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You can officially remove the "acting" tag from Ben Hendriksen's mayoral title
Hendriksen has been appointed as the city’s mayor for the remainder of this council’s term
It happened during a special council meeting at city hall on Monday afternoon to discuss what to do to fill the role
He will be officially sworn in at the next regular council meeting on May 12
He had been serving as acting mayor since Rebecca Alty took a leave of absence to campaign federally for the Liberals
Her win on April 28 meant that she could no longer be mayor and she resigned shortly afterwards
Council had several options to fill this vacancy:
Garrett Cochrane and Stacie Arden Smith both expressed interest in the mayor's role.
"I believe I can provide the strategic foresight
diplomatic approach and proven track record in leadership it will take to serve as Mayor for 2025-2026," wrote Cochrane in a social media post on Sunday
Arden Smith announced her intentions a day before Cochrane
but she originally played coy when asked by NNSL Media about her aspirations on the evening of the federal election
"I can't let out all my little secrets," she laughed
Most councillors supported appointing a mayor
arguing it would be the most efficient option
noted the council’s current term has already experienced multiple disruptions and a by-election would only add to that
Steve Payne argued that a by-election would be the most democratic choice
"I do think having a full democratic process is worth spending a bit of money," said Payne
talking about the cost for holding a by-election
"I don’t think it’s fair for the councillors remaining to make a decision as important as bringing on a new mayor.”
According to a briefing package submitted by city administration
the cost to hold a by-election would have been somewhere between $100,000 and $150,000
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The Government of the Northwest Territories (GNWT)
in partnership with the Salvation Army and the City of Yellowknife
announces the official opening of a new transitional housing program for addiction recovery in Yellowknife
sober living environment for individuals returning from treatment
helping them rebuild stability and reintegrate into the community
the GNWT secured $1.3 million in federal funding through the City of Yellowknife’s partnership with Canada’s Reaching Home strategy to purchase and renovate the home
Housing NWT owns and maintains the property
The transitional home offers stability to residents
while they continue their recovery journey
this initiative reduces the risk of relapses and helps residents build sober relationships
work towards education and employment goals
and the transition from treatment back into daily life can be challenging without meaningful support
This new transitional housing program provides those leaving treatment with a safe place to live while continuing to work towards their recovery goals.”
“This transitional housing program provides a comfortable and secure environment for individuals reintegrating into their community
The journey after treatment can be challenging
and this program will give people the support they need to stabilize their life and regain independence
I am grateful to all our partners who helped make this possible
By investing in recovery we are investing in strong and healthy communities.”
Minister Responsible for Housing Northwest Territories
“This Transitional Housing Addiction Recovery Program (THARP) has been a dream of ours
The Government of the Northwest Territories
through Reaching Home for several years now
And while we are excited that the THARP house will be opening in the coming days
we are more excited about the very really possibility of changing
as we bring individuals back from addictions treatment programs down south
with the ultimate goal of assisting each person to become the best version of themselves possible.”
“The City is proud to partner with the Government of the Northwest Territories and the Salvation Army to address a critical gap in aftercare services
This transitional housing program underscores our commitment to the health and well-being of all residents
providing individuals with the support they need to succeed
Artists will perform under the midnight sun from July 18 to 20
BY Exclaim! StaffPublished May 2
No one should miss the chance to soak in a summer music festival under the midnight sun — and Yellowknife's Folk on the Rocks offers exactly that
with a summer celebration running July 18 to 20 in Yellowknife
As our review of the festival noted in 2023
the extremely long days help in "maintaining festivalgoers' alertness and decreasing fatigue in the absence of your body's usual signals to begin shutting down at night." That will mean you're primed for the solo emergence of a veteran Canadian vocalist
See Exclaim!'s picks for the festival's must-see performances below, and find ticket info over at the festival's website
Jeremie AlbinoToronto songwriter Jeremie Albino worked with producer Dan Auerbach (of the Black Keys) on last year's Our Time in the Sun
channeling road-worn blues rock and Southern warmth into a raw
Peter DreamsIt's a big year for July Talk, who made his acting debut in Ryan Coogler's acclaimed Sinners and went solo as Peter Dreams for an album alongside MOONRIIVR
His victory lap continues at Folk on the Rocks
NADUHVancouver five-piece NADUH are a girl group for the 2020s
bringing the sugar and spice of classic girl groups with a feminist perspective and self-produced tracks that span R&B
Arielle SoucyThe meditative Montreal folk songwriter's 2023 album Il n'y a rien que je ne suis pas was one of Exclaim!'s favourite Canadian albums you might have missed that year; make sure her set isn't one of the favourites that you miss at Folk on the Rocks
View this post on Instagram A post shared by Folk On The Rocks (@folkontherocks)
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