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TuesdayApril720155COLUMNS15YearsAgo...SmithresidentnewcollegechairEarlJacobsenisalreadyabusyman-co-ownerofaFortSmithbusinessandamemberofseveraldifferentboardsincludingtheAuroraCollegeBoardofGover-nors.Butthepaceofhislifewasturnedupanotchattherecentcollegeboardmeetingwhenhewasselectedthechairoftheboard-achallenginganddemandingposition.IssueApril4200020YearsAgo...RenewedhopeforNorthernhydrogenprojectArecentmeetingbetweentheTownofFortSmithandtheNorthwestTerritoriesPowerCorporationhasbreathedlifebackintotheTownshopesofbuildingahydrogenproductionplantinFortSmith.DiscussiononthetopiccameaboutfollowingNTPCchairJimRob-ertsonscommentthatonaverageonly30percentoftheelectricityproducedontheTaltsonsystemisused.IssueApril5199530YearsAgo...EdmontonlooksnorthFlightsfromYellowknifemaysoonbeabletolandattheEdmontonmunicipalairportifMayorDecoreofEd-montonhashisway.IfEdmontonwantstobeafocalpointforsupplyingthenorthithastoactsaidAlexMacdonaldMayorDecoreschiefofstaffinaJournalinterviewTuesday.IssueApril41985ARCHIVESNorthernJournal2015JoinusonlineLikeNorthernJournalonFacebookandgettheweeklynewsdeliveredtoyourfeedFACEBOOKFEEDBACKOperationNanooktheannualmilitaryexercisebyJointTaskForceNorthJTFNthatassertsCanadassovereigntyoveritsnorthernmostregionswillbeheldinFortSmithattheendofAugustinconjunctionwithacommunitymockdisasterexercisetoprepareforapossiblewildreemergency..OperationNanookcomingtoFortSmithinlateAugustJamesGordonHorseSr.rightonhomelandsecurity..FiremanagementteamstrainforcomingseasonPatriciaSeppHarperusingNorthernsforphotoops.KirkSchaeferThatsmoosehuntingseason.MaybearmyhuntingseasoniftheynotcarefulWhiteGirlTheEdgeoftheWorldByDAWNKOSTELNIKAprilintheArcticmeanstherearestillthreemonthsleftuntilspringarrives.Springspringsintoactionovernightandthenextdayitissummer.Andthenjustbeforeyoureal-izethatitissummersnowiesandyouskipovertheseasonoffallandfast-forwardbackintowinteronceagain.ButinAprilyougettosquintintothesun.Itblindsyouwithitsprismsofbrilliance.Snow-bankstransformintomoun-tainsofdiamondsthathumanscannotcaptureintheirtoowarmngers.Dazzlingwhitesnowisdenedbythedeepestofblueskies.Ablazeofsunlightthatdoesntlastforhoursyetbutitisenoughtorevitalizethesolarpoweredsmilesonpeoplesfaces.Heartssinginthesunshineaftermonthsofdarkness.Coldremainsbutthesmilesthreatentodepleteitwiththeirradianceofwarmth.Ourhouseisburiedinasnowbank.WehavejustarrivedinCoppermineNWTmovingherefromFortGoodHopeinthesameterritoryofCanadasNorth.EveninmygriefatbeingwrenchedfrommybloodsisterAngelinaandhavingtoleavemyhomeandmanymanyfriendsIaminawethatwehavetoclimbdownasnowdrifttogetintoournewhouse.Tomorrowtheywilldigoutthedoorwaysowecanmoveourbelongingsinbutfortodayweclimbupthehardsnowsweptbankthathasdriftedandcoveredintheentrytoourhome.Weslidefalldownintothedoorwayandthroughthedoor.ThishouseisarectanglewithanL-shapedhallwaythatsepa-ratesthebedroomsandbath-roomfromthemainlivingarea.Thekitchenandcasualdiningareseparatedbyadiesel-burn-ingoilfurnacelocatedplainlyinsightrightinthecentreofthehousealittleclosertothekitchen.Bythekitchenattheendofthelivingroomthereisadiningareaaswell.Dieselfuelisthesmellthatcoloursthishome.Partitionsthatseparatethehallwaytothebedroomsandbathfromtherestofthehousedonotreacheithertheoorortheceilingbyonefootalongthefullperimeter.Thespaceaboveandbelowthewallisneededtoallowtheheattocirculateinthisextremeclimate.Thereisnoforcedairsystemonourdieselstoveheatismovedbyconvectiononly.IhavesavedtheworstforlastthemostdreadedthingintheworldthereisnoushtoiletWemustusetheinfa-moushoneybucket.Inoticethatmymomisnotrealhappyaboutthiseither.SowhatcanyoudoifyouhavetopooOut-sidebehindthesnowbankisanevenworseoption.Therearenoouthouseshereandmostcertainlynotreestohidebehind.Consequentlyev-eryoneliveswiththebucket.Ahoneybucketisalargecanwithatoiletseatandlid.Thecanislinedwiththeequivalenttoanextra-strengthgreenplasticgarbagebag.Pine-Solcleanerisusedtodisguisetheeaudeturd.ItdoesnotTobecontinuedwww.thewhitegirl.caBySUEFLECKNomatterwhatsportvol-unteersandsponsorsareacriticalcomponent.Fordogmushersitisthesame.ThiscolumnisdedicatedtothosewhomusherscantlivewithoutEverymusherneedsadoghandlerortwoorthreeatsomepointintheyear.Doghandlersdoeverytaskimaginablefornopay.Theyhelpfeeddogspickupthepoopxdoghouseshookupdogstraindogsputawayharnessesandmostimpor-tantlywhenamushergoesonadogfreeholidayortoaracesomeonehastostayhomeandtakecareofthekennel.Beingadoghandlercanbelotsoffunbutitalsohasitschallenges.Everymusherhastheirownwayofdoingthings.Somehandlerscomeintheformofwivesorhusbandssonsdaughterscousinsorfriendswhoalreadyknowamushersquirks.Somehandlersarevolunteersfromforeigncoun-trieswhowanttheexperienceofanorthernwinternorthernlightsandlivingwithdogs.Likepuppieseverythingisnewtothem.Firsttimehandlershavenoideahowstrongthedogsareandoftenareabitbruisedorsoreaftertherstfewdaysofworkingwithdogs.Theyhavebeenknowntocomparedogmushingtoacompletework-outorlikehavingyourownoutdoorgymTheothercriticaltimeforvolunteersiswhenrunningarace.Aracerequiresaracemarshalandjudgestim-erspeopletohelpmushersatcornersorroadcrossingstrailgroomersandofcoursestrongmentoholdsledsanddogsatthestartoftherace.IntheNWTthereareafewvol-unteersyouseeatraceafterrace.Thesefolksreallydeservetheirownmedalsandtrophiesfortheservicestheyprovide.Sponsorsarealsoessential.Anincentiveforamushertogoracingbesidesthejoyofmush-ingisthechancetowinsomemoneytohelpcoversomecosts.Travellingtoracesrequiresmoneyforgasaccommoda-tionsmealsentryfeesandsoon.Sponsorshelpintwoways.Theymaycontributetotheracecostsortheymaysponsoramusherdirectly.NWTmush-ersareveryfortunatetohavemanygoodnorthernspon-sors.Sponsorsgetrecognizedinmanywaysthroughadsinpapersbannersatracesinterviewsandsometimestheyevengetthechancetobeamusherforadaythroughsponsorraces.InFortProvidenceourDehGahDogMushersClubholdsseveralracesayear.Inasmalltownof800itcanbedif-culttoraisemoneyastherearelotsofotherrequests.WehavebeenluckytohavethefullsupportoftheHamletofFortProvidencetheFortProvi-denceMetisLocalandtheDehGahGotieFirstNationforeveryrace.Aswelllocalbusi-nessessuchastheNorthernAuroraMarketSnowshoeInnandBigRiverServiceshavebeenoutstandingsupporters.AsFortProvidenceresidentsregularlydobusinessinHayRiversomeofthesecompa-nieshelpedsponsortheracesincludingStittcoKinglandFordARCANRowesCon-structionandAndysAuto.FinallyIndustryTourismandInvestmenthasprovidedSEEDfundingthatwehaveusedforracingbibsroadsignsmileagemarkerstrailgroomingtimingequipmentandmore.Thissupportisre-allyappreciated.SotoallyousponsorsandvolunteersouttheremahsichofromallthemushersanddogclubsMushOnThosewhomusherscantlivewithout