Picture this. A city, through its taxpayers, volunteers and businesses, invests hundreds of thousands of dollars to create a newly-renovated youth drop-in centre. So, when the temperature drops to at least -37 C, our teenagers have a safe place of refuge downtown at night from the savage blast of a Northern winter, right?

Well, no. Not if they happened to need to go to SideDoor last weekend. The youth drop-in centre, in the old Mine Rescue Building on 50th Street, now keeps its doors closed on Friday and Saturday nights because of problems with teen violence, drinking underage and drug abuse.

Perhaps they should change their name from SideDoor to the LockedDoor to accurately reflect what they've become. Symbolism always matters. The message SideDoor has sent out is 'We're throwing in the towel' -- at least at night on the weekends -- on the city's troubled youth.

Admittedly, the problems of teen violence, drinking underage and drug and alcohol abuse are complex and difficult ones that defy simple solutions.

But who exactly did SideDoor think their clientele would be? Who did they expect to need and use a youth drop-in centre as a place of refuge on Friday and Saturday nights?

Kevin Laframboise, the driving force behind SideDoor, which had its origins eight years ago with Holy Trinity Anglican Church, has gone on a six-month leave of absence as executive director.

Yellowknifers should be outraged by all of this. SideDoor has gone cap-in-hand to the community time and time again over the past two years, and benefitted mightily from that generosity:

• Item: $129,440 received from the federal government in October 2001 through Yellowknife's homeless coalition
• Item: $105,000 from the Royal Bank of Canada from its after-school grant program
• Item: $50,000 in free software and games from Microsoft
• Item: A $95,000 loan -- $30,000 of it forgivable -- from Elks Lodge 314.

The community has invested both its trust -- and lots of money -- in SideDoor.

Along with the above-mentioned funding, the City of Yellowknife, Diavik and Nahanni Construction have also contributed cash or in-kind to the drop-in centre.

SideDoor opened in its newly-renovated location last April 8.

Now, less than 10 months later, new acting executive director Ryan Peters is saying "SideDoor has served its purpose as a drop-in centre" and needs to evolve into something more.

Wrong. What it needs to do first is show it can do the job Yellowknifers have opened their wallets for it to do.

Re-open the doors.

Editorial Comment
Darrell Greer
Kivalliq News

Rankin Inlet's Jordin Tootoo has been riding an ever-rising crest of popularity during the past few years.

And, there are few more deserving of the accolades.

Tootoo's attitude towards accommodating the requests of both friends and fans alike has been exemplary during his rise to prominence on the Canadian and international hockey scenes.

Almost always willing to give of his free time to make special appearances, visit schools and sign numerous autographs -- Tootoo has conducted himself as a true professional and an ambassador for Nunavut whom we can all be proud off.

However, with the rise in fame comes the inevitable group of people trying to make a buck off of Tootoo's popularity.

Professional athletes have to deal with autograph hounds on a daily basis, many of whom hang around hotel lobbies and arenas trying to get various memorabilia items signed for resale.

And, there's nothing illegal or wrong with that, as long as the athlete is accommodating.

Personally, once an athlete makes the "show" and is earning millions of dollars a year, I don't think they should lose too much sleep over the fact they don't earn a percentage from every item sold bearing their signature.

In fact, many athletes sign exclusive deals with professional dealers to sign photos, sticks, gloves, etc., adding another healthy stipend to their income.

Take it from someone who has been involved with collectibles for many years -- if you buy an autographed item over the Internet from someone you don't know, the words buyer beware ring true.

However, all that changes when a player signs items for friends and people he knows in his home town.

Tootoo learned early in the game to personalize most items he signs, adding personal value while greatly diminishing re-sale value.

It's a special thing to know such a popular athlete on a personal basis and anything he signs in that regard should be proudly displayed on one's wall or mantlepiece.

Recently, however, a number of items Tootoo has signed have been offered up for sale on the Internet.

This has the family upset and rightly so.

The written sales pitch on some of the items even claims they were signed in the home of Jordin's parents, Barney and Rose Tootoo.

This is the type of behaviour that can leave a bad taste in the mouth of a popular athlete and, in some cases, even lead to that athlete refusing autograph requests.

If you're among the people Tootoo is kind enough to sign items for here in Rankin, please recognize the special situation you're in and the special person Jordin is for doing this for you.

Display your item proudly and enjoy it for many, many years.

The money selling such an item puts in your pocket is not worth the disrespect you show in doing so.

Editorial Comment
Tara Kearsey
Inuvik Drum

So the joke is on us.

Inuvik must have been on Mother Nature's "naughty list" this year. Throughout the year the town has been plagued with unseasonable and certainly unusual temperatures and weather patterns.

Environment Canada meteorologists are baffled. They say 2002, for us, was the 10th warmest and 19th wettest in 46 years. And they say 46 because that's how long the records go back.

So since the winter months were warm, that can only be blamed on global warming -- right?

Wrong. That theory doesn't pan out, because as Inuvik residents may recall, last summer was really cold!

So what's happening with Mother Nature? Your guess is as good as mine. Not even the experts can figure it out. All I do know is, it can't be good.

Welcome back, sunshine

Today, I have officially been in Inuvik for one week.

But I was in town for a brief stint exactly two years ago to start up the News/North office, so I'm no stranger to the darkness.

I was a little wary about moving here in January once again, but this time I was more prepared for what lay before me.

So now that the brilliant sun is finally poking its head above the horizon, I'm certainly jumping for joy.

It's extremely difficult for me to get out of bed in the morning, but I manage, as does everyone else in town.

If the winter blahs are starting to get on your last nerve, all you have to do is remember that as each day goes by we will see a little more of the sun.

Before you know it, it will be summer time again. I just hope this one is better than the last.

Money for pipeline

So Fred Carmichael is "90 per cent positive or better" that the Aboriginal Pipeline Group will secure funding for the Mackenzie Valley natural gas pipeline by the month's end.

He was in top-secret meetings in Calgary all this week, and probably last week too, trying to persuade an unknown number of unidentified individuals or companies to fork over a good portion of the required $1 billion.

Speaking with him via telephone at the Regency Hotel in Calgary, Carmichael sounded quite optimistic and excited about the negotiations.

We can only hope that this time, we will strike gold (so to speak). From what I can remember, the Inuvik economy is not booming like it was two years ago.

It's time for the people of the Mackenzie-Delta, and all of the Northwest Territories, to get what we all deserve -- prosperity.

Let's keep our fingers crossed. Good luck Fred!

Editorial Comment
Derek Neary
Deh Cho Drum

Should Fort Simpson revert to hamlet status?

That question brings to mind the old adage, "The grass is always greener on the other side."

Village council debated the village-versus-hamlet issue once again at Monday evening's meeting. If we turn the clock back to late May 2001, council heard a presentation by a senior financial advisor for Municipal and Community Affairs (MACA) on that very topic. Here's the gist of the arguments against hamlet status:

• Even though the village's funding has been cut, a hamlet would receive even less funding annually.
• Hamlet council would possess less authority as all capital projects in excess of $100,000 would have to be approved by MACA.
• A hamlet would not be permitted to borrow money.
• Hamlet council would still be responsible for outstanding debts, sewage treatment, water delivery and recreation.

On the plus side, MACA would become responsible for reserves (for outdated equipment such as an ambulance). As well, property taxes, which accrue to the GNWT from hamlets, would drop for the 120 taxpayers in this community of 1,200 people.

Also keep in mind that Fort Simpson will grow some day (nobody's going to put money on when that day will come, but surely it will). If the community does boom as a hamlet, the territorial government will realize the extra tax revenues from the influx of people.

Coun. Duncan Canvin suggested that new service trucks and swimming pools "seem to fall out of the sky" for hamlets. That point seems valid when one looks at Fort Liard. They have an impressive new hamlet office, some new service trucks and a new swimming pool. At the other end of the spectrum, the hamlet of Fort Providence couldn't even open its aging swimming pool last summer because it was condemned. Which of these realities would confront Fort Simpson?

Let's face it, when it comes to municipalities, Fort Simpson has long been the oddball. It's a tax-based municipality with the skimpiest of tax bases. Even with its high mill rate, the municipality can't scrape together all the funds it needs. So it's no surprise that the community has always had to lean on the territorial government for a little extra. Granted, all the money wasted on fighting the village's legal battles hasn't helped matters.

The slashing of village funding hasn't yet been as drastic as the territorial government braced us for. The municipality will get $1,413,000 in funding for 2003/04 as opposed to the $795,000 forecasted two-and-a-half years ago (let's give mayor and council and MLA Jim Antoine credit for asserting some influence here). Some extras are still coming, too, such as $110,000 from the Minister of Youth for youth centre training.

It's good to know the option to become a hamlet is always there. It is a wild card, a scare tactic to keep the territorial government wondering whether Fort Simpson would actually go that far. We're not alone. Nearly every municipality in the country is being asked to make do with less money.

Of course Fort Simpson should keep being the squeaky wheel and pushing for everything it can get. The territorial government also cries poor, but it continues to help out in many ways. As a hamlet, those perks may come off the table. Do we really want to take that chance?

In the Dec. 20, 2002, edition of News/North Gjoa Haven resident Simona Akkikungak was incorrectly identified.

We apologize for the error and any inconvenience it may have caused.