Monday, August 29, 2005
The edict to limit Northwest Territories residents to buying one bottle of over-proof alcohol a day is one of those.
The objective is admirable. Alcohol in any form - beer, wine or spirits - is a serious problem for some residents.
Over-proof booze carries a kick significantly stronger than the 40 per cent alcohol content of regular spirits. The government's thinking is that by limiting access, it will reduce or contain the damage done by the more potent drink.
Whether it takes one drink or two to get loaded, the objective and result remain the same for those with a drinking problem. They will continue to abuse alcohol in any form and any strength they can get.
The fact that over-proof booze will remain on liquor stores shelves means that those who want it will get it, and in any quantity they desire. Under-age drinkers are proof of that.
The government announced the limit without any accompanying plan or proposal for enforcement or penalties, and dumped it in the laps of liquor vendors.
That's enough for a reasonable person to conclude that the government isn't really serious about limiting access to over-proof alcohol; it's just going through the motions, hoping the public doesn't notice that this is an empty gesture.
If the government is serious about restricting super-booze, stop selling it in the NWT.
It's been a bumpy year for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. First, professional hockey tanked because two sets of millionaires couldn't agree on how to become richer.
Now CBC's journalists and on-air personalities have been locked out in a dispute largely over use of contract versus full-time employees.
That's something for management and its workers to sort out, but the larger picture is the impact silencing CBC has in the North.
The lockout means Inuktitut, Dogrib, Inuinnaqtun, Gwich'in and other languages aren't heard by people who rely on "their voices" for vital information and entertainment.
Down south, a radio listener can simply switch to a private broadcaster. North of 60, CBC Radio is largely all there is, a fact of life southerners don't often grasp.
Indeed, CBC cross-Canada coverage is part of the fabric of Canadian-ness.
It's an important and almost essential voice to keep Northerners entertained and informed about what's going on across the North, throughout Canada and around the world.
Both sides of the CBC labour dispute should keep that in mind and settle this thing quickly.
There are 12 new examples that the territory is doing something right in educating home-grown talent.
That's how many people, already working in community health centres, received X-ray technician certificates earlier this month.
These 12, along with two others who can now offer the same course, are trained to take X-rays in their communities.
This program proves once again that a little imagination, some effort and well-spent government money is a recipe that works to get Nunavummiut into important jobs.
It came to an end just weeks after 11 people graduated with law degrees in a unique effort to train lawyers for Nunavut.
This innovative approach to education and training gives people the skills they need to provide valuable services in their communities. It's a much better solution than bringing southerners who won't stay longer than a year or two.
By training people from communities, you are building a home-grown workforce that has a vested interest in improving the quality of life. The territory is learning to use the human resources already available here, realizing that home-grown solutions are better than the imported kind.
What's next?
Editorial Comment
Darrell Greer
Kivalliq News
It will be interesting to see how Rankin Inlet hamlet council deals with a newly formed local consortium which has taken it upon itself to try to block the much-rumoured plunge into the convenience store business by the Northern store.
Now, exactly how serious the Northern is about jumping into the convenience game remains to be seen.
But, considering the pressure members of this behind-the-scenes group are capable of exerting on council, if the Northern is serious, we could see quite the battle being waged on the political front.
The reasons the Northern will be met with resistance are threefold.
First off, another convenience store will eat into existing profits - even if it does replace an existing specialty shop.
But, that argument doesn't garner much public sympathy, so, if we are witness to a retail battle in Rankin, the first question we'll hear asked is how many convenience stores can one hamlet support?
The problem is, whether the hamlet can support two, three or 29 stores is irrelevant.
This country is built on democracy and free enterprise and we kind of like it that way.
So, should the Northern, or any other chain decide to open shop in Rankin, existing stores will have to find a way to compete.
We've all heard the argument that ma-and-pa operations can't compete against larger competitors and are forced out of business when such stores open nearby.
None of us like to see a business go under in our communities because, quite frankly, we need the competition.
But, let's be honest, as a consumer, do you go to ma and pa's and pay $5 for an item or do you go to Honest Bessie's across the road and get the same item for $3?
Let's take it a step further, as far-fetched as it might be at this point in time.
How many people in the community would be running around carrying save-the-Northern signs if it was announced Wal-Mart was moving into Rankin?
Our guess is you wouldn't need a very big truck to take them to the protest.
The second argument we'll hear is that the smaller operations won't be able to match the buying power of the Northern, which will force them out of business by offering substantially lower prices on their merchandise.
You'll be told they'll even take a loss for the first year or two to force out the competition and then clean up as a monopoly.
Please!!
There are plenty of similar items for sale in Rankin's four main stores now, with prices being basically the same right across the board.
And, for all the kicking the Northern takes from time to time, the store provides local jobs and is on the top of everybody's list when it comes to donations for fundraising events.
That's not even to mention it's the only retailer in town that will run the Loto booth for proceeds to go to our local minor hockey program.
The bottom line is; while increased competition may not be good for current store-owner profits, it does hold the promise to benefit consumers.
And, even if that benefit is marginal, when you're talking Northern prices, we say bring on the Wal-Mart!
Editorial Comment
Jason Unrau
Inuvik Drum
A couple of years back, I got caught in a speedtrap while trying to beat closing time at a retail shop on the outskirts of Toronto.
Knowing it was futile to argue my case with the police officer, I simply got out my license and registration and handed it to the guy when he came to the window of my car.
When the officer returned with my information, his words were music to my ears: "I'm just going to give you a warning, so keep it to 60 in the future..."
It seems the reason for my pardon was that, according to the cop, I was the only motorist on his entire shift who didn't put up a stink when I was stopped.
There were a few lessons here. Apart from being reminded to keep to the speed limit - and keeping my $150 - from my point of view, the police officer scored a major public relations coup, reminding me that the men and women who work to keep our communities safe are people, too, simply trying to do their job.
(And, as I've paid my share of speeding tickets in the past, I like to think I was due for a break).
While my heavy foot and the situation Willard Hagen found himself in recently are worlds apart, I have to wonder if a simple warning - rather than seizing the guns from his cabin and laying charges - would have been better for all involved. The fact is, Hagen did offer his cabin for RCMP to use while searching for a missing individual. Many in town have been left scratching their heads, wondering when the cops had the time to collect evidence for the charges against Hagen while they were supposed to be looking for his friend.
If Hagen's kind and helpful gesture didn't warrant a 'blind eye' from police, it certainly didn't merit those charges. Even the RCMP's acting director of criminal operations in the territories has noted that discretion is the prime directive to officers in the region when dealing with this kind of situation.
In the wake of this incident, one wonders how many "good Samaritans" will be willing to offer up their cabins to the RCMP at the risk of being caught in the same situation.
So now there's a member of the community who is quite rightly very angry and threatening to go all the way to the Supreme Court of Canada to assert his traditional rights. While a warning from police about his guns may have caused Hagen some frustration, the fact that charges were laid have made him determined to press the issue.
Once again, the idea of the RCMP as an instrument of colonial oppression permeates this recent gong-show. Surely, the police have better things to do with their time than fight a battle over Section 96 of the Canadian Firearms Safety Course Handbook, which clearly states: In a remote area where hunting might reasonably occur, a non-restricted firearm may be stored unlocked, out in the open and accessible to ammunition as long as the firearm is unloaded.
As for Hagen, the former Gwich'in Tribal Council president is more than ready for a fight. Hopefully, a verdict in his favour will put an end to what is ultimately a waste of police resources.
It's not as if the guns in question were strewn about a property down Mackenzie Road. They were taken from a locked cabin in a remote location (one was an antique). The key word here is remote. The same word that could be used to describe the RCMP's chance of winning this case.
Editorial Comment
Derek Neary
Deh Cho Drum
Congratulations to all the high school graduates in Fort Providence.
Deh Gah school is one of the few in the NWT to hold its grad ceremony in the late summer. The delay means that everyone wearing a cap and gown has passed all their final exams and has officially earned a high school diploma.
There were some truly extraordinary stories to emerge from the Deh Gah class of 2005.
First, there were two people - Oscar Lefoin and Albertine Canadien - who stood out from the rest. They have been around a few more years than their graduating counterparts.
Canadien and Lefoin, who both took night classes, were referred to as "role models" more than once during last Friday's ceremony.
That's an accurate enough label to attach to them. They showed great courage in going back to school. Both are already employed - Canadien has been an employee with the Hamlet of Fort Providence for many years while Lefoin is a long-time caretaker at the Fort Providence health centre.
And he's a former Deh Cho Health and Social Services employee of the year, to boot.
Their primary motivations for returning to school were their zest for learning, a chance to complete an unfulfilled ambition and a sense of accomplishment. There's absolutely nothing wrong with that.
Of course their decision to go back to class made it possible for them to graduate alongside their children, another noteworthy aspect of this crop of grads.
Then there's Anthony Lefoin, Oscar's son, who was valedictorian and earned an amazing 58 credits over the past year. The average student picks up fewer than 40.
Anthony combined his daytime school work with night classes and work experience to gain all those credits.
Not only have they attained their diplomas, several of the grads have set their sights on further education: three are entering the nursing access program, one is going into the teaching access program (three other Fort Providence residents are also enroled), another grad is pursuing heavy-equipment operator certification and yet another is aiming to become an aircraft mechanic.
So long as they remain determined, the future holds much promise for them.
Hopefully the remaining grads find their niche as well.
Registration for 2005-06 night courses at Deh Gah is taking place this week. Why not sign up?
Andrew Raven will be filling in here at the Drum while I head south for a month.
He took the helm back in March and was also here during the winter of 2004, so he's becoming pretty familiar with the Deh Cho.
See you again in late September.