40 years ago
About 70 Yellowknife city employees voted by a slight majority in favour of ratifying a new contract which gave them a six per cent wage increase and increased fringe benefits.
Bargaining between PSAC and city of Yellowknife negotiators was completed in one six-hour session which may have been a Canadian record for completion of bargaining on a contract renewal.
The agreement gave 71 workers a six per cent wage increase across the board, retroactive to Jan. 1, a $25 increase in the vacation bonus to $225, and a $300 long-service bonus every five years to workers with five years or more seniority.
It also incorporated provisions of the new NWT Safety Ordinance, which applied to most outside workers.
30 years ago
The YWCA wanted to be the operator/manager of the new recreation complex that was under construction in Yellowknife.
In a letter to Mayor Pat McMahon, YWCA executive director Eva Friesen indicated the organization would be interested in taking on those responsibilities for the swimming pool or both the swimming pool and the curling rink.
She noted that in both Kelowna and Langley, BC, the YM/YWCA managed a large aquatic fitness centre owned by the municipality, that resulted in a more cost effective program and greater sense of community ownership.
20 years ago
Two of Yellowknife's finest carvers returned from Ottawa's Winterlude. Francois Thibault and his carving partner Paul Jackson competed in the national snow carving competition. Despite heavy rainfall that resulted in the formation of ice, Thibault managed to etch out a five-metre high replica of a man kayaking while a polar bear chases whales.
“A lot of people weren't able to complete their carvings because of the rain. We completed ours but it wasn't exactly as it was supposed to be,” Thibault said.
10 years ago
Albert Bouchard of Northland Utilities was thanking residents for conserving power after the city experienced a pair of blackouts the previous week due to problems associated with the extreme cold.
The operating superintendent said power consumption dropped 10 per cent that evening after an advisory was issued asking people to leave lights, washers, dryers and ovens off until Power Corp could sort out the supply problem at the Snare River hydro dam.
Bouchard said, “That's fairly substantial when the weather is -40 C,”