Let's hope the federal government acts more quickly on building its offices in downtown Yellowknife than it has on passing legislation to certify Canadian diamonds.

If every Ekati diamond doesn't have its own passport in the new year it will be stopped at international borders.

So if Ottawa fails to pass the law, Ekati mine will be pulling diamonds from the earth; cutting, sorting, polishing the rocks; and tossing them into the stockpile.

Sales of Ekati diamonds could be virtually shut down as most of our diamonds are marketed overseas.

BHP Billiton's Serge Pelletier says the company is worried and rightly so.

But his assertion that Ottawa was taken by surprise on this is too generous.

In December 2000, the United Nations put a call out to government and industry worldwide to come up with a proposal to establish international certification and standards for rough diamonds.

The goal of the certification was to stop the flow of "blood" or "conflict" diamonds being used to bankroll civil war in Africa.

In July 2001, delegates from about 40 countries worldwide adopted a preliminary agreement of minimum standards for a diamond certification system.

Ottawa has been a willing participant in the Kimberly Process. But here we are nearing the end of 2002 and the diamond industry holds its breath as federal lawmakers trudge along on international certification.

But the lack of action won't surprise those of us living North of 60. We are the main road to lucrative resources but always in the federal government's blind spot. You can bet Ottawa would take swift action if wasn't getting royalties from Ekati diamond sales.

As it stands now, the feds will rake in about $4 billion over the mine's lifespan. Perhaps compared to our $500 billion national debt that doesn't seem like a lot of money. But it is.

Editorial Comment
Darrell Greer
Kivalliq News

We here at Kivalliq News are certainly sympathetic to the needs of our region's smaller communities.

However, there has to be a better way to meet those needs than to cut program funding in larger communities which have exceptional track records of success.

The numbers put up during the past year at the Rankin Inlet Work Centre are quite impressive.

There can be no downplaying the significance of $750,000 being pumped into the local economy.

But, it's not just the lost monetary value of the Work Centre that concerns us.

We've all heard the government rhetoric on trying to get more people gainfully employed and independent.

The Work Centre performed a number of invaluable services to the very people most in need of help to reach self-dependency. While all the services provided were important, the temporary job placement service stood out as a beacon of hope to many in the community.

Not only were people building up job skills and gaining valuable work experience, they were also establishing themselves with local employers for better opportunities to come.

As the Department of Education itself points out, it had helped fund the Work Centre for the past two years.

Why now is the decision made to turn down the proposal on the grounds of service duplication?

Another point to consider is our high rate of suicide in this region. People with few job skills and limited employment opportunities are in a high risk category.

We've already heard how Work Centre personnel beamed with pride after earning their own money.

Clients received the type of help they needed -- delivered in a manner they were comfortable with and could understand -- to develop the job skills they needed to find employment in a very limited job market.

We applaud the Department of Education for the proposals it did accept from the Pualaarvik Kablu Friendship Centre.

And, we appreciate how tightly its funding capabilities get squeezed by the number of proposals submitted.

However, the decision to discontinue funding the Work Centre was a grievous error in judgement.

The benefits $40,000 may instill in a small community pale in comparison to the benefits the Work Centre was bestowing on Rankin. The decision to cut Work Centre funding amounts to nothing more than an attempt at solving a problem in one community, at the cost of creating an even bigger one in another.

And that is just plain bad politicking.

Editorial Comment
Terry Halifax
Inuvik Drum

The Oct. 3 all-candidates forum was hijacked by a handful of well-meaning but over bearing individuals who should have been shown the door.

The first hour of the meeting was informative and well-managed but it degenerated from there.

The Husky Trailer Park squad peppered the panel with pointed hypothetical questions and then the youth took centre stage.

What will council do about the youth? Oh, the poor youth!

The youth of Inuvik have many more facilities than most communities of this size in Canada and if the youth need more, the youth can get off their butts and do something about it.

Certainly there are a lot of good kids here, but there are also some ill-mannered little reprobates who wile away the evenings by making a spittle skating rink over the bridge on main street.

The kids block traffic there until it's late enough to smash planters and knock garbage cans into the street.

If town council wants to do something for the youth, how about a curfew? Then our bylaw officer can spend his days chasing dogs and his evenings chasing brats.

No, the problems our youth have cannot be solved by municipal, territorial or even federal government people. Our teachers and principals cannot be blamed for the outrageous temperaments of the young people.

Our town has lowered the speed limit to 40 km/h because the youth can't stay off the roads. They have donated a building so youth have a place to go. The town built an arena/fitness centre and will soon have a new swimming pool, but that's not enough for some people.

Parents won't find the recipe for successful child rearing at town hall or even the bingo hall. Try spending some time with your kids in the living room and around the dinner table and you might find that more helpful than pointing fingers at politicians.

Our town council has their hands full with zoning, rezoning, planning and re-planning, but most of the public doesn't understand that because they've never attended a council meeting.

That was another topic that came up at the forum, "Why can't council let us know what's going on?"

The mayor publishes a monthly newsletter, regular reports in the Drum, and notices on the rolling television channel. Heaven forbid you could attend a meeting.

Every other Monday and Wednesday nights there are public meetings in your town hall and lots of empty seats. Council would love to see you there and I could sure use the company.

The next time there's an all-candidates forum, I'd suggest having a couple of the Zoo's bouncers in attendance to keep the questions at one per person and keep the youth at home.

Editorial Comment
Derek Neary
Deh Cho Drum

Is there a realistic chance of Fort Simpson becoming a diamond plant/tourism hub? That depends on many factors, not the least of which are the finer details of three Vancouver businessmen's plan, a welcome sign from all groups in the community and an allotment of diamonds from one of the NWT's mines.

The latter may be especially difficult. BHP's Ekati mine, the only diamond mine currently in production, is already meeting its 10 per cent supply of diamonds committed to Northern-based manufacturers, according to Bob McLeod, deputy minister of Resources and Economic Development. Rio Tinto, whose Diavik mine is scheduled to begin churning out gems next year, has already put out a call for proposals of interest in their rough diamonds. A short-list of candidates was to have been drafted by Wednesday. The Vancouver businessmen have seemingly missed out on that opportunity. The NWT's third diamond mine, De Beers-owned Snap Lake, has been delayed by a year. Now it's not expected to be operational until 2006.

On the face of it, the Vancouver businessmen's proposal is somewhat confounding. Yellowknife, with its existing infrastructure, is the obvious choice for a diamond cutting and polishing facility. Peter Saito, one of the prospective investors, acknowledged that. However, the NWT capital is already playing host to its fifth diamond cutting and polishing plant as world-famous Tiffany and Co. is currently planting roots. In Yellowknife, Saito said, he and his colleagues would simply be "one of a few."

Although Fort Simpson would require rapid growth to meet the demands of such a large business, everyone would benefit, as Saito sees it. At the most basic level, job opportunities would multiply. Not only would residents be able to become diamond cutters and polishers, they could choose to work as hotel staff, restaurant staff, secretaries or bookkeepers to meet the expected onslaught of Japanese tourists. There's also the chance to own and manage these spin-off businesses.

It would bring a boom.

Of course, a Mackenzie Valley pipeline and oil and gas exploration and development also promise to bring a boom. The pipeline boom, all agree, would be short-lived. Oil and gas exploration and development could have a promising future in the Deh Cho -- within the framework negotiated by First Nations -- and with a longer lifespan than the pipeline. There's plenty of interest in exploiting other natural resources too.

Therefore it's a buyer's market, so to speak. Although the terms imposed by local governments and businesses can't be too high for fear of driving off all suitors, local people largely have the luxury of picking and choosing which industries live or die in the Deh Cho.

As Saito said, he and his associates have a dream. Does Fort Simpson share in their diamond/tourism dream? Time will tell.

Then there's still the matter of getting the rough diamonds ...

A story in Wednesday's Yellowknifer ("City considers bringing arena back from dead") reported the Gerry Murphy arena could not open without at least $1 million in renovations.

That figure came from the City of Yellowknife, not fire marshal Don Gillis. Yellowknifer regrets the error.