Friday, September 15, 2006
For years, Catholic school trustees have gone quietly about their business, passing balanced budgets and implementing worthwhile programs for the students of their district.
The three YCS schools are near maximum capacity while the public school district, which has suffered a number of embarrassing controversies in recent years, struggles with declining enrolment. Many Yellowknife parents - Catholic and non-Catholic alike - prefer the YCS system.
In fact, some 40 per cent of YCS students are non-Catholic.
In the face of such success, the recent attempt by Catholic trustees to stop non-Catholics from holding any of the school board's seven seats is a troubling development, if not downright self-righteous.
It says to parents of non-Catholic students that they don't deserve representation, even though YCS is happy to enrol their children and collect their tax dollars.
Thank God the territorial government stood up for a basic principle of democracy - no taxation without representation. Territorial government officials ordered the city to extend deadlines for Catholic school board nominations this week, after pamphlets were handed out warning non-Catholics they need not apply.
This came after the Catholic board bought themselves a "legal opinion" stating its in their right to insist upon only Catholic trustees because Catholic schools are enshrined in the Constitution.
But reaching back to Canada's earliest foundation, when religious intolerance made such constitutional arrangements necessary, does not hold up today.
If it were so, YCS would not be accepting non-Catholic students and non-Catholic parents would not be so eager to enrol their children with their schools.
The Catholic zealots on the board can try their luck suing the territorial government over the issue, but it would be a risky venture, costly in terms of tax dollars for legal bills and more importantly, a potential loss of the hard-earned public faith in the board.
A legislative change to the Local Authorities Elections Act will require approval of MLAs, some of whom, with an eye to the Catholic Church's sorry past with residential schools - however unrelated to YCS - may not be sympathetic.
Trustees should stick to what they've been doing best up to now - overseeing quality education programs, and keeping YCS in the black.
Editorial Comment
Darrell Greer
Kivalliq News
It was case of good news, bad news for fur trappers in the Kivalliq this past week, as the battle over seal hunting continues to wage in many parts of the globe.
The latest salvo fired by those who endorse banning the hunt came from European lawmakers who demanded the European Union ban seal products in Europe this past week.
The good news for Kivalliq trappers is that Canada's biggest market for sealskins, Norway, is not a European Union member.
The second piece of good news is that two of the more outspoken European critics of seal hunting, Sweden's Carl Schlyter and Britain's Caroline Lucas, suggested skins from a traditional Inuit hunt should be exempted from the ban.
That being said, it's obvious most people outside the North still lump traditional seal hunting in with the Atlantic seal hunt, which has received tonnes of bad publicity for the past three decades.
The second piece of bad news is that a good many people among the ranks of those opposed to seal hunting are militant in their thinking and have an all-or-nothing mentality.
To these folks a ban should be total, period.
The problem is further compounded by the fact there is precious little, if anything, in the world of economics that can match the impact of the publicity campaign launched by groups that want the seal hunt banned.
We've all seen them - big-eyed, gorgeous little baby seals getting their brains beat out by overzealous hunters on the East Coast.
It's tug-on-the-heart-strings fodder for those in the south who don't understand how vastly different traditional seal hunting is in the Arctic. And, it's incredibly effective.
However, effective as these groups may be, the Nunavut government and our top Inuit organizations have to become more vigilant in their efforts to sway public opinion in the territory's favour.
In fact, one group that has made tiny inroads during the past few years in the battle for public opinion are the instructors and students in the Ottawa-based Nunavut Sivuniksavut (NS) program.
NS students and staff have had several exchanges with seal-hunt protesters on Capitol Hill.
And, they made enough of an impact that a few protesters actually put down their signs and went home.
While only a few were that enlightened, inroads were made in terms of fostering a better understanding as to the importance of the traditional hunt to Inuit.
The Nunavut government and our top Inuit organizations have the resources to make a much-greater impact on the international scene.
But it can't be an infrequent approach. We need to work hard at getting the information out on the value and importance of the traditional seal hunt to Inuit.
Only through better understanding will the traditional hunt be permitted to survive.
Unless, of course, somebody can teach a codfish how to talk.
Then we'd finally have an effective means of exposing the true nature of those cute little seals.
Editorial Comment
Philippe Morin
Inuvik Drum
When I lived in Ottawa, I attended a University with 20,000 students.
Every morning, I would catch a bus with 100 other people and stand shoulder to shoulder for an hour-long ride.
Above all else, no one talked; we followed the unspoken rule of the big city, remaining stoic and perhaps listening to headphones as we ignored each others' presence.
I mention this story because Inuvik seems so different.
While I have only lived here for two months, I have found it's easier to make friends and meet people in this community.
This is a combination of good design, plenty of recreational activities,
and especially the small population, which makes interaction easier.
Here's a short list of the things that make Inuvik a great place to live.
Let's start with public spaces, such as the Inuvik Family Centre, Legion Hall, Midnight Sun Recreational Complex and Centennial Library.
Whether you're looking to play squash, skate or read comic books, there is a lot to do in this town.
And best of all, most of the facilities are rarely crowded.
While you'd never yell "hello!" to a group of 30 strangers, it's usually polite to at least nod if there are a few people in the same room.
It's funny how human interaction - rather than forced aloofness - comes from the absence of crowds.
A second benefit of Inuvik's smaller population is that leagues are always looking for members.
Whether you are interested in quilting or hockey, there are always societies who'll welcome any newcomer.
Those of you who attended community registration night on the 12th will know what I mean.
Sometimes, just being interested in a sport will get you treated like a star player.
With places to go and things to do in Inuvik, another pleasant effect are the repeated run-ins.
While leagues and facilities provide chances to meet people, the town's small size allows chances to see them around.
Someone you might see at the library or pool one week will inevitably cross paths at with you the next.
Eventually, you can't help but say hello, because you've seen this person about eight times at similar places.
It might seem like a strange notion, but people meet more people in small towns than big cities.
Furthermore, Inuvik's public spaces and recreation programs do more than provide hockey or quilting or darts.
They are a starting point to a better community, and ultimately make people feel better on many levels.
It seems the smaller the community, the more appreciated its individual members become.
- Regular Drum editor Dez Loreen is on vacation and will be back covering Inuvik at the end of September.
Editorial Comment
Roxanna Thompson
Deh Cho Drum
Sitting in constituency meetings held by MLAs or MPs is always an enlightening experience.
Water was on the minds of the people at the recent Keepers of the Water gathering in Fort Simpson.
Many aspects of water, spanning from water as a human right to water as a substance which should be preserved were discussed by specialists and regular people alike.
Living in the Deh Cho, it's almost hard to see what all the fuss is about. All the communities in the area are located by a source of water. Communities including Wrigley, Fort Simpson, Jean Marie River and Fort Providence are beside the Mackenzie River, which is so large it seems like it can never be exhausted. If you fly out of the communities you will find even more water located in small lakes as far as the eye can see.
The Northwest Territories and Nunavut cover 34 per cent of Canada's land mass and contain 18 per cent of Canada's lake area, according to Environment Canada. Even more impressive is the fact that 60 per cent of Canada's fresh water drains north.
Like the rest of Canada, the Northwest Territories is in an enviable position on the world stage with regards to water access.
Approximately 97.5 per cent of the world's water is salt water. The remaining 2.5 per cent of fresh water has to be shared by the world's rapidly growing population, currently numbering more than six billion.With only seven per cent of the world's land mass, Canada holds an impressive nine per cent of the world's renewable water supply.
What all these numbers mean is that in the Deh Cho there is more than enough fresh water for everyone. There is lots of water to drink and prepare food with. There is also lots of water for outdoor activities such as boating.
The water also provides sources of food by serving as a habitat for fish and water birds. It also acts as a source of water for animals such as moose and caribou and the vegetation they require.
While the abundance of water in the area makes it easy to believe there will never be a problem this is not the case.
Elders at the watershed conference shared stories about signs that the water is already changing. Fish are not as abundant as they used to be and the water can be the wrong colour, including having a glassy film on its surface.
Things are changing and the effects are being seen and will continue to be seen in the North.
While many of the issues relating to water start in the more industrialized south and flow north, it doesn't let northern residents off the hook. The benefit of having so much water at our doorsteps also brings with it great responsibilities.
In everyday activities people can do little things to help. Helpful tasks can be as simple as bringing garbage home while you're on a boat trip or ensuring that when you refuel your engine you don't spill gas into the water.
While larger solutions will be needed to address major sources of pollution, everyone can do their part to be a keeper of the water so the North can continue to enjoy its bounty.