If anyone doubts the wisdom of Yellowknifers challenging the electoral boundaries in court, no one makes the case better than city councillor Kevin O'Reilly.
O'Reilly opposes the city getting involved in the court case, reasoning that it will foster more "anti-Yellowknife" attitudes in the GNWT. He then reminds Yellowknifers that the city's block funding arrangement is up for negotiation next year.
Obviously, O'Reilly sees a gun to our heads, one that might go off if we aren't quiet. The result would leave us with less territorial funding than we rightly deserve.
We agree with O'Reilly a real threat exists, but the remedy cannot be to roll over and play dead. The remedy is to remove the threat and the only way to do that is to insist the people of this city get the representation to which they have a right. If that means taking it to court, so be it.
It fills one with both a certain type of inner warmth and a sense of community pride to see so many businesses and individuals show so much generosity towards their fellow man as the holiday season approaches.
For most of the year, many of us tend to take a lot of what we have in life for granted.
Christmas seems to be the one true time of the year we slow down long enough to take stock of our own situations and extend a caring hand towards the less fortunate among us.
Once again, Northerners have let their actions show the vastness of their compassion and caring.
Editorial Comment
Marty Brown
Kivalliq News
Fund-raising. It can be a dirty word or a challenge, depending on how you look at it. Let's face it, money makes the world go round, and it seems everything takes money. Whether it's skating at the arena, visiting the library, even going on a picnic, it takes cash.
There are even new university courses that specialize in fund-raising. And it's not just a course or two on how to get money from foundations, but an actual year- long program at the University of Waterloo in southern Ontario. Professional fund-raisers can sniff out finances.
With government cutbacks, fund-raising is very important. Volunteers are taking the place of paid workers. Non-profit organizations are folding and every organization is scrambling for the ever- dwindling government and foundation money.
Canvassers are put on commission. Twirling, twirling, swirling -- everyone is hustling for the buck.
So, what's the easiest way to generate funds? Hold a bingo. The Catholic Church was the first to decide gambling was not the way to go. Gambling is an addiction they decided or maybe a sin. So, no more bingo playing in the church hall. Now, the church seems to have gone into the flea market business in order to offset a deficit.
The Rankin Inlet hamlet council had a tough time deciding whether to allow a lottery terminal in town a couple of years ago. With Nunavut coming, Sport North money would cease and residents of Nunavut needed a way to fund athletics. It costs $1,200 for one hockey player to go from Pond Inlet to Rankin Inlet for a tournament.
After much deliberation and concern for people who would be spending money meant for food on lottery tickets, the hamlet decided to go ahead. As then-counsellor John Hickes said "just because the money's not being spent on lottery tickets doesn't mean it's going on the table."
How to raise $20,000? The hamlet's minor hockey association held a sport weekend.
"Fund-raising depends on people's weaknesses," Brian Zawadski said, sadly. "Drinking and gambling. It's a known fact."
He's on the executive for minor hockey in this hamlet, and along with many other people, spent hours and working on a fund-raising weekend of dances, dinners and a hockey auction. The sport weekend did not bring in as much money as expected. Even the "weakness factor" is bringing a lower return in lately.
In tougher times, fund-raisers have to be imaginative, and sometimes that doesn't even work.
It also takes money to make money. So, now we're back to square one. Short of getting an inheritance and donating the money to charity for the tax receipt, what's the answer?
Raffling off trips for a good cause seems a way to go, but not always. Should morality be brought into fund-raising?
We could auction off Donny Morin's wardrobe. After the next election he'll only have the shirt on his back anyway.
Maybe raise the price on cigarettes. That seems to be the answer to everything lately. Killing two birds with one stone, raising money and encouraging people to quit smoking.
I don't have any answers, but if you do, call the office. Maybe we can go into the fund-raising business together.