Friday, November 26, 2004
City councillor Mark Heyck says Tin Can Hill shouldn't be developed.
He says it's an area that should be set aside because it has a "particular value" unlike any other green space in the city.
It boasts a panoramic view of Yellowknife Bay and rolling outcrops for hikers and dog walkers alike to explore.
Judging by our phone poll and the number of people who made presentations at a public hearing for the 2004 general plan last month, development on Tin Can Hill is a touchy subject.
One thing that shouldn't be ignored, however, is the immense size of the area. At 106 hectares, which includes Con Trailer Court and land which is still part of the Con Mine site, it's somewhat larger than downtown Yellowknife.
Some people, including Heyck, point to the wisdom of Vancouver's civic fathers when they created Stanley Park. The same sort of designation should be applied to Tin Can Hill, they reckon.
Yet to do so would require more than just a decree forever claiming Tin Can Hill as a "no-development zone."
Stanley Park has a sea wall, miniature railroad, tennis courts, world-class aquarium, an outdoor theatre, flower gardens and much more. A sizable staff is required to look after the park and keep visitors safe.
It has become a prime driving engine for Vancouver's tourism economy. Could the same be done with Tin Can Hill? Would we be willing to spend vast amounts of money to build boardwalks and promenades on outcrops?
None of this will ever happen if Tin Can Hill is excluded from development. It will remain as conflicted as it is today, a struggle between nature lovers and off-road vehicle enthusiasts; between hikers and homeless squatters.
There is a reason why it is called Tin Can Hill. Its name speaks for itself.
A reasonable balance between residential development and green space on Tin Can Hill will mean actual parks and trails can be built for everyone in the city to enjoy.
It is an area too large and prime to be excluded from the general plan.
When the need to develop actually does come, the city will have to be careful about how it does that. Cramming 300 trailers on top would be a travesty. The last few years have seen Yellowknife residents becoming increasingly more vocal in their displeasure with the city's growth management practices.
Tin Can Hill presents an opportunity to get it right, and provide a model for all future development in the city.
Editorial Comment
Darrell Greer
Kivalliq News
Being an official with Hockey Canada is almost always a rewarding experience.
There are times, however, when being a hockey referee in the North can be a trying experience.
No, I'm not talking about abuse from the fans, players or parents.
In fact, the rate of such instances in Nunavut has dropped dramatically during the past three years.
Yes, there's still the odd player who uses a certain appendage to let me know I'll always be No. 1 with him.
And there will always be, whether we like it or not, a group of players who, if you leave out all the swear words, never say anything to an official.
That being said, Nunavut has come a long way with behaviour at our arenas.
Actual physical encounters between players and officials and unacceptable personal and/or racial remarks have all but disappeared.
As hockey lovers, that is reason to celebrate, and it is also cause for our zone (Hockey Nunavut) and branch (Hockey North) to continue to back their officials with zero tolerance for such behaviour.
Refs in a bad situation
The frustration comes when directives from the south -- no matter how well-intended -- have to be enforced to the detriment of Northern hockey.
Those who play the game remember all too well the great earpiece debacle of a few years ago.
During that time, officials were put in the unenviable position of telling players in the adult recreation and old-timer brackets to leave the ice if they had removed those little pieces of plastic that came with their helmets.
Have you ever asked an old-timer wearing a leather helmet where his earpiece was?
Shortly after that came the sticker fiasco, when we found out a $100 helmet was rendered useless by applying a 50-cent sticker.
In an area where a number of people -- especially parents with kids playing the game -- have difficulty purchasing equipment, such directives can put a financial strain on entire families, whether the big boys in the south want to believe it or not.
Limiting movement
Now, with all the discussion about the perils of body contact, there are new directives in place aimed at limiting a player's ability to move up an age bracket from, for example, atom to peewee or peewee to bantam.
In small Northern communities, where an age bracket may only have six or seven players, such directives have the ability to doom kids to a year of practice without feeling the joy of competition.
Hopefully, our Northern hockey leaders will continue to make their voices heard at national assemblies to remind those in the south of our unique situation.
As with most topics, dialogue leads to understanding and understanding leads to compromise.
Our younger players have been hit hard enough with the exclusion of peewees from the Arctic Winter Games.
With further restrictions being placed on their ability to play the game, we run the risk of having them skate away from it forever.
Editorial Comment
Jason Unrau
Inuvik Drum
When Twin Lakes voters go to the polls Monday, to choose their new MLA, there will be a variety of candidates listed on the ballot, each possessing relevant experience to serve their constituents at the legislative assembly in Yellowknife.
For Twin Lakes, this vote represents the final chapter in the saga of questionable conduct by the riding's former MLA and, hopefully, the beginning of a more grassroots approach to governing at the territorial level.
Those who subscribe to the grassroots method know that communication is key.
And this issue of communication -- or lack thereof, as alleged by some Twin Lakes constituents -- was a major bone of contention many had with the former MLA.
Yellowknife is a long way from Inuvik -- both literally and figuratively -- so keeping Twin Lakers abreast of what's going on in the capital, while soliciting questions and concerns from this end, will provide a solid foundation for maintaining good rapport with those in the Twin Lakes riding.
And continuing with the grassroots-style is essential.
Already in Inuvik there are several organizations and loose associations working on a variety of fronts, from dealing with homelessness to addressing the flow of hard drugs into the community.
Twin Lakes' new MLA should work with these groups and point them towards relevant territorial opportunities, and/or initiatives they can tap into, and vice versa. In most cases, there is no need to reinvent the wheel, rather the new representative must channel the energy and enthusiasm already present in the community.
Affordable housing and education must also be on the new MLA's agenda. For far too long Inuvik renters have been at the mercy of market forces.
While it is good to see projects such as Capital Suites come to fruition, it would be even more satisfying if low-income families could enjoy satisfactory accommodations that won't break their banks.
It is hard to swallow a nearly zero per cent vacancy rate in town when there is a new hotel going up at the end of Mackenzie Road and a half-empty executive residence complex just up the way.
In terms of education, several candidates have broached the issue of providing bussing for students.
Money formerly earmarked for this purpose has been diverted into funding the worthwhile full-day kindergarten and maintaining what Inuvik students already enjoy.
However, bussing may be part of the solution for getting kids to school and keeping them there.
As well, our new Twin Lakes MLA should lobby hard to secure more money to address the needs of Inuvik's challenged students.
Leaving them and their parents to fend for themselves is simply not an option.
And last, but by no means least, is the issue of the socio-economic impact of the coming pipeline.
The new Twin Lakes MLA must be a solid proponent of ensuring the region gets its fair share of the bounty and that measures are in place to deal with the fallout of the boom.
Editorial Comment
Darrell Greer
Kivalliq News
It's still really murky right now, but the controversy swirling in Fort Liard is hopefully on the road to being resolved.
Acho Dene Koe First Nation has approved an in-depth audit of its financial records -- past and present.
This course of action may not be a saving grace for the current chief and council, who have constantly been under fire, but it should provide band members with some very interesting reading material.
So beleaguered is Chief Floyd Bertrand that in the public announcement posted by the band this week, he acknowledges band members' calls for an early election. He states he and the current council refuse to resign and will remain in power until the next election, on July 17, 2005.
Then again, if the current administration can be redeemed in the eyes of angry band members at all, perhaps this audit will help vindicate them.
The important thing is that the analysis is conclusive and that chief and council continue to keep band members abreast of any developments.
A positive first step was taken by publicly announcing the audit.
There may not be anything discovered. We shall see, hopefully.
A nation divided
Rarely is there a moment without intrigue on the Deh Cho Process file. At one point it looked like it was just the Liidlii Kue First Nation that was pushing for a separate Deh Cho pipeline body to settle the business end of things. Then the ante rose last week with five other organizations jumping on board.
Chief Keyna Norwegian said the time crunch was one of the major factors in forming the Dehgah Alliance Society. The Deh Cho communities are apparently worried they are falling too far behind in negotiating benefits as the pipeline process progresses. Mackenzie Gas Project benefits negotiations are taking place in the Inuvialuit and Gwich'in regions.
However, in the Sahtu, Deline just broke off benefits talks in frustration. Obviously they can't achieve the deal they are seeking and don't feel pressured to sign now.
If there's power in numbers, the five Deh Cho corridor communities should have more clout than Deline. But by forming an exclusive society at a time when other communities were interested in becoming participants in the pipeline working group, the corridor communities, in their bid to secure equitable benefits, have risked severing the backing of their Deh Cho allies.
Whether the members of the society intend to alienate anyone or not, obviously they feel it's a risk work taking.
Last week's editorial stated that Minister Michael McLeod oversees two portfolios. In fact, he holds three: Transportation, Municipal and Community Affairs and Youth. The Drum apologizes for the oversight.