Opine

It seems to me that a citizen’s referendum under the Municipal Act is actually an expression of non confidence where a special interest group can use the act to force a municipal government to go against what it was elected to do, namely; make decisions and implement plans for the municipality based on trust,...
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It was heartening to hear Premier Fentie confirm that Yukoners will not be burdened with the health care ‘deficit’. The fact that this is on the table at all, is somewhat troubling. Health care premiums charged to Yukoners is a non starter, regardless of what the Review Commission has suggested. Need we be reminded...
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Congratulations to the American people for electing Barack Obama as their President. It looks like the voter demographic has finally shifted in the proper direction allowing Americans to make an intelligent choice (for a change). Although I have a problem with the ‘leader of the free world‘ hype, obviously our southern neighbour has immense...
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On the eve of the American election for president we hear a lot of references being made to “the leader of the free world.” Even Canadian reporter Neil MacDonald referred to this fictitious position in the same way. We should be reminded that the American president, whoever ends up winning, will certainly not become...
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Here we are in the third day of October in Dawson and it’s pouring out there. What happened to the good old days when it was 30 below already with ice piling up in the Yukon River? Wait a minute… what am I complaining about? Listened to both election debates last night and was...
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I regret to say that some of us just don’t get it when it comes to our historic control guidelines in Dawson. You know what I’m talking about, people grousing about having to do things a certain way because the Planning Board said so. Or business owners unhappy about having to treat signage a...
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One of the best things to have happened to Dawson in recent history is the birth of the Dawson City Art Society and subsequently the Klondike Institute of Arts & Culture and the School of Visual Art, not to mention the spin-off events and activities – too numerous to mention – that didn’t exist...
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Many people have been conditioned to believe that unless there is confrontation and disagreement among politicians then nothing is being done to further the common good. For example, some citizens want to see an aggressive and belligerent councillor or legislative member continually brow beating his or her colleagues creating the false impression that they...
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One of the greatest cinematic experiences I’ve had was in Dawson during the autumn of 1978 when a bunch of us chipped in and ordered Akira Kurosowa’s new masterpiece, ‘Dersu Uzala’. What made it special was the fact that Fred Berger allowed us to screen the movie in his Orpheum Theatre on front street....
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