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A "not-in-my-backyard" attitude is standing between Yellowknifers and a lower cost of living.

NPR Limited Partnership, formerly known as Northern Property REIT, wants to build a 28-unit apartment complex, and five six-plexes on empty, gravel-covered land near the Ptarmiganand Shaganappy apartment buildings.

Some neighbours in the area have taken a firm stand against the proposal and they are vocal in their opposition.

Yet this type of development is the direction the city needs to go to broaden its tax base while maintaining green space and avoiding urban sprawl in the coming years. Of more immediate concern to the city is the lack of land available due to Yellowknives Dene land claims.

The phrase "infill" - developing underutilized space within the city - was littered throughout the city's 2004 general plan, which is in the process of being updated. The city also has an overarching 50-year strategic plan called Smart Growth. The term infill appears in the Smart Growth plan much less, but when it is used, the plan refers to the policy as being "controversial." It proposes to alleviate the negative connotations of "infill development" by shifting the focus from natural areas to "sites or buildings which are vacant or underutilized." One would think this sort of shift would be welcomed, and the proposed NPR development near Shaganappy and Ptarmigan apartments - a proposal which, it should be noted, does not require public approval - falls right in line with this direction.

A concern consistently brought up by residents along 54 Street and Con Road is over the current state of Shaganappy and Ptarmigan apartments. Neighbours complain of litter, rowdy people coming and going and frequent visits from emergency vehicles. Some are worried these occurrences will only be exacerbated by the new developments, which total 58 new units.

Company officials have stated NPR, which took over Shaganappy and Ptarmigan in April 2010 from Bond Street Properties, is working to fix up the buildings and beautify the area. It should be kept in mind that the buildings were previously in tax arrears and not in the best of condition when acquired from Bond Street last year.

NPR will surely want to make the new apartments and townhouses attractive. The units will also likely be priced so that they are affordable by Yellowknife standards.

It's uncertain whether NPR will follow through on improving the aesthetics of the area, but what is clear is that Yellowknife needs more housing, and needs it now.

The regional representative for the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation recently pegged Yellowknife's rental vacancy rate as 0.8 per cent. The housing market has been hovering around one per cent vacancy for a few years.

As well, the neighbourhood could view the future occupants of the new NPR buildings as allies. The tradespeople, bureaucrats, service staff and other professionals - people Yellowknife needs -- who rent those units will want surely want the area to be clean and free of crime. They could bring support to the lobby to ensure action is taken.

If the "not-in-my-backyard" attitude continues, the rising property taxes on all of our backyards will continue to accelerate, while the workers we need to relocate here have no place to call home.

There's no denying the national strategy on Inuit education devised by Inuit leaders and released earlier this month by Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami president Mary Simon contains a number of valid points.

Simon chaired the development committee for the national strategy.

But, as valid as the points raised are, the hoopla surrounding the public release made it sound like the strategy was breaking new ground and that simply isn't the case.

Many Inuit leaders, and both Inuit and nonInuit educators alike, have been speaking to the necessity of having parents more involved with their children's education for many years now.

Like so many other things in life, a young person's desire to pursue a good education and attend school usually starts at home, especially in terms of the encouragement, involvement, support, recognition, approval and, yes, discipline they receive from their parents and other family members.

The strategy's call for more use of Inuktitut in the classroom is also nothing new.

Staff members in Kivalliq schools all of Nunavut for that matter have worked tirelessly for years to bring more Inuktitut and Inuit culture into their curricula.

A major challenge remains the lack of qualified Inuktitutspeaking teachers to implement the curriculum changes, as well as funding for resource materials and the hiring of elders in the schools.

And while we must greatly increase the number of Nunavut graduates, it can't be done in a way that sacrifices their Grade 12 credentials.

While increasing pride in and knowledge of Inuit culture it a great thing, if is becomes the totally dominant trait then nothing will change when it comes to our grads feeling they're not on an even par with southern students.

It was encouraging to hear Simon speak of standardizing the Inuit writing system among the 10 points of the strategy, but, once again, that's hardly anything new.

A number of Inuit leaders were looking for ways of doing exactly that for decades before Nunavut even came into existence.

Not only would it solidify curriculum insofar as students being equally at home using the system in Rankin Inlet or Gjoa Haven, but such standardization would also aid greatly in the development of resource materials for every classroom across the territory.

What remains to be seen, of course, is where the funding will come from to make this all happen.

Taking for granted the majority of parents get on board, and the natural evolution of our territory produces more and more bilingual teachers to deliver the curriculum, a great deal of money will still be needed for the development and production of resource materials.

As always, much of what can be accomplished, and in what time frame, comes down to the almighty dollar.

Simon has already called on the feds to provide support in all of Canada's Inuit regions, as an action plan is developed and funding sought.

But while the federal government should "support" the strategy, any hope it will cover the entire cost is tenuous at best.

The progression of strategy into bona fide action is badly needed, but the price tag that comes with it is going to be enormous in any language.

Senseless and preventable deaths are always difficult for families to deal with. In the case of Mary Leona Poitras -- the Hay River woman who died last year from complications due to surgery -- a coroner's report released two weeks ago adds more confusion to the tragedy.

How does a person with access to 24-hour medical care die from an undiagnosed perforated colon just days after she was released from hospital? In any medical procedure there is a risk of complications, however, it is confusing why medical staff at H.H. Memorial Hospital and Woodland Manor long-term care facility in Hay River didn't have the necessary information to diagnose the problem so soon following Poitras's polyectomy -- a procedure with known risks for causing perforations of the bowel - which took place at Stanton Territorial Hospital..

According to the coroner's report, health staff at the manor and the hospital in Hay River were unable to properly diagnose Poitras's symptoms because they didn't have the necessary medical history to make an assessment.

Despite the challenges of delivering health care in the North, many people have reported receiving good quality care and have complimented the professionalism and skill of our health care staff in the NWT.

What must be ensured is those professionals have the tools necessary to do their jobs to the best of their ability and the question in this case remains: How did the communication breakdown occur? Unfortunately the coroner's investigation doesn't elaborate on that point; an oversight that does little to help implement the report's recommendations.

Last year the health department introduced an electronic health information system -- HealthNet. Part of that system posts certain aspects of a patient's medical history into a territory-wide database. HealthNet is accessible to authorized personnel and includes such things as general patient information, admission and discharge dates, and a discharge summary - the latter giving important details on medication and the patient's status.

The report might also include a description of the patient's course of care while in the hospital.

What the department could not say was how quickly that information is posted on the HealthNet system. Kay Lewis, CEO of Stanton Territorial Hospital, also could not say if similar paper records were transferred with Poitras back to Hay River.

Yet the report submitted by Hay River coroner James Forsey states that Poitras, 62, did not have accompanying records when she was released from Stanton.

It is vital Stanton Territorial Hospital, H.H. Williams Memorial Hospital and Woodland Manor collaborate on a report into Poitras's death to track exactly what information was or was not available and how to ensure relevant patient information is accessible in the future.

Written procedures that dictate how soon after a patient's discharge HealthNet information must be posted would be one course of action.

We still have more questions than answers.

The family deserves to know what happened and the people of the NWT need to know work is being done to ensure the risk of similar incidents is reduced.

The Electoral Boundaries Commission's report, released June 7, recommends adding three more MLAs to the Nunavut legislative assembly. That would bring the total number of elected representatives to 22 from 19.

At the moment, Nunavut has, on average, one MLA per 1,750 residents.

The report states the current configuration of ridings is very uneven in population size, and cites population increases in Arviat, Iqaluit and Iglulik as the reason for expanding the legislature. One riding contributing to that uneven-ness is Hudson Bay, consisting solely of Sanikiluaq, with a population of 812. However, the report doesn't propose eliminating the riding, instead recommending keeping it as an exception to the rule, due to its geographic remoteness.

Of course, eliminating ridings is an unpopular way to fix uneven distributions; adding them is a less offensive solution. But adding ridings costs money: each MLA costs $300,000 a year, plus there's an estimated $1 million to renovate the legislative assembly building to accommodate three more MLAs.

Do more politicians mean more effective representation? A common refrain in the boundary commission consultations was smaller communities in combined ridings wanting their own MLA as they felt they would always be outvoted by the larger community and their concerns were being overlooked.

But the Nunavut legislature spends the least amount of time in session per year of any province or territory in Canada - only 33 days last year -- and even then one MLA was censured for not showing up enough. Three MLAs have resigned over the past few months for various reasons, and their seats will stay vacant until a byelection in September.

It's not the number of MLAs that count, it's who we elect, how well they listen and how hard they work for us. Constituency assistants are also invaluable. Their job is to liaise between their community and the community's MLA, to listen to and forward complaints and provide assistance to residents in navigating dealings with the territorial government.

Granted some ridings need fixing, and the electoral boundaries commission recognized that. Akulliq, which straddles the Kitikmeot/Kivalliq border, combining Repulse Bay and Kugaaruk, simply does not make sense. It takes Akulliq's MLA two to three days and a connection through Yellowknife to travel from one community to the other. Splitting up Akulliq is a recommendation everyone can get behind.

But spending more on MLAs means spending less on the things communities are asking their MLAs for: housing, health care, education and myriad other everyday needs.

The legislative assembly needs to take a hard look at the commission's recommendations, and consider alternative options, before committing itself to costly expansion.

One thing is certain when it comes to Yellowknife's reliance on fossil fuels to heat homes and buildings - the city is vulnerable to rising prices.

With crude oil prices nearing $100 US per barrel again this summer, and only expected to go higher in the coming years, it seems likely that cheap petroleum is a thing of the past. Fuel prices have a huge impact on a city like Yellowknife - the coldest city in Canada, according to Environment Canada, with an average temperature of -5.4 C.

When Yellowknife residents rejected the city's bid to borrow up to $49 million to build a district energy system using a mixture of wood pellets and geothermal energy from Con Mine in a referendum last March, it wasn't because people disliked the idea of district energy. It was because they feared what would happen if the city bankrolled a $60.4 million project largely on the backs of city ratepayers, who would have to absorb the cost if district energy failed.

Last week, the city signed a memorandum of understanding with the B.C.-based utility company Corix, whereby the 2,000 employee-plus firm will finance the construction of a district energy system to heat 39 downtown buildings. The project will surely gain much broader support if this takes ratepayers off the hook.

A big complaint before the referendum from homeowners in Range Lake, Frame Lake South and other neighbourhoods was that there didn't seem to be any benefits for them, but rather only to Yellowknife's largest landlords. The city insisted the project would eventually expand outside downtown but that's years away.

With a potential private partner in place willing to take on the costs of building the system, the plan is much more palatable.

What isn't clear is who is going to be the watchdog once Corix gains a monopoly on heat distribution to these downtown buildings. Corix's vice-president Jack Touhey admits utility prices are typically higher when a private company is investing in it, although the company suggest customers could pay off the construction of the district energy system over a stretch of 50 years, making it easier to manage payments.

Mayor Gord Van Tighem indicates the city itself will be the regulator, although he didn't rule out involving the NWT Public Utilities Board, which already regulates rates charged by Northland Utilities and NWT Power Corporation.

It would seem less cumbersome to the city if it stuck to fixing roads and replacing sewers, rather than taking on responsibilities for regulating district energy rates -- especially with a utility regulator in this city that already has expertise in examining rate applications and setting rates.

Corix still hasn't decided whether it will actually proceed. In the meantime, city council should figure out what the implications are for the city with a private monopoly providing heat downtown.

How will businesses and apartment dwellers be best protected from exorbitant rates? What's going to happen when current heating fuel suppliers lose their downtown customers?

There are many questions to be asked over the next few months.

There seemed to be a jubilant mood at the Fort Simpson arbour on June 16 as Liidlii Kue First Nation signed an impact and benefits agreement with Canadian Zinc Corporation.

There was no reason for the people who witnessed the signing not to be happy. Through the agreement, Canadian Zinc has promised to maximize the employment of Liidlii Kue First Nation (LKFN) members at the Prairie Creek Mine and to give preference to LKFN businesses that supply goods and services. When the mine opens, presuming it will, Fort Simpson residents can look forward to an array of new employment possibilities. The mine is expected to create 220 full-time jobs in total.

Being located only a few hundred kilometres from the mine and having an agreement with the company behind the venture is almost a dream come true. As Nahendeh MLA Kevin Menicoche pointed out during his speech at the signing ceremony, Deh Cho communities have been continually struggling with a lack of employment and economic opportunities. This agreement is a step towards addressing those problems.

Menicoche, however, also had an equally valid point that brought a dose of reality back into the moment. LKFN has an agreement with Canadian Zinc but it is just words on signed pieces of paper. It will be up to Liidlii Kue First Nation members and other community residents to make the agreement into something that's worthwhile.

Getting the agreement might prove to be the easiest part of the path. The Deh Cho doesn't have a history of underground mining, so few residents, except the ones who've taken training for the diamond mines, have the skill sets required for that kind of employment. There are, of course, many other types of jobs at the mine but most of them also require specialized training whether it be in management or kitchen procedures.

Most of the people looking to the mine for the promise of employment will need additional training to ensure they can take advantage of the preferred hiring status they now have, due to the agreement. Luckily the agreement has accounted for that with Canadian Zinc making contributions to an education fund that will assist LKFN members who are seeking vocational or technical skills training or education. Canadian Zinc also said it plans to work with the territorial government to put training and education programs in place related to the mine.

All of these provisions will make it easier for LKFN members to qualify for positions but it will still require people to take action to grasp these opportunities.

Following the signing ceremony, Chief Jim Antoine of Liidlii Kue First Nation said the band could only dream of an agreement like this one years ago. Band members owe it to themselves as well as their community and the region to ensure that every opportunity is squeezed out of the now accessible dream.

Journalism has many jobs: to inform, to educate, to keep leaders accountable, and hopefully to entertain.

A journalist's job is to research and investigate any number of tidbits that come their way each and every day. Instead of spreading gossip or rumours, reporters collect these tantalizing 'news tips' and try to verify them. Usually they are bits of truth that need a bit more information to flesh out into an interesting story.

Sometimes, however, these rumours turn out to be completely false and sometimes it is the newspaper, radio or television reporter's job to put a stop to rumours.

This week Inuvik was filled with fear and suspicions about the death of a tourist at the hands of some locals. The rumours peaked on June 15 and spread wildly out of control reaching the ears of NWT Tourism in Yellowknife, the mayor's office here in town and even residents of other NWT communities, such as Deline.

The rumour that was heard by this reporter, and by multiple people, was that a young man from out of town was walking with a case of beer to the Happy Valley Campground. Two Inuvik residents wanted to have some of his beer and when he refused to give it to him, they beat him up and took his beer. He was then medevaced to Edmonton, where he later died.

That is the story that circulated around town, growing in size and severity. If that rumour were true, it would have enormous implications for Inuvik. The poor man's family would likely hate this town, as would all other tourists. So long, tourism industry! Who wants to travel to the end of the road and fear they might be beaten to death? If stabbings in Mexico can affect their tourism industry, it's likely a beating death would not be good news for Inuvik.

As it turns out, this story got blown out of proportion. It was a consensual fight between consensual adults, who were drinking together. And the tourist is alive. In Yellowknife. Not dead in Edmonton.

The RCMP, it turns out, also got a fair bit of attention for this incident. It turns out they were inundated with calls trying to confirm or deny the event. Instead of addressing the issue, they said no comment. Why would they want to fan the flames of this rumour? Ignoring it for them, seemed like the best option.

That is an opinion to respect, except that it doesn't really make sense. The quickest way to dissipate the rumours would be to clarify the story with the local media. Get the word out as quickly as possible.

There is no public safety concern. No one has died. No one got jumped on the streets.

When the rumours get to a certain point, one has to stamp them out as quickly as possible. And that is where the media can help.

This isn't just for the RCMP, but politicians and other leaders, too. As much as you like to use the media for positive stories, we can also help when things go wrong or even when things appear to go wrong.

Use the media to get the truth out. That's what it's there for.

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