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Features
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Friday, July 20, 2007 Trashy reputation
Impatient with the city's slow response to the piles of litter cluttering the streets following the Canada Day parade, they cleaned the streets themselves. They should be commended. As for City Hall, officials need to get their act together and ensure the streets are clean, and not just when civic events are held. The city currently employs one person to pick up trash downtown. That's clearly not enough. People look to City Hall for direction. If the attitude is, "we'll get to it later," it should come as no surprise that no one else will care either. The authors of one city-commissioned report last fall concluded that many of Yellowknife's problems "are similar to those in far less developed nations around the world." In an online survey, the city's Get Clean Committee found that almost 70 per cent thought city officials were doing a "bad" or "poor" job of controlling trash. Blame doesn't rest only on the shoulders of city officials. However this is a people problem, and unfortunately, a lot of people don't seem to really care. On Wednesday, a Yellowknifer editor watched as a young man smashed a bottle on the sidewalk outside the Yellowknife Inn. A girl scolded him: "you shouldn't do that." His response, with a smirk: "Oops." Obviously, we need to put our heads together and come up with a few solutions to this problem. Here are some of ours: 1) Enact a bylaw to ensure bars and restaurants install ash cans outside their establishments. 2) Any new trash receptacles must include a sand-filled dish on top for butting out cigarettes. 3) The city should staff an extra person on weekends to deal with the increased volume of trash. 4) Put up signs and billboards downtown to remind people not to litter. 5) Announce a campaign to enforce the city's anti-littering bylaw and then act on it. Hand out tickets to anyone seen throwing trash or cigarettes on the street. Certainly, people will have other ideas to help combat the city's littering problem. Contact city council and let them know.
Public inquiry is essential
Upon further investigation, Yellowknifer has determined that a judge did not order a youth to attend a healing camp at Old Fort Rae. Because of that, a mandatory public inquiry may not be necessary. The teen, 15, was given the option of performing community service work at the Sacred Fire Healing Camp. He and an 18-year-old died in the North Arm of Great Slave Lake when they tried to swim to shore after their boat ran out of fuel. Be that as it may, the newspaper stands by its call for a public coroner's inquiry into the youth's death. Through an inquiry, where witnesses are called to testify under oath and are cross-examined by counsel, the public will hear why the teens died. From that procedure, a jury comes up with a list of recommendations aimed to prevent similar deaths. The coroner's office can simply write a report with recommendations, but we believe this is a situation where a public inquiry is essential to restore public trust that the government is doing all it can to protect youth in trouble from harm.
Treasure or trash Editorial Comment Roxanna Thompson Deh Cho Drum Thursday, July 19, 2007 On July 14, there was a fire in Fort Simpson in a vehicle being stored on a property along the main street. The fire was lit by a seven-year-old who was likely just experimenting with a lighter. The result was car in flames and a plume of black smoke that could be seen anywhere on the island and also from locations on the hill. Fourteen members of the volunteer fire department lost a few hours of their weekend, a derelict vehicle looks a bit worse off and a young boy learned a lesson about playing with fire. This could be a case of no harm, no foul, but it really isn't. Fear mongering seldom serves a purpose, but the truth is that this fire could have had a much worse ending. One of the main factors in the other potential outcomes of the fire is the location of the vehicle. Anyone who has visited Fort Simpson has likely noticed the closed Esso station and garage located across the street from the Liidlii Kue First Nation's band office and the post office. Despite its prominent location in the community, the property is unlikely to make a list of village's highlights any time soon. The yard of the garage is the resting place for more than 25 vehicles. There are a variety of car models, a number of trucks, some vans of different sizes and one small, yellow school bus. Put together, the collection of vehicles doesn't sound bad, but judgment has to be tempered by the state they're in. Most of the vehicles have had their windows and windshields smashed in. Broken safety glass can be found in scattered collections on the ground. Some vehicles have hoods and trunks open and others are missing doors or other parts. Many of the vehicles have odds and ends stored in them. Everyone is welcomed to his or her own idea of aesthetics, but if the property had a mother, she would probably be the only person to find it attractive. Being unattractive or unsightly, however, isn't the main problem in this situation. It comes down to a matter of safety. It's fortunate that there weren't any more flammable materials in the car that caught on fire or it's possible that the fire could have spread to the surrounding derelict vehicles and given the volunteer fire fighters a run for their money, as well as threatening their safety. As Fire Chief Pat Rowe pointed out, it's hard to tell what you are dealing with in the event of a trash fire. For example, some of the other vehicles in the lot have propane tanks sitting in them. The fire has brought to a head a long-standing concern about the property that has been voiced in a number of arenas by a number of people. Youth do use this area as a playground, as Sgt. Cliff McKay noted, and it's hard to watch it all the time to keep them out. One popular activity is to use material found in the area to create jumps for bikes. The truth is that this property should have been cleaned up a long time ago to make it safer for the whole community. The changes could have been made by the property owner, who is understandably upset that people keep vandalizing his vehicles, or by those with the power to press for change such as the village council. When something is unsafe, it shouldn't take a fire or an accident to move people into action. Keep traditions alive Editorial Comment Dez Loreen Inuvik News Thursday, July 19, 2007 As Inuvik grows, I see many changes and developments. There are new buildings and more people seem to flock to our piece of heaven. As I walk down the street I can almost hear our little burg getting bigger. We can see stretch marks everywhere. New lots are being flattened, waiting for a big house to fill the void. Every kid is wearing an iPod and knows how to use the Internet. Everyone is learning new skills and embracing a new way of life. This lifestyle is something that has been growing for many years. I want to flash back to a simpler time, before the water can of growth sprinkled over Inuvik. Do you remember the first few gatherings at the Inuvialuit Community building? I remember walking into that big new building and being amazed at the simplicity of the Great Northern Arts Festival. The whole first floor was one big open area and there would be drummers and dancers doing their thing right there. I don't know about the rest of you, but somewhere between that first time I saw the arts festival and today, something changed inside me. I grew throughout the years and so has the show. The evolution of the arts festival has been a glorious thing to see. You know, I almost became a carver. It was during one of my trips to Tuk while I was younger. I saw a few of the older guys doing it and figured I should try it. The thing about carving is that you need to be dedicated to the art. I remember making a polar bear and when one of the legs was uneven, I unceremoniously resigned from my soapstone carving pastime. The venue has changed over the years and the show has fluctuated from many artists to only a few. But no matter what the circumstance, visiting artists knew what to do. Carry on and keep culture alive. These artists deserve our recognition. The painters, the carvers and anyone else who works with their chosen medium deserve to be showcased. Hours and hours of work come to a head during that week in July. People come together and enjoy each other's company. Friendships are born and some are re-kindled. This year seems to be one of those to remember. It's like one of those instances when you know to bring an extra memory card for your camera. After spending a few years in the communications biz, I have covered my share of arts festivals. What always keeps me drawn in is the openness of the artists and their ambition. I can't wait to walk through the workshop area and watch the masters at their best. I think it helps the festival to have artists on display as well as their work. The gallery opens on Friday night for viewing and for the opening ceremony. Seeing that whalebone being carried into the gallery and placed on the mantle is awe inspiring. While you're out enjoying the festival, be sure to watch for me and my camera. I'll be the guy snapping photos with his jaw slack in awe. So make the most of the next 10 days. Before you know it, we'll just be standing in a cloud of soapstone dust, waiting for next year's show. A fond farewell
Editorial Comment Christine Grimard Kivalliq News Wednesday, July 18, 2007 I was driving down to the office, a drive I've done dozens of times in my seven weeks in Rankin Inlet, and I noticed that just now the ice is breaking up. When I first got here I was told I would probably get a chance to see the water, and it seems suiting that it arrived just as I departed. I can't help but get sentimental about the symbolism of finally seeing the water, like I feel I'm just starting to understand the community. My first editorial spoke about the shock I felt arriving in Rankin Inlet from the comforts of Yellowknife. With no movies, malls, or pubs to fill my time, I found myself rather lost. In the time I've spent here, I've realized that these things that are missing from the community are not lacking. If anything, I think not having these things is what made this experience so wonderful. Fortunate to meet so many people eager to show me around, the things I've experienced in my seven weeks are things I'll carry with me my whole life. I'll never forget my first snowmobile ride on the ocean. Riding fast on the glistening snow in May was hard to believe, even harder was seeing that ice break and melt as the weeks went on. Fishing at the Diane was equally memorable. I'm sure it was for my fishing partner as well, to hear me giggle and shriek as I tried to pick up his catch, a grayling. My giggles and shrieks came out once again as I tried my first time at driving a Honda. I needed a reminder that rocks were something to be avoided, not aimed at. Fond memories will stay with me of our nights at the cabin, looking out across the river at the majestic landscape laid out before us for kilometres on end. My dearest memories I will reserve for my three little followers. They kept me company at the office, at home. They were eager to help and even more eager to please, helping me with my tasks and making each one a game. We laughed and giggled and cried together, and I will always keep the three of you close to my heart. I was warned before I came up here that I wouldn't be quite settled until it was time to leave. I realize now how true that is. As excited as I am to see my friends and love at home, there are many people I will be missing here. Paul and Jeff, thank you for showing me so many things and putting up with my girlish screams on the Honda. MC, you've been a wonderful friend, a kindred spirit when I needed one the most. Jeff and Jaime, I feel sad we were all just getting to know each other as I was leaving. Andrea, you've been a wonderful friend and companion, and I hope we always keep in touch. My most sincere goodbyes go to Kandice, Glen, and Lila-mai. Though we have many years between us, I felt we all shared the same spirit. Thank you for teaching me to laugh so freely once again. To the rest of Rankin Inlet, I appreciate so much the welcome you've shown me. This is a wonderful place to live. On that note, I feel I must make this one last comment. While I claim to be no expert on Inuit ways, I can see how much hunting and traditional lifestyle mean to this community. In this respect, I urge you to look carefully at what's being done with the land. Mining provides short-term employment, creating jobs for a period of time and leaving massive environmental damage and ghost towns behind it. The caribou are a vital aspect of your culture, but with mining permits issued all over this territory those caribou are currently at serious risk. Choosing where to issue those permits is not saying no to mining companies, it's only showing them that you are in control and that you won't so easily sell your territory, and, in consequence, your lifestyle and culture.
Corrections A territorial court judge did not order 15-year-old Randy Leisk Jr. to go to Sacred Fire Healing Camp as reported in an editorial June 18. The youth, who died in Great Slave Lake after the boat he and two others were in ran out of fuel, was given the option of performing community service work at the camp. Yellowknifer apologizes for any confusion that may have arisen from the mistake.
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