Articles by Francis Tessier-Burns

Community, Featured, News, Politics February 9, 2021

MLAs call for better highway safety with increased cell coverage, lower speed limits

The Tłı̨chǫ Government says there were "at least six fatalities" on Highway 3 in 2020.


Frieda Martselos wants to take advantage of the progress fellow MLA Jackson Lafferty has made in working towards safer highways in the NWT. Martselos wants the territorial government to extend cellular coverage along Highway 5. Lafferty has long called for cellular coverage along Highway 3. Caroline Wawzonek, minister of Finance,…

Featured, Health, Industry, News February 7, 2021

Gahcho Kué temporarily stops production due to growing COVID-19 outbreak

Testing has identified six new presumptive cases at the mine.


Medical staff at Gahcho Kué mine have identified six new presumptive cases of COVID-19. This is in addition to the two confirmed cases identified last week, when Chief Public Health Officer Dr. Kami Kandola declared an outbreak at the mine. Health officials have sent confirmatory tests for analysis at Stanton…

Education, Featured, News February 3, 2021

Aurora College to offer in-person classes in the fall

Aurora College’s Fort Smith campus is planning to offer face-to-face classes for the fall academic year. According to a press release, the college plans on having most of its programs offered at the campus to be in-person. A maximum of 20 students will be able to participate in the classroom setting…

Featured, News February 2, 2021

GNWT announces funding for economic recovery from COVID-19

The territorial government has created three funding opportunities to help small businesses recover from the COVID-19 pandemic. The funds make up its larger Labour Market Recovery Program. The wage subsidy component is for businesses looking to re-hire staff, prevent layoffs, and support employers getting back into business. The wage subsidy…

Featured, Health, News January 27, 2021

RCMP and HSS warn of two toxic substances found in drug supply

"Those tainted drugs could be anywhere in the territory, so this warning is for the entire Northwest Territories,” says Inspector Dyson Smith.


The RCMP says the danger of using illegal drugs has increased after two toxic substances were found in a local supply. RCMP seized what officers believed to be crack cocaine, powder cocaine and tablets on Nov. 27, and sent samples to the Health Canada Drug Analysis Service. On Jan. 20,…

Community, Featured, Life Style, News January 22, 2021

WRRB recommends no more helicopter wolf shootings, focus on traditional harvest

“(Aerial removals) didn't appear to get to the target levels that they were hoping to reach for the required program to be considered effective and successful,” says Jody Pellissey, the Wekʼèezhìi Renewable Resources Board's executive director.


The Wekʼèezhìi Renewable Resources Board has recommended stopping a controversial practice of shooting dìga (wolves) from the air. Instead, it proposes the Tłı̨chǫ and territorial governments put more resources into supporting ground harvesting to try and protect Ɂekwǫ ̀ (barren-ground caribou). This was one of 20 recommendations the board recently…