Klondike Sun, June 15, 2011

KLONDIKE The

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Wednesday June 15, 2011 • Vol. 23, No. 4 ONLINE EDITION

"It ain't gold but it's close!"

RSS Grads Jump for Joy

Seventeen Robert Service School students celebrate outside the Palace Grand following their graduation ceremony on June 4th - see story on page 3. (Photo by Connie Riemer)

in this

Issue

Regional Planning

6

Regional planning is about reducing conflicts.

What to See and Do The Grads of 2011 Uffish Thoughts: Googled

2 3 4

Letters to the Editor Montreal Mining Conference Writers Gather in Skagway

5 9 10

About Dem Bones

7

Klondike miners have a long history of finding old bones.

DCMF Profiles Nantuck Burial 20 Years Ago in Sun

TRC in Dawson

22

Residential school survivors have their say at last.

12 RCMP Blotter 13 Hunter Gatherer 14 Slinky Matters

20 23 24

Fish not biting?

Smoked Arctic Charr is available at Max's!

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Wednesday June 15, 2011

THE KLONDIKE SUN

What to

Bombay Peggy's TRIVIA: Mondays @ 8:30 PM with your host Freddy. Prizes awarded for 1st and 2nd place teams.

SEE and DO

Westminster Hotel Live music in the Tavern, Thurs. - Sat. nights, 4-8. In the lounge this month: Friday nights, the Greasy Band, Saturday nights featuring Harmonica George and friends.

Music starts at 10 p.m.

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 the office at klondikesun@northwestel.net.

Klondike Institute of Art and Culture (KIAC) Odd Gallery: The Natural & The Manufactured 2011 - Platform01: The Creation of Evolution. Opening reception - Thursday, June 16, 7:30 pm. Gallery hours: Mon. - Fri. 11 am - 5 pm , Sat. Noon - 5pm.

CONFLUENCE GALLERY: Everyday I'm Hustlin': June 16-July 10. Opening reception Thursday, June 16, 8 PM. Original phot ographs by local artists + historic works from the Dawson Museum, TH Archives and Yukon Archives.

Curated by Megan Graham.

KIDS' ART CAMP: Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays, 1-4 pm, June 21 - July 28. $36/week, or $200/all summer. Please phone 993-5005 for more information or to register.

Visit www.kiac.ca for current exhibitions and programming information.

Dawson City Recreation Department Drop-in Badminton, Mondays in the RSS Gymnasium - 6:15- 8 p.m.

Kickboxing, Tues & Thurs, 5:30-7:30 PM in the Ancillary Room. For more information on these and other available programs, please contact the Rec Department, 993-2353

Dawson City Chamber of Commerce Regular meetings 2nd Wed. of each month.

Dawson City Community Library Open Mon - Fri, noon to 6:30.

SPOKEN WORD NIGHT: Poetry and proser lovers: come to the Dawson Library for an open-mic night on Wednesday, June 22nd. Bring your own work or a piece you love, and be prepared to read. Enthusiastic listeners are also welcome. Coffee and cookies will be provided.

FRIDAY STORYTIME: Do you know children who love (or struggle) with books?

A preschooler who likes to be read to? If so, drop by the library on a Friday.

Preschoolers storytime is 12-2 PM & the Reading Club for 6-12 year olds is 2-4 PM. Drop by with your little one for an hour or more of poetry, stories and games.

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.

Klondike Vistor's Association Diamond Tooth Gertie's: Our unique Can-can shows have begun, 7 days a week, 3 times nightly: 8:30/10:30/Midnight Dänojà Zho Cultural Centre Aboriginal Day Celebrations: June 21 @ the DZ Cultural Centre. Celebrate native culture with music & a BBQ! For more info, call 993-7100.

Community Land Use Planning Project Mapping Session: June 23 & 24, 10 AM - 6 PM. Contact Lee Whalen at 993-7113.

City of Dawson

Recreation Department News f We would like to thank all the Minor Softball

coaches for keeping the game alive! Hope to see you all on the field again next spring.

f Slopitch has started! Thanks to Evelyn

Pollock for organizing the league. For more information please contact Evelyn at whateverev@yahoo.ca

f Second set of swimming lesson

registration will begin on June 20th and closes on the 24th at noon. Please contact the pool 993-7412 for more info.

f1

Swim Camp begins June 20th for youth 7 & up. Swim camp is Monday, Wednesday & Friday 9-11:30, $35 per participant. st

f Canada Day is coming, and it's time to start thinking about

your float. For more information or to enter your float in this year’s parade please contact the Rec Dept.

f Summer Programs with the Recreation Department are

beginning the week of June 13th. Check out the leisure guide or the City website for program details.

Wednesday June 15, 2011 P3

THE KLONDIKE SUN

The Class of 2011 “I just want to say a word about this year’s graduating class in Dawson – what a nice bunch of kids!” – Clair Dragoman Story by Lisa McKenna, Staff Reporter Photos by Evan Rensch On June 4th seventeen of our children graduated from Robert Service School and began their journey into adulthood. Graduation in Dawson is when the community becomes a family. The graduates marched proudly onto the stage, at the Palace Grand Theatre, to the strains of AC/ DC’s” Back in Black”, followed by an astounding rendition of “Oh Canada” sung by Tracy Nordick, whose voice sent shivers through the audience.

Brian Pate and his wife, “... came several thousand miles” ( from Vancouver, B.C.) to witness their granddaughter’s “coming of age”.

Mimi Elliot, a former teacher at Robert Service, proudly watched, for the 3rd time, one of her grandchildren graduating and thought it was “ so much fun” to see the children of her former students up on the stage.

The support from the community, the mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters, aunts, uncles, nephews, nieces, sons, and daughters was, and is, overwhelming. Everyone comes together to let these new young adults know that we are always behind them.

Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in Chief Ed Taylor informed the grads, and their supporters, that, “... if their plans for the future change… that’s okay, if they go “outside” to work or study…that’s okay.

They have to live their dreams and if their dreams change… that’s okay too, they are always welcome home.”

“You can always come back, you can always return home, you are always welcome, the community knows you and always will.”

He brought a round of “Mähsi cho’s” to the grads, their parents, teachers and principal, and before he left the stage he reminded the “kids” to be safe, and to wake up in the morning happy.

Steve Nordick personally congratulated each and every one of the graduates and said that he saw, ”… hope and the drive to succeed in all of you. Don’t be afraid to set goals but also don’t be afraid to change them. Change is the only thing in life that is certain.”

In closing he offered any and all assistance to the grads in anything they needed help with in

Superintendent Greg Storey hands presents a diploma to each student while proud parents crowd the stage with their cameras.

RSS Graduates are excited by the new opportunities awaiting them. the future: “My door is always open.”

Mayor Peter Jenkins then spoke about his pride for the graduates and their parents.

Then he offered some advice, or should I say, laid down the laws, according to Mr. Bill Gates. After changing hats, he presented a bursary on behalf of the Masonic Lodge #45, Dawson, to Miss Katrina Kocsis.

Sue Lancaster, chair of the School Council, congratulated the grads and informed them that later on this summer they would all receive a DVD of the events of the afternoon and evening.

Then began one of the most touching scenes of the ceremony. Mr. Jim Leary was to award the Mary Gartside Award to the Grade 12 student who had achieved the top academic score.

Mary Gartside was the principal at Robert Service School from

1955 to 1967 and she began this Dawson tradition. The Yukon Order of Pioneers (Y.O.O.P.) has taken over the awarding of this plaque and also awarded a bursary of $250 to the recipient.

This year’s recipient was none other than Mr. Leary’s own son, Bryan.

As the plaque and cash were turned over to Bryan, his father exchanged hugs and a few tears and fairly shouted out to the audience, “THIS BOY…THIS IS MY BOY…AND I’M PROUD OF HIM.” As Bryan sat back down, hugging his plaque, wiping a tear from his eye, the whole audience gave a collective “awww”. You see? Do you see how much this community supports and loves our children? Young adults, or not, they are still our kids and we are so proud of them. As we should be.

Superintendent Greg Storey, on behalf of the Department of Education, thanked the parents

for all their hard work and quoted Gary Golding to the grads, “Your families are very proud of you today. You can’t imagine the sense of relief they are experiencing. This would be an opportune time to ask for money.” He talked to the teachers as to their importance in peoples' lives and he even thanked Joe Karmel, “for principals have a job as well.”

His advice to the students was that, “... the world is actually a wonderful place” and that one should, “... have faith in yourself, have courage and perseverance.”

He also wondered how, now that he was 50, how Bryan Leary, at 18, could grow a beard like that!

Principal Joe Karmel commented on the “gift” of education and how with life experi-

ences the “gift” will grow, but to beware of the “double-edged sword”, for education could, “be used to make the world a much better place for everyone, but it can also be used to maintain the status quo. It can be used to retain poverty. It can be used to retain inequality.”

The Valedictorian Award was presented not only to the student who had the highest scholastic achievements but also to the student who had done things, who was able, “... to do, able to act, on what they knew.” This student, once again, was Bryan Leary.

Principal Joe Karmel had to raise the mike for Bryan, which got a burst of laughter from the crowd, and Bryan delivered a serious but humorous speech to the delight of the crowd.

After lowering the mike, Mr. Karmel invited the friends and families of the graduates to come forward and feel free to take pictures of the handing out of the graduation certificates.

After this occurred Hailey Wallace led the grads off the stage… directly onto the fire escape! But that was okay, as it has been said before, “they can always come back”, and back they came, but this time they headed out the front door towards their future.

The Class of 2011 was comprised of Monica Beets, Ginette Brisebois, Stephanie Dragoman, Meghan Elliot, Jenelle Favron, Heather Fraser, Gaven Johnson, Marshall Jonas, Katrina Kocsis, Bryan Leary, Jordan Lord, Hayley Reimer, Tanner Sidney, Andrew Taylor, Nancy-Jane Taylor, Tanis Van Bibber, and Hailey Wallace.

Principal Joe Karmel needs to raise the mic stand for (a very tall) Bryan Leary, this year's valedictorian.

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Wednesday June 15, 2011

THE KLONDIKE SUN

opinions

Uffish Thoughts: Taking a Virtual Tour of Dawson

By Dan Davidson I discovered Google Earth a few years ago. Our son was spending the winter in Fort Nelson and we figured out that Google Earth would allow us to zoom in on the street where he was living, actually find the hotel and move, in a jerky, foreshortened way, between there and other places that he mentioned in his emails home. It was oddly comforting.

Of course, we soon investigated other places, including the Goggle Earth version of Dawson City, and found that it was even possible to focus on a bird’s eye view of our house, though the fact that our travel trailer was on our parking pad at the rear told us the image was a few years old.

The latest version of Google Earth reveals that those earlier satellite shots were taken in 2006, and Google has been very busy since then. The latest satellite imagery is much crisper and lacks the funky light distorted shadows of the earlier version.

You can compare them, as the

Editor’s Note

program includes a feature that allows you to toggle between acquisition dates.

The new shots are from 2010, which locals would recognize even if the date weren’t given.

Sixth Avenue shows a giant kitty-litter pad behind the current Health Care Centre, which is what the site for the new hospital looked like at the end of last summer.

You still have to wonder about the placement of the photo icons that dot the display. According to one of them the Trading Post is located just behind the Parks Canada Building off Fifth Avenue when it’s really on Front Street.

One of the neat features of the latest Google Earth upgrade is that it includes that Streetview feature we’ve all heard about.

In Dawson’s case there’s a bit of time travel between the two functions. The Streetview vehicles were cruising around town in the summer of 2009. If you didn’t happen to remember that, you’d find out by taking a virtual drive around the town and discovering yourself on Front Street during the paving project

that took place that summer.

The whole experience is kind of like playing a live video game.

When you open the main program you’re looking at an astronaut’s view of the planet. Type in the place you want to visit and you go swooping down to the surface, moving to your desired location. As you get closer a set of controls appear in the upper right of your monitor.

One of them is a little peg figure.

Click on it and all the streets that have been viewed display blue outlines. Set the figure down anywhere and you find yourself at street level, ready to move forward, backward, left or right, depending on your use of the two control wheels.

Activate the controls and you’re driving the Dawson streets of 2009, before work began on the wastewater treatment plant, before the Yukon College addition to Yukon SOVA, before all those Canada’s Economic Action Plan signs. You get a real appreciation for how much change has happened here in just under two years.

The movement is jerky. Things

Graphic Screen shot from Google Earth Street View: the corner at Princess and Third. go out of focus. Sometimes the air becomes a blue wall, or a piece of a building will suddenly seem to detach itself and stretch.

The camera vehicles followed a weaving path that allowed them to capture more of the street and it seems for all the world as if you are going to mow down pedestrians or take chunks out of parked vehicles.

Rotating to get a good look at a building beside you produces odd results. Our house breaks up into a Picasso-like construc-

tion of odd angles and it looks like a piece of our neighbour’s trailer is about to attack us.

Turning from Princess Street to pass the Eldorado Hotel does strange things to that building and turns an SUV on Third Avenue into a strreettcchh limo.

Still, the experience of “driving” around town is a bit of fun, and it provides us all with a new way of showing our friends and relatives Outside a bit of the place where we live.

Comments about the new look Klondike Sun have been uniformly positive so far. Continue to lket us know what you think about all this. Elsewhere in the paper, Evan has penned a piece about our newest attempt at a website. Evan and John Steins have been tinkering with options for several months now. Check it out and let us know what you think. The back issues from 1989 to 1991 have now been posted there.

As usual, we invite you all 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!

We want to hear from you!

T

NEXT ISSUE: June 29, 2011

he 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.

THE KLONDIKE SUN

Deadline for ad & story submissions: Friday, June 24, 2011 at Noon

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Wednesday June 15, 2011 P5

THE KLONDIKE SUN

letters to the editor

City must act on Slinky Mine Dear Mayor and Council, It has come to my attention that Mr. Carey, the operator of the Slinky Mine, has apparently been told by his legal counsel to disregard the City’s Development Permit and the conditions contained therein.

I believe he has informed the City of Dawson of his decision to continue with operations without the need to adhere to permit conditions. As you are aware, any proponent operating within municipal boundaries must have a municipal development permit and must fulfill the commitments out-

lined by conditions.

We now have a situation where a proponent intends to operate with total disregard for his legal obligations.

Energy, Mines and Resources do not accept responsibility to enforce municipal permits, and will take no action to curtail activities. It is solely up to the City to ensure compliance.

We can assume Mr. Carey will now attempt to undertake his mining plan, including realignment of the highways, without providing the City with approved engineered drawings as required by the permit. Under the circumstances

he will likely not meet any of the municipal responsibilities required of him. The adverse impacts to residents and users of the area, and in particular of the highways, could be enormous even dangerous.

So what will the City do to address this? Activities may take place on any day, including weekends, and at any given time. How does the City intend to enforce its permit conditions and ensure irrevocable damage is not done to the highways or vegetation? How can this be done in a timely manner when City staff are normally only at work during

office hours and not even contactable at other times? What will happen if Mr. Carey starts digging up the highway or cutting down trees? How will you ensure public safety?

I would be grateful if you could explain how the City intends to address this urgent and disturbing affair. To simply state that nothing can be done until an infringement has taken place is plainly failing in the duty care you have to this community. I urge council to take immediate steps to remind Mr. Carey of his responsibilities, and advise him in the strongest terms that the full force

of the legal system will be employed if he continues activities. You must guarantee that activities will be continually monitored and take steps to ensure a court injunction can be readily obtained at short notice should the need arise.

You must also reassure the community that you will not allow such a blatant disregard for the law to go unpunished.

I trust you will now take this matter as seriously as residents have continually requested of you.

Mitch has been trying for over a year now to get funding and support for KSARA. He would like to see interoperability among several local organizations increase through training and funding for steep embankment search and rescue.

Such co-operation would provide common storage areas, shared human and other resources (and would thus save more money), and increase community awareness and camaraderie. His efforts, however, are frustrated by the fact that EMO officials have yet to respond.

Is this not the very mandate of EMO’s search and rescue division?

May 1-7 was Emergency Preparedness Week in Canada.

EMO’s website was promoting awareness by asking the public to “Know the risks, make a plan, and get an emergency kit.”

That is exactly what KSARA is looking for from EMO. KSARA wants funding for training so its dedicated volunteers can “know the risks” and how to deal with them, without having to pay out of their own pockets.

KSARA wants to “make a plan” – a locally derived plan that implements interoperational support.

KSARA very much wants to “get an emergency kit.”

EMO’s website claims that “the volunteer SAR teams provide motivated, trained and equipped volunteers with local knowledge.”

Mitch has over 20 years of wil-

derness search and rescue experience, along with an admirable record as a leader in the Yukon Rangers. He is the very example of a motivated and trained volunteer with local knowledge.

It is the “equipped” piece of the puzzle that is the problem.

Where making an “emergency kit” is concerned, KSARA simply wants the supplies needed to follow through with its training. This is not a lot of money, yet EMO’s office denies any forward motion with its insulting silence.

If the government’s refusal to address these issues is moneyrelated, it would do well to consider that they cannot afford not to help.

This summer in the Klondike will be the first of many where hundreds of inexperienced college students and transients, hired to cut lines, produce soil samples, and stake claims, will work in the bush.

The number of tourists who visit the wilderness of the Tombstone Territorial Park increases each year.

We are currently promoting our natural attractions and developing better access to them without a safety net in place to deal with the risks.

This is an added pressure to an already underfunded local search and rescue organization. Is the Yukon government so broke that it cannot afford to make some proactive decisions to save us from costly and deadly reactive decisions when a tragedy occurs?

There is an extensive list (including Dawson City Fire Department, EMS, KSARA, RCMP, Yukon Wildland Fire Management, field operations and YTG Parks) of agencies that will be willing to help locally.

These agencies are existing professionally trained units which have some responsibility for response and/or rescue within their jurisdictions or areas of operation.

All have personnel with transferable work-related skills and knowledge to bring to the table.

They also have access to potentially useful equipment resources and are familiar with the policies of utilization.

We need to pull all this existing potential together into a capable unit that is trained to deal with embankment rescue and maintain these skills.

None of the agencies listed above officially have the mandate to respond on the slopes, nor do any of them have the formal training to do so.

Last year, at the SAR presidents’ meeting (which has not

been held this year), EMO told the assembled Yukon SAR representatives to “let somebody else” deal with steep embankment rescues because local volunteers are not properly trained.

This is troubling for two reasons: firstly, it is EMO’s responsibility to provide that training.

Secondly, of course, there is no “somebody else” to respond in a timely manner.

We cannot waste any more time.

We need a structured and organized response to deal with these situations, and we need it as soon as possible.

We need to stop frustrating our volunteers and start helping them as much as they help us.

Regards, Jim Taggart

The EMO’s ‘insulting silence’ is unjustified Dear Editor: This letter to the editor is in response to a meeting I had with an extremely frustrated John “Mitch” Mitchell.

It regards what he sees as a lack of duty by the Yukon territorial government (YTG) in an important Emergency Measures Organization (EMO) issue in the Klondike.

Mitch wishes to initiate the capability of local volunteers to successfully respond to steep embankment rescue in the Klondike.

It’s been a year of work by the Klondike Search and Rescue Association (KSARA), and he and his volunteers have yet to receive any response from the minister responsible nor his office.

It is easy to see why volunteers in the communities so often become frustrated when trying to deal with the territorial government.

A visit to the YTG website’s EMO search and rescue page would likely cause Mitch, a KSARA volunteer, to shake his head in that familiar frustration.

“Emergency Measures Organization provides support to our partners through the provision of training, equipment and funding,” the website states.

The funding application form is available on the website; the only problem is that the deadline for submissions expired 20 months ago. The last newsletter on the website is dated 2007.

Sandy Silver Klondike Candidate Yukon Liberal Party Dawson City

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Wednesday June 15, 2011

in our community

THE KLONDIKE SUN

Dawson Regional Planning Commission hopes to Minimize Land Use Conflicts Story & Photos

By Dan Davidson

The Dawson Regional Planning Commission (DRPC) held its first public meeting in the Oddfellows Hall on May 26, with about a dozen people in attendance. Of the six commissioners, three were able to be there. These were locals Bill Bowie, Will Fellers and commission chair Scott Castleman.

Steve Taylor, Chester Kelly and Roger Ellis were unable to make this meeting, some of them due to conflicts with the Truth and Reconciliation Commission hearings, which also took place in various Yukon communities that week.

The meeting was emceed

by Mark Wickham, of Across the River Consulting, who introduced Ron Cruikshank, representing the Yukon Land Use Planning Council.

Cruickshank gave an overview of the work of the YLUPC, which is currently composed of a three-member board: Ian Roberson (chair), Shirlee Frost, and Mel Stehelin.

The council was started as follow-up process required by the various Land Claims settlements throughout the territory. So far two regional plans have been tackled.

The North Yukon Plan was approved. The much more contentious Peel Watershed Plan is still in the works. The third plan, intended for the Dawson region, is scheduled to be finished by 2014. The first two plans have gone over budget and past their timelines. It is intended that this one should not follow that pattern.

Since the plan deals with land controlled by three different governments, the Yukon Government, Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in, and Vuntut Gwitchin are all are involved as approval bodies.

The plan's recommendations will not have any impact on Dawson City itself, or its suburbs, and the City of Dawson has no formal standing with the DRPC. Nor will the plan deal with previously established parks, such as Tombstone Park.

Jeff Hamm, the Senior Planner with the DRPC, took the floor and outlined some of the same information, but from the DRPC’s point of view.

The Big Idea of the plan is to

create a series of goals which will seek to balance Land Claim Agreements with sustainable development, allowing for some level of development, c0-management, cultural preservation and conservation, and minimizing the potential conflicts between all these objectives.

The Commission is to consider the well being of the entire public, defined, as in the words of the agreement as “Yukon Indian People, residents of the Planning Region, the communities and Yukon as a whole, while having regard to the interests of other Canadians.”

Holding public meetings and soliciting input from citizens are primary duties of the DRPC, especially at this point in the timeline.

“We’re like sponges right now,” Castleman said.

“The commission is more reactive than proactive,” Bowie added.

Darren Taylor. Director of Natural Resources for the Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in, addressed the meeting at some length, reminding the commission of its responsibility to abide

by Chapter 11 of the TH Final Agreement, which deals specifically with land use planning. The objectives of this chapter (which can be read at http://www.ainc-inac. gc.ca/al/ldc/ccl/fagr/ykn/ tro/thfa/thfa-eng.asp#chp11) are close to identical with the formal terms of reference for the DRPC. Sebastian Jones, a local environmental activist, suggested that the commission also needed to look closely at the Yukon River and crossborder concerns. He was particularly concerned about the activities of Holland America’s Yukon Queen II. He also wondered about what might happen to a plan developed under the purview of one government once another one was elected.

Helen Bowie, with the Chamber of Commerce, suggested that the evidence from the Peel commission shows that the process can become very divisive.

“People have to make a living. The river must support both fishing and tourism,” she said, in reference to the YQII. Taylor summed up the discussion and offered a surprising comment with regard to the Holland America

cruise ship.

“I understand the complexities in relation to the Yukon River and the Yukon Queen. We’ve never ever said that we don’t want mining.

We’ve never ever said that we don’t want the Queen operating. All we’re saying is that certain mitigative measures need to be taken into consideration regarding that particular operation because salmon habitat is key to the First Nation, not only as commercial fishing or recreational fishermen, and the tourists that come into the community.

‘I guess that’s the task before us: identifying what is important from the chamber’s perspective, the First Nation’s perspective, the mining community and trying to insure that we have landscapes that reflect all those uses.”

The next public meeting in Dawson will be sometime in October, but residents can contact Hamm at 1075-2nd Avenue in Dawson, by mail at PO Box 8010 in Dawson, at 867- 993-4400 or by email through http://dawson. planyukon.ca.

Three members of the Dawson Regional Planning Commission, Bill Bowie, Scott Castleman (chair) and Will Fellers.

Ron Cruikshank of Yukon Land Use Planning Council; Jeff Hamm, Senior Planner with the DRPC ; and Mark Wickham of Across the River Consulting.

Emergency Help Cellphone project enters second phase WHITEHORSE (June 10, 2011) —The implementation of the second phase of the Victims of Crime Emergency Help Cellphone project is underway after Yukoners answered the call in April to support victims of crime, Justice Minister Marian C. Horne announced today.

More than 90 cellphones have been collected by the Department of Justice since the campaign to reuse old cellphones as emergency help phones was announced on April 1.

“I would like to thank all Yukoners who have stepped forward and donated their old phones.

They will be used by those at risk of harm who have no other available phones in cases of emergency,” Horne said. “Latitude Wireless, our partner in this project, have re-purposed many of these phones and they will be distributed by Victim Services.”

Emergency help cellphones are available in Whitehorse through Victim Services, located at 301 Jarvis Street or by phoning 867-667-8500.

Individuals living in Dawson City or Watson Lake can request a phone by contacting the Victim Services office in those communities. In other Yukon communities, people can contact Victim Services toll-free at 1-800-661-0408, extension 8500.

The Emergency Help Cellphone collection box will remain at the security desk at the Law Centre in Whitehorse until further notice.

Latitude Wireless will recycle any phones collected that are outdated.

The Government of Yukon and Latitude Wireless will continue to work together on this initiative to provide emergency help cellphones as needed.

Latitude Wireless is a partnership between Northwestel and the Dakwakada Development Corporation, the business investment arm of the Champagne and Aishihik First Nations.

THE KLONDIKE SUN

in our community

Wednesday June 15, 2011 P7

Longtime Yukoner honoured with Beringia Research Award at Gold Show Story & Photos

By Dan Davidson Longtime Yukoner Earl Bennett was recognized for his significant contribution to the understanding of Yukon Beringia during a presentation at the Dawson City Gold Show on May 20.

Territorial paleontologist Grant Zazula explained the significance of the Beringia Award.

“We work with the Placer industry really closely. We travel around to collect bones that are being found along the creeks.

We’re here today to celebrate that association between placer mining and paleontology.

“There’s a 100 year history in the Yukon of gold miners finding bones and scientists coming by the creeks to study them. “ The Honourable Archie Lang, Minister of Community Services, speaking on behalf of Tourism and Culture Minister Elaine Taylor, announced the award and presented it to Uta Reilly, who accepted on behalf of Earl Bennett, who was unable to be present.

“Today I have the great honour of representing the territorial government in presenting an award to an individual who has been a big part of Yukon for the last 60 years,” said Lang, standing beside the Yukon Heritage booth at the Gold Show.

“Earl Bennett came to this country in 1946 and has been here ever since, not only working in our communities but investing in our communities throughout the territory.”

In 2008 Bennett donated to Yukon’s vertebrate fossil collection a partial American

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The Hon. Archie Lang, with Grant Zazula and Earl Bennett’s friend, Uta Reilly. mastodon skeleton found on Bonanza Creek. It included several complete limb bones, shoulder blades and large pieces of the skull with teeth intact, all from one individual.

“This is a very rare specimen and this was in Earl Bennett’s basement. Earl was talking to Grant about this specific specimen and Earl said, ‘Well, I have one of them.’ This was quite a statement to make because there are only six to twelve parts of this species out of the Yukon in Ottawa and in other places in Canada. This was very, very important. So Earl arrived with this skeleton remains of the mastodon.”

Lang elaborated in a press release.

“It is an honour to recognize Mr. Bennett with this award for his broad contribution to Yukon’s important historical and scientific record. His fossil donations and knowledge of palaeontology has helped to

give scientists, students, visitors and other fossil enthusiasts opportunities to see, enjoy and study unique artifacts important to Yukon’s Beringia ice age history.”

Prior to Bennett’s donation, the Yukon government fossil collection held only six identified specimens of American mastodons. Bennett’s donation has enabled the Yukon Palaeontology Program to make great advances in understanding American mastodons in Beringia.

The Yukon’s Palaeontology Program, established in 1996, works closely with Yukon’s placer mining industry to safeguard significant fossils for scientific research, study and public interpretation. Work is underway to expand Yukon’s palaeontological presence in Dawson City, collaborating with local placer miners to protect fossils and other important finds in the area.

The mastodon bones Earl Bennett donated to the Yukon Palaeontology Program.

This pick-up and delivery service is available to all businesses through-out the Yukon.

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P8

Wednesday June 15, 2011

THE KLONDIKE SUN

Millhaven Bay seen as a Luxury Resort Site Story & Photo

By Dan Davidson The Carcross/Tagish First Nation and the Managing Director of the Clayoquot Wilderness Resort are interested in developing a Yukon resort at Millhaven Bay, off Lake Bennett. John Caton, of Clayoquot Wilderness Resort, spoke to this plan at length during his address to the Tourism Industry Association of the Yukon on May 6, and later in an interview that same day.

Caton prefaced his remarks but giving a short history of his own Yukon background, which dates back to the late 1960s when he worked out of Dawson City for Texas Gulf on a survey crew for two summers.

After a hectic career in real estate, farming and the music industry (where he promoted Blue Rodeo and Prairie Oyster) Caton suffered a coronary and, taking the advice of his doctors, sought a change of lifestyle.

Having always enjoyed the outdoors when he had time to find it, he and his wife decided to go into that business, hoping to find a less stressful way of life.

They knew they eventually wanted to be their own bosses, but also knew they needed some training, so they went to work at a luxury hunting retreat near their farm in rural Ontario.

John began by looking after the hunting dogs and Adele began as a housekeeper, while at the same time taking business courses in entrepreneurship and using their developing business plan as her thesis.

John Caton would like to operate a luxury tourist resort at Millhaven Bay, near Carcross.

“Three years later we were managing the place and then we handed in our resignations and came west to build a resort.”

Caton’s first look in the west

was at the Yukon, which he remembered fondly but, at that time, nothing here came close to matching the matrix of 20 criteria that he and Adele had developed as a template for a successful operation. It was the mid 1990s and the territory was shy of local talent for hire, more limited in transportation access and access to health care.

Caton now feels that has changed. He likes to work with local people and hire local people. His plan involves an isolated, but accessible, wilderness area with potential to develop an iconic look based on the area’s attractions and history. Caton likes roughing it a bit and sees a resort using a combination of tents and trappers cabins (Clayoquot uses very posh tents for its clientele) in a setting that could provide a turn of the century experience.

“You have a short history here but it’s incredible.”

He sees a resort at Millhaven Bay as a base from which a variety of day trips could be mounted: long hikes, hut to hut; mountain biking or horseback riding with the day’s end at a spike camp. In each case the client would find everything prepared and a meal ready at the end of the day.

“You can create a comfort zone and I believe we can create a product like that that will sell worldwide. It’s not $1800 a day, but it’s not $200 a day either.

It falls in between; it’s $700 or $800 a day. I know the people who would just go and do that.”

He estimates a regular clientele of 80 people a week during the summer and 40 in the winter.

The Carcross-Tagish First Nation (CTFN) has adopted the concept and has spent the last two years in planning as part of a wider proposal to reinvigorate Carcross, including rural sub-divisions and an enhanced downtown shopping area. Their brochure “Building Our Economy” develops Caton’s vision that a resort in this area, 10 miles by water from Carcross, could provide an inducement for both summer and winter tourism.

They see an opportunity to “develop a strong, sustainable economy and community … (that would) respect the environment, the local community and our culture.”

Caton and CTFN are at phase one of this project, and are now moving into more detailed planning and assessments. One of the roadblocks to the vision at the moment is that the Yukon

Google Earth: The area between Millhaven Bay and Carcross, as seen via Google Earth. government owns the land in question.

“We need a commitment from the Yukon that they will transfer land tenure to the resort,” says the brochure.

Justin Ferbey, executive director of the Carcross/Tagish First Nation, says this will involve some sort of land swap of CTFN settlement lands.

There have been some letters in the local papers comparing this proposal to the recently failed Great River Journeys operation. Caton is quick to say that Great River Journey’s failure was not due to either the setting in the Yukon or the product they had to offer.

“They had the concept that if you build something incredible and unique they will come. You have to do the premarketing, the pre-establishment of your market so that when you open the doors they are there. They opened the doors prematurely and then they were late opening because of the construction problems they had. They opened before it was totally finished.

“You get one shot at this, with media and everything else. You can’t say ‘our doors are open and it’s going to be great and next year and the year after it will be even better.’ It’s gotta be exceptional when it starts.

“They underestimated their financial resources and then they got caught in the recession.”

In his opinion, if Great Rivers could have sustained itself for another two seasons it would have been fine, but the finances weren’t there for that.

Establishing Clayoquot Wilderness Village has taken $25

million over the years. Caton estimates setting up shop in the Yukon will cost twice that but he is positive that it can be done and that it is worth doing. At this stage, CTFN agrees.

Results of Wilderness Tourism Licencing Act charges heard in court June 7, 2011

Press Release (June 10, 2011) Incident A Yukon wilderness tourism operator was fined $1,000 after entering a guilty plea to guiding without the required first aid certification.

The court case came after two separate incidents involving the same company and guide in two different locations.

The first occurred on February 27, 2011 when Conservation Officers contacted the operator while he was conducting a wilderness tourism snowmobile adventure tour in the Ross River district. Conservation Officers later determined the operator did not have the first aid certification required under the Wilderness Tourism Licencing Act Regulations and the company did not have a valid Yukon wilderness tourism operator’s licence. The guide and the company were each ticketed for these offences and voluntarily paid the $150 tickets on March 22, 2011.

On March 17, 2011, Conservation Officers found the same company and guide conducting a snowmobile adventure tour in the Rose Lake Area. The guide was charged a second time for guiding without the required first aid certification. He entered a guilty plea in territorial court on June 7, 2011 and received a $1000.00 fine. The guide has subsequently obtained the required first aid certification.

Why are media receiving this advisory?

Environment Yukon Conservation Officers are committed to protecting public safety and enforcing public safety legislation.

Conservation Officers remind all Yukon wilderness tourism operators to ensure their guides are properly certified and carry their required documentation, and safety equipment to protect their clients while enjoying the Yukon’s wilderness.

Wednesday June 15, 2011 P9

THE KLONDIKE SUN

A Mining Conference of Great Endeavour Canadian Institute of Mining highlights Canadian Savoir-Faire

by Josée Bonhomme The CIM conference was held in downtown Montreal from May 20th to the 27th at the huge Palais des Congrès. Events were overlapping in the busy program, and one needed fast running shoes to catch all the interesting technical sessions, trade exhibits and workshops.

At final count, delegates from the large mining family numbered 1,575 people, 480 firms as exhibitors in the trade show, with 1,046 general public visitors and 5,780 students invited to an outstanding fair to learn more about work opportunities in the industry.

“Mines without Borders” was the main theme of the conference, under all its facets, whether through Canadian expertise working abroad and at home, with our bilingual advantage, or including community development in third world countries, and recognizing the workers in this global enterprise.

Students were invited to take part in a special fair, called M4S (Mines, Minerals, Metals and Metallurgy in Society) to acquaint themselves with the industry, and the skills required to get a job in this evolving technical world.

The Iron Ore Symposium was of interest to many, because iron mining is so important in the eastern part of the country. All technical presentations were of the highest caliber, with presenters of both languages who benefited from simultaneous translators for many of the sessions.

Six main tracks were included in the program, including social responsibility, the environment, “Mines in Action” or current projects, best practices, finances, innovation and technology, and successes in mining exploration.

One example of social responsibility was explained during the plenary session by

The Women in Mining forum was a highlight of the conference, putting a new face in this traditionally male occupation.

Benoit LaSalle, CEO of SEMAFO (West African Mining Exploration Corp.). The Montreal-based company operates three mines in Niger, Guinea and Burkina Faso. Not only does SEMAFO mine responsibly, but a separate not-for-profit foundation was set up to assist the communities in which it works.

Schools and supplies for students (books), medical clinics, food, tools for agriculture, water wells, and employment for women are all contributions offered through the SEMAFO Foundation. A 20 mega-Watt solar collector farm will provide electricity for one village in Niger through another subsidiary, SEMAFO Energy. The company itself created work for the wives of local miners who make ore bags, instead of importing these from developed countries. SEMAFO maintains nurseries to grow plants for restoration work at their open-pit mines.

The Women in Mining forum was a highlight for many. These pioneers, in an industry which

Entertainment was part of the big picture, with Montreal talent and much dancing at the P&H Mining Pro Services gala.

attracted mostly men in the past, have blazed the way for many more to join them in the future.

They are employed as geologists, in metallurgy and chemical engineering, as mining engineers or in human resources and training.

Women operate equipment carefully and reliably above ground as well as underground.

The special celebration of the role of women in the industry was well attended, in a relaxed atmosphere, where their personal stories were shared can-

didly, with a touch of humour, from their own unique experiences in camps, and mines in remote locations.

One important consensus was the shortage of up-andcoming engineers to deal with the need for minerals in a developing world. The CIM’s efforts to involve the younger segment of the population may help in producing tomorrow’s mining engineers. The Women in Mining Forum was loud and clear in how enjoyable the mining sector

is in its technical challenges. All agreed they love their job.

An important change in human rights is access to clean water for all as a result of a United Nations resolution of July, 2010.

Basic needs such as drinking water, and water used for washing and cooking, is now entrenched in international law, and will affect everyone using water anywhere in the world. The “Water Quality” workshop sees more and more participants from year to year as it affects miners in a big way.

The last day of the conference was devoted to finance, securing investment, and transparency demanded of mining companies. Not only are today’s corporations accountable to the general public, but also to their shareholders. In some instances, in under-developed countries, a large mining interest takes the role of a surrogate government,

tasked with water quality, land management, including community development reaching far beyond their mining operations.

This CIM conference covered all the bases. Participants all agreed they had gotten what they sought, and more, from this well-organized conference. The luncheons and receptions were first-class, with great entertainers, food à la Montréal, and company. The organizers merit high kudos for this superb event.

The Yukon can be proud of its mining history, and its recognition as a full partner in this rich Canadian tradition. Of course Klondike nuggets were present, in their raw form or crafted into beautiful jewelry.

Next year’s CIM conference will be held in Edmonton from May 3rd to the 9th, 2012. More information is available from their website: http://www.cim. org. A good book to read for the layperson is Mining Explained, published by The Northern Miner, now in its 10th edition.

Don't forgot to check out

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P10 Wednesday June 15, 2011

THE KLONDIKE SUN

Exploring the Frontiers of Language in Skagway Story & Photos

By Dan Davidson The second annual North Words Writers’ Symposium, “Exploring the Frontiers of Language”, wrapped up in Skagway over the week of June 1 to 4, with about 30 writers from Alaska and the Yukon in attendance. Numbers had more than doubled from the year before, and there were 700% more Yukoners in attendance, including one invited to be on a discussion panel.

The weekend got under way on the evening of June 1, at the famed Red Onion Saloon, with a tour of the second floor whorehouse (a little titillation to arouse the delegates’ interest) followed by a Taco Bar Reception and social time.

Thursday dawned a little cooler than it had been and the group gathered at the White Pass and Yukon RR station for a day trip to Lake Bennett and Carcross by rail, retuning to Skagway by bus.

This is where the symposium

authors and a few of the delegates stranded in Skagway for the day, but they made the most of it with some walking tours and discussion sessions.

For the rest the weather was crisp and spitting the odd raindrop in Bennett, though the ride there was spectacular as usual. After a great lunch there were breakout sessions focussed on various aspects of writing with four of the guest authors.

Mystery writer John Straley and his group discussed fiction; Children’s author Deb Vanasse worked on story starters with her group; Seth Kantner talked about memoirs with his people; and Elizabeth Dabney tackled academic publishing.

The ride along the shore of Lake Bennett was less of a wide screen experience than the first part of the trip, but there is lovely scenery there as well. The stop in Carcross was quite brief before returning to Skagway, where dinner was waiting at the Stowaway Restaurant.

Two hours of the evening were taken up with readings by the symposium’s faculty members, held in the National Parks Service Auditorium. Besides those already mentioned there were Kim Heacox, Heather Lende, Peggy Shumaker, Daniel Henry, David Hunsaker, Lynn Schooler and Howard Blum.

On Friday the panel

discussions began in earnest after a 7:30 continental breakfast and plenary session at the Arctic Brotherhood Hall.

Panels met in both the AB Hall and the Presbyterian Church on such topics as “Pathways to the Answer: What was the Question?”, "Dressing for Success: Pimping the Perfect Proposal”, "Woven Storylines: Managing Intersecting Lives”, and “Writing Readable History”.

Whitehorse historian Michael Gates joined that last panel, during which moderator Jeff Brady refereed a goodnatured duel between Gates and historical novelist Howard Blum, while Daniel Henry and Kim Heacox took the middle ground.

Friday evening it was the turn of the delegates to read their work at the NPS Auditorium.

The session ran for over two hours and saw work ranging from science fiction to memoir, poetry, and a fishing story, with participants ranging from 14 to their sixties.

Saturday morning had a similar pattern, with sessions called “Breath on the mirror: The Life in Character Details” and “Funny or not, here I Come.”

The afternoon featured a trip to Jeff Brady’s new rural retreat in Dyea, where the group was serenaded by the Windy Valley

The Red Onion Tour was a popular diversion.

Lake Bennett Station

Dan Henry and Jeff Brady, two of the key organizers of the symposium, chat by the door in the Lake Atlin train coach.

Boys and heard Brady discuss his plans to develop part of the property as a writer and artist retreat based on the model that created Berton House in Dawson.

The evening was given over to a sumptuous dinner at Poppies, where delegates also got to explore the Jewell Gardens and view the elaborate model train set-up on the grounds.

Howard Blum’s keynote address about the writing of The Floor of Heaven, a bestselling novel set partly in Skagway, was delivered between the main course and dessert to much applause from the delegates.

Next year’s North Words will be in Denali and there are plans afoot to bring the event to Dawson City the year after that.

Your faithful scribe waxes poetic in Skagway.

Photo by Betty Davidson encountered its only serious setback when it was learned that any one without a passport would be unable to cross either border and would therefore be unable to take the excursion.

This left several of the guest

The readable history panel sparked some debate. LR are moderator Jeff Brady, Howard Blum, Dan Henry, Kim Heacox and Michael Gates.

The Arctic Brotherhood Hall, with its unique facade, was the site for most of the panel discussions.

Wednesday June 15, 2011 P11

THE KLONDIKE SUN

Creepin' It Real Review by Scott Brown Photos by Evan Rensch Dawson City was recently treated to a performance by Timber Timbre, an act that has been hailed as one of the country’s best and most innovative as of late. Timber Timbre began as the solo project of band songwriter Taylor Kirk, but with the recording of the group’s most recent album, Creep On Creepin’ On, Kirk opened the doors to the project becoming a more collaborative experience, and now counts Mika Posen and Simon Trottier as musical partners. The sonic possibilities available to this expanded lineup were well on display at the Palace Grand.

Before the headlining act came out local heroes Three Chords & The Truth provided both charming between song banter and heartfelt roots-based songwriting and playing. The duo stated that they hadn’t played together much in quite some time, but the performance did not give that away. Many in town are already familiar with the group, but newcomers such as myself received a first hand introduction to one of the finer folk duos that the Yukon has to offer.

Also occurring before Timber Timbre took stage was a screening of the short film Bag 4070 which was made right here in Dawson. The short was created by local filmmaker Chris Levett and starred Allie Haydock, another Dawson resident, as the film’s sole character. The film tackled a sense of feeling both comfort-

able and trapped in Dawson and featured songs from Timber Timbre’s self-titled album making it an appropriate addition to the evening. The film was well received by the crowd and, seemingly, by the band as well since Levett was thanked on stage by Kirk.

Following the screening Timber Timbre took to the stage.

The set got off to a rocky start as technical difficulties required a brief break to be called. However, once the sound problems were addressed the band soldiered on and the show quickly got back on track. Since the album was recently released the set unsurprisingly focused heavily on songs from Creep On Creepin’ On which saw Kirk and co. switching from instrument to instrument or playing more than one at a time.

This resulted in a back and forth of melodic string/guitar combos and hard-hitting percussion that suited each other quite well and set a haunting atmosphere.

A major aspect of Creep On Creepin’ On is the presence of between song extended instrumentals that were the product of the inclusion of new band members as well as a brief and fruitful collaboration with Montreal-based Saxophonist Colin Stetson (whose latest album, New History Warfare Vol. 2, sits beside Creep On Creepin’ On as one of the year’s best releases). It was a surprise to find that many of these instrumental segues were present during the Palace Grand performance, but even more of a surprise to find that they worked so well. In fact,

Timber Timbre frontman Taylor Kirk scowls as he rides the reverb of his effects-laden guitar. these proved to be some of the highlights of the show and made songs like “Woman” even better live than on record.

This was a show where few knew exactly what they were getting themselves into. By the end of the night the general opinion was that the creepy tone of the music worked well with the setting and people seemed pleased by what they had taken in. Some might say this was a very businesslike performance due to the lack of interaction with the audience, but that resulted in a focus on the songs and when you write songs like Timber Timbre you can get away with that.

Local folk heroes Aaron Burnie and Jon Ostrander opened the show.

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THE KLONDIKE SUN

Over the coming months, the Klondike Sun will be featuring a number of artists appearing at the 2011 Dawson City Music Festival. To see this year’s complete line-up and buy your tickets, visit the festival’s new website: www.dcmf.com

Profile: KidsFEST

Profile: Mamma Yamma As seen on CBC Kids’ TV, Mamma Yamma is a yam with two passions - food and music. From her now famous Kensington Market Kitchen in the heart of urban Toronto, Mamma uses cooking and food as a springboard for learning about nutrition, cultural diversity, manners and mathematics. As Mighty Mamma, this yam helps kids learn the importance of a healthy breakfast as she defeats the evil Breakfast Froog. Mamma is perhaps best known for the spontaneous concerts that happen in her kitchen when friends like Sam Roberts, Tegan & Sara and Rita MacNeil drop by. Her recent album "Mamma Yamma and Friends", released through CBC records, has been a hit with kids and grownup critics alike. Pupeteered by multitalented sensation Ali Eisner (a DCMF alumnus herself – this bighaired songwriting sensation hosted and performed at the 1999 Fest), Mamma Yamma always makes you feel at home.

At the 2011 Dawson City Music Festival, Mamma Yamma will be hosting the famous Kickoff Concert on Friday, July 14 at the Front St. Gazebo, form 4-6 PM. This concert is free, and open to all. She’ll also be making an appearance at KidsFEST on Saturday – another event which is free and open to the public, taking place at the festival’s Mainstage in Minto Park From 11-2 PM on Saturday, July 15.

THE KLONDIKE SUN thanks our volunteers! chief writer & editor - Dan Davidson

webmaster/online assistance - John Steins

Each year on Saturday morning of the Dawson City Music Festival weekend, the big top tent at Minto Park undergoes a shocking metamorphosis, filling with balloons, shakers, streamers, merriment, acoustic music, and childrens’ laughter.

It’s the Dawson City Music Festival’s KidsFEST, an annual tradition and one of Dawson’s bestloved family-oriented events. As always, KidsFEST is free and open to the public regardless of whether anyone in the family has purchased tickets.

At this year’s KidsFEST, families and tykes will be treated to a wide variety of activities and sounds. Organizer Brooke McDonald, a local daycare employee, has a range of exciting ideas for KidsFEST patrons from ages one to twelve. Instrument making, mask-making, and face-painting have always been KidsFEST favourites. In addition, Brooke’s hoping to offer a dream-catcher making workshop. And of

KidsFEST Schedule

course, there’s ice cream, thanks to the support of the Midnight Sun Hotel!

Of course, children’s performers have always been a staple of KidsFEST. This year, kids will be treated to a performance by Major Conrad Flapps! He’s a clowning, fiddle-playing aviator, last seen delivering anti-bullying workshops at Robert Service School in March.

In addition to Flapps’ high-flying musical antics, Confetti, parachutes, high-fives, and mass dance routines will be the order of the day when electro-pop star Rich Aucoin delivers a short danceable set for kids to finish off the event.

CBC Kids’ TV personality Mamma Yamma will host the event and greet kids throughout.

The bar was set very high last year, when Fred Penner delivered an unforgettable mainstage set – we hope we can top it this year!

KidsFEST begins on Saturday, July 17 at 11:00 AM, and ends at 2:00 PM. KidsFEST is free and open to the public. Come one, come all!

11:00 AM – Tent opens; meet-and-greet with Mamma Yamma 12:00 – Major Conrad Flapps’ performance 1:00 PM – Rich Aucoin’s performance Throughout: mask-making, instrument-making, arts, crafts, and other childrens’ activities.

A memorial service for Donald Lindgren and Dorothy Lindgren will be held in Dawson City on July 2nd, 2011 at 2:00 pm at the Anglican Church followed by interment in the Dawson City Cemetary and feast at the Tr'ondek Hwech'in Band Hall . Everyone welcome. For further information please call (867) 993-3621.

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Wednesday June 15, 2011 P13

THE KLONDIKE SUN

Work by three painters on display at the Confluence Gallery Angela Bonnici, Rebecca Geddes & Rosie Butler’s New Works was on display at the Confluence Members’ Gallery from May 26 to June 12. Angela Bonnici talked to the Klondike Sun about the exhibition.

Can you talk about the titles of your paintings? There's an element of vagueness, yet they're also referential.

My titles are quotes from the classics Dumb and Dumber and Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure. I don’t take myself or the art that I make too seriously; that would ruin it. It’s all for fun.

Why do you work in the medium of painting? In your artwork, how are

painting's specific qualities advantageous? Do you work in other mediums as well?

Right now I prefer painting to any other medium. Before I started painting in 2009, from time to time I would think about trying it out. So one day I went out and bought some supplies and started doing it.

I’m still figuring it out. All in all I get a lot of satisfaction from painting and I guess if and when that ever goes away I’ll try something new.

I like printmaking as well even though I don’t have much experience with it. At some point I’ll work on it.

Themes of anonymity, ambiguity, and abstraction

run throughout everyone's work. Why is this important to the show, or how does it relate to the intimate, small town life represented in the show?

Rebecca and I applied for a show together, even though our work is very different, because having two people put a volunteer-run show together takes the pressure off a bit.

Rosie applied individually and because of scheduling and other things, it worked out for us to all show together. It just so happens that all of our stuff compliments each other’s, but it wasn’t planned that way.

What inspired you to exhibit your work at the Confluence Gallery?

I decided to apply for a show at the Confluence Gallery because I felt uncomfortable with the idea of having a show altogether.

So I thought that it would be good for me to at least try it out. The Confluence Gallery is a good place to start I think. And it’s been a good experience.

Do you have any other upcoming art projects?

looking forward to seeing what different things I can do. Maybe I’ll stray from doing completely non-representational stuff for a while and see what happens.

New Works was the first show in the summer series of exhibits in the Confluence Members’ Gallery. For announcements and details for upcoming shows, visit www.kiac.ca.

This summer I’m going to try using oils. I’ve worked mainly with acrylic and I’m

THE KLONDIKE SUN (The Literary Society of the Klondike)

Annual General Meeting Date & Time: Location:

Monday, June 27th, 6:30 PM Royal Canadian Legion (3rd Ave. between Queen & King Sts.)

Learn more about the Literary Society of the Klondike, the Klondike Sun and find out how you can become involved.

We welcome everyone to attend!

Men’s remains were buried with First Nations’ blessings Press Release The Gold Rush-era remains of Jim and Dawson Nantuck, Edward Henderson, and an unidentified fourth individual were interred at the Dawson City cemetery on Saturday, June 11.

The burial of the Nantucks was conducted in accordance with the wishes of the Kwanlin Dün, Ta’an Kwäch’än and Carcross/Tagish First Nation elders and governments, the Dawsonbased Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in First Nation said on June 10 in a statement.

“Government protocols will be followed for the burial of Edward Henderson and the unidentified fourth individual,” the First Nation said.

“This will be a private and media-free ceremony. We ask

that the wishes of the families and those involved be respected in this matter.”

The remains of the four individuals were discovered in 2010 during excavation work at the new wastewater treatment plant in Dawson.

In Goldrush days this was the site of the Northwest Mounted Police headquarters of Fort Herchmer. The executions were the first to take place in Canada after the nation took control of that part of its justice system.

The discovery made national headlines.

The Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in, the City of Dawson and Carcross/ Tagish First Nation governments collaborated on the recovery, and the identification and reburial of the remains.

The Guidelines Respecting the Discovery of Human Remains

and First Nation Burial Sites in the Yukon and the elders’ input were followed throughout the process.

“The Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in would like to thank everyone involved in the recovery and identification of the individuals; the Town of Dawson City for the donation of burial plots and labour; and the family of the Nantuck brothers and the Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in, Kwanlin Dün, Ta’an Kwäch’än and the Carcross/ Tagish First Nation elders for their guidance,” the Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in said.

For the story of the bones and how they were identified, see the Klondike Sun’s online archives for the story “Letting the Bones Tell the Story” in the March 9, 2011 issue (http://cityofdawson.com/klondike-sunmarch-9-2011.html)

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THE KLONDIKE SUN

twenty years ago in the sun

The Sun celebrated its 20th anniversary in 2009 and we are re-printing our front pages from 20 years ago as a souvenir of our lively history. Back issues are being archived on our new website from 1989 to the present. Visit www.cityofdawson.com/category/klondike_sun for research.

This is a great resource for students, writers and historians, and also for prospective tourists with an interest in Dawson City’s life.

The Sun has obtained funding in late 2009 from the City of Dawson, YTG’s Heritage Branch and the Community Development Fund to conserve and archive the early issues and make them available once again in the public domain.

Wednesday June 15, 2011 P15

THE KLONDIKE SUN

Dawson City Police Blotter

Graduation Class of 2011:

The Dawson City RCMP would like to congratulate the graduates of the Class of 2011. We would also like to acknowledge the responsible behavior of the graduates and their friends during their graduations celebrations. A big thank you to everyone who helped make this event such a huge and safe success!

Thefts from vehicles/residences:

Three young offenders have been charged with break, enter and possession of stolen property.

Vandalism - broken windows around town: Three individuals (one a young offender) have been charged with regards to this incident.

There are several more instances of vandalism that are currently under investigation.

If anyone observes any suspicious activity in their neighborhood, please contact the RCMP by calling 867 993-5555 immediately.

If you have information on any criminal activity, please contact

the Dawson City detachment by calling (867) 993-2677 or call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222TIPS (8477).

All Terrain Vehicles on Roadways We would like to remind everyone that if you are going to operate your quad on any roadway, you must have a valid driver’s licence and the quad must be registered as well as insured.

Helmet use is mandatory on roadways, as well the dyke.

Police Week Activities

On Monday, May 9th, 2011, the Dawson City RCMP Detachment hosted a Community Barbeque.

Over 300 hamburgers and hot dogs were served to Community members who attended the event. Thank you for your support!

Bicycle Rodeo

Dawson City RCMP hosted its Annual Bicycle Safety Rodeo with the participation of the Robert Service School.

Many thanks to Dina GRENON for assisting with the organiza-

tion of the prizes this year. Special thanks to Sonya STEPHENSON for all her assistance also.

We couldn’t have done it without you!

Prizes were donated by:

City of Dawson Recreation Department Arctic Inland Dawson Home Hardware Grenon Enterprises Gillespie Enterprises Loree MORRISON (on behalf of the late Harry CAMPBELL)

Contributions for 2012 Bike Safety Rodeo

If you wish to contribute to the annual RCMP Bike Rodeo for 2012 - please contact Sonya STEPHENSON at the Robert Service School 993-5435.

A bicycle safety helmet and swim passes were given out to each class.

The winners were:

Kindergarten: HELMET: Ashlea FAVRON SWIM PASSES: Caidy ABBOT Arnica BULMER Macy DEWALD-ROSE Mena SAUNDERS James TAYLOR

Grade 1: HELMET: Jillian HUNT SWIM PASSES: Mickey MICHON Joe OSBORNE-COUTURE Jania POPADYNEC Noah ROBBINS Phoenix SKAILLES Kaitlin SOLLOSY

Grade 2: HELMET: Jamal JABBAR SWIM PASSES: Oliver FLEGEL Devin FORESTER Rory LOEWEN Trystan LOEWEN Jadaka NAGANO Christopher TOM TOM

Grade 3: HELMET: Tay-Lynn MIERAUCHARLIE SWIM PASSES: Brayden FELLERS Austin FRANKS Logan GRAF Ariana RACHEL Bohdan SHARP-CHAN Emma TOM TOM

Grade 4: HELMET: JP FAVRON SWIM PASSES: Isaac DUBE Cassidy EVERITT Kacie HASTINGS Kale MICHON Jared TITUS Jonathan VINEY

Grade 5:

HELMET: Ethan GAW SWIM PASSES: Lulu BARTHOLOMEUS Michael BETTS Jesse FAVRON Kyla FRANGETTI-HAINES Gabe LAMARCHE

Grade 6: HELMET: Madison GARD SWIM PASSES: Madison BETTS Connor FELLERS Kayo FRANKS Tiffany TAYLOR Aaron WOODS Nylan ZALITIS

As it is summer time, a reminder to all: bicycle traffic is to travel in the same direction as vehicle traffic, this means you must ride your bike the same direction as the vehicle traffic is traveling - this includes youngsters and adult riders alike! It’s for you safety!

In partnership, we encourage the community in assisting us in detecting and stopping crime.

Anyone with information, regarding past or present crimes are asked to call the Dawson City RCMP at (867)993-2677 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222TIPS (8477) Sgt. Dave WALLACE Detachment Commander Dawson City Detachment

The Klondike Sun has a new website!

by Evan Rensch, Office Manager

Meet Lisa McKenna

It’s our pleasure to welcome Lisa Michelle McKenna to the Klondike Sun. Lisa will be helping us out around the office as well as writing articles, contributing short stories and creating a special kid’s page.

Undoubtedly she’s already been a big help preparing this issue. (See her debut article writing about the RSS Graduation on page 3).

Lisa has lived in the Yukon for the past fifteen years – first in Whitehorse and most recently in Dawson. She’s been busy working in a variety of industries since moving north from southern BC – everything from bartending to providing Industrial First Aid. Years ago, she even worked as a stonemason and famously once laid a slate floor in a mansion on Salt Spring Island belonging to musician Phil Collins and family.

Lisa has always had an interest in writing since she was a child, first composing poems and stories for her mother. Currently she has a couple of different projects on the go: a novel and a series of self-help books specifically designed for children.

A voracious reader, Lisa admits she’ll devour anything and everything in print: in her own words, she claims to own “two and a half cords of books”. In her spare time, she likes to carve soapstone and paint. She walks her two dogs, Maggie and Flop, frequently around town and owns a “big fat cat” named Spooky.

Though this is her first experience working on a newspaper, Lisa has often voiced her opinions on current events by submitting letters to the editor in a variety of publications over the years. We eagerly welcome her contributions to the Klondike Sun over the coming months.

We’ve been hard at work here at the Klondike Sun over the past month. Our May 18th issue marked a new front page design – the first significant layout change in over seven years. Now a new website follows.

The Klondike Sun has occupied several sites over the years (if you search on Google, you’ll soon discover they’re still around!). Most recently, past issues of the Sun have been hosted on John Stein’s blog (www.cityofdawson.com) – we’re grateful for his continued assistance as our volunteer webmaster.

This new location is an atttempt to consolidate our presence on the web. Advertisers can learn our rates and publication dates, readers can keep up to date with Dawson news, and researchers can peruse a catalogue of past issues. And an online subscription option is soon to follow.

Check back often (or subscribe via RSS) to keep in touch with the news and events of Dawson City.

Please, leave us comments on our posted articles and feel free to contact us if you’d like to add a link to your organization.

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THE KLONDIKE SUN

A Down to Earth Lesson Mr. Betts’ Grade 4 class were busy with an Archaeology project the second last week of school. Thanks to Bob Sharp, who created such and interesting unit a few years ago, Mr. Betts has been able to teach many students about archaeology. This project came about after there were significant findings of ancient artifacts at Tr'ochëk, the site of a traditional fish camp of the Tr'ondëk Hwëch'in people. This area was also known as Lousetown and Klondike City during the Gold Rush. Tr'ochëk is located beside Dawson City on the other side of the Klondike River.

The archaeological dig simulation happened right outside the Grade 4 class in the school’s parking lot. The students unearthed artifacts such as trading beads, glass, spearheads, arrowheads, scrapers and microblades. The work was completed like real archaeologists using trowels and brushes as they slowly worked through layers of organic soil, sand and silt. The next day, the grad 4’s went for a visit to T.H.’s Dänoja Zho Cultural Center. Here students learned

more about local First Nation history from Kylie Van Every.

The usual culminating activity to this unit is a bike ride to Tr'ochëk. Unfortunately, this year the students could only ride their bikes half way to the site because the Klondike River levels were so high. So this year, the dome hut making lesson was held at a clearing at the Bonanza Creek bridge. Madeleine de Repentigny, from TH’s Heritage Branch, met us there to teach the students this skill. Students had to try and construct a shelter in the traditional way, using willow branches and artificial sinew. Students’ coats served as moose skins in making a covering for the shelters. It was a challenge and test of their ingenuity.

Everyone had a great time. A special thank you goes to Ms. Frank for helping with the dig, to Mr. Taylor for helping chaperone the bike trip, to Kylie VanEvery for her wonderful tour and to Madeleine for teaching the dome hut making lesson.

Another busy work seAson into help DAwson City YWCHSB wants make it a safe one.

An OH&S Safety Officer is stationed in Dawson until September 30th.

The Officer is available to deal with any safety concerns or inquiries and can be reached at 993-3560.

In an emergency situation where the Officer cannot be contacted, call 1-800-661-0443.

CYFT 106.9 FM: Dawson City Community Radio

“The Spirit of Dawson” Thursday June 16th 4:00-5:00 5:00-6:00 6:00-7:00 7:00-8:00 8:00-9:00 9:00-9:30 9:30-11:00

Training Day - Matthew and ??

Jorn - The Grapevine Steve and Nathan- Sports Talk Radio Rosie and Capri- The Cat’s Meow Antoine - Something about wilderness Antoine and Matthew - The Bridge Matthew - The Blow Off

Friday June 17th

Photo credit: Marie Eve Owen

3:00-5:00 5:00-6:00 6:00-7:00 7:00-8:00 8:00-9:00 9:00-10:00

John - On the John Aaron Burnie Logan - Fill-In Show Dan - ???

Sonny Boy Williams- Rockin’ Blues Show Jim- Psychedelic

Saturday June 18th 1:00-2:00 2:00-3:00 3:00-4:00 4:00-5:00 5:00-7:00 7:00-9:00

Simon - Story Time Holly - The Talk of Shame Scott - Guest hairs, part deux Tim and Megan- Nuggets Chris - Southside City Swag Jen - The Cave Of Spleen

Sunday June 19th 1:00-2:00 2:00-3:00 3:00-5:00

Matthew - Heart Attack Hotel Julie- Francopen Kerry and JacksonYukon SOVA Radio Program 5:00-6:00 Aubyn - Diff’rent Strokes 6:00-8:00 Kit- Meat and Potatoes 8:00-10:00 Ben and BrendanThe Kings of Dawson City 10:00-11:00 Scott - Odds & Ends

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 June 15, 2011 P17

THE KLONDIKE SUN

Truth and Reconciliation Comes to Dawson Story & Photos

By Dan Davidson “Good morning,” said Roy Johnson. “I’ll begin with two things; my name and my school number.”

With those words Johnson, who had walked to the front of the room using two canes, began his nearly two hour account of his experiences at the Chooutla Residential School in Carcross, to which he was sent at a very young age, immediately upon returning from a long stay in hospital Outside due to a bout of TB. Johnson was relating his experience to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, which made its stop in Dawson on May 24 and took statements in front of Commissioner Marie Wilson at the Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in Community Hall.

The morning began with a welcoming statement from Philip Gatensby, who spoke of the connection he still felt with other people with whom he had been at residential school.

“That’s pretty incredible.”

Talking about the experience was, he said, important, and he had been doing it already that morning.

“That how we do it. That’s how we support each other.”

After an opening prayer, the Lord’s Prayer in Hän, read

by Angie Joseph-Rear, Chief Eddie Taylor, of the Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in, picked up the theme.

“The residential school era was the single most damaging period that ever creeped upon first nations in the Yukon. It ripped children from their homes, destroyed homes, divided families in ways that are still felt today. We’re getting stronger though; make no mistake about it. The effects are still there, but the strength is more powerful today.

“It must never happen again.

The work of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission will endure and make sure that it doesn’t.”

Mayor Peter Jenkins praised

the efforts of the TRC and the local people.

“It’s time to bring closure to

Marie Wilson and Philip Gatensby

the matter in a manner that is satisfactory to those affected. I encourage you to do just exactly that.”

Commissioner Marie Wilson made an effort to clear up some of the misunderstandings about the work of the TRC. It is, she said, the fifth element of the Settlement agreement and has nothing to do with money. The other parts were the Common Experience Payment, the Individual Assessment Process, the Commemoration and the Aboriginal Healing Foundation (which fund has now dried up).

Settling out of court, as happened with the Settlement, does not, she said, allow the victims their day in court, so to speak, and the TRC, an

independent body, provides that opportunity.

“You know what is written on the ledgers of your own hearts,” she told her audience. The TRC exists to record and preserve that oral history.

Johnson was the first of five witnesses to speak that day, and his testimony was by far the longest. He told of his early years at the school and how his older siblings looked after him when he was really too young to be there. He told of being strapped 30-40 times on each hand for fighting, of being sexually abused by a staff member and by another student. He told of seeing other students whipped with willow branches by one principal “until they were on the floor in a fetal position”.

Johnson spoke clearly, sometimes haltingly, in a soft voice, with many pauses to compose himself and to regain his voice after crying.

He told of returning to his home and of how his siblings were unable to understand their grandmother when she asked them to do simple things in her native tongue.

He spoke of never feeling loved and nurtured when he was at the school and of how it prevented him from being the

Roy Johnson and Marie Wilson

father he feels he should have been, as well as leading to 40 years of alcohol abuse, which lasted until 1990.

“I understand,” he said, “why so many have taken their lives.”

It was while he was preparing his submissions for the Common Experience Payment that his current health problems began, and he feels certain that the weakness in his legs is part of the legacy that he carries with him from his childhood.

When he received a letter of apology from the government he felt it was not enough.

“I shouldn’t have been there

in the first place. I was a baby boy being put in a dangerous environment.”

He was one of those Yukon natives selected to attend when Prime Minister Harper delivered his apology.

“When he said ‘Canada apologizes” tears come to my eyes. I didn’t go there for myself.

I went for my parents, all of the other children that I once knew.

They’re all gone. “ There was a long pause, while he collected himself and then he concluded.

“This is the story from 159.

I’m very proud to be a native, a full blooded native.”

Dawson Docks are In Early Story & Photo

by Dan Davidson

The docks are in the river in Dawson, making this perhaps the earliest year that anyone can recall this having happened. Prior to last year the docks were anchored to the bottom of the river by chains, which were not long enough or strong enough to cope with the highest water levels or the deadwood sweeping

by in the fast current.

Installation of the docks too early in the season resulted in broken links and a partially flooded dock.

The new dock is anchored to the side of the river by three strong cables which enable the dock to float with the river level. The angle of the first cable seems to intercept and deflect a lot of the debris that used to run

right through the middle of the dock.

The dock was installed on Victoria Day, just a few days after the Yukon Queen II arrived. The Klondike Spirit was launched for the season a few days after that.

P18 Wednesday June 15, 2011

THE KLONDIKE SUN

Hunter Gatherer

When Magic and Technology meet in Strange Places

By Allie Haydock

The Scar

Red Onion Quick Pickles My mother is in the extremely expensive habit of sending me magazines in the mail (some on fashion and some on cooking).

This recipe comes from the LCBO Food and Drink magazine, Spring 2011 issue, which was in her latest package. It is part of a larger recipe for tiny smoked salmon club sandwiches (with pickled onions) which I recently made for a wedding shower, but as math is not my strong suit, when trying to increase the recipe by about 10 times, I didn’t account for the massive amount of pickled onions I was creating – way too many. The advantage to this mistake was that I ended up with a huge jar (a large salsa jar to be exact) filled with these gorgeous, fuchsia pickles and a month later we’ve just polished them off.

The tiny sandwiches were received with rave reviews and then for the next few weeks we used the pickled onions as a topping for hot dogs, hamburgers, in scrambled eggs and on sandwiches (turkey, swiss cheese and avocado was a delicious combination) and they just look so beautiful all packed into a jar. When I made them I was running late (as I often am) and was worried about them cooling in time to assemble the sandwiches so I popped the jar in the freezer instead and when I opened it, it had sealed itself – popped open just like I had bought it from the store, and the best part about it was that I hadn’t. I felt like a real pioneer and that’s why I like this recipe.

1 ½ cups white vinegar ½ cup sugar ½ tsp salt 2 bay leaves 2 tsp coriander seed 2 tsp mustard seed 2 large red onions, sliced thin • • • • •

Combine vinegar, sugar, salt and spices in a saucepan and cook over high heat, boiling for about 30 seconds Add the onions and continue to boil for about 2 – 5 minutes, or until they are tender and almost crisp Pour into a glass jar and refrigerate until cool

By China Miéville Del Rey Books 608 pages $10.99

The work of China Miéville occupies an odd niche in the speculative fiction universe.

The literary influences he claims range rather widely through the sword & sorcery, horror, fantasy and science fiction sub-genres of the field and critics also claim to detect hints of the American Western in his work.

Sources indicate that he calls his own work “weird fiction” and that seems to describe it as well as any label. He has won the Bram Stoker Award, the Arthur C. Clarke Award, the Locus Award, and the British Fantasy Award. He has been nominated for the big three - the Nebula, Hugo and World Fantasy awards - but hasn’t scored that hat trick yet.

His stories take place on what certainly seems to be an alien or other-dimensional world called Bas-Lag, where both science and magic seem to coexist. The former is generally referred to as “thumaturgy” and the latter is generally of the type featured in “steampunk” s.f., that is to say, science fiction with a distinctly Victorian Age feel.

Unlike Perdido Street Station, the first of his books that I reviewed here a few years ago, The Scar takes place on the oceans of Bas-Lag, with occasional stops at some of the extremely strange city states that the characters visit during their quest.

Perhaps the strangest state of all is the Armada, a floating city that has been created out of thousands of ships welded and tied together and peopled by their former crews, all press ganged into service as citizens after having been captured by the roving pirate ships which serve as its scouts and supply vessels.

We meet the Armada when the small ship on which Bella Coldwine is passenger, fleeing

Bookends with Dan Davidson

the city of New Crobuzon after the events of Perdido Street Station, is captured by the pirates under the leadership of the enigmatic Uther Doul.

On the ship with her are Tanner Sack, a criminal whose body has been remade (surgically and magically altered) , and Johannes Tearfly, a scientist who specializes in undersea life. Bella herself is an accomplished linguist, and it is

in this capacity that she finds herself of use to the Lovers, the strangely bonded pair who are the rulers of the Armada.

They have a quest, one which involves the harnessing of a semi-mythical sea beast, the avanc. This is where Bella comes in handy, as she locates and is able to translate a volume in the Armada’s huge library that tells them where to find the person who is most expert at this task. She becomes his translator when they finally locate him on the island of the deadly mosquito people.

Anxious to be able someday to return to her native city, Bella also becomes a pawn in the plots of secret agent Silas Fennec, who has been gathering intelligence for New Crobuzon.

As a result of his plots there is a major sea battle with the

SEEWOLF Enterprises & Klondyke Winemakers Stop by our location on 2nd Avenue, next to the Hardware Store: Hours: Tuesday, Thursday & Friday from Noon to 5 PM. Any other time, contact Martin at 993 3502 or 6644 / seewolf@seewolf.ca.

New Crobuzon navy part way through the story. Worse, however, is the invasion of the grindylows, horrid creatures who want revenge on Fennec for stealing something from them.

Still worse, is the final destination the Lovers want to reach, the Scar of the title. It is a region of chaos, where probability and possibility break down and dimensions overlap.

This is one of those “everything including the kitchen sink” kind of novels. Miéville gives us intrigue, pirates, strange and horrible places, damaged people trying to find their way, weird creatures, vampires, romance (of a sort), a couple of mutinies, and excursions into forbidden places.

Miéville’s prose is deliberately convoluted in the manner of H.P. Lovecraft, Mervyn Peake and Gene Wolfe, who he cites among his literary influences. I found the book slow going and often set it aside for several weeks at a time, looking for brighter fare. It is dark and there is not much to lift the spirit in any of its many subplots. Still, I returned to it and finished it off in a couple of marathon sessions.

The writing style doesn’t seem to be an affectation, but rather a way of keeping the reader slightly off balance inthis steampunk adventure. Dan Simmons has done much the same thing with his two Victorian age novels, The Terror and Drood, which I have reviewed here.

Perhaps this is also a result of Miéville’s academic preoccupations, which include social anthropology and international relations. He certainly delights in dreaming up strange, wonderful and horrible alien creatures and settings, and showing how they would interact with each other.

“From spill kits to wine kits!”

Wednesday June 15, 2011 P19

THE KLONDIKE SUN

Tensions Increase Over the Future of the Slinky Mine

By Dan Davidson

Dawson’s council spent the weekend prepared to issue a stop work order for operations at the Slinky Mine on the Dome Road after the owner, Darrell Carrey, indicated that he was not prepared to abide by the conditions of his municipal development permit.

Mayor Jenkins told the June 8 meeting of council that the RCMP would be asked to assist in serving such an order if it became necessary.

Jim Taggart raised the issue of the Slinky Mine at the June 8 council meeting. While council had felt that it could gain some control over the operations of Darrell Carrey’s mining operation by issuing a development permit with some conditions attached relating to set backs, hours of operation and anything connected to the roads in the area, Carrey has apparently reverted to his original position that the town has no legal hold on his operation.

According to Dawson’s Community Development Officer, Micah Olesh, Carrey informed him personally that he planned to forge ahead regardless of any restrictions the town might attempt to enforce, saying that his lawyer had given

him the opinion that the Placer Act allows him to do this.

News of this conversation quickly made the rounds of those who have been concerned about this mining development over the last two years, resulting in questions to council, among them the question of why other territorial agencies aren’t having something to say about the issue.

Councillor Wayne Potoroka said that the matter is raised often at the Association of Yukon Communities and that opinions on that body are somewhat divided.

“I believe that all the tools are currently in place to deal with things like this,” he said. “This sort of activity has to adhere to local development guidelines – OCPs, zoning, all that sort of stuff. I know that it’s also been an issue in Whitehorse, and when it did come up they just informed the people who were going to do the activity that it didn’t conform to the zoning or the OCP in that area.”

Mary McLeod Road resident Glenda Bolt reminded council that she has previously requested it to rescind the development permit or increase the conditions to include more than municipal infrastructure.

Presently the town has only

The Palace Grand Gets a Face Lift Story & Photo

by Dan Davidson The Palace Grand Theatre began getting a facelift late last month, getting the building ready to look its best for coming events. First up was the Robert Service School Commencement exercises on June 4, where the front of the building needs to look as good as the inside to be a backdrop for the traditional mortarboard (graduation cap) toss.

Then last weekend, on June 11, the PG was the setting for the 2011 Commissioner’s Klondike Ball, the first to be presided over by Commissioner Doug Phillips. Once again the outside matters as much as the inside, for it is here that the dozens of guests gathered en masse to have their picture taken by curious crowds of locals and tourists perched once again on the steps of the Old Post Office across the street.

acted to protect things such as roads, and currently has the miner before the courts for infringing on the Dome Road right of way last season.

“I feel that I’m being played for a fool and just helping Mr. Carrey to sell his mining property,” Bolt said.

She told council that even if the owner of the Slinky Mine refuses to adhere to whatever conditions the city might set, that didn’t mean that they should not be spelled out just to make it clear what was acceptable practice.

She wanted to know where the Yukon government was in this issue. Local MLA Steve Nordick, who is now the Minister of Economic Development, has been conspicuously silent on the matter.

“Call everyone you know,” Bolt told Mayor Peter Jenkins. “Call the opposition parties; call the people in power, and ask them to come together and let’s solve this situation (so it) will work out for everyone involved, the community, the neighbourhood and the mining operation.”

Both opposition parties have made statements about this issue, criticizing the government for not stepping in to resolve it.

Mayor Jenkins responded to Bolt at some length.

“There’s not an intention

on the part of this council nor anyone in this administration to make fools out of anyone, Glenda. If you feel that way I must apologize on behalf of us, because that’s not our intention.

We’re looking for the best for the community - how to move it forward.

“We’re in a difficult road, given the legislation that is in place and given the permitting process that the miner has gone through.”

Slinky Mine has obtained all the necessary federal and territorial permits needed to carry on its operations. While the Municipal Act gives the town the right and responsibility to issue development permits, the miner and his agents have persistently denied that the town has any jurisdiction.

“We’ve done the best that our legal people have told us that we could do and now we’re at an impasse,” Jenkins said, “because all we have are threats that Mr. Carrey is going to contravene the terms of the permit. There’s nothing demonstrated that he has and until he does we can’t react.”

Jenkins indicated that the city hired an engineering firm to survey the boundaries beyond which the Slinky Mine cannot operate under the terms of the

development permit. The area is now marked with survey pins.

“Our development officer was up at the site with Mr. Carrey today and pointed out where these pins are. Mr. Carrey’s remarks to our CDO were not what I expected to hear, but I can’t speak for Mr. Carrey.

“I believe there is a request to the Yukon government from Mr. Carrey that they buy out his claims. The number that I have heard is $4 million.”

The council resolution coming out of delegations read as follows: ‘That the CAO be directed to immediately obtain a court injunction should the operator of Slinky Mine extend beyond the boundary conditions specified in his municipal permit.”

Acting CAO Joanne Van Nostrand indicated that the town had received legal advice to immediately issue a stop work permit and call on the RCMP to serve it in the event that Mr. Carrey so much as began to position his equipment in such a manner as to indicate that he was intending to breach his permit.

The town’s lawyer wanted to be notified immediately should this look like it was going to happen.

P20 Wednesday June 15, 2011

THE KLONDIKE SUN

Thirteen Yukon hockey players to represent Canada in Philadelphia International Summer Challenge

By Jonathan Russell Originally printed in the Whitehorse Star Sixteen-year-old defenseman Charlie Dagostin will be representing Canada at the 8th International Summer Challenge in Philadelphia in July.

“It’s an honour to be asked to play on a Team Canada team, especially in a U.S. tournament. It’s a first for me, definitely,” said Dagostin, who represented the Yukon at the 2011 Canada Winter Games in Halifax.

Dagostin is one of 13 Yukoners recently selected to compete in the elite tournament in Pennsylvania based on his performance at the OneHockey Spring Challenge held in Spruce Grove, Alta., from May 6-8.

Yukoners Bryce Anderson, Lukas Jirousek, Jesse McCuaig, Kane Comin, Matt Butler, Tomas Jirousek, Delean McCuaig, Wyatt Gale, Riley Pettit, Trevor Whynot, Dagostin, Matt McCarthy and Chris Anderson have all been named to Team Canada, from age groups ranging from 2001-born players to those born in 1995.

Whynot, 16, will represent the ’95 Canadian team in Philadelphia.

“It’s pretty exciting being one of the only guys from Whitehorse in the ’95 division going,” said Whynot, who played with the Whitehorse Midget Mustangs this season.

These 13 are part of the 40 Whitehorse-based players who train with Jakub Jirousek’s All Out Hockey school, and who represented the program as members of the Capitals Club Teams competing in Spruce Grove.

The Caps sent three teams of players born in ’99, ’96 and ’95 to Wild Rose Country.

The ’96 team – with pickups from Alberta and Ontario – won their division, while the ’95 team, which also picked up Outside players, took third and the allYukon ’99s settled for fourth.

Whynot said working with Jirousek’s program has elevated his game.

“It was high paced, it was moving your feet,” the forward said of the caliber in Spruce Grove.

“Getting bigger and stronger and working so hard, putting in all the hours, has really helped me go a long way.”

That’s the name of the game, Jirousek said, noting that he’s been working with many of the players for the past three years.

“But this was the first test where they got to be in the room – especially the ’95s, ’96s – with guys who are where they want to be, the AAA level. They saw it – it’s not that far of a difference.

We can play with these guys, and it showed; we had guys who were scoring winning goals,” Jirousek said.

Teams descended on Spruce Grove from as far away as Texas and Illinois.

Jirousek said the mentality heading into the tournament was to elevate the players’ game by playing with and against top players.

“What we did is, lets give them the competition and see what they got. And the hope is to continue giving them the competition more and more often, instead of dropping down to our tier three levels where we always go; we always come down to tier three as a minor hockey association, because we have to, but I’d like to push them, at least once or twice a year, to go up a level, see what we’ve got,” Jirousek said.

Daryl Belfry, who does skill development with NHL superstars like Patrick Kane and John Tavares, coached the ’99 Yukon team after holding sessions at the Can-

Dawsonite Charlie Dagostin will be representing Canada at the 8th International Summer Challenge in Philadelphia. ada Games Centre in December. theory about improving Yukon Bringing in coaches at this levplayers. el, and being exposed to the high “(Jirousek’s) theory is, lets level the players saw in Alberta, take our top guys, lets put them has helped 14-year-old Cole Morwith better guys and play them ris along. against better guys so it brings “Without this program I up their game,” Anderson said. wouldn’t be where I am right “In the tournament, the Yukon now. I probably wouldn’t be still guys were a little tentative in the playing hockey,” Morris said. first few games, but by the end Blaine Anderson, manager of the tournament, the coaches with the ’99 team, said Belfry recould really roll all three lines, marked on the improvement of and you could see the confidence the Yukon players between Deof the Yukon guys was really Y-EMC11076=ad_GE_Tombstone-prnt.pdf 1 11-05-30 AM cember and May. growing, the puck10:10 patience was Anderson echoed Jirousek’s a lot greater.”

it makes sense Reducing the amount of electricity we use is common sense.

It saves us money and it reduces Greenhouse Gas emissions What makes even more sense is getting cash back: • Up to $75 when you have an energy assessment done on your house • Up to $600 when you upgrade your old appliances, heaters and toilets to qualifying, energy-efficient models • Up to $1200 when you install a solar water heater, or drain water heat recovery system Go to energy.gov.yk.ca for details about the Good Energy rebate program.

let’s start making sense

newspaper ad (2 column x 7”)

Wednesday June 15, 2011 P21

THE KLONDIKE SUN

kid's korner

by Lisa Michelle

A

Not only are apples computers, but they are also good to eat!

There are over 7,500 different types of apples. They come in every shade of red, green, and yellow. Some can be as small as cherries while others can be as big as a grapefruit!

The largest apple ever harvested was from China and weighed 1.8 KG (4 LBS) Scientists have proved that apples have been eaten by humans since 6500 BC - that's 8,511 years ago!

Atoms are invisible to the naked eye but they are in everything we see, touch, smell, hear and taste. Their name comes from the Greek word Ă tomos which means uncutable, something that cannot be divided.

There can be as many as 700,000 ants in one colony.

During the late 19th century, scientists discovered that atoms could be divided, but the name still stuck.

Ants are also born with specific jobs. Worker ants take care of the young, they look for food, and defend the nest.

They even take out the garbage!

Just for fun! Look up "atom ant" on your computer and you can see a 1965 cartoon that your grandparents watched!

The queen's job is to lay eggs. There are even Army Ants who carry their kids with them and there's Leaf-cutter Ants who actually farm!

sun cartoons Tundra by Chad Carpenter

Did you know that a single ant can carry over 20 times it's own weight! For an average human of 68 KG (150 LBS) that would mean a person could carry 1,360 KG (3,000 LBS)!

Roache’s Corner by Mike Roache

P22 Wednesday June 15, 2011

THE KLONDIKE SUN

sun classifieds Churches

Support

ST. MARY’S CATHOLIC CHURCH

ST. PAUL’S ANGLICAN CHURCH

Corner of 5th and King Services: Sunday mornings at 10:30 am, Sat. 5 pm, Tues. 7 pm, Wed. to Fri. 9:30 am.

All are welcome.

Contact Father Ernest Emeka Emeodi for assistance: 993-5361

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.

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

Klondike Outreach Job Board

Car FOR Sale 2002 Toyota Corolla, dark green, automatic, low mileage (72,000 kms), one owner, well-maintained, new windshield. $8,500 OBO. 993 5759 or view at 1356 Fifth Avenue.

Many Rivers Counselling and Support Services 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

Videoconference Meeting at the Dawson Health Centre Fridays 1:30PM. North Star Group meets at the Comm.

Support Centre 1233 2nd Ave. Saturdays 7:00PM. Call 993-3734 or 993-5095

business directory

Real Estate FOR SALE BY OWNER 1 1/2 COMMERCIAL LOTS On 3rd Ave next to the Westminster Hotel.

Call 993-5346

FOR RENT

Office and/or commercial space on two floors available for rent. For more information contact: Northern Network Security, Dawson City. Ph: 993-5644

INVITATION

The Dawson City Museum Society invites all interested in standing for a board position to contact the Museum at 993-5291 x 21

Advertise your business and services with The Klondike Sun! Submit your business card at a normal size of 2” x 3.5” -- $25.00 per issue and yearly billings can be arranged.

Open Positions: Barista/Front Counter Person Carpenter Childcare Workers Clerks / Cashiers Cooks / Line Cooks Dealer Dishwashers Door Staff Driver / Swamper Driver Guides First Aid Attendant (Industrial) Fleet Detail Front Desk Clerks Housekeepers/Room Attendants Housekeeper/Desk Clerk HVAC Technician (heating, ventilation, air conditioning) Journeyman Labourer Maintenance Assistant Maintenance Workers Multi-Operator Night Auditors Oil Burner Technician Rock Truck Driver Servers Stock Clerks Tour Guide

Positions w/ Closing Dates: Gallery & Residency Director: June 17 @ 4:30 Youth Enhancement Coordinator: June 22 @ 4 Recreation Manager (1-year term): June 24 @ 4 Student/Youth Positions: Tour Guide Summer Recreation Assistant: June 3 Positions Out of Town: Cook Enumerators Various Mining Positions

For more information on these and other positions, come into the Klondike Outreach office next to the Territorial Agent/Liquor Store.

(853-Third Street).

Hours Monday-Friday: 9-noon and 1-5 pm Closed weekends and Stat Holidays Contact Info Phone: 993-5176 ~ Fax: 993-6947 Website: www.klondikeoutreach. com E-mail: info@klondikeoutreach. com

Wednesday June 15, 2011 P23

THE KLONDIKE SUN

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)

EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY

Recreation Manager (Temporary, One Year Term) The Town of the City of Dawson is seeking a qualified applicant to fill the position of Recreation Manager for a period commencing August 1, 2011 to July 31, 2012. Reporting to the CAO, this position is responsible for coordinating the effective delivery of all recreation programs and services.

These duties include developing recreation facility and program schedules, liaising with community groups, managing recreation budgets, developing proposals, and delivering recreation programming.

Qualifications: • Degree or Diploma in Recreation or related field; equivalent experience will be considered; • Ability to plan, direct, develop, implement and evaluate recreation programs, policies and procedures; • Experience in personnel management, event planning and community planning; • Valid Class 4 Drivers License or a Valid Class 5 with a willingness to obtain a Class 4; • Current First Aid and CPR Tickets or willingness to obtain If you wish to speak with someone about this opportunity, please contact Jeff Renaud, CAO at (867) 993-7400 or cao@cityofdawson.ca. A detailed job description is available upon request.

Salary: Commensurate with qualifications and experience.

Closing Date: A current resume and covering letter must be received at the City of Dawson Administration Building by 4:00 pm on Friday, June 24, 2011.

Property Taxes are due on Monday, July 4th.

City of Dawson Office 1336 Front Street Box 308, Dawson City, YT Y0B 1G0 Attn: Jeff Renaud, CAO

We thank all applicants, but only those selected for further consideration will be contacted.

Digital Cable is now available!

If you have not received your Tax Notice please contact the City Office immediately at 993-7400. Kindly note overdue property taxes will be charged a 10% penalty and interest.

Kindly contact the City at 993-7400 for details on packages and setting up accounts. Please also note the rates and channel line-ups have been posted on the City webpage (www.cityofdawson.ca).

DAWSON CITY – HEART OF THE KLONDIKE