Investigation into downtown blaze continues
The cause of last week's fire that left the Yellowknife Catholic Schools board office with extensive damage is not yet known, says the fire marshal.
"We've completed scene investigation and we're now following up on some evidence that we've pulled from the scene," said Fire Marshal Chucker Dewar.
The blaze broke out inside the 49 Street building just before 1 a.m. last Thursday, prompting a "full group alert" from the Yellowknife Fire Division.
Thick smoke billowed from the board office's top floor – a section of the building that houses six offices and two apartment units.
After nearly three hours on scene, fire crews extinguished the blaze, which appeared concentrated on the office side of the building's upper level.
Dewar said the investigation has not yet determined the "cause and origin" of the fire.
The blaze has forced school board staff to temporarily relocate to St. Patrick's High School.
– Brendan Burke
Folk On The Rocks announces second wave of performers
Music group Major Funk and The Employment is one of the latest acts to join Folk On The Rocks 2018.
The Whitehorse based R&B performers were one of 11 artists added to the concert list on Friday by FOTR executive producer Carly Bradley.
Other performers include: Partner, William Prince, Rock The Arts, JB the First Lady, Lonesome Ace String B, Silla and Rise, The Rainbow Coalition of
Yellowknife, Andrea Bettger, The Highest Order and Nuela Charles.
Bradley said the lineup for the July 20–22 festival will be finalized in two weeks.
– Michael Hugall
Yk1 announces school schedule for 2018-2019
The Yellowknife Education District No. 1 approved its 2018-2019 school calendar at a board meeting on March 13.
Teachers and administrators will report back to the classroom on Aug. 24 whereas students will begin learning on Sept. 4.
The calendar includes information on winter and spring vacation. The Yk1 holiday season begins on Dec. 22 with students expected back in their classrooms by Jan. 6.
Spring break will run from March 15 to March 31.
The calendar includes new Strengthen Teachers Instructional Practices (STIP) days which were announced by superintendent Metro Huculak in 2017. Six of those days have been incorporated into next year's calendar.
– Michael Hugall
Alert system to expand
A test of the Alert Ready System will be conducted today at 9:55 a.m. on local TV and radio stations.
On May 9, the system is set to expand in the NWT to include mobile devices, stated a notification by Bell this week.
Mobile devices in other national jurisdictions will be included in the warning system as of early April.
Compatible devices then will receive emergency alerts from the government Alert Ready service.
Alerts will notify people of possible life-threatening situations that need immediate attention, stated the message from Bell.
– James O'Connor
Yellowknife Motors moving uptown
After more than 40 years downtown, Yellowknife Motors will soon be on the move.
The dealership and auto-shop, located on 49th Street, will shut its doors before relocating to Old Airport Road in 2019.
"I've been planning a move since acquiring the dealership in the fall of 2011, as I knew the location was not big enough to satisfy our customers and our operational needs," said Yellowknife Motors owner Greg Boucher.
The new location is currently under construction, he said, and will cover more than three-and-a-half acres of land, which is an upgrade from the one-acre the dealership currently sits on.
"It has taken more time than expected to find appropriately sized land in an appropriate location with the correct zoning but we are excited to now be finally under construction," said Boucher.
Boucher added the new location will allow Yellowknife Motors to offer "state of the art" facilities.
"We are proud to be the only locally owned dealership in the Northwest Territories and are equally proud to be making this investment in our customers, our staff and in Yellowknife," he said.
There is no word yet on what will become of Yellowknife Motors' old lot when construction on its new location wraps up.
– Brendan Burke
Pop-up park could turn vacant lot into hub
It's an unused pile of cracked asphalt but this summer it should be a park, says the executive of a local environmental group.
In a presentation to Yellowknife city council on Monday, Ecology North executive director Craig Scott, said a vacant lot beside the Raven Nightclub should be turned into a "pop-up park."
Pop-up parks are often temporary constructions used to reclaim urban spaces, said Scott.
The park could be used for a number of activities including hands-on workshops, outdoor screenings, safe space for people struggling with homelessness, urban forestation, arts installations and community gardens, he said.
"There are lots of potential opportunities. This has been done all over the world," said Scott.
Councillors Linda Bussey, Julian Morse, Shauna Morgan, Adrian Bell and Steve Payne voiced support for the project.
"Sometimes we look for big things to make changes in the downtown core but I think what's going to make the most change [are] the little things that we can do. It's going to be a place that we'll want to bring our kids," said Coun. Payne.
The city is already conducting maintenance on the empty lots, said Coun. Shauna Morgan.
"I also think this idea has a lot of potential," she said.
Senior administration also voiced support for a pop-up park.
"Having something that's alive in the downtown as opposed to a dead space is certainly much more desirable," said the city's senior administrative officer, Sheila Bassi-Kellett.
Scott said Ecology North is also working with the Yellowknife Community Foundation to secure funding for the project and hopes to open the park by the summer. Yellowknife joins five Canadian cities applying.
– Avery Zingel
Yellowknife joins energy efficiency pilot
The City of Yellowknife is joining five other Canadian municipalities for a project designed to help communities reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Yellowknife and other participating communities will help develop a "smart energy communities" scorecard, which could eventually be used by cities all over Canada.
The project was launched this week by Quality Urban Energy Systems of Tomorrow and Pollution Probe, two non-profits.
"This project couldn't have come at a better time, as Yellowknife is charting our course towards energy efficiency, reducing our dependence on fossil fuel and looking to reduce our impact on climate change," stated Yellowknife Mayor Mark Heyck in a March 15 news release.
Yellowknife's involvement in the pilot project will ensure the scorecard considers Northern energy perspectives, stated the release.
At the end of the project, Yellowknife will be among the first municipalities to get a scorecard report that will help the city with ongoing energy planning efforts, it continues.
Bridgewater, N.S., Calgary, Alta, Grande Prairie, Alta, Inuvik and London, Ont, will join Yellowknife in the Smart Energy Communities Scorecard project.
"I am proud the City of Yellowknife continues to be a leader in energy sustainability and has been selected to take part in the project," said Heyck.
– Avery Zingel
$2K prize at NACC
The Northern Arts and Cultural Centre (NACC) is rewarding an audience member with a $2,000 voucher at tomorrow night's show.
NACC has partnered with Top of The World Travel for a raffle which will give one winner the chance to put $2,000 toward a trip to the destination of their choosing.
All proceeds from the raffle will go toward NACC building renovations.
The winner will be announced Thursday during the Niyaz performance.
Based in Montreal, Niyaz is an electronic music duo which has a middle-eastern influence, stated NACC communications manager, Josh Long.
The Iranian-Canadian duo of Azam Ali and Carmen Rizzo has been described "as evolutionary force in contemporary music."
The performance is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.
– Michael Hugall