this," he said. "There's literally feces on the floor that's not being dealt with safely or appropriately." liffe Island, Ndilo and waters easy and south of Yellowknife go to O h Canada Day YKDFN. Millie, Logan and Camryn sit curbside at the Can- In turn, the city's boundaries would be pushed back to include ada Day parade July 1. Celebrated Ndilo Elder dies new land to the east and south of Yellowknife to allow for expansion Muriel Betsina, a longtime resident of Ndilo and celebrated over the next 50 years.

several businesses were forced to close their doors, leading to "There are still negotiations to take place but I think a lot costs and frustrations. of are happy that it's come through," Reid said. "It's like a big August "It hurt us immensely," Barry Bessette, Manager of Borden sigh of relief that now we can move forward." Drive's M&M's Food Market. Bessette was one of many business operators who saw Please see next page Rene Fumoleau, dies at age 93 critical Interac and Visa payment services paralyzed after Rene Fumoleau, a well known and respected priest and internet, cable, home-phone and LTE services went down activist for the Dene people, died at age 93. throughout Yellowknife and . Fumoleau passed away in the late hours of his birthday, It was the second major outage in the span of a month. Van- Aug. 6, at Avens Cottages in Yellowknife. dalism was blamed for both outages, and the RCMP's federal Fumoleau was a well-known Roman Catholic priest in sev- investigations unit headed a probe into the incidents. eral Northern communities from the 1950s to the '90s. During that period, he served in Fort Good Hope, Deline, Lutsel K'e, and Yellowknife. Yellowknife MLAs split Jim Lynn, a padre at North Slave Correctional Complex and over land title fee hike secretary for the Roman Catholic Diocese of Mackenzie Fort A pair of Yellowknife MLAs and the local real estate board Smith, said he knew Fumoleau very well. slammed an increase to the land title transfer fee. "He was a very down to Earth type of gentleman," said Under the plan, a the sale of a $500,000 home would gener- Lynn. "There was no question he made a lot of contributions ate $350 more in fees. to the Dene and the North." Justice Minister Louis Sebert acknowledged it was "likely" Yellowknifers would bear the brunt of the new costs since the Benefit for house boaters who lost home majority of land title transfers in the Northwest Territories take Until August, Stephan Hervieux hadn't spoken publicly place in the city. Defending the proposed changes, Sebert said about the events of May 15. the costs would largely match the value of the home. More That was the day the Kimberlite, a beloved houseboat expensive purchases would see higher fees. owned by Stephan and his partner Allyce Hervieux, was Fort Smith and Hay River residents would also face reduced to a pile of smoldering ash on Yellowknife Bay. increased costs, he said. The two occupants managed to escape the early morning The fee, which hadn't increased since it was introduced blaze, but their home was lost. 25 years ago, would be phased in over three years, eventually In August a community "fun raiser" and concert, which putting an estimated $500,000 in territorial coffers annually. also included a live auction, raised funds in support of the couple. Dog trotters will stay in Kam Lake Hervieux, who said he wanted to live in a houseboat since After months of debate and decades of negotiations with he was a child, told the fundraiser audience he hoped to use the the City of Yellowknife, the Dog Trotters Association will NNSL file photo funds to rebuild "the only home I'd ever call home." finally get a chance to own its communal lot in Kam Lake. During an Aug. 17 city council meeting, the mayor and Ramblin' fun Web outages cripple stores councillors heard final presentations from Jordee Reid, presi- Grace Clark was one of the performers at last With crucial services crippled following severe, widespread dent of the association, and Peter Curran, a concerned resident year's Old Town Ramble and Ride, Aug. 3. internet and phone disruptions across Yellowknife in August, of Kam Lake, before voting to allow the association purchase its Curry Drive lot. 2019 Year in Review Yellowknifer, Friday, January 3, 2020 11

NNSL file photo NNSL file photo Lucky to be alive NASA in Yk Richard Tardiff said he was lucky to be alive after being Peter Griffith, an earth scientist with NASA, left, and Sir John Franklin High School student Aden slashed with what he believews was a knife downtown, Rylott in front of a NASA Gulfstream jet at the Yellowknife Airport, Sept. 9. NASA was in the North Sept. 24. A 34-year-old man was charged in connection with last summer studying climate change. the attack.

spent days in the hospital. through the North Slave Regional Office. Oake testified the furanylfentanyl he ordered – using the The public is reminded not to feed large game or fur bearing September bitcoin cryptocurrency – was for himself and no one else. animals as it is illegal. Plane lands safely in Yk after flat tire scare Man killed in front of homeless shelter Two hurt in bear spray attack A First Air flight landed safely in Yellowknife on Aug. 28 remembered by friends A 35-year-old Yellowknife man was accused of attacking after a pair of suspected flat tires on the aircraft prompted pilots Mark Poodlat was a peacemaker. two people with bear spray on Sept. 21. It was the second to declare an emergency. If there was a dispute on the streets of Yellowknife, he would incident involving the noxious substance in the city over the The passenger plane, en route to the capital from Kugluktuk, be there to mediate. weekend. was flying with 25 people on board when the emergency was "If we had a problem, he'd come and find a solution to fig- The animal deterrent was allegedly used on two people at declared, as a precaution, shortly after 4 p.m. ure it out," Poodlat's friend of 10 years, who wished to remain Sissons Court on Saturday, Sept. 21, according to police, who The declaration triggered a response from emergency crews, anonymous, told Yellowknifer outside the city's joint sobering attended the apartment complex following a report of an assault. which were on standby at the Yellowknife Airport. After con- centre and day shelter. Paramedics attended the scene to treat the individuals for ducting a flyby at the airport's observation tower, no mechanical Just days earlier, on the same block, Poodlat, 36, was non-life threatening injuries, according to Yellowknife RCMP. issues were seen and a "perfect and uneventful" landing fol- punched repeatedly in a Sept. 5 attack caught on video. He was Another suspected bear spray discharge was reported at a resi- lowed, said First Air spokesperson Dan Valin. medevaced to an Edmonton hospital, where he later died. dence on Gitzel Street the day before. The false alarm resulted in the flight being delayed by about Yellowknife RCMP have charged 32-year-old Victor Ugyuk The fire department was called to decontaminate the build- 15 minutes, he added. with murder in relation to his death. ing, which was evacuated as a precaution. "I don't know why they had to do that to him. Out of Accused says he ordered fentanyl nowhere, he's just taken away from us," said Timothy Base, a Jail for former coach who online for personal use, not profit friend who met Poodlat five years ago. sent nude photo to gymnast Testifying in his own defence, a Yellowknife man accused of An ex-Yellowknife gymnastics instructor who admitted to importing a form of fentanyl into the city admitted to ordering 27 foxes relocated this year sending a sexually explicit photo to a girl he once coached the drug online but denied selling the powerful opioid once it The GNWT's Department of Environment and Natural received a one-year jail sentence on Sept. 24. arrived in his mailbox weeks later. resources have relocated 27 foxes in Yellowknife so far this Ricky Lee Sutherland, 50, pleaded guilty in May to luring a Darcy Oake, 24, testified on Aug. 30 that he bought 10 grams year. None have had to be put down. child under the age of 18, an offence that carries a mandatory of furanylfentanyl – a synthesized "designer drug" considered to "Feeding foxes causes them to become habituated to humans, minimum sentence of one year in jail. be around five times less potent than fentanyl – over the "dark which creates a public safety concern," said Meagan Wohlberg, Sutherland, who was employed at a city gymnastics club in web" in late October 2016. spokesperson for ENR. "When wildlife become habituated they the summer of 2016, sent a number of messages to the victim He overdosed within 30 minutes of opening up the package lose their natural fear of humans and may potentially have to be via Snapchat – an app popular among young people which when it arrived Nov. 23. Oake's alleged victim testified she was put down." Wohlberg said that live traps are used to catch the allows users to send and receive messages that disappear within with him when he ordered drugs online from China and that she foxes before moving them outside of the city. seconds – over a two-day period in February 2017. overdosed after snorting a line of the drug, also on Nov. 23. She ENR conducts public messaging campaigns through signage, His penis was visible in at least one of the photos. social media, workshop presentations and direct communication Please see next page

NNSL file photo Plane pulling power Plane Janes, a group that included Mayor Rebecca Alty and City Administrator Sheila Bassi-Kellett, were all smiles after claiming victory in their division at the 13th annual Law Enforcement Torch Run (LETR) Airplane Pull for the Special Olympics drew big crowds and powerful pullers on Saturday Sept. 21. 12 yellowknifer, Friday, January 3, 2020 2019 Year in Review

NNSL file photo NNSL file photo Scavenger hunt! "(Women) don't think better, we just think Sarah Chapman and Jordyn Riou, standing, Jaslynn Menton, Jordan Anderson and Alice Twa took part in a differently," Caroline Cochrane said after being scavenger hunt for graduates of St. Patrick High School Oct. 23. The grads have since carved pumpkins, elected premier at the end of October. made gingerbread houses and, near Christmas, helped the Salvation Army. Following a greeting and prayer from Dene Elder Therese Moody's changed the fixed income security's rating from Sangris, the group chanted and marched along 52 Avenue to "outlook stable" to "outlook poor." Due to mature Nov. 1, 2022, October St. Patrick High School, then to one rally at the post office on the bond lost more than 48 per cent of its value in the previous Franklin Avenue and another at Somba K'e Civic Plaza. 12 months. Record MLA gender parity "In 20 years or 50 years what are we going to say to our Dominion has stakes in two nearby mines, Ekati and Dia- The NWT's Legislative Assembly achieved near gender par- children or grandchildren when they are stuck on a dirty, rot- vik. An expansion at Ekati, where nearly 1,600 people work, ity when nine women were elected Oct. 2. ten Earth?" Ecole Allain St-Cyr student Jenna Hamel, 13, said. was put on hold in May 2018. Until then, the most female MLAs in the NWT at one time De Beers Canada meanwhile, which operates the only other was three. The 18th Legislative Assembly had only two. Green leader mentions Yellowknife diamond mine in the NWT, published data that showed a 39 per "It's exciting and I think we're truly making history here," cent drop in sales over the previous year. future Premier Caroline Cochrane said after being narrowly Yellowknife got a shout-out from "There has been a global oversupply of diamonds for the re-elected in . leader during a nationally broadcast debate last 18 months or so, which has put pressure on market prices," Frame Lake MLA Kevin O'Reilly also won his seat back in Oct. 7. an analyst said. a tight race, one of two that would be confirmed with a recount May mentioned newly elected MLA after later in the month. On election night, he presciently hoped for a question from a Yellowknifer recorded at the Copperhouse more women in cabinet; four of six of Cochrane's ministers restaurant, which she said she had been to, was aired. NWT has Canada's only female premier would be. "Rylund, I see you, congratulations for being elected MLA, Range Lake MLA Caroline Cochrane didn't prepare a Rylund Johnson's victory was the other close enough for a I'm just so excited," she said. speech and had few words after she was elected premier by her recount. He unseated Cory Vanthuyne in by She resigned as Green leader in November. fellow MLAs Oct. 24. just five votes. She became the only sitting female premier in the country "I would say I fought really hard for all of those votes and Two killed in Highway 3 collision and only the second woman to serve in the role in the NWT, following Nelly Cournoyea (1991 to 95). won the support at the doors and talking policy and engaging The occupants of a small sedan were killed when it collided people on the issues." "It's all about role modelling," Cochrane said. "The more with a tractor trailer Oct. 14. women that actually get elected into any kind of leadership A man and a woman, both 47, were travelling west to Beh- position, it shows the younger women and the women around Climate strikers take to streets choko when the collision occurred near KM 268 at about 9 a.m. us that they can do it, too." Students, families and friends concerned about the state of The driver of the truck was unharmed. She said being a progressive legislature would mean "not only put- the climate gathered to march through the streets of Yellow- ting your money into infrastructure and economy. knife Sept. 27. They joined hundreds of thousands more in Bond connected to Dominion "It's about balance." similar events held around the world. Diamonds downgraded Four women and two men were elected to cabinet, including Diane Thomas Gagnon-van Leeuwen, organizer of the local A $550-million bond issued through a company related to Thom, who became deputy premier, , R.J. Simpson, chapter of Our Time, a youth-driven environmental movement , and . pushing politicians to support a green new deal, said he thought Dominion Diamond Mines was declared "subject to very high more than 1,000 people attended. credit risk" after being downgraded several times. Please see next page 2019 Year in Review Yellowknifer, Friday, January 3, 2020 13

NNSL file photo Blue collar diamonds Sonja Hunt, left, Xaye Catholique, Gillian Rivers, Suzanne Wood, Melanie Goodard, Kim Nguyen and Lindsey Donald were among the dozens who took in the third annual Dominion Diamond Blue Collar Gala at the Explorer Hotel, Nov. 2.

De Beers hints at plan NWT firewalls GN emails after attack to extend Gahcho Kue November The Government of the Northwest Territories blocked all De Beers is poised to ask the Mackenzie Valley Land and City councillors 'concerned' emails from the Government of Nunavut after a ransomware Water Board for a licence amendment that could extend the life as 9-1-1 set to roll out attack knocked out the latter's services. of Gahcho Kue mine. Eleanor Young, deputy minister of Municipal and Com- "The GNWT has blocked all @gov.nu.ca emails on the "De Beers is not leaving … stay tuned as we will soon be munity Affairs (MACA), was peppered with questions by advice of the Government of Nunavut and Canada's Cyber back in front of this board for a licence amendment for Gahcho Yellowknife city councillors Oct. 28. They were concerned Centre," spokesperson Todd Sasaki wrote to Yellowknifer over Kue mine in order to extend the mine life," Erik Madsen, lead about staffing, organizational structure and various emergency email. "A notice was sent out to all GNWT employees advising of corporate affairs with De Beers Canada, told attendees at a scenarios and mishaps. them that emails would be blocked until the Government of public hearing into its Snap Lake closure plan in late November. Young said the service, which will be headquartered in Nunavut advises that it has addressed the situation." The mine, which has three active pipes, is expected to reach Yellowknife, expected 78 daily calls. The email sent to GNWT employees advises contacting their the end of its useful life in 2030. Far from a guarantee, the Councillor Shauna Morgan was "concerned" a week ahead of Nunavut counterparts by phone or fax. It asks employees to be company proceeding with regulatory steps could indicate the the program's roll out. vigilant while opening attachments and links, while confirming viability of extending the mine's life. "Would you ever consider delaying the start date if you felt these were intended messages from the sender. Located roughly 280 kilometres northeast of Yellowknife at - you weren't ready to go next Monday," she asked. "Or is it there's In his email, Sasaki said the government "constantly mon Kennady Lake, the $1.1 billion project went into commercial itors for suspicious activity and is prepared to do whatever is no going back now, you're definitely starting next Monday?" production in 2017. According to the 2018 Gahcho Kue socio- needed to protect the information in our custody and control." Young said there was nothing "putting life (or) safety at risk economic report, the mine employs 267 NWT residents. to prevent implementation." Victorious in NWT, McLeod wants a seat in Now an advocate, rape victim was 'totally MLA candidate claims medical 's next cabinet satisfied' with attacker's sentence The Liberals turned an early lead in Atlantic Canada to vic- Peter Charlie Tsetta was sentenced to 9.5 years in prison info released during election tory Oct. 21. They never let go, but lost majority status in the on Nov. 18 after previously being found guilty of raping two Patrick Scott accused former health minister Glen Abernethy House of Commons, winning fewer than the required 170 seats. women just a month apart in the summer of 2017. of disclosing private medical information to benefit his political They were elected in 157 ridings to the Tories' 121, the Bloc In August, Tsetta was convicted of raping Cynthia Grand- rival. Quebecois' 32, the NDP's 24 and the Greens' three, according jambe "over and over" in June 2017, as well as another unnamed A letter, which Scott, who co-owns Birchwood Coffee K'o, to unofficial Elections Canada figures. Former Liberal attor- woman, that May. called a "draft," appeared in Yellowknifer's mailbox Nov. 1. ney general Jody Wilson-Raybould was the only independent Justice Louise Charbonneau gave Tsetta a 66-month sen- Scott's letter, written after the Oct. 1 territorial election, claims elected to the House. tence for the rape and unlawful confinement of Grandjambe and Abernethy shared information about a medical diagnosis with In the Northwest Territories Liberal MP Michael McLeod another 48-month sentence for the rape of the unnamed victim, Katrina Nokleby, who beat Scott to become MLA for Great also jumped out to an early lead and just kept building over New who has since died. With credit for time served, Tsetta will have Slave Lake and was later elected to cabinet. Democrat Mary Beckett, Green Paul Falvo and Conservative 5 years and 11 months left to serve. Scott's unsigned, undated letter on Birchwood Coffee K'o Yanik D'Aigle. "I am totally satisfied," said Grandjambe, who had a publica- letterhead alleges Abernethy passed information about a med- Asked about the possibility of a position in Trudeau's cab- tion ban lifted so she could become a victim advocate. "I would ical diagnosis Scott had received to Nokleby's campaign, which inet, McLeod pointed out he served 12 years as an NWT MLA, have settled for eight (years), I was praying for 10 but I had to be Scott says he had confided to Abernethy during a "private con- including time in cabinet. realistic and I'm proud of getting the nine-and-a-half." versation" last May. "I've put my name out there, again it's the prime minister's The letter alleges that Nokleby "started spreading a rumour" call. He knows I'm interested." Please see next page about the diagnosis during the election. McLeod was not given a cabinet portfolio, and said later in Abernethy said he publicly endorsed Nokleby in a Sept. 23 the year he looked forward to focusing on his work as MP for Facebook post. He added that beyond the Facebook post, he the territory. never worked for or campaigned on behalf of any candidate.

NNSL file photo Teacher remembered Emma Pedersen, 3, gets a balloon puppy on a leash from NJ Macpherson School teacher Steve Elms on Canada Day in 2013. Elms, 45, died sud- denly Nov. 28. YK Education District Board. No. 1

NNSL file photo superintendent Metro Huculak remembered him as a happy-go-lucky guy who loved community the- Song for remembrance atre and had a reputation for showing up to work The Fireweed Children's Chorus performed 'Remembrance Day Child' Nov. 11. early. 14 yellowknifer, Friday, January 3, 2020 2019 Year in Review Stiopu said she lost her home to a fire in Sept. 2005, too. "I'm in shock and it just feels like one big bad dream." NACC turns 35 The Northern Arts and Cultural Centre (NACC) has remained true to its vision in the last 35 years, its president said Dec. 6. "Offering something you wouldn't get otherwise, that's always been the mandate of NACC, to push the performing arts to a new level," Jean-Francois Pitre said. It took a campaign by The Globe and Mail for the theatre to be founded, but today "we're doing quite well." Focusing on quality over quantity has helped NACC elevate Yellowknife to "a higher stature, more like a mini-Edmonton," he said. Francophone pans health-care services Suzanne Houde is fed up with the lack of French services in the territorial health system. The soon to be 60-year-old has been in Yellowknife for 22 years with her husband and in that time, Houde says she has only seen French language services from the Department of Health and Social Services get worse. A Northwest Territories Health and Social Services Author- ity spokesperson stated in an email that the department provides several services that accommodate both unilingual Franco-

NNSL file photo phone and bilingual speakers. She stated that staff are trained to offer an "active greeting" Merry Tlicho Christmas which is defined as "a way of greeting the public which informs Students from Mildred Hall show off their banner, which says Merry Christmas in Tlicho. them that they are welcome to communicate with the GNWT in either English or French when seeking information or a service," she stated. be the cheapest option on paper, and would also spare the costs Giovanetto explained that this can be "a sign, a personal of maintaining an extra building. However, it would be closed greeting or a recorded message." December for about a year-and-a-half during the renovation. A 52-metre tank would bump that cost up to $48.7 million. Shelter change spurs petition The other option is a new building with a 25-metre pool at $47 million. Once homeless, Robert Washie spent the afternoon of Dec. 2 walking through the Centre Square Mall collecting about 40 signatures on a petition calling for the reversal of a policy 'Grinch' steals Christmas tree from mall change at the day shelter on 50 Street. An unknown culprit stole a Christmas tree from the Centre Hours earlier, the contentious rule change had taken effect. Square Mall in a brazen daytime heist Dec. 10. People with homes or access to some form of housing are no Security at the mall told Yellowknifer the tree, one of three, longer allowed to access services at the day shelter. was stolen shortly before 3 p.m. but RCMP said the theft was Washie was one of the nearly 70 people affected. He said he never reported. worried the change would drive people into other overcrowded "Just (saw) someone run away with the Christmas tree in spaces like the library and the mall, or into the cold of the street. center square mall," Louis Chartrand captioned a photo of the "I'm doing this for friends, lots of people on the street, not aftermath on Facebook. "Grinch vibes today eh?" just me," he said. Fire destroys camper near Dettah Plans for pool's future floated NNSL file photo A woman and her daughter were left homeless after their Carlena Mantla, left, Josephine Tsatchi, Anthony City councillors were presented with pricey pool proposals camper burned to the ground five kilometres north of Dettah Dec. 2. Dec. 9. Blackduck, Robert Washie and Duane Norwegian Council had to decide whether to renovate and expand Ruth Katrina Stiopu said she lost $20,000 worth of belongings and stand in solidarity outside the day shelter Dec. 2. Inch Memorial Pool, or plow ahead with a new pool, deciding that the camper itself was worth $30,000. Some are housed. Some aren't. Either way, they're between 52-metre and 25-metre options. "We will be couch surfing until we find a place to sleep," she supporting Washie's calls to overturn the "hurtful" At $41 million, renovations and a 25-metre pool appears to said. "I don't know what to do." policy. Yellowknifer, Friday, January 3, 2020 15 Sports & Recreation Sports hotline • James McCarthy Phone: (867) 873-4031 • Email: [email protected] • Fax: (867) 873-8507 Looking back at 2019 in a few words

Mark Holloway/Canada Winter Games photo Liam Tereposky makes a pad save at the near post during boys hockey action against Newfoundland and Labrador at the Canada Winter Games in February. Northern News Services narrowly missed out on the championship round of Sage Acorn showed it isn't just his big sister who can go round And so we're in 2020. Congratulations on surviving another the Scotties Tournament of Hearts in Sydney, N.S. The ladies had and round on a speed skating track quickly. The younger Acorn year of ups and downs – hopefully the ups outnumbered the downs to win at least one of their final two games in order to qualify but sibling captured the overall title in the T2T 12 boys division at the – and here's hoping you didn't get the insufficient funds message at couldn't turn the trick. Galusha said failing to make the champion- Canada West Short Track Championships in Grande Prairie, Alta., the store when you went shopping on Boxing Day. ship round "stung really bad". earning 3,298 points from his races over the course of the week- With that in mind, let's take a stroll down memory lane and end to top the standings, 150 points better than the runner-up from see the highlights of the past 12 months from the pages of the B.C.; each race a skater competed in came with a set number of Yellowknifer sports section. Enjoy. points awarded depending on where a skater finished in each one. March made history at the in Manitoba as he skipped his rink to victory for a fourth time, joining Randy The Canadian Championship Dog Derby was the main event Ferbey, Ernie Richardson and Kevin Martin in the exclusive January in Yellowknife and it was Richard Beck who once again ruled the club. Younger brother wasn't as fortunate as his rink roost. Beck won the overall title in the 150-mile race, crossing the of David Aho, and Cole Parsons, weren't able to finish line in a cumulative time of seven hours, seven minutes, 35 advance past the pool round. opened up the year in style by winning the seconds. It was the 12th time Beck won the race and it also meant he NWT Women's Championship over Tyanna Bain of Inu- won the Yellowknifer Knife as the top Yellowknife musher in the race. Please see next page vik in a best-of-five series. The win saw her advance to the Scot- ties Tournament of Hearts in Sydney, N.S., the following month. Seven young wrestlers from Yellowknife made the trip south for the Northern Lights Tournament in Grande Prairie, Alta., with four of them coming home with gold medals: Ava Applejohn, Kat- lyn Stewart, Adam Naugler and Jace Menton. Paul Reid and Cam- eron Courtoreille, who it could be argued are the top two youth male wrestlers in the NWT, also ended up on the outside looking in but for very different reasons: Courtoreille through injury and Reid through confusion in one of his matches. February

Grace Twa was in Hawaii on vacation with her family but it turned into a holiday of winning. Twa won her age group in the 14 and Under 10K race at the Maui Oceanfront Marathon, her first win outside the NWT and she managed to beat her goal time of one hour and 30 minutes, winning the race in a time of one hour, nine minutes, 58 seconds. Team NT was hard at it at the Canada Winter Games in Red Deer, Alta., and it was all on the shoulders of Wilson Elliot again to come through. He didn't disappoint as he won bronze in judo with the result also giving him the chance to carry in the NWT flag for the closing ceremony. The honour for the opening cere- mony went to gymnast Maggie Carson. Kerry Galusha and her rink of , and 16 yellowknifer, Friday, January 3, 2020 2019 Year in Review April

No dominance by any one school at Junior Super Soccer in 2019 but William McDonald made it a trio of banners this year as the school's Grade 7 boys squad took top spot to go along with a sweep of the Grade 8 division. Range Lake North won a banner of their own by winning the Grade 6 girls title and 's Grade 7 girls were victorious. The Grade 6 boys banner went due North as the Kugluktuk Grizzlies ended up leaving with that crown. The Weaver and Devore Marauders came out on top in the A division of the First Air Rec Hockey Tournament in perhaps the most exciting finish seen at the tournament in quite some time. The Marauders outlasted the Diggerz Bandits of Hay River in the title contest, winning 5-4 in double overtime. Austin Daniels was the hero as he pulled the trigger after being sent in alone on a breakaway. The Canadian North Balsillie Cup was held the weekend before the First Air tournament and the Balsillie Cup itself – the A division crown – went to Carl's as they beat the Northbest Ol' Packers in the final by a score of 2-1 in the decider. Kevin Mindus scored what turned out to be the eventual winning marker as he managed to beat Packers goalie Johnnie Bowden. The tournament also featured a women's division for the first time with four teams from Yellowknife, Fort Smith and Hay River battling it out. Yellowknife Blue beat Fort Smith in the final to win the big prize.

NNSL file photo May Taryn Beck of Yellowknife – who walked away with first in junior mushing, with seven dogs and racing 10 kilometres – raced her dogs in Fort Providence in December. The 2019 edition of Senior Super Soccer saw both Sir John the best way possible at the Curling grand final in grand aggregate champions of this year's NWT Track and Field Franklin and St. Pat's share the spoils in the upper echelons of , China by beating Qiang Zou of China in the champion- Championships when all of the points were counted up and the food chain. The Falcons won both of the girls AA banners ship contest, 5-3, to earn himself and his rink a $39,000 payday. divided. The overall grand aggregate title is determined by the in the U15 and U19 divisions while the Irish took the boys AA The 2019 edition of the National Aboriginal Hockey Cham- total number of points earned by a team for its top-6 finishes in banners in the U15 and U19 divisions. pionships in Whitehorse saw the girls finish above the boys for every event divided by the total number of athletes a team fields The Sport North Awards were handed out in May with the first time ever as they ended up sixth overall once all was while the school grand aggregate takes just the points earned plenty of Yellowknife talent among the winners at the Explorer said and done. They lost their final playoff game to B.C., 3-0, by the students and divides them up for an average among the Hotel. Some of the winners included gymnast Emma Leathem, and it was the first time the girls had managed to make the student body. who walked out with the Youth Female Athlete of the Year, medal round. The boys finished would originally finish eighth The biggest annual golf tournament in the North once again while Wilson Elliot shocked absolutely no one by winning Jun- overall but that was bumped up to seventh overall after Alberta emanated from the Yellowknife Golf Club as the Canadian ior Male Athlete of the Year honours for a second year running was disqualified from the tournament prior to the gold medal North Midnight Classic brought together dozens of players for for his exploits in judo. game. the annual exercise of golfing at midnight. Jake Roche won The Crush Volleyball Club's 16U outfit was in Toronto for the men's title while Winter Haley successfully defended her the 16U Volleyball Canada Nationals and very nearly had a women's title. chance to play for a medal. In the end, they lost out to the Venom Black Mambas of Ontario in the semifinal of Tier 4 in June straight sets. Meanwhile, the Potential Volleyball Club had two teams History was made at the Adult National Darts Champion- July in the game at the Volleyball Canada Nationals with the 16U ships in Saskatoon as Elvis Beaudoin and Keith Way became squad in Regina and the 18U team in Toronto. The 16U girls the first dart players from the NWT to win a national cham- wrapped up its business with a loss in the Tier 3 playoffs to the pionship. The duo won the men's doubles title with Beaudoin The Home Building Centre Cardinals replaced the Fire Kneehill Pilots from Alberta in two straight sets while the 18U checking out 155 in the third leg of the best-of-five match-up Prevention Prospectors as kings of the fastpitch mountain in girls suffered a round of 16 defeat at the hands to Waves Blue to claim victory. Way would also go on to qualify for both the the territory thanks to their 9-4 win over the Prospectors in from Ontario in straight sets to close things out. World Masters and World Cup later in the tournament. the final of the NWT Men's Fastpitch Championship in Fort Kevin Koe and company polished the curling season off in Sir John Franklin ended up as both the overall and school Simpson. Please see next page

photo courtesy of Thorsten Gohl Kaitlyn Stewart blocks a single-leg takedown attempt during her match on Aug. 16. 2019 Year in Review Yellowknifer, Friday, January 3, 2020 17

photo courtesy of Rob Hart Molly Gillard of St. Pat's dribbles her way upfield during action at the Elks Outdoor Soccer Tournament in Hay River on Sept. 20. Mike Auge, who now calls Hay River home, was picked up by Senior Championships in Bosnia and Herzegovina. He ended up his former team for the weekend's festivities and he played the hero's losing his first-round match in the men's 139 lb. division by unani- role, hitting a walk-off base hit to score the winning run in the bot- mous decision. tom of the seventh inning. August Junior Spike It! once again emanated from gymnasiums around The Canada Cup junior volleyball tournament had never had the city and, as in past years, William McDonald was the team to a team from North of 60 as part of its line-up. That was until the beat. The Wildcats won four of the six banners up for grabs while Western Canada Summer Games girls squad made an appearance The Western Canada Summer Games in Saskatchewan was the Range Lake North and St. Pat's won one each. The tournament was in July and they certainly didn't embarrass themselves in the slight- big event of August and Team NT did a fair bit better this time also notable in that it was the first time Allain St-Cyr hosted a scho- est. around than it did four years prior. A total of six medals came home, lastic sports event of any kind in its new gymnasium. The team made the trip to Halifax and ended up finishing 12th which was six more than the 2015 total of zero. Swimming, tennis, overall out of 16 teams in Division 2, a result which head coach track and field and wrestling were the sports which provided the Darren Horn said proved that they belonged. podium finishes. The 2020 National Aboriginal Hockey Championships are hap- The Fire Prevention Prospectors and Home Building Cen- November pening this May in Regina, of that there is no doubt. What is in tre Cardinals did battle in the final of the Yk Fastball League doubt is whether Team North will be a part of it. playoff tournament final, a rematch of the NWT Men's Fastpitch The new crop of winners of the Aboriginal Sports Circle of the The Aboriginal Sports Circle of the NWT has confirmed it will Championship title game from July, and this time, it would be the NWT Awards were announced in November, led by Aaron Plotner, not be part of any future Team North ventures after it announced in Prospectors who would get the last big title of the fastpitch season who won the Coach Award for his work with student athletes at July that it would no longer fund the tri-territorial initiative between thanks to a 3-2 win in extra innings. Steve Thomas drove in Curtis K'alemi Dene School. Dianna Beck was also a winner as she copped the NWT, Nunavut and . Gibeau with the winning run in the bottom of the eighth inning on the Community Builder honour for her work with the Canadian Aaron Wells, the Sports Circle's executive director, said the a one-out, bases-loaded single. Championship Dog Derby for several years. stakeholders – parents, territorial sport organizations and the Team NWT went into the Canadian Mixed Curling Champion- national Aboriginal Sports Circle council – were informed first ship in Saguenay, Que., as one of the favourites to win it all and about the decision. very nearly turned the trick. The rink of Jamie Koe, Kerry Galusha, He said the Sports Circle here decided to go in a different direc- September David Aho and ended up leaving with the bronze tion based on the group's new strategic plan, which was crafted last medal after beating Manitoba, 7-5, to earn themselves third place. November. It was a winning weekend for the Yellowknife Wolfpack senior Jonah Bevington's time with the Portland Winterhawks of the girls outfit in in late November. Western Hockey League came to an end after he was one of the The ladies, made up of players from Yellowknife, Hay River final cuts near the end of the pre-season. Bevington had managed and Fort Smith, took top spot in the Midget Tier 3 division of the to survive down to the final 30 players but was the victim of the Wickenheiser World Female Hockey Festival in Calgary thanks to numbers game once all was said and done. a 7-2 win in the championship game. Wren Acorn was on the ice with the big kids of speed skating Annie King calls Saskatchewan home now but the born-and- in September as she took part in the Canadian Short Track Cham- bred Yellowknife hockey star still thinks of home whenever she can. pionships in Montreal. She didn't cause any giant-killings but she The 17-year-old, who plays at Notre Dame College, was named to did score herself 1,848 points overall. She qualified for the event Team Canada's roster for the Women's World U-18 Hockey Cham- through the NextGen program, which identifies possible podium pionship in Slovakia, which got underway on Dec. 26. King man- contenders coming through the system. aged to make it all the way to the end of the line after beginning on The first scholastic sports tournament of the new school year the long list of 60 players two years ago. happened at its traditional home in Hay River as the Elks Outdoor The NWT Sport Hall of Fame welcomed its class of 2019 as Soccer Tournament took place. Sir John Franklin and St. Pat's each softball legend Floyd Daniels, cross-country skiing legend Rose- found success on the field as the Falcons took the Grade 10-12 girls anne Allen and gymnastics legend John Tram were inducted at the banner by beating the Irish while St. Pat's scored itself two banners. Elks Hall. Tram was the lone Yellowknifer to be inducted this year thanks to his exploits at the territorial and national level. October December It was a big month for Keith Way as he joined Team Canada to play at the World Darts Federation's World Cup in Romania. Wren Acorn took on the best that junior speed skating had to Way qualified for the tournament by finishing in the top four at a offer in Canada and stayed right with them to the end. Acorn, who qualifying tournament at the Adult National Darts Championships trains out of the Olympic Oval in Calgary, lined up at the Canadian in Saskatoon back in June. Junior Short Track Championships at her home venue and finished After a one-year hiatus, the NWT Cross-Country Champion- in eighth place overall with a total of 8,607 points, her best ever at ships returned to Fort Providence and it was a Yellowknife school that event. One of her results included a fourth-place finish in the which once again graced the top of the overall standings. St. Pat's girls 1,500-metre event. won the grand aggregate banner, which takes the number of points The road to the 2020 began to take shape earned by a team for each top-10 finish and divides it by the number with the first wave of territorial trials in December. of athletes on a team to give an average. Hockey, curling, basketball, volleyball, gymnastics, dog mush- The NWT Recreation and Parks Association honoured several ing, futsal, cross-country skiing and biathlon were the sports in play people from around the territory at its annual awards banquet in on the opening weekend with cross-country skiing and biathlon photo courtesy of Danny Clouston Hay River in October. One of those was Karen Johnson, who was being forced to hold its trials indoors due to the temperature being Elvis Beaudoin, left, and Keith Way show off the winner of the Innovation Award for her work in helping new- too cold to compete outside. their champions plaques after winning the men's comers to Canada get involved in recreation programs. And there you have it. Not all of the excitement could be fit doubles event at the Adult National Darts Cham- Grey Patino got to do what very few people from Yellowknife into this document but there were many other stories which were pionships in Saskatoon in June, the first-ever ever have. The part-owner of Just Fitness represented Canada at the considered. You'll see plenty more of this sort of thing in 2020 and national win for the NWT at the tournament. World Association of Kickboxing Organizations (WAKO) World you'll find a lot of it exclusively here in the sports section. 18 yellowknifer, Friday, January 3, 2020 Yellowknifer, Friday, January 3, 2020 19 20 yellowknifer, Friday, January 3, 2020