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Don't burn families financially Weekend Yellowknifer - Friday, March 25, 2011Friday, March 25, 2011
The Westman family experienced tragedy just before Christmas last year when their Latham Island home was badly damaged in a fire. The family received a second shock a couple months later when the city sent them a bill for $12,354.54 to recoup the costs of fighting the fire, stating they had 30 days to pay it.
The bill included a $500 minimum charge for the first two hours firefighters were on scene, $1,200 for additional hours, and $10,654.54 in overtime paid to the firefighters. Mayor Gord Van Tighem previously stated that the city made a decision 20 years ago to start charging victims for the cost of fighting fires in response to community pressure for more fee-for-services instead of hiking property taxes. That's fair enough. But Dan Westman made some valid observations during his presentation to city council last week. The order to pay within 30 days, the 25 per cent annual interest rate for late payments, the overtime charged for firefighters who are not even at the scene - all of those terms seem like overly harsh demands on families left traumatized and without a home. Most homeowners have insurance, but as Westman points out, that often takes months to collect. It would be a sensible gesture for council to review the city's fees and charges bylaw and revise its more uncharitable contents so those who have suffered a devastating loss aren't quickly facing further undue hardship.
Politicians can spout wherever they like Weekend Yellowknifer - Friday, March 25, 2011 In a democracy we expect our elected officials to air their views publicly and often; we also expect politicians to be biased toward positions they'd be naturally inclined to support. Yellowknife resident David Prichard was at city hall last week to complain about city councillors and staff posting comments on a Facebook page called "Yes We Con." The page was created in support of the city's bid to build a district energy system using geothermal heat from Con Mine. While we agree it may be inappropriate for city employees to express opinions publicly on city projects, particularly when it's coming from senior level managers, it's hard to support Prichard's demand that councillors be prohibited from commenting on third-party websites. He argued that because comments from city officials on the Facebook page were universally in favour of district energy even while the web page administrator was allegedly deleting dissenting posts from others, it made it look like the city itself had something to hide. A real tragedy would have been had city council remained absolutely mum on the Con energy project, and left it to administration to advance it. Thankfully, most city councillors had plenty to say: on air, in print, and on web forums like the one Yellowknifer created, which featured views from all sides. Whether the politicians' comments were right or wrong is something for the voters to decide in the next election.
The case for growing your own Editorial Comment Roxanna Thompson Deh Cho Drum - Thursday, March 24, 2011
Approximately 33 community members attended the afternoon session, which focused on creating organic soils, choosing the right plants and storing them afterward. The recreation centre was even more crowded in the morning when approximately 50 students were brought by their teachers to learn about gardening. Watching participants leave after the sessions had finished with information packages and even packets of seeds in hand there was a sense that they were all ready to plant a seed, any kind of seed, in some soil and see what happened. The Department of Industry, Tourism and Investment organized the workshop under part of its mandate to promote and support community self-sufficiency and reduce the cost of living in the territory. The department should be thanked for its initiative. Every Deh Cho community could benefit if its residents gardened a bit more. The arguments in support of gardening are diverse. In these economic times the lure of saving money is a powerful motivator and it applies to gardening. Some of the shock people experience when they look at the price of produce in their local stores could be lessened if they grew some of their own vegetables. According to Jackie Milne, the president of the Territorial Farmers Association, $100 worth of seeds and transplants can produce $2,000 worth of food. Some gardeners in Fort Simpson already grow enough of certain vegetables including potatoes and carrots to last into the spring. Not only can gardeners save money, they can also promote their health. If you grow your own vegetables you know exactly where they came from and what fertilizers or pesticides, if any, were used on them. Anyone who has hoed weeds also knows the act of gardening itself is good physical exercise. Other arguments for gardening include that it's better for the environment, considering fossil fuels associated with transportation used to ship produce, and it's a safeguard in the event of a disruption of the food supply network. Residents of the Deh Cho have an adequate growing season, good soil and few pests to deal with. It's a gardener's paradise and there's no excuse not to take advantage of it. Residents should press local and territorial governments to support gardening in any way possible including more workshops and access to high-grade soil so gardening efforts in the region can be as successful as possible.
Subsidy extension a waste of money Editorial Comment Kira Curtis Inuvik Drum - Thursday, March 24, 2011
Though we all groan over cuts, especially in government-funded programs, on some level we know we must slim down. Now, something that should not be cut and should remain as a staple in government funding is health. Not just fix-a-broken-leg health, long-term health, too - that's only logical as the results of our society's increasingly unhealthy lifestyle are higher costs to the next generation of taxpayers, plus the heartbreak of sick and dying people. In an attempt to keep affordable and healthy foods and necessities reaching families in the North, the Government of Canada is going to replace the Food Mail program with a newer and hopefully better alternative. Nutrition North Canada starts April 1, 2011, and will cost around $60 million per year. But earlier this month, after complaints from Northerners on the increase of prices of some foods, the Government of Canada reinstated some less healthy foods it had dropped from the shipping subsidy list last October. These foods will continue to be subsidized until October 2012. This is great that they are putting money into the affordability of healthy foods to people in the North, but the glitch here is that this reinstatement is estimated to cost an extra $1 million per month, according to Indian and Northern Affairs Canada. That's right, in a time of recession the government's second-guessing will cost taxpayers an extra $18 million by October 2012. Think of what $18 million could buy. You could feed whole communities healthy food for a year on that. The removal of subsidies from certain products last October did cause a bit of outrage among some Northerners and caused a media stir that led to this re-evaluation. And honestly, some complaints were not that justified. Bacon was one item to be stripped of its subsidization and made some Northerners angry. This, I think, is plain foolish. I mean bacon should not be considered a necessity of one's diet. It does nothing beneficial in the long run. But this backpedalling of a program seems like another bureaucratic disorganized waste of money. Studies have been done, current information gathered, why the delay? This is not a time in our economy for weak leaders and indecision that wastes what little money we have. I suppose that's foolish of me to hope for as when do we ever need indecisive, weak leadership?
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.
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