Ski club in trouble
The Hay River Ski Club said as summer drew down that the Chase the Ace lottery may not be enough to save it.
After winning the right to host the popular fundraising event with the Hay River Golf Club, organizers of the ski club said they were unsure how they would stage the following season without a dedicated source of funding.
A Department of Municipal and Community Affairs (MACA) spokesperson said most sports organizations in the NWT self-fund.
“(MACA) does not provide core funding to any community-based sport organizations directly in any community in the Northwest Territories,” Jay Boast said.
Terry Fox run returns
The 41st Terry Fox Run was gearing up in early September for a second consecutive virtual event.
This meant participants could run anytime, anywhere, choosing to follow the route that organizers designed, or not.
Hay River had made the national list of the top 15 most improved races in terms of fundraising the year before, improving the haul by nearly 50 per cent to $6,073.
Simpson looks into Hay River bus cancellation
He’s the minister of Education, Culture and Employment (ECE) and the MLA for Hay River North, and it was sounding like there would be no school bus service in R.J. Simpson’s home community. So he ordered an investigation.
He didn’t offer any comment, but his dad, Hay River South MLA Rocky Simpson, did. He pointed out the decision by the local education authority to simply not bus students in response to budget pressure would affect 180 kids. He asked the education department to take over the bus service.
The South Slave District Education Council said ECE sends about $90,000 annually to Hay River schools for busing, but it costs more like $150,000.
Anti-vaxxers ape election signs
A number of non-approved placards appeared alongside federal election signs in mid-September, including a star of David placed under a Jane Groenewegen sign.
Most carried messaging critical of mask and vaccine mandates. Northern Farm Training Institute owner Jackie Milne took credit for some of the signs, saying she planned to replace ones that had fallen over.
Classes continue at DJSS despite Covid-19
Some teachers, staff and students were isolating but the rest of the school kept on as usual after one case of Covid-19 was linked to Diamond Jenness Secondary School. The school confirmed the news on its Facebook page Sept. 16. Classes resumed that Friday, Sept. 17, for everyone except those who had to isolate.
Ten run for town council
Mayor Kandis Jameson was a shoo-in from the beginning but the race for six chairs on Hay River town council begain Sept. 20.
Running were Kimberley Brockway, Peter Magill, Karen Wall, Keanan Kipling, Linda Duford, Keith Dohey, Emily Chambers, Jeff Groenewegen, Brian Willows and Robert Bouchard.