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Prime real estate Yellowknifer - Friday, August 28, 2009
The Department of Indian and Northern Affairs plans to move into a yet-to-be-built five-storey office building across the street from the federal government's downtown crown jewel, the Greenstone Building.
The new facility will replace the aging Gallery building, which has been more or less vacant for the last four years. The property is owned by Toronto-based Dundee Real Estate Investment Trust, landlord to a considerable portion of Yellowknife's prime office space.
The new digs are certain to add some viability to the downtown core, which has suffered in recent years.
Nice, shiny, state-of-the-art buildings are inviting and full of office workers in need of nearby places to shop and do lunch. Naturally, small business owners want to be situated close to these buildings, which further enhances downtown's viability.
What would make this whole scenario better is more attention paid to developers or landlords based right here in Yk.
Hopefully, the feds will think about that next time they go house hunting.
NorthwesTel has raised the cost of local calls made by pay phone to 50 cents from 25 cents as of Aug. 18.
Instead of an increase, NorthwesTel, which is owned by Bell, should be making pay phones free, or at least decreasing the price of a call. For several years, Bell has been charging Northerners a fee of 75 cents a month for 911 service, a service which isn't provided.
Instead of fighting the $6 million civil class action lawsuit, launched by Yellowknife resident James Anderson, it's time Bell acknowledges it has been unfairly charging Northerners and make amends. Making pay phones in the territory free is one such way for the company to make retribution.
With cell phones as popular as they are today, it is hard to believe NorthwesTel would be making any money from the 86 pay phones reported to be scattered around Yellowknife. The fact NorthwesTel refuses to disclose how much revenue the pay phones generate would seem to support that. It's not like there is competition, as NorthwesTel has admitted it has a monopoly on the small market.
The doubling of pay phone rates may not seem like much to NorthwesTel, but the company would be forgetting that to the impoverished who cannot afford a cell phone, an extra 25 cents makes a big difference.
The leadership, along with the band's employees and all interested members, gathered over two days for a strategic planning session. As Chief Jim Antoine explained, the session was designed to get a general view from the membership assessing where the band is at.
Discussions during the session centered on looking at the issues the band is involved in and determining their position in those areas. The goal for the session and the follow-up meetings that are planned is to create an action plan for the current leadership.
Antoine was fulfilling a commitment he made shortly after being elected. While talking to Deh Cho Drum after the election, Antoine said he would be using a traditional approach for making decisions that would involve gathering feedback from elders and band members.
It's hard to think of another process that's more inclusive and involves more consultation with members than inviting the whole membership to participate in a strategic planning session.
The Deh Cho is no stranger to political turmoil within First Nations. When band members rise up against their respective leadership the cause can almost inevitably be traced back to a lack of communication.
Time and time again petitions organized by disgruntled band members make reference to decisions the leadership made or failed to make - and, invariably, the members feel they weren't consulted.
A well developed plan can be the basis for a successful leadership. If the issues the band is dealing with, like land claim negotiations or housing, are clearly laid out, decisions can then be made on how the band wants to address them. From there the chief and council can develop a timeline of what they want to accomplish, and when.
It's well worth the membership's time to participate in this process. A strategic plan is a tool they can use to keep the leadership on track and compliant to the people's wishes. If any decision emerging from the band council chambers seems suspect all that may be required is a glance at the strategic plan to see if it complies with the mandate.
The current leadership has the opportunity to set a timely example for the Deh Cho. They are already on the right track. All that's needed is for them to carry through with the remaining strategic meetings and produce a document that all band members can access.
I sure enjoyed the final night of the End of the Road music festival.
Let's consider the admission price of $5. Now let's consider the main stage entertainment that played on both Friday and Saturday night from about 9 p.m. to 2 a.m.
I'll be honest and say that before I attended Saturday's show I wouldn't have been able to tell you one song produced by any of the three lead acts, Leonard Adam, Yukon Jack and Doug and the Slugs. But after it was all said and done, I was utterly shocked by the quality of the entertainment, particularly the range of music and the energetic performances.
It's too bad not nearly enough people showed up to support what was truly a top-notch two-day event. We'll start with the traditional Dene group of Leonard Adam and his accompanying two young sons. Laced with passion and energy galore, they were ideal evening openers. His nine-year-old boy, who was the band drummer, stunned the crowd with seemingly effortless solos, all of which were right on time.
Then there was Yukon Jack and his gang who rolled right along with his own distinctive throwback country style, inspiring couple after couple to visit and revisit the dance floor.
The ultimate treat came with the final act Doug and the Slugs. Outrageously entertaining and with the energy of men half their age, it was if the group sent a million volts of electricity through the audience. Lead singer Ted Okos, who really had shockingly great range, bobbed and weaved through each dynamic performance as people piled onto the dance floor, song after song.
On a side note, earlier in the day a small group of kids were lucky enough to see the wacky and brilliant children's entertainer Al Simmons for free
Given the generally poor turnout, you can't help but feel the experience must have been a slap in the face for the few organizers of the event who made it all happen at no personal financial gain.
And really that's what these community festivals are all about. You have a few volunteers on a committee who work overtime to, among many other things, scrape up money and hunt down bands to provide something meaningful for their community.
It must be said again that admission for Friday and Saturday night entertainment was $5!
I find it difficult to understand why people wouldn't want to support a cause such as this. Why wouldn't anyone want to get out and celebrate such a rare occasion of great, live, honest and true folk music? In doing that you're acknowledging a few people's efforts of trying add to their community and bring everyone together.
I was disappointed when Doug and the Slugs performed its last encore song, knowing that was it, no more entertainment; that special energy that they shared with the audience was over.
Knowing how close this year's festival was to nearly being called off, I wonder if the same few volunteers will bother trying again next year. I didn't ask, I only congratulated. But something tells me they'll be a few less committee members come next year.
Maybe Doug and the Slugs was the final curtain call. If so, that would be sad indeed.
That same day, after hearing Roland's lawyer say the premier was not against a public inquiry, the two MLAs began to question their request and later withdrew it.
Now Bisaro is saying she'll only vote to remove Roland as premier if Hughes says so. Why does she need someone else to tell her what to do about Roland's behaviour?
Ramsay initially called Roland dishonest over the affair and said he should resign. Since then, Ramsay has said publicly Roland shouldn't resign, based upon his improved performance.
This muddled thinking is reminiscent of MLAs attempting to oust the entire cabinet in January. Had they simply gone after the source of the government's poor performance - Premier Roland - we wouldn't be wasting hundreds of thousands of dollars and sidetracking other assembly priorities for the sake of an inquiry.
Roland had already demonstrated he lacked solid leadership. The secret affair with a legislative assembly clerk is just the most obvious example.
A good leader would have been able to spot the poor work done last winter on the proposed board mergers and supplementary health care plan changes affecting seniors. A leader would have overruled his cabinet colleagues and put a halt to the ill-conceived plans. Instead, Roland did nothing. His government looked out of touch with the people and his ministers were ripped by residents for their poor performance. The plans were withdrawn.
No matter what comes out of the Hughes inquiry, MLAs know Roland having an affair with a clerk was in poor judgment, an embarrassment to the territorial government, and failing to disclose it was wrong. Whether he used the relationship to his advantage or not won't change those facts.
So MLAs do not need to waste money on an inquiry to determine whether Roland is suited to be premier. All they have to do is hold a vote of confidence. Why wasn't this done in the first place? The answer is more poor judgment.
We can only hope MLAs act to restore the integrity of the government. A special session to hold a vote of confidence would be a first good step.
Premier Stephen Kakfwi and his government experienced two confidence votes in 2005. Both the office of the premier and the territorial government emerged stronger for it. That type of decisive action is needed now.
Every generation in modern history lays claim to a single defining moment.
But those of us born before July 20, 1969, can actually claim two.
One defined us as part of a free society; the other as a nation.
I never include Woodstock in this esteemed category because, although it was the mother of all music festivals, its influence on both history and modern society has always been grossly overstated.
Both our truly defining moments came at the expense of a world superpower during the Cold War years, the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR).
While many instantly envision Russia alone when confronted with the term USSR, it was, in fact, an alliance of Russia and 14 other soviet socialist republics.
The USSR formed in 1922 (the same year Foster Hewitt would call his first hockey game in Canada) and dissolved on Dec. 31, 1991.
Here in August, we have the anniversary of two defining historical moments as monthly bookends.
I was 11 years old when Neil Armstrong became the first man to walk on the moon on July 20, 1969.
I can still vividly recall our family gathered around the TV, watching in complete silence and clinging to every word that came out of the speaker of our old black and white set.
Even at the tender age of 11, the surge of pride that rushed through my body as I listened to the timeless line, "That's one small step..." was nothing short of incredible.
It was all anyone talked about for days.
Forget the fact our heroes were Americans. Those were the days of Us versus Them as it pertained to communism and democracy, and we had got there first.
Never in my wildest dreams did I believe I would feel such an event-inspired euphoria again -- but I did. And only three years later.
During the summer of 1972 everyone was again talking about the same thing.
Only this time the event was a lot closer to home.
The best Canadian NHL hockey players (Bobby Hull wasn't allowed to play because he had signed with the World Hockey Association) were about to square off with Team USSR in what became known as the greatest hockey event in the history of our nation -- The Summit Series.
And, unlike the Apollo 11 landing, the series provided a smorgasbord of powerful emotions leading up to its climax on Sept. 28, 1972.
There was the complete shock, anger and disbelief that devoured us when the USSR stunned Team Canada 7-3 in Game 1 at the legendary Montreal Forum.
Three games later, Canadians everywhere looked down at their feet in shame as Phil Esposito admonished the country on live TV for booing the Canadian players following Game 4 in Vancouver.
Then there was the triumphant return of belief and excitement when Team Canada took games six and seven to even the series.
And, of course, the maniacal jubilation when Paul Henderson scored in the final minute to give Canada a 6-5 victory in Game 8 -- a call I would hear Hewitt make a 1,000 times over the years.
Two defining events to forever remind us of the pride in being free and Canadian!
The same principle holds true for the RCMP. When a police officer is accused of wrongdoing while carrying out his duties, his conduct should not be assessed by one of his peers.
That's exactly the conclusion that the Commission for Public Complaints Against the RCMP reached in a report it released Aug. 11.
In cases where officers are accused of seriously injuring, sexually assaulting or killing someone, the commission says the resulting investigations should be taken out of the RCMP's hands. Dealt with internally - and almost always quietly - the outcome forever remains under a cloud of suspicion.
RCMP investigations of its own members have been flawed and inconsistent, and therefore erode confidence in the transparency and integrity of these investigations, the commission's report states.
Despite any claim of impartiality, there will always remain doubts if one RCMP officer is asked to assess the actions of a colleague accused of a crime. While being a police officer is a noble profession, it's poor practice to have one person in uniform adjudicate another.
Rightly or wrongly, there's a common public perception of the "thin blue line," a sense of brotherhood and camaraderie among law enforcement officers, who face many of the same challenges and demands while working their beats. For that reason, Mounties accused of breaking the law should not even be judged by officers from other police forces.
Who should do the job then? Why not the Commission for Public Complaints Against the RCMP? The national body is obviously objective enough to release this report, and it has no regional biases. But to take on the role of arbiter in hundreds of cases, the commission would require more resources - funding and workers.
Perhaps with more hands on deck, the commission wouldn't have overlooked a couple of key cases from the NWT. Its report examined 28 national incidents of RCMP officers accused of wrongdoing, two of which were in our territory. Its findings were that the RCMP's investigating officers did act professionally and appropriately in each case.
That's certainly not true of the 2004 Const. Scot Newberry case. The RCMP had charged a man with assaulting a police officer - Newberry -- but a judge threw the case out of court and admonished Newberry for attacking the accused. Newberry, at 220 pounds, punched the victim, who weighed 145-pounds, knocking him out and causing him to break his leg as he crumbled to the ground.
Following the judge's ruling, the RCMP deemed the issue "an internal quality control issue."
Then there's the case of the 15-year-old girl who was Tasered while in handcuffs and lying face down on the floor inside the Inuvik youth correctional facility in March 2007. Somehow - no explanation provided - the federal Department of Justice found the police officer did nothing wrong.
That came after two RCMP internal investigations which arrived at the same conclusion. Police officers have a very difficult job to do. We admire them for it and appreciate their commitment and sacrifice.
But when one of them breaks the law, or is accused of unethical behaviour, we need an impartial analysis and honest answers.
Let's ensure that starts happening now.
For more than 10 years, parents in Iglulik have been struggling to open a licensed daycare in their community.
Iglulik, with a population of 1,538 in 2006, is one of the few communities in Nunavut without a licensed daycare.
In 2008, Meeka Nangmalik even walked from Iglulik to Hall Beach and back - 150 km - to raise money and awareness about the need for a daycare in the community.
But the Ajagutaq Daycare Society, which has been the organization lobbying for a daycare since 2007, cannot wring the necessary cash out of the Government of Nunavut to purchase a building and start up a facility.
The problem is that though there are many places to go in the North for money to operate an existing daycare, there is currently no place that will grant you the money to start one.
Daycare start-up money from the Nunavut government only covers the purchase of toys and books and other such supplies, and up to $5,000 to renovate an existing location. It does nothing to help people build, buy or rent a location - hard to find in overcrowded communities - in which to house these toys, books and the children.
This has left the Ajagutaq society in Iglulik to raise more than $300,000 on its own to buy and renovate a building that's on offer in the community - and that could take decades' worth of raffles and bake sales. It may take a village to raise a child, but it takes more than a village to raise a child care centre.
Meanwhile, government jobs are going unfilled, teachers are leaving the community, younger mothers can't finish school and older siblings are losing days of school looking after their younger brothers and sisters.
Given that Nunavut's birth rate is the highest in Canada, and that the government loves to talk about improving graduation rates and increasing Inuit employment, this makes no sense.
All the education and job opportunities in the world come to naught if Nunavummiut can't participate because they can't find a babysitter.
Licensed child care centres create local jobs. They allow parents to re-enter the workforce and give children a head start in life.
A 2008 report by Child Care Canada states that about 40 per cent of the money government invests in child care is recouped through the payroll and income taxes of the employed parents, and that daycare produces $2 of social and economic benefits for every dollar spent on it.
Any plan to improve the social and economic outlook of the territory has to start with child care, and it has to start with Iglulik. That community's families have been waiting far too long.
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