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Handley took a job as a consultant with Atcon Construction last June. The company signed a $132 million contract to build the Deh Cho Bridge across the Mackenzie River in the twilight of Handley's term as premier in August 2007.

If people are wondering why Handley was so hot for the bridge - and he was - his involvement with Atcon is bound to raise eyebrows.

Two weeks before Atcon signed on to build the bridge, Handley met with Atcon president Robert Tozer and toured the company's facility in New Brunswick.

Now he's tagging along with Atcon chasing more contracts and meeting with friends in high places such as Transportation Minister Michael McLeod, who was a minister in Handley's cabinet.

Current conflict of interest legislation forbids former ministers from lobbying on behalf of organizations that were contracted with the government department of which the minister was in charge for up to 12 months after leaving office.

Handley didn't break the rules because Atcon is technically not in business with the government. The company inked its deal with the Deh Cho Bridge Corporation, not the GNWT.

The NWT is too small to take on rules such as those imposed by the federal government, which prohibits departing ministers from lobbying for up to five years.

At the very least though, there should be limits on who can lobby for companies competing for government contracts. Hopefully MLAs will consider that when the conflict rules come up for review this October.

Announced last month, the city will "complete an engineering design and tender package" to pave Ndilo roads. Long overdue, this demonstrates that local action ... not reliance on Indian and Northern Affairs Canada (INAC) - is what Ndilo needs.

For decades, the Dene community has relied on municipal services from Yellowknife. To cover the cost, the federal government pays $144,000 yearly.

That $144,000 is nowhere near enough to pave the community's roads. Yellowknives Dene First Nation CEO John Carter estimated such a project would cost $1.5 million.

To make up the difference, the city will require more cash from INAC, which has committed to updating property assessments for Ndilo.

Hopefully, once the city completes its road-paving project plan, no shameful discrepancies will exist between roads in Ndilo and the NWT capital.

Just as importantly, a basis for a new partnership will be cemented between city hall and Yellowknife's largest land-owners.

The turning of the new year is traditionally a time to take stock of the past year and make resolutions and goals for the new one.

Across the Deh Cho, local leaders including band chiefs and Metis presidents have considered what initiatives they'd like to see move forward in 2009 both for their community and also for the region. All of the leaders Deh Cho Drum talked to listed both the Dehcho Process and the Dehcho Land Use Plan as projects that need to move forward this year.

Three of the leaders used the same word, "standstill," when describing the current status of the negotiations. The Dehcho Process has been going on for years and some real progress needs to be seen, they said.

The focus at the regional level on these two processes is unsurprising. Both are items that have been in the forefront over the past year and longer for the Dehcho First Nations.

What was more telling were the goals and concerns that leaders have for their communities.

In Jean Marie River Chief, Isadore Simon would like to get the community's sawmill going as soon as possible to create economic opportunities.

In Nahanni Butte one of the primary goals is housing. Many families either don't have a house or have problems with their house, said Chief Fred Tesou.

The Fort Simpson Metis Nation is looking for ways to stay afloat after seeing a decrease in their funding over the last year, said President Marie Lafferty.

It is these concerns and goals that highlight what will have to be the real priorities of 2009.

The economic uncertainty of 2008 didn't end with the changing of the calendar. Families and residents who were already struggling with the costs of living in the North will only be hit harder as the effects of the economic downturn move North.

The same basic necessities mentioned by the leaders, including job opportunities, affordable housing and cash flow, will be on the top of many people's minds as the year progresses.

It will be the responsibility of leaders at all levels in the Deh Cho, including First Nations, Metis, municipal governments and the MLA, to focus on what matters most during uncertain times- the basics.

It's all about the hierarchy of needs. Long term projects such as the Dehcho Process and the Dehcho Land Use Plan are still very important but the basic needs of the people need to be addressed before the other projects can hope to succeed or be fully supported. It is, after all, hard to get excited about self-governance, if you're having problems paying your electricity bill.

In 2009, leaders will do well to focus on what their people need the most.

What is it about the behavioural patterns of people in the North? The question is raised after a cab driver got his vehicle window smashed for the fifth time.

The worst part is the people who attacked his livelihood this time weren't even kids.

The driver of the cab said he was baited out of his car by a gang of youth who broke his back window.

When he got out of the cab, which was parked in front of the Mad Trapper, a bar patron stole his vehicle for a joy ride.

Just like that, a stumbling drunkard drives a stolen cab across town, only to ditch it, causing damage to the front end in the process.

It's no lie that Inuvik doesn't respect our cab drivers. For generations, it's been a childish tradition for youth to heckle the cabbies, even going as far as throwing snowballs and eggs at them as they pass by in the winter months.

Imagine you're out driving in -35 C weather, only to spend time outside your cab, scraping frozen egg and clumped snow from the side of the car.

Granted, I've heard many stories about people being ripped off by cabbies who overcharge or don't give proper change back.

Those isolated cases aside, it's no excuse to bully and harass someone who provides a much-needed service in town.

Over the years we've seen our cab wars, with lower fares and faster service.

For a town its size, Inuvik has a lot of cabs on the road. The town office regulates the amount of licences given out and how they are handled.

This latest incident is just another black eye in a long list of occurrences between the cab drivers in town and the people of the community.

Remember that everyone has feelings and we all deserve the same amount of respect.

In this town, that doesn't mean much. Maybe the vandals are making that point.

"Hey, we don't respect our families or ourselves, why should we respect the cab drivers?"

I'll tell you why. Members of the cab-driving community in this town know each other.

They're a tightly-knit group with contacts and informants all over the town. If you slight them, I wouldn't doubt they already know who you are.

A lot of nice people in this town drive a cab. Just because they spend their days hauling our ungrateful carcasses around doesn't mean they're below us in any way.

If you hear your kids, or anyone around you bad-mouthing the cabbies, straighten them out pronto.

You'll never know when you need a ride.

Yellowknife Catholic trustees will hunker down later this month to mull their options now that they've lost an appeal of a court decision allowing non-Catholics to run in board elections.

The speculation is that they will take their case all the way to the Supreme Court of Canada. The other, smarter option is to call it a day and get back to focusing on providing their students with quality education.

Their ongoing battle with the territorial government over the non-Catholic trustee issue has proved to be a needless distraction that overshadows the board's good work - once the envy of Yellowknife.

Up until the fall of 2006, when the Catholic board, led by former chairperson Shannon Gullberg, attempted to shut out non-Catholic candidates, there was barely a blip of bad news coming from the Catholic school district.

Parents, both Catholic and non-Catholic, raved about their programs. Enrolment was literally through the roof and the district's budget was deep in the black.

Today's news describes falling enrolment, cuts to teachers, bitter bickering between themselves and the public school district and the territorial government. The current board may argue these setbacks have nothing to do with their court challenge but the fact is the court case shaped public perception of a board more concerned about a person's religion rather than quality of education, Catholic or otherwise.

Even worse, their stubbornness in insisting on only Catholic participation on the board has given Michael Miltenberger, the cabinet minister planning to merge education boards, his strongest playing card.

Catholic trustees should ask themselves: Is their district better off today than it was in 2006? Back then, even with a non-Catholic trustee on the board, no was telling them they couldn't practice their religion.

How ironic will it be then if Miltenberger uses the decision that came about as a result of their lawsuit as an excuse to scrap their board altogether.

On Dec. 22, the temperature in Yellowknife ranged between -20 C and -30 C. That day, Turk Chan and a handful of other people waited 45 minutes at the bus stop at Stanton Territorial Hospital before realizing the bus wouldn't pick them up.

They didn't know the schedule had been changed for the holidays, and to avoid throwing the schedule off by five minutes, the hospital stop was skipped.

How many others were left out in frigid temperatures waiting on buses that wouldn't show up? Public works did advertise the new schedule on the radio and online, but the simplest method of communicating the change - putting a sign up at the stop - was never done.

It is jaw-dropping that despite all the money the city pays consultants to make the bus system better, such a simple step was overlooked.

That said, skipping a hospital stop at any time of year shows another flaw in the bus system. It is the stop at which a bus would most likely pick up a sick passenger or a person with a disability, and it is inexcusable to leave these people out in the cold.

If stopping tacks on an extra five minutes to the bus route, so be it. Should a schedule appear at every stop noting the time changes made, it would be less of an inconvenience to patrons to wait a few minutes than it would be to spend the better part of an hour waiting for a bus that isn't going to show up.

Thanks for the help
Editorial Comment
Darrell Greer
Kivalliq News - Wednesday, January 07, 2009

I've mentioned many times in this space it would be very difficult to produce a truly regional newspaper every week without the help of numerous people across the region.

That's why I always like to start the new year with a tip of my hat to all those who help make this publication the Kivalliq's newspaper.

There are really not enough thank yous I could send to accurately illustrate how much I owe Leonie Aissaoui in Repulse Bay and Gord Billard in Arviat for all the great material they've sent me throughout the years.

If there are educators in the Kivalliq who take more pride in the accomplishments of their students than Aissaoui and Billard, I've yet to meet them.

For all the photos and time spent answering my endless stream of questions throughout the past year, I humbly thank them both on behalf of our readers across the region.

Also, in Arviat, I have an ever-growing debt of gratitude to both Lynne S. Rollin and Nadine Lamoureux at the Mikilaaq Centre.

Both of these ladies send some great photos my way during the year, and a number of their shots from the annual snowmobile races in Arviat were truly jaw-dropping.

Noel Kaludjak has been sending us photos and helping us identify people in Coral Harbour for a number of years now, and his help is always greatly appreciated.

If only I could convince him to increase the resolution of his photos, we'd really be rockin'.

Although a lot more demand has been placed on his time since becoming a daddy, Glen Brocklebank in Chesterfield Inlet still makes the effort to send us photos from his community and, in particular, Victor Sammurtok school where he teaches.

Contributions from our smaller communities are appreciated in a big way here at the paper.

In Baker, numerous people at the Baker Lake Youth Athletic Association, Kyle Seeley at Sport Nunavut and rec co-ordinator Leo Lareau send me photos from various sporting and community events which I greatly appreciate.

I would also like to send an all-encompassing thanks to all the teachers, coaches and RCMP members across the Kivalliq who send in the odd photo and story lead throughout the year.

Space does not permit me to thank each and every person who sent me a photo in 2008, but rest assured, your efforts are appreciated.

There are also people right here in Rankin Inlet who realize their local newspaper editor can't be everywhere at once, and even gets to take a day off every now and then.

Folks like Doug and Karen McLarty, Page Burt, Tyrone Power and Cindy Lottes always come through for me in a pinch and I deeply appreciate their help.

And, finally, for answering my multitude of e-mails throughout the year when I have to track down a name to put to a face – a huge thank you to Leo Ussak elementary school co-principal Sarah Ayaruaq for saving my bacon many, many times.

I look forward to serving the Kivalliq for my 11th year in 2009 and wish everyone good health, happiness and prosperity in the new year.

As 2009 begins, the NWT and the world stand on uncertain times. As the global economy struggles it will take leadership to guide the territory towards success and productivity.

The question is: does the NWT have the leadership necessary to shield its people from economic uncertainty? If this past year is any indication the answer is a resounding no.

Premier Floyd Roland has demonstrated he and his cabinet are ineffective leaders. Our long awaited devolution deal has fallen by the wayside and hardly a peep on the issue has been heard from the premier's office.

If it wasn't bad enough, Roland's clout with Ottawa is weak at best and his character came into question at the end of the year. The man who campaigned on family values is now embroiled in a scandal involving an affair with a legislative assembly staffer.

If Roland is to continue as the leader of this territory he needs to step into the public light and be more accountable to the people.

This government is quickly gaining the reputation of a political dictatorship that does as it sees fit without seeking the support of residents.

Case in point: Finance Minister Michael Miltenberger continues his emperor-like reign over the territory, tossing out the democratic process while decreeing government policies as if his position has granted him divine right. His board merger plan, which came without consultation, was presented with no real forethought. Already the plan has been adjusted following legal posturing by the French school board. Similarly, the Catholic board is prepared to fight the constitutionality of the merger. We question the ability of one board to manage three massive areas of responsibility - housing, education and health -- with any efficiency.

Economically, the NWT is struggling. The GNWT has been unable or unwilling to curb the rising cost of living in the NWT. This year, the NWT was the only Canadian jurisdiction to experience a population decrease. Longtime Northerners have stated they are going south because they can no longer afford to live in the North.

That means less money for the NWT from Ottawa. Compound that with the mines slowing down to compensate for economic uncertainty and the Joint Review Panel again delaying its report that would kick start pipeline development - and the NWT becomes less and less attractive. Our government has too long ridden the coattails of economic prosperity and now that it has to actually employ some creativity and ingenuity to keep the territory running, our leaders are showing their ineptitude.

What the NWT needs now is economic stimulus. That can only be obtained through jobs and finding ways to attract people to the North. Instead the GNWT is finding ways to reduce jobs, scare away people and has done little to fight for more money for the North. The JRP twiddles its thumbs and devolution is cooling on the back burner.

What the territory needs in the new year is strong leadership. So far our current premier is getting a failing grade in that department.

As we enter 2009, some are forecasting a bleak period in the global economy.

The new recession has triggered cutbacks by mining companies, especially in exploration and development. Economic uncertainty may cause everyone - companies, governments and individuals alike - to tighten their purse strings.

Despite Nunavut's distance from the events that triggered this market meltdown, it will be affected by it in the new year.

Less money will be spent here by mining and oil and gas companies on exploration. Fewer tourists and sport hunters will be willing to pay the high cost of travelling here. The various streams of federal funding Nunavut depends on may dwindle, despite the presence of an Inuk in cabinet.

These are sources of revenue Nunavummiut rely on.

All this may mean life in Nunavut's remote communities may become more of a struggle in the next year than it already is.

Skills, however, are recession-proof. A drop in the stock market won't take away your ability to fix an engine, start an IV or repair a furnace.

Nunavut needs people with skills — nurses, mechanics, accountants, general contractors — the list is very long. For years the territory has relied on people from other provinces and countries to supply these skills.

Some training programs exist in many communities, and more educational opportunities are available through a flight south. A Grade 12 diploma is necessary for many of these programs. That's available in every community and all it takes to get that is commitment and hard work.

Spending time with elders is also a good way to learn skills vital to life in the North and to gain knowledge to pass on to future generations.

Consider learning a new skill this year. If you already have a few, consider teaching them to others.

Education is the wisest investment there is. It costs time, energy and money but the rewards continue for a lifetime regardless of stock prices.