Features

The sad truth in today's world is that the private sector has little incentive to hire a person with a physical disability.

In fact, it can be a downright liability. No doubt, the first question on many an employer's mind when considering whether to hire such a person is: 'How much is this going to cost me?'

The person may be the brightest bulb to ever come through the door but if a boss is worried about having to make expensive upgrades to the workplace such as wheelchair ramps and elevators to bring that person on board, chances are the true reason will go unspoken as it's a human rights violation, but there will be no job offer. If an employer were to hire that person, they risk finding themselves in court or before a labour board if improvements to work facilities aren't made to accommodate them.

Government employers and schools have made progress in this regard, in some cases because they were forced to by the courts.

Our society would obviously be a healthier and more caring one if job opportunities were maximized for persons with disabilities but the private sector needs help to reach this goal.

It's not enough for the government to just provide training money and employer subsidies. Whether through government or the Worker's Compensation Board, we subsidize injured workers, maternity leave, and pensioners.

It only makes sense that the government foot the bill for worksite improvements so persons with disabilities can go to work in the private sector or government. And if those improvements are made but the disabled person leaves, no harm done. The renovations will still be there the next time the boss is looking to hire.

The city's idea of establishing an environmental sciences centre on the site of the remediated Con Mine is a fantastic and farsighted one.

Its greatest value will be its legacy of economic diversification.

Yellowknife's economy is heavily mining-centred. Diavik alone employed 340 Yellowknifers between January and June 2007 and pumped $255 million into Northern businesses, including 44 businesses with Yellowknife locations, to say nothing of Ekati and De Beers.

But what happens when the diamond mines close?

It's said diamonds are forever, but the reality is, the diamond mines aren't. At the end of their approximately 20-year mine lives, they will close and hundreds will be out of work.

An environmental sciences centre would be an asset now and later. It could work hand in hand with the existing mining industry by storing historic geological samples, testing new rock samples and participating in environmental monitoring on exploration projects and mining operations. And in defense against the closure of the diamond mines, it could become a centre for Arctic research, collecting and assessing data on environmental issues like climate change.

Mayor Gord Van Tighem's vision is to see it become a centre for excellence for mine abandonment and restoration projects, a centre for wildlife DNA testing, a centre for training for environmental review agencies. Such an institution could lead to opportunities for higher education in the city, maybe even a university someday. With a price tag estimated to be upwards of $60 million, Van Tighem's vision of an environmental sciences centre is an expensive dream.

But if it succeeds, it would be worth every penny.

When it comes to events related to sports, the Deh Cho has an overflowing cup this month.

This weekend the Fort Simpson recreation centre will host two separate sporting events. Approximately 40 young hockey players are expected to arrive on Jan. 11 to participate in the Mackenzie Youth Hockey Challenge. Across the hall and in the warmer gym basketball players will be competing in the TSS Invitational tournament.

The following week students at the Charles Yohin school will be learning skills at a hockey workshop on Jan. 17. Meanwhile on the next day female hockey players will take to the ice in Fort Simpson for the annual Moosehide Mamas Chicks with Sticks tournament. Simultaneously, a soccer tournament is scheduled to take place in Fort Liard at the Echo Dene school.

Wait a week and male teams will take to the ice in Fort Simpson for the annual men's hockey tournament.

The last week brings us to the end of the month when the Fort Simpson Pulsars will be travelling to Yellowknife to compete in the territorials with the hopes of winning the honour of representing the Northwest Territories in the Arctic Winter Games.

It's a full schedule and it doesn't even take into account all of the smaller events, team practices and curling nights that are happening around the region.

While a full slate of sports events usually isn't much to get excited about, it is rather timely.

Fittingly all of these events are happening just after New Year's.

New Year's, besides a time to celebrate the changing of the year, is also a time when people traditionally think forward and make some sort of a resolution. Among the most popular resolutions are to become more fit, lose weight and spend more time with family and friends.

January is also traditionally the time when the resolutions people have made fall by the wayside.

In the Deh Cho, however, there is no reasonable excuse, except for a bad case of the stomach flu that is travelling around, for anyone not to be able to keep their resolution if it's related to physical fitness. With so many athletic events planned there are plenty of opportunities for people to pick up a hockey stick, tie on a pair or skates, hoist a curling rock or grab a basketball.

Athletes across the Deh Cho will be active role models over the rest of the month as they practise and compete.

If you've also resolved to spend more time with family and friends you can do both by bringing those people along to a sporting event even if it's just to cheer.

Whether you rang in the new year with a drink, a smoke or any other party favour, you should now be ready to start the year right.

Within the resolutions and phony promises lay real goals and wishes.

Usually someone makes a resolution to be healthier, by quitting smoking or some other vice they have.

A lot of the time, before you know it, you're back in your old habits.

While I can agree with wanting to make a better life, I don't agree with the way people go about it.

If you want attention drawn to yourself, there are other ways besides some empty promise.

After talking with some friends and people around town, it's become obvious to me that people will say one thing and do another.

Why lie to yourself?

Someone who announces they're going to stop their wicked ways at New Year's just seems ridiculous to me.

If you're going to start living a healthier life, just do it, rather than wave it in the air like some sort of flag. I don't need you telling me that you've quit drinking soda. That can only be proven over time. If you want to start something, like a routine of exercising, then brag about it after you've done it.

Telling people that you're ready to make a change is one thing. Starting such a task then flaking out a week later is nothing to brag about.

For those of you who actually keep their resolutions and make an honest run at changing for the better, congrats.

I don't think resolutions are really necessary. I made some important life choices in mid-December. The original idea was to make a New Year's resolution out of it, but I decided that I should just work hard and make the choice earlier.

It can be hard to imagine, but there are people who live their lives every day to be as fit as possible.

I know, it sounds difficult and I'm sure it was at first.

The cool thing about a routine is that it becomes the normal thing to do.

Wake up at six in the morning and lift some weights for a while. Have breakfast and start your day. After meeting with some of the more active members in the community, I realize I have some common interests with them.

They keep working and participating in sports and I keep writing about them and nagging others to start being active.

There are many families in town who want others to join them in active living. Sign up at the rec complex for a sport, or volunteer to help with the organization.

After experiencing the Sunrise Festival this past weekend, I want to express my gratitude to the Inuvik Volunteer Fire Department and anyone else that contributed time and effort to make such an awesome event possible. Countless hours were donated by volunteers to give a good show to the town.

I was walking to the bank earlier this week and overheard someone say the show was not good enough.

I'm sorry, but in a town where I have to wait weeks for video game releases and pay too much for food, I'm happy to see any sort of lights in the sky.

To Rick, Al, Duane, Scott and everyone else who didn't get to see the show because they were busy running the fireworks, thanks.

I can tell from the number of backed up vehicles after the show that others are appreciative as well.

Hopefully, a sad saga will come to a close with former finance minister David Simailak standing up to apologize during the next sitting of the Nunavut legislative assembly.

Simailak was found to have contravened the Integrity Act by failing to disclose, in his annual public-disclosure statements on four occasions, the name of a subsidiary of a private company in which he had an interest.

The review was conducted by Nunavut Integrity Commissioner Robert Stanbury.

The commissioner made three recommendations as a result of his findings.

He has recommended that (1) Simailak be reprimanded by the assembly, and (2) make a statement in the assembly acknowledging his wrongful conduct, apologize to his peers, constituents and all Nunavummiut, and promise to faithfully fulfil his future commitments under the Integrity Act.

Stanbury also recommended that (3) should Simailak fail to fulfil the requirement of No. 2 within 10 sitting days after the assembly's acceptance of the recommendations, his right to sit and vote in the assembly shall be suspended without indemnity or allowance until the requirement is fulfilled.

While the assembly has the option to accept or reject all of Stanbury's recommendations, there appears to be no reason for rejection.

We tend to side with the commissioner and take Simailak at his word that his failure to fulfil his obligations of disclosure was the result of honest error and not a deliberate attempt at deception.

Only time will tell if that, in fact, was the case.

That being said, a finance minister is expected to understand his obligations under the Integrity Act and fully comply with them.

There are no excuses for failing to do so, whether intentional or otherwise.

What may yet prove itself interesting is what is decided in regards to Simailak's cabinet position.

The situation eerily parallels that of a few years ago, when another minister was removed from cabinet.

As in that case, we cannot see Premier Paul Okalik wanting Simailak to be voted back on a secret ballot, although the premier's wishes hold little sway in full caucus.

But, with the premier already talking about an election this coming summer, the odds are in favour of leaving the cabinet post vacant until Nunavummiut head to the polls, which is what happened in the previous case.

The fact of the matter is, that would also be the best path for Simailak to follow if he, indeed, plans to run again in the next election.

Inuit are well known for their ability to forgive and grant a second chance when a person admits a mistake, apologizes and is willing to work hard to make amends.

Should the assembly accept Stanbury's recommendations, Simailak could make his apology, continue to serve his constituents in Baker Lake for another few months, brush up on political obligations and throw his hat back in the ring come election time.

Should the people vote for a second chance, he could then return to the capital with a relatively clean slate.

That sounds to us like a tidy solution to a messy situation.

An error appeared in an article in Wednesday's Yellowknifer ("Medevac pilot named to Order of Canada," Jan. 9). Pat O'Connor is a flight nurse, not a pilot. She has spent the last thirty years (and almost 18,000 flight hours) tending to patients and saving lives in the air. Yellowknifer apologizes for any confusion or embarrassment caused by the error.