Wednesday, May 6, 1998
The one consistent quality of the Northern airline industry is that it is always changing. Soon after the recent purchase of NWT Air by First Air, a Northern company, Norterra, is making a bid to buy Canadian North.
This is good news. If the deal goes through, it will ensure continued competition for air dollars. In the head-to-head battles for industry dominance since deregulation, it looked like the North might end up with one airline. This raised fears of high prices, not to mention routes and schedules that put the customer second.
An interesting aspect of the bid for Canadian North is that one of the Norterra partners is Nunasi, the corporate arm of Inuit in Nunavut. First Air is owned by the Inuit of Northern Quebec.
The southern distinction will be no more as Northern owned companies compete against each to win the hearts and cash of Northerners.
We hope that Braden Burry's entrance into the Alberta Stock Exchange is a sign not only of the rejuvenation of the Northern economy but a sign of coming of age for the NWT.
Braden Burry is a 20-year-old expediting company servicing the mining and exploration industry.
The idea behind public offerings is for companies to raise cash for expansion and innovation, hopefully leading to greater profits and borrowing ability.
In this case, the public offering also gives Northerners an opportunity to invest in themselves and may encourage other companies to take the plunge.
There has been some talk about an NWT stock exchange. It may be a long way off but the sooner the benefits of public trading are seen in the North, the sooner they will come about.
It's that time again when traffic on Yellowknife streets swells due to the number of cyclists hitting the pavement. And like every year, it also becomes a time when motorists and cyclists alike vent over each others road worthiness.
While we admit motorists, unlike cyclists, aren't prone to heaving their cars onto sidewalks in order to bypass traffic, or drive on the wrong side of the road, motorists do inadvertently cause problems for cyclists -- double parking, and turning corners without signalling, among other offenses.
The fact is, all traffic laws apply to both groups and we can only expect accidents if these rules are ignored.
A Pakallak Good Tyme
Jennifer Pritchett
Kivalliq News
A group of snowmachines from Chesterfield Inlet line up on the snow at Johnston's Cove. The drivers are getting ready to make the bumpy, three-hour ride back to the community as each machine pulls a komatik filled with groups of sunburned, tired, but happy faces.
The look of simple contentment on these faces after a couple of days of playing games and breathing fresh air on the sea ice near Rankin Inlet, speaks volumes about what Pakallak Tyme is all about. Translated in English to mean "a time to play," the festival is organized to give people the opportunity to relax and have fun.
As Rankin Inlet's premiere annual event, Pakallak Tyme attracts visitors every year from Arviat, Whale Cove, Chesterfield Inlet and other Keewatin communities, many of whom travel for hours by snowmachine to attend. This year was no exception. It's arguably the busiest time in the community, with people everywhere on the sea ice to take part in games, snowmachine races, as well as to watch the dog races.
The four-day event is a good example of why community events are necessary to bring people together. In a climate that restricts outdoor events for eight months of the year, a spring festival holds the potential to get people outside again to socialize and enjoy the sunshine.
It truly is a time to relax and be carefree. Getting people out in Rankin Inlet is one thing, but attracting dozens of people from the other communities is a bonus. Aside from a few people from other communities who visit Rankin in the winter, there is not one other event that attracts the crowds associated with Pakallak Tyme.
There was something for everyone to take part or watch. Events included bingos, nightly square dances, traditional as well as contemporary games, and a fashion show featuring traditional clothing.
As an observer, it's easy to take for granted the amount of hard work that goes into organizing a festival like Pakallak Tyme. But the truth is that it takes an incredible amount of dedication, often on the part of a small group of people, to pull it all off. The volunteers make it happen, and those who attended the festivities in Rankin Inlet last week should be thankful for those people who donated their time so everyone else could have a Pakallak Time. Without them, the whole affair wouldn't be possible.
It's great to see so many people have such a good time. There's really something to be said for just playing games and doing silly things. It's a great way to start spring and to take advantage of the warmer weather.
And as the weekend drew to a close, the snowmachines headed for Chesterfield made their way across Johnson's Cove with the kids in the komatiks waving to the spectators they left on the ice. Another Pakallak Tyme is over.