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Wednesday, January 10, 2007
What started out as a short flight to re-open one of Yellowknife's premier wilderness lodges ended in tragedy that has devastated two respected Yellowknife companies.
To the families of Blachford Lake Lodge workers Albert Doctor of Ndilo, and Patrick Alexander (Lawton) of Eckville, Alta., and Sunwest Charters pilot Jason Watt, we can only offer condolences and prayers in your time of grief.
The lone survivor of the tragedy, Alfred Tsetta, of Ndilo, has a long road to recovery and we wish him all the best.
Blachford Lake Lodge will carry on, as will Sunwest, but with heavy hearts. As Sunwest's chief pilot said: "This is a very dark day."
Important now is that people allow for a time to grieve because as with any tragedy, rumours have started to fly and questions have arisen.
Should the plane have been flying? Why didn't the emergency locator beacon go off? Why didn't the plane simply turn around and return to Yellowknife?
Those are important questions, but speculation will only add insult to injury. We hope the national Transportation Safety Board and NWT's coroner will find out what happened and why we lost three men in an incident that doesn't make any sense to anyone.
One thing we will not do is call this flight to Blachford "routine" because no flight is routine. Most flights are uneventful.
Flying is a safe and fast way to travel. For residents of the North, it's sometimes the only way to get somewhere.
However, we must realize that there's an element of risk every time you step aboard a plane or into a car or boat, or off the curb into a crosswalk.
We take that risk willingly, trusting that we will return safe and sound.
Surely many of us have been aboard a flight that had to land shortly after takeoff, or have impatiently watched as maintenance workers go over and over something until they're satisfied.
It's not like jumping into a car and driving down the highway.
Pilots and flight crews have a lot of responsibility and people must respect that.
They have the lives of their passengers and their own in their hands every time an aircraft takes off. So don't get upset when your plane doesn't go.
Right now, the most important tribute to the victims is to find out what happened, fix any problems that led up to the crash and work to ensure something like this never happens again.
Editorial Comment
Darrell Greer
Kivalliq News
Let me say right from the start, I am a smoker.
I am neither proud of it, nor embarrassed by it, and I have no intention of quitting.
Only a fool would deny the risks associated with smoking cigarettes.
Taxing smokers has become a multi-billion-dollar industry for governments.
Forget the unjustified ostracism levied at smokers.
It's not going to change and smokers accept it.
Smokers accept a lot, considering we're still talking about a legal product.
Nunavut has joined the NWT in having the highest taxation rate in Canada for tobacco products.
In announcing the latest tax hike, Finance Minister David Simailak insinuated that smoking is the major contributor to Nunavut's soaring health-care costs.
As always, with generic statements meant to justify a tax grab to those unaffected, there was no verified documentation comparing the cost smokers have on Nunavut's health-care system to, let's say, medical travel - not forgetting those who travel with the sick to Manitoba and Ontario.
But, let's forget that too and take a look at the numbers Simailak did toss out.
In justifying the tax hike, Simailak alluded to the burden put on Nunavut health care by smokers, saying it was "well-documented."
He went on to say raising tobacco taxes is a proven smoking deterrent, and the reason for the hike is to encourage more people to quit.
Let's take him at his word that the goal of the tax hike is to get smokers to quit.
Funny then, how later on he talked about how the tax increase on tobacco products will result in an annual increase of $2.5 million to $3 million in extra government revenue.
Which leaves this poor scribe to ponder how Simailak is going to rake in an extra $3 million per year if he's successful in his goal to get everybody to quit?
In fact, should this latest attempt by the government to get people to quit smoking be successful, not only would he not have the extra $3 million, he'd lose another $5 million to $10 million a year from the tobacco taxes he's already collecting.
Let's be honest. If this formula concerned anything else but tobacco, would you be buying it?
My opinion is by no means an endorsement of tobacco use, which is risky, risky business.
But enough of the government smokescreens.
Smokers are easy targets now, who risk further ridicule by speaking out.
But is it too much to ask for a little honesty in return for the millions - billions nationally - they shell out in taxes every year?
The tax increase on tobacco products (sin tax) is a way for the GN to raise $3 million against the $8.7-million deficit projected for this fiscal year, and has nothing to do with getting people to quit.
It would be funny, though, to see how the government would react if everybody did quit.
And, speaking of funny, beer drinkers can wipe the grins off their faces because they're next!
Editorial Comment
Dez Loreen
Inuvik Drum
Vacations let us unwind for the challenges ahead.
It really doesn't matter what your line of work is, so long as you get a break now and then to recharge your batteries.
Vacations are probably your favourite time of the year and can range in size from a simple day off, to a full blown trip to somewhere tropical.
I know that time off is always enjoyable, whether it be spent with family members, meeting up with friends, spending some time out in the bush or just laying on the couch and watching some rented movies.
I had the great opportunity to stick my head above the cold and breathe some southern air last week.
The trip wouldn't have been complete without rushed shopping, taking in a few good movies in a theatre and having to wake up at 5 a.m. for the shuttle bus to bring me to the airport.
I met a fair number of people over the past few days and a lot of them seemed happy to be with their loved ones.
Yes, vacation time is a great way to relieve stress. The holiday season was great because it gives a moment to reflect on the past year.
I know that I spent some time looking in the reflecting pool. I feel a little wiser going into the new year.
But now, the holiday is over and most of us are back at work, the students will be filing back into the classrooms.
This weekend will be a great time to fully start 2007 with a bang. Of course, I mean the town- sponsored fireworks extravaganza and the Sunrise festival.
Bring your family down to the golf course and bring warm clothing. It should be a show to remember.
Three boys from Inuvik were on the plane with me to Edmonton, where they played in an indoor soccer tournament.
The players went on the trip alone, without the aide of adult supervision. They were well behaved and good ambassadors for the young athletes who travel south for opportunities like this one.
Unfortunately for the boys, their independence was brought to a halt when they were picked up by their coach when they arrived at the Edmonton airport.
The boys had never played on artificial grass before but still contributed to an undefeated streak that won the championship.
Congrats boys, I hope you had as much fun down in the 'big city' as I did.
Editorial Comment
Roxanna Thompson
Deh Cho Drum
It's hard to believe another year has come and gone.
It seems like just a moment ago that 2005 was ending. I've dusted off my crystal ball, which hasn't been used since this time last year. While looking at my previous predictions, I realized I should bring it out more often because it looks like I could have a second calling as a fortune teller.
For the most part my predictions on topics and events that would grab attention in 2006 came true.
At the top of the list was the Mackenzie Valley pipeline. As foreseen, this project occupied a lot of conversation around the region. Almost everyone seemed to speculate on whether the project would go ahead and what it would mean for the Deh Cho.
Discussions on the project reached a peak in May when the Joint Review Panel hearings began to make their way through the area. In every community the main question asked was what benefits will the pipeline bring to the people here. The same question was raised again when the National Energy Board hearings came in October.
In between those two occasions, the pipeline was kept in the spotlight while the Dehcho First Nations looked at how they would respond to the Aboriginal Pipeline Group and the shares that have been set aside for them.
Looking forward into 2007, the pipeline will retain its position as the biggest looming question. Some more solid answers on the pipeline's future will be seen before the end of the new year.
The runner-up in 2007 for the title of Story to Watch will be the Dehcho process. With Dehcho First Nation negotiators having permission to talk about land selection it will be interesting to see if any compromises will be made.
Also as foretold last January, health care has remained an issue in the Deh Cho. During the hearings for the pipeline many people talked about how they would like to see more health care services offered in their community.
Also coming true was the fact that situations relating to the weather and a variety of animals from bison to loose dogs continued.
Variable weather was a hot topic of conversation with some seasons being too hot while others were too cold. Weather also affected things such as transportation, with various areas seeing heavier than usual spring runoffs which closed some roads in May.
Animals also made the news. Two unruly bison had to be destroyed in Fort Providence in July and the village of Fort Simpson temporarily enacted its emergency dog control bylaw in April. It will be no surprise to see events similar to these happen in 2007.
One prediction which proved to be off was on the status of the Mackenzie River bridge.
Work didn't start on the bridge as foreseen. In fact, the bridge has been put on hold due to the rising cost of materials and workers. The hope for a bridge won't, however, be allowed to die in 2007.
The new year will also hold many other surprises that my crystal ball can't see clearly so maybe I won't give up my day job just yet.