Whitehorse Daily Star from Whitehorse, Yukon, Canada • 19

if. The Whitehorse Star, Thursday, October 3, 1963 Page 19 CHANGE Radio station CFWH went through a major transmitting change this week although a lot of nearby residents were barely aware of the fact. The power output was increased to one thousand watts from the former 250 watts and the frequency was lowered from 1240 kilocycles to 570 kilocycles. The transmission took i place on Wednesday morning at about nine o'clock. To the layman, the change meant that his radio recepti improved and reception could be received at a greater distance from the transmitter site (North of the city past the dump area) 1 The receiving area is more than doubled what we had earlier this For instance, the residents in Carmacks now should get good radio reception day or night.

All-in-all, the changeover marks another step the Canadian i Broadcasting Corporation is making to try and improve north-- ern service. We say thanks for the improvement Thanks for keeping pace and growing with the Yukon. J. J. KNOWLEDGE "How do you get to Miles "Are rhere any fish in this river running through Whitehorse? "What's, there to se at Carmacks and Dawson City this time of the year?" The questions come thick and fast during the tourist season.

Unfortunately, a lot of these relatively simple questions go unsat isfactorily answered by Yukon persons employed in the service -type trade who come in direct contact with the tourist day after "day. It is unfortunate because these simple questions require such a small amount of knowledge yet leave visitors to the er ritory with great satisfaction. Ron Davis, chairman of the Board of Trade's Retail Merchant suggested this week that the board conduct a tourist education seminar early next spring in Whitehorse. As he points out: It could be run for two eveningsih la te April or early May and be open for all service-type employees. This, to our way of thinking, is the cap needed to Till cut the tourism industry in the Yukon.

It's fine to have beautiful scenery, good fishing and hunting, grand historic sites and good publicity material. But depending on the public relations job done by the store clerk, waitress, service station operator or anybody else coming into contact with the tourist, the visitor will go away either happy or disgruntled with the Territory. Guest speakers specialists in their fields --should be invited to this type of course. They would provide students with, the best information on what the tourist wants to know and how to direct the tourist to sources of specialized information he might require. Most important, the businesses employing persons who come in contact with the tourist should be the first ones to realize the benefits which can be derived from this type of course.

A Tourist will stay around the area for a longer time. He will inject more money into the economy. The money spent in obtaining speakers and paying registration would be returned many times and the tourist would return to his home, acting as the best public relations person the Yukon ever had. J.J. NOW The suspension bridge crossing over Miles Canyon throughout the Yukon, It's a fine time of the year is enveloped in the beautiful fall colors showing for a Sunday afternoon walk in locations everywhere in the North.

Mem Will Tffuey Ever Learn? does exist in the place concerned. No one ever asks any existing organization in the place concerned if they might have some constructive ideas which might save the poor tax-payer (you and me) a dime two. Fire Prevention Week is being observed next Week. "Next week" you say. "Why not every week, every day, every hour and every minute?" And it's true.

Fire prevention is everybody's businesss wherever you work or live. There are no figures available stating the number of fires in the Yukon during 1962 although the 1962 statistics supplied by the Dominion Fire Commissioner tell us the were 101 fires in the Yukon causing nearly half a million dollars in property damage. hppn The Yukon has had some serious fires. Farmliesha ve oeen wiped out due to'the careless flick of a match. A complete iness has been levelled to the ground because fire safety had not been observed.

Picture in your mind the sizzled bodies of children in their bedrooms. The parents had gone out on the town and neglected to spend the small amount of money to hire a baby sitter. Picture at elderly family standing in front of the charred ruins of their Home. They had never cleaned out the attic although, they knew there were mice up there gnawing at bits of rags and papers. Picture all the suffering and loss a fire causes.

Remember the many fires you have heard about or seen. And ask yourself how many of these fires had been caused by carelessness on the part of some person. Fire Prevention Week is the professional fire fighters way of say. "Look around you and act NOW. J.J.

The Whitehorse Star There is a current popular song in which one line "of the refrain keeps recurring. 1 1. is "When will they ever learn?" and it can be aptly applied to the North as a whole. Recently it was pointed out that we are over-subsidized bv Ottawa and the major portion" of our population are civil servants This may well be true but the fault is not ours. Ottawa and other places would seem to be over-populated with civil servants dreaming up things for other parts of Canada with no regard for the general populace the civil servants in the area concerned.

Although it is probably a small thing, the construction of the new school auditorium in Mayo is a case in point. Some years ago, an auditorium in connection with the school was being built and the question was asked by Mayo residents i it would be available to the comm. unity for various social events and functions. The answer was a very definite So the community aided by the Territorial Government built a Community Hall. The planning and construction of this Community Hall took many hours of thought and labor by the members of the elected executive of the Community Club and as many more by local residents.

-The Community Hall through community effort. Now in this year oL1963, a new school auditorium of vast proportions is under construction. A look at the plans and the questions "Who designed and approved this building?" is well asked. There are no plumbing facilities a on it thereby necessitating six-y ear olds and any adults present to troop out of the building into the adjacent school for ba throom facilities 'even a drink of water. The stage is in the west erd of.

the building as far from the school itself as it can get. This would mean that any stage production school or associated organization will have to use the main school as dressing rooms, and wend their way throi. the audience before making tlxu appearance on the stage simpl because the area adjacent to the stage will not be equipped for the use it should be. As near as can be ascertained, neither the people who have children attending school nor the town generally were consulted on what might be for the community. It would seem this is another in the long series of building and other pro-jectsby government where someone sitting at a desk miles away dreams up something to be done.

The telephone at his elbow is never used to call anyone in an- Even the position of he buildings in question on 1-ation to others or in relation to the amount of ground available is never given a thought. Granted, if the buildings were sited farther from those there now, it would be a long way from he existing sewer lines. But what about the forthcoming sewer and water project for town? Right now there are acres of ground around our "government" area and the buildings are piled one on top of another with no foresite as to the future unless we are going to get an awful lot more govern ment buildings. Yes, the refrain "When will they ever learn" keeps recurring and recurring and never get an answ.i. 1 We still have to live with tnese tmngs wnether a nt them or not.

Published every Monday ana Thursday' at Whitehorse. Yukon Territory Authorized as second class mail by the post Office Department. Ottawa, and for payment of postage cash. Subscription $6.00 per year in Canada Bob Erlam Jack Jamieson Editor Edith Jose, Old Crow; Mimi Gregg, Haines, Jean Kennedy, Haines Junction; Jean Gordon, Mayo; Winnie Acheson, Atlin; Sandra Martin, Watson Lake; V. Grundmanis, Elsa', Dixie' Heller, Carmacks; Mrs.

A. Warner, Dawson City. Harry Boyle, correspondent at lar ge Mr, f3PKrrnn(-)nrrn Anon othPf department to see what Jean Gordon Mayo.