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Successful campaign
NWT News/North - Monday, November 16, 2009

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The recent H1N1 vaccination campaign is a shining example of government working.

Unlike the south, where flu clinics were overwhelmed and eventually closed as vaccine ran dry, Northern flu clinics were praised for being quick and efficient.

Furthermore, the distribution of vaccine to remote communities exceeded even the plans of the Department of Health and Social Services. Original estimates had some Beaufort Delta communities scheduled to begin receiving flu shots this week.

That fact did not sit well with Jackie Jacobsen, the region's MLA, who brought the concern forward in the legislative assembly. He correctly stated that remote Northern communities are at higher risk and should have been top priority.

Shortly after, the vaccine was delivered to those communities with a majority of residents receiving the shot.

The only exception was Tuktoyaktuk where bad weather kept people indoors, but a vaccination team visited the community soon after to catch anyone who missed the first round of shots.

Overall, the GNWT has run an exceptional H1N1 campaign. Regular web and media updates by the department and chief medical health officer Kami Kandola have ensured residents understand the extent of infection, how to protect themselves, and have maintained a high level of public trust and individual sense of security.

The health department's response to Jacobsen is a good example of what can be done when our government sits down and works together for the betterment of the people of the NWT.

The effective policies and communication methods used during the Swine Flu campaign should be used as a model for the everyday workings of the government.

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Bevington lives up to promise
NWT News/North - Monday, November 16, 2009

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On Nov. 4, Western Arctic MP Dennis Bevington was given his one and only chance to put up or shut up, and he did not disappoint.

Back in April, Bevington's commitment to his campaign promise that he would vote against the NDP party line and seek the dismantling of the long-gun registry came into question. At that time, he sat out on a vote to end the amnesty period put forward by a Bloc Quebecois MP.

As a result, Bevington was caught in a firestorm. He defended his action by saying "These parties are using the gun registry as a political football, and I'm not going to play those games."

He went on to accuse the Conservative government of dragging its feet on the registry by not bringing a motion to parliament to have it scrapped.

After that debate, Bevington reasserted his commitment to his campaign promise. "I want to see the government actually bring forward changes to the registry that would work for people in the North," he said.

Bevington proved that resolve earlier this month when he voted in favour of a private member's bill to end the long-gun registry. The bill, which was up for second-reading, carried with 164 to 137 votes and is now in committee.

Bevington went on to say that once the long-gun registry is dealt with, the government can look at gun legislation that targets crime and not hunters.

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Pilot project worth pursuing
Nunavut News/North - Monday, November 16, 2009

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Cambridge Bay, a community of close to 1,500 people, recently disposed of a substantial burden: more than 20 tonnes worth of scrap metal.

That's equivalent to approximately 10 Ford F-150 pickup trucks. No small load.

The eyesore was removed from the community's dump, where washing machines, dryers, ovens, refrigerators, dish washers and other appliances littered the landscape.

It was an initiative made possible by Northern Transportation Company Limited (NTCL), which proposed to cart away the metal waste. Its barges arrive in Kitikmeot communities with welcomed sealift goods - resupplying everything from food to toilet paper and building materials - each fall.

Those same barges leave empty.

Then someone at NTCL had a brainwave and decided to pitch the idea of hauling away scrap metal. Cambridge Bay got the first crack at it through a pilot project earlier this year.

Of course the deal makes sense for NTCL as the shipping company is charging between $2,000 and $4,000 for each container of scrap metal or dangerous goods it takes aboard its vessels. Even at a discount rate, it's better than going back empty and making no additional money.

The communities, of course, are able to avoid opening a gaping hole in the ground and filling it with appliances that take ages to decompose. Those appliances and dangerous goods would otherwise leave toxins in the ground. Look no further than the situation in Iqaluit where abandoned cars have been piled up for many years awaiting a ticket south.

In the meantime all sorts of hazardous liquids have been leaking in the North 40 area, on the outskirts of the city.

Having that sort of waste sent south on a barge means it will be sent to a proper disposal facility where it will do minimal harm and possibly even be recycled into some other useful product.

The greatest challenge for this project's expansion is a common one: money. Our small and remote Nunavut communities cannot find enough funds to cover the costs. Therefore talk has turned to having the territorial and federal governments chip in to make shipping unwanted scrap metal and dangerous materials a feasible option.

In this day and age, when the environment is increasingly recognized as a priority and not something to be taken for granted, surely territorial politicians and their counterparts in Ottawa can see fit to keep Nunavut from having ghettos of rusting ovens and washers.

There's a better way, and now we've been shown it.

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Council make the rules
Yellowknifer - Friday, November 13, 2009

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It's good to know the Yellowknife Fire Department has our best interests at heart, but its anti-fireworks campaign is bordering on hysteria.

Fire Chief Albert Headrick's decree that all Yellowknife residents must pay $150 and attend a limited-seating training course to handle fireworks is a draconian solution in search of a problem.

Currently, residents need a permit and must be 18 years of age to purchase fireworks. They must also get a permit to use them, which, within city limits, can only be in designated areas such as the frozen ice of Back Bay or Frame Lake.

Headrick couldn't provide statistics to support his argument to further restrict fireworks use in the city, but Yellowknifer found some.

Fireworks injuries reported to hospitals are recorded by the Public Health Agency of Canada. Since 1998, 175 fireworks injuries have been reported to this agency.

Compare that to the number of injuries in Canada related to riding bicycles - 3,993 in 2006 alone.

Imagine the outcry if the city began ordering residents to take a $150 course to get a permit to ride their bikes. It's not even against the law to ride a bicycle without a helmet in this city. City council voted against such a bylaw proposal seven years ago.

Perhaps that's worth re-visiting, but that's the beauty of having an elected city council making bylaws for the common good - they are accountable for them.

The fire chief is not elected to anything. That's why he should not be issuing decrees on fireworks use, even if he has the fire marshal's permission.

If Headrick feels fireworks are such a safety issue he should go to city council and ask for a bylaw, not wave his hand and start charging fees.

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Oil spills can wipe you out
Friday, November 13, 2009

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Are you prepared to pay tens of thousands of dollars for oil that leaks from your fuel tank or lines?

That was the warning from Great Slave MLA Glen Abernethy during a recent session in the legislative assembly.

In April 2008 a fuel spill on Catalina Drive, located in Northland Trailer Park, left a homeowner in a hotel. The mobile home was moved from its location and placed on steel beams while the contaminated soil was collected by a backhoe.

The homeowner had a leak in a fuel line, which allowed 150 to 200 litres of fuel to leak under the house. The cost of the cleanup wasn't known at the time, but the homeowner was on the hook.

Abernethy noted that even small leaks often come at a price tag of $10,000. Given the high cost of living in the North, it could be hard for many people already paying costly bills to find that kind of cash.

Prevention is the key. Homeowners should be regularly checking the condition of their oil tank, or have a professional do it.

As well, it was mentioned in the legislative assembly that single-walled tanks are particularly unreliable. The price to replace a low-quality or aging tank now is far less than the costly disaster that an oil leak will cause later.

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A hill of dreams
Editorial Comment
Roxanna Thompson
Deh Cho Drum - Thursday, November 12, 2009

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In my time in the Deh Cho I've had the privilege of writing about a lot of great homegrown initiatives.

There's something reaffirming in hearing about someone who's started a positive project, not for their own personal gain but for a group of people or a whole community. The Deh Cho seems to be blessed with more than its share of residents who are willing to go the extra mile for others.

The Pehdzeh Ki Snowboard Resort in Wrigley is a perfect example of one of these projects. While the name seems a little fancy for what's really a cleared hill, it's not grand enough to describe the work and effort that went into the project. The resort is not quite a field of dreams as seen in the 1989 baseball movie of that name but rather a hill of dreams.

Shawn Alli, the community's recreation co-ordinator, didn't hear a voice while walking down the hill telling him "if you build it, he will come." Instead, while learning how to snowboard himself he saw that youth in Wrigley were also drawn to the sport.

Alli suggested a snowboard hill should be developed for the next season. Young people agreed and the project grew. The best part of the story is the youth involvement in the hill.

Alli, unlike Ray Kinsella, Kevin Costner's character in Field of Dreams, wasn't left on his own to build the dream facility. For two and a half months as Alli laboured to clear the hill by hand he was joined by youth from the community. Together they sweated it out, chopping down trees with axes and ripping out root systems with their hands. The kids stuck it out through thorns, scrapes, cuts and blisters.

Their involvement in the hill was crucial because it shows they have bought into the project. It's one thing to launch a project and hope youth get involved. It's quite another to have youth involved from the beginning so they develop a sense of ownership in the initiative.

Not only did the young people of Wrigley believe in this project, some unlikely sources did too. Thanks to a letter-writing campaign launched by Alli, the burgeoning snowboarders in Wrigley are outfitted in some top-quality gear. Organizations and companies like Quiksilver Canada, York University and Transworld Snowboarding also believed in the dream and donated.

With snow now on the ground, Wrigley has not a baseball field but a snowboard hill. The result is the same.

In a small community with few recreation options, the hill is a major development. This will keep youth physically active and busy all winter. The creation of the hill is also something that they can take a lot of pride in.

The hill is also fostering dreams. There is already talk among some kids about trying out for future Arctic Winter Games. The hill could lead to Wrigley producing some competitive snowboarders.

Alli and his youth partners deserve to be recognized for their vision and determination. They saw past all the obstacles and achieved their dream.

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The magic of the torch
Editorial Comment
Andrew Rankin
Inuvik Drum - Thursday, November 12, 2009

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Frankly I wasn't looking forward to Wednesday's Olympic Torch rally at all. I've always been a little cynical of the Olympic Games, figuring a whole lot of money is spent on celebrations that can be put to better use. I also look at the playing field and realize a whole lot of countries are shut out of the world event because they do not have the resources to develop their athletes. But Wednesday's event did a lot to make me more appreciative of the games.

I played witness to a lot of very moving moments throughout the evening event. Some of which include when torchbearer Nellie Cournoyea veered off her route to greet a couple of elders through the hospital window. There was nothing particularly earth shattering about it, just an exchange of smiles and that to me was a tender moment. Then there was the surprise of seeing torch bearer Mark Orbell, a wheelchair user, being carried in a snow grooming machine. It was also a special moment for me to see a subtle smile appear on his face as he looked up at the torch's flame.

Near equal to that was when the first time torchbearer, Sharon Firth of Aklavik, who's also a former Olympian, reached up to light her torch from Orbell. She couldn't contain her joy. The biggest highlight for me - and I would think a lot of people - took place when Abel Tingmiak, the last torch bearer, made it to the stage in Jim Koe Park and lit the Olympic cauldron in front of hundreds of spectators. It was just an outpouring of real emotion as he danced around the stage hoisting the torch high overhead.

His actions backed up his words when asked to respond to how he felt to be given the honour of lighting the cauldron, Tingmiak said he was simply proud to represent his people.

It was fascinating to me to see just how much happiness and pride this Olympic Torch Relay produced in the community and how it alone was able to move hundreds of people to come together in peaceful, joyful way in -30 C temperatures.

I'm still not entirely sold on the Olympics and if I was the one organizing the Inuvik Torch Relay I would have done some things differently; namely I would have invited all the torch bearers on stage with Tingmiak for the lighting of the cauldron instead of whisking them away to the Midnight Sun Complex in a bus.

With the risk of being too sentimental, Wednesday's torch relay to me it offered a small model of what the Olympics are supposed to be like. Despite our differences, it's still vitally important for countries and people to come together to share our similarities and all the good we have in common. What better way to bring those qualities out than through sport.

Maybe some things are worth holding on to and fighting for, no matter the cost.

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Business exodus threatens 50 Street
Wednesday, November 11, 2009

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The exodus of businesses from the Centre Square Mall seems unstoppable.

Last week, Yellowknifer reported that two more retailers are moving to more desirable places that are "hopefully clean," in the words of Headgear owner Dan Hayward, and where "it's going to be easier for people to get in," in the words of Barren Land Jewellery owner Bonnie Humphries.

Commenting on the Bank of Montreal's recent relocation uptown, one bank employee expressed relief that their new Frame Lake location is a lot nicer, and "the area smells better."

Walking to work at the bank's old location in the mall, according to employee Tiffany Robinson "was kind of scary some mornings."

Clearly, too little is being done to clean up 50 Street and ensure Centre Square Mall is attractive to customers and visitors.

Businesses are repelled from it, first and foremost by the uncleanliness, public intoxication and violent incidents on the street, and secondly, by the mall's inaccessibility for strollers and wheelchairs.

It is in the mall's interests to ensure its building, which takes up an entire block of 50 Street, is attractive and accessible.

The city has the same interests and must insist the mall follow through on promises to build an access ramp for strollers and wheelchairs and help rejuvenate the streetscape.

Until this is done, 50 Street is in danger of stagnating further, damaging the remaining retailers and the city's reputation.

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When Catholic schools were king
Wednesday, November 11, 2009

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Not too long ago scarcely a discouraging word was ever heard concerning the Yellowknife Catholic board.

Enrolment was rising, the budget books were healthy, parents and students raved about the district's programs and facilities.

A lot of that happened under Kern Von Hagen's watch, the superintendent from 1999 to 2008, but many would argue the catalyst for the district's good fortune was his predecessor, Dr. Loretta Foley.

The school district recently re-named Weledeh Catholic School's library in Foley's honour.

She was instrumental in getting the new Weledeh school built and convinced city council to contribute $9.2 million for its construction with the promise of opening up its shared gym space with St. Patrick's School to other public activities.

It was a very politically savvy move that's still paying off to this day.

Foley is also widely acknowledged for the emphasis she put on academic excellence during her ten years as superintendent.

What a difference from the last few years where the focus of the district has been excluding non-Catholics from the school board.

Hopefully new superintendent Claudia Parker takes her inspiration from Foley and not fall into the trap Von Hagen found himself in during his last few years as superintendent under the zealous leadership of former Catholic school board chair Shannon Gullberg.

Parents and students would be happier for it and district schools can renew the focus on quality of education.

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A promise never to forget
Editorial Comment
Darrell Greer
Kivalliq News - Wednesday, November 11, 2009

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I never met my Uncle Bill.

He, my dad, Rufus, and Uncle Roy were the three Greer brothers from Round Island, Cape Breton, who answered the call to arms in the Second World War.

My dad and Uncle Roy came home - Bill did not.

Answering the call was expected in the Greer family, as the father, Arthur Greer, was a cavalry officer in the First World War and believed one always had to do their duty.

He felt that way until the news of Bill's death.

Although he never spoke it, most of the family felt his feelings may have changed a bit after that.

Bill always seemed to be favoured among his children, if, indeed, a father does favour one above the others.

Bill was 23 years old on April 3, 1945, just a month before the Second World War would come to an end.

A warrant officer (2nd class), he was a wireless operator/air gunner with the Royal Canadian Air Force's 162 bombing and reconnaissance squadron.

His crew hadn't seen much action in the previous months and everyone knew the end of the war was imminent.

April 3, 1945, was a brilliantly sunny day as Bill's plane taxied down the runway for a routine reconnaissance flight over a section of the Atlantic where U-boat activity was still being reported.

Banter on the aircraft was light, as the crew members talked on the radio about their plans after returning home.

The good-natured ribbing and idle musing over what the future may hold grew quiet as the plane reached its destination.

They had seen nothing but water when the pilot decided to descend a little lower for one last look before heading back to base.

Had the sunlight's glare on the water not been so blinding, they most certainly would have seen the German crew scrambling around the U-boat's deck gun as it rested on top of the waves.

Bill may have thought how strange it was to hear thunder on a clear day before a flash of brilliance turned his world dark forever.

As I look up at the poppy I keep on my calendar year-round for my uncle, I wonder what it would have been like to know him.

I know he was mechanically inclined in his youth, and an articulate young man, but not much else.

I often find it strange to feel as if I truly miss someone I'd never met.

Someone, in fact, who gave his life for his country 13 years before I was even born.

But, every year at this time, the feeling returns and a dark cloak of sadness envelops my spirit.

There is nothing I can do to change the fact I will never meet Uncle Bill, at least not as a mortal man.

But I can always remember he was here, and part of my family.

And, I can always remember he was one of the heroes who gave their lives so we can enjoy the freedom we have today.

There's comfort in knowing as long as we remember, their sacrifice will always mean as much as it did more than six decades ago.

And I promise Uncle Bill, again today, I will never forget.