Friday, July 17, 1998
Mayor Dave Lovell says he "goofed." That's Lovell's excuse for what we just can't stop calling a sweet deal for Yellowknife South MLA Seamus Henry and a very bad deal for city ratepayers.
Henry saves almost $150,000, the cost of bringing municipal services to a lot on Range Lake Road that will soon be home to a Dairy Queen franchise and another doughnut shop.
Historically, private developers have paid the cost of putting in water and sewer lines to their lots themselves. But in this case, the city will foot the bill.
Such an arrangement has never been worked out before, according to city hall officials. So it should come as no surprise that some Yellowknifers, including city councillors and business people who would love dearly to be able to extract similar concessions from the city, aren't satisfied with an admission of a simple oversight. Neither are we.
There are only two possibilities. Either Lovell and city officials were fully aware of the deal and saw fit to grant Henry the money for whatever reason, or Lovell and the same officials just didn't know what they were doing.
Some of Lovell's critics are calling for his resignation -- again. They argue that this latest incident is only one of a series that suggest Lovell has a poor understanding of his job and his power. Most stop short of questioning his integrity. Proof that he has knowingly violated the public trust has not been brought forward.
But ignorance is just an unpalatable as dishonesty. The people of Yellowknife deserve a city government that they can not only trust do what's right, but one that knows enough to tell the difference between right and wrong.
Mayor Dave Lovell does not inspire such confidence.
Important principles upon which our justice system operate survived the test during the Wing Lee trial.
The public's need for an open trial was challenged by the court's appropriate insistence on the protection of minors. And the system worked. While Canada's public broadcasting network argued for an open trial, Crown prosecutor Mark Scrivens made the case for protecting the identities of the minors who were believed to be on the video tapes entered as evidence.
Justice John Vertes ruled that while the public could remain in the courtroom, they could not actually see the video tapes. A compromise such as this has a venerable precedent; it was King Solomon who perfected the art of splitting the difference.
Accountants, miners, premiers, even permafrost researchers -- 1998 will no doubt go down as a banner year for the conference business in Yellowknife.
Several hundreds delegates at half a dozen gatherings in just the past couple of weeks suggests there is a significant market to be tapped. And that's without the benefit of a full-fledged conference centre.
Just imagine what we could do with a complex dedicated to holding conventions. While the idea has been floated, and sunk, we can think of no good reason not to pursue it again. After all, conference delegates bring millions of dollars with them wherever they, and why shouldn't Hawaii and Las Vegas share some those dollars with us?
Editorial comment
Derek Neary
Deh Cho Drum
On Friday, Saturday and Sunday, Reginald "Sandy" Sandison and his daughter, Mary Fox, visited Fort Simpson. All the way from Brookings, Oregon, they were here to see the village and surrounding area, and to conduct a little research to see if they could find out anything more about their ancestry.
It's not that they didn't already come equipped with an overwhelming amount of knowledge about their lineage and a volume of documents. Yet a few missing links still remain.
Their 18-year endeavor has enabled Sandy and Mary to chart their family tree back to the mid-1700s. They know that Sandy's great-grandfather, John, lived in Fort Simpson for close to a decade and wed Elizabeth Sutherland in this area in 1838.
Sometimes, they merely need to find a single copy of a file or have somebody mention something about the past, as inconsequential as it may seem, in order to put their finger on another piece of the puzzle. Each new piece of information they obtain is a potentially exciting discovery that sheds new light on the ever-emerging picture.
Although asked to recount their family's history several times on Friday evening while at a social function, they never seemed to tire of going over the details. Also fascinating was a conversation between Sandy and community historian Steve Rowan.
Through their discourse, it became apparent just how many monumental events Sandy has experienced during his 91 years. They recalled the first time he saw a car and a plane. In his lifetime, he has lived through two World Wars, the Great Depression and the advent of television (maybe not such a bad thing in comparison).
He has seen Haley's Comet twice and lives in an age where space travel is becoming routine. Rather than his old typewriter, he now uses a computer which makes it easier to correct his mistakes, he noted. The Internet has also hastened his search to obtain genealogical material.
Sandy is a man who has adapted the modern era, yet has a yearning to uncover keys to the past.
We hope he thoroughly enjoyed his brief stay in Fort Simpson and wish him the best of luck in his pursuit.
Editorial comment
Glen Korstrom
Inuvik Drum
It is always a precarious venture to delve into religion.
So to start off, I am not a devout follower of any faith and have read more of the teachings of Buddha than of the Bible.
Though my parents were both Christian, they gave me complete freedom of religion and did not drag me off to church.
Actually, I think they did once, when my teenaged sister decided on her own to get baptized.
Still, I do see the benefit of religious values shared, passed down and uniting people in a community.
From Northern Ireland to Iran there is evidence fundamentalism of any stripe is dangerous.
Why do I bring this up?
The past few weeks there has been a pastor sharing his views in this paper. I am trying to spread the word to people who live in Inuvik and are of different faiths that this paper is the voice of the community and should reflect the community's views.
Perhaps there could be a part of the Drum where Inuvikmiut of different faiths rotate with their take on life. I know of no Islamic writers, however.
Anyone interested?
I believe it is healthy for a diversity of views to circulate.
So, as always, I am here to listen if anyone has any feedback or suggestions for the paper.
Openness and justification only fair
It is sometimes difficult to separate gossip from reality.
When the issue at hand involves one of the sacred "P"s of personnel or property, few believe it is appropriate to speak on the record. I agree.
This is why boards usually go in-camera to discuss such issues -- out of fairness to all involved. Responsible media types do the same so no one is unjustly tarred.
Still, many are buzzing around town about the goings-on at the library.
However the current hushed-up drama plays out, it is fair to say Inuvikmiuts will demand openness and justification.
These tenets are basic in a democracy and without them, the seeds of corruption and injustice can grow to breed petty fiefdoms harmful to all.