Monday, May 07, 2001
In a territory where distances are great and travel costs intimidating, it's good that the government makes the time to visit remote communities and hear first hand what is on voter's minds.
It demonstrates openness and accountability - important themes for a government that runs on consensus.
As Holman mayor Gary Bristo said when Premier Stephen Kakfwi and Nanakput MLA Vince Steen dropped in recently and drew an audience of 450, "it's nice to have the premier and MLA come in and see first-hand what is here,"
In Sachs Harbour, the politicians heard about the need for a local police station. The pressing issue in Paulatuk is housing.
There was a similar meeting this week in Fort Smith. The standing committee on accountability and oversight gathered there, but their deliberations were closed to the public. Perhaps that was just an oversight in accountability.
The public knows the essential details of the tragic death of Effie Blake: the Fort McPherson grandmother and teacher died last summer of tuberculosis, a disease that was thought have been vanquished.
The tragedy of Effie Blake is that she need not have died. The health care system failed her. She was seen by health care workers in Fort McPherson and Inuvik, but was not diagnosed with tuberculosis until she was examined at the Stanton Regional Hospital in Yellowknife
The government answered calls for a publicv inquiry with an inquest by NWT chief coroner Percy Kinney. The chief coroner has extensive powers of investigation at his disposal.
The inquiry opens June 12 in Inuvik. Testimony will reveal what happened to Effie Blake and how the health care system might be improved to avoid the repeat of the tragic loss suffered by her family and community.
At the recent meeting of the Nunavut Association of Municipalities, talk of rising insurance rates and a dwindling number of companies willing to back municipalities was nothing new.
For weeks, cities, towns and hamlets across the North have scrambled to find ways to pay premiums that have soared from $870,000 to $1.44 million. The NWT government had to put $565,000 into municipal coffers to help ease the rate crunch.
People are pointing the blame squarely at the Walkerton, Ont. E-coli disaster where, it appears, municipal workers covered up water problems. That resulted in nine deaths and hundreds of others becoming sick.
Now, there's word in North Battleford, Sask. that a different waterborne bug, cryptosporidium, has resulted in people getting sick, and possibly three deaths. The parasite could have been in the city's water system for up to three weeks before a boil-water order was issued.
We're not immune from similar infections in the NWT or Nunavut. Although there was only one case of cryptosporidiosis in the North in 2000, there were 20 cases of giardiasis. In 1999, there were 10 cases of giardiasis in each of the NWT and Nunavut.
Look back to 1997 when there were 27 cases of cryptosporidiosis across the North and another 18 people were affected by giardiasis. In Gjoa Haven, bloodworms have caused headaches and in Fort McPherson, the NWT government has to provide a new water system because of concerns about the old.
These numbers are more meaningful than talk of hundreds of thousands of dollars in insurance payments. That's how people are really affected.
While Northern governments must find ways to pay for the cost of insurance -- there's another important factor that must not be overlooked: water is our most precious resource.
It's expensive to get and costly to treat, but we should never, ever let our guard down. Constant testing is key and vigilance is a must.
Nunavut Arctic College graduates were left speechless when keynote speakers skipped the April 27 convocation ceremonies.
Concern that territorial strikers might clash with the likes of Premier Paul Okalik and Education Minister Peter Kilabuk prompted the decision.
What were our leaders thinking?
The territorial workers who belong to the Nunavut Employees Union had never picketed the curling club where the ceremony was scheduled to take place. Nor was the college targeted in the union's strategic strikes.
Iqaluit is not Quebec City, and the grad ceremony was not the Summit of the Americas. So what went wrong?
The government caved into a perceived threat at the expense of the college's 50 graduates.
Residents of the Kitikmeot are about to have their chance at the microphone. Often quoted as feeling left out of the fray when it comes to all things Nunavut, dwellers of the westernmost region will have all 19 Members of the Legislative Assembly on home turf in just one week's time.
It's the perfect opportunity to lobby the politicians to consider the Kitikmeot when it comes to making decisions that affect the whole territory.
Community leaders and members of the public must do everything they can to convey their concerns during the upcoming session. This is not the time for empty complaints: The approach must be a vocal, proactive one.
As they say at weddings, speak now, or forever hold your peace.
Editorial Comment
Maria Canton
Inuvik Drum
The Inuvik Alcohol Committee's decision to solicit oil and gas companies for support in re-starting the 30-day alcohol treatment program is a smart move. Now it's just a matter of the waiting for the petroleum giants to decide whether or not they will come on board.
The issue is a sensitive one that must be handled with finesse. No one wants the oil and gas companies to feel as though they are being targeted as the sole cause of substance abuse and alcoholism.
However, long-time residents haven't forgotten what happened last time Inuvik and surrounding communities celebrated the discovery of oil and gas in the region. The good times rolled with fat paycheques and jobs for everyone.
And then the good times dried up and the money stopped flowing, but the alcohol didn't.
We all know alcohol abuse exists on its own, without mass exploration for resources, but we certainly can't turn a blind eye to the fact that the problems here are fueled by booms in the oil and gas sector. The alcohol committee is only asking for "collaboration and partnering" from the companies in their endeavour to put programs in place before the good times hit again in earnest.
And even if the companies firmly believe they have nothing to do with the problems, it wouldn't hurt for them to kick a few dollars into community programs, after all, they do reside up here for half of the year.
Clear ideas
Congratulations to the Inuvik Recycling Society for putting together a master plan and successfully securing funding to begin a recycling program in Inuvik.
Door-to-door pick up of recyclables goes hand-in-hand with the local beautification projects.
The society couldn't have made recycling any easier, even for those who have never considered it before. The clear bags will be sent in the mail with an information brochure, people will simply have to throw recyclables into the bag and put it out with the trash. Voila, a piece a cake.
Now let's have everyone give it fair shake and fill their clear bags instead of their trash cans.
Editorial Comment
Derek Neary
Deh Cho Drum, Fort Simpson
The Deh Cho region is, essentially, withstanding an economic drought.
First Nations hold the authority to permit economic development projects, but do they hold that authority individually as communities?
The Nahanni Butte seismic project has thrown the spotlight on that very issue.
Nahanni Butte Chief Leon Konisenta and his council have endorsed the project. Yet Deh Cho First Nations grand chief Michael Nadli has spoken in negative terms about the circumstances of the deal.
Nadli's comments are based on the political mandate he has been given at previous leadership assemblies. His role, he said, is to look out for the best interests of the entire Deh Cho region, even if that means he must, at times, oppose a decision made by a particular chief and council.
In reference to the Nahanni Butte seismic project, he asked, "At what point do you weigh 10 jobs (against) opening up 20,000 hectares of land?"
Granted, Nahanni Butte's deal includes other benefits such as a cash contribution to a community development trust fund and a percentage of profit from seismic data sales. Yet Nadli maintained that only resource development agreements with the federal government will truly guarantee meaningful benefits for the region's First Nations.
Nadli said he feels the Deh Cho does not presently possess the capacity or expertise to properly take on oil and gas projects. However, he said DCFN leadership has made economic development a priority. Therefore a regional economic development committee has been formed. The prospect of a Deh Cho development corporation and the bidding process for oil and gas will be among the items for discussion at June's Deh Cho Assembly in Kakisa. The committee will be looking beyond just oil and gas initiatives to such things as tourism, agriculture and hydro-electricity, according to Nadli. A diversified economy, with an eye on the environment, is imperative, he said.
This is all being done in conjunction with the region's political goal of attaining self-government. It's all dependent on the rate at which the federal government moves.
Nadli contends that all of this is consistent with the course set by the region's First Nations as a collective, a course renewed or altered accordingly during every leadership assembly. Unless leaders and elders decide otherwise, it must be concluded that Michael Nadli is indeed reflecting the wishes of the majority.
In 1993, a strong-willed Harry Deneron sought support from a different DCFN regime for oil and gas exploration and development in Fort Liard. At that time, the fledgling DCFN organization was still fighting for recognition from the federal government. The political scene has changed dramatically since then.
Nevertheless, the DCFN's implied threat of impeding a Mackenzie Valley pipeline as leverage in self-government negotiations is a bold move. If the pipeline is delayed, it is likely to draw intense pressure from other groups itching to prosper from the project. That will test the solidarity of the First Nations in the Deh Cho, who want to benefit from the pipeline - but on their own terms.
Editorial Comment
Darrell Greer
Kivalliq News
With the amount of planning that's gone into the project during the past few years, Rankin Inlet should have one of the best little health centres ever constructed if, and when, the facility ever is completed.
So, we find out from Health Minister Ed Picco there were a few minor oversights in the original functional program, no big deal.
We're sure they're going to be overcome.
And, of course, there's the minor inconvenience of having the Sakku Investment Corp. as a major player in the project.
Sakku hasn't been able to get its financial books done on time to meet the deadline for either of the past two Kivalliq Inuit Association annual general meetings.
And, when those books were finally ready, their biggest impact was to bring a tear to the eyes of KIA president Paul Kaludjak and secretary/treasurer Robert Seeteenak as they watched helplessly while the KIA's surplus turned into a deficit in record time.
But, after numerous board changes and flip flops in the ranks of upper management -- anyone remember when Warwick Wilkinson was Sakku's answer to bad business decisions? -- we're sure the Sakku family is much less dysfunctional these days.
Who knows? Maybe the players in the multi-partnered approach to getting a new health centre built in Rankin Inlet were actually paying attention while the new Arviat Health Centre was being constructed.
Better yet, maybe they were taking notes.
Looking back from a Rankin perspective, it's almost humorous recalling the late Mayor Ralph King and SAO Darren Flynn's worries over the local hire numbers in the early days of construction.
They thought they had problems.
The new Rankin Inlet Health Centre (regional or otherwise) has been on life support since the day it was conceived.
Yet Picco seized the opportunity of the Arviat success to reassure those of us who call Rankin home that we have nothing to worry about.
Site work is going to start on our new health centre this summer. At least that's what he's hoping for.
And construction will start no later than the summer of 2002. At least, that's what he's shooting for.
We here at Kivalliq News are sticking to our guns that we won't see one square foot of our health centre built until the expansion of the Iqaluit hospital is complete.
Go ahead, prove us wrong Ed. We dare you!