Friday, January 05, 2001
Louise Vertes says a study to identify the care needs of seniors living in Yellowknife is long overdue.
The city is home to about 500 seniors. Many of them want to live out their golden years here, even though facilities for them are insufficient.
The present care regime dictates that availability decreases as need increases and the situation will get worse as demand grows.
The city's senior population is expected to triple over the next 20 years.
There are 24 available units in Aven Court -- with a waiting list of 16 -- and 16 units in the Mary Murphy Home intended for seniors who are fairly independent.
Aven Manor is the only place for seniors who need more care but can still get around.
All 29 of the manor's beds are filled and four people are on the waiting list.
There are only 10 beds at Stanton Hospital's extended care unit for seniors who require total medical and personal care and these are generally full. Ed Jeske's situation presents a good example of issues involving the city's seniors. The stairs in his house are a dangerous hurdle. Jeske, 73, would like to sell his home and move into an Aven Court apartment, but what happens if he sells and no units are available? If he falls down the stairs and requires acute care, will there be a place for him in Yellowknife, or will he have to go south?
We need to build more facilities to accommodate the specific needs of seniors we have now. But we also need a plan to accommodate the expected 1,500 seniors by 2018.
Yellowknife's seniors should not have to push for a $20,000 study to identify their needs.
We should already be providing them with essential services.
It's a done deal. Owners of the Lac de Gras property, Rio Tinto and Aber Diamond Corp. approved construction of the $1.3 billion Diavik diamond mine late last month.
This is good news for businesses near and far that have already profited tremendously in the nine year lead-up to the mine that will take another two-and-a-half years to build.
The fact that Diavik plans to move 4,000 loads of fuel, equipment and construction material up the ice road this winter -- about four-times what the company hauled last year -- speaks for the positive effects this will have on the Yellowknife economy.
The mine is scheduled to begin production in 2003. In the meantime, good luck to Rio Tinto and Aber Diamond Corp.
We look forward to watching our economy grow.
You can look all you want, but it's the touch, taste and feel that you will remember long after the experience is over.
Many vacations are memories of a blurred landscape seen through a car window? What you remember is the trip 400 feet underground in an old coal mine or kayaking past a pod of dolphins.
The North is something to be experienced. You can see the Northern Lights from many places in the south, but to experience the true beauty, you must come North of 60. You also can't know what it was like to call the North home until you understand the people who lived in this harsh land.
That's what former NWT premier Don Morin and his wife Gladys are trying to accomplish with Aurora Village, a new tourism operation combining aurora viewing with aboriginal culture on the edge of Jerry Lake.
It's part of a new wave where tourists get out of the climate controlled bus and onto the land for a vacation they will remember.
Another year has come and gone.
Celebrations have just wrapped up to mark the dawn of a new year, and though they did not match the fantastic fireworks and festivities held worldwide a year ago, this next little while still marks an important time.
This is a chance to reflect on the important and memorable events from the year 2000. This issue lists some of the highlights from this area, such as the TransCanada Relay. The Arctic leg of that relay kicked off in Tuktoyaktuk early in the year.
Many stories and happenings stand out for me since my arrival here in June. The Great Northern Arts Festival and the Northern Games were both large, well-attended events with lots of participants and spirit.
In July, the Canada 10,000 Rally ended in Inuvik. Teams of journalists drove a pair of Maserati sports cars from Montreal to here. Seeing a Maserati close up was neat, but getting a quick ride in one of them was even more fun.
August was chalk full of events as well, including my first visit to Tuktoyaktuk. The occasion was a feast held to honour the crews of the RCMP vessel St. Roch II and the Simon Fraser. The vessels were in the midst of the St. Roch II Voyage of Rediscovery, a trip around North America designed to pay homage to the original RCMP patrol vessel St. Roch.
The feast was a lot of fun and the whole concept of the voyage was interesting. Getting to dip my hand in the Arctic Ocean for the first time was also memorable.
In August I also got to meet, and interview, Governor General Adrienne Clarkson during her visit to the Beaufort Delta. A nice lady with a genuine love of the North.
A truly great experience was getting to know five members of the Paulatuk Drummers and Dancers this fall. Esther Wolki, Savanna Green, Tracey Wolki, Nolan Green and Warren Ruben went to Hannover, Germany to perform at the Canadian Pavilion at Expo 2000. It was a pleasure to meet all these teens, who got to have fun while also passing along their culture and representing their country.
Of course, this past year wasn't all fun and games. The nursing shortage which struck several local communities may have only been temporary, but from all indications, keeping and attracting nurses to the area will be an issue this year as well.
The delayed construction of the new Aurora College for Inuvik will also continue to be of interest for residents throughout the region.
In short, the past year has been eventful. The next 12 months should be the same, and offer many opportunities and challenges for Beaufort Delta residents.
Whether you believe it arrived in 2000 or 2001, the new millennium is now upon us. Looking back at the developments of the past year, one can't help but wonder what lies ahead over the next 12 months.
Many Deh Cho residents are anxious about the prospects of industrial development, but for different reasons. Some are, first and foremost, concerned about protecting the land. Others are yearning for training and employment and a healthy influx of revenue.
The Deh Cho First Nations are poised to sign an interim measures agreement with the federal government in spring, at least that's the latest word. It was to have been signed last year, but as often happens with complex negotiations, it has been delayed. Once that agreement is signed, a land withdrawals process will take place. The DCFN will designate certain areas as off-limits to development, other lands will be open to limited development and some tracts will be opened for business.
That's all expected to take place over the next year. The growing demand for jobs from individual First Nations within this region has resulted in a commitment from the DCFN to focus on three areas in 2001: ensuring self-government negotiations remain on track, building community capacities and cultivating economic development initiatives. It will be interesting to see how that comes together.
We will also find out in the coming months what the major industry players favour in terms of a natural gas pipeline. While both the foothills route along the Alaska Highway and the Mackenzie Valley route may not be mutually exclusive, if the foothills course gets the green light first, it will likely stall a Mackenzie Valley pipeline. Should the Mackenzie Valley route get the go-ahead, devolving powers and royalties from the federal government to First Nations and the territorial government will become even more pressing, even if it does take several years to complete the pipeline.
On another front, the past year was certainly a busy one on the election front with numerous municipal and band elections, as well as a federal campaign.
The election for DCFN grand chief was, perhaps, the most fascinating of all. It turned out not to be an election at all, but a reappointment of Michael Nadli by some of the region's politically-engaged elders. That unexpected announcement touched off a lengthy debate at the Deh Cho assembly in Kakisa, as some delegates demanded a chance to vote.
While the elders' selection was ultimately accepted, the disenchanted delegates called for election regulations to be instituted, thereby avoiding a similar predicament in the future. Other leaders indicated that their respective First Nations may return to having the elders select a chief, a traditional band practice.
These are interesting times we live in, wouldn't you agree?
The year 2000 was a roller-coaster of emotion for many in Kivalliq. It was also a year of learning.
On the political front, some of our leaders brought us great pride, while others brought great sorrow and disappointment.
Arviat MLA Kevin O'Brien assumed the position of house speaker in 2000, while Baker Lake MLA Glenn McLean proved to be one of the most vocal politicians in Nunavut to improve his community and the region.
Our Kivalliq athletes did us proud on a number of fronts, but none as dramatically as the Coral Harbour wrestling team.
The Coral wrestling program drew accolades for our region by producing team, coach and male athlete of the year honours at Sport Nunavut's annual banquet and ceremony.
Last year was a banner one for education in the Kivalliq, with many schools setting new standards in the number of students receiving their high school diplomas.
The entire region helped Repulse Bay celebrate the first Grade 12 graduate in the hamlet's history.
The entire region also banded together when tragedy struck the brave crew of the Avataq.
A sense of tremendous loss and sorrow was felt in every Kivalliq hamlet for the lost seamen and the grieving families they left behind.
Perhaps the most important development of 2000 was the increased sense of community throughout our region.
As we searched for an identity and our role within our young territory, we grew together and identified many of our collective strengths and weaknesses.
With a new year comes renewed hope and promise for prosperity.
For our region to continue to grow and prosper, we must nurture our feelings of territorial, regional, community, and family strength, pride and resolve.
We must believe in who we are, where we come from and where we are going. We must take pride in our accomplishments and learn from our mistakes.
And, above all, we must continue to lay a solid foundation from which future generations can build.
For it is from the labours of today that the dreams of tomorrow will be realized.