Features

Monday, September 10, 2007

Addictions top of the list of social problems in the NWT. The 2006 NWT addictions survey shows 36 per cent of people between 15 and 24 years old admit to drinking to excess.

However, despite the stats, the territory's only drug and alcohol treatment centre in Hay River is at half capacity, with 15 clients out of 30 available beds.

Melvin Larocque, director of the Nats'ejee K'eh Treatment centre, said that doesn't mean the territory is out of the woods when it comes to alcohol and drug addictions. He told News/North the lower figures are a result of government providing better options for treatment in home communities.

In 2003, the GNWT was severely criticized by a territorially-funded report that lambasted every aspect of treatment delivery in the NWT. In a nutshell, the report recommended the GNWT's treatment system be completely rebuilt.

The new strategy that emerged included enhancing community addiction services by hiring healthcare professionals to work at the community level. "Now we have competent, qualified people in the communities catching people before they are too advanced in their disease," said Larocque.

In some cases, the community-based counselling is diverting clients away from the centre. In other cases, Larocque said the centre is receiving referrals of clients more treatment ready, which increases their chance of success.

Improvements to the system are also ensuring families and communities are supported. Accessing treatment close to home ensures parents are not separated from children, with the added benefit of having support networks close at hand.

This all points to a commitment kept by the GNWT to address the issue of substance abuse in the territory. Over the course of five years, they have responded to a dismal report, creating a system that appears to be working.

Drug and alcohol abuse is still a serious issue in the North. But the government should be commended for its efforts to stem the alcohol tide.

People are getting a second lease on life; one free of the harmful effects of substance abuse. And they can stay at home while doing it.

Some self-proclaimed modern day Vikings from Norway and a few American buddies sailed into Nunavut aboard a vessel dubbed Berserk II in late August. When they made landfall in Gjoa Haven and Cambridge Bay, they didn't report their presence to the police as required by Canadian immigration and customs regulations.

Although the Norwegian captain tried to plead his case to a Northern media outlet by claiming that he considers the Northwest Passage to be an international waterway, the foreign sailors didn't have a leg to stand on.

First, the Northwest Passage belongs to Canada, as the Inuit can attest, and as the Canadian government has made abundantly clear through words and actions. Second, even if the Norwegian captain believed his own argument, there's no excusing those sailors coming into undisputed Canadian communities without following the letter of the law.

The Norwegians and Americans were subsequently deported after their immigration hearings in Cambridge Bay at the end of the month. Their ship has been left behind.

In this case, the "Vikings" were conquered, not conquerors.

It could hardly be considered a test of Canadian sovereignty, but it was handled properly by authorities in our country.

Kugluktuk and Cambridge Bay students in Kindergarten through Grade 2 are going to get an extra dose of Innuinaqtun this year. Classrooms in those Kitikmeot communities have adopted a policy of offering at least half of lessons in the Inuit language.

The schools are clearly trying to do their part but, to truly give the language a fighting chance, it remains up to parents to practise Innuinaqtun in the home.

The territorial government can also play a role by fully subsidizing the cost of translation and interpretation. Right now, it's free to use English, but it costs $50 a page or $60 an hour to pay for Innuinaqtun or Inuktitut. While translators and interpreters deserve to be well paid for their talents, the costs ought to be picked up by government.

Reviving the language must be a joint effort.

The 28-day territorial election period officially started on Sept. 3. While most other people had the day off of work thanks to Labour Day, returning officers across the territory including Rita Cazon in Fort Simpson and Phoebe Parent in Fort Providence opened their offices to sign copies of the writ of election and get to work.

Returning officers will be busy for the next month leading up to the Oct. 1 election. This will also be a hectic time for those who have decided to run for office.

Deciding to run as a MLA or for any public office isn't a decision that's taken lightly. Candidates have to be willing to open themselves up to public scrutiny while also promising to faithfully represent the issues of their constituents, the same people who may be criticizing them.

By the end of Sept. 7 the official list of the candidates will be available, and voters in both the Nahendeh and Deh Cho ridings will know who their choices are.

The difficult part will be for people to decide who deserves their vote.

There seems to be a number of ways to pick a candidate who's suitable for your ballot.

A popular voting strategy is to pick a candidate to vote for that you are either related to or friends with. Personal relations probably lead to many votes for candidates and in some cases maybe all their votes.

This isn't such a bad way to make the decision. Presumably you'll know the person enough to be able to judge if they're worthy of the position and will fulfill their campaign promises.

Linked closely to this are the type of voters who vote a certain way because they always have. In the case of a territorial election this can involve voting for the same candidate for as many times as they try for the office.

Another strategy is to ask around and follow the voting decision of someone you trust or the general consensus. This works particularly well if you are new at voting or haven't been following the campaign very closely.

Less scientific methods can involve picking the candidate you think is the most attractive or the best dresser. Also in this line of voting is arriving at the polling station with no set decision made and putting your mark beside the first name that jumps out at you.

The most informed method, and hopefully the one that most people follow, is to listen to what the candidates have to say and ask them questions on issues that you are concerned about. What are the candidates promising and how do they propose to turn their promises into reality? What type of experience do they have with politics and their riding?

While some people will have questions in common, others will be unique, so make sure they're asked.

But no matter how you go about doing it, the most important thing is to vote. By voting in a territorial election you likely aren't going to make an earth-shattering difference - territorial politicians just don't have that kind of power no matter what anyone may say, but you are exercising your rights.

In the last territorial election the Deh Cho district had a voter turnout of 79.35 per cent, impressive considering the 2006 federal election had a 64.7 per cent turnout across Canada. Voters need to keep making their mark on their ballots and on their government.

If you're not already on the voters list, revisions are ongoing until Sept. 7. Following that, voters can be sworn in at the polling stations.

During the orientation assembly on Tuesday morning you could hear the anxiety of the students in the audience. Some were happy to be returning to class, others made their intent clear; they weren't done with summer.

Either way you look at it, teachers have wrangled their students in for the semester. Another routine is slowly starting up again.

I have good feelings about the 2007/2008 academic season.

An updated bell schedule means the students are to be in class by 8:40 a.m., with lunch time at 11:55 a.m.

I think it's great that the school could work a new schedule around, this will benefit the kids and the parents.

Talking with some youth after the assembly showed me that they are ready to take on the challenges of school seriously. Every one of those students has a goal, which is to graduate. It could be this year, or maybe it is years away for some. I tip my imaginary hat to those young learners who want to excel.

Oh the youth, so much has been done to help them, yet this is where we see the cream separate from the milk.

During the first weeks of the year, the community needs to support the young people who are making healthy choices for their lives.

I want to see parents asking about their child's classes, offering to help with homework and taking their kids out to extra curricular activities.

See, this isn't just a new start for the youth, this is a whole new opportunity for the parents to stand up and give their share as well.

Last week I was sitting at home, surfing through the selection of channels that interest me. I found an episode of Suaangan, a locally produced show. This installment of the program focused on Inuvik's youth.

The show talked with kids about their boredom and possible solutions for vandalism in town. It was well made and threw some ideas my way. The show presented the youth in a different light, I started to think about the whole situation differently.

Then I went to the school earlier this week. I found out that almost 30 windows were smashed at Samuel Hearne. One teacher said the amount would total near $30,000 to repair.

Now, this is where I should throw down the bible and start thumping it, going on some tirade about the youth and why they need a curfew. Well, not today.

I don't know if there is any proof that points the blame to the younger generations. Honestly though, the youth look like the prime suspects in the recent vandalism.

It does suck that a group of like-minded people thought the school would look better with plywood panels instead of windows.

I walked up to that school and thought the place looked damn near condemned. It hurts our tourism when our oldest buildings are boarded up.

Now this serves as a black eye to the new school year. I'm sure that Public Works will pick up the slack and have those panes fixed before you know it, but it is work that did not need to be done!

A message to the people responsible for the damage to the school; you're not cool and you certainly aren't changing the perception of misguided youth. Paint a fence, play some marbles, share a malt with your best girl. But, don't make it harder for those who want to make things better.

While some readers may feel language cops would be more effective in building a brighter future for Nunavut than training and education, it's good to see an ever-growing number of Kivalliq youth are appreciating the advantages of finishing high school and continuing on with their post-secondary education.

During the past few weeks, we've seen Maani Ulujuk High in Rankin Inlet and Tusarvik school in Repulse Bay celebrate a record number of grads, while Victor Sammurtok school in Chesterfield Inlet tied its previous record set just two short years ago.

And while the increasing number of grads is encouraging, even more so are their plans to continue on with post-secondary education.

I've made a point of talking to high school grads - and those who finish management studies and business-administration courses at Nunavut Arctic College - since arriving in the Kivalliq in 1998.

It was a habit I got into while writing on the East Coast, which is also an economically-challenged area.

The answers revealed a lot about how grads viewed the work environment, and how they saw the future unfolding in terms of what trades and vocations would be in demand.

Sadly, many answers back East revolved more around where they were moving to seek employment.

I continued the habit in the Kivalliq and found the answers even more illuminating as to how our graduates saw their futures unfolding. And, while they haven't reached the point where they feel the need to wear shades, they do see their future as being a lot brighter in 2007 than they did in 1998.

What stands out the most when talking to many of today's grads is how much higher they've set the bar for themselves, and the value they place upon continuing their education in order to realize their goals and ambitions - and that's a key to a brighter future for our region.

We're not knocking anyone's desire to work with their local hamlet, but there's only so many people each municipality can employ.

And, you would probably agree, the thought of someone like Premier Paul Okalik working on a municipal garbage truck is somewhat unsettling.

Not that many years ago, working for the hamlet or a local retail operation were among the top responses I would receive from grads.

That has changed dramatically today.

Now I hear about plans to attend the Northern Teacher's Education program, highly demanding trades-training programs, art-and-design courses, computer-based courses of all descriptions, health-field work, police work and university programs for many different fields of study.

Another thing many of these grads have in common is that while they are fiercely proud and protective of their culture and language, they are also grateful for having received an education that allowed them to master the English language to the point where they can attend the university, college or trade school of their choice.

The opportunity to benefit from what the best of both worlds has to offer still very much exists for those Nunavut youth willing to work for it - in either language THEY choose to speak.