Monday, October 9, 2006
Ed Horne is the teacher first hired by the NWT government in 1971 to work in the Belcher Islands, then part of the NWT. Horne taught in Eastern Arctic schools until 1986, ending his career as a principal in Iqaluit.
Along the way, Horne sexually abused his students, using the schools and small, isolated Inuit communities as his hunting ground.
In 2000, Horne was sentenced to five years for sexually assaulting 20 of those students. He's presently facing another 15 charges.
In 2002, the governments of the NWT and Nunavut took full responsibility for hiring the sexual predator and over 82 students agreed to a settlement of $21.5 million.
Now, 72 other men and one woman have come forward, taking the governments to court on the same basis as the earlier lawsuit.
But this time, government lawyers have advised the politicians to put their consciences away and mount a legal battle against the victims of Ed Horne.
As there is no question Horne sexually abused an unknown and horrendous number of students, the only defence could be: The government was not responsible because it didn't happen on school premises and some students consented to the sexual abuse.
The first part of the defence ignores the fact Horne was flown into the communities by the government and lived in government subsidized housing. To suggest the government had no responsibility for him being there is silly.
The claim the students agreed to the sex ignores well established restrictions on the student/teacher relationship - They can't have sex consensually because one is in a position of authority and other is not.
Premier Handley knows all this now, which is why he apologized. But he was obviously under the spell of his legal advisors when he spoke to the Canadian Press reporter.
NWT MLAs have come out against Handley's statement blamimg the victims. Now they have to go one step further, as must Handley and his government.
First, direct the government lawyers to weed out any complainants who could not have been abused by Horne. We doubt there are any but it's possible.
Then, fire the lawyers and pay off the remaining claims.
It's a good thing to defend the public purse from abuse. It's a bad thing to hide behind lawyers who are being paid to pervert the truth.
We don't doubt the sincerity of Premier Handley's apology. He will need the support of other MLAs to back up his words with actions equally sincere.
What good is a pool if it has never opened, or has been closed for years due to mechanical or structural problems and neglect?
That is the question that a few Nunavut communities are confronting.
As last week's Nunavut News/North revealed, the Government of Nunavut has a budget of $655,000 for renovating recreation facilities for 2006-07.
If distributed equally to each community in the territory, that would amount to a paltry $24,260 each. That little money isn't even enough to have contractors purchase equipment and show up at the door.
Even worse news is that the government's five-year capital plan shows less money will be designated for that pot over the next few years, as little as $336,000 for 2010-11.
Renovation funds for Nunavut's recreation facilities fall under the Department of Culture, Language, Elders and Youth (CLEY). Why is that? It's because of the youth.
Recreational activities are largely organized for adolescents. Remember, Nunavut has a disproportionately young population. Statistics Canada's research shows the median age of Nunavut residents is 19.1 years, much younger than the rest of Canada.
It's a matter of priorities. When looking for additional funds, the budgets for the legislative assembly and Nunavut's MLAs are a fine place to start. A glance at that five-year capital plan shows $50,000 set aside each year for new furniture. Another $200,000 has been allotted for upgrades to the legislative chamber and offices over the next two years.
What's more important, politicians getting a cosy, new leather chair or kids in Qikiqtarjuaq getting to play in the pool? That's not to mention government travel abroad - the benefits from junkets to France and Fiji are dubious.
There's always the option of cutting a little from the substantial salaries and expenses that politicians receive.
One last thing: the renovation recreation committee is anonymous. A bureaucrat justified this by claiming that threats may be made against committee members who reject applications for funds.
Nunavut is already dogged by the perception of secrecy within government. This shrouded panel is yet another nail in the coffin. Would these individuals be menaced any more than education board trustees or members or housing boards? By the government's logic, every committee could be covert.
That's not how an accountable government should operate.
Editorial Comment
Darrell Greer
Kivalliq News
It will be interesting to hear if Premier Paul Okalik or any of our top Inuit leaders jump up to defend Prime Minister Stephen Harper, once again, in the wake of the most recent federal announcement concerning Northern Canada.
If so, it will hard to keep a straight face as they proclaim their ill-fated belief that a positive working relationship between the feds and Nunavut is still possible.
It's time to smell the coffee and admit the only aboriginals this federal government cares about are First Nations.
The latest slap in the face came with the fed's unexpected announcement of huge cuts to literacy programs.
Unless a different source of funding can be found - highly unlikely at best - the cuts will end two of the Nunavut Literacy Council's main programs, resulting in the termination of six staff members.
But that's just a start.
The cuts will also mean the end of three literacy programs being delivered by Nunavut Arctic College.
This announcement shows us Harper's government, with Jim Prentice at the helm of Northern Development, has neither the time nor the ambition to worry about helping to create a skilled workforce in Nunavut.
Hit hardest by these cuts are those of working-class age, doomed to subsistence living and social-assistance cheques without the opportunity to improve their literacy and job skills.
The timing of this announcement is horrendous and amounts to Harper giving Prentice permission to dip his hand in a cold bucket of water before delivering the slap.
Not only do the cuts come shortly after Inuit were shown to have the lowest English literacy rate in Canada, they come at almost the exact same time as Prentice's own Indian and Northern Affairs Canada (INAC) study shows Inuit to have the lowest quality of life in the country.
We can only hope Premier Okalik had no idea the announcement was coming this past week when he crawled up on the soap box to advocate the hiring of more Inuit by Nunavut's private sector.
As hard working as the Inuit Okalik spoke about may be, acquiring literacy and job skills remains paramount to their success.
Or, maybe, Inuit in our territory who, for whatever reasons, were left behind in their formal education are being told they aren't all that important in the grand scheme of things.
The message we're hearing is too bad.
You had your opportunity. There will be no second chance for you lot.
Another message is ringing louder with almost every month this government is in power: the love affair between the federal government and the North was a Liberal thing.
Well, we have a thing of our own for Prentice.
Instead of cutting programs that hold the promise of improving the quality of life in Nunavut, how about using the INAC study for what it was intended?
How about using the results to show southern Canada there is no giant gravy train dropping off boatloads of prosperity in Nunavut?
Maybe then opportunity can be provided instead of taken away.
Hey, we'll even wait until Prentice is finished dealing with matrimonial property rights on reserves to get back to us.
Editorial Comment
Dez Loreen
Inuvik Drum
Vote or die. A simple phrase that was initiated by a famous rap singer in America a few years ago, for their Presidential election.
Of course voting is not a matter of life and death, but some could argue that it comes close. I know a lot of people who take voting really seriously.
Some of you may not know this, but we are given extra influence with our current voting situation. In a community with a population of roughly 3,500 people and nearly 1,000 registered voters, you really only need the support of a few hundred people to win. Even the underdog has a chance.
I have been a registered voter since the last mayoral election, when the Clarkson regime came on top. It was back then when I saw the light and the importance of my vote.
Some of you may not be on the voters list, (which can be found in stores all around town). If you have not already voted in the advance poll, I suggest you drag yourself into that booth on Oct. 16.
Think of your vote as a chance to have some control over the community. I have been on the streets this week preaching the importance of the vote.
A common argument that I have come across in my recent campaign for a good voter turn-out is that there are no 'good' choices. That neither candidate is good enough.
I don't mean to be blunt, but these candidates are the only option. At least for the next few years before another election is called.
There is no excuse to miss out on the vote. I think this election has the potential to have the largest voter turn out in the history of this community.
If you choose to stay at home on election day and not vote, you have officially given up your right to bitch about anything the new mayor will do.
One person can make a difference. If you strongly oppose one candidate, then really the best course of action is to vote for someone else. Don't leave your vote for the next person in line.
Being informed about a vote is important as well. I want to briefly touch on a few of the ideas brought forward by some of the candidates.
Youth violence and vandalism was one of the hotter topics for the candidates at a recent public forum.
One council hopeful said he would like to see the RCMP increase their patrols by going door to door, to keep the peace.
Another candidate wanted more done to address the town's crack problem. After a public meeting that was held last year, he wants to see results.
A citizen patrol was also brought up as a crime-fighting solution.
Having a patrol would mean paying more people to roam the street and keep an eye on the youth, no matter what they're doing.
Editorial Comment
Jessica Gray
Deh Cho Drum
I was asked to read to a Grade 6 class today as part of Bompas Elementary's participation in NWT Literacy week, which runs Oct. 1 to 7.
I have to say, I'm honoured. This comes even though I know I'm only standing-in for the errant Deh Cho editor Roxanna Thompson, who recently left for a much-needed vacation (and who also just celebrated her birthday over the weekend).
I guess the reason I'm so excited is because I get a chance to share something I love to do as part of my profession as well as outside the office.
In my childhood, whether I wondered how high I could stack turtles thanks to Dr. Seuss, or laughed as the paper-bag princess found out her prince-charming-to-be wasn't so charming after all with Robert Munsch, reading gave me something I couldn't do without - my imagination.
And this, something so many of us take for granted or even dismiss as we get older, is a gift no child should be without (even if it spawns an imaginary friend or two).
A good imagination can make the most of a mundane car ride that just won't end, but more importantly it can allow you to dream of all the wonderful things you'd love to accomplish as you become an adult.
Many of my most prized childhood memories involve one book or another.
In fact, many of my high school lunches were spent in my school's library where I would search endlessly for new books to devour.
But my love of books and the written word were not things I learned in school.
These things were taught at home, where stories were used to impart things like tradition, values, and love, not to mention a good sense of humour.
I got a chance to speak to author Jacqueline Guest at John Tsetso Memorial Library Sept. 26 before she addressed many assembled children and parents.
She told me, "Take 15 to 20 minutes anytime of the day and give the child your undivided attention."
Guest said parents or guardians have to do more than just read stories, it's a time to discuss what was written and talk about how it applies to the child.
Most importantly she made sure I knew, "Reading is not just something you do at school."
And that's all there is to it.
It's as easy as taking out 15 to 20 minutes in a day, a time when no one will interrupt, to get your child hooked on reading like I was, something I continued to do as I grew. Because, believe me, there aren't many kids who don't want that kind of attention.
Now, to figure out what I'm going to read during my 15 minutes of fame. Perhaps some Harry Potter, hmmmm.
- Jessica Gray will be covering for Roxanna Thompson until the end of October.