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Confidentiality rules
NWT News/North - Monday, September 21, 2009

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Premier Floyd Roland's inquiry took an unusual twist in its first week.

Cleverly, the premier and his lawyer diverted attention away from his affair with former committee clerk Patricia Russell. They blamed an unnamed regular MLA who Roland claims was actually the one leaking privileged information from committee meetings.

As one MLA pointed out, it is difficult to believe Russell didn't share confidential information with Roland while they kept their affair secret.

What is equally curious is that no one has demanded the identity of the MLA with loose lips.

Regular MLAs were outraged at the prospect the premier may have had a spy in their midst. So deep was their ire, they lit torches and brandished pitchforks sparking an expensive public inquiry.

At first, the mystery MLA defence looked like a smoke-and-mirrors attempt by the premier to confuse and cast doubt on the complaint against him.

But, in another shocking turn of events, when it came time to show proof of their case, MLAs instead admitted they knew one of their own was sharing confidential information with the premier. Worse, the MLAs had no evidence of Russell's guilt -- aside from an understandable suspicion.

Whatever the verdict regarding Roland's behaviour, MLAs shouldn't allow their mysterious informant colleague to remain unnamed.

They may not have solid proof to back up their suspicions but Roland has said under oath he received information from one of the MLAs.

Innocent MLAs should demand the name the first opportunity in the next sitting of the legislative assembly.

Ultimately, what needs to be addressed is the legislation. Where the premier's alleged actions would be considered a breach of the law, an MLA leaking information is merely breaching employee guidelines.

Rules ought to be applied to cabinet members, the premier and regular MLAs equally.

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Sentence falls terribly short
NWT News/North - Monday, September 21, 2009

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The family of Johnny Dryneck, who was murdered in Behchoko in November 2008 is outraged by the ridiculously lenient one year of probation given to his killer.

The 17-year-old male, who cannot be identified, killed the 38-year-old during a fight inside Our Video Store in Behchoko.

The teen will be under a strict curfew, must attend school, counselling and report to his youth worker. Minor offences have been dealt with more harshly.

Unfortunately Dryneck's family and friends must be reminded of the incident and the lack of justice served every day when they see the teen walking free in the community.

Although sending a teenager to jail for many years at the risk of having him turn into a hardened criminal is not the answer, he should have received, along with the nine months he did in jail, a probation period of several years or more.

If the justice system is looking to create a deterrent, it's going to have to do much better than this.

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Addicted to secrecy
Nunavut News/North - Monday, September 21, 2009

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Recently Iqaluit city council reprimanded one of its own, councillor Jim Little, for repeating something to the RCMP that he had heard during an in-camera session.

Little has defended his breach of confidentiality by the fact that what he reported to the police was a possible crime - what he says was a bribe offered to a council member.

Regardless of whether Little was right or wrong to go to the RCMP, the fact remains that Iqaluit City Council spends an awful lot of time talking things over in secret, suggesting the city overuses in-camera sessions.

In addition to challenging Little's choice to break in-camera rules, we should be taking a hard look at council's apparent addiction to secrecy.

A glance through the minutes of regular meetings over the past year shows council frequently shuts the public and media out of its discussions, spending anywhere from five minutes to over an hour talking behind closed doors during most sessions.

Many other city councils across the country, by comparison, rarely go in-camera, reserving it for standard issues that most municipalities agree merit confidentiality: personnel matters, legal issues and contract negotiations.

Yellowknife's council ended up in court 10 years ago and was censured by a Supreme Court judge because it was conducting too much of its business behind closed doors. Iqaluit's mayor and council should keep this in mind.

The citizens of Iqaluit deserve to know how their representatives came to make decisions - the facts, arguments and reasonings behind them.

We hope it doesn't take a lawsuit to make Iqaluit City Council open up to the public.

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Informed consent
Nunavut News/North - Monday, September 21, 2009

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Iqaluit City Council continues to criticize Qulliq Energy Corporation for what it sees as a lack of consultation on a hydroelectric development at Jaynes Inlet.

Seeing as how Iqaluit will be the main customer of the new hydroelectric plant, consultation is essential.

Choosing the site for the hydro plant took years, and Iqaluit was consulted a number of times along the way.

Given a choice of five potential sites for hydroelectric development, the top recommendation of the project's steering committee was Akulikutaaq/Armshow Long, because it would mean the least environment disturbance. However Qulliq ultimately decided on Jaynes Inlet because it would be roughly $100 million cheaper to develop, half as much as the Armshow Long development.

Qulliq should be prepared to defend this decision to Iqaluit City Council - and make it clear how the city will benefit -- before expecting municipal politicians to approve a letter in support of the project.

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The dump is no ashtray
Yellowknifer - Friday, September 18, 2009

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The Yellowknife landfill is a public place loaded with flammable, volatile waste materials - and yet one of the few sites remaining in the city where smoking is not banned.

Since the town was established, Yellowknifers have known that one person's trash can be another's treasure. It's an economical, common-sense solution to limiting garbage and promoting the reuse of items in a bustling, remote city.

The dump is a place to rummage for salvageable goods, but not a place to discard a lit cigarette butt, which could act as a live fuse and cause costly damage.

A smoking salvager is thought to be the culprit in the 12-hour fire that erupted in the landfill's salvage yard on Sept. 5. The ordeal cost the city at least $100,000 to extinguish and sent huge clouds of black, toxic smoke billowing over the city. These sorts of extreme occurrences also put the lives of emergency personnel in jeopardy.

City councillors were astonished to find that smoking is not banned at the site. Now is the time to correct that oversight. The city would do well by starting with a complete ban on smoking on the premises at risk of a hefty fine. While it may be difficult to enforce - like the bylaw pertaining to picking up dog poop - it should be on the books nonetheless.

Placing no-smoking signs at the landfill would be another recommended measure.

The dump fire sparked another concern: the ability for citizens to find out what's going on when an emergency is in progress. Some Yellowknifers have expressed frustration over being left to wonder for hours what was causing the black smoke to waft from the landfill. With the marvels of modern technology, there's little excuse to keep residents in the dark. Councillor Dave McCann suggested a city Twitter account to notify those who regularly check for online Tweets. It's one avenue.

At the very least, the city should have an individual designated to update its website when there's timely and important information to impart.

Yellowknifer updates its website after work hours and on weekends. Someone at city hall can feel free to give our news desk a call. We'll gladly help spread the word.

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Ruining it for everyone
Editorial Comment
Tim Edwards
Deh Cho Drum - Thursday, September 17, 2009

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The problem with underage ATV operation in Fort Simpson was brought up in a village council meeting last week. Members of the community told Mayor Duncan Canvin and councillor Bob Hanna that they'd seen reckless ATV driving committed by those too young to legally drive.

Claims were made that kids had been speeding on to the main road without stopping to check for traffic or pedestrians, and creating dangerous situations for the general public.

Growing up in the North - though in Yellowknife and not Fort Simpson - I have seen underage ATV driving all my life and have done it myself, though with older folk who taught me how to drive.

It seems to be tolerated in most communities I have been to, but, as with anything, when someone abuses unspoken privileges such as this in public areas, people notice and these privileges become issues. These issues get discussed and privileges get taken away.

No one obeys all the rules all the time, and in some situations people feel they have to break them for moral reasons - but when people do, I'd like to hope they would be cautious about it. If you break the rules, don't forget why the rules are in place - in terms of underage ATV driving, if you're going to do it at least try not to be a hazard to the public.

Whether underage people are allowed to drive is decided by how much they can be trusted. Some parents have complete faith in their child and let them drive, and sometimes this faith is well-placed. Most of the time, though, it is not.

Kids may try to show off to their friends or they just might not know how to properly operate the machine - but neither is an excuse for bad driving. Blowing through stop signs or intersections without even looking, or narrowly avoiding pedestrians while speeding down the slow streets of Fort Simpson is unacceptable. Such cases not only put the child and their parents at legal risk - they also put members of the community at physical risk.

Kids can't buy ATVs, so the vehicles must belong to older persons. To those who let kids drive their vehicle, be very aware of what you're getting them and yourself into.

The bylaw states that parents can be held liable for their child's actions on an ATV, and if there is a death to someone in the community or damage to property involved, you could lose your money, friends, ATV, and your child.

This law is in place for a reason, and if broken, consequences could be tragic.

Editor Roxanna Thompson returns in October.

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Give credit where it's due
Editorial Comment
Andrew Rankin
Inuvik Drum - Thursday, September 17, 2009

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There was something dignified and fitting about the Inuvik Volunteer Fire Department's National Firefighters Memorial Day ceremony on Friday afternoon.

Most of the firefighters showed up to the quiet ceremony and there was only a small gathering there to witness the event - which not many people knew about, as it was scheduled late.

A few prayers were spoken and a few minutes of silence were devoted to firefighters who have died in the line of duty. Members then filed into the hall where finger foods and conversation were shared.

You could feel a subtle sense of camaraderie among the group, which deputy fire chief Rick Lindsay speaks of in this week's story on the event.

In my few years as a reporter, I have covered several fires and firefighters' events like this one. I've always held a lot of respect for the majority of volunteer firefighters that I have met. Obviously my point of view stems from the fact that they're willing to put their lives on the line for their fellow residents at any time of the day. Think of the countless fires they've responded to this summer.

I can't think of a higher contribution to community than that.

But most of these people are the type that just love to help and are usually volunteers in so many other ways in the community.

I got to thinking about this two days after Friday's National Firefighters Memorial Day when I arrived at the Demolition Derby. There were several firefighters there hosing the demolition pit down, ensuring conditions for the drivers were perfect and keeping a watch over the entire event. It's just an example of other ways the fire department helps out in the community.

It also got me thinking that nobody can deny the importance of what they do, but a lot of us can't deny that they're often taken for granted.

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The nominations are in
Editorial Comment
Andrew Rankin
Inuvik Drum - Thursday, September 17, 2009

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There's a healthy number of candidates vying for a seat on town council this year and Mayor Derek Lindsay has a formidable opponent in Denny Rodgers, who is the only other resident vying to become Inuvik's next mayor.

The town is trying to schedule an all-candidates forum in the next few weeks, an event which will prove to be more than a tad interesting.

Apart from the seven incumbent councillor candidates, the list contains a number of residents who could bring a lot of passion, business sense and some wisdom to the table. I've always believed the roots of a democratic society start at the community governance level.

In the next few editions we will devote space to candidate profiles, which we hope will be useful to readers as they decide how to vote. More than that, we hope that residents will take the time to get to know each candidate for themselves, then vote. And then maybe attend a few council meetings afterwards.

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Time to rebuild relations
Yellowknifer - Wednesday, Wednesday, September 16, 2009

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The recent decision not to file charges in the case of Alfred Baillargeon makes this an ideal time for the police to hold open meetings with the public.

Baillargeon is the Dettah elder who said he was roughed up by RCMP after they picked him up for public intoxication in January.

His daughter Beatrice said her family withdrew the formal complaint against the police on Alfred's behalf. The RCMP proceeded with the investigation anyway, in an effort to assure themselves and the public that everything was done by the book.

Beatrice also insisted that the lines of communication were not open with the RCMP. She said even though she had found out that there would be no charges against police officers in the incident involving her father, news media had obtained more detail on the investigation than she had.

The police have committed to meeting with Baillargeon and his family, and Beatrice said she would welcome that.

However, public meetings would also be beneficial - not just a meeting with chief and council, but a community feast in Dettah where the public could interact informally with the police in a social setting. A structured question and answer session would help as well.

Something similar should be held in Ndilo and in downtown Yellowknife as well.

It would be an opportunity for the police to explain their policies and outline the challenges they face regularly on the streets. It would also allow residents to voice their perceptions of the RCMP and how justice has been meted out in a traditional sense.

Surely both sides have much to share, and some things to learn.

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Boaters shouldn't wait for licensing requirement
Wednesday, September 16, 2009

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The deadline for operators of powered boats in Canada to obtain a Pleasure Craft Operator Card was Sept. 15 - except for those in Nunavut and the NWT.

Transport Canada decided 10 years ago to exclude the two territories, mainly because of the difficulty in certifying aboriginal language speakers in these vast, remote regions.

For that reason alone, the decision makes sense. It would be unfair to order residents to submit to a test in communities where boating is the principal mode of transportation and obtaining a livelihood which, for many would be available online only - especially when no hands-on courses are available. That wouldn't necessarily be a problem in Yellowknife, but it would be in places such as Lutsel K'e and Colville Lake.

We've already seen what happened when the federal government introduced the gun registry in the North, where getting a passable photo taken for firearms licence identification is extremely difficult.

This is not to say boating safety is not important. Boating can be very dangerous in unskilled hands and adverse conditions - 10 people lost their lives while boating in 2006, for example.

That is why boaters, particularly those in Yellowknife where certification courses are available, should undergo the training, whether they're legally required to or not. The Great Slave Yacht Club, as the club's vice-commodore points out in his letter to the editor on page 9, offers this course.

After all, it's better to be safe than sorry.

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Nothing golden about this silence
Editorial Comment
Darrell Greer
Kivalliq News - Wednesday, September 16, 2009

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While my Sept. 9 editorial (Repaying some respect) was meant as an acknowledgement to outgoing ADM Shawn Maley, I seem to have struck a nerve with a few observations in the piece.

A pair of government workers contacted me this past week to let me know – in no uncertain terms – my remarks about looking away from wrongdoing were unfair. Both individuals pointed to the lack of whistleblower legislation as the main reason why many government workers won't speak up when they know something is amiss.

They contend the lack of such legislation leaves any worker willing to go public with such information completely unprotected.

In short, they would undoubtedly lose their job for speaking up.

I'm not buying the total argument, because many innocent people can suffer when government officials are up to no good.

And, at the end of the day, knowing someone is acting outside the law for their own gain and doing nothing about it is as bad as taking part in the activity yourself.

However, I do give some credence to their argument and I totally understand the fear involved.

From what I understand, Nunavut should have whistleblower legislation in place sometime in 2010.

But Nunavut is not the only Canadian jurisdiction lacking in protection.

In fact, Canada has very few laws which pertain directly to whistle-blowing.

The feds enacted the Public Servants Disclosure Protection Act in 2007 to protect public servants from reprisals for reporting wrongdoing.

However, it's been roundly criticized for setting too many conditions and protecting wrongdoers.

While a number of provinces do have legislation to protect whistleblowers to some degree – and a number of other acts provide slim protection for reporting wrongdoing – for the most part, whistleblowers in Canada are unprotected by statute.

So, one can certainly understand why those in the know can often have grave misgivings about coming forward with information.

And that's truly unfortunate, as the public's right to know is a cornerstone of democracy and a pillar of good governance.

Iqaluit Coun. Jim Little was recently banned from in-camera sessions for speaking to police about a criminal act he believes may have taken place.

Little told the Iqaluit RCMP a city councillor may have been offered a bribe in connection to a development permit.

It seems openness and accountability are two words rarely understood or properly defined in all levels of government in Nunavut.

Those in the government ranks who abuse the system realize all too well the perils that await anyone with the intestinal fortitude to speak out about wrongdoing.

Until that changes (banning all in-camera sessions would be a great start), the vast majority of those who want to come forward will remain silent for fear of reprisal.

And this is one form of silence that has nothing golden about it.