Why should industry buy Northern when the government won't?

That is the question on everyone's mind -- especially Northern businesses -- after the government of the Northwest Territories pulled a fast one and suspended its Business Incentive Policy (BIP) for construction of the second phase of the Yellowknife correctional facility.

The motive behind the suspension of BIP is to balance the government's books. The $40-million jail is more than $5 million overbudget in phase 1. The territorial cabinet thinks it can get a better deal by going South.

It's no secret the costs of labour and construction in the North are going through the roof.

The incentive policy for Northern business was created 1976. It became known as Business Incentive Policy in 1984 and gives Northern companies -- especially small businesses -- a fighting chance to be competitive.

Here's how it works: for contracts over $5,000, approved Northern businesses can win with a bid 15 per cent higher than a Southern competitor.

An additional five per cent higher is allowed for local businesses.

BIP is a good thing, and it's essential for economic growth in the North. The government cannot pick and choose when to use it without destroying the whole concept. When mining companies came North, we told them they had to buy and hire North whenever possible. They complied. We are now failing.

Finance Minister Joe Handley says construction costs were out of control on the new facility, and it was time to put the hammer down. How can Southern companies bring the price down more than the amount of the BIP incentive? In other words, if Southern companies bid more than 20 per cent less, they win the contract.

It sounds more like cabinet ministers got caught with their budget pants down and want to flog Northern business to cover their ass.

Leave the BIP alone. There are other ways to deal with cost overruns, as the government proves time and time again.

The Amarok Hunters and Trappers Association in Iqaluit wants to close the Sylvia Grinnell River to boost fish stocks. The organization voted last December in favour of a five-year ban on netting, snagging and boating on the river.

Restricting fishing for a period so beneficiaries can enjoy thriving fish populations in the future is a responsible move. But so far, the HTA doesn't have the teeth to restrict non-members from fishing on the river. Finding a way around this is a big challenge.

As for boating, HTA chair David Ell says the river was traditionally used only for subsistence hunting.

Elders believe motorized boating is interfering with fish life cycles. But while Ell admits kayaks don't hurt fish, he'll try and shut out non-motorized boats, too, if that's what the HTA membership wants. The point is, he says, the river isn't for recreation.

Caught in the middle of all this is the Frobisher Bay Kayaking Club, a group of young, mostly Inuit, kayak enthusiasts.

The group practises all winter in the pool and uses the river occasionally in the summer. The club promotes fair sporting, treats the river respectfully and gives young kids something healthy to do all year round.

Given that the sport doesn't hurt fish, we don't understand why a harmless group of kayakers -- who even clean up messes left behind by other campers -- can't use the river. Shutting them out is going too far.

We hope the HTA finds legislation to back up the fishing moratorium. But let the kayakers be. The HTA's next board meeting is scheduled for June 11. Then the group will present a plan for closure to its membership.

If the HTA shows some degree of sensitivity and sophistication when it comes to the tricky politics of building a consensus through the region, we have no doubt that the actual goal will be realized. If everyone feels the request is reasonable, it is much more likely that those who aren't compelled to abide by boating restrictions will do so anyway.

If the request is seen as arbitrary and unnecessarily broad, it will be ignored. Let's remember that protecting the ecological health of the river is the object, not the exercise of power.

Ever wondered what a buck would buy? How about a woman's happiness?

Fort Smith elder Maggie Kurszewski wants a new house to replace her century-old home.

The housing corporation won't pay for it, so she hopes to get a loonie from every resident of the NWT.

Before going public in News/North last weeh, she had raised $102.

Way to go, Maggie. Our loonies are on their way.

The right of Inuit to harvest the natural resources of the land and sea is what binds the people to their world, and it is a connection that has never been broken. It's not about who does the killing, but recognition of our place in the predator-prey relationship. It's simple and straightforward.

Transferring the right to put country foods on the table from an Inuit beneficiary who can't hunt to a non-beneficiary who can shouldn't be difficult. But bureaucracy can't turn a simple thing into a confusing pile of regulations.

The hunters and trappers of Gjoa Haven appear to have figured out that sometimes, you just do it. Congratulations, Gjoa Haven. You've got your priorities straight. Your counterparts in Iqaluit, meanwhile, seem to be ... trapped ... in red tape.

Editorial Comment
Darrell Greer
Kivalliq News

For those in the know, it comes as no surprise to see Rankin Inlet District Education Authority members trying to take matters into their own hands to address the severe shortage of busing services in the community.

While Rankin DEA vice-chair Ron Roach may be sincere in his assertion that the call for tender proposals to provide the service isn't a hardball tactic against the Department of the Education -- the publicity surrounding the dilemma has certainly got the department's attention.

But the busing situation is symptomatic of the much larger problem of gross underfunding in our educational system.

Board members across the Kivalliq complain the DEA has been picking up the financial slack in too many areas for far too long. In Rankin, three schools combined have been budgeted for 4.19 student support assistants (SSAs), which is indicative of schools across the region.

There are four SSAs at Maani Ulujuk middle school alone, plus a behaviour management co-ordinator.

Special needs is another area of prime concern. There are many schools across the region that come up with inventive names to refer to their special-needs classes due to the fact that, technically, they shouldn't have special needs classes without proper instructors.

Kivalliq DEAs have also been picking up parts of the tab for computer technicians, secretaries and a host of other positions the Department of Education should be funding alone.

When you look at the overall state of our educational funding, it's obvious cultural differences and language barriers aren't the sole reasons behind our students scoring so low compared with those in other parts of the country.

The Nunavut government continues to stubbornly back decentralization while critical areas such as education, health and housing remain badly underfunded.

Of course, the communities receiving the benefit of a handful of government positions back decentralization. But why wouldn't they? Any economic gain during these days of underfunding and cutbacks are staunchly guarded by communities receiving them.

Since the territorial government still has no way to show the overall cost of decentralization, it can continue to trumpet its gains without having to produce a dollar figure to answer the question of costs.

But the fact of the matter is, the majority of Nunavummiut continue to pay the price in critical areas for an idealistic policy, one that has not received a positive review from any body other than the government and hamlets benefiting from it.

The needs of the many should outweigh the needs of the few.

Editorial Comment
Terry Halifax
Inuvik Drum

It's encouraging to see that emergency services here are working together to learn from the recent thin ice tragedy in Inuvik.

Those grieving can at least take quiet comfort that initiatives are at work that may save a life.

There are split-second, life and death choices that must be made in these types of emergencies and transportation shouldn't be one of those choices.

In winter, it's a snow machine; in summer, it's a boat and in between...

In between there is no choice here.

If an option was available at the time, no doubt a hovercraft would have been the first rescue option.

Getting to the scene is the primary goal of any rescue effort and they need not be having to make decisions on how to get there.

The Delta offers an environment unsuitable for either land or water craft this time of year. It's a risky, treacherous soup of land, water, mud and ice.

There are a few seasonal stories that Northern reporters dread writing about each year: one of them is when someone intoxicated falls asleep in the snow and another is people dying under ice.

A close friend of mine died in a combination of the two -- drinking and diving. Kelly Stone died SCUBA diving under the lake ice, with fishing line tied to his belt that never stayed tied.

Kelly never found his way back to the hole and it was four months until anyone found Kelly.

Everytime I think about thin ice, I think about Kelly. Down there in the dark, running out of air, smashing and clawing at the ice above. I think about his friends on the surface, frantically cutting holes with a chainsaw, jumping up and down on the ice and shining a puny flashlight on a string down the hole.

I think about his family, who had to wait until spring, before they could inter his body.

I think about those things and it's enough give me goosebumps and way more than enough to keep my feet off thin ice.

Last week, someone told me of a race, where people would bet thousands of dollars and pink slips to see who be first to drive their truck from Aklavik to Inuvik on the new ice.

There's a thin line between brave and crazy, but driving a ton of steel across thin ice is a long way from brave.

Roderick Simon wasn't after a pink slip or money, he just wanted to go shoot a few geese, like he'd done every spring.

When Roderick went hunting, the river was soft and opening up all over.

At some point, there must have been a question; there must have been a doubt that was never acted on.

At some point, he knew he was pushing his luck, but he didn't turn back.

He never knew my friend Kelly but if he did, he might have thought twice about travelling the river and that's why I told you.

When the geese are on the wing and the moose is on the rut, we all think about spring and fall hunts, but we should also think about thin ice and the ones who've gone before.

Think about my friend Kelly and your friend Roderick before you answer the question and before you take that first step.

And if the ones who've gone before aren't enough to make you play safe, think about the ones you might leave behind.

Editorial Comment
Deh Cho Drum

No easy job Acho Dene Koe band members in Fort Liard obviously went to the polls with change in mind last week.

Change is what they got.

Floyd Bertrand, an approachable and soft-spoken individual, replaces Judy Kotchea, who shares the same qualities and who had spent the past two years learning the ropes as chief.

Only two members of the former Acho Dene Koe council, elder Stanley Bertrand and Floyd Diamond'C, have been returned to office. Two other former councillors, Kim Deneron and Phillip Betthale, chose not to run again, and, sadly, former long-time councillor Daniel Lomen perished in a plane crash last year.

The learning curve will be substantial for the new chief and council, but it comes with the territory.

It's hard to fault Judy Kotchea, the first female chief in Fort Liard, for the job she did since June 2000. She was often a lone voice at the Deh Cho First Nations' assemblies, fighting for the Acho Dene's interests. Whether one agreed with her outlook or not, it took a great deal of courage to stand firm.

The Acho Dene Koe were also the only ones in the Deh Cho region to sign on with the Aboriginal Pipeline Group (APG) last year. Their band council also undertook a community oil and gas review and told oil and gas companies that there would be no further land issuances until the band's land claim is settled. That, of course, is a very ambitious project, as the Acho Dene are trying to reclaim traditional lands in an adjacent province and territory.

Being an elected leader places great demands on one's time. In addition to regular council meetings, in the case of Fort Liard, there are numerous business engagements. Not to mention that people tend to stop elected leaders in the street to ask questions, share concerns or chastise them. As well, elected officials are expected to be present at practically all community events, often as guest speakers. This isn't an easy balancing act, particularly when a chief or a mayor has a family to consider.

So when the nostalgia flies about chiefs who used to consult with community members by going door to door, it's important to remember that that occurred in a different era when communities were smaller and demands on a chief's time weren't as extreme. Today, it's up to band members and constituents to attend community meetings or schedule an appointment with the chief or mayor at the office, or at least approach a councillor with questions or misgivings. While an elected leader is expected to be accountable, the public must also make an effort.

Convoluted process

Canadian Zinc is just the latest example of a resource development company stymied by the cumbersome regulatory regime in the NWT, and it's not the company's first exposure to a prolonged delay. While the Mackenzie Valley Environmental Impact Review Board has detected some legitimate areas of concern, after lengthy review that same board made recommendations as to how these concerns should be addressed. For other agencies, which are sometimes accused of being bloated bureaucracies (yet the people at the ground level are often scurrying to keep up with the workload), to add another several months to the wait is ludicrous. There has been plenty of talk of streamlining the regulatory authorities in the NWT, but there's no proof in this situation that any such improvements have come to pass.