Wednesday, April 18, 2001
Malls and teens go together. Young people wander the halls for fun, shelter from the elements, meet with friends, and sometimes shop or stop for a coffee, pop or a snack.
For the most part, they are welcome. So-called "teen-aged truants" are not. They are a source of frustration for merchants who say their behaviour is disrupting business.
It's not a new problem. As long as there have been malls, teens have found them a great place to hang out.
But teens don't just hang out. They spend money in the stores and provide some of the workforce the merchants need.
The few bad apples who cause problems rock this delicate consumer ecosystem.
Merchants risk alienating their loyal teen clientele by cracking down too harshly, and teens risk ruining their hang-out habitat by angering the merchants.
Meetings between Yellowknife city, school officials and merchants are a step.
The real solution involves doing what RCMP Staff Sgt. Terry Scott suggested: "In order to deal with these problems you need to be skilled in communication, not brute force."
Merchants must talk with the same "truants" they say are causing the trouble, rather than calling security to shoo them away at first sight.
Teens, too, must understand that merchants are trying to make a living. Restaurant tables are not public spaces to sit and chat. Merchants depend upon a quick turnover -- especially during busy times -- to ensure they can do enough business to support the business.
In the end, it's all about respect: merchants who welcome teens with understanding rather than suspicion, and teens who don't abuse that trust.
Who said you can't fight city hall -- or the territorial government?
Obviously, they don't know Maria King. The welfare activist made Jake Ootes eat his edict.
Last week, the minister of Education, Culture and Employment bowed to public opinion and promised to return federal fuel subsidies clawed back from Northerners on income assistance.
This all started when Ottawa mailed out $250 cheques to Northerners to soften the blow of high fuel prices. Ottawa didn't consider it income, the GNWT did. The result was that some people income assistance got $3 cheques last month and had to turn to the food bank for help.
It was the "last straw" for Maria King. Low income families were already stressed, said King, who characterized the clawback as discriminatory and morally wrong.
It took pressure from MLAs for the minister to get the message, but the once adamant Ootes finally mumbled "policy review" the mantra for public officials wiping egg from their faces.
The idea of city hall hiring a full-time garbage picker for Yellowknife is completely ludicrous.
Coun. Dave Ramsay, sickened with the state of the downtown core, brought the idea to city council who voted last Monday in favour of hiring someone.
City administration, who was directed by council to find the $11,000 to hire someone from September to December 2001, is now recommending they scrap the idea and instead use existing manpower to beef up the cleaning.
We agree. True the garbage is disgusting, but the city hires a casual worker from May to August to pick up garbage in the downtown core every year. It also coughs up $30,000 to non-profit groups for the annual spring cleanup.
If anything the city should be beefing up on is its enforcement of the city's littering policy. Another idea would be to make the mandatory snow removal policy for businesses effective in the spring and summer, calling on merchants to ensure the streets outside their stores are kept clean.
Editorial Comment
Darrell Greer
Kivalliq News
A hearty congratulations to Tony Eetuk and Joseph Nakoolak for their performance at the Cadet/Juvenile National Wrestling Championships in Saskatoon.
The entire Kivalliq Region should be bursting with pride over the accomplishments of these two young athletes from Coral Harbour.
Tony Eetuk is the proud holder of one of sports' most unique accomplishments -- a first.
He will forever be remembered as the first wrestler to earn a medal for Nunavut at the national level.
Eetuk's mat partner, Joseph Nakoolak (the 2000 Sport Nunavut Male Athlete of the Year), also had a strong showing in Saskatoon and, were it not for some bad luck in the tournament draw, may also have been on the podium.
We must also tip our hat to the Department of Community Government and Transportation's (CG&T) Tommy Bruce for coming through with the necessary funding to send our athletes to the national meet.
Coral wrestling coach Bruce McKitrick says CG&T also provided funding for last year's event, which makes us wonder exactly what, other than the elitist Arctic Winter Games, Sport Nunavut actually helps fund or develop.
While we must recognize the work of Kyle Seeley in promoting Kivalliq athletes since joining the Sport Nunavut staff, overall its presence and influence has been sorely lacking in our region for an organization with its head office in Baker Lake.
Logistically speaking, we do acknowledge the Arctic Winter Games as a mammoth undertaking.
However, if, in fact, Sport Nunavut is spending most of its time and financial resources concentrating on that event, its director, Patrick Tagoona, should keep in mind that a solid territorial sporting program can't be built from the top down.
More effort has to be placed on developing our sporting programs at the grassroots level.
And, our territorial organization must lend more support to athletes such as Eetuk and Nakoolak, who developed their skills at the local level.
In fact, the Coral wrestling program should be a shining example to Sport Nunavut on just how successful a local program can become.
We shudder to think the state Kivalliq sports would be in if not for the continued efforts of CG&T to help fund our athletes, facilities and community sporting events, despite continued opposition at the capital assembly table.
That being said, it's time for Sport Nunavut to step up and play a more visible role in the development of our sporting programs -- and not just once every two years!
Editorial Comment
Malcolm Gorrill
Inuvik Drum
Sights and sounds abounded for both young and the young at heart alike this past weekend.
The Muskrat Jamboree came and went for another year, giving residents and visitors the chance to gather together, swap stories and share a lot of laughs.
Boot Lake was a lively place over the weekend, with tents and a stage set up. Hundreds milled about, taking in the competitions on stage like tea boiling or log sawing.
People also got to soak up lots of sunshine amid days of beautiful, mild weather.
Kudos to the organizers for a job well done. Events like this are needed to bring people together and lift everyone's spirits.
Bins introduced
An important debut occurred during the Muskrat Jamboree.
The Inuvik Recycling Society introduced their new PET bins to the general public. Those involved in the society could be seen at the jamboree grounds, pointing out to people that these new bins are designed to allow pop cans and juice containers to be recycled, instead of going to a landfill.
The bins are being placed in the schools and in various offices in town and mark an important step in the society's efforts to decrease the amount of garbage produced by the community.
Room to grow
The Town of Inuvik and the Department of Municipal and Community Affairs are close to a deal on commissioner's lands.
Several members of the public dropped by at a meeting last week, in which town officials outlined the lands they are requesting be turned over to them from MACA.
The deal would provide the town with the lands needed for development over the next two to three years.
If approved, the deal would be an important one. Not long ago council complained about the lack of available land in the area, and the need to reach at least a temporary agreement on commissioner's lands.
Budding writers
This year Sir Alexander Mackenzie school students have been working on a special project.
The first two issues of the SAMS Journal have been printed, with more expected to follow.
The journal is a good chance for kids to practice their writing skills, and doing so may spur them on to read more.
That can only help them in their future endeavours.
Putting together a journal requires a lot of teamwork, from picking assignments for students to do, as well as getting stories in on time.
The latter is something journalists know a lot about.
Editorial Comment
Derek Neary
Deh Cho Drum, Fort Simpson
Fort Simpson residents have the right to know their mayor was seeking a half-time salary from Village council.
It's a matter of public interest.
Mayor Tom Wilson told The Drum he did not ask to have his request for a half-time salary discussed in camera at a March 19 council meeting.
"I wasn't trying to keep it hidden," Wilson said.
Yet, while Wilson was out of town, the matter was discussed in camera at the March 19 council meeting. Senior administrative officer (SAO) Bruce Leclaire described it as personnel matter because it related to salary.
As an elected official, whose salary is a matter of public record, discussions regarding the mayor's remuneration need not be dealt with in private.
At the very least, there should be no fear of simply listing the topic for discussion, whether it be a personnel matter or a legal matter. Yet this has not been the case with Village council. Leclaire noted that there's no legal requirement for revealing the topic. Nevertheless, he and Wilson said they will ask council whether they are willing to alter the practice. Without so much as a reference to the subject matter, it only raises suspicions.
In Yellowknife, each topic is introduced during the regular city council meeting, and if a councillor believes any topic should be discussed in camera, a vote is held. If two-thirds or more councillors agree, then the topic, known to all who attend the meeting or review the minutes, is reviewed behind closed doors at the end of the public meeting.
In Fort Simpson, when it's time to go in camera, councillors never raise questions or object. They routinely raise their hands in favour, although, in some cases, they aren't even aware of the topic at hand.
It's time for councillors to take a more hands-on approach.
It should be noted that council cannot pass a by-law or resolution while in camera -- they must open the doors first. The Drum is not suggesting that Fort Simpson Village council has disregarded this principle.
Televising council meetings may seem like a way to make Village council more accountable, but as long as in camera meetings continue to be held without so much as revealing what's being discussed, a video camera will make little difference.
As a side note, Tom Wilson deserves credit for not shying away from the half-time salary issue. Although his request was dismissed by council, and is therefore a dead issue, he openly and willingly discussed it after the fact. Whether you agree with his opinion or not, that's accountability.