The Klondike Sun Wednesday, February 9, 2011 online edition
VOL. 22 NO. 20 $1.25
What to do if the “BIG ONE” Comes Story & Photos by Dan Davidson
A Bad Day Begins In what might be the worst of all possible worlds, February 2, 2011 begins with an earthquake in the Tintina Trench. Registering 6.9 on the Richter Scale, the quake’s epicenter is determined to be 35 km east of Dawson City and 11 km north of the Klondike River Lodge. The quake hits at 8:20 a.m. and lasts for just 35 seconds, but in that time Dawson loses nearly all of its historic buildings, the Yukon Energy diesel plant, the hydro line from Mayo, and all the communications towers located part way up the Dome. The quake is felt as far away as Tuktoyaktuk and Fort Simpson in the NWT as well as Ketchikan and Kodiak in Alaska. Buildings in Whitehorse tremble and CBC, for once, has something to worry about other than the state of its own building. These are the circumstances under which Dawson’s emergency measures team gathers in the town council chambers to set up an Emergency Operations Centre (EOC). In Whitehorse, the Joint Emergency Operations Coordination Centre (JEOCC) will be established at the Erik Nielsen
International Airport. The Dawson group will plan to manage what they can at this end of the disrupted communications and transportation line. Where possible, Whitehorse will supply resources.
Just Kidding - Sort of ... Fortunately, this is all a terrible fantasy hatched in the mind of YTG’s Rural Community Emergency Planner, Michael Swainson, and intended to test the readiness of both EOC and JEOCC and their ability to function within the structures of the Incident Command System (ICS) used for emergency situations. The participants did gather at the town hall that morning shortly after 8:00 a.m. and were presented with this scenario as if it actually had occurred at 8:20. By 8:44 they had been broken into the standard ICS command groups, designated as logistics, finance, planning, operations, safety officer, liaison and information officer, all under the supervision of the incident commander. They had until mid-afternoon to come up with a plan, during which time more and more damaging information was reported to the EMO and the plan had to be adjusted accordingly.
IN THIS ISSUE: 1 - The Big One Strikes 2 - Mental Health News 3 - Admin Handcuffed 4 - Books Are Not Dead 5 - What’s Happening? 6 - Fulda’s a Wrap NWTel Rebates 7 - Double Bob 8 - Bookends 9 - Youth Art Women’s Day Remember Walrus 10 - HSD Report Eye on SOVA CKS News 11 - Hunter Gatherer
12- 16 - TV Guide pages removed 17 - Open Studio 18 - 48 Film Explosion 19 - Primary Sources 20 - A BIG ad 21 - Climate Watch 22 - Cartoons 7 Days Column 23 - Classifieds 24 - City Notice about W&S Bylaw Amendment
EMO Put to The Test Operation Tintina ended with a simulated media briefing in Dawson City at about 2:30 on Wednesday, or 14:30, in the military parlance these
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events like to use. The scenario envisioned by Michael Swainson for this training exercise left very little in the way of resources for the town to work with. As the morning progressed, following the quake at 8:20, information began to trickle in from places in the badly damaged town. The slow speed was due to the total lack of communication systems as a result of the big shake. By 8:44 the nucleus of an Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) had been created in the town’s council chambers and the town’s EMO committee had assembled and broken into the teams needed to coordinate a response to the situation. As the reports arrived the logistics, finance, planning, and operations committees learned that • The Yukon Energy Plant was
on fire. • The town’s water system was broken. • A school bus had crashed near Crocus Bluff, killing 7 students and injuring 9 from its load of 39 people. • The east side of the Klondike River Bridge had collapsed. • The airport runway was cracked in a number of places and the terminal was damaged beyond use. • The Highway Maintenance Shop at the town’s boundary had collapsed with as many as 30 people trapped in the rubble. • The supply of gasoline for emergency vehicles was limited. • The school was functioning with light and heat for as many as 700 people who were crowded in there, but the washrooms were Cont’d on page 2
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Wednesday, February 9, 2011
THE KLONDIKE SUN
Three territorial mental health programs extended
What to do if the “BIG ONE” Comes Continued from page 1
not working. • A magnitude 6.2 aftershock rattled the town for 15 seconds more at 13:55 hours. • River ice had been cracked and jumbled by the quakes and the ice bridge to West Dawson was gone. A vehicle had gone through the ice. • Klondike River Lodge at the Dempster Corner, nearer to the epicenter, had been destroyed. There were things that could not be helped. The diesel plant had to burn, with such resources as there were allocated to keeping nearby buildings from igniting. Being cut off in both directions meant there was no way to deal with any problems outside the town core. Any walking wounded had to be set aside to administer aid to those who needed it most. At the briefing it was estimated that there were 30 fatalities and 270 injured. It was clear that most of the Gold Rush era buildings in the town were gone. St. Andrews Presbyterian Church lay crumpled in the street. Beyond obvious damage it was impossible to say just how bad the situation was. Some things could be handled locally. Parts for a temporary bridge were located in the Callison Industrial Subdivision and the Ogilvie Bridge was replaced. This came as a surprise
to event designer Swainson, but he noted that it just proves the importance of local knowledge in dealing with a crisis. Not all the problems could be handled locally. For this reason the Joint Emergency Operations Coordination Centre (JEOCC) was convened at the Erik Nielsen International Airport and the two sides tried to communicate with each other, a difficult task accomplished by a mixture of assistance from the Yukon’s Amateur Radio Association and a few satellite phones. Still, at the debriefing which followed the table top exercise, communications was tagged as the biggest single problem of the day, followed closely by “closing the loop”, which basically refers to the feedback needed to make sure messages were being received and acted on. Evaluators Dan Baikie and Jim Regimbal reported to the 18 participants that they had managed an extremely difficult situation about as well as could be expected. They were primarily concerned with the need to keep
better records of conversations, decisions and actions. Event designer Michael Swainson told the group he was sure they could handle regular problems, like the threat of flood or fire, quite comfortably, but reminded them that they had reached this level of proficiency after considerable training and two previous table top exercises. Keeping those tools sharp would involve at least an annual practice run. “I was exceedingly pleased with how the group in Dawson worked together,” he said. “I wasn’t happy that the communication system failed, but it’s good that it failed here in an exercise. In a real situation
we would have had real issues getting information back and forth to Whitehorse.” Both ends of the loop needed to be clear about what they heard and what they were going to do about it, he said. Fire Chief Jim Regimbal seconded that opinion, but felt that the operation as a whole went well. “We’ve been doing some training with the Emergency Measures Organization, slowly getting us up to the level where we could work as an EOC as a full team in a mass disaster. I was really happy with the way everyone in the community performed. Everyone was here to fill their roles, which was fabulous.”
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WHITEHORSE (February 3, 2011) —Yukon Health and Social Services Minister Glenn Hart today announced the continued funding of three mental health programs previously funded under the Territorial Health Access Fund. “The department has been able to identify funding to continue these very important mental health programs. This will enable the department to continue to provide these services. Officials are now in the process of notifying staff and clients of the continuation,” Hart said. Territorial Health Access Funding had been used to support rural mental health, early psychosis intervention and complex client care. These three pilot projects were funded only until March 31, 2011. Late last fall it was required that the Department of Health and Social Services advise clients and other health professionals of the changes that might be coming if funding could not be found. “I am very happy that my officials were able to identify the funding required to continue these programs,” Hart added. “We recognize that community services and individual supports can make a tremendous difference in the lives of these clients.” Funding for the three programs is just over $700,000. Ed Note: This press release, with full fanfare, relates to the program cancellations which we announced here last issue. You may recall that the announcement of the cancellation was, to say the least, extremely low key. Wonderful as it is to see these programs reinstated, they are too important to play public relations games with.
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
THE KLONDIKE SUN
City Administration “handcuffed” by Municipal Act
Story & Photo by Dan Davidson
About a dozen people were present at the January 26 meeting of town council, most attracted by concerns over possible changes to the sewer and water subsidy regime that had raised a lot of public discussion earlier in the month. In his report to council CAO Jeff Renaud reiterated what had been said by council members at a special meeting on January 19, that the town administration had not acted improperly when it had refused subsidy payments to residents and seniors earlier in the month. Renaud’s written report took exception to widely circulated “serious allegations regarding the professionalism and ethics of the city administration.” “Upon my return from holidays I investigated how this matter was handled and found that while a mistake had occurred (and since had been corrected) no member of the city administration conducted themselves with a ‘disregard for the Municipal Act’ as has been widely distributed.” What had happened was that the town’s provisional budget had been revised to omit the subsidy lines. A revision of the Sewer and Water Bylaw was in the works but had not yet replaced the existing bylaw, which has those subsidies in its rates section. Thus the provisional budget and the bylaw were in conflict. During question period, Renaud responded to concerns from the audience and expanded on the situation. It began with retired Anglican Archdeacon Ken Snider Provisional budgets have to be prepared before the end of December each year to give the council and administration the legislative authority to continue to spend money while the final version of the budget is being tuned. The complete budget is still a few months off at this point in the process. “During the provisional budget period of time,” Renaud explained, “the administration can’t expense money that’s not identified in the provisional budget.” This, he said, is a requirement of the Municipal Act, which trumps any local bylaws when it comes to finances. The bylaw, however, is specific as to when the bills had to be issued, and that date was before the error in the provisional budget could be corrected. “So when they took the money out of those lines of the budget … we, as administration couldn’t guarantee at that time, despite efforts to fix the problem, that we were going to be able to issue you
a subsidy. So, rather than putting a false statement (on the bills) we had to take that comment off. “Subsequent to the bills going out a special council meeting was held, the money was returned to those line items, and we were able to supply the subsidies on payments that qualified.” The town’s office staff was “handcuffed”, he said, by the conflict between the bylaw and the Municipal Act. “I know it created confusion and I apologize for that, but we were stuck.” Councillor Stephen Johnson provided the Coles’ Notes version. “To make a long story short, we busted the bylaw, we’re not allowed to do that, we fixed the problem and the subsidies are back in.” There will continue to be a lengthy discussion about water and sewer rates and water delivery to residents who are not connected to the grid system. The latter discussion began with the passage of a bylaw amendment that would take the town out of the delivery business altogether. Most residents on water delivery have been receiving a subsidy related to that service, but it has been diminishing steadily over the last number of years, a process initiated by the previous council. Over time, residents on water delivery have seen the cost rise to 50% cost recovery, then 70% and 85%. This year’s plan, previously
announced, would have taken the amount to 100%, at which point the city’s contention is that it would most likely be cheaper for the resident to deal directly with the company that actually delivers the water. That contract will conclude at the end of March, and council had hoped to have the change happen as of April 1, but that may not be possible within the time it would take to pass the bylaw amendment. Coun. Bill Kendrick proposed that the CAO be instructed to investigate ways of covering the potential interim and perhaps even negotiating a new water delivery contract if that should be necessary.
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A dozen residents turned out for the latest council meeting to hear about the future of water and sewer delivery costs.
The Winter Construction Scene
Story & Photo by Dan Davidson This shelter frame is part of the dyke revitalization project that got under way just at the end of
We invite you to complete a survey for the Our Towns, Our Future review The short survey is at www.community.gov.yk.ca/ourtown/index.html Let us know what you think about the sustainability of your municipality by February 18th
the summer tourist season. Since the beginning of full winter it has been proceding by bits and bites whenever the weather
warms up a touch. Last week’s days above -10° C were enough to bring the work crew out again.
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THE KLONDIKE SUN
Opinions in the Sun
Uffish Thoughts: The Paper Book’s Obituary is Premature By Dan Davidson
To paraphrase Mark Twain’s comments about his premature obituary, I believe the reports concerning the death of the paper book are greatly exaggerated. Before we all hop on the “it’s the end of the book” bandwagon, we might want to stop and think about who exactly is generating that hype. Amazon started it in 2010 when they reported that sales of e-books outpaced sales of regular books right after Christmas in 2009. They didn’t mention that quite a few people had received shiny new Kindles (that’s Amazon’s e-book reader) for presents that year and wanted to read something on their shiny new toy other than the sample books that came preloaded. Amazon recently reported that ebook sales for the Kindle have outpaced hardcover sales, but that’s another bit of selective reporting. Considering the price difference, that’s hardly surprising. Paperbacks have outsold hardcovers for decades for the same reason. Not that I dislike the Kindle. Amazon has wisely made the software cross platform compatible, and so I have a version of it on my
iPod. I find that it’s a comfortable reading experience. There’s also a version that works on my MacBook laptop, and although sitting at my desk is my least favourite way to read a book, it works well, too. I’m not new to e-books. I have 334 of them in a folder on my laptop and I’ve read most of them now. That’s nowhere near the contents of the 18 bookcases that are scattered around our house, but it is a number that’s grown over the last 8 years. I first started reading e-books on my Palm Zire, where there are several software options available. The least convenient is a PDA version of Adobe Reader, which adapts PDF files into screen-sized bites or three or four screens each, after which there’s an annoying brief pause while it prepares the next batch. More convenient are Mobipocket and E-Reader, which can be used on a number of different handhelds. They may work on cell phones as well, but I wouldn’t want to read on a screen smaller than the one on the iPod or the Palm. You turn the page by tapping the screen or pressing a button.
Some programs have built-in page turning, but I find that, since not all pages are created equal, these options are either too fast or too slow, so I disable them. There are less sophisticated options. Project Gutenburg allows you to download free copies of many classic works in Word format, or as text files, and these can be transferred to a PDA for easy reading. In such cases you just keep scrolling down to move on. A number of publishers make free copies of books available in multiple formats in order to introduce readers to their authors’ work, and there are several authors who release their work online as well as on paper, often simultaneously. E-books are handy when you’re travelling, convenient in theatres while you’re waiting for the movie to begin, and you can even hold them steady and read while on an exercise bike. But I really don’t think they’re the second coming as far as reading is concerned, and I don’t think books, especially paperback books, are going to disappear any time soon. A survey reported on CBC recently indicated that book sales were holding steady and actu-
ally increasing this year. The most recent edition of Locus magazine focused on the future of science fiction in the digital age, and spent some pages on digital reading. I’m going to continue this column by quoting a bit from the keynote essay by Neil Gaiman who, though very much in favour of Kindles and Kobos and other e-readers, had this to say about real
books as opposed to virtual ones. I don’t feel too badly about borrowing from Neil, who was essentially paraphrasing something Isaac Asimov wrote about 40 years ago. In his novels in the 1950s and 60s Asimov had described a reading device that ran a bit like today’s power point projections.
In an essay he lauded the perfect reading device, which he said was the paperback book. Here’s Neil’s take on the same subject. “Paper books are really, really useful things. They are wonderful things. I’m still convinced that the paperback book is something that will probably live forever. Because it’s cheap, it’s cheerful, you can drop it in the bath, you can put it in your pocket. It’s driven by sunlight. You can find your place in it in seconds.” One might add that it does not require a power source to function. You advance by a simple mechanical action at your own pace, and it can be read under any kind of light from electric to candle to sunlight. It is made of renewable rather than non-renewable resources, can be recycled in a variety of ways and can be a work of art in itself. Just how useful books are, and how universally appreciated they are, can be seen by the way in which makers of e-reader devices continue to try to make them as much like reading an actual book as possible. If there’s a new way to read out there, a new platform for words and stories and information, I don’t see this as a bad thing. The more the merrier.
Literary Society of the Klondike Welcome to 2011 from the staff and volunteers at the Klondike Sun! Thanks to all our loyal readers for your continued support of our community newspaper. Did you make a New Year’s resolution to get involved? Have you got a great idea for a regular column? Interesting photos or stories from local events? Send it in to us and see your name in print! Check out our NEW WEBSITE where you will soon be able to view archived Suns from 21 years ago! Webmaster Steins is slowly but surely filling in those early years. 1989 is there now. Have a look at http://cityofdawson.com/category/klondike_sun
This is YOUR space. Write! Who we are: Editor/ Head Writer Dan Davidson
Advertising & Production Manager Evan Rensch Archivist Chris Levett Subscriptions/Distribution Tara Borin, the Bandit Bookkeeping Karen McIntyre It Figures Bookkeeping Reporters / Photographers Tara Borin, Glenda Bolt, Palma Berger, Betty Davidson, Jay Armitage & others as noted
Webmaster John Steins We acknowledge the financial support of the Government of Canada through the Publications Assistance Program toward our mailing costs. PAP Registration No. 08878
Published by the Literary Society of the Klondike: President: Tara Borin Vice-President: Dan Davidson Board of Directors: Florian Boulais, Miles Kenyon, Megan Graham. Director Emeritus - Palma Berger
The Klondike Sun is produced bi-weekly. It is published by The Literary Society of the Klondike, a non-profit organization. Letters to the editor, submissions and reports may be edited for brevity, clarity, good taste (as defined by community standards), racism, sexism, and legal considerations. We welcome submissions from our readership; however, it should be understood that the opinions expressed herein may not always reflect those of the publishers and producers of the Klondike Sun. Submissions should be directed to The Editor, Bag 6040, Dawson City, YT, Y0B 1G0, e-mailed to uffish20@hotmail.com, directly to the paper at klondikesun@northwestel.net or dropped off in the drop-box at our office in the Waterfront Building, 1085 Front Street. They should be signed and preferably typed (double-spaced), or saved on digital media (CD). If you can give a phone number at which you can be reached, it would be helpful. Unsigned letters will not be printed. “Name withheld by request” is acceptable and will be printed, providing the writer identifies themselves to the Sun editorial staff. A Publishing Policy exists for more details.
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
WHAT TO SEE AND DO IN DAWSON NOW This free public service helps our readers find their way through the many activites all over town. Any small happening may need preparation and planning, so let us know in good time! To join this listing contact Tara Borin at klondikesun@northwestel.net.
Klondike Institute of Art and Culture (KIAC) - Odd Gallery: Mon. - Fri. 11 am - 5 pm Sat noon - 5pm. Visit www.kiac.ca for current exhibitions and programming information. Film Fest Selection Mondays & Wednesdays, Nov. 8th - Feb. 28th 2011, in the KIAC classroom: Help choose films to be screened at the 2011 Short Film Fest. Just show up, or contact Dan at 993-5005/filmfest@kiac.ca Senior’s Painting Saturdays 1-4 in the KIAC classroom. $5 fee for supplies, all skill levels welcome. Youth Art Enrichment Exhibition - Feb. 3-23, Robert Service School. Please check in at office on arrival. Dawson Curling Club - The ice is in! Team nights every Tues. Drop-in curling Mon/Wed/Thurs. Any skill level welcome! For info call 993-6262 or visit www. dawsoncurling.blogspot.com Dawson City Rec Department - Drop-in Badminton Mondays in the RSS Gymnasium Families from 6:15-7:15 p.m., Adults from 7:15-8:30 p.m. Fitness Classes Mon, Wed and Fri 5:30-6:30 p.m. in the Ancillary Room. $2 drop-in fee or $25/6 weeks. For more information on these and other available programs, please contact the Rec Department, 993-2353 Dawson City Museum Theatre - Please see www.dcmmovies.blogspot.com for upcoming show titles. Seedy Saturday - Feb. 12th in the Oddfellows Hall. 9am-noon, Sustainable Food: A Roundtable Discussion. 1-5 p.m. free workshops and growing fair. Learn more @ www.conservationklondike.org Klondike Development Organization - Promoting “a resilient Klondike where highly engaged citizens, networks and organizations collaborate to build a sustainable economy.” Launch Party: Thursday, Feb. 17, KIAC Ballroom, 5-7 PM. Westminster Hotel - Barnacle and Willie G in the Tavern, Thurs. - Sat. nights, 4-8. In the lounge this month: Friday nights, the Greasy Band, Saturday nights featuring Harmonica George. Music starts at 10 p.m. Dawson City Chamber of Commerce - Regular meetings 2nd Wed. of each month. Dawson City Community Library - Open Mon - Fri, noon to 6:30. Double Bob Bash Jan 29. Potluck, poetry and Celtic music at the Legion Hall Conservation Klondike Society Depot Hours - Sat, Sun, Mon, Wed: 1-5 pm, Tues: 3-7 pm. Donations of refundables may be left on the deck during off hours. Info: 993-6666
THE KLONDIKE SUN
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THE KLONDIKE SUN
in OUR community
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
Fulda/VW Tour returns to Dawson Story & Photos By Dan Davidson
Participants in this year’s Fulda Extreme Arctic Adventure were tested by almost continual temperatures between -40 and -45 degrees this year. They’ve had cold weather during the previous 10 years worth of events, but never such a long stretch. According to Rod Raycroft, with YTG’s Dept. of Tourism and Culture, they loved it. This year will give them all bragging rights. Super cold temperatures make for some quick changes in events. When a proposed helicopter drop fell through in Dawson City, the group went to the airport and showed off how well their VW Touareg sport utility vehicles, mounted with Fulda winter tires, of course, handled on the gravel airstrip. Earlier that same day they did manage a run up half of the Midnight Dome (6.5 kilometres) on snowshoes. It was -41 at the bottom of the hill that day, and enough of a breeze in the circle at the top that Raycroft figures it dipped below -50 when they arrived. From Dawson it was on to Eagle Plains, where they staged a halfmarathon at the Arctic Circle. In Inuvik on Jan. 21 they watched instructors build snow houses called Quinzhees and then had to build their own to sleep in that night. Fortunately it was a bit warmer than it had been in Dawson, where they had had to cancel their plans to overnight in tents. After the drive to Tuktoyatuk the next day they participated in a harpoon tossing contest in which they had to score by getting the harpoon through a target made of – what else? – tires. That same night there was a banquet back in Inuvik. Then the athletes and the media people departed by air, to be replaced by an incentive and VIP tour by Fulda employees. The incentive group drove back to Dawson from Inuvik and spent Monday in the Klondike. Event organizer Holger Bergold explained that this group had more of a tourist experience, with a skidoo trek on the Yukon River in the afternoon and curling scheduled, as well as a dinner and shopping time. For them the weather was nicer, sunshine instead of ice fog and a mere -23°, which Raycroft said some of them referred to as balmy. In Dawson the Fulda people
turned the vehicles over to a contingent from Volkswagen, who embarked on their own Yukon tour. At one point about 48 VIP visitors were in Dawson at the same time. Volkswagen is one of the sponsors of the challenge, along with Condor Airlines, Lowa and Schiller Medizintechnik. Fulda itself is now part of the Goodyear-Dunlop Tire Company of Germany. The Yukon government invested $150,000 in a cooperative marketing agreement to support the coverage by European journalists and broadcasters. The government estimates that € 5.4 million Euros ($7.4 million Canadian) in public relations advertising can be expected to flow from this event. In addition it’s estimated that $1 million is spent locally by Fulda on equipment rentals, food and beverages, transportation, accommodations, staging of events and other services which help to stimulate the local economy in the middle of our slowest tourism season.
European visitors line up at the SS Keno to head out for a skidoo tour...and away they go.
NorthwesTel Solves Dawson’s Internet Problems and offers a Month’s free service Story & Photo By Dan Davidson
After months of complaints from customers, and a sternly worded letter of protest from Dawson’s town council, NorthwesTel has responded to concerns about the quality of its Internet service in Dawson City. In a January 21st letter tabled at the January 26 council meeting Curtis Shaw, VP for Consumer Markets and Small Business, gave the company’s position on service disruptions that have affected hotels, stores and residents in the community for hours and sometimes days at a time during the fall of 2010 and on into the current year. “We have isolated an equipment problem that was causing intermittent Internet outages. We replaced this piece of equipment earlier in the week and are continuing to test this repair. We have been working with some customers that experienced intermittent service outages in
Dawson and they report that service is stable. We believe that this issue impacted approximately 230 users in Dawson.” In a January 18th letter addressed to customers, which had been received by a number of people who attended the council meeting, Shaw went into more detail. “These intermittent outages were caused by a faulty piece of equipment in our Dawson Central Office. This equipment was rebooting throughout the day, which resulted in brief (approximately 3 minute) Internet outages.” It should be understood that this equipment failure would be in addition to two earlier failures that resulted in loss of signal to most of the town in October of 2010. At that time the company indicated it would be offering a service credit to customers who had reported problems. This had not appeared on the November 2010 through January 2011 telephone/internet bills, but will
appear on the next bill. Shaw’s letter to customers indicates that it has taken “several months of investigation” to resolve this problem. “We sincerely regret the inconvenience the intermittent outages have caused our Dawson customers. To compensate for these service interruptions we are providing you with a month of your regular Internet package for free. A credit covering one month of your regular Internet package will be applied
to your bill.” Discussion of the two letters at the council meeting indicated that both councillors and the gallery felt there were more issues to be resolved. Town manager Jeff Renaud reported that he had been in conversation with officials and the company and that they were prepared to come to Dawson to meet with the council. Spectators indicated that they would want to be there too.
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
in OUR community
The Double Bob Honours Burns and Service Story & Photos By Dan Davidson The Legion Hall was the venue for this year’s edition of the Double Bob Bash, the Dawson Community Library Board’s annual celebration of the birthdays of the two poetic Roberts, Burns and Service, held on January 29. Both were born in January, though their birthdays are nearly 120 years apart, and Service, the latter of the two, believed himself to be related to the Bard of Scotland. During his youth he recited Burns’ verse on a number of occasions. Apparently some of them were inappropriate and got him into trouble. The familial link is not a certain thing, but Service had it from an uncle and he believed it. Of the two, Service’s verse is mostly more accessible these days, as anyone who has tried to recite Burns’ “Address to a Haggis” can tell you. This year Chris Collin, decked out in formal highland gear, made the attempt after Bonnie Barber led the parade around the tables in the center of the room. He even brought his own Sgian Dubh (Scottish kilt knife) with which to cut the Great Chieftain o’ the Puddin-race, while reciting Burns’ lines “His knife see Rustic-labour dight, An’ cut you up wi’ ready slight, Trenching your gushing entrails bright Like onie ditch; And then, O what a glorious sight, Warm-reekin, rich!”
Burns wrote in the vernacular, for the common people, as did Service, but The Bard of the Yukon’s style owed more to the popular recitative poems of the 19th century, such as “Casey at the Bat” or “The Face in the Bar Room Floor”, than to Burns’ older style. Indeed, Service was sometimes referred to as the “Canadian Kipling” since his style of verse so resembled that of Rudyard Kipling. As befits a literary evening, the feast was followed by several rounds of poetry: group readings of pre-selected verses found taped
to the bottom of the 13 diners’ chairs, as well as other verses selected from readily available books. There was more Service than Burns throughout the evening, but the Bard of Scotland had a fair representation. Some brought in favorites mined from the Internet, and there were even a few originals written in the Service style. Celtic music for the evening was provided by Peter Menzies and Simon Crelli, who did their best to stay within the Scottish confines of that musical style.
Photo Captions: * Chris Collin carves the haggis, while an enthusiastic audience, seen at the bottom, looks on. * Peter Menzies and Simon Crelli lent their talents to the evening. * Bonnie Barber leads the parading of the Haggis.
THE KLONDIKE SUN
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Wednesday, February 9, 2011
THE KLONDIKE SUN
Two Little Girls in Strange Situations by Dan Davidson
Lost in the Yukon
Written by Kyle Marchuk Illustrated by Juliann Fraser MacBride Museum Kids Series Sourtoe Publications 32 pages $18.98 Lou didn’t mean to get lost in the Yukon wilderness. In fact, she didn’t even know exactly how she got there. And at the end of the adventure, when she woke up the next morning in her bed, she wasn’t entirely sure how she got there, either. If not for the fact that her mukluks had left a big puddle on the floor beside her bed, she would have been certain that it had just been a dream. In the dream she found herself in a world of white: snow on the ground, snow in the trees, with no sense of just where she was. As she wandered, trying to find a clue as to how to get home to Whitehorse, she came across an amazing array of talking animals. There was a bear looking for a lair, a fox wearing bright red socks, a moose that had climbed a tree, a salmon who only waved at her, a raven gummed to a sign and so many other animals she couldn’t count them all. Her constant companion, apparently unnoticed by her, was a small brown mouse who plays a comic part in each of the illustrations that accompany her rhyming journey. The rhymes are a playful romp through Yukon’s animal kingdom. Each text page also has a footnote about some aspect of Yukon culture, usually signaled by a small clip from some part of the big picture on the next page. The book concludes with a two page listing of all the animals Lou encountered during her winter odyssey. This is a clever little kids’ book which should provide some fun for readers and listeners.
Too Much Stuff
Story by Robert Munsch Art by Michael Martchenko Scholastic Books 32 pages $7.99 Temina didn’t like to go anywhere without her stuff. She had 37 dolls and 37 toys and when she was packing to go and visit her grandma she stuffed as many as she could into her backpack, in spite of the fact that her mother had told her she could only take one of each. Of course there was a problem going through security. The people looking at the x-ray scanner fell over when they looked at the side of her backpack. The problem got worse inside the plane. When Temina opened her backpack to show the flight attendant, everything exploded out and the passenger cabin was filled with dolls and toys. At first this was a little difficult, but then Temina was asked if she would share her stuff with the other kids on the plane, kids who were unhappy because they hadn’t been allowed to bring any toys with them. Temina ended up giving away nine of her dolls and toys. She didn’t get her stuff back when the plane landed, but this didn’t bother her a lot because her grandmother was great at making neat new stuff. The kids on the plane were from all over the world and three months later she received packages from Kenya, Scotland and China, each containing a doll from the kids with whom she had
shared hers. The closing illustration suggests there were quite a few more arrivals later on. It’s a cute story. In typical Munsch fashion it has a problem that kids and adults will relate to in different ways. Robert Munsch is the author of over 50 books for kids, most of which have been illustrated by Michael Martchenko. From his earliest days as a daycare worker his stories have emerged first as oral tales made up for live audiences and repeated perhaps as many as 200 times before he
Bookends by Dan Davidson gets them into print. He has sold over 30 million kids books around the world. Before his stroke in 2008 Munsch toured extensively and the places he visited often featured in his stories. There’s one (50 Below 0) that began in Watson Lake, another (A Promise is a Promise) from Rankin Inlet, and a third (Moira’s Birthday) from Yellowknife.
Stuck Inside at 40 Below
At RSS, the Grade 3 classes offered up this response to our recent cold snap. This mural was too large to shoot in its entirety. Visit the school to see this and other pieces of art in the hallways.
YUKON AGRICULTURE LAND LINK connecting landowners and the next generation of farmers
Whether you are: ❖ the owner of idle land suitable for agriculture, ❖ a new farmer looking to break into the industry, or ❖ an experienced producer considering farm succession, the Agriculture Branch’s newest land service could be the solution you are looking for. To learn more visit
www.agriculture.gov.yk.ca
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
THE KLONDIKE SUN
page 9
Youth Art Enrichment Exhibit Hangs at the School
International Women’s Day
Photo by Dan Davidson
by Palma Berger
Selections from November’s KIAC Youth Art Enrichment will be on display at the Robert Service School until February 23. Located in the display case in the school’s Bonanza Way, the exhibit shows the work of 42 students from all over the territory.
There was a time when women were not considered very important in society. Second class citizens, as it were. Things slowly began to change. In Canada, Dr. Emily Howard Stowe, a really remarkable woman, began some changes. This was in 1878. She was remarkable, as in that time and age, she became the first Canadian woman doctor. Then she went on to become an activist for women’s rights. So it began. Still, by the mid 1930’s, women were considered non-persons, and were not allowed to vote. But Nellie Mclung and her group of five changed all of that. And slowly, slowly, women have gained more rights and freedoms. A group of women in Dawson are arranging a celebration of the Centennial of International Women’s Day. They are union members, as it has been the unions that have protected the rights of women. These include the PSAC, YEU and some locals. Women and people’s rights need unions. One case comes to mind: in B.C. a young woman fired with no reason given went to the Labour Relations office, but was told there was nothing they could do for her. If the employees had been unionized she would have had a chance. Women are still fighting the marketing of women as objects, with little or no brains. Penny Soderlund recalled that, upon finishing her summer job as a student with a Federal Department, the remark on her evaluation sheet: “she was going to go far in the Federal Government because she was a woman smart enough to hide her intelligence.”
That was as recently as 1975. The main issues are still Pay Equity, Child Care and Pensions. To help celebrate International Women’s Day, Dawson organizers decided on a Community Challenge. They have three venues in which art/creations/poetry/ stories will be displayed. Members of the community (men, women and children) are invited to submit works with these three themes about women, one for each venue: 1) Where we have come from 2) Where we are 3) Where we are going On March 8th, the items will be on display at the Museum, SOVA (for one day only) and Dänojà Zho Cultural Centre. You make your art walk around town to each venue, and at each venue vote on the piece you like best. Voting is only on opening day. Drop pieces off with Phil Wolter of the Museum between 9-noon and 1-5 p.m. Phone first at 9935291. If you have any questions, contact Penny at northern_wander@ yahoo.com or Tara Rudnickas at kiac@kiac.ca Submissions have to be in by February 15th. The partners in the Steering Committee for this event, KIAC SOVA, Dawson Museum, the Women’s Shelter, the Regional Women’s Committee and Tr’ondëk H’wëchin. Thank you.
Remembering Rememberinga agood goodfriend... friend...
Gordon Gordon“Walrus” “Walrus”Polichek Polichek Story & Photo Story & Photo by by J. Bonhomme J. Bonhomme
entertained so many overas so many over the years, thepart years, part of the of theasPointer BrothPointer Brothers. Susanne Heyne and ers. Susanne Heyne and RiSusanne and Richard, the Richard Malz-Heyne Susanne and Richard, chard Malz-Heyne returned Pit Fan flew returned to Dawson to cel- original the original PitClub, Fan Club, to ebrate Dawson to celebrate of Germany when it was Christmas and New outflew out of Germany when Christmas andaNew Year’s almost impossible to do so. Year’s after two-year it was almost impossible after a two-year absence. some R&R absence. Their most im- They to doneeded so. They needed Their mostmission important misFish portant on this trip which some they R&R find whichatthey sion ontothis tripawas to of re- Wheel was return photo find at Charters Fish Wheelthrough Charturn a photo of usual Gordon in dog sledding quiet Gordon in his happy ters throughand dogthe sleddling hisspirit, usual when happyhe spirit, when busy as some lucky shared his butand thelife quiet but busy life he talents sharedwith his so talents stilllucky “do people it” in the many.with Rich- people as some still so ard many. took the Yukon Both wilds. are tookRichard the photo in 2009. “do it”wilds. in the Yukon photo in 2009. The photo is Gross-Gerau, GermaThe photo is now home in from Both are from Gross-Gernow in the Westminand Richard and is inRichard trainthehome Westminster Lounge ny,au, Germany, sterwhere Lounge where Walrus ingis for the Yukon Ultra’s Walrus entertained in training for the Yukon
42-km walking maraUltra’sspeed 42-km speed walkthon fromevent Whitehorse ing event marathon from toWhitehorse Takhini Crossing to Takhinimore orCrossing less. The longer events more or less. The continue on, following longer events continue the Quest dog mushing race on on, following the Quest the same trail, till they dog mushing race on thearrive in trail, Dawson onlyarrive a very same till they few days later. in Dawson only a very few Fromlater. all of us at the Sun, days andFrom along with all of us atthe thegood spirit wethe wish Sun,remembered, and along with allgood mushers, sled dogs, spirit remembered, walkers skiers a sled safe we wishand all mushers, trip all walkers the wayand to skiers Dawson dogs, and beyond. a safe trip all the way to Dawson and beyond.
R. Malz-Heyne photo captured by J. Bonhomme
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Wednesday, February 9, 2011
THE KLONDIKE SUN
Humane Society Dawson SHELTER COORDINATOR The Humane Society Dawson requires a caring and responsible employee for the position of Shelter Coordinator. RESPONSIBILITIES • Proper care and maintenance of animals. This includes feeding, exercising, vet appointments, administrating medicine and cleaning kennels. • Coordinating fundraising events. • Applying for grants. • Supervising week-end staff and volunteers. • Promoting humane education and animal care. • Maintain general upkeep of shelter and yard. • Administration duties. REQUIREMENTS • Own transportation ( 5 minutes car drive or 20 minutes bike ride from town) • Experience handling cash. • Ability to work with somewhat flexible hours • Have computer and record keeping experience • First Aid Certificate *** not required but recommended • Ability to work unsupervised JOB DETAILS • 25 hours per week • Starting Wage 15$/hour • Starting date: February 21st 2011 • Closing Date: February 18th 2011 Please drop resume, cover letter and references to the Klondike Outreach.
Eye on SOVA By Rheas Flanagan SOVA students have slowly started to leave the safe confines of the heritage green walls of the school and are becoming full-fledged members of the Dawson Community. Three students entered work into the DCAS members show currently on display at the ODD Gallery. Merran Smith submitted a button/ fancy paper piece entitled “The River, Always the River.” Kerry Barber’s piece entitled “CH” is a small soapstone owl inspired by the soapstone itself, and the owl that was trying to break free from it. Aubyn O’Grady used online trickery to acquire her primary source and submitted some sparkly cardboard letters that spell out “Happy Birthday.” She also brought a bright blue birthday cake, but was unwilling to comment on the confection. These same three women also participated in the 48 Hour Film Festival hosted by KIAC. Kerry Barber,
working alongside Jackson Lovett, whipped up an “experimental” music video called “Sailing Through the Cosmos.” They took home the Gratuitous T&A award and left the audience stunned. Merran Smith, working with local City Councilman Bill Kendrick, out-cuted the rest of the participants with “Chops and the Tale of the Dog-Gone Subsidy”. They brought home the Cute As All Get-Out Award & Best Jury Bribe awards. Aubyn O’Grady and Evan Rensch made a feel good (heart - “rensching”) documentary about learning how to ride a bike late in life in the middle of January. “Soft Spoken” tied for the Judges Pick and also picked up the coveted Golden Popcorn award. Other SOVA students participated in the weekend as actors and as spectators. Over the course of a grueling three hour stop motion animation session with Graeme Patterson, we finally managed to complete 50 frames making a four second loop. The
resulting film is a real treat for the eyes. A giant spider is attacked by a crocodile and then shooed away by an irate curler. On the dance floor, a furry (see urban dictionary) finds a mate. At the bar Robin Hood cheers a Sasquatch over and over and over again. Other artists in Residence Steve and Deborah gave us a survey to fill out with questions such as “If you had to choose one thing, what would you dedicate your life to?” and “What’s the best advice you’ve ever been given?” The also took us out for some exercise all the way over to the ferry landing in West Dawson to watch dog sledder and life drawing model Gaby Sgaga run her dogs. Don’t forget to listen to SOVA Radio Sunday between 4-6. Indie tunes guaranteed.
Conservation Klondike Update SEEDY SATURDAY EVENT: Saturday, February 12th, 2011 Are you interested in food? Do you grow food? Do you sell food? Do you buy food? Have you thought about gardening? Want to get your hands dirty but don’t know where to start? Interested in food sustainability in Dawson? Do you eat? If you answered yes to any of the above questions, then Seedy Saturday, Feb. 12th, is for you! Seedy Saturday, presented by the Dawson City Community Garden and Conservation Klondike is a day full of growing, eating and gardening with something to offer everyone from farmers to those who can’t keep their cacti alive. A roundtable discussion on food security and production in Dawson will be a highlight of the event, anyone who is interested in contributing to or listening to this discussion should stop by and grab some free local food while they are at it. The day will feature expert speakers discussing topics including organic growing and organic certification and a close-up look at compost. Local and regional food producers and community groups will be on hand to show their work, share skills and sell some wares. There will be activities for kids, as well as mini workshops to teach people about sprouts, seeds, vermicomposting and soil mixes. Those planning their garden for this coming spring will be able to buy/order heritage seeds and those who save their own will be able to swap and trade with other seed savers. Come learn a little about food in the region, stop by and get a head start on your garden, or just come for the company and a delicious snack! Seedy Saturday will take place in the Oddfellow’s Hall (KIAC) on the corner of Princess and Second Ave., Saturday, February 12th, from 9am-5pm. For a detailed schedule, to get involved or for more information, please visit: www.conservationklondike.org or call Rian at (867) 993-3789
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
HunterGatherer
THE KLONDIKE SUN
Leaving a note when you don’t have pen and paper
By Allie Haydock
Breakfast Muffins Since it’s now 2011, I guess we’re all onto the fact that muffins are actually bad for us. Delicious yes, but stupid little cakes loaded with fat and sugar that “they’ve” been pawning off on us for years as reasonable breakfast solutions. Don’t get me wrong, I love a good muffin, even when I see the recipe calls for a cup of sugar and a pound of butter, but I do try to avoid eating these for breakfast (it is, after all, pretty important). I came across a variation of this recipe in a health food cookbook and after making a few substitutions (I’m not totally sold on soy flour or baking with whole wheat) it’s become a staple in our household. There’s something like 1 gram of fat per muffin and less than 100 calories and they are still sweet and cakey and delicious. We eat them with peanut butter and slices of cheese. I also figure that since they are so healthy, it’s okay to skip the berries and add a cup of chocolate chips and a cup of chopped walnuts instead. Once they’ve cooled I put them right in the freezer and just reheat them in the microwave. Also, you can line the pan with muffin papers if you want, but I find that since there is no oil in the muffins the papers kind of get stuck to them. - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
- -
- -
4 ripe bananas (mashed) 2 eggs ½ cup plain yogurt 2 tbsp honey or maple syrup 1 tsp vanilla extract 1 ¼ cup flour 1 ½ tsp baking powder 1 tsp baking soda ½ tsp salt ¼ cup wheat germ or oat bran 1 cup fresh or frozen berries
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and grease a 12-cup muffin tin Stir together the bananas, eggs, yogurt, honey or maple syrup and vanilla
In a separate bowl sift together the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt and then stir in the wheat germ or oat bran Fold the dry ingredients into the wet, just until blended
Gently stir the berries into the batter (if you are using frozen berries, coat them with a couple teaspoons of flour before adding them) Spoon into the pan, filling each cup to the top
Bake for 25 minutes and remove from the pan to cool
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your needs power what we do
Yukon’s energy future...
let’s talk
Dawson City Community Workshop February 23, 2011, 7– 9 p.m.
Dänojà Zho Cultural Centre (1131 Front Street)
We’re all stakeholders in Yukon’s energy future. Let’s find the answers together. For more information visit yukonenergy.ca
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Wednesday, February 9, 2011
THE KLONDIKE SUN
OPENSTUDIO:
Graeme Patterson - currently based in Sackville, New Brunswick - is an artist who has become known for his meticulous stopmotion animations that are often framed within larger sculptural environments. Through the use of interactive video, audio, robotics, and music, Patterson creates fantastic worlds that straddle a fine line between fact and fiction. He spent the month of January in Dawson as a Yukon SOVA Artistin-Residence.
recently become more aware of [this process] – I often collect my memories in a way in which they could someday be incorporated into my art. The other day I went for a hike up the mountain for the first time since I arrived in town. That experience is definitely something I’ll use, but who knows what it will actually become.
ER: It needs time to settle in your mind? GP: Yes, [if it becomes part of my work] it will always allude to a real event but contain elements of fantasy. ER: Many artists have to formally apply for this residency program, but you were invited by SOVA instructor Veronica Verkley to interact with students at the school. What did you work on with them?
ER: Do you think this sense of community influences the art you make? GP: Totally. Most of my art is about my own experiences in life. Where I live is definitely an influence. All of the regular, everyday things in my life are influences. It all goes hand-in-hand.
ER: A lot of your work is playful and based on a level of fantasy, so it seems it would lend itself towards engaging younger people. What are your general thoughts on teaching?
ER: If you were to characterize what interests you in art, what would it be?
GP: I’ve had really good experiences with my student workshops and presentations. But as far as teaching is concerned, it seems to take a lot of patience – I’d have to try it to find out. But right now I’m a bit of a skeptic about it – I’d rather teach something technical rather than constantly discussing a student’s artwork. I don’t know if I could handle that.
GP: Yes, because of things like that. I feel like I have a better sense of a place and feel more comfortable because of it.
GP: I’ve been thinking about it more since I’ve started working on a new body of work. I once thought I knew, but things have changed. I’ve realized that I like to fantasize my reality and almost change my sense of memory. I’ve
ER: So you don’t see yourself becoming a grad school professor anytime soon? GP: No, not at all. Yet you never know – things change over time, you find interest in different aspects of what you do. But right now I’m just focused on teaching technique - tricks of the trade.
GP: Yes, but it’s [animation] in a very sculptural sort of way. I wouldn’t declare myself to be a really legit animator. But I don’t think that’s necessary either – some of the best animators have never gone through the traditional system.
GP: We did a stop-motion animation workshop over the course of 3 days: we made puppets similar to the way I make them myself, kind of DIY and economical. We put together a stage set collectively and animated as much as we could given the time constraints. It was pretty successful considering the number of students and their lack of previous experience. It went relatively smoothly and was a lot of fun.
ER: So you prefer living in small communities over larger ones?
in conversation with Evan Rensch
ER: Would you consider animation to be your primary medium?
Evan Rensch: You now live in my own hometown of Sackville, New Brunswick. Both Dawson and Sackville are two unique smallscale cultural centres in Canada. To me, there are many similarities between these two rural, relatively isolated communities – do you feel the same way? Graeme Patterson: Yes, for sure – especially within the art community, but even in the way in which local residents are connected to the art community and visiting artists. Living in Sackville I’ve experienced the “local scene” and there definitely are similarities in the way of life. The [Dawson Curling Club Commercial] Bonspiel totally had that small town feel – it’s an event that brought me closer to all kinds of people that are separate from the art world. Even when I lived on a little farm in Woodrow, Saskatchewan I’d go to golf tournaments or church dinners - you kept meeting new people from different walks of life and they became your friends really quickly. Even though I’ve been in Dawson for only a couple of weeks, the same thing has started to happen.
Artist-in-Residence Graeme Patterson
ER: What continually draws you to this form of animation as means of expression? GP: It’s [a medium] that still excites me even though I’ve been doing it for so long. I figured it out by myself and I’ve finally gotten to the point where things are functioning at a higher level. I feel that I need to keep working in this format because it’s become a comfortable way of processing my thoughts. Yet I always try to experiment and add to my process, while still keeping the technical core the same. It’s kind of a momentum thing – I feel that an art practice is all about keeping momentum in terms of
being able to communicate your ideas, your sense of language, or technical facility. If you ever forget how do certain things, it’s hard to get back to that same level.
burden to have too much attention as an artist. ER: Has your experience of being an artist drastically changed as your career has taken off?
ER: How did you get started in art?
GP: I have higher expectations of myself in terms of what I can do. But I’ve learned that the art world in Canada is pretty small and not as intimidating as I once thought. I don’t think I’m as worried about making certain things happen as I was in the past. I feel much more comfortable with myself.
GP: I think I’ve always taken making things seriously. When I was a kid I wanted to become an animator, and later that changed to becoming an artist. I’ve had the support of older people around me – family and mentors - who have helped me build some momentum in the beginning of my practice. I’ve also been fortunate to benefit from lots of good timing. ER: Do you have any exhibitions to look forward to in the year ahead? GP: I’ve got a solo tour with several Canadian galleries lined up for 2013-14, based on a brand new body of work that I’m currently working on. It’s exciting, but stressful – I’ve got a grand vision of what I want, but it’s not even close to being finished. So over the next couple of years I’m planning to work on it full time and also travel to Japan, which I hope will become part of the project. There might be an occasional exhibition, but for the most part I’m beginning a production phase. I know a lot of artists who enjoy thinking about new work, and get sick of showing their old work because it’s no longer on their minds. Right now I feel the same way. Exhibitions sometimes take you away from your practice - take your momentum away. I look forward to returning to “the unknown” so I can just work; I think it’s almost a
ER: What have you been working on here in Dawson? GP: I’ve been working on a piece that involves a mountain. I’ve been collecting a lot of images and ideas based with that space in mind, including some fictional characters that will occupy it – a wandering northern traveler and a ghost who died in a snow bank. I’ve heard so many stories and witnessed so many different ways of life [in Dawson] - they’ve all given me a lot of ideas. ER: You’re getting ready to leave town – what will you take back from your experience in Dawson? GP: I’m surprised by how well I’ve gotten to know the community here. People have been so welcoming and there were so many events to become involved in during my first few weeks. I’ve done residences in small communities all over Canada and there is definitely a unique, tight-knit quality to this community. It’s nice to see people volunteer themselves, help each other out, and communicate with each other on a daily basis. I’m impressed with it all.
OBITUARY: Donald Frederick Lindgren (April 2, 1948- January 28, 2011) Donald Frederick Lindgren passed away January 28, 2011 in Kamloops B.C. He was born in Dawson City, Yukon on April 2, 1948 to Patricia Lindgren. He is survived by his sister Dorothy Lindgren of Sweden, brother Barry Lindgren (Trudy Lindgren) of Dawson City and his sister Patricia Simcox (Barry Collie) of Whitehorse, Yukon and many relatives from the Tr'ondek Hwech'in Nation. A Memorial Service will be held in Dawson City. An announcement will be made at a later date. God Bless!
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
THE KLONDIKE SUN
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Filmmaking Explosion in Dawson City! Press Release
The Klondike Institute of Art and Culture held its 48 Hour Film Competition this weekend with outstanding results. On Friday evening, 19 audacious groups headed out with cameras in hand and returned with films in hand late Sunday afternoon. A crowd of over 75 people swept into the ballroom on Sunday evening for some popcorn and refreshments, and were treated to a rollicking evening of film gymnastics. By the time cast and crew were accounted for, approximately 1 out every 10 Dawsonites either made, worked on, or watched the films. The films were diversified in genre and style with everything from how to deal with winter plumbing, both physically and emotionally, to dragon slayers, intrigue and romance, death and dish washing metaphors,
waltzing words, scary pears and syrup, space aliens, devils, stunt skiing, bare back tobogganing, flying dogs, subversive dogs, and just a lot of dogs in general (and lets not forget the chickens and the eggs). There were even crossovers of other film groups making it into each other’s films, planned or otherwise. The entries included 3 groups from Whitehorse, 2 who were in town and 1 who sent his file electronically! The panel of judges was so hard pressed to declare a winner that they chose two. Kit Hepburn’s, Forty-Eight Hour Sonnet, a beautiful hand painted animation with a lush sound track and Evan Rensch and Aubyn O’Grady’s dryly hilarious Soft Spoken were both named winners. Evan and Aubyn also scooped the hotly contested Golden Popcorn Audience Favourite Award. Both films will screen at the 2011
Awards List Grand Prizes: Kit Hepburn, Forty-Eight Hour Sonnet Evan Rensch and Aubyn O’Grady, Soft Spoken (Also Audience Favourite Award) Other Prizes: Best Kubrick Reference: Jay Armitage Best Plumbing Drama: Lulu Keating Cute As All Get-Out Award & Best Jury Bribe: Bill Kendrick and Merran Smith Best Victory Over Evil (with Toys): Oliver Flegel and Janice Cliff Most Gratuitous Use of T&A: Kerry Barber and Jackson Lovett Best Use of Saran Wrap: Meg Walker Best Actor in a Multiple Role: Trina Buhler Best Bill & Ted Impersonation: Ben Rudis and Brendan Reese Best Foot Fetish: Reno Lazdins Making the Most of It Award: David Curtis Best Sisyphean Film: Chris Clarke The Charlie Chaplin Award: Karen Mackay Best Stunt Driving: Rahel Ahmed Best Television Satire & Best Supporting Minion: Nathan Bragg Best Depiction of Canine Metaphysics: Edward Westerhuis Most Likely to Become a Sitcom: George Maratos Most Delicious Gore: Kyla MacArthur & Rian Lougheed-Smith
Dawson City International Short Film Festival. Congratulations to all the filmmakers who started and finished with sanity intact... mostly. Thanks to our judges, KIAC Artist-in-residence Steven Badgett, Berton House Writer Sara Tilley, and local film aficionado Troy Suzuki for their hard work. Still want to make really short films? Our annual CBC North PSA Contest is accepting submissions until March 7th. Make a 29 second film advertising the festival and you could win cash and be shown on CBC North. Other entries may be screened as intro trailers at the festival itself.
Photo Captions: Above: * Soft Spoken Evan Rensch wonders what this golden award will do to his dental work. * The turn-out for this year’s showing of the films was exceptional. Photos by Dan Davidson
Six Yukon film projects financed through the Yukon Filmmakers Fund The Yukon government’s Film and Sound Commission is awarding $40,135 to six Yukon filmmakers through the Yukon Filmmakers Fund.
to produce her documentary under its working title Speed Control, which follows the trials and tribulations of an up-and-coming local band.
Whitehorse filmmaker Arlin McFarlane is receiving $8,000 to produce and direct the film entitled Walks Like.
“After recording 50 to 60 hours of footage, I realized the story of Speed Control cannot be told — it’s revealed,” Hall said this week.
“The Yukon Filmmakers Fund is an essential program that enables filmmakers to grow their careers,” McFarlane said Monday.
“This documentary follows the band through Yukon, British Columbia and Nashville, and speaks to the romance and importance of live performances.”
“Filmmaking takes a lot of collaboration and team work; you need lighting people, camera people, location managers, the cast and many others. “Receiving financial assistance is helpful in leveraging financial support from other sources and in growing the industry.” Jessica Hall is receiving $8,000
Here are the other grant recipients and their projects: • Ian Basso, No Services: The Life and Times of the Alaska Highway Lodges, $8,000; • Edward Westerhuis - Victory Vacation, $6,135; • Christopher Levett, Observation and Intention, $6,000; and • Heidi Slat, King Kras, $4,000.
The fund’s purpose is to deliver funding to Yukon film and video professionals to develop careers and businesses making films and video for broadcast or commercial release. Applicants must be a Canadian citizen or have landed immigrant status and have lived in Yukon for at least one continuous year prior to the funding deadline. Grants are awarded twice each year, with application deadlines on June 1 and Dec. 1. For more information about the Yukon Filmmakers Fund visit http://www.reelyukon.com “Though we’re a small jurisdiction, Yukon has an immense amount of talent,” said Economic Development Minister Jim Kenyon. “The Yukon Filmmakers Fund assists local filmmaking professionals to develop opportunities, which in turn fosters our cultural industries and diversifies Yukon’s economy.”
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Wednesday, February 9, 2011
THE KLONDIKE SUN
The Odd Gallery Explores Primary Sources Story & Photos By Dan Davidson One of the oldest questions faced by any creative soul, be the person writer or artist, is “where do you get your ideas?” That concept is the primary source on inspiration for the latest exhibit at the ODD Gallery. For Primary Sources, a members’ exhibition, participating artists have not only submitted their work, but also filled a wall with material indicating how they came to create it. Twenty-four artists undertook the task, filling the gallery with a wide variety of work: photographs, paintings, constructions, words, sculpture, and video. Among the items: Veronika Verkley’s “Squirrel considers his next move” shows a squirrel in a shadow-box, wearing a saddle and looking like he’s wondering what to do next. Audrey Vigneau’s “Enchantment” celebrates the Yukon’s landscape. Palma Berger ’s “ The Never Ending Sameness of the Everlasting Plain” looks back to her Australian Outback roots. Kerry Barber’s “Ch” is an owl carved in soapstone. Rosemary Scanlon’s “Bang Bang” appears to have shot down the Northern Lights. Jude Griebel’s “Ship at Sea Face” depicts a sailing ship in a face framed by long red hair. The basic tour of the gallery can be taken in about 7 minutes, listening to a subjective audio commentary, after which you would want to wander around again taking a bit longer with each item, and then pause at the inset west wall and study the primary sources, matching them up with what you have seen. The exhibit will continue until March 4.
Verkley’s Squirrel
CYFT 106.9 FM: Dawson City Community Radio
“The Spirit of Dawson” Thursday, February 10th 6:00-7:00 7:00-8:30 8:30-9:30 9:30-11:30
Jenna- Spires and Spindles Jen- Radio Free Dawsco Dylan- My Jeans Are Skinnier Than Yours Ben- Party Time Machine
Friday, February 11th Vigneau’s “Enchantment”
1:00-3:00 3:00-5:00 5:00-6:00 6:00-7:00 7:00-8:00 8:00-9:00 9:00-10:00
Jay - The Theme Scheme John - On The John Tara - Tara’s Show Aaron - Old Fashioned Gumption Sharon - True Colours Sonny Boy Williams - Rockin’ Blues Show Jim - Psychedelic
Saturday, February 12th 10:00-12:00 Jason - Foxy Breakfast Hours 12:00-2:00 Simon - The Story Hours 2:00-3:00 Steve and Nathan - Sports Talk Radio 3:00-4:00 Freddie - The Howling Revivalists Hour Of Power 4:00-5:00 Tim and Megan - Nuggets 5:00-7:00 Chris - Southside City Swag 7:00-9:00 Jen - The Cave of Spleen Sunday, February 13th
Barber’s “Ch” Griebel’s “Ship at Sea Face”
More images on page 21
12:00-1:00 1:00-2:00 2:00-3:00 3:00-4:00 4:00-6:00 6:00-8:00 8:00-10:00
Mike - The City Mic Logan- Pass the Cheetos Please Julie - Francopen Various Hosts - Yukon SOVA Radio Program Matt and Aubyn - Diff’rent Strokes Kit - Meat and Potatoes Ben and Brendan - The Kings of Dawson City
Tune your dial to 106.9 FM or Cable Channel 11 (Rolling Ads) in Dawson City, or listen live over the internet at www.cfyt.ca!
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
THE KLONDIKE SUN
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Wednesday, February 9, 2011
THE KLONDIKE SUN
More Primary Sources - continued from p. 19
CLIMATE Watch
Submitted by Neil Rollinson Environment Canada
Climate for Dawson December 2010 TEMPERATURE Mean max for Dec: -23.4 Normal mean max for Dec: -20.4 Extreme: +6.5 1999 22nd Extreme this year: -9.5 31st Mean min for Dec: -30.5 Normal mean min for Dec: -28.9 Extreme: -51.8 1980 28th Extreme this year: -41.5 3rd Mean temp for Dec -26.9 Normal mean min for Dec - 24.7
Cynthia Hunts’ “Old Woman of the Sea”
PRECIPITATION Rain for Dec Normal 0.4mm Extreme 7.7mm 1985 20th
0.0
Snow for Dec: 28.6cm 12.2mm water equivalent Normal: 28.5cm 21.3mm water equivalent Extreme: 10.0cm 1989 22nd Most day with snow 2010: 8.4cm 27th Snow on ground: 31st 40cm Normal 43cm Extreme: 95cm 1978 28th Climate for Dawson January 2011
Shelly Hakonson’s “Russian Window in Northern China”
Palma Berger’s “The Never Ending Sameness of the Everlasting Plain.
Rosemary Scanlon’s “Bang Bang”
TEMPERATURE Mean Max for Jan: -20.2 Warmest 2011: -0.5 4th Normal Max: -22.5 Extreme max: +9.7 1981 15th Mean Min for Jan: -31.2 Coldest 2011: -47.5 15th Normal Min: -30.9 Extreme min: -53.8 1980 12th Mean temp for Jan: -25.7 Normal Mean: -26.7 PRECIPITATION Rain: 0.0 Rain normal: 0.0 Extreme rain: 0.8mm 1981 19th Snow: 34.4cm Snow normal: 24.2cm Extreme snow: 22.0cm Jan 4th 2011* (old record 13.6cm 2001 13th) Snow water equivelent: 25.1mm Snow normal water equuivalent: 19.2mm Extreme snow water equivalent: 16.0mm Jan 4th 2011* (old record 10.2mm 1991 10th) Snow on ground at end of month: 51cm Normal Snow on ground end of month 52cm *indicates new record
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
Roache’s Corner by Mike Roache
THE KLONDIKE SUN
Cartoons
Tundra by Chad Carpenter
page 17
Elwood by Bryley
Nemo’s Notions
We don’t have permission to use Tundra online.
This Column Has Seven Days
Monday, February 7 – Canadian artists F.H. Varley, Maurice Cullen and others were shipped off to England in 1918 to paint for the Department of Canadian War Records. Tuesday, February 8–In 1945, Operation Veritable, a joint offensive by the 1st Canadian Army and British troops, was launched in the Rhineland area of Holland. Wednesday, February 9 –Airman Billy Bishop, the top scoring Canadian and Imperial ace of WWI, was born in 1894 at Owen Sound, Ontario. Thursday, February 10 –Former Governor General Adrienne Clarkson was born in 1939 at Hong Kong. Friday, February 11 –The greatest single-day snowfall in Canada was in 1999, when 145 cm fell on Tahtsa Lake, British Columbia. Saturday, February 12 –Actor and broadcaster Lorne Greene was born in 1915 at Ottawa. Sunday, February 13 –Artist Gerald Tailfeathers was born in 1925 at Stand Off, Alberta.
This photo submission comes to us from long-time Klondike Sun volunteer and board member Palma Berger: When I was in Sydney, my friend took me around Circular Quay. There, the new South Wales government has made a ‘Writers’
Walk’. They have brass plaques commemorating various authors who have touched on. This is a photo of one of them. It is dedicated to Jack London. The smaller writing at the top
reads... ‘I would rather be ashes than dust, a spark burnt out in a brilliant blaze, than be stifled in dry rot.... For man’s chief purpose is to live, not to exist’
page 18
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
THE KLONDIKE SUN
Klondike Sun Classifieds Churches ST. MARY’S CATHOLIC CHURCH Corner of 5th and King Services: Sunday mornings at 10:30 am, Sat. & Tues. 7 pm, Wed. to Fri. 9:30 am All are welcome. Contact Father Ernest Emeka Emeodi for assistance: 993-5361 DAWSON COMMUNITY CHAPEL Located on 5th Ave across from Gold Rush Campground. Sunday worship at 11 am. Everyone is welcome. Pastor Ian Nyland 993-5507 ST. PAUL’S ANGLICAN CHURCH Sunday Services 1st and 3rd Sundays: 10:30 am - Morning Prayer 2nd and 4th Sundays - 10:30 am - Holy Eucharist 5th Sundays - 10:30 am Special service.
Support
Real Estate
Many Rivers Counselling and Support Services
FOR SALE BY OWNER 1 1/2 COMMERCIAL LOTS O n 3 rd A v e n e x t t o t h e Westminster Hotel. Call 993-5346
Individual, couple, family, or group counselling. A highly confidential service located in the Waterfront Building. We are a non-profit organization with a sliding fee scale. To make an appointment call 993-6455 or email dawson@manyrivers. yk.ca. See our website at www.manyrivers.yk.ca/. Alcoholics Anonymous New Beginnings Group meets Thursdays 8 pm, St. Paul’s R. Martin Chapel kitchen, Church St. North Star Group meets Saturdays 7 pm at the Community Support Centre, 1233-2nd Ave, 2nd floor (use outside stairs). Call 993-3734 or 5095 for info.
This Could Be Your Classified Ad!! Only $6 per 50 Words.
K londike Outreach Job Board Open Positions: After School Program Teacher Automotive Mechanic Bartenders Childcare Worker Commercial Sewing Machine Operator Crew Leader – Stats Canada Dishwashers Driver Guides Enumerator Feed & Care Assistant Fleet Detail Crew Guest Services Housekeepers HVAC Technician (heating, ventilation, air conditioning) Journeyman Jeep Guides Outreach Family Support Worker Plumber – journeyman Raft Guides Tombstone Guides Positions with Closing Dates: After School Early Childhood Educator: Feb 10 @ 4 Mining Recorder: Feb 11 Saturday Recycling Depot Attendant: Feb 11 STEP Student jobs: Feb 18 Shelter Coordinator: Feb 18 Positions Out of Town: Executive Assistant: Feb 10 Cook Assistant Crusher Operators EMR/OFA 3 Attendant Mill Feed Operators
Business Directory Advertise your business and services with The Klondike Sun! Submit your business card at a normal size of 2” x 3.5” Cost is $20.00 per issue and yearly billings can be arranged.
Mill Assistant Operators Underground Chief Geologist Underground Production Geologist Safety Coordinator Mine Technical Assistant Industrial Electrician
For more information on these and other positions, come into the Klondike Outreach office next to the Territorial Agent/Liquor Store (853-Third Street). Klondike Outreach hours: Monday-Friday 9-noon and 1-5 pm Closed weekends and Stat. Holidays Phone: 993-5176 ~ Fax: 993-6947 Website: www.klondikeoutreach.com E-mail: info@klondikeoutreach.com
Your Business Card Ad could be in this space
Additional TV Channel Listings 7 - Dawson Dome 12 & 13 - Possible Local Camera Programming 9 - Preview Guide 11 - Rolling Ads
The Klondike Sun’s deadline for ad and story submissions is 12 noon, Friday, February 18, 2011 for the Wednesday, February 23, 2011 edition.
Ad rates available upon request. Classified ads are $6 for 50 words per issue. Email: klondikesun@northwestel.net Telephone: (867) 993-6318 Fax: (867) 993-6625
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
THE KLONDIKE SUN
page 19
P.O. Box 308 (1336 Front Street), Dawson City, Yukon Y0B 1G0 Tel: (867) 993-7400 ~ Fax: (867) 993-7434 NEW WEBSITE: www.cityofdawson.ca (updated regularly)
IMPORTANT NOTICE
Council has given 1st Reading to a Bylaw to amend the Water and Sewer Bylaw, which if passed would result in the City of Dawson ceasing the provision of Water Delivery Service. Residents wishing to provide input into this decision are encouraged to provide written submissions to the City of Dawson; Attention Mayor and Council. DAWSON CITY – HEART OF THE KLONDIKE CanadaYukon Takes Silver at International Snow Sculpture Championships
BRECKENRIDGE, Colo. - January 30, 2011 – Team Canada Yukon secured second prize in the 21st annual International Snow Sculpture Championships in Breckenridge, Colo. with “Spirits of the Aurora,” a mystical piece that rendered the Northern Lights. Along with 14 other teams from seven other countries, Team Canada Yukon worked across five days, for a total of 65 hours, to create an enormous work of art from a 20-ton block of snow. “Executed beautifully, Team Canada Yukon’s piece is a sculpture inside of a sculpture with incredible detail and 360 degrees of interest,” said Jenn Cram, judge coordinator and Arts District Administrator for the Town of Breckenridge. “‘Spirits of the Aurora’ tells a haunting story and exudes a very mystical quality. It really looks amazing up close and from afar; the shadows cast from all the details are magnificent.” Artists worked through the night on Friday, Jan. 28, to complete sculpting by 10 a.m. on Saturday, Jan. 29. An official awards ceremony took place today at Breckenridge, Colo.’s Riverwalk Center to announce the winners and present them with medals. Thousands of spectators watched throughout the week as teams battled warm temperatures and intense sunshine to create the pieces, which were achieved without the use of power tools, internal support structures or colorants – just the ingenuity of the sculptors and a medium that lends itself, if only temporarily, to the persuasion of hand tools.
Photo Credit: Carl Scofeld