Volume 24-25, 1976-7 - The Arctic Circle - Home

34VOL. >C(V IJO . 2TF{E A]RCTIC CIRCUIARactivities for L976/71 , states that tj^re rapld groinrt]. of tourisnduring the early l97O's is level.ling off . Despite thre decreaselast year, visitor spending has doubl-ed in the past five years. InL97L there were 183,681 visitors, who spent an estirnated $11,939,265.This compa-res with 305,273 vtsitors last year spending an estjmated$25 miflion. In the Parks and Historic Sites Division tlre cary)-grotnd program was opanded to include construction of wilderriesscanrpsites along rnajor rj-vers. Campgrouno fees were increased to $1Ofor ttre season or $2 . SO per night. Ttre parks planning proc€ss conti.:ruedwith about 3,5OO Yukoners contacted outsid,e the Whitehorse area atpublic meetings.FIRE FGHTII\tr PROGRAM FOR DIATfVE COl,n\4Lli{ITIRS - June 2L, L9l7ll,vo years of planning for a fire fighting program in Yukon nativeccnmunities vras put into action recently wittr the deliverlz to PellyRiver of a water truck rigged with f ire f ighting eguipxnent. lhe programis a result of indepenrlent yet similar nprrements initiated by ChiefDanny Joe of the Selkirk Band in Pelly River, Dan-iel Johnson, then Chr-iefof the Kluane Band, and Local Governnent lulinister Ken McKinnon. Fj-reInspector FranJ< (Cisco) Snlith is cr-rrrently training a volunteer firebrigade in Pell-y and I{r. McKinnon was in Pe1ly June 9 to turn over tJrekeys to their new $2O,OO vehicle. "Because of the hiqh nr-rnber of deathsby fire in the villages, I had instructed the Fire Marshai- Tbrn Nairnto plan arr ef fective f ire preventicn progr:ar'.r for thsn, " saicl lt4r "McKinnon. At the serIIE time, I received letters and band resolutionsfrcm both thre Kh:ane Band in Burwash Landing and the Selkirk Band inPelly River, asking for Yukon Governnent participation in a fire preventionprogn:am in their villages. "Mr. Srnith is a native Yukoner frcm Haines Junction. He was hiredJan. I last year as a fire inspecti-on traj.nee under a territorialfederalagresrent approved by tlre Yukon Native Brotherhood. Now a fullinspector on staff in the Insgrection Branchr of the Y'.rkon Departrrentof Local Goverrrnent, Mr. Snith is assisting the InCi-an connuni-ties inestablishing fire prevention programs. By this fal.l- he should beworking on a sjmilar prograrn in Burwash Landing. A tarker truck hasalso been ordered for that ccrmnr:rrity and will be used for both firefighting and water delivery.