Friday, August 25, 2006
Following the Aug. 3 blaze that tore through Ecole St. Joseph School on Range Lake Road, parents were told last week that students from the damaged Catholic board institution would be attending classes in two schools belonging to the Yellowknife Education District #1.
The two boards traded barbs earlier this year when Catholic administrators clamoured for more classroom space to match their increasing enrolment. Their solution: take over a Yk 1 school.
Not surprisingly, Yk 1 heads bristled at that idea, and proposed instead to share a school.
The Catholic space crunch was only made worse by the fire, but now the two districts have been forced to work together.
The St. Joseph fire damaged or destroyed nine classrooms, a computer lab and a common area; using empty space in Yk 1 schools is the best solution.
Catholic school board superintendent Kern Von Hagen called the situation "a crisis," but sometimes that's what it takes to bring two sides together.
The districts should be commended for getting together and creating a workable solution on the eve of the school year.
Here's hoping the forced mixed-school experiment goes well and paves the way for a long-term plan that will maximize Yellowknife's classroom space.
There are many questions surrounding how Raymond Eagle ended up comatose in an Edmonton hospital.
Right now, however, the public needs a very specific answer to an important question raised by Raymond's father, Tom Eagle. Why wasn't the family notified until the 41-year-old man was on death's door in Edmonton?
Raymond Eagle was picked up by police in the early morning hours of Aug. 3, examined in hospital for a head injury, then taken to police cells to "sober up." Later that day, his condition worsened and he was rushed back to hospital, then flown to University Hospital in Edmonton.
Surely the RCMP and Stanton Territorial Hospital have procedures in place to notify family members when someone is in critical medical condition, as Raymond was.
Why weren't Tom and his wife Muriel notified the afternoon of Aug. 3 that Raymond needed to be medevaced to Edmonton for treatment of a head injury? Why did they not find out until 10 p.m. that day when an Edmonton doctor called to say Raymond might not make it through the night?
Luckily, Raymond's condition has stabilized and Tom, Muriel and other members of the Eagle family have been able to be at his bedside.
The Eagles will likely get explanations and apologies. What about the rest of us? Officials will likely cloak themselves in so-called privacy laws, but that does nothing to reassure Yellowknifers that they won't be overlooked when a loved one is fighting for his or her life in a hospital 1,000 kilometres away.
Editorial Comment
Darrell Greer
Kivalliq News
There can be no denying that the Kivalliq felt the impact this past year when the local CBC broadcast disappeared from the airwaves when the public broadcaster locked out its employees.
However, just when things were at their bleakest, it was time to drop the puck for the NHL's first regular season after it, too, closed-up shop for a year over labour strife.
It was, no doubt, the first time in the station's history that its regular radio listeners viewed Don Cherry as a white knight riding in to save the day.
You see, as eager as the network was to show its employees who was boss, it wasn't about to throw away some $30 million a year it receives in advertising revenue from its Hockey Night in Canada broadcasts.
It was time to kiss and make up and all was well in the world of Canadian public broadcasting once again.
It's ironic, then, that the same program which helped calm the waters a year ago will probably be responsible for the loss of hundreds of CBC jobs just two short years from now.
And we all know satellite stations that provide regional news - like we have in the Kivalliq - will be the first to go.
The CBC has been broadcasting Hockey Night in Canada for more than half a century, but its current deal with the NHL is set to expire at the end of the 2007-08 season.
And there's a nasty storm cloud of competition brewing on the horizon.
The hot topic of the week within the business industry is that Bell Globemedia is prepared to offer the NHL $140 million per year over 10 years for the broadcast rights, more than twice what the CBC and the NHL agreed to in the current deal.
Make no mistake; there is no loyalty in this world anymore when that kind of money is thrown around.
There are many journalists who sneer at those who work for the CBC because the network is funded by the federal government.
However, as a number of journalists have pointed out during the past week -- including noted sports columnist Adam Proteau - there is a need for a national network in Canada that is free to operate away from the pressures often exerted by advertisers.
And, call it a hunch, but we're pretty sure the privatization of this CBC program would not bode well for Northern listeners, who rate slightly below exotic pet owners in the world of target audiences.
It will be interesting to see how this all plays out during the next two years, but it's unlikely the feds will match the $1.4 billion Globemedia is reportedly dangling in front of the NHL.
It's almost unfathomable to think of the impact the loss of one program could have across the land, yet such is the power of hockey in the land of the crazy Canucks.
We here in the North will have to wait to see how quickly the fallout hits us should the Globemedia deal go through, but we bet the hamlet of Rankin Inlet will be operating the most powerful radio transmitter in the Kivalliq before the ink is dry on the paper.
If Globemedia's money talks, regional public radio in the North will walk.
Editorial Comment
Dez Loreen
Inuvik Drum
There is something to be said for leaving your mark on the community. Some people choose to be leaders, improve our lives and impact our youth in positive ways.
Others choose a lower road and insist on getting our attention with senseless vandalism. Breaking windows, spray painting words and destroying property are all incidents we have seen recently.
I have been to many of the locations around town with plywood covering holes where glass once was. I have talked to disgruntled store owners and upset residents about the recent spate of damage.
It would seem that most of the blame is being directed once again toward our future, our youth - the young generation raised on video games and music television.
Maybe youngsters have too much time on their hands and feel that ruining other people's property or defacing public property is the best way to grab the attention of adults in town.
If town workers and shopkeepers are busy repairing windows and fixing other damage, they can't improve the town. They become too busy slapping kids on the wrists.
I can't prove it's kids who broke those windows, or it was kids who broke into those places and stole those things. What I can say, is that it looks bad on everyone.
Parents feel the burn of their peers and get blamed for being neglectful, which can lead to, God forbid, a cycle of verbal and physical abuse.
Teachers and other adults in the community may feel the effects of youth violence even more so than the parents.
I have a message to spread amongst the groups of youth who roam the streets at obscene hours of the day: if you feel the need to do something, feel free to hang out at the playgrounds. Try some new tricks out at the skate park or just walk around all night.
But please stop touching things that aren't yours, breaking things for no reason or leaving your mark in spray paint wherever you travel.
Just because your little gang thinks it's cool to write "west-side" on a building does not mean you have to do it. If you really wanted to prove your independence in the community, go get a job. Help some elders with their yard work, or just play nicely.
The costs of replacing windows can be expensive and wastes time. I hope the people who find joy in damaging other people's property get a wake up call of some sorts.
Editorial Comment
Roxanna Thompson
Deh Cho Drum
After two years on the job, Chief Eric Betsaka is finishing his term in Nahanni Butte and planning to take a well deserved vacation.
Two years may not seem like a long time to hold down a position, but when that position is as a chief it can be long enough.
It's surely not an easy job and in the smaller communities in the Deh Cho it might be even harder.
In those communities everyone knows where you live and what your telephone number is.
There is never a moment when you aren't on the job.
Phone calls and unannounced visits can happen at any time of the day or night as people seek help and advice on a variety of wide-ranging topics from personal disputes to philosophical arguments.
It's no wonder that Betsaka said he feels a bit worn out. It also takes a special kind of person to be a successful chief.
A chief must have the ability to be both understanding and easy going while knowing when to draw a line.
They have to be able to listen to the opinions and concerns of their band members and find the path that will best fit for all.
They also have to deal with the hard reality that some people can be pleased some of the time, but all the people cannot be pleased all of the time.
It's often the displeased people who have the loudest voices. Chiefs also have to be multi-talented. Skills in accounting are a plus as there is seldom enough money for everything that is needed.
They also need to be able to run a meeting.
And to top it off, chiefs must be skilled at conflict resolution.
In a small community, chiefs also need to be willing to roll up their sleeves.
With fewer people to do the necessary work, heavier burdens often fall on those in charge. (As well as those around them - so surrounding yourself with good people is always a good move.)
Being a chief also involves a lot of homework.
They have to keep on top of developing regional and national issues that could affect their First Nation.
Situations are always changing and they need to have the most up to date information.
With so much to balance and so much at stake those who successfully take on the role of chief - or president in the case of Metis organizations - deserve a tip of the hat.
It's that time of year again when the streets are emptied of children during the morning and afternoons as they are herded back into school.
It's also the time of year that brings new teachers and principals to Deh Cho communities.
Coming into a new community is always a daunting prospect no matter where you are and the North is no exception.
Teachers may know how to teach, but they can also be taught by parents and students. There is much community members can show teachers to help them understand the differences of life in the North.
Every community has its own quirks and pace of life and community members can help new teachers understand what they may be so they adapt more easily to their new homes and jobs.
In any community it's the people who make visitors and newcomers feel welcome and ultimately help determine if they will stay for just as long as is required or become yet another person who came for a contract job and never left.
In the Aug. 17 issue of Deh Cho Drum it was reported that chief and council elections are upcoming in Nahanni Butte. The election is only for the position of chief. The Drum apologizes for any confusion this may have caused.