Friday Vigil Will Mark 30 Years Since Montreal Massacre Pool's Future
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Online first at NNSL.com Friday vigil will mark 30 years since Montreal Massacre Volume 48 Issue 75 WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2019 75 CENTS ($1 outside city) 'Please help!' Barred from shelter, banned user starts petition to reverse recent policy change Spending News Pool's Memorial future planned Carlena Mantla, left, Josephine Tsatchi, Anthony Blackduck, Robert Washie and Duane pondered for Norwegian stand in solidarity outside the day shelter Monday. Some are housed. Some in budget beloved aren't. Either way, they're supporting Washie's calls to overturn the "hurtful" policy. debate teacher Brendan Burke/NNSL photo $1.00 outside Yellowknife Publication mail Contract #40012157 "It's amazing to know that I come from an awesome place where people are always paying attention and supporting what I'm doing." 7 71605 00100 5 – Speed skater Wren Acorn had a better than expected national championship, page 14. 2 YELLOWKNIFER, Wednesday, December 4, 2019 news YELLOWKNIFER, Wednesday, December 4, 2019 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 Plans for pool's future 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 floated for city council Briefs Simon Whitehouse/NNSL photo The Alzheimer Society of Alberta and the Northwest Territories held its sev- enth annual children's Christmas Mall and Santa photos at the Northern United Place, Saturday. From left are Claudia Kelly, volunteer, Sidney Johnson, four, and Kirsten Maclellan, 11. Kids become mayor for the day A local radio station and the city have announced two students will be Yellowknife mayor for the day this Friday. According to a Tuesday announcement from 100.1 The Moose, the radio station and the city chose from 38 submissions collected from Grades 2 through 12, before settling on the winners. The essays asked how Yellowknife could be a better community. This the first year the contest has been in place. Chosen by Mayor Rebecca Alty, the two NNSL file photo students are Grade 2 student Celestia O'Brien Yellowknife city council has to decide whether to renovate and expand Ruth Inch Memorial Pool, or plow ahead and Grade 5 student Nora Swan. with a new pool, deciding between 52-metre and 25-metre options. The two will have the opportunity to be sworn in, tour city facilities, have their picture taken at the Mayor's desk, have lunch with the Repair or replace, it will cost taxpayers nearly $50 million mayor, and recap their day with an interview on the radio. by Nick Pearce To avoid that added delay, she said, it and a 52-metre pool that can be split into – Nick Pearce Northern News Services would be helpful to explore options. Mayor 25-metre halves. City councillors were presented with Rebecca Alty agreed, adding she wanted On top of that, he added, further delay pricey pool proposals Monday. clear comparisons of differences in pro- carry a significant cost. Organizations to receive Council had to decide whether to reno- gramming and costs between the two facili- "If we had done this a year ago, we would ‘Inspiring Youth Leader Grants' vate and expand Ruth Inch Memorial Pool, ties. have saved our taxpayers $3 million dollars. or plow ahead with a new pool, deciding Konge, meanwhile, was unwilling to shut That's the cost of waiting. Every year. Three Two community-based organizations will between 52-metre and 25-metre options. down the existing facility for expansion and million bucks. So while we think about wait- be awarded a pair of grants totalling $35,000 At $41 million, renovations and a renovation, which he said wouldn't enjoy ing, think about three million dollars. That's by the Yellowknife Community Foundation 25-metre pool appears to be the cheap- widespread support. a lot of money," he said. and RBC Foundation on Thursday. est option on paper, and would also spare "I'd like to continue down the path we're Coun. Julian Morse, supporting explor- Rainbow Coalition of Yellowknife - Youth the costs of maintaining an extra building. on without too many detours," he said, ing further evaluations, was concerned over Membership Program and the Foster Family However, it would be closed for about a leading Coun. Steve Payne to back his com- what would become of the old building if a Coalition of the NWT - 5052 Community Pro- year-and-a-half during the renovation. A ments. new pool was built – especially on mainten- ject, recipients of the grants, will walk away 52-metre tank would bump that cost up to ance, which he said would ultimately be the with $15,000 and $20,000 respectively in sup- $48.7 million. Councillor calls it a 'can' real burden on taxpayers. It's also unclear if port of youth-led projects in the territory. The other option is a new building with a Konge was wary of introducing another the old building would have a buyer. Part of the RBC Future Launch Community 25-metre pool at $47 million, or a 52-metre possible delay to the long-developing pool Challenge, the grants are meant to inspire youth- pool primed to meet high user demand, but update. White elephant worries led initiatives in 150 small to medium-sized that costs about $54.7 million. That would "This pool – you can call it a ‘can' – has "We're talking like that building isn't communities across the country. also mean another building to insure and been kicked around a circle now for a long going to exist anymore. It is," he said, The overall goal of the program, according maintain. time," he said. "We need to make a decision explaining he was worried about it becom- to a news release, is to "help shift the power on what path we want to go down. Whatever ing a "white elephant." That is something to young leaders making positive social or Topic coming back in January the decision is, as long we start moving this expensive, but largely useless. environmental change in their communities, Council, with the exception of Couns. forward instead of kicking this can around Renee Lelievre, a former president, cur- while enabling them to gain valuable skills and Niels Konge and Steve Payne, voted to dis- in a circle." rent treasurer and longtime board member of experience." cuss the issue further in a meeting in early He said the city pool committee found the Polar Bear Swim Club, has three kids in "The RBC Future Launch Community Chal- January, where they'll provide consultants issue with the renovation plan because of the program using Ruth Inch Memorial pool. lenge is an exciting and valuable addition to with instruction on whether or not to expand the length of time the pool would be out of She said the last city committee has the Yellowknife Community Foundation," states the project. commission. already addressed cost concerns around foundation board member Sophie Kirby in the "If we continue on the current course The facility is popular, he said, citing a the various options. "There were no reports news release. where (consultants) are only directed to 300-person wait list for swimming lessons, back at that time that showed it'd be of more "We are looking forward to seeing how youth look at the 52 metre pool, then the team adding that when the swim club held open efficiency to renovate what we currently in our community step up to create solutions to will come back to us with an estimate. If try-outs, there were 200 kids. Optimally had," she said. urgent needs," continued Kirby. at the point we have sticker shock … what under its time constraints, the club has room "That discussion, in my mind, has already The grants will be handed out during a cere- I would predict is we would end up send- for 85 kids, which can be stretched into the happened and has been dealt with and talked mony at Yellowknife's RBC Branch on Franklin ing them back to do another analysis of a 90s, according to Konge. about," she said, calling it a "redundancy." Avenue. The ceremony begins at 3 p.m. Dec. 5. cheaper option," Coun. Shauna Morgan said, He said the committee concluded there It feels like that work and previous infor- – Brendan Burke explaining she wanted to stay the course would be basically three bodies of water in mation has been put on the "back burner," with the new pool, while evaluating options. the 52-metre pool: a warm pool for lessons, according to Lelievre. 4 YELLOWKNIFER, Wednesday, December 4, 2019 news New email scam pilfers pay cheque Fraudster directs accounting department to change direct deposit information by Brendan Burke email scam is a new one for NWT RCMP. Northern News Services "We have not encountered this specific A new, sophisticated online scam that type of fraud in the NWT," Plourde told left a Northern News Services manager out Yellowknifer. of a pay cheque is another example of the Of all fraud complaints reported to the ever-evolving tricks used by fraudsters to RCMP's financial crimes unit this year, a steal Canadians' hard-earned cash, say NWT computer was used to commit 13 of the RCMP. offences, according to Plourde. "Scammers are using different methods to While fraudsters have been known to take lure their victims, and new methods are being aim at seniors and non-tech-savvy people, invented daily," stated RCMP spokesperson "different groups can be targeted," she stated.