Last week, Yellowknifer reported there had been a sexual assault in late September. Readers may recall there was another sexual assault Oct. 8 on the Frame Lake Trail. After the October assault, there were rumours of the first. School children had heard about it, worried parents had heard about it. It was even reported on CJCD.

Yellowknifer attempted to confirm the rumours with police. Based upon the answers we were given, we told the public there had been no second assault. There was no call from RCMP to set the record straight.

Now the police say they did not confirm the first assault because they were asked about an incident on Frame Lake Trail and not anywhere else.

We will give the police the benefit of the doubt on what questions they were asked. It is clear that while there may not have been an attempt to mislead the newspaper, there was a very successful attempt to keep information from the public.

The RCMP should ask themselves: What are those school children and parents who knew of the assault to think? The police have a difficult enough job without adding credibility problems.

Yellowknifer understands information must sometimes be withheld to protect the integrity of investigations. But the main goal should be for the police to tell the public everything they can, as soon as they can. The only way to do that is through the news media.

Withholding information unnecessarily will only create mistrust of the very people we should trust the most.

Letia Lewis misses the smell of the Northern air... the water... driving up the Mackenzie Highway. But it's the price she's willing to pay for success.

Lewis works as a graphic artist on Hollywood movies. Her last project was Lord of the Rings and she's now moved on to the Matrix sequel.

The 30-something former Northerner is an inspiration to anyone who thinks growing up in isolated, small communities is a roadblock to achieving success.

If you're feeling a little jealous, don't be. Lewis works hard for her success: six days a week, 14 hours a day.

Sure, she has the talent to run with the big dogs but she also has other qualities equally important: ambition and drive.

Those qualities are often as rare as real talent. We wish her continued success.

Editorial Comment
Darrell Greer
Kivalliq News

Emotions are running high with the government of Nunavut's plans to relocate the Petroleum Products Division (PPD) to Baker Lake from Rankin Inlet.

The economic impact and human toll involved with such a move are obvious.

With so much at stake, it's little wonder Rankin is so upset and Baker's so happy about the move, even if the vast majority of the 13 jobs coming to that community will be filled by Southerners.

However, this decision is simply the latest in a string of similar moves to affect the two communities.

It's as if Baker and Rankin, somewhere along the line, became the favourite targets of the government of the day in reaching quota or decentralization targets.

You have to go back to 1987 when this series of comedic errors began with the arrival of the Department of Health and Social Services in Baker under the GNWT.

All was fine until about eight years later when John Todd decided it was in the region's best interests to move H&SS to Rankin under the guise of strengthening the Kivalliq Regional Health Board -- the results of which have been well documented.

Frowns in Baker, smiles in Rankin.

Not all that long after, then interim commissioner Jack Anawak and former CG&T deputy minister Mike Ferris paid a visit to Baker with the promise of moving the Worker's Compensation Board to the hamlet from Rankin.

Smiles in Baker, frowns in Rankin.

Unfortunately for Baker, it was then determined the benefit of such a move was far outweighed by the damage it would cause to Rankin and the employees of WCB.

No, the WCB was in Rankin to stay.

Frowns in Baker, smiles in Rankin.

Today, a feasibility study is being conducted on moving the WCB to Pannituuq.

A little salt for that wound in Rankin and Baker?

Rankin, on the other hand, is still smarting from being told the move of Nunavut Arctic College HQ to Arviat (changed from Rankin during the 1999 Apex retreat) would be decentralization's only negative impact on the community.

Smiles in Arviat, frowns in Rankin, giggles in Baker.

However, while Baker giggles, the City of Iqaluit continues to howl with laughter at the GN's decentralization policies.

To date, a mere 195 government positions have been moved from Iqaluit to six Nunavut communities.

Conversely, there are still 253 government positions to be filled in Iqaluit (as of Sept. 30, 2002).

He who laughs last, does indeed laugh best.

Editorial Comment
Tara Kearsey
Inuvik Drum

New Year's resolutions are more than a month old if they aren't already a distant memory.

Non-Smoking Awareness Week is history. The Quit and Win contest has come and gone.

Yet some people in the Deh Cho continue to fight the battle against cigarettes. For that reason, the Drum will be profiling smokers and ex-smokers over the next few weeks. You'll read about those who have kicked the habit, those who are struggling and those who have all but given up.

Maybe their stories will offer some insight and inspiration.

Margaret Thom makes an excellent point: when it comes to formal support groups in small Northern communities, they are practically non-existent. Yet that doesn't mean there's no help to be found. There are always plenty of people who have shared the same experience. Sometimes just knowing that you're not alone in your struggles is enough to give one that needed boost. A listening ear can also make a world of difference.

Smokers are fewer today than in the past. There's a move afoot to ban smoking in public establishments. Secondhand smoke is a major issue. An Ontario waitress who had worked in a smoking establishments for close to 40 years was awarded worker's compensation in a court case in October. The waitress has lung cancer and her doctor blamed it directly on secondhand smoke. If that's the direction the courts continue to take, it's little wonder that smokers would be banished when they want to light up.

The territorial government has its own proposed legislation to prohibit smoking in public buildings and work places. Fort Simpson village council had also been wrestling with a bylaw to forbid smoking in all municipal buildings. That debate ended on Monday evening when the bylaw was scrapped on third reading.

The issue isn't going away, however. While there are more people choosing not to smoke, there are those who still light up. Their rights and the rights of others will invariably continue to clash.

Mystery man

The story of Tiele Stowhase certainly is an unusual one. It's rare when a complete stranger can touch the lives of others in such a profound way. It will be most interesting to see what the Department of Immigration uncovers in its investigation of his background.

Editorial Comment
Derek Neary
Deh Cho Drum

What would possess one man to risk his own well-being for the sake of a dog, while other dog owners shirk their responsibilities all together?

The answer to the former question is love and loyalty. It's something that some dog owners feel strongly, and something that dogs return many times over.

The explanation for the latter remains frustratingly elusive. Clearly, some people aren't meant to own dogs, but there's precious little to stop them from having one or more. It seems a shame that a wolf would attack a restrained dog -- one that is cared for and wanted -- as happened in Fort Liard earlier this month. In all likelihood, the odd stray dog is also nabbed and devoured by wolves, it's just that nobody notices, nobody cares.

Most dogs aren't slain by wolves, however, they are killed by the bylaw officer. It's only out of necessity that this situation exists.

Part of the problem is that uncaring dog owners seldom realize the consequences of their irresponsibility. They cast the dog out -- whether it's -35 C or in the summer -- and don't care if they ever see it again.

While they sit at home, drive away to visit relatives or go out to dinner, the last thing on their mind is the fate of the abandoned, innocent pet. After all, puppies are plentiful and another one can be obtained easily when the impulse arises.

It would be impossible to legislate, but one antidote for neglectful pet owners would be to compel them to accompany the bylaw officer to the dump, the execution chamber.

After that bullet pierces their dog's flesh and the animal draws its final breath, those irresponsible owners should have to stand over the carcass and reflect on the needless death. It's a cruel reality they have created.

Shaking and shivering

Just to add another thought to this week's Street Beat, "What's a sign that it's really cold outside," there are some not-so-subtle indicators from one's vehicle.

For starters, when the door of a 2000 model truck creaks like a 1962 model upon being opened, it's cold. Then, while driving down the highway for more than an hour, the cold wind whistles in through the still-frozen mouldings around the door.

Finally, although the heat in the cabin is set at maximum for hours, the truck still strains to pump enough warm air to match the cold that's flowing inside. That's the type of week it was.