So it is possible to get politicians in a room together and agree on something.

Last week, it was announced that city council, the Yellowknife Metis 66, and the Yellowknife Metis Council had come to an agreement on how to spend the $7.2 million handed out last year through the federal Northern Strategy.

While community groups in Fort Smith bickered to the point where they had to concede to Premier Joe Handley that they couldn't come to an agreement on how to spend their share of the strategy fund, Yellowknife city councillors and Metis leaders made it look easy.

And there's lots of goodies for everyone: $1.2 million for seniors housing; $400,000 for a desperately needed 9-1-1 call centre; $1.5 million for a homeless shelter, among others.

Councillors also wisely chose to put $3.2 million aside for now before deciding whether to put it into a new library, fieldhouse or convention centre.

City council will have to think long and hard before investing money into those projects.

With more than $12 million going to operations and maintenance annually, the city is already maxed out when it comes to paying for the Multiplex and other facilities.

The city must pay down its debt first before council scratches its itch to build more.

It was a sad day in Yellowknife when the face of two-year-old husky-cross Sumatra appeared on the front page of our newspaper last week.

This beautiful dog is at the front of the line on doggie death row at the Great Slave Animal Hospital. The shelter announced that it may have to start killing off the animals in order to free up space for other needy canines.

The problem is most of these dogs are unwanted and not enough people are willing to adopt them. Employees at the clinic say the problem originates with "backyard breeders," people who are not licensed to breed dogs, but sell puppies without proof of pedigree.

We say unless you are a professional breeder or dog musher, Yellowknife residents should be forced to spay or neuter their animals. Owners are being irresponsible for not doing so.

Dogs are wonderful companions who capture the hearts of young and old with their big eyes, floppy ears and unconditional love. Nobody wants to see them killed off.

The city needs to take steps to protect these animals. If a dog is not neutered or spayed, the owner should be forced to license it as a breeder and pay higher costs as a result. And fines for unlicensed dogs found running loose should be doubled.

We don't want to experience an explosion of the canine population in Yellowknife. Let's save these creatures before it's too late.

Editorial Comment
Darrell Greer
Kivalliq News

It came as no surprise to see Nunavut Liberal MP Nancy Karetak-Lindell going through a period of frustration as she adapted to being a member of the Opposition party.

It also came as no surprise to see the Tories didn't exactly have the North at the top of the priority list for the recent speech from the throne.

There was no guarantee on the future of the Kelowna Accord, and the uncertainty now surrounding the package for Northern development is a cause for concern.

We have said in this space before that there are no guarantees Stephen Harper's government will be overly friendly to the North, and that's especially true for Nunavut.

We'll have to wait and see just how high a priority Nunavut turns out to be for the Conservatives, but we certainly didn't set any promise records coming out of the gate.

Even with all the talk from our military during the past year of increasing its presence in the North, there were no promises of such.

The fact Indian and Northern Affairs Minister Jim Prentice didn't seem to be in any hurry to meet with Lindell after the January election also sets off alarm bells.

We're not impressed with what our lone Inuit MP has had to go through to have a chat with Prentice, despite his oh-so-hectic schedule since being appointed.

Memo to Prentice: Sooner or later you're going to have to meet us and we're not going anywhere.

Nunavut's political spotlight is going to be shining brightly on Karetak-Lindell during the next six months.

Despite her envious track record of election wins, there are still many who claim she is not vocal enough in lobbying for Nunavut's needs.

Take away the fact she no longer has the prime minister's ear in private party meetings, and Karetak-Lindell will have to show more of her aggressive side to win concessions from the federal government for Nunavut.

While federal politics is an animal unto itself, Karetak-Lindell is going to need solid support from the territorial government and national Inuit leaders.

It is even more imperative this time around for Karetak-Lindell, Premier Paul Okalik and highly visible and respected national personalities such as Jose Kusugak to be on the same page in pressuring the feds to meet our needs.

This is our third prime minister since the creation of Nunavut and the first era in which the party that oversaw much of the Land Claims Agreement is no longer in power.

We need Inuit leaders to be vocal and visible on the national stage to keep Nunavut from slipping out of sight and out of mind to most Canadians.

Our leaders take every opportunity to trumpet the inclusion of Inuit Qaujiniajatuqangit into many of Nunavut's programs.

This is the time for these same leaders to draw from traditional knowledge in compelling the new federal government into understanding our needs and working with us to reach our goals.

What we've learned from the past just may be our best ally in our attempts to move forward.

Editorial Comment
Dez Loreen
Inuvik Drum

The high school has just finished one of its brighter moments of the year, and it looked like everyone had a great time.

The annual snow week proved to be great for the morale of the students.

With activities ranging from a Fear Factor eating challenge to a dizzy stick obstacle course, I'm not surprised it was such a success.

Keeping the students active in the school is a better alternative to walking the streets during break time.

I remember my glory days in Samuel Hearne secondary school (SHSS), and the fun we used to have. It actually doesn't feel like that long ago.

The events I saw this past week were not all that different from how it used to be, although we were lacking in several areas.

I think the pie throwing contest should be brought back, with the teachers as targets.

Nothing against the faculty, but the proceeds could go to program funding.

Seriously though, I have to congratulate the teachers and staff who volunteered their spare time to snow week, because without them, a lot of the activities couldn't be possible.

The Inuvik Family Centre celebrated its first anniversary on Sunday afternoon.

It is always good to see something good last in this community.

I don't know anyone who has had a bad experience in that pool, and I have to attribute that to the great staff there.

I've been there a few times, sadly not enough though.

I talked to a few of the high school students who are training to be lifeguards, and possibly work at the pool in the future.

They seemed willing and able to help people in need, both in the pool and out.

It is always good to see role models developing, and I feel comfortable knowing the community will soon be in their hands.

I think the biggest part of Inuvik that I missed was the brotherhood.

We are a unit here, and co-operation is key for a healthy clean community.

Being in Yellowknife for nearly three months allowed me to reflect on what people can be like, both for the good and bad.

I came home to see a better Inuvik, with less trash on the street. Unfortunately it looked like it snowed a lot since January.

A lot can happen in just over two months.

I guess the point I am trying to make is that we all have to keep working together to make Inuvik the utopia of the North.

I also noticed the sun rises at crazy early times in the morning.

I guess it just means less coffee for some of us to wake up for work.

Editorial Comment
Roxanna Thompson
Deh Cho Drum

There's nothing like a good sports tournament to bring a community to life.

The mood in the Fort Simpson recreation centre and the Thomas Simpson school gym was often electric as spectators took advantage of a weekend of free entertainment during the Connie Loutit Memorial Soccer tournament.

Spectators became extremely involved in the games. Watching the crowd's reactions to the action was almost as fun as watching the game itself.

People winced as collisions occurred, cheered or looked disappointed when goals were scored and yelled out instructions to the players. In the close games some spectators could barely stay in their seats as they involuntarily imagined themselves in the midst of the action.

Sports events provide a way for people to become engaged in a community and it's not just about watching the games. A large part of the tournament is about socializing, whether it be with neighbours from down the street or acquaintances from other communities with whom you only cross paths once in a while.

And if tournaments can be this positive for adults, the benefits for youth cannot be underestimated.

The simple action of playing a sport builds the foundation for so many skills and qualities needed later in life. Basic lessons such as the importance of physical activity and teamwork are picked up quickly. Sports can also provide a boost for self-esteem.

Athletes also learn that in life the goal shouldn't always be to win, but to stay true to the spirit of the activity during the journey.

Teams were also flexible in allowing athletes to move between age divisions to fill gaps where necessary.

Athletes also had a chance to see first hand how important volunteers are to a community. Behind the scenes were a lot of people who all did little parts to make the tournament successful.

Some spent six hours figuring out the logistics of scheduling 93 games. Others organized enough food and places to sleep for 460 players. Volunteers made the tournament happen.

On the less cheerful side, sports tournaments also teach youth about how to deal with the disappointments that life sometimes presents.

An early ability to deal with small let downs like a game loss will help make the inevitable bigger disappointments down the road easier to handle. With so many positive lessons to be learned through them, let's hope that sports and sports tournaments continue to flourish in the Deh Cho.

While organizations such as the Fort Simpson village council have been pondering what to do with stray dogs, youth have been coming up with their own solutions.

The effort by class four in Bompas elementary school to raise money to care for stray dogs shows that youth have a keen sense of what is happening in their community and often have ideas about what should be done. Youth should be encouraged to voice their opinions. When children are seen and not heard, the germs of important ideas may be lost.