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14TuesdayOctober212014ENVIRONMENTWASTEREDUCTIONFortSmithHealthSocialServicesAuthorityIfyouareinterestedinbecomingafosterparentpleasecontactFortSmithSocialServicesat867-872-6300.AhundredyearsfromnowitwillnotmatterwhatmybankaccountwasthesortofhouseIlivedinorthekindofcarIdroveButtheworldmaybedifferentbecauseIwasimportantinthelifeofachild.-ForestE.WhitcraftJoinusatFortSmithSocialServicesforanopenhousetocelebrateourlocalfosterparentsByDALICARMICHAELThefutureoftheinfamous17-storeyHayRiverhighriseisprecariousafteritsbalco-nieswererecentlycondemnedbytheNWTremarshalduetonumeroussafetyissues.AfterseveralmonthsofinvestigationtheremarshalsofceservedtheowneroftheMackenziePlacehighrisewithawarningtellinghimthatiftheapartmentbuildingsbrokenbalconiesandemergencyresponsesystemsarenotbroughtuptocodewithinasettimelinetheapartmentbuildingwillbeshutdownforgood.TheremarshalisconcernedaroundacoupleofkeysafetyfeaturesinthehighriseinparticulartheemergencyresponsesystemlikethealarmsandtheressomestructuralconcernsaroundsomeofthebalconiessaidHayRiverMayorAndrewCassidy.Theyhaveissuedordersfortheownerofthehighrisetoimprovetheseorxthemorputsystemsinplacethatarefunctioningandtherestimelinesthatareassociatedwiththeseorders.Iftheworkisnotcommencedorthereisntdialogueoranintentiondem-onstratedbytheownertheyllhavetogureoutwhatthenextstepswillbe.Shouldtheapartmentbeshutdownresi-dentswouldbeaskedtovacatethepremises.Thiscouldleavearound150peoplewithouthomessomeofwhomarelivinginapartmentscontrolledbysocialandgovernmenthousing.Theremarshaltalkedtous.Theymightlookataphasedclosureofoorsfromthetopdownmaybebutreallytheyhaventgot-tentothereyetsaidHayRiverNorthMLARobertBouchard.Ifitdoescompletelyshutdownthatwouldbeanemergencyinthecommunity.Iftheywereoutonthestreetthatwouldbeveryconcerningbutsofarthatsnotthecase.Rightnowitsreallynotinthegovern-mentshanditsmoreintheindividualsandtheproponentshandstodealwiththattypeofsituationBouchardcontinued.Ifitbe-cameastrongerissueobviouslyaselectedofcialsandgovernmentweprobablywouldlooktohelpwherewecouldbutthoseoptionsarentthereyet.Cassidyindicatedthattheownerhasbeengivenuntiltheendofthemonthtoinitiatetherenovationstohisbuilding.WerehopingthattheowneriswillingtobegintakingcorrectiveactionandthatthetimelinesaregoingtobemetandeverythingworksoutCassidysaid.MackenziePlaceownerHarrySatdeode-clinedtogiveacommentbeforepresstime.TheJournalreachedouttotheremar-shalsofcebutdidnotreceivearesponsebeforepublication.FiremarshalquestionssafetyofHayRiverhighriseHEALTHWELLNESSPUBLICSAFETYByDALICARMICHAELItsbecomealltooeasytothrowawaybelongingsassoonastheymalfunctionsaytheexpertsatEcologyNorthaYel-lowknife-basedenvironmentalnon-profitorganization.Theybelievethephenomenonoftossingasideitems-rangingfromclothingtocellphonestocomputersandevenfurnitureandappliances-isongoingbecauseoftentimesitseasiertospendabitofcashtobuyanewitemratherthantakingthetimetoxit.ThatswhythisyeartheirWasteReduc-tionWeekactivitiesrunninginYellowknifeandHayRiverfromOct.20to25arefo-cusedonrepairingitemsbeforetheygetdumpedinthelandfill.WewanttokindofbringthatspiritbackofsayingIcanxthismyselfandkeepusingandextenditslifesaidKimRapatiman-agerofEcologyNorthsHayRiversatelliteofce.Inpreviousyearswevefocusedonrecyclingandcompostingtheendofwhatyoudowhenyourethrowingstuffaway.TokindofswitchitupIthinkitsreallyfunthisyeartolookmoreatreducinghowmuchyouhavetobuynewintherstplace.Thetwocommunitieswillbebringingtogetherallsortsofhandyexpertstoteachresidentshowtocompletebasicrepairsdur-ingFix-ItFairs.Citizensareinvitedtobringintheirhole-riddenjeansjacketswithbro-kenzippersoutdoorgearbicyclesandeventheirsmallappliancestoberejigged.InYellowknifethenon-protorganiza-tionComputersforSchoolswilltakeinoldunwanteddesktopsandlaptopstoberefur-bishedforschoolsintheterritory.TheresafunsocialaspecttotheeventsaswellRapatinoted.IdontevenknowhowtodoalotofthatstuffanymoresoImreallyexcitedtolearnfromotherpeopleinourcommunitiesandndoutwhohasthoseskillsRapatisaid.Sometimesyoudontknowwhocanxshoesandwhocanxtoasters.Ithinkthiswillbeareallyfunevent.Ilovetoseepeoplegettingempoweredandgoinghomeandmakingthedecisionnottobuymorethingsandinsteadrepairingandextendingthelifeofthethingstheydohave.CompostingkickedoffinthecapitalOfcourseitjustwouldntbeasuccessfulWasteReductionWeekwithoutaddressingwhathappenstogarbageonceitsthrownaway.TothatendEcologyNorthwillhostlmscreeningsofthe2014fooddocumentaryJustEatItinHayRiverYellowknifeandInuvik.Thedocfollowsacoupleastheytrytoreducetheirorganicwastebyonlyeatingitemsthathavebeendiscardedhighlightinghowmuchfoodiswastedeveryyear.Aftereachshow-ingthecommunitywillbeinvitedtoattendapanelonwastereductionwithintheirregion.Itsanicetie-inwiththeCityofYellow-knifesorganicsrecyclingprogrambecauseitsagreatopportunitytoshowpeoplethatthecityismovingtowardsorganicsdiversionsaidBrianKinzieanEcologyNorthwastereductionprogrammanagerbasedinYellow-knife.Werestartingtorecognizeorganicsasaresourceinsteadofawastebyconvert-ingitintocompostwhichisahighlysoughtafterandvaluablesoilamendmenthere.StartingonNov.1about750residentslivingintheRangeLakeneighbourhoodwillstartreceivingcurbsidecompostingpickup.Togetstartedthecitywillbegivingeachhouseholda121-litregreencartandcompostingstarterkitwhichincludessimpleinstructionsandakitchencatcher.AccordingtoKinzieawastecharacter-izationstudydoneseveralyearsagoshowedthatabout26percentofhouseholdwasteisorganicmeaningthatacompletelysuccess-fulcompostingprogramwouldseea26percentreductioningarbagesittingatthedump.CellphonerecyclingcontestforkidsStudentsacrosstheterritoryarealsoinvitedtoparticipateintheRecycleMyCellStudentChallengeanationalprogramencouragingyouthtogatherallsortsofoldtechnologyforthepurposeofrecyclingthepotentiallyharmfulheavymetalswithin.Foreachitembroughtintheschoolwillget1.TheschoolwiththemostrecycledphonesPDAsandtabletswillreceive500togotowardsanenvironmentalinitiative.EcologyNorthencouragesx-itsovertrashinggoodsPhotocourtesyofKimRapatiIfitdoescompletelyshutdownthatwouldbeanemergencyinthecommunity.MLARobertBouchardHayRiverNorthYellowkniferscheckoutlastyearsWasteReductionWeekTrashChallengeorganizedbyEcologyNorth.Thisyeartheorganizationwillbeteachingparticipantshowtorepairallsortsofhouseholdgoodsinsteadofsimplythrowingthemaway.