Tag Archives: Svalbardposten
Briefs from Svalbardposten for the week of July 27, 2021

Photo of delegation visit to Ny-Ålesund courtesy of Kings Bay AS
The number of research days in Ny-Ålesund is cut by more than half in 2020 due to Covid, winter alcohol sales stave off a sobering year for Korkpenger grants and city technicians save the local government’s computers from a data attack.
Briefs from Svalbardposten for the week of March 1, 2021

Emergency calls to the fire department decline in 2020 due largely to the loss of visitors because of the COVID-19 pandemic, 22 foreigners from eight different countries received a total of 285,000 kroner in “travel-home” COVID-19 grants last fall and a frisbee golf course is expected debut this spring.
Briefs from Svalbardposten for the week of Feb. 2, 2021

Svea loans 18-ton power supply to Svalbard Airport to cope with electrical system failure (above photo of power supply being unloaded in Longyearbyen courtesy of Avinor), 41 applications seek a share of 25 million kroner in emergency COVID-19 tourism aid and the city applies for funding for a pilot project to see if Longyearbyen’s electric cars can contribute to the town’s power grid.
Briefs from Svalbardposten for the week of Dec. 8, 2020
Briefs from Svalbardposten for the week of Sept. 8, 2020

Month of local ‘TV auction’ activities start Saturday, with virus-related restrictions
A month of local activities for a national fundraiser – this time to remedy trash in oceans – is scheduled to start Saturday with the traditional relay race starting and ending outside Kulturhuset.
CLOUDY COMPLICATIONS: Several days of fog in Longyearbyen results in multitude of cancelled flights, heightened problems with polar bears making repeat visits near town

Dense fog in Longyearbyen the past several days has resulted in several cancelled flights during a crippled tourism season (now including the loss of cruises due to COVID-19 outbreak on one), plus an inability to detect and monitor polars visiting populated areas near Longyearbyen, according to officials and media reports.
Briefs from Svalbardposten for the week of Dec. 31, 2019

A cargo ship that brings food and other essential supplies to Longyearbyen will be out of service for three weeks starting Jan. 10, a memorial pays tribute to the 26 miners killed 100 years ago in Store Norske’s deadliest accident and the city unveils plans for a new environmental station at Hotellneset.
Briefs from Svalbardposten for the week of Dec. 3, 2019

An expansion to nearly double the size of Svalbardbutikken beginning soon, a large amount of sea ice around Svalbard is definitely not a sign climate change impacts are lessening, and the lack of a director at Visit Svalbard for the past eight months is taking a toll on employees and planned projects.
Briefs from Svalbardposten for the week of Nov. 26, 2019

Airbnb rentals are down somewhat this year as a new law restricting rentals takes effect in about a month, a dog has to be killed after being injured by a polar bear at the Polish Polar Station at Hornsund and The University Centre in Svalbard finally has a list of 18 candidates to be the next director after the deadline is delayed twice.