That three young children didn't die in a drowning accident at Long Lake's Fred Henne Territorial Park can be chalked up to luck and the quick thinking of two 11-year-old Yellowknife girls who came to the rescue.

Jasmin Robinson and Kristie Meszaros surely deserve to be publicly recognized for their heroism in saving three young children who had started to flounder in a deep, dangerous drop-off area at the beach.

A line of buoys marked the outer edge of the public swimming area but the crisis might well have been averted had a lifeguard been on duty.

The problem is there are no lifeguards at Fred Henne Territorial Park this summer.

The City of Yellowknife has provided lifeguard services under contract to the GNWT's Department of Resources, Wildlife and Economic Development (RWED) for 12 years, but the city says they couldn't attract qualified lifeguards this summer.

The job pays $14 per hour and in the past the city hired three full-time lifeguards and up to six part-timers on behalf of RWED for one of the busiest day use parks in the NWT.

In a hot summer job market, no students applied for the position this year and it was mid-May before the city started looking themselves.

Interestingly, the new lifeguard in Taloyoak, way up in Nunavut, is Lara Haines-Love, from Yellowknife.

While the beach at Fred Henne lies within city boundaries, the fact remains it is a territorial park and the GNWT should ensure the beach is appropriately staffed with lifeguards.

If the City of Yellowknife can't deliver such service on a contract basis, RWED should go elsewhere.

Phil Lee, regional supervisor of the North Slave region of RWED, says the government is not in the business of providing lifeguards.

We disagree. It is the responsibility of the government to protect the public.

What is the purpose of a public beach if not to swim?

Clearly, the failure of the city to recruit lifeguards, and we wonder how hard they tried, put the public in jeopardy.

The story of two heroic little girls could have as easily ended with the death of five children caught in over their heads.

We can only hope the territorial government takes note of the near tragedy and rethinks its commitment to public safety.

As for the city's failure to maintain the standards of the contract, poor excuses fall far short of the mark.

I got the chance to visit Baker Lake last week.

I was impressed by the community's pristine beauty and of course the friendly nature of the people. A friendliness that seems to be a defining characteristic of the Kivalliq.

What I was most impressed with was the growth I saw in Baker.

A new state-of-the-art, $15 million school, new territorial library and most recently the addition of 15 more jobs.

That latest announcement gave the community cause to celebrate and MLA Glenn McLean a reason to thank the government.

In fact, the MLA was so happy that he told the premier he had nothing left to ask for.

A point he told me he received a little flak for later, especially after it was quoted in ink in this newspaper for all to see.

Obviously there is still much work that needs to be done in Baker, as there is in most Nunavut communities.

Housing, employment and other social issues still need to be addressed and where one problem is solved there is likely another to pop up.

But, Baker is fortunate it has a lot of good things happening for it right now and many potential lights for the future.

All that, however, will only be made possible if the Government of Nunavut continues support to community as well as it has to date.

As well, it should look to doing the same for the remaining six Kivalliq communities, which there is evidence of.

This is an election year.

And, there is no better time to ask a government for a favour when there is so little time for the public to forget a negative response before heading to the polls.

Hopefully, the good that has been done will continue into the new term.

Hopefully, the people of the Kivalliq and of Nunavut will begin to see what they deserve: prospering and thriving communities.

All this is possible and I am sure as Premier Paul Okalik sighed relief at McLean's comments, the good MLA was in the process of drawing up a new list.

In October, during the next sitting of the legislative assembly, we will see what that list, along with lists from all the other MLAs, includes.

Editorial Comment
Terry Halifax
Inuvik Drum

The town has been abuzz with construction and demolition activity over the summer so far and it's great to see everyone hard at work to make this a better place.

The paving crew is in town and before too long we'll have a shiny and smooth new mainstreet.

The old hospital was demolished in a matter of days and it shows off the new building nicely.

The new family centre foundation is going in and right next door, the new Aurora College campus is being built.

Housing starts are popping up all over in the new and old subdivisions and roads are being pushed through for more.

It's exciting to live in a town with so much growth taking place, but it's important to temper that growth with planning.

Last week council approved the rezoning of two lots on Tununuk Place that will likely become another apartment building and an office complex.

This is an area that already has three large multi-family dwellings, but no space for those families to recreate.

The two lots would have made an ideal park area or just a green space, where people living there could take lunch outside while their kids played on the swings.

The area represented the last green space in the downtown core, which might not seem that important right now, but what about in 10 or 20 years?

People need space to go for a walk without the sounds of motors revving and tires squealing.

A lunchtime break outside of the sterile office environment, where the birds chirp and the wind blows through the willows, is a mental vacation in the middle of a hectic day for most people.

The new buildings will ring up another land sale in the town's till and generate new tax dollars for years to come, but the quality of life for those residents will be little more than a prison sentence.

Responsible planning and zoning goes beyond selling and taxing; it's about building a community where people can live life and enjoy, rather than just live.

For too long, this town has been a place controlled by outside influences who only needed space to warehouse their people long enough to get the job done and they were gone.

Life is not like that here now. This is a thriving and vital community that deserves a long-term vision that will provide a sustained and happy life for people who call this place home.

Editorial Comment
Derek Neary
Deh Cho Drum

Whether there should be a licensed alcohol outlet in Fort Liard is bound to be a contentious issue -- that is if there is ever any formal debate on the matter.

Where does the majority of the community stand? That hasn't been determined.

There is a problem with bootlegging, that much has been established. Fort Liard is certainly not alone in facing that menace.

Would the community be better off with a liquor store? Would it reduce bootlegging or would it be opening Pandora's box?

Should there be a limit on how much alcohol any individual could purchase? How about a licensed establishment that serves drinks but doesn't sell bottles or cans? There are several options, but do enough residents want to examine them?

There are obviously more questions than answers at this point.

Why Yellowknife?

After Herb Dhaliwal's dissertation on how the NWT must benefit from a Mackenzie Valley pipeline, Fort Simpson resident Peter Shaw had only one question: Why did the federal government locate its pipeline readiness office in Yellowknife, so far away from the action? Fort Simpson would have been a more logical choice.

Dhaliwal didn't have an explanation at the ready. He said the federal government will seek ways to have its resources spread around NWT centres as much as possible.

It was a good question. Way to keep the minister on his toes, Mr. Shaw.

Southern bonds

It's fascinating to learn of individuals from southern Canada and the northern United States who are captivated by the North.

In regards to the Giles sisters and Norm Kagan (their stories are found in this edition), they aren't just everyday tourists passing through to take a look at the breath-taking scenery.

In the early 1990s, Kagan went out of his way to ensure Albert Faille had a proper headstone. While visiting last week, local historian Stephen Rowan informed him that the grave site had grown unkempt. Kagan didn't hesitate to spruce up the area.

Then there are the Giles sisters, who are pursuing higher learning. Through their seasonal experience in the North since 1998, they could be in line for an honourary degree in Northern living. In addition to being volunteers, they spearheaded a program that sends used sports equipment to Northern communities which could really benefit from it.

There are numerous Northerners who regularly devote their time to make the NWT a better place in which to live. It's nice to know that there are some Southerners who, although they don't reside here year-round, also strive to improve the quality of life."