The proposal to build a resort development on top of Twin Pine Hill here in Yellowknife is news as welcome as spring.

In front of city council last week, a consortium of aboriginal business corporations, called Sihka Development, revealed plans for an upscale 160-room hotel, along with a medium density residential area, to overlook Great Slave Lake.

Of all the public projects either proposed or built in this city, none have attempted to exploit the natural beauty of either the town or, more surprisingly, the unmatched majesty of the big lake.

The way the city has been put together the last 60 years, it's almost as if the lake doesn't exist.

But nothing so grand will come cheap.

The $25 million price tag means a lot of careful planning and fine-tuning are needed before ground is broken as early as this fall or next spring.

We hope the mayor, city council, city administration and the territorial government get behind the idea 100 per cent.

Do we want a casino?

Part of the Sihka proposal involves a casino. While we agree Twin Pine Hill would be a perfect spot for such an attraction, we're less certain that a casino is a good idea.

Gambling is an expensive vice and vices often become addictions.

The North hardly needs to invest millions creating an environment which encourages yet another powerful, family destroying addiction.

Fortunately, Sihka's representatives say the business plan works with or without a casino.

So on the face of it, the Sihka project sounds almost too good to be true.

That may be because such an ambitious vision for the city is long overdue.

Yellowknifer applauds the effort and agrees with one Sihka representative who said it could be "a landmark for Yellowknife."

A much needed landmark, too.

Five city councillors are slated to attend the May 31-June 3 Federation of Canadian Municipalities conference in Hamilton.

For $3,598 per councillor, there will be four days chock full of talk about eco-procurement strategies, health care in rural and remote communities, downtown renewal, Hamilton's waterfront redevelopment and so much more.

Or, if they go a few days early, they could take a side trip to Toronto and take in the Blue Jays and Boston Red Sox May 27-29. Perhaps they could spare a few hours and drive to Detroit for the Jays-Tigers May 31-June 2 series.

Maybe it's a good thing the Tiger-Cats don't start their season for few weeks. Still, a visit to the Canadian Football League Hall of Fame, in Hamilton, is mighty tempting. For different tastes, the Early Canadian Furniture Exhibit at Fieldcote Museum starts June 2.

To break up the hours spent in meeting halls, there's plenty of other entertainment. Dundas hosts the International Busking Festival and Canada's man of a 1,000 voices, Andre Philippe Gagnon, plays at Hamilton Place Theatre May 30.

Brooks and Dunn's Neon Circus and Wild West Show promises to be a fun night of western music at Copps Coliseum on May 31. Studio Theatre's production of Sylvia is billed as "a mad comedy about a man, his wife and a stray dog called Sylvia."

With five city delegates, there's plenty enough bodies to cover off the workshops and still get in some fun time.

It's just too bad Britney Spears' concert isn't until June 25.

Editorial Comment
Darrell Greer
Kivalliq News

It's a rare occurrence when we dedicate this space to the same individual two weeks in a row. However, this case warrants the tribute, and we're willing to make an exception.

If there were a special ulu at the Arctic Winter Games awarded to the athlete who best exemplifies the true spirit of fair play and sportsmanship, this year's memento would have gone to Coral Harbour wrestler Joseph Nakoolak.

The Coral grappler was beating Alaskan Colten Goracke with a mere five seconds remaining in their match. As they lined up at the centre of the circle, the Alaskan rushed at Nakoolak and delivered a deliberate head butt to his face.

Nakoolak finished the match before being rushed to the hospital and stitched up.

The Alaskan was disqualified from the team competition, but reinstated for the individual medal event, in which he met Nakoolak once again.

Nakoolak did not retaliate when he received the head-butt, refusing to let his personal pride get in the way of his team's performance.

In the rematch, there was no hint of retaliation from Nakoolak, despite the mounting tension as he and the Alaskan squared off in the centre of the ring.

Nakoolak let his ability do the talking and defeated Goracke 10-0 in a scant 95 seconds on his way to winning Nunavut's first freestyle gold medal. The Coral wrestler further demonstrated his outstanding sportsmanship and role-model demeanour during the AWG's closing ceremonies. Nakoolak searched out the Alaskan, shook hands and exchanged AWG jackets with him.

All of Nunavut should be proud of the way Nakoolak handled himself during this unpleasant and unnecessary situation.

Not only did his actions embody the true spirit of sportsmanship, they sent a wonderful example to the rest of the nation of the pride, honour, class and determination exhibited by the vast majority of our athletes.

Nakoolak was honoured by his community this past week, along with the rest of Coral's athletes who competed at the AWG.

This corner says the good folks at Sport Nunavut should review the chain of efforts between Nakoolak and the Alaskan at the AWG. And, if we may be so bold, we would like to suggest Nakoolak be publicly acknowledged for his display of sportsmanship and fair play. His actions have set a standard of behaviour for all our athletes to aspire to.

Editorial Comment
Terry Halifax
Inuvik Drum

It was impressive to see how well our Delta athletes did at the games.

Team Delta brought back almost as many medals as we had athletes. From Dene Games to speed skating, our best from here showed they are among the best "up here."

Medals aside, the huge participation from the region made a big impact. In talking to the athletes and organizers, they seemed more impressed with the experience than the competition.

More than showing off your athletic prowess, you were all great ambassadors for the NWT and to the region.

Thanks for showing off the Delta pride!

Pipe talk

New debate has sparked over the issue of pipeline ownership.

While debate is healthy and needed in any project that will secure the legacy of generations to come, we have to make sure this debate doesn't deter southern interests from doing business here.

The money generated from the construction and tolls taken from pipeline ownership are minuscule compared to the dollars that flow inside the pipe. This area is loaded with natural resources. Exploration and drilling will bring the Gwich'in the same wealth that came to the Inuvialuit and that's going to take some time. But by the time this pipeline gets built, wells could easily be producing on Gwich'in territory.

There aren't any dairy farms in the Delta, but ask any milk man and he'll tell you that you don't need to own the truck to get your milk to market.

Pipeline ownership is a small part of the equation. Oil and gas leases wisely negotiated will provide enormous wealth for the life of that pipeline and build a legacy of wealth that pays dividends forever.

Spring has sprung

It was great fun to get out in the fresh air with the people of Tsiigehtchic last weekend, to welcome spring back to the North.

Southerners recognize spring with crocuses and lilies popping out of the ground, but up here, we're happy just to have the sun return. We're all going to be busy over the next few weeks taking in the other salutes to spring. Aklavik this weekend, Inuvik next and Tuk after that.

By the time the spring carnivals are over here, it's almost summer! With the mild weather we've been experiencing lately, it's been a warm reminder that we'll be seeing that river ice flow down North real soon.

So get out and celebrate spring with your neighbours. You'll feel better for the fresh air and your smiler could likely use a workout.

Editorial Comment
Derek Neary
Deh Cho Drum, Fort Simpson

Sam Gargan and several councillors have been elected to represent the Deh Gah Got'ie Koe First Nation.

Albertine Nadli and several others have been elected to the Fort Providence District Education Authority.

Each body has its own roles and responsibilities. When the chief and council try to use their sphere of power and influence to make a decision that rightfully should be made by the DEA, then they have overstepped their bounds.

If the lines get blurred on one occasion then where would things stop? What if the DEA had to make a major decision regarding funding or a disciplinary policy? Would the band insist on making those decisions too?

If Gargan or any of the band councillors had serious concerns about the DEA's school review then they should have voiced those concerns as parents or community members.

Are we to believe the DEA has been holding meetings in secrecy? To what benefit?

If any teacher has threatened to quit as a pressure tactic to influence the DEA's vote on renewal of the principal's contract, that is not appropriate. Nevertheless the DEA members are capable representatives who can look beyond threats, direct or implied. These individuals have earned the public's faith to do their job properly, the vote tally in the DEA election indicated just that.

If the community feels the DEA is not doing its job properly, then the people should attend DEA meetings and be heard. In the meantime, the DEA members should carry on with their mandate of ensuring students receive the best education possible.

We all lose

The wanton property crimes in Fort Simpson are not only costing the property owners money, but hurting the rest of the community as well. How so? For one example, PR Contracting, owned by Pat Rowe, donates a considerable sum of money to local organizations and causes each year.

However, when faced with unexpected $3,000 to $5,000 in repair bills as a result of senseless vandalism, Rowe is going to have to take that money from some portion of his budget. It's quite possible that he'll have less money to contribute the next time around because he has spent the cash fixing up the damage to his shop.

The question at hand is what to do about the problem. How do we make the offender understand the extent of his actions? If the guilty party has a long history of related offences, how many chances does he get before he faces a severe sentence?

Fortunately, these are not crimes that inflict harm on other individuals. There is no violence involved. Regardless, the torment of repeatedly finding one's property violated must be taken seriously.