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Shaky ground for a lawsuit Yellowknifer - Wednesday, March 23, 2011
The aging subdivision recently suffered its sixth water line break of the year. Not only do these ruptures disrupt some residents' water supply, it is costly. Yk Condominium Corporation No. 8 has to pick up the tab for not only the repairs to the pipes but also for all the wasted water, somewhere between $6,000 to $18,000 per month. It's little wonder those responsible for the park want assistance and action, but talk of filing a lawsuit against the city over this mess is misguided. "I know a lot of people want us to take the city to court and that might be an option," Ralph Creed, a member of the condo corp. board told News/North last week. Simply put, the city is not responsible for the trailer park's crumbling water and sewer lines. Residents of the subdivision voted in favour of forming a condo corporation 20 years ago. That meant they took on full responsibility for the area, including its infrastructure, much of which was installed in 1970-71. Condo fees were a mere $65 a month per household as recently as 2005, a ridiculously low rate that made it impossible to build a substantial reserve fund to cover routine maintenance, let alone an emergency. Only over the past few years have the condo fees been raised to $200 per month, which still doesn't go far in this city. The condo corp. estimates it's going to need $18 million to address the crumbling roads and the deteriorating pipes beneath them. That's a daunting figure for the 260 or so homes - occupied by some 1,100 residents - in the park, and one they hopefully won't have to tackle without federal assistance. Less than two years ago the condo corp. figured that each homeowner would be facing a bill of $92,000 over 15 years - approximately an extra $500 per month - to cover the coming mountain of debt and associated interest. The city has so far taken the following steps: lowered property taxes, offered its engineering expertise and has lobbied Ottawa for funding to help bail out Northland residents. A potential federal election may throw a wrench into plans, at least temporarily, but the fight will have to resume if and when the next government is formed. The city will inevitably find itself in the eye of the storm if the situation gets so bad that the trailer park becomes "a floodplain," as Mayor Gord Van Tighem predicted may happen without preventative measures. The municipality could also harness its borrowing power to secure low-interest loans for the beleaguered residents of Northland. But the city is under no obligation to assume the financial burden, and surely any judge is going to come to that conclusion. So a court case would result in legal fees and even further strained relations with the city, added burdens that trailer-park dwellers do not need.
Lots of spin, but no answers Darrell Greer Kivalliq News - Wednesday, March 23, 2011 OK, maybe they honestly didn't realize it would be a good idea to have someone speaking Inuktitut while they were discussing such an important program in front of a mainly Inuit crowd in Rankin Inlet. And maybe they really didn't think people in Rankin would actually expect them to answer questions about the Nutrition North Canada program while they were here, even if that's what the meeting was supposed to be all about. After all, they're government folks and they're not always that enthusiastic about answering tough questions - in any language. And, if we try to dig down deep enough, maybe we can even cut them some slack on not truly understanding why we might need just a tad more convincing when it comes to our major retailers not passing along savings like they should. As Coun. Kyle Sheppard pointed out, there's this little thing called a track record people often use in their decision-making process. Yes, Mr. Greg Rickford, Parliamentary secretary to the minister of Indian and Northern Affairs, we understand you lived in remote communities for about eight years of your life. In fact, we understood you when you brought it up the first time. At least those of us who speak English did. Those who didn't, I'm sure, figured it out at about the 20th reference later in the evening, when the translator was actually getting a chance to translate (I don't like being condescending, but I make exceptions when warranted). Make no mistake about it - assurances to every second speaker that the program is still a work in progress aside - this meeting was a government spin session, designed to convince the participants that the new Nutrition North program is the best thing since sliced bannock (made with white flour). The first major assurance from the government, issued about a year or so ago, concerning the new program actually didn't sound too bad. Senator Dennis Patterson (he's spent some time in remote communities, too) was involved in some of the research and groundwork on behalf of Nunavut MP Leona Aglukkaq, and it looked like they were trying to strike a balance between the needs of the consumer, both small and big business, and the overall high prices on all food and necessity items in the North. It's been pretty much all downhill since then. As one gentlemen whispered in my ear during Mr. Rickford's spiel, "Boy, that's one heck of a polite way to say you will shop at the Northern store." The majority of people in the Kivalliq are not happy with the way the new program is shaping up, and all the gloss in the world isn't going to change that. Since the majority of complaints about the old system originated in what we lovingly refer to as the south, maybe there is something to the contention some people there don't like to see programs that actually benefit the North. Either way you slice it, we're going to be paid more visits by our southern friends with a federal election appearing to be looming in the not-too-distant future. Hopefully, the next group will spend less time talking, in both languages, and more time listening. And, if votes are needed, they may actually answer the odd question or two. Wonder what the freight charge on a Liberal vote is these days?
Federal government must help finance Mackenzie pipeline NWT News/North - Monday, March 21, 2011
Proponents of the $16-billion pipeline say a fiscal agreement with the federal government is imperative to the project's success.
Bob Reid of the Aboriginal Pipeline Group is correct in stating the pipeline is a nation-building project and as such should be high on Canada's list of priorities. Not only will the project open up billions in resource revenue, it will be an economic boon to our Northern communities.
Self-sufficiency in the North hinges on strong economies and construction of the pipeline will help create jobs, expand existing businesses and create new ones.
For decades our territory has made financial investments in anticipation of the pipeline and the ones who have been able to stay in business deserve to see those investments pay off.
Business owners such as Kurt Wainman, owner of Northwind Industries -- an Inuvialuit company -- based in Inuvik, is one such person. Wainman's company began downsizing last year as oil and gas activity dwindled in the Beaufort Delta and the Sahtu. Last year he expressed worry over further pipeline delays, lamenting having to cut back his operations to 15 employees from 100 over the course of a year.
In the early 2000s, new companies, such as Chinook Pipeline Testing (NWT) on the Hay River Reserve, rose up in hopes of capitalizing on pipeline work and have since disappeared.
There are numerous examples of NWT residents putting their faith and their money into the pipeline and now it's the federal government's turn to pony up.
The pipeline is truly a nation-building project; it will create jobs, bring wealth and further solidify our hold on Canada's North.
It's shocking the GNWT has yet to learn from its numerous public relations debacles. From the environment minister flying to Copenhagen for a conference instead of being accountable in person when a caribou hunting ban was enacted to cutting academic scholarships while touting the importance of student achievement, our politicians can't seem to get a handle on how to balance public perception and policy.
Lessons from the past should have played a part in planning this session of the legislative assembly. Approving a significant change to cabinet's transition compensation -- giving cabinet MLAs a full year of pay regardless of time served -- as the assembly is turning off the lights and heading home following a six-week session is poor form.
Considering the fact a majority of jobs in the communities are government related we don't necessarily disagree with the need for a transition allowance. Weledeh MLA Bob Bromley said a full year should be earned, which, under previous rules, was one month for each year served, similar to the private sector rule of thumb.
Perhaps changing to two months for every year of service would have been more prudent.
Most troubling is that a major change involving taxpayer money took up such little time in the house.
Just a few weeks shy of the scheduled start date for Nutrition North Canada, the federal government reinstated foods that were dropped from the food mail subsidy list last October.
The reinstatement is a temporary reprieve, to last until October 2012.
A cynic would say the Conservative government is trying to avoid fallout that might endanger the seat of a high level cabinet minister on the eve of a likely election call. If that is the case, it may be the first time in Canadian history a party has attempted to buy votes with Cheez Whiz and bacon.
But what the flip-flop definitely indicates is that the powers-that-be were listening when Northerners expressed outrage and confusion over the changes.
After all, this sudden turnabout came after weeks of media and political scrutiny of the new program sparked by photos from Arctic Bay showing the skyrocketing prices of items no longer subsidized.
Indian and Northern Affairs Minister John Duncan even admitted the initial timeline for implementing Nutrition North Canada changes may have been "overly aggressive." That's about as close to an "oops" as we'll ever get from a senior government minister.
So now there's another year and a half to ease into the changes, for retailers to figure out how to stockpile more goods from sealift and how to reflect shipping subsidies on customer's receipts, and for consumers to figure out how to get the best value for their dollar using the new subsidy system.
But a more gradual transition is no reason not to stay vigilant for price gouging. We need to keep demanding answers and explanations. Communities should keep posting their grocery prices on Iqaluit resident Tony Rose's website to track changes over the longer transition and see if the new varied-by-community shipping subsidy strategy really lowers the cost of healthy perishables - the ultimate test of the new program's worthiness.
The recent suspension of Pangnirtung MLA Adamee Komoartok after he was charged with assault and the removal of Baker Lake Moses Auplaluktuq show this government is continuing its commitment to hold MLAs to a high standard of behaviour.
Last week Komoartok became the second MLA to resign from this assembly. Enuk Pauloosie resigned a year ago after he was suspended in 2009 for being persistently absent and failing to attend committee meetings.
It is the responsibility of the members of the legislative assembly to maintain the public's trust and confidence in the legislature.
Once upon a time an MLA in Nunavut could plead guilty to sexual assault, or be found in contravention of the legislature's own Integrity Act for murky financial dealings with government contracts, without risking even a censure. Territorial groups had to lobby hard and demand apologies and/or resignations from MLAs who had committed wrongs.
The current emphasis on upholding standards is a substantial improvement.
When members have not performed their duties or have behaved badly, action has been swift and appropriate. This should become the model for all future assemblies.
The 37-year-old man suffered brain damage and is unable to speak or eat. It's a tragic situation caused by his own hand.
Plagued by a mental disturbance, he was admitted to Stanton Territorial Hospital as a patient on Nov. 4, 2009. At one point he was left unsupervised and fled the hospital. He returned but later ran into the kitchen, where he found a knife and plunged it into his chest two times, damaging his heart and blood flow to his brain.
His mother, Margaret, still has many questions about how such a thing could have happened to her son, a helicopter engineer, while he was in the hospital. In her attempt to find out more about the incident, Margaret has encountered a brick wall. While Stanton did carry out its own internal investigation, it is not sharing any details with this brokenhearted mother, other than to tell her no aspects of existing protocol are being changed. Surely staff at the hospital sympathize with her, but their hands would be tied by directives from their superiors to remain silent and follow policy.
However, Margaret is also tenacious. Refusing to take no for an answer, she took her case to elected members of the territorial government. Great Slave MLA Glen Abernethy and Yellowknife Centre MLA Robert Hawkins took up her cause with fervour in the legislative assembly.
What happened on Nov. 4, 2009 is proof that gaps exist in procedures and protocols at the hospital, Abernethy said.
"Transparency, openness and honesty are required in this situation," he said.
Abernethy said it's imperative that "the system" has learned something from this terrible sequence of events.
We most definitely agree. Until we know what steps will be taken to help prevent a similar occurrence in the future, we shouldn't rest easy, and neither should Health officials. It's up to our MLAs to keep pushing for those answers.
A group of hotel owners and managers in our city have been lobbying for a one per cent room tax that will help them generate money to benefit the promotion of their industry.
There is a dissenting voice coming from the Explorer Hotel, but it's a based on a weak argument. The chief operating officer for the parent company of The Explorer Hotel says the tax would primarily hit NWT residents as tourist from outside the territory only make up a fraction of overall clientele. In addition, Bruce Alton said travellers should not be burdened with extra expenses after an already costly trip to get here.
But it's a one per cent difference!
Is that really going to be the difference for anyone who has already planned a trip that costing them thousands of dollars? Not likely.
On the other hand, it would represent $200,000 to $250,000 in revenue that could be used to market NWT communities, according to the Yellowknife Hotel Association's calculations.
To cast aside the needed promotion would be shortsighted. After the reams of unpopular tax ideas that Finance Minister Michael Miltenberger has mused about publicly, he should not be turning his nose up at one that is a good investment.
If the concerns voiced by artists at a recent conference come true, however, that smell along with the hide itself will become rarer and rarer. The future of traditional crafts in the territory was raised during the Dehcho Artists' Conference held in Fort Simpson from March 9 to 11.
D'Arcy J. Moses, an artist and designer from Wrigley, said he's afraid that with every elder who passes, knowledge about traditional crafts is being lost. For those involved in the crafts, Moses' concerns undoubtedly ring true.
People who want to make anything with hide already know that it is becoming increasingly difficult to find and purchase. Some sewers are turning to commercially tanned hide to fill the gap but it's just not the same.
The shortage of tanned hides will only get worse. Those with the skills to tan are few, and getting older.
The larger problem is that few people in the younger generations are learning how to tan. While some workshops have been held in the Deh Cho to teach the process instructors often report having low turnouts.
The response isn't surprising considering, as a lot of time, patience and muscle is needed to finish a hide.
Other skills are also being lost. Traditional crafts such as porcupine quilling are seen less frequently and even moosehair tufting seems to be practised by only a small group.
So what is the solution? A number of ideas were raised at the conference and they need to be combined together in a multi-pronged approach.
Funding tops the list. If artisans could access micro-loans to purchase supplies like hide they would create a demand which might lead to more people tanning hides.
Education is also a key point. Consumers need to learn more about what goes into making a traditional moccasin and other crafts so they don't question the sometimes-high prices.
Students need to begin learning the traditional skills at an early age. Many schools and organizations already promote this process and should be encouraged to continue.
Students need to be excited by the crafts, which could be achieved by drawing aspects of modern culture into projects such as non-traditional bead designs on moccasins.
A future without the smell of traditionally-tanned moosehide would be a dull one, and while it won't happen soon steps need to be taken to ensure it can't happen at all.
Last week I went on my first Arctic hunt - for rabbits that is. Now this story starts off plain enough, but ends up like an awkward "I Love Lucy" episode starring me.
I have never hunted hare and jumped at the opportunity when a friend invited me out. I grew up on the land and have shot rifles and whatnot, so an air rifle was no big deal. The week before, I proudly pranced to the Environment and Natural Resources office to get my small games licence and when I passed a rabbit pelt in the craft section of NorthMart I thought to myself, I will have my own soon - first mistake.
The second mistake came shortly after, but since I was still oblivious to the first mistake, no intuitive alarm bells rang when I borrowed a pair of snowshoes approximately the size of a men's size 11 boot. This, I have discovered, though gargantuan compared to my men's size 4, is wee in the world of snowshoes.
Regardless, I set off with craft ideals of mitten-making and wee little snowshoes strapped to my feet.
We drove quite a ways out of town, parked and geared up as I blissfully made my third mistake. Note: When snowshoeing with wee snowshoes, do not attempt to bring along a roughly 20-pound backpack of camera gear.
About three or four metres from the road I could feel the snow getting softer, and then I went through. Still hopeful that it was only a soft drift I carried on but after about 20 minutes (and only four feet) later, I realized bunny hunting for me was now a cardio struggle, consisting of loud trudging and having to take photos from well out of range.
After sinking through what felt like the 6,452,004 time, I retired to observer status.
"Oh, there's one." I would whisper to my friend knowing full well I could not get close enough in time. Then I'd watch his big shoes dance across the surface and "thwack!"
The comical nature of the evening and the much needed workout kept me in good spirits still.
As we drove home, I was kindly offered a bunny all for myself.
This made my night, now I could still make rabbit adobo, a favourite Filipino stew I know and, of course, a pair of fancy, furry mittens.
This was a lovely ending to a funny day until I unlocked the door to my apartment, walked in, looked around and realized I was holding a hare in a bag and missing an entire chapter of how one ends up with rabbit hide and bunny stew.
A plan not quite thought through, yet again.
Well I'll leave the rest of this story up to the imagination, mostly not to horrify readers with the uncouth carving techniques I posses. The happy ending is that I have a lovely adobo in my fridge.
Now, if anyone knows how to turn a frozen hide into mittens, please give me a call.
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