Churchill food shortages continue

It certainly hasn’t been a happy holidays for the food situation in Churchill.

According to the Winnipeg Free Press, with $60 million in train repairs taking part in a disappearing act, the residents of the town of a thousand are up in arms as a chronic lack of perishable food items continues.

In place of train imports, the major grocers have recently been flying in milk, eggs, and bread that has kept shelves momentarily stocked.

Winnipeg readies new 311 hotline

To take pressure off the 911 emergency hotline, Winnipeg will be the next city to implement a 311 non-emergency number.

This new call centre will also field questions on city hall business.

CBC reported the new line will take pressure off the 911 emergency line, which is often flooded with calls of a non-urgent nature.

The 311 call centre is expected to cost $31 million over five years.

Tusks advance climate change research

Al Gore be damned - to learn more about global warming effects on the Arctic, scientists with Fisheries and Oceans Canada in Winnipeg are turning to study walrus tusks.

The Winnipeg Free Press reported experts hope to find traces of contaminants like mercury and evidence of a poor diet in the teeth, both signs of depleting food supplies and an increase in harmful greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.

Climate change historically affected the Arctic first; scientists hope these studies will help assess future risks.

Fighting for the Métis right to hunt

After five years of fighting the province in court, Métis resident Will Goodon will go home victorious after being exonerated of charges made against him for shooting a duck near Turtle Mountain in 2004.

This case is expected to set a precedent for future hunting charges involving Métis. While the province argued that Métis do not have the same given right to hunt as other First Nations peoples, the judge favoured Goodon, who contended all that he needed was a harvester license.

In the end, Manitoba Conservation Minister Stan Struthers stated charges against other similar Métis hunters could be dropped as a result Goodon’s case.

Winnipeg trail beats own record

Winnipeg is primed to beat its own Guinness World Record with this year’s Winter Trail, which will stretch from The Forks all the way to the Assiniboine Park.

The 8.5 km skateway, according to CBC, was made possible by sub-zero temperatures coming early and often this winter.

The river trail is expected to cost approximately $215,000 to construct and maintain during the 2009 winter season.

Published in Volume 63, Number 16 of The Uniter (January 15, 2009)