Breaking Ice

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This episode of the Breaking Ice podcast is an update from Danny McNeeley. There has been a recent surge in fuel prices in Norman Wells, specifically heating fuel. As we enter the winter, this is a dire situation with dire consequences for many people. Danny Mcneeley and other regional leaders have been focused on tackling issues on the territorial and federal levels. This episode is an update on his recent efforts on this topic.

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I want to introduce Frank Pope. Frank is the incumbent mayor and has been a part of local politics for many years now. In this episode, we discuss why he seeks reelection this time and how he feels his skills are best suited for the job in the current situation. I enjoyed the opportunity to sit with Frank today and discuss the issues facing Norman Wells more intensely. This contrasts our last episode together, where we delve into his life and how he found the Sahtú from Scotland. If you're interested in that episode, it is on YouTube or any podcast app. I hope these episodes covering the municipal election will help you be more informed about who you want to support. Thank you to the candidates who participated and the residents who generously lent their time to view these episodes.

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I want to introduce Heidi Hodgson. I am grateful that we had the opportunity to sit down together to discuss her perspectives on the issues facing Norman Wells and how she aims to serve the community as a councillor in the upcoming term. Heidi has been a counsellor in the past and looks to be re-elected this year to help return Norman Wells to a more cohesive community, which she feels has been lost in the past 5 to 10 years. In this episode, we discuss some misconceptions about my motives for providing the podcast to residents and discuss various topics relevant to the issues facing the town. I hope these episodes will help you decide on election day. Thank you, Heidi, for allowing me to sit with you and trusting me with this conversation.

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I want to introduce Bob Greek. Bob is a longtime resident of Norman Wells who has worked in logistics for most of his career. He has sat on Council before and looks to be re-elected this year to help us navigate our supply chain & cost of living issues. Through our conversation, I found Bob to be genuine, focused, and what I would consider to be a realist when it comes to the problems that face us. I enjoyed this conversation, and we agreed to have a further follow-up episode that is less structured and generally about his career and life. I hope you enjoy the episode and it helps you decide in the coming days.

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I want to introduce Alexis Peachey. She is a current counsellor for the municipality of Norman Wells and is seeking reelection in this next term in this episode. We will get to know her views on several issues and understand a little bit of her background, and hopefully, this episode will give you a little more insight into who Alexis is and who she aims to be as your representative. Enjoy the show.

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Jonathan Gillingham and I have known each other for around 3 years now, despite both being passionate about photography we have not spent enough time shooting together. I have a deep respect for his style, his eye is unique and his photos capture an essence of the North. We sit down and talk about photography, his view on art and how important mentorship has been to his development in photography. I look forward to a time when we do get to shoot together. Enjoy the Episode.

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Before this conversation, I knew Sylvia a little bit, but having the opportunity to sit with her specifically to hear her story, I can't describe how grateful I am. Thank you for taking the time to come on the show. We cover her childhood, becoming a mother, and how that changed her outlook on life, kickstarting her education to become a teacher; then, we dive into the devastating news she received over a year ago and talk about how having cancer has impacted her. Enjoy the show.

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Before this interview I had never met Norman Yakeleya, and from the moment we started talking his openness, confidence and honesty were immediately evident. Through our conversation, no matter what topic we covered one thing was clear, Norman was aiming what was true and good and he encouraged me through that openness to dive deep into our conversation. We talked about his past, growing up in Tulita and how the arrival of modern comforts changed their way of life, we covered his experiences in residential school, his experience going to Vatican City to hear from the Pope, and lastly what I believe to be his legacy in many ways which is the Canol Youth Leadership Hike. Settle down and enjoy this one, it was a great conversation.

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Laura Jenner is a Pilot who works for North-Wright Airways, but she is also a exemplary person. We discussed her childhood, growing up with 5 older brothers and how her family managed their work life balance. How life changed as she grew up and how she came to decide that she wanted to be a pilot before ever having set foot in a plane. My big takeaway from this conversation is how important it is to maintain a service mindset towards those around you, I believe that Laura's family did this exceptionally well and to this day she now carries that forward.

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Danny Mcneely is our current MLA in the Sahtú. We sat down and discussed his perspective on the Mackenzie Valley Highway and its progress, his pathway to working in public office and how those experiences have aided him in his work. And we take a look at the recent Fort Good Hope Evacuation. (This episode was recorded on the same day that evacuees returned to their community).