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It's going to cost an estimated $250 million just to navigate the monstrous river of regulations about to be unleashed. It's expected to be a four-year odyssey.
These are the initial figures measuring the scope of building a Mackenzie Valley pipeline.
Two major unknowns that will decide the fate of the $3 billion project are the gas market and the progress of the Deh Cho land negotiations.
The gas market for Canada is mostly the U.S. American gas consumption has been increasing since 1987. Canadian exports for 2001 are expected to more than double the 1999 figure of $7.5 billion. The demand is there. Unless the bottom falls out of present gas prices, the economics will continue to favour the pipeline.
The fact that 40 per cent of the pipeline will cross Deh Cho lands means the Deh Cho First Nations must support it. The federal government has it in its power to settle the stumbling blocks -- self-government and resource sharing -- and must do so quickly.
The Deh Cho First Nations must recognize timing is critical. Does that mean they accept less than they are due? No, it means they must be realistic about what they need and flexible on how that is to be accomplished.
For the territorial government, the City of Yellowknife and the Yellowknife business community, the next four years are critical.
Job training, housing development, shrewd investment and partnerships are all essential elements to getting the most out of this historic opportunity.
A possible second pipeline connecting to Alaska's gas fields should encourage all Northerners to move boldly forward.
It's hard to believe that more than five years have passed since GNWT employees were forced to take five days off without pay near the Christmas holidays.
Named Donny Days, after its creator, former premier Don Morin, the forced time off originally left workers fuming.
Not so today. As the near 4,100 GNWT employees who are affected realize the pay is skimmed off their paycheques throughout the year, they don't mind the extra time, after all.
The bottom line is that it's a savings to taxpayers that makes sense and should continue.
Yellowknife is now known as the diamond capital of North America, but that could change if Lindsay Bolivar keeps hitting her target. The biathlete's expert marksmanship and speed have earned her a spot on the national team headed to the World Biathlon Championships in Italy.
Talent, practice and determination have brought Bolivar this far, and may one day take her to the Olympics. The 17-year-old is also inspired by the Mary Beth Miller, the nationally-ranked Yellowknife biathlete who left us too early.
While we are proud of both women, we need to be reminded that achieving success in sports at this level is not easy. The progress of Northern athletes who have the talent to go all the way is often hindered by lack of money for training and competing.
So as Bolivar prepares to give her all at the World championships, there is much we can do on the homefront. In addition to words of encouragement, Yellowknifers can show their support with financial aid.
Editorial Comment
Darrell Greer
Kivalliq News
A big thumbs up going out this week to the committee members of the new Chesterfield Inlet Minor Hockey Association. It is always refreshing to see people get involved and help develop amateur sport at the grassroots level.
We wish the group in Chester nothing but success as they set out into the rewarding world of developing a minor hockey program in their community.
Another thumbs up to the students and staff at Qitiqliq high school in Arviat for their work in the successful theatrical productions of Slapshot Santa Scores Again and A Christmas Carol.
It is encouraging to see the theatre being developed in the Kivalliq and how passionately our youth seem to embrace it.
the bad ...
You can't help but share the RCMP's frustration in the Kivalliq as they continue to wage war against young offenders in our region. All too often we're hearing it's the same culprits behind so many repeat offences in our communities.
The only way we're going to stem the tide against this juvenile crime wave is for our courts to start sending out the message that such behaviour will not be tolerated.
Let's be honest here. It's reached the point where we have to start questioning the effectiveness of local justice committees and the like for being any kind of deterrent to these young people.
Slaps on the wrists and stern vocal reprimands -- not to mention heartfelt apologies and a few hours of community service here and there -- just don't seem to be cutting it.
Until these youth start to realize they're going to be held accountable for their actions, they're not going to curb their behaviour. It's supposed to be crime doesn't pay!
... and the ugly
Baker Lake MLA Glenn McLean is right on when he says RCMP Cpl. Paul Richer is innocent until proven guilty.
However, just the fact a local officer can be charged with possession of child pornography shows the power the Internet and other forms of modern media have to disrupt our lives when used inappropriately.
The attention being drawn to this case should be a reminder to Kivalliq parents to keep on top of how their kids spend their leisure time both in the community and online.
There's a lot of good in the world, but, unfortunately, there's also no end to the temptations we face each and everyday. And while we can't protect our loved ones from all the world's ills, the more involved you are with their character development, the more chance your positive influence has to rub off.
Editorial Comment
Malcolm Gorrill
Inuvik Drum
Another year has come and gone.
This marks a special time, a time of reflection. It's a chance to look back over what has taken place regarding one's neighbours, and within the Delta, over the past year.
It's useful to spend a little while reflecting, as time has a way of speeding by, seemingly more quickly each year.
One interesting thing about analyzing a certain year is that every person has a different perspective. For some Delta residents, 2001 may have been the year they got married, or graduated, or had their first child. No doubt some people gained great new friends this year, while some also lost friends.
It's hard not to think about the year in terms of how things were before Sept. 11, and afterwards. Though the Delta is a long ways from New York and Washington, people here and all over the world were affected in one way or another by those horrendous events.
Several events in 2001 stand out for me. One would be the Northern Youth Games, held in Inuvik in the first week of March. Athletes from the Delta and the Sahtu displayed some great competition and had a lot of fun along the way.
A big highlight from the year is the first Inuvik Petroleum Show in June. The event itself was highly interesting and was well attended, and it was also interesting to watch the expectancy build up as the conference approached.
The Cops for Cancer event during Midnight Madness was also fun to take in. More than 30 people, adults and children, shaved their heads -- and often their beards -- to raise money for a good cause.
The Great Northern Arts Festival generated lots of excitement in July. It kicked off strong and just seemed to build strength every succeeding day. Assembled for 10 days was an amazing level of talented artists and musicians.
During the summer I also popped by the Inuvik Community Greenhouse on several occasions. Once plants have sprouted there it's a beautiful and peaceful place to spend time at.
A simple reunion of friends in October stands out as well. Rosie Grandjambe of Fort Good Hope and Sara Jane Firth of Fort McPherson had not seen each other for 39 years, and did their best to make up for lost time.
In 2001 I also made a lot of friends and, other than a vacation in the spring, this marked my first full year in Inuvik.
All the best to you in the coming year.
Editorial Comment
Derek Neary
Deh Cho Drum, Fort Simpson
Another year has come and gone.
It seems as though a disproportionately high number of people passed away within the region in 2001. We will keep cherished memories of the departed, and hopefully remember what they taught us about them and ourselves. Their passing serves as a poignant reminder of how precious life really is, and how we shouldn't take each day for granted.
Of course, 2001 is the year that will largely be remembered for the terrorist attacks in New York and Washington, D.C. Close to 4,000 lives were lost on Sept. 11 as two jumbo jets slammed into the World Trade Centre's twin towers, collapsing them, while another plane hit the Pentagon and a fourth crashed into a Pennsylvania field. As far away as we are from "ground zero" -- as the downtown New York city crash site was labelled -- we couldn't escape the around-the-clock news coverage that went on for many days.
The term "global village" takes on even greater meaning during times like this. I even recall a couple of people telling me they went into the bush to get away from it all. Yet they said they found themselves back in front of the television a few days later, wondering about the extent of the devastation and struggling to understand why it happened.
The fall-out from that tragedy promises to extend well into this year and, perhaps, years to come as the war on terrorism wages on.
Another ongoing saga, but one closer to home, is the tortoise known as self-government negotiations. Things continued to plod along in 2001. A high point came in May with the signing of the Interim Measures Agreement and Draft Framework Agreement.
The key now, as far as development is concerned, is a Interim Resource Development Agreement. That should hopefully be negotiated and ratified this year -- no guarantees, of course. Some blame First Nations for the tedious pace of the Deh Cho Process, but the federal government's chief negotiator often acknowledges the frequent time lags in Ottawa. Any significant negotiations point has to wind its way through a massive federal bureaucracy.
Fortunately, Robert Nault, Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development will be in Fort Simpson next week.
There's a major sticking point at present with the Deh Cho seeking 50 per cent of royalties from resource development, while the federal government is countering with the Dene/Metis comprehensive claim formula, offering substantially less. It would be encouraging if Nault could bridge that gap in a meaningful way.
When reflecting on the year that was, it's remarkable just how many award winners, fascinating travellers and explorers, strong-willed political leaders and everyday good people comprise the Deh Cho. Because of them 2002 stands to be every bit as fascinating as the one just passed.