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Wednesday, July 30, 1997 Time to get off the fence, council
Did Mayor Dave Lovell stray from the truth on CBC television the other night when he said city council supports the city's court battle against Yellowknife Bay houseboaters?
Maybe. Or maybe he was just being a little creative with the way he answered the interviewer's questions. Either way, Lovell's claim raises a another, more serious, question that deserves an answer. Just how do the councillors feel about what has become a costly and confusing court case?
The city wants the houseboaters, who, although living on the water, use some city services, to pay taxes. The houseboaters, pointing to federal law in place since Confederation, argue that the city has no jurisdiction over waterways. The courts are going to have to sort this one out.
Among the few uncontested facts in this strange tale is the absence of any official direction from council on the matter. Council never voted to spend a single cent -- let alone the $20,000 that lawyers have already billed the city -- to take the houseboaters to court. City administrator Doug Lagore made that decision on behalf of all Yellowknife residents.
Whether we agree with the decision or not, whether we think city's should be able to assume what has always been a federal power or not, it wasn't a democratic decision.
Dave Lovell might point out that city council's official silence on the matter is tantamount to approval. Philosophically, he's right. Technically -- legally -- he couldn't be more wrong.
Let's make this clear. Until council speaks with an official vote that gives a specific directive to city staff, the matter should go no further. Period.
Then, maybe the next time a journalist, or anyone else for that matter, asks the mayor whether his actions have the support of council, the mayor won't run the risk of evading the question, straying from the truth or looking foolish.
If this is July, this must be tourist season. And a welcome season it is. Tourism can and has inject a great deal of money into our economy.
As gold mining fades from the city's economy, focussing on tourism as an alternative source of revenue seems to make sense.
Yellowknife has all the basics for building a strong tourism business: beautiful scenery, terrific summer weather and friendly people. The next step is providing tourists with things to do. Perhaps the mining industry could start thinking about a mining museum, before the business fades into ancient history.
Seat belts, airbags, baby seats, safety glasses, steel-toed boots, rubber gloves -- the list is nearly endless. And one of the latest pieces of safety gear to become part of popular culture is the bicycle helmet.
Though mandatory in many other jurisdictions, the wearing of bicycle helmets while pumping peddles will probably will not become part of any Northwest Territories transportation act for a long time. But that shouldn't deter anyone from wearing one.
We should also encourage our children to wear them, for safety's sake. Safety should always come first and when lives and serious injuries are at risk.
So why not take the safe way out, whether its legislated or not.
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