 |
|
|
|
|
Subscriber pages
 News Desk
Columnists
Editorial
Readers comment
Tenders
Demo pages Here's a sample of what only subscribers see Subscribe now Subscribe to both hardcopy or internet editions of NNSL publications |
Hurry up on affordable housing Yellowknifer - Wednesday, October 27, 2010
It's been a year since an engineering firm submitted its Housing Affordability Study to council, outlining the scope of the problem in Yellowknife and recommending a number of steps that can be taken. Now, three of the six sites identified in the 2009 report as being ideal for affordable housing are already under development, despite the fact that city hall still has not come up with an affordable housing strategy. Affordability is defined as spending no more than 30 per cent of a household's gross income on shelter. Household incomes may be higher than average here, but our housing prices and rents outpace many salaries. The average value of a house in Yellowknife rose to $326,000 in 2009, up from $177,522 in 2001. The average rent for a two-bedroom apartment rose to $1,402 in April 2009, up from $1,081 in 2001. The 2009 Canadian average rent for a two-bedroom apartment is $801. So it's not surprising that the NWT Housing Corp's 2004 Housing Needs Survey found that 11 per cent of Yellowknife households have issues with affordability. Among the recommendations in the engineers report to council are ways to encourage developers to build more affordable housing in the city such as requiring affordable housing as a condition of rezoning, allowing developers to include more units as long as affordable housing is offered, and an affordable housing fund made possible through money from property taxes or having developers contribute. In addition, the city could consider a tax break for units that fit the definition of affordable housing. Shelagh Montgomery is right to express concern over developments going ahead while the city drags its heels on an affordable housing strategy - the delay in reopening the dump to salvaging showed how the city can lose sight of issues of importance to Yellowknifers. Let's not let affordable housing get lost in the shuffle any longer.
Pay fine with Power Corp bonuses Yellowknifer - Wednesday, October 27, 2010 While it's important to hold the Northwest Territories Power Corporation accountable for the 2006 rupture in a dike at the Snare Forks hydro facility, the fact of the matter is any fine imposed on the corporation will trickle down to ratepayers. On June 15, 2006, a dike burst at the hydro facility, located 140 km northwest of Yellowknife, causing a torrent of water to rush out for 13 days. Some 110,000 cubic metres of sediment flowed into Strutt Lake, destroying fish habitat and vegetation around the facility - destruction caused, as argued by Crown prosecutor John Cliffe, by a corporation engineer who failed to deliver alarming information about water levels at the facility a year prior to the breach. The Crown is asking for a fine in the range of $600,000 to $700,000 - an amount that NWT ratepayers will surely absorb through some sort of increase in rates. To ensure the power corporation feels more of the pinch, it should be forced to apply its bonus money, paid to middle and upper management, towards the fine. Last year the bonuses totalled $96,400 due to missed revenue targets and other elusive goals. However, in 2007 those bonuses rang in at a hefty $600,000. The fine should go toward rectifying the situation at Strutt Lake or toward an initiative to prevent this sort of disaster from occurring again. Either way, ratepayers shouldn't have to pay for the corporation's lack of due diligence.
GN may have put qamutiik ahead of dogs Darrell Greer Kivalliq News - Wednesday, October 27, 2010 Economic Development and Transportation Minister Peter Taptuna may soon find himself in tight quarters over his department's decision to revoke the outfitter's licence of Tom Faess's TT Enterprises. In many ways, this is no longer about if the Government of Nunavut (GN) should have, eventually, revoked Faess's licence. I've worked enough on this story to know Faess does not have a perfect record in the outfitting world. I've also worked long enough on it to know he's had far more supporters come forward than detractors. And something else Faess has are his rights. In this country, in the three main areas of the law, guilt must be proven before action is taken. At least that's the way it's supposed to work. I've long railed about the GN's heavy-handed approach in this space and the difficulty one always encounters in trying to obtain any form of information from it. However, this time around the GN might end up paying for its tendency to body slam people first and ask questions later. Canadians have the right to defend themselves against accusations and, unless the GN knows something we don't, that doesn't appear to be the case when it comes to how Faess's situation was handled. I'm no lawyer, but it's understood in this country that administrative authorities must act within the boundaries of administrative law, which is supposed to ensure the government follows the law of the land when taking action. In short, when a government does something, it should, first and foremost, be legal, and also undertaken in a fair and reasonable manner. Another guideline in play is natural justice, which imposes certain procedures an authority must follow before it decides to take action. It is not unreasonable to assume being given the chance to defend yourself before being found guilty falls under such principles. In Faess's case, it appears the GN decided to take action against TT Enterprises based on the accusations of others, without giving him the chance to defend himself against the allegations. Procedurally speaking, the GN appears to have put the qamutiik well ahead of the dogs. Unless Taptuna comes up with a decision that makes a whole lot of people happy when he rules on Faess's appeal, this situation could get ugly and produce the type of publicity that does nothing to encourage tourism. It can be argued Faess has been hurt in his ability to make a living by the GN's action, numerous would-be tourists have lost their money, and the legality of the way the situation was handled is very much in question. We're still waiting to hear the GN's explanation as to why it granted Faess $10,000 for his operations in Arviat, and then listed his operating there as one of the reasons for revoking his licence. I've extended an invitation to the department for a follow-up interview to offer its explanation, but, as I write this, I have heard nothing back. There are many in the world who associate, or even equate, silence with guilt. But, unlike some government agencies, I prefer to hear the explanation before passing judgment.
Stewards of the land NWT News/North - Monday, October 25, 2010
Cheyeanne Paulette, chief of Smith's Landing, said the First Nation decided to stop negotiations with ATCO Power and Trans-Canada Corporation on plans to build a hydro-facility on the Slave River. Band members were against the proposed dam -- which had yet to go through a feasibility study -- because a reservoir required for the project would have caused flooding on reserve land on the Alberta side of Smith's Landing territory. Paulette said the decision was easy as the economic potential of the project did not balance with the potential harm to the land and animal habitat. He went on to say that Smith's Landing has a vision for the river and the land that surrounds it saying, "It will continue to be a home for our people for all time." A clear sense of vision, similar to that of the Smith's Landing people, is key when deciding on future development in the territory. As highly criticized as the Joint Review Panel process was, its goal was to find a common vision and determine how to integrate it into a development plan for a pipeline down the Mackenzie Valley. Unfortunately, the GNWT and the federal government have once again shown how out of touch they are with the people of the NWT in their poor response to the JRP. The territory and Ottawa's stubborn refusal to supply public justification for their recommendations and their choice to reject many of the JRP's recommendations will undermine the common vision the report hoped to establish. By creating controversy and suspicion as to motives, the government put its own goals at risk because aboriginal, environmental and citizen groups along the pipeline route want their interests protected as much as oil companies and governments want their revenues. And while the logic behind the official positions may well be sound, with no discussion, a large measure of public support is jeopardized. People want more transparency from government, not less. Again, where's the vision? Using Smith's Landing's recent decision as a model -- albeit on a much smaller scale -- teaches a valuable lesson; the land is as important as the almighty dollar in the NWT and if companies wishing to work here don't grasp that concept, they will continue to be plagued by public resistance. It's unfortunate our own government fails to grasp such a simple message considering it has been shouted loud and clear for years.
Sober second thought Nunavut News/North - Monday, October 25, 2010 Those who dare to assert themselves as authorities over liquor in our communities are bound to face some angry reactions. And yet they are paid nothing, or very little. In several communities, these caring individuals assemble as part of alcohol education committees, usually once a month. It is their task to determine who is worthy of an alcohol importation permit. They grant the requests based on people's history with alcohol and knowing what other events are planned within the same time frame. A denial of a permit can, on some occasions, lead to nasty confrontations and threats - yet committee members get no financial compensation to offset the hassle. Yes, these people volunteer their time because they want the best for their communities, places where liquor is restricted. But some members are demanding funding. If money were available they could actually fulfil their role of better educating Nunavummiut about the dangers of alcohol and perhaps even take training to offer counselling. In Clyde River, committee members do receive a $50 monthly honorarium. Since April 1 of this year, the committee has survived on just $1,750 in revenues generated through liquor permit application fees. Donna Adams, chair of the GN's task force on revising the Liquor Act, agreed there is a lack of support for alcohol education committees. Well, let's change that. Finance Minister Keith Peterson created the 10-person Liquor Act task force. At great expense, they are travelling to 25 communities across the territory for consultations into March 2011. Obviously, the government considers alcohol abuse a significant problem. Peterson has already mentioned the possibility of substantially increasing fines for bootlegging. He should just do that. Let those who illegally import or sell alcohol pay dearly, and turn that money over to alcohol education committees. Nunavut's rate of severe crime - primarily incidents of violence - was twice as high as any of the provinces in 2009, according to Statistics Canada data released in June of this year. Nunavut and Manitoba were the only places with rising rates of severe crime, and Nunavut had the most killings per capita in the entire country - there have already been half a dozen this year. Police officers have told us many times over that alcohol fuels most violent crime in the territory. It's no secret. Statistics Canada has also shown us that Nunavut ranks second per capita in alcohol sales in Canada, with 31,000 people - a good number of them not even at the legal drinking age - accounting for $5.4 million in alcohol sales last year. A minimum of 10 per cent of those sales - $540,000 - should go to cleaning up the mess those same sales create. To argue otherwise would be a clear-cut case of denial.
Women need transitional home Weekend Yellowknifer - Friday, October 22, 2010
Scott Landry, the co-ordinator of the men's transitional home, reported earlier this month that 14 men have voluntarily moved out of the house and into their own homes since the facility opened last January. That's 14 men who are no longer needing care workers and taxpayers' funds. No doubt even this seemingly modest number will have a big impact in a city as small as Yellowknife. Bailey House is the love child of several government agencies and private and non-profit donors. It took a tremendous amount of co-ordination and co-operation to get the project off the ground. It didn't come without some headaches and red tape, but all the players involved, including the city, territorial and federal governments, and patron donors like Diavik Diamond Mines, knew it was critical that the city provide such a service as soon as possible. But the work is only half complete. The city still awaits a women's transitional home, which has been hindered in recent months by inflexible funding options and the inability of the Yellowknife Homelessness Coalition to find a suitable location. City council set aside four lots on 54 Street for this purpose last March but it remains unclear whether this site is suitable. The coalition was forced to pass up on the old Kitikmeot boarding home, which required $1.78 million in renovations to bring it up to code. Beyond that, the group may still have been ineligible for funding from the NWT Housing Corporation because the building didn't have individual bathrooms for apartment units. This project has lost a bit of steam. It's time for the funding partners to get together with the homelessness coalition and get the transitional home back on track. We've built a men's transitional home, and a day shelter. A transitional home for women should be no less of a priority.
Eat your free lunch, but not behind closed doors Weekend Yellowknifer - Friday, October 22, 2010 You know politicians have reached the pinnacle of banality when they spend a half hour at a public meeting debating when they should hold said meetings, and whether they will continue receiving a free lunch during those meetings. Councillor Bob Brooks took the weekly Priorities, Policies and Budget committee meeting to a lofty new height last week with his less than time-honoured insistence that getting a free lunch, a working lunch, whatever you will, is not a "perk." We wholeheartedly agree. City councillors put in a lot of time to earn their relatively modest part-time salaries of about $22,000 a year. On top of near weekly meetings, there are a number of other committees that take up a councillor's time, not to mention background reading and the hours required dealing with the concerns of residents. "A sandwich, sometimes with a salad, never any dessert, fruit, vegetables, or milk or juice," seems a small price to pay for their public service. However, we will remind our elected city representatives of Coun. David Wind's warning - also from last week - of taking city business behind closed doors during these meetings, as they recently did with an undisclosed planning matter. Past councils had a history of nudging the door closed because mayor and council don't have to worry about their accountability to voters in a shuttered room. It will ultimately haunt them, however, when they have to answer to voters over unpopular direction and decisions, often drafted and pushed by administrators. Memo for future council committee meetings: Less talk about lunch and more food for thought on city issues.
A little recognition can go a long way Editorial Comment Kassina Ryder Deh Cho Drum - Thursday, October 21, 2010
Although neither of them cured a disease or jumped in front of a moving vehicle to save a wayward baby carriage, their accomplishments significantly affected the day-to-day lives of people in their communities. When most people are faced with a dangerous situation, they do the right thing. Every day we hear about heroes who have risked their lives to save others. But the people who spend each day doing the little things that make our lives better also deserve recognition. While there is no denying the thought of saving someone from a burning building would be a difficult thing to do, sometimes the thought of giving it your all every day can be just as hard. Sometimes it takes a lot to stay motivated. A fire chief in Fort Liard co-operated with the village to ensure every home in the community had a working smoke detector. He also made sure every household that wanted a fire inspection would receive one. This initiative was his own, he thought it up and made sure it happened. Not only did this program help to ensure his community was well prepared when it came to fire safety, his motivation inspired other firefighters in the region. A fellow firefighter nominated him for a merit award, which he was presented with last week. As fire marshal Steve Moss said, "it's always nice to get recognition for things, and it's pretty special when it comes from your peers." A Fort Simpson resident was also recognized this week for her work at the John Tsetso Memorial Library. She will soon be leaving the village and will reside in another community, so villagers decided to present her with an award to appreciate her 10 years of service with the library. Again, her work and dedication earned her the respect of her community, which they made sure they acknowledged before she left. She didn't receive a million-dollar cheque, but she was all smiles when she received a simple plaque and a handshake from the mayor. Maybe this simple gesture will inspire others to do what they can for their communities and maybe not. But the message is simple. Good works come in all shapes and sizes and all should be appreciated.
Credit where it's due Editorial Comment Andrew Rankin Inuvik Drum - Thursday, October 21, 2010
But to the NWT Power Corp.'s credit, officials seemed to pinpoint the problem to two distribution lines. The company agreed to fix broken electronic devices and pay for the equipment that couldn't be fixed. The following Monday extra staff were brought on board to deal with the claims. That's a reasonable approach to the problem. The all-day blackout on Sept. 28 was a pain for many. For a few hours people had no choice but to interact with each other. To our knowledge nobody died and some people were a little uncomfortable for a while. Stuff like this happens from time to time. To be fair the power corp. does a reasonable job maintaining electricity in this community. Whether its rates are fair or if the company is doing enough to reduce power generation costs or customer costs is another story. One that has been hotly debated. The power corp. has been transparent about what went wrong over those few weeks. Mike Bradshaw, spokesperson for the corporation, came out and said it was a total system failure. You can't get any more blatant than that. Yes, basic questions need to be asked. How could both the primary power producing plant break down and the back up diesel plant collapse at the same time? Shouldn't regular maintenance prevent something like this from happening? But those questions will seemingly be answered by an independent engineering company that the power corp., to its credit, hired to do an investigation to find out what went wrong with the electricity system. Bradshaw will present the report to town council at Wednesday's regular meeting. Residents can attend that meeting or participate in a public meeting the next day, on Thursday at 7 p.m. Bradshaw will attend the meeting with the review in hand so the public can see it and ask questions. Both occasions would be an ideal time to ask town officials about Inuvik's emergency response plan. What plan does the town have if there's is an extended black out in January? What should town residents do if something like this happens again? Where do they go? But it will be interesting to see just how many people show up and what sort of questions they ask. As far as how the power corp. officials have conducted themselves on this one, they've done a pretty good job. Corrections Wrong information appeared in Wednesday's Yellowknifer ("Crane goes up," Oct. 20). The crane used at the Coast Fraser Tower Hotel last week is owned by Territorial Crane Limited. The external elevator is from British Columbia. Yellowknifer apologizes for any confusion or embarrassment caused by the error.
|
