Editorial

According to Insp. Roch Fortin, who will command the south, the new format will mean more consistent policing and a better use of resources. After reviewing the idea we tend to agree.

Fortin said the district borders for each hub office were drawn along cultural lines. For example, the Tlicho communities will call into Behchoko. Previously, those communities called into Yellowknife or Hay River. Similarly, Hay River will be the hub for the Akaitcho region and Fort Simpson for the Deh Cho. The Sahtu, Beaufort and Delta communities will each call into central offices in Norman Wells, Tuktoyaktuk and Inuvik.

Now people in the communities will be able to deal with officers familiar with the area.

Bringing in more officers in the event of an emergency will also be more efficient. Under the old command structure, Wrigley would receive RCMP support from Fort Simpson only. Under the new system, a district commander will be able to pull resources from any Deh Cho community, so Fort Liard, Fort Providence and Fort Simpson could be drawn on to help in Wrigley.

The idea shows forethought, cultural sensitivity and we applaud the RCMP for its efforts. If all goes well, the system will improve RCMP community relations as well as enforcement and prevention measures.

Rebuilt military must include North

Training will never fully prepare someone for the real thing, but recent military exercises in the Delta, Fort Simpson and Norman Wells are an important step to building the Canadian Forces' ability to work in the North.

For nearly three decades, successive governments let the military's ability to fight wars and defend our country erode. In recent months, the federal government has pledged hundreds of millions of dollars on new battle tanks and planes. Coupled with that are increasing numbers of exercises in the NWT and Nunavut, most recently to test the capability to respond to a plane crash in the Delta and deal with a terrorist attack on a pipeline. We hope these exercises help the military learn if any specialized equipment is needed to work in the North.

It's important to ask, why we are spending $100 million to lease tanks to fight a war against terror in Afghanistan that can't help defend one-third of Canada - the Arctic. Are the new huge transport planes now on order capable of landing anywhere but Yellowknife, Iqaluit or Inuvik? Our navy ships can only steam North in the summer. Our icebreakers are old and there's been little mention of the military training base, port and armed icebreakers that were part of the Conservative party election platform.

While we can't allow terrorist groups to once again turn Afghanistan into the launch pad for attacks, military brass and politicians must make sure we don't construct a fighting force that can't operate in the North.

A real eye opener

Have you ever read about a place or seen pictures or video footage without having actually visited?

Sometimes when you arrive, you are completely struck by things that you would never have imagined.

So it goes for 19 senior federal bureaucrats whom Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami led on a tour of Nunavut April 22-27. Many of those public servants, who work for Health Canada, the Privy Council, Environment Canada and Indian and Northern Affairs among other departments, came to the North for the first time.

Getting off the plane, they saw a snow-covered land devoid of trees. They breathed fresh, crisp air. They met Inuit people, experienced the culture and heard Inuktitut spoken. They were guests at a community feast, tasted country foods like caribou and char. They took a trip on the land by snowmobile. They toured hospitals, schools and houses. They were taken to the grocery store to get a sense of the high cost of living. A box of cereal priced at $3.79 in Ottawa can easily cost two to three times as much in Iqaluit or Cambridge Bay.

Best of all, their trip to Nunavut is paid for by their respective federal departments, so the funds didn't come out of established Inuit programming.

Many of these civil servants sit in an Ottawa office administering programs that affect people thousands of miles away. As the Kititkmeot Inuit Association's Jason Tologanak pointed out, some of them think of North Bay, Ont., as Northern Canada.

Granted it would be even more helpful to have a group of federal ministers tour the North, but they wouldn't find the time for that. While senior bureaucrats are not necessarily the decision makers, they are in positions of influence and they often outlast the government of the day -- some serve for decades under different cabinet ministers.

Whenever the government announces new funding, infrastructure or programs for Nunavut, there's usually no telling whether it was prompted by a convincing Nunavut politician, by guilt resulting from a report from a non-governmental organization critical of policies, or by the persuasion of some senior civil servants.

One thing is for sure: Those who visit Nunavut, even briefly, will have a superior appreciation of the issues they're dealing with than those who never venture North.

Science meets the hunter

Editorial Comment
Darrell Greer
Kivalliq News
Wednesday, May 2, 2007

The showdown has started between Inuit hunters and those who would like to see the number of polar bears hunted drastically reduced.

Some Inuit had their say in Arviat this past week during public consultations held by the Nunavut Wildlife Management Board.

And what those Inuit said, basically, was that the number of polar bears is on the rise, not in decline.

The Nunavut government wants to reduce polar bear hunting on western Hudson Bay and Baffin Bay.

Its desire to reduce the number of polar bears taken is based on data supplied by the Canadian Wildlife Service. A moratorium on bear hunting has even been mentioned as a solution.

So, once again, science meets the hunter and, in this case, traditional knowledge.

Those familiar with the collapse of the East Coast ground fishery and the peril of the Pacific salmon industry know this scenario is nothing new, only the species has changed.

And, those very familiar with the fishing industry know neither side can be trusted when it comes to the information they make public.

That's what makes the conservation versus the need or industry equation such a difficult one.

Science, and those who often mediate between the two sides, always claim they take traditional or practical knowledge into account when making decisions, but the truth of the matter is they rarely do.

Those surviving or making a good living from the species in question will say anything to convince John Q. Public that they should be allowed to continue harvesting.

And that's where the biggest problem arises -- rarely do the two sides come together to produce a workable solution.

Whether it's science following a great piece of fiction writing such as the Mifflin Plan to an industry's doom, or those on the opposite side of the fence overstating numbers to continue harvesting -- both sides work only to further their own agenda.

From all that we've heard of late, our situation is shaping up no differently. You have science saying one thing and hunters saying exactly the opposite.

That seems to be the case when the two compare notes, they become polar opposites (no pun intended).

Board chair Joe Tigullaraq is bang on when he says the world is watching how the polar bear situation is being handled in Nunavut.

Then again, the world was watching while Canada handled its fishery problems.

We don't envy Tigullaraq in his task to include both sides in the board's recommendations.

Bringing science and harvesters of any kind together can be more daunting a task than preserving any species.

It wasn't that long ago when one rule governed the fisheries; if it can't be caught on a hook, it shouldn't be taken out of the water.

The same science that worked for decades to develop more efficient ways to catch fish (and put those tools in harvester hands while the government turned the fishing industry into a social program) then rushed in to save the day when it was far too late.

Now, if you were a polar bear, would you want those same people looking out for your well being?

DARE to say no

Editorial Comment
Dez Loreen
Inuvik Drum
Friday, May 4, 2007

I found myself sitting in on a presentation earlier this week at Sir Alexander Mackenzie school. The RCMP is working with the school to educate youth about the nasty temptations in life. Yes, the Drug Abuse Resistance Education (DARE) program is in full swing once again.

The bell rings on a Tuesday morning and the students make their way to the classroom to sit in their uniform desks, all lined up in rows. Their attention is wandering, still lost in the monkey bars of the playground.

The door opens and a tall police constable walks in the room and instructs the class to get their reading materials ready. I look around the room and the students are hanging on every word he says. It was impressive how he had their attention.

Then the good ol' talk about keeping away from drugs, alcohol, violence and other habits that lead to an unsuccessful life. The main message for these youth is to avoid these bad things completely. It's good advice for a young mind that is still developing.

The main focus of the talk I was witness to was all about peer pressure. The officer talked to the youth about identifying the types of peer pressure and what to do when faced with bad choices.

"Ultimately, we want you guys to have healthy lifestyles," said the constable.

"It's important to stay away from drugs, alcohol and smoking."

Such a strong message from a good role model in the community. But the reality is that addictions and illicit drugs will remain for years to come. It's all about personal choice. I choose to live my life in my own way and nobody will change that. I'm open to suggestion, but I wince at the sound of a demand.

I applaud the police and the school for bringing such a complicated issue to the front lines of education. Rather than have children learn about drugs and alcohol from television and movies, teach them the real facts in school.

But hey parents, you aren't off the hook just yet. If a cop is telling your kid that drinking is bad and the child sees you going out to the bar, explain to them about moderation. Tell them to their face why adults can drink and why youth have to wait to drink until they're old enough to be responsible.

Each family is going to have its own way of teaching ethics and beliefs to their child. Just be responsible and let your child know about the things that happen outside the walls of your house.

Don't leave the topic for later on. Tackle the topic of violence, drugs, alcohol and peer pressure at home, too. Tell them why you think drugs are bad and let them know the true consequences of binge drinking.

Explain to them that some people drink to excess, and fall into the trap of drug addiction. Show them the life those people lead on the streets.

The best message I heard the whole session was about independence. The students were told about peer pressure and were warned that their friends might want them to try bad things.

Staying in charge of your life is key to being healthy. If you listened to all the advertisements and bad advice out there, life wouldn't last long. Being able to make your own decision is your birthright.

Hopefully, those students will remember that message. I want to see a program aimed at the older youth as well. It's not too late to warn them away from the downward spiral of addiction and the harder things that are being peddled on the streets, it's never too late to say no.

Living dangerously

Editorial Comment
Roxanna Thompson
Deh Cho Drum
Friday, May 4, 2007

The possibility of disasters is one thing that people don't like to think too much about.

People have enough hiccups in their day to day routines to deal with without worrying about things that haven't happened and might not happen. It's enough to get through a day and not have to think about dark things that lurk where you least expect them.

When disasters happen in other areas people feel sympathy for those involved while being thankful they aren't in that situation. Disasters, however, are not always that far away.

Every year in the Deh Cho many local communities have a brush with disaster during break-up. As water pressure builds and ice creaks and groans on rivers, residents turn their eyes to the banks.

We seem to have an interesting relationship with break-up.

On one hand, break-up is anticipated as an exciting event and a sign that winter is definitely gone. On the other hand, there is the worry that varies in its degree from person to person that this might be the year that the river will flood.

These dual emotions of excitement and worry feed and build off each other.

Break-up would hardly be exciting if there wasn't at least some sign that water levels are rising. Although the image of giant chunks of ice grinding and fighting against each other is quite a sight, it's not the sole reason that people drive in seemingly-endless loops past the riverbanks or stand and watch the ice.

The number of people watching the river and the level of excitement in the crowd seems to grow in a direct correlation to the water level against the banks. The higher the water, the more people on the banks and the more excitement.

Excitement is added early on if the ice jams and water levels rise to free it again. People watch as blocks of ice are forced against the bank and sometimes on top of it.

Along the riverbanks people can be heard joking about how exciting it would be if the river flooded. A popular topic of conversation is the likelihood of a flood.

Although it makes for good conversation, it's unlikely that people actually want a flood. A little bit of water on a road might be all right but not much more, just enough to give a hint of danger.

But while people are getting a thrill of living dangerously it's comforting to know that officials and volunteers have emergency plans in place in case a brush with disaster becomes a full -n deluge.

The Deh Cho is fortunate to have a wealth of people who have training in either an official capacity or as volunteers to assist in the case of danger whether it is a flood or another situation.

Assistance in the case of disaster came quickly to the aid of a family in Fort Simpson last week.

The Fort Simpson volunteer fire department responded quickly to a house fire in Wild Rose Acres. House fires, like floods, are a disaster that no one likes to think about but still happen.

While people are doing the normal thing by being thankful that it wasn't their home, everyone should remember to check their own smoke alarms to make sure they're working properly and can function free of obstructions. For those communities still in the grip of break-up, making sure you have a bag packed with necessities packed is also a good idea.

Corrections

An error appeared in Wednesday's Labour Views column. Loretta Kaminski is actually the president of CUPW Local 858. Also, Wednesday's editorial ("Turf war a smokescreen) contained two errors. Former Yk Education District No. 1 superintendent Judith Knapp wasn't fired. The school board did not renew her contract. As well, Yk 1's 2007-2008 budget does not put the district into debt. The board is spending surplus funds accumulated during previous years to cover an anticipated $163,000 deficit. Additionally, incorrect information appeared in the article "Reducing garbage, cutting costs," April 25). Yellowknife Direct Charge Co-op's recycling efforts don't result in savings of $1,500 per week. It costs the store $750 to have the city haul away a load of cardboard. Yellowknifer apologizes for any embarassment or confusion caused by these errors.