Wednesday, May 30, 2001
We can understand why it might be that Yellowknife Catholic Schools is reluctant to release its draft budget to the public before its own members have had a chance to examine the numbers first. Politicians at every level live in fear of finding themselves on the hot seat without the chance to familiarize themselves with the issues first.
In Ottawa a few weeks ago, for example, Justice Minister Anne McLennan was raked over the proverbial coals for letting reporters see a discussion document before delivering copies to her fellow MPs. You can bet she won't be doing that again.
But members of a public school board cannot use that argument to deny the public any chance to scrutinize the most important document of the fiscal year, simply because of bad scheduling. We're talking about millions of dollars here. There can be no debate about whether parents and other taxpayers have a legal right to review that information. They most certainly do.
The board's chair, Kern von Hagen, says the board has to vote on the budget at the next public meeting, and yet the budget won't be released until then. This is simply not acceptable. Either release the budget now, thereby meeting the board's obligations to consult with the people they represent, or push back approval of the budget to a later date.
The issue of unsettled wage negotiations with the Catholic board's teachers is a red herring. The teachers have just as much a right to review the budget as the rest of the city, and if the board can't negotiate without full disclosure (partial disclosure has already been made), then members should step aside, and leave the job to those who better understand the democratic process.
It must have been a comic scene before Jane Groenewegen resigned from the board of management, with the deputy premier popping out of her seat like a Jack-in-the-box to avoid influencing discussion of conflict allegations directed at her by Hay River businessman Jack Rowe.
Groenewegen did the right thing when she vacated her seat on the board to make way for Finance minister Joe Handley.
The deputy premier's resignation reassures the public that the board and its members understand what it means to be in a conflict of interest.
When you walk down any sidewalk, along any trail and through almost every park there's one constant: trash.
It's everywhere. Not in great amounts -- although there are places where it does accumulate -- but there's enough to make some shake their heads. Just look downtown, where despite constant sweeping and cleaning, there's always trash strewn everywhere.
A new committee is trying to make a difference, suggesting bear-shaped garbage cans. Walt Humphries has suggested a "litter report card" to embarrass neighbourhoods to clean up.
Maybe Walt has come up with the solution. After all, it's time we were all embarrassed about the trash that makes our beautiful city look so bad.
Editorial Comment
Darrell Greer
Kivalliq News
While we congratulate Rankin Inlet's Dustin MacDonald on making the first cut towards earning a birth on the 2001-02 edition of the Team Pacific hockey club, we couldn't help but notice when it was that the coaches and scouting staff make their final evaluations.
The time frame of September through to November vividly illustrates what's wrong with the current hockey season in the Kivalliq due to the lack of one regional artificial ice surface.
Basically, it puts us out of whack with the rest of the country and severely limits what our developing young players are able to accomplish.
Now, we're not saying the time wouldn't be right anyway for MacDonald to head down south to further his hockey career, artificial ice in the Kivalliq or not.
What we are saying is it's time we started to move towards getting our hockey program in sync with the rest of the country and, at least, laying the foundation for the day when our home-grown talent will be able to develop in their own territory.
With all the informed and educated voices to have spoken up in the past two years about the benefits of artificial ice, it kind of makes you wonder if anyone in the Nunavut government is listening.
That sentiment goes out with our apologies to a certain Iqaluit MLA who we know has been listening. Unfortunately, the message he's been receiving has been somewhat distorted.
Praise deserved
It's a wonderful feeling to see so many of our Kivalliq teachers earning recognition for their classroom efforts.
From the iglu project in Arviat, to Muffin Saturdays in Repulse Bay and every hamlet in between, our Kivalliq teachers are continuing to raise the bar of excellence in their innovative approaches to higher learning.
We also applaud Carmie MacLean's modesty in viewing her Prime Minister's Award as an award to all teachers who strive so diligently every day to open the doors of knowledge within the minds of our youth.
The Northern environment presents an even deeper challenge to these educators in effectively blending contemporary subjects with Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit. A challenge, by most indications of the past two years, which is slowly being met.
Our Kivalliq teachers are to be commended for their efforts. But, hey, why let the prime minister steal all the glory? Take the time to thank a teacher today.
Editorial Comment
Derek Neary
Deh Cho Drum, Fort Simpson
At last week's Deh Cho First Nations leadership meetings the strain of trying to keep everything together was evident.
As DCFN chief negotiator Chris Reid put it, there's "no one size fits all model" for the 10 communities in the region.
The economic development plan adopted by the elders earlier in the week seemed to catch most of the chiefs off guard. It proposed a single industrial project in the Deh Cho, with all communities sharing in the employment and wealth. The recommendation was tabled until next month's Deh Cho Assembly in Kakisa. It was apparent that most of the communities have been preoccupied with establishing their own relations and tentative deals with various development companies. Not only that, but a few chiefs implied they are prepared to get on with economic development after the Interim Measures Agreement is signed, which was scheduled to take place Wednesday.
Yet Reid and DCFN Grand Chief Michael Nadli are emphasizing the importance of negotiating an interim resources development agreement with the federal government first. That would ensure impact benefits agreements and royalties, but that agreement could take another year or more.
The Acho Dene Koe, however, are laying the groundwork to continue with development on their own terms. One of the provisions in the resolution Chief Judy Kotchea demanded was to allow for land selections to carry on with economic development in Fort Liard.
What came as a greater concern to the other leaders was the Acho Dene's request for boundaries to be drawn between Fort Liard's traditional area and that of Nahanni Butte and Trout Lake. Boundaries are unwelcome within the Deh Cho. Kotchea had to explain several times that the B.C. Treaty Commission is making defined maps a pre-requisite to negotiating the Acho Dene's traditional land area on the B.C. side of the border -- a process that may become more complicated with a new Liberal provincial government under Gordon Campbell in place. Still, the whole issue raised suspicion.
Hay River Reserve Chief Pat Martell dropped a bomb by announcing that his people would require an independent legal opinion before signing the Interim Measures Agreement and Draft Framework Agreement.
At one point, Deh Cho Grand Chief Michael Nadli openly asked whether the Deh Cho Process was becoming too unwieldy. Will each community wind up with its own lawyer sitting by its chief's side at every meeting? Will 10 separate self-government processes be needed?
Reid noted that despite an attempt to negotiate on behalf of the best interest of all 10 Deh Cho communities, any individual community has the authority to implement portions of the interim self-government agreements as they see fit. Each community can also walk away from the negotiations process whenever they choose, he added.
Even though that reality threatens to dismantle the unity of the DCFN at any time, Nadli tried to put a good face on the contentious week of meetings. He suggested that the Deh Cho's First Nations were still intact as a cohesive unit and several "strong-willed" decisions were made.
In a self-government process that is expected to last seven years, things could unravel very easily. We shall see how strong the region's collective will really is.