Articles by James O'Connor

Environment, Featured, News, Weather, Wildfires May 17, 2024

Dehcho, South Slave fires held back by rain, helicopters and water bombers

UPDATE: Long-weekend campers need to heed regional open flame restrictions; South Slave ban ends at midnight


Favourable winds and rain have stopped the advance of major wildfires in southern areas of the Northwest Territories, allowing firefighters to make progress in battling the mid-spring blazes. With the largest fire, southwest of Fort Liard (FS002), about three millimetres of rain fell unevenly in the community since yesterday, NWT…

Environment, Featured, News, Transportation, Wildfires May 15, 2024

Three days of ‘more favourable winds’ will help battle Fort Liard blaze, says NWT Fire

UPDATE: In separate blaze, NWT Fire confirms two structures lost along Hwy 1 and more properties are at risk


Some promising news for people in the Dehcho region, as a shift in winds today will push the uncontained blaze back on itself and away from people or structures, stated an NWT Fire update. Mike Westwick is the NWT Fire spokesperson for the 873-hectare Fort Liard blaze (FS002). “Today, winds…

Education, Events, Featured, Justice, News, Politics, Reconciliation May 6, 2024

‘Heartbreaking stories, memories and pain,’ the Red Dress Day march stirs up emotions

Hundreds march through Yellowknife to honour victims on what is also known as National Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls


“We must remember and share the heartbreaking stories, memories and pain that was felt by survivors and family members are missing and murdered indigenous women and girls and to LGBTQ people. We must continue to tell the story of every missing and murdered indigenous women and girls.” – Elizabeth Biscaye,…

Featured, Health, News May 3, 2024

Two major health clinics merging into ‘campus of care’ at Stanton Territorial Hospital

Frame Lake Clinic closing, most services at Primary Care Centre moving into Łıwegǫ̀atì Building


Health-care facilities in Yellowknife are undergoing a major procedure to create a new campus of care model that allows for co-location of services with the $350-million Stanton Territorial Hospital, which opened in May 2019. If you are used to visiting your family doctor at the Primary Care Centre downtown or…

Featured, Health, News, Profile May 3, 2024

Chef WhiteKeyes says tasty food, trauma healing belong on same menu

'It's not a treatment centre that we need. It's a healing centre,' says the popular local Métis chef


Chef Kaitlyn White-Keyes has a dream to combine her love of food — sticky sweets are a specialty — with a facility to help those recovering from addiction in Yellowknife and area. Food brings people together, says the formally trained chef, which could also prove to be the ice-breaker needed…