Behchoko Chief Leon Lafferty has given Premier Joe Handley an earful over a proposal to spend $50 million on an Ingraham Trail addition.

The extension would bypass a troublesome section of the Tibbitt-Contowyto winter road, which mining companies rely on to ship supplies.

Lafferty says the money should be spent on roads to people before mines. But he's failing to recognize the fact that an Ingraham Trail extension could extend the winter road season, meaning more productivity for the mines and secured jobs for the Tlicho. A shortened ice road life-span this year resulted in increased costs for the mines, which could have dire implications on profits and employment.

The Tlicho people of Whati, Wekweeti, Gameti and Behchoko have been crying out for better housing, social programs and recreational facilities for years.

The only way is to ensure the money keeps flowing in -- both through royalties from the mining giants and jobs provided to residents. With that revenue, the Tlicho can improve the quality of life for their people.

On the other side of the fence, the GNWT should reconsider the $50 million price tag. A road that would only be used by large trucks does not need to be chipsealed -- the roads would only be torn up within a year or two, meaning higher maintenance costs.

Gravel roads would be sufficient. That may not be ideal for the premier and bureaucrats who live or own cabins on the trail, but they're not the ones who should benefit from this project.

Catholic missionaries helped open up the Northwest Territories to European religion, education and culture.

Whether or not that was good is best left to the history books and coffee club debates.

One thing is for sure -- the missionaries left a strong legacy in the territories: more than 9,300 residents consider themselves Catholic.

Even with this strong base, the North is not immune to the pressures facing the church throughout North America: a declining number of priests.

With the departure of Father Francois Cueff from St. Joseph's Cathedral in Fort Smith, just eight priests remain in the NWT. One of them is semi-retired and one leaves for a mission in the Yukon at the end of May. The priests are being replaced by lay presiders who can read the Gospel, who provide Holy Communion to parishioners, and even marriages.

But lay presiders can only do so much. The church must tend to its flock and must make every effort to visit each community every year.

And until the Catholic church moves into the modern world and gives women a true leadership role, it will continue to have to rely upon lay presiders, many of whom are women.

If you walk into the Rankin Inlet post office, don't expect an employee to answer your questions in Inuktitut.

The three employees don't speak the language, and that has the mayor upset.

He says Canada Post must provide service in Nunavut's official working language.

Canada Post says they'd love to, but they can't. They are fully staffed and they can't fire the union employees. And besides, the Crown corporation says, no Inuktitut-speaking person applied the last time a job opening was available, almost three years ago.

According to a Canada Post spokesperson, a notice was posted on the bulletin board at the post office announcing the vacancy.

But that's not enough. Canada Post has to make an effort to recruit Inuktitut-speaking people for their offices across the territory. It should be a requirement to speak the working language of the territory, much like it is for French in certain areas of the country.

While the corporation says it hasn't received any complaints about the service, save from the mayor, it doesn't mean there isn't a problem.

However, the criticism shouldn't be directed at Rankin post office employees.

It's Canada Post that needs to adapt to Nunavut. Gone are the days Nunavummiut have to adapt to other people's ways.

The federal government handed out $200 million for Nunavut housing. Thanks for the money, we need it. But where's the rest?

Yes, that money can build 800 homes, but what about the other 2,200 homes the territorial government says it needs?

This money is welcome, there's no doubt about it -- even if it is long overdue -- but it doesn't even come close to solving the housing problems Nunavut has.

The territory's lack of housing has been shown to affect the population, either through health problems like stress, depression and a higher risk of tuberculosis. It can also be linked to social problems like alcoholism and violence as well.

The territory, and Nunavut Tunngavik Inc., needs to continue to pressure and remind the federal government that this money is just a drop in the bucket.

Editorial Comment
Darrell Greer
Kivalliq News

There are precious few places that resist change as strenuously as Rankin Inlet often does.

A love for bygone days, in and of itself, is not necessarily a bad thing, unless it gets in the way of changes that improve the standard of living in the community.

In fact, there is often a wistful form of romanticism surrounding those who long for simpler times.

However, there is no romanticism surrounding those in our community who simply refuse to recognize a good thing when it's standing right in front of them.

And, the job full-time Rankin fire chief Rick Penner has done for this community during the past 42 months is a good thing.

Penner has every right to be a little bitter these days.

We join him in wondering what it takes to have those in power realize he's worth every penny of the salary he's being paid.

Mayor Lorne Kusugak is right when he says our volunteer firefighters and ambulance attendants did their jobs before Penner arrived.

That being said, they've become a hundred times better at those same jobs since his arrival.

All the training these members have put in under Penner's watch have made them true professionals, and they should be proud of their current ability to deal with emergency situations.

The fact of the matter is, the increase in their abilities is the type of stuff that saves lives - if it hasn't already.

This brings us to the age-old question of what price do you put on a person's life?

In this case, the answer is the $50,000 needed to keep Penner in place as our full-time fire chief.

I could relate to Penner when he said he doesn't need to make friends to do his job and, in fact, his position almost prevents that.

I have struggled with the strain of personal relationships put in jeopardy over stories that as a professional journalist I had to write.

We can only hope there is no one on hamlet council who would vote to remove Penner based on any personality clash that may have transpired over the execution of his duties as fire chief.

Unfortunately, sometimes feelings get hurt when a job is being done right.

Rankin hamlet council should do everything in its power to retain our full-time fire chief's position.

Mayor Kusugak was bang on the mark again when he said $50,000 is a small price to pay for what the position brings to the table.

And, while we appreciate budgets are more than a little tight these days, maintaining Penner's position is a sound investment into Rankin's future.

A sad fact of today's society is that lives can often hang in the balance when tough decisions are being made based strictly on finances.

Who knows which one of us may have a $50,000 price tag hanging over our head should an emergency situation loom in our future?

Editorial Comment
Dez Loreen
Inuvik Drum

Last week, our boys in blue, the RCMP, seized two pounds of dope and a lot of cash. The RCMP say the bust was a result of an ongoing investigation that ended in charges being laid against two men.

Looking at the facts, I agree with the RCMP that it was a pretty large bust. It has become apparent that pot has a grip on the community.

I talked to a member of the RCMP about it, who noted people are going to keep dealing pot until the community intervenes.

I don't see that happening anytime soon, simply because of the volume of people suffering from addictions in town.

It's all about supply and demand. By looking at the magnitude of the stash seized, it would seem that the demand is quite high in our Northern community.

It seems as though people don’t care that pot is illegal.

It's a controlled substance that is addictive and it does ruin lives.

Some minor possession charges may not result in hefty jail sentences, but trafficking is serious.

Pot dealers create an underground economy which is fuelled by addiction.

What might start off as a $20 front for some joints, could turn into the loss of a television set. It all depends on how bad you want it.

The network of dealers in town will continue to work together to stay in business.

I have a feeling that if the stoners of Inuvik lived in a place where dope was permitted, maybe this issue would be harder to keep under control.

It’s up to all the citizens of Inuvik to ensure the fight against drugs continues for the benefit of everyone.

The high school students who went out to shovel the Legion's parking lot did the right thing.

After years and years of supporting the sports programs in Inuvik, the Legion should not have to worry about clearing snow from its lot.

The cadets usually do the job, but because of a low turnout this year in the cadet troops, the job was given to the athletes.

If you ask me, this cycle of helping works out great for everyone involved.

The school got money for travel, the Legion got their parking lot cleared of snow.

While the athletes were shoveling, they also got exercise which is good for them, too.

This all just proves the old adage; "Do onto others as you would have done to you."

Hopefully other organizations in town will take a page from the Legion's book, and give support for our youth.

Youth in the community often get a bad rap, but if you treat them with respect, like the Legion did, the rewards will be there.

Editorial Comment
Roxanna Thompson
Deh Cho Drum

The stuff history is made of arrived in the Deh Cho on Monday.

The community hall in the Fort Simpson Recreation Centre was transformed with tables, chairs, posters and a lot of electronic equipment to become the site of the Joint Review Panel hearings.

Those in attendance, even if they were just there to observe, were part of more than just a community hearing. It's often hard to look beyond the present, the here and now, but the hearings have to be viewed with a wide angle lens.

History is taking place right now.

Someday, no matter what the outcome is, these hearings will be written about in history books and be the subject of countless documentaries and papers. If it hasn't already happened, there are probably a multitude of university students sitting about sharpening their pencils and warming up their keyboards, planning to write their theses on the hearings.

It's almost hard to think about something happening locally in that manner, but just look at the example set by the Berger pipeline inquiry and the subsequent Berger report.

Did all of the people taking part and watching those hearings think that it would have the effect that it did, or still be talked about so many years later? Maybe some people did, but surely not everyone had that kind of foresight.

Just think, the comments made by anyone who decides to talk while the hearings are in the Deh Cho, and not just important people with big job titles, could be recorded and preserved for future generations to look at.

It's also humbling to think that people have the chance to participate in something that could change the face of the Deh Cho as it is currently known. Many people keep reiterating all the possible effects the pipeline could have environmentally, economically, socially, and culturally.

But there could also be a lot of what ifs. If the pipeline isn't built, think of all the future questions about what could have been.

Would a future with the pipeline turn out to be better than a future without it? Short of inventing a time machine, we will never know that answer.

What is clear is that today's younger generations may one day start stories with the line "When I was young, before the time of the Mackenzie Valley Pipeline..."

Also humbling is the prospect of what the members of the Joint Review Panel have in front of them. Their task is not an enviable one.

Some people have trouble in the morning deciding what outfit to wear. The members of the Joint Review panel need to listen and mull over all the presentations given at all the hearings in order to come up with their decision.

Even watching one three-hour session gives a person a taste of the amount of information that is being imparted to the panel members.

As the panel moves around the communities, take a moment to pop in and watch. Even if you don't say anything, or don't stay for long, someday you will be able to say that you saw the Joint Review Panel in action.

An error appeared in an article in last Monday's News/North (Business around the North, Summer Student program slashed, page A39).

The Youth Employment Program's budget for the fiscal year of 2004/05 was $300,000. Also, funding can be transferred from region to region in the Northwest Territories. News/North apologizes for any embarrassment or confusion caused by the error.

In the May 8 story, "School targets life on the land," it is Sir Alexander Mackenzie school in Inuvik, not Samuel Hearne secondary high school that had a wilderness program.

News/North apologizes for the error.