North Bay, Ont., group for LGBTQ youth gets death threats for planning drag show

Tue, July 12, 2022

Seth Compton, founder of Outloud North Bay, says he has received hateful messages, including death threats, because he helped plan a drag show for LGBTQ youth. (Yvon Theriault/CBC - image credit)

The founder of a group that provides safe space for LGBTQ youth in North Bay, Ont., received death threats online when he helped plan a local drag show.

Seth Compton, the founder of OutLoud North Bay, said he received a barrage of hateful messages in his email inbox and social media accounts after a popular TikTok account from the U.S. learned the organization was planning the drag show for youth.

"And it had nothing to do with bringing drag queens in," Compton said. "It had nothing to do with entertaining adults or anything like that."

He said the organization's young members wanted to host their own drag show, among themselves, so they could express themselves in a safe environment.

"I want to promote inclusion, and love and acceptance in our space. And that's what we do," said Compton, who came out as trans four years ago, and has made it his life's purpose to support other young people with the same experiences.

"And it breaks me. I feel broken. I mean, to read through some of these messages — and I'm not talking just a few. I received thousands."

Compton said if he were not currently in a healthy mental state, the messages might have been enough to drive him to take his own life.

Compton said a TikTok account based in New York first targeted the event and encouraged followers to harass him and OutLoud's social media accounts.

Facebook- Outloud North Bay

"She's promoted nothing but hate and exclusion of specific people, and sends people to different events to shut them down," he said.

"It's absolutely disgusting just to head over to that account, and just look at what they're promoting and how social media can allow accounts like that to stay open."

Compton added he reported the hateful messages to police and has had to put in additional security measures for the event.

Police taking threats seriously

Det.-Const. Stacy Jackson of North Bay Police Service said police are taking the online threats and hateful messages "very seriously."

"We live in a free country where people have the right to express who they are and without being discriminated against, based on your race or ethnicity, your sexual orientation," Jackson said.

"And comments, especially threatening or hateful in nature, can be devastating to an individual."

Jackson said the police service is meeting with OutLoud organizers to go over and investigate the social media comments.

He said it can be a challenge to lay charges, and if many comments originate from the U.S., it could mean working with law enforcement in that country.

"The challenge for our service is to actually put that person behind that computer at the time that those comments are being made," Jackson said.

Possible charges could include uttering death threats, threats against property and criminal harassment.

Ukrainian refugees content in rural Manitoba


Tue, July 12, 2022 

In contrast to a violent incident involving a Ukrainian refugee who was stabbed at The Forks in Winnipeg on Canada Day, Ukrainian families that settled in rural Westman are finding support in their new communities.

Roberta Galbraith said she got involved with the Minnedosa for Ukrainian Families Committee because a community member thought she’d be a good fit with the group when it was formed at the end of May.

It was a bit of a process to find out how they would help the refugees, Galbraith said, but the group was fortunate in having the support of the town from the very start. Members of the community came forward with options for housing and furnishings.

Galbraith said the province has also done a good job helping Ukrainian families who choose to settle in Manitoba. The province reimburses them for the cost of their federal immigration medical examinations as part of the Canada-Ukraine Authorization for Emergency Travel temporary resident visa program.

The province’s temporary assistance program, which has helped more than 1,700 Ukrainians so far, also provides short-term monthly financial support for housing, basic needs and supplemental health care, including prescription, dental and optical benefits.

Galbraith and the committee got in touch with Ukrainian families to share with them what Minnedosa was like. They sent an information package to Winnipeg, and soon two families came to tour the small town, about 50 kilometres north of Brandon. One of the families chose to stay in Winnipeg and the other arrived in Minnedosa on Friday. Thanks in part to some already-established Ukrainian families who had moved to Minnedosa several years ago, the family was well supported, including securing employment for some members of the family at Morris Industries Ltd., an agriculture equipment manufacturing company.

"We hear from these families that they want to work and support themselves. They’re looking for a hand up, not a handout, so I think that’s a really good mindset to come to Canada with."

Just as important as finding the new families work and housing, Galbraith said, is making them feel welcome and meeting them with kindness and understanding.

"We need to be respectful about the fact that a lot has gone on in their lives in this serious time, and they’re probably a little bewildered. It takes a bit of time to get your head around the fact that you had to flee your country … this was not a voluntary move."

One of the already-established Ukrainians living in Minnedosa is Ulyana Bohush, whose husband immigrated to Canada and settled in Minnedosa in 2010. She joined him in 2014 and then sponsored her brother, Roman Kundys, in 2016.

Bohush said she enjoys the small-town charm of Minnedosa and the safety of living in rural Manitoba.

"It’s nice that people know each other and help each other. It’s a nice community."

Both Bohush and Kundys were dentists in Ukraine and are working toward getting certified in Canada. The brother and sister have also been keeping busy since late May by helping the Minnedosa committee prepare to welcome new Ukrainian families fleeing the war. They’ve been focusing on helping new families who require translation. Even though most of the refugees coming from Ukraine have good English, Bohush said some of them still need help with more complex interactions.

"It’s not their first language, and some details are better explained to them [in Ukrainian] … especially for those that have no English."

Bohush said the Ukrainian families have expressed a lot of gratitude to everyone in the community who is doing so much to help them.

"They feel so happy to be here. I wish we can help everyone."

Sheryl Neault couldn’t agree more. The longtime Carberry resident, and member of that town’s committee to help Ukrainian families, has been integral to the settling of 10 families in her community.

"Our community has jumped in with so many donations. When our families first come, we try to set their apartments up, we try to make them feel homey."

This covers everything from fresh-cut flowers to home-cooked meals. Housing has come fully furnished thanks to donations, and people have also given children’s bikes and even gaming consoles like Xbox and Wii so that the displaced children have something to bring them joy and fun.

Neault said smaller communities are great places for Ukrainian families to settle because everyone knows everyone, and everyone wants to help.

"In rural Manitoba, everybody is somebody’s grandma, everybody is somebody’s friend. There’s just that extra bit of care."

Out of all the families that have settled in Carberry, located 50 kilometres east of Brandon, not one has expressed a desire to leave, something that Neault said she found to be a pleasant surprise.

"I never had any expectation of somebody wanting to stay in Carberry. I was offering them a safe place when they got here, a place to get their bearings, and find out what happens next. They’ve been so happy, they’ve stayed."

Don Walmsley works closely with refugees and immigrants as executive director of Neepawa and Area Immigrant Settlement Services (NAISS). He said his organization is helping Ukrainian families with a number of things, including English as a Second Language training thanks to Immigration, Refugee and Citizenship Canada, which has allowed NAISS to make their services available to Ukrainian people for a limited period of time.

"Programs like English language, employment services, settlement services and the Settlement Workers in Schools program are all eligible services that we can provide."

Walmsley said NAISS engages with Ukrainian newcomers in the same way they do with all others that they work with, from intake, needs assessments to creating a settlement plan for individuals and families.

"This would determine what particular services the newcomer may require. Some will be accessed quickly, but some may need to be developed. I can take some time, but initial areas of concern would be housing, employment, important documents [and] applications to certain government-related programs."

Walmsley said it’s possible the slower pace of life in a rural setting makes for a good fit for people fleeing highly traumatic situations.

"If you have ever lived in a rural community in Manitoba, you will find they can be very welcoming and generally accepting."

Hartney United Church in Hartney, 80 kilometres southwest of Brandon, recently held a fundraiser that raised more than $2,000 for Ukrainian refugees. In an email to the Sun, Don Clarke said he got involved in helping the families because he felt connected to them through his own Ukrainian heritage.

"They say blood is thicker than water, which has caused my personal desire to become involved in … this extremely resilient, proud group of mankind, regardless of how big or small the outcome."

Miranda Leybourne, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Brandon Sun

Manitoba, Sask. get $2.5M in federal funding for electric vehicle chargers

Tue, July 12, 2022

A file photo shows an electric vehicle being charged. The federal government says it is providing $2.5 million in funding for 400 new chargers in public places in Manitoba and Saskatchewan. (Gavin Simms/CBC - image credit)

Manitoba and Saskatchewan will get $2.5 million in funding to install 400 new charging station for electric vehicles in public places, the federal government announced Tuesday.

The federal government has partnered with Manitoba Motor Dealers Association and Eco-West Canada — a Manitoba-based non-profit that focuses on green economy infrastructure — to help support the installation of the charging stations, said Terry Duguid, the parliamentary secretary to the minister of environment and climate change.

"The price of filling up your car is a major item in most Canadians' budget these days, and how we move people and goods within our communities and across the country accounts for 25 per cent of greenhouse gas emissions," the Winnipeg South member of Parliament told reporters during a news conference at the University of Manitoba.

The $2.5 million is coming from the federal government's Zero Emission Vehicle Infrastructure Program. The Liberal government has previously said that by 2035, all new light-duty vehicles sold in Canada must be zero emission.

The chargers will be installed in public places, like residential buildings and workplaces, by the end of 2023.

Irving Oil invests in hydrogen to lower emissions, offer clean energy to customers


Tue, July 12, 2022 






Irving Oil is expanding hydrogen capacity at its Saint John, N.B., refinery in a bid to lower carbon emissions and offer clean energy to customers.

The family-owned company said Tuesday it has a deal with New York-based Plug Power Inc. to buy a five-megawatt hydrogen electrolyzer which will create two tonnes of hydrogen a day — equivalent to fuelling 60 buses with hydrogen — using electricity from the local grid.

Hydrogen is an important part of the refining process as it's used to lower the sulphur content of petroleum products like diesel fuel, but most refineries produce hydrogen using natural gas, which creates carbon dioxide emissions.

"Investing in a hydrogen electrolyzer allows us to produce hydrogen in a very different way," Irving director of energy transition Andy Carson said in an interview.

"Instead of using natural gas, we're actually using water molecules and electricity through the electrolysis process to produce ... a clean hydrogen."

Irving plans to continue to work with others in the province to decarbonize the grid and ensure the electricity being used to power its hydrogen electrolyzer is as clean as possible, he said.

New Brunswick Power's electrical system includes 14 generating stations powered by hydro, coal, oil, nuclear and diesel. The utility has committed to increasing its renewable energy sources.

Irving said it will be the first oil refinery in Canada to invest in electrolyzer technology.

The company said its goal is to offer hydrogen fuelling infrastructure in Atlantic Canada.

"This kind of investment allows us to not just move to a cleaner form of hydrogen in the refinery. It also allows us to store and make hydrogen available to the marketplace," Carson said.

The hydrogen technology will help Irving "unlock pent up demand for hydrogen as an energy transition fuel for logistics organizations," he said.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 12, 2022.

Brett Bundale, The Canadian Press

2 Edmonton scientists excited to use James Webb telescope for their research



Tue, July 12, 2022

The Carina Nebula, seen here in this Hubble Space Telescope photo, will be one of the first images released from the James Webb Space Telescope on Tuesday, July 12. ( NASA, ESA, N. Smith (University of California, Berkeley), and The Hubble Heritage Team (STScI/AURA) - image credit)

As more images from the James Webb Space Telescope are expected to come out Tuesday, two Albertan astrophysicists are full of anticipation.

Canada is guaranteed five per cent of the telescope's working time, and two scientists from the University of Alberta are ready to use some of it for their research.

The work on the James Webb began in the mid-90s. Its development and construction cost $10 billion US. Unlike its famous predecessor, the Hubble Space Telescope, the James Webb "sees" the universe mainly in infrared.

This allows it to see through the cosmic dust, which absorbs a lot of visible light. It can look much farther into the universe than the Hubble, so this telescope will allow scientists to take a peek at a much earlier period of the universe's existence.

For its part, Canada has provided a fine guidance sensor, which keeps the telescope locked on a celestial target. It also contributed the spectrograph that can be used to determine the composition of objects it took images of, including the makeup of atmospheres of exoplanets. Those are planets not in a solar system.

"This telescope will be able to look further back in time, further out into space, and look at the early formation of galaxies in our universe. It's going to give us new insight in terms of how the universe kind of came to be," said Frank Florian, the director of the planetarium at the TELUS World of Science.

"This is going to open up so many more research doors. I think the findings from the James Webb Space Telescope are going to be really mind boggling. There's going to be a lot of researchers, both young and old, that will be involved in looking at all the data."

A star is born

Two of those researchers at the University of Alberta are ready.

Erik Rosolowsky, a professor of physics, succeeded in securing 20 hours of telescope time, when the James Webb will be pointed at a nearby galaxy that he chose.

"The key thing that my research is chasing is trying to understand this really unknown and unexplored part of the star formation process and really how the diffuse clouds of gas in the galaxy get converted into stars," he said.

It is the process that birthed all the stars in the universe, including the Sun.

Rosolowky and his colleagues believe that the exact process of star formation determines how many planets they'll have and whether those planets could sustain life.

NASA

His colleague Gregory Sivakoff, also a professor of physics, will use his telescope time to study the "stellar undead."

These are the objects in space such as black holes, neutron stars and white dwarves that are located in proximity with another star. All these objects used to be stars; they have exhausted their fuel and collapsed.

Those objects draw material from the star, like a vampire, and a disk of the material forms around the object.

Besides scientific research, both scientists are committed to educating a new generation of scientists who will be able to maintain Alberta's strong position in space exploration.

"I have a really good fortune of working with many junior scientists," said Rosolowsky.

"My job is to make sure that these junior scientists are learning skills that they could use in astronomy, but also could then take these novel skills for interpreting data and exploring images and understanding the universe, and use those tools throughout a variety of jobs and careers."

"Alberta has a lot of strong presence in studying the universe," Sivakoff said.

"I view a lot of what we do in terms of almost the inspiration we can give to the next generation of Albertans, regardless of what their field is."

VANCOUVER ISLAND

Mini seismometers in schools aim to help students learn while gathering valuable earthquake data



Tue, July 12, 2022 

The Raspberry Shake is a miniature seismometer that was invented a few years ago through a Kickstarter campaign. It has been placed in four schools in Victoria and it detects small earthquakes and allows students to measure the seismographs. 

(Gregor Craigie/CBC - image credit)

More schools on Vancouver Island could soon be getting miniature seismometers that will help students learn about tectonics and also help communities better prepare for earthquakes.

SchoolShake is a new outreach and citizen science program in which researchers with the University of Victoria and Natural Resources Canada will use data from the machines placed in different schools to track small earthquakes and active faults.

The aim is to support science education while also helping communities prepare for large earthquakes like the anticipated "Big One" — a powerful quake that seismologists predict is likely to happen on the West Coast this century.

"By imaging or detecting lots and lots of small earthquakes, we can better understand those faults that will one day generate a big earthquake that could cause a lot of damage," Edwin Nissen, an associate professor of Earth and ocean sciences at the University of Victoria, said on the CBC's On the Island.

"There's lots and lots of little earthquakes, but we can only hear the little earthquakes if we have lots of these instruments out."

He said the miniaturized seismometer, called a Raspberry Shake, is a small clear box the size of a fist. It was created a few years ago through a Kickstarter campaign that was funded largely by professional seismologists and hobbyists.

Gregor Craigie/CBC

"When there's a big earthquake or an earthquake that people can feel, teachers will be able to look at the seismographs with their students and discuss what an earthquake is and how you locate earthquakes," Nissen said.

Vancouver Island lies near the active boundary of the Pacific, Juan de Fuca and North American tectonic plates. According to Nissen, these plates have the potential to generate a large earthquake and volcanic activity.

"A young person growing up in Victoria now, there's a good chance they will feel a big damaging earthquake in their lifetime," he said.

Seismic upgrades 'key' focus

Nissen says data from the Raspberry Shake can also help the province make sound decisions on which schools to prioritize for seismic upgrades, based on their location.

Approximately 250 schools need upgrades for earthquake safety, according to the Ministry of Education's seismic school needs list. Some have been waiting years for an upgrade plan.

"We need to have those seismic upgrades done now," Clint Johnston, newly elected president of the B.C. Teachers' Federation (BCTF), told CBC News.

"There's not many places in British Columbia that aren't near a fault line, particularly as you get around the coast and on the Island. It's really important that the buildings become seismically upgraded. That's our key focus."

"Schools are one of those community based buildings that often serve actually as a refuge or a centre for activities," he added.

Education Minister Jennifer Whiteside said the NDP has spent $2.7 billion in the last four years opening new schools and doing seismic upgrades. She says the province is committed to spending $3 billion in the next three years to carry on that important work.

Every year, each of B.C.'s 60 school districts puts forward a five-year capital plan and the ministry decides which plans are a priority.

"The province has done a great job in retrofitting older schools ... but where should it focus its efforts and where should we retrofit first?" Nissen said.

He says the device will hopefully also spark an interest in Earth science for the students.

"Science at school is chemistry, physics, biology, math but I think Earth science is actually so central to so many of the big issues of today, like climate change, landslides, forest fires, sea level rise and earthquakes," he said.

Nissen says the Raspberry Shake is currently placed in four schools in Victoria and are aiming to install it at 10 schools by the end of the year.

He says if funding by the National Science and Engineering Research Council is approved, they'll be able to install the devices at around 50 schools on Vancouver Island.

"The more instruments we have, the smaller the earthquakes we can detect," he said.

Montreal animal activists decry Federal government decision to ban dogs from international rescues

Tue, July 12, 2022 

Alyssa Ashworth adopted Chipie, her year-old golden retriever, a few months ago through a rescue. Chipie, originally from Lebanon, would have been denied entry under an incoming ban on the importation of dogs. 

(François Sauvé/CBC - image credit)

It's been a little over two months since Alyssa Ashworth adopted Chipie, her year-old golden retriever.

Ashworth met Chipie through one of the many animal rescue groups that bring stray dogs to Montreal from abroad. Chipie, who lived as a stray on the streets of Lebanon, has since settled into her new life in Quebec, Ashworth said.

"She's super energetic. Loves to play, loves to learn — loves to eat," Ashworth said, laughing. "Super cuddly and just all-around a good, loveable dog."

But soon, dogs like Chipie won't be allowed to come to Canada.

As of Sept. 28, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) will ban the importation of dogs from over 100 countries, citing an elevated risk of rabies transmission.

It's a move that some animal rescue groups say will have tragic consequences.

"This is just a death sentence to so many dogs," said Kim Desautels, the co-founder of Rescue All Dogs, an animal rescue organization based in Montreal. "Thousands of thousands of dogs — they're just going to die. It's a sure thing."

According to the CFIA, the decision comes after two dogs were imported from Iran last year with rabies.

Desautels agreed that the government should be tightening the rules around importing dogs, notably when it comes to testing — but said that can happen without outright banning the practice entirely.

"Why put a full on ban when it's something that is preventable?" she asked.

For example, she said her rescue works with vets in Lebanon, who do a full blood analysis and test the dogs abroad. If the vets give the dog the all-clear, only then is the animal brought to Canada.

Desautels said the dogs coming through her rescue also quarantine after they arrive in Montreal, as a precaution.

"So to me, [those rabies cases] were just plain, crappy importers that didn't do any of what should have been done," she said.

For Ashworth, she said she's happy she got to adopt Chipie before it was too late — but she worries about those who will be left behind.

"There's so many dogs who deserve a second chance," she said.

MANITOBA
Animal shelters, rescues overrun

Tue, July 12, 2022 

While most Manitobans enjoy the warmer weather and relaxed pace that summer brings, humane societies and cat rescue organizations in Westman are struggling.

Linda Desjardins, founder of Cats TNR and Rescue in Neepawa, said the problem of stray and feral cats has only grown worse in the small town, located approximately 74 kilometres northeast of Brandon.

TNR stands for trap, neuter and return, a strategy that improves the lives of homeless cats and reduces their numbers. Cats are trapped, spayed or neutered so they can no longer reproduce, are vaccinated and then, if homes cannot be found for them, are released.

Cats TNR and Rescue was founded in 2012 after the discovery of a homeless cat population living at a nearby dump. Run strictly by volunteers but governed by a board of directors, it operates with foster homes and a small shelter. Foster families care for and socialize rescued cats while they receive veterinary care including shots, deworming and mandatory spay or neuter. The organization runs completely on donations and fundraising for their operating expenses, including veterinary bills, food and supplies.

In the last 50 years, Neepawa has nearly doubled its population, and is listed as one of the fastest-growing communities in Canada. As the population surges, Desjardins said, so does the homeless feline problem. The rescue currently has 100 cats in care, with many more up for adoption.

"The calls are continual. Every day we get messages from people asking us to take cats."

Often it’s not people discovering homeless cats, but those whose situations have changed and are looking to rehome their family pets. One woman phoned Desjardins a few days ago wanting to surrender her cat because she was moving to an apartment that didn’t allow animals.

"I said, ‘If you have an animal, why would you move to an apartment that doesn’t allow them?’ And she said there are no apartments that are pet-friendly."

Others, Desjardins said, don’t understand the type of care that cats need. They assume cats can be allowed to roam outside and that they can feed themselves by hunting mice and other rodents. Such animals can actually make cats quite sick, since they often carry worms and other diseases.

Then there are some cat owners who aren’t giving their cats a humane home. Recently, Desjardins had to rescue four kittens from a home where they were locked in a two-tiered cage with three adult and two teenage cats. A volunteer at Cats TNR and Rescue happened to be in the home doing some work and was appalled by the conditions the nine cats were living in.

"It’s just unreal," Desjardins said. "It’s cruelty."

Thankfully, the owner of the cats agreed to get the others fixed.

Sometimes, people can no longer care for their cats, but don’t even try to find someone to take them and just turn them out on the street.

"Neepawa is just full of stray cats now."

The problem has become so widespread that some local residents have even taken to leaving cat traps out in their yards.

"They think it’s quite fine to trap a cat, take it out into the country and drop it off, but that’s basically a death sentence for that cat … cats are dependent on people. That’s why they’re in towns and cities … they depend on people for their survival."

The issue isn’t limited to the town. Desjardins said that while some people who live in the country are beginning to spay and neuter their cats, not all do.

When Cats TNR and Rescue first began, Desjardins said the town was spending around $7,000 a year on euthanasia. Once the rescue got up and running, that amount decreased to $1,000.

But the problem, she added, just keeps coming back. Beyond full capacity, the organization is now only taking what Desjardins calls "emergency cases."

"We’re not alone. Every rescue, every shelter is just overrun, and I don’t know what the solution is anymore. It’s like we’re putting a Band-Aid on a cancer … we’re never going to adopt our way out of this problem, we’re never going to stop it."

The only way for things to get better, Desjardins said, is for people to spay and neuter their animals. When they don’t, they’re contributing to the problem.

"Yes, it’s expensive, but you can go out and buy an $800 iPhone, you can spend $200 on a meal or a night out, but you can’t spay or neuter your cats? That just makes no sense to me."

Tracy Munn, shelter manager and director at the Brandon Humane Society, said many cats are surrendered and become homeless because people value them less than dogs. She also cites the misconceptions people have about felines as contributing to the problem.

"People say, ‘Oh, I’m pregnant, I can’t keep the cat.’ I say, ‘Why can’t you keep the cat?’ Cats love children."

Munn credits the foster families that work with the humane society in being an integral part of saving homeless cats and dogs.

"The people that foster are phenomenal … we couldn’t have the amount of animals we do if it weren’t for the foster homes."

Summertime, however, is often a busy time, with some foster families going on vacation. It’s not strictly a cat problem, though. Munn said some months the shelter is full of homeless dogs, and other months with cats. In the end, it’s all about being a good pet owner and being prepared for the responsibility of owning an animal.

"Think long and hard before you get an animal. It’s kind of like a kid. Once you get it, then there’s no putting them back."

Miranda Leybourne, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Brandon Sun

Mad Max of the Arctic? 

Northern filmmaker's Polaris leads Fantasia film fest in Montreal

Tue, July 12, 2022 

Kirsten Carthew's second feature film, Polaris, screens at the Fantasia International Film Festival on Thursday. (Source: Polaris - image credit)

Kirsten Carthew's latest film Polaris is action-packed, apocalyptic and full of women kicking butt — and it's premiering this week on the first night of the Fantasia International Film Festival.

The festival, held in Montreal, is the largest genre film festival in North America. It kicks off Thursday.

Carthew's Polaris, her second feature film to date, is the opening act. The Northern filmmaker grew up in Yellowknife and says the film was inspired by a short film she created for the Dead North Film Festival in 2015, Fish Out Of Water.

"It's been a journey, and it's such an amazing full-circle experience to now actually have a finished film that we can show people," she said.

Polaris revolves around 10-year-old Sumi — named after a young Yellowknifer — and her polar bear mother, who live in a snow-laden, post-apocalyptic world. No one knows what lies beneath the snow; it could easily be New Brunswick or New York.

Sumi and Mama Polar Bear are on a mission to follow the North Star — Polaris. As they travel, Sumi is captured and must escape and reunite with Mama Polar Bear by following the star.

Source: Polaris

It's a story about our relationship with humans and nature, Carthew noted, cast through a female lens.

"It's an all-female survivalist fantasy thriller," she explained — even the bear and the dogs who appear in the film were, by happy chance, all female.

"First of all, I just say, why not? The job of a film is to be entertaining, and seeing women kicking butt, and there's stunts, and there's some gore and some action scenes. We tried to, in terms of the story world, create it like Mad Max — we call it 'Mad Max of the Arctic,'" she said.

Submitted by Little Dipper Productions Ltd.

It might not be Mad Max-esque in terms of budget or scale, but the aesthetic is reminiscent. "Anyone in the North, you can think of finding snowmobiles from the '70s, and the '80s and all the sort of older machinery used for mining and tracking in the snow," Carthew said.

"We were able to kind of upcycle those machines and add elements to them to really create this sort of dystopian future world."

The film, like so many others shot during COVID-19, ran up against increased production costs and delays. It was also a difficult one to shoot, since most of it was shot outdoors in the Yukon.

"All films really are a slog — you know, they take a long time to get made," Carthew explained. "In the North, because of the weather and because of the remoteness, it's a little bit more challenging. You can't negotiate with the weather, so you really have to lean into it and embrace it."

As for the polar bear mother, that role is played by a real bear: Agee, a Canadian bear whose retirement was just announced.

Polaris is one of her final films.

In advance of Thursday's screening, Carthew said she's excited for her cast and crew to see it — many of them haven't seen anything since filming wrapped up — but she's feeling some nerves given the size of the audience that will be watching.

"The audience is like 800 people. Let's hope they like it," she said with a laugh. "I mean, you never know."

Carthew isn't sure when Northerners will get a chance to see the film, but is hoping it will be available in the fall.

Documentary filmmakers find themselves in middle of Yukon's busiest wildfire season in years

Tue, July 12, 2022

Underwire Films

Whitehorse-based filmmakers Tova Krentzman, left, and Emily Sheff are making a film about fire lookout towers in Yukon and Alberta. (Underwire Films - image credit)

It could have been a film solely about the quiet solitude of the fire tower attendant, keeping peaceful watch over a tranquil expanse of northern wilderness.

But Whitehorse-based documentarians Emily Sheff and Tova Krentzman have instead found themselves shooting footage in the midst of what's been called an unprecedented wildfire season in Yukon.

There are more than 150 wildfires now active, roads closed, communities under evacuation alert, and emergency resources sometimes stretched thin. It's anything but a "quiet" season.

"It's been really incredible to have the opportunity to be making this film, at this time," said Krentzman.

"To actually be driving down the highway, you know, with flames and smoke on either side … it's been challenging, but at the same time very rewarding."

Sheff and Krentzman's plan is to visit several fire towers scattered through Yukon, some of them staffed and some not, as well as some in Alberta.

They conceived the idea long before summer, and despite the drama of Yukon's current fire season they say the film's essential focus will not change — it's about the people who choose to spend long, lonely days perched high in a tower, scanning the landscape, ready to alert their communities to any sign of danger.

"They're just incredible people, unique individuals. They're just comfortable with solitude and comfortable being alone, and find connection in their environment and also with the work they're doing," Krentzman said.

"It's interesting, especially coming out of a time where people have been forced to be in solitude, and here we have people choosing to be in solitude. So there's a lot of levels here, and layers."

Sheff says the tower staff are a critical component of wildfire response, as they can provide early detection that helps guide firefighting efforts. She says the people they've spoken to are all very passionate about their jobs.

Underwire Films

She points to Markus Lenzin, who mans the tower near Dawson City, as a good example of why tower attendants are so essential.

"He spotted six fires in one day. And so, they're just amazing people. They know the landscape so well. And, you know, they can detect fires up to 60 kilometres away from their towers. So it's pretty amazing to watch them do what they do," Sheff said.

On Monday, the two filmmakers were hoping to visit the fire tower near Carmacks, Yukon, but weather conditions prevented that from happening. Instead they headed back home to Whitehorse, to try another time. They've gotten used to shifting gears and "going with the flow," Sheff says.

Underwire Films

They're also conscious of staying out of the way when people have jobs to do. Often that means trying to grab an interview early in the morning, or late in the day.

"We're definitely aware that a lot of these folks are exhausted, and they already have very long days. So we're being really careful to shoot what we can," Sheff said.

"We're really trying to be a fly-on-the-wall."

Underwire Films

They've got more filming to do in Yukon before they head to Alberta to talk to fire tower operators there. The film itself is scheduled to be out by September 2023, if not sooner.

"Its timeliness is what everyone who's making a film wants," Krentzman said. "It is incredible, what we're encountering."

The two filmmakers are already sharing some pictures and video through their Underwire Films Instagram account.

"It's quite an adventure — two women out in the bush, making a wildfire film. Pretty exciting," Sheff said.

Wrigley residents report falling ash from nearby wildfire

Tue, July 12, 2022 

Residents of Wrigley say ash has been falling since Sunday as a wildfire continues to burn to the south of the Dehcho community.

The fire, dubbed FS008 by the N.W.T. government, is now entering its third week. According to residents, the weekend's rain did not do much to slow its growth.

The Pehdzeh Ki First Nation said the fire had destroyed two cabins used for hunting and cultural activities in Jones Landing and near Yendi Lake.

Kyle Clillie, the First Nation's band manager, said the N.W.T.'s Department of Municipal and Community Affairs had put the fire's size at 21,827 hectares on Saturday.

Clillie believes the fire has since continued to grow based on the community's own monitoring. Wrigley, he said, hasn't experienced a fire like this one since 2014, when falling ash prompted the First Nation to evacuate elders most affected by poor air quality to Hay River, Yellowknife and Fort Simpson.

Given the possible health impacts of ash and fire debris on drinking water, Clillie is concerned. So far, the N.W.T. government has issued no warning regarding water quality in the community.

"They just told me over the phone that it was safe," he said. "I would like to know if they performed any kind of test."

Mike Westwick, a spokesperson for the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, said a warning about heavy smoke and ash in Wrigley had been in place for nearly two weeks.

Initially sparked by lightning, the fire has spread to both sides of Highway 1 south of Wrigley, prompting on-and-off road closures for weeks. The fire is burning on both sides of the Enbridge pipeline and near the pump station. Both Enbridge and ENR have installed sprinklers to protect the area, while a controlled burn has also taken place.

ENR stated a 20-person fire crew from Saskatchewan has joined 20 firefighters from the N.W.T. to try to control the fire.

In its latest update, the department reiterated there is still no cause for alarm in the community.

Caitrin Pilkington, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Cabin Radio