Friday, February 09, 2001
The worst decision Yellowknife city council can make Monday night is to build a single pad arena at Sir John Franklin.
It would be shortsighted and costly, despite offering immediate relief for Gerry Murphy woes.
Shortsighted because the chances are very good Yellowknife will need three ice services sooner than later; costly because two single pads are more expensive to build and operate than a twin pad.
Half a million dollars has already been spent on a twin pad arena design. That's money that should never have been spent and wise councillors should learn from the mistake but tossing the plans would be a crime.
Ignoring all the costs of a single pad decision would be a disservice to the ratepayers first and arena users second. Council would be piling another bad decision upon the tall stack of others since 1997. That's when they voted to spend $460,000 on designs for a twin pad arena on Twin Pine Hill. It was a foolish decision based on bad information from city administration and misguided assumptions by mayor and council. As a site, Twin Pine hill never made it to first base.
Visions of a brand new community multiplex at the YCC site are only clouding the issue. The city has neither the money nor the mandate to consider such an option.
What council must decide Monday is where to build a new phased twin pad arena. Both the Sir John Franklin and the Yellowknife Correctional Institute sites are suitable from an engineering standpoint. Which site is best for the city and its future is a political decision for councillors. Difficult yes, but that's why we elected them.
The agonizing and to date expensive arena debate must come to an end. On that, Yellowknifers are united.
Yellowknife resident Kurt Lenigher has his finger on the pulse of an important problem plaguing Yellowknifers -- our messy mall and all the garbage on the streets surrounding it.
To quote the retired Giant Mine pensioner, most days "you have problems looking through the glass doors because they're covered with spit and vomit."
Mall management, who admit they're in the process of re-tendering the cleaning contract, insist it's a constant battle to clean up after the hundreds of people -- some of whom are intoxicated -- that traipse through the centre daily.
But is constantly cleaning up after these people the answer?
Management adds they face a further battle keeping up with the vomit and vandalism that spill into their entrances after a neighbouring bar shuts down.
If the local bar has to employ bouncers whose sole responsibility is to toss out these boozehounds, then why should the mall even allow them within spitting distance of the property. Where are their security guards when the windows are being smashed and kicked in by vandals?
The bad news, of course, is even if they boost the number of security guards and janitors this problem doesn't stop at the Centre Square Mall.
If Lenigher is worried about the image of our messy mall, with its loitering street drunks is creating for our tourists, don't worry, they're already tripping over it everywhere.
Just go into the post office after supper, or to the foyer at any bank after hours. The slumped figures, we often see passed out in alleys during the summer are out in full force.
Since the detox centre closed down two years ago these unfortunate members of our society have nowhere to go when intoxicated except to these public places or the drunk tank, and even then, police are scrambling to keep up with the pace.
The real answer lies in helping these people and getting them off the streets, not investing in more window cleaner.
Editorial Comment
Malcolm Gorrill
Inuvik Drum
Lots of young, local athletes were sharpening their skills over the weekend.
A volleyball clinic was held at Aurora College as part of efforts to select athletes for the Aboriginal Sports Circle high performance camp in Winnipeg. Players were also trying out for the NWT's Canada Summer Games volleyball team.
But that wasn't the only clinic in town. Many basketball buffs took part in a Player Development Clinic.
Putting that camp on was Jason Dayman, who's in charge of player development for the NWT Basketball Association.
Turnout was slight at the Saturday evening segment of the camp at Samuel Hearne Secondary school. However, that didn't stop Dayman and players from engaging in some practise and one or two fun games.
It was fun to sit back and watch the action for a while. The games and drills were an interesting combination of zany fun and instruction.
The experience was all the more enjoyable, in that meeting up with Dayman again was kind of a blast from the past for me.
Dayman, now phys ed instructor at the school in Deline, recently graduated from St. Francis Xavier University in Antigonish, Nova Scotia. He played for several years with the St. F.X. X-Men basketball team, and I covered him and his team while a sports reporter in Nova Scotia not that long ago.
Interestingly, Dayman said one thing he teaches is the importance of teamwork and fair play. He pointed out these are skills that come in handy off the court as well.
Dayman also touched upon an important point by talking about how basketball (and other sports), aside from providing physical benefits, can give young people something constructive and fun to do.
How best to spend
Early this week the Committee on Governance and Economic Development was in town to hear peoples' reactions about Bill 13 (the Hotel Room Tax Act).
One interesting theme which popped up during the evening was how best to use the funds raised by the tax to promote tourism in the NWT.
Proposals from the presenters included putting all the money into marketing the NWT as a whole, in hopes of catching the attention of potential visitors worldwide.
Another idea put forth was to have the money raised in the Inuvik region sent back here to promote the area, as well as fund local projects.
No doubt this debate will resume in earnest if the bill passes third and final reading in the assembly.
Editorial Comment
Derek Neary
Deh Cho Drum, Fort Simpson
Self-government and land claims negotiations are all the more complex when territorial overlap issues are thrown into the mix.
Such is the case with the Dogrib First Nation. Its negotiators are striving to reach a final land claims agreement by the end of March and then formally endorse the deal by summer. There are still a number of outstanding issues they must address, among them is a border with the Deh Cho First Nations (DCFN).
A few members of the Dogrib First Nation and the Deh Cho First Nation still use the Horn Plateau for hunting and trapping today as their ancestors did in the past.
After two years of negotiations, there's still been no agreement that each side is willing to ratify. One idea already put forward is that of a buffer zone, where a tract of land would be shared by the two First Nations groups. Although it seems to be a feasible compromise, for some reason, it was not ultimately endorsed.
Last February a meeting in Fort Simpson held promise as a procedural document was drafted to resolve the squabble. There was talking of forming a working group to put the issue to rest.
Still, they're no farther today.
Perhaps it's time to reconsider the buffer zone proposal. There's a great deal of land out there and it's only reasonable that the two sides should be able to share it for hunting and trapping purposes.
The issue of development in the area may be a non-issue if the DCFN is successful in making the Horn Plateau a protected area.
There are obviously arguments to be had over a lack of consultation, or interference with trap lines, but those could easily be resolved with the will of the parties involved.
In the bigger picture, with all that's at stake in land claims and self government -- and with both First Nations groups attempting to get the best deal possible from the federal and territorial governments -- it would be a shame to see things hampered by a relatively petty dispute by two long-time neighbours sharing a common culture.
A good living
This is Apprenticeship Week in the NWT. It's a means of learning in the classroom and on the job, and provides a realistic alternative to those who aren't planning to spend four or more years in a university setting.
Beyond simply being available to the public, some the NWT's apprenticeship programs, as Roger Tremblay can attest, are first-class operations. Quality instruction, plenty of individual attention and top-of-the-line tools and equipment convinced Tremblay that the heavy duty mechanics program is second to none.
With growing interest in oil and gas in the region, apprenticeship is one route to a secure livelihood.
Editorial Comment
Darrell Greer
Kivalliq News
There has been a noticeable improvement this week in the efforts of the Rankin Inlet arena staff.
Work is proceeding on the dressing room and public washroom areas, and Rankin recreation co-ordinator Johnny Tucktoo has the staff making a visible effort to clamp down on the shenanigans of some of the hamlet's more youthful rink goers.
We can only hope this effort continues and doesn't disappear once the community's attention is diverted elsewhere.
Camps beneficial
It has been a difficult week for Premier Paul Okalik in his role as Justice minister.
Okalik and his Justice Department heads made a smart move by calling in corrections officials from Yellowknife to investigate the tragic death of Baker Lake's Bruce Aasivaaryuk at the Arviat Alternative Justice Land Camp Jan. 29.
The move should eliminate any claims of bias against the government investigating itself.
As tragic as Aasivaaryuk's death was, we agree with Premier Okalik that the benefits these camps provide far outweigh the risks involved. To date, former inmates at the Arviat camp have been receiving solid reports from their home communities.
And although it is still too early for actual statistics to be compiled in our region, it appears, to date, former inmates at the land camps are less likely to re-offend than those who spend their entire time behind bars.
Honours earned
A big thumbs up this week to Rankin Inlet's Mary Tatty and the women's senior volleyball team.
Tatty has worked tirelessly with the volleyball program in Rankin for years and deserves the accolades that come with "her girls" capturing the bronze medal at last month's NWT Senior Women's Volleyball championship in Yellowknife.
Solid decision
Sustainable Development Minister Olayuk Akesuk's appointment of Coral Harbour's Jackie Nakoolak as DevCorp chairperson was a good move for the new minister.
Many smaller communities in Nunavut have been complaining loudly that their needs are not being heard by the Nunavut Government and Nakoolak's appointment shows Akesuk is aware of the importance of smaller communities having a voice in the NG's affairs.
With Nakoolak being from Coral Harbour -- if any of the larger communities are feeling slighted by the appointment -- Akesuk may very well have felt that they will just have to grin and bear it.