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There's a toll on the information highway out of the Northwest Territories, and there's only one company collecting it: NorthwesTel.

Its monopoly over all fibre and microwave land lines for communication services leaving the city is why Yellowknife-based Internet service provider SSI Micro is crying foul to the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC).

SSI accuses NorthwesTel of trying drive it out of the Internet business by charging the company rates of up to 30 times higher for its high-speed "backbone connectivity" services compared to those charged to Internet carriers down south.

This infrastructure is built, in part, through a $20.8 million annual subsidy from the National Contribution Fund, SSI Micro argues in its application to the CRTC.

The CRTC-established fund collects money from Canadian telecommunications companies to build and maintain communications infrastructure throughout the country.

In essence, SSI Micro is arguing that fees collected from southern customers are being used to prop up NorthwesTel's monopoly over land-based Internet services to Yellowknife, which gives it an unfair advantage over its competitors.

The problem is exacerbated by the growing popularity of YouTube and online movie purchases, which use up broadband width more quickly, making it even more difficult for SSI Micro to compete.

Most people recognize that monopolies are bad for the average consumer, especially up north where prices for just about everything are higher than down south.

SSI Micro wants the CRTC to require NorthwesTel to offer backbone connectivity at no more than twice the market rate in the south.

What should concern the CRTC most is that Northerners have access to the Internet at a reasonable cost. There are packages in Alberta offering 500 gigabytes of broadband for less than $70 a month. NorthwesTel provides 90 gigabytes for $129.95 a month; SSI Micro offers eight gigabytes for $59.95 a month.

It would be a shame if SSI Micro is granted reduced rates by the CRTC but the high prices charged to all Northern customers continue.

Yellowknifer recently featured the story of a dismayed father who said the Department of Social Services took away his three children in December.

He and his wife have since taken part in an alcohol-treatment program and want their children back. However, the frustrated father said the social worker responsible for the case is creating a delay while finishing paperwork and then going on vacation. He also said the social worker's word is always believed over that of the parents.

In a separate Yellowknifer story, the director of child and family services said social workers apprehend children from homes only after exhausting all other options. Often entering adversarial and volatile situations, social workers are subjected to verbal abuse and harassment, the director said. It's surely a stressful job.

She also acknowledged that, while social workers try to be responsible, there is an imbalance in power and personality conflicts with parents can exist.

It is for that reason, in such an emotionally-charged environment, that an ombudsman is needed. Although the Department of Social Services accepted a recommendation from MLAs to increase oversight and supervision of interaction between social workers and parents, this would be the job of someone within the department and still perceived as biased.

The alternative of going to the courts, as the social services director suggested, is often intimidating to parents with little legal experience and, more importantly, it can take a long time.

Only an impartial and qualified person who can review cases quicker than the courts is suited to fulfil this role. Every day of delay is another day of heartache for families torn apart.

Right now there are quite a few upset golfers in Fort Simpson.

Their ire has been raised by an act of seemingly senseless destruction. At some point between the evening of July 29 and the morning of July 30 someone drove a vehicle across the Seven Spruce Golf Course in Fort Simpson. The tracks through the grass leading on and off of the course were the most obvious signs of the incident.

What was less obvious at first was the full extent of the damage. The path of the vehicle launched it over the built-up ledge behind hole 8, which resulted in it bottoming out on the green.

If the same drive had been attempted four years ago, it wouldn't have been much of a problem. The result would have been a pit and tracks in the sand greens and possibly a stuck vehicle.

In 2009, however, the club undertook a project worth almost $290,000 to convert its remaining seven sand greens to artificial greens. The chaotically-driven vehicle in question made multiple rips in the artificial green and gouged out a hole.

Because of the location of the damage and the fact specialists would have to be brought back to the village to work on the repairs, Pat Rowe, the golf club's vice-president, said there's an approximately $60,000-price tag linked to the incident. It's no wonder that local golfers are upset.

The golf course is well used and is considered by many as one of Fort Simpson's highlights. Many golfers and other community members volunteered their time to install the artificial greens and have a sense of ownership of the course.

Unless the perpetrator can be found and made to contribute, the cost of the repair will come from the golf members' course fees and other revenues the club makes. It will, therefore, take away from any future plans for improvements the club had.

The sad thing is this isn't an isolated incident. There are often cases where one individual or a small group damages facilities or structures that belong to communities as a whole. Through their actions, which are often not thought through, those people are responsible for bringing down their whole community.

Such incidents are also disturbing because it often seems the people involved may not even feel remorse for their actions, only for the fact they are caught.

The only action that communities can take in the face of these acts of destruction is to come together. Communities need to present a united front and demonstrate such actions are far from acceptable and won't be tolerated.

By helping to identify the perpetrators and bring them to the attention of the appropriate authorities, communities can hopefully dissuade others before they make the wrong decision and damage something the community as a whole has worked hard to achieve.

Two months less a day until the next territorial election and it's interesting what people are talking about and not talking about.

Some eyes are focused on the big projects, like the Tuktoyaktuk all-weather road or the fibre-optic link that will connect the NWT to the rest of world through faster Internet. The economy is important and these projects need to be addressed, but what about the social issues?

Residents of Inuvik don't have it bad as a regional hub. We have services and facilities that the smaller communities can only dream about. We're connected to the rest of the world by a beautiful, if sketchy, road, have a new hospital, a new school near completion, a great recreation centre and a beautiful greenhouse, but there are still issues that need to be addressed by candidates.

Health care is a serious issue here. While the infrastructure may exist, it doesn't mean much if there aren't enough doctors or nurses to serve the community. As noted in a News/North story earlier this week, there aren't enough doctors to go around to the smaller communities during the summer months. What will candidates do about that? Inuvik doesn't have that many permanent doctors and this community could be short of doctors just as easily as the other communities.

Other issues to be addressed in Inuvik include the homeless people – how are they doing? Where are they from? Why are they on the street? How is their access to health care and how healthy are they? There are many people in Inuvik without a home and what can be done about that? What help do they need to live a better life? Affordable housing? Counselling? Job training? Any number of solutions are available and these should be of concern.

The economy is important and without business, communities usually find their end. Yet the people who live here are the ones who should be priorities for candidates thinking of running -- mothers, fathers, students and children, semi-transient people who move to Inuvik, aboriginal and non-aboriginal, homeless and business owners. Everyone votes (well, everyone over 18) and chances are they all have issues they would like to hear addressed.

Candidates, make sure your campaigns address all aspects of the community. We're the people voting for you and living in your riding.

This city needs more homes and an enterprising developer intends to deliver, critics be damned.

The vacancy rate for apartments in Yellowknife stood at a mere 0.8 per cent in April, according to the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation.

The number of homes on the market, especially those under $350,000, are very few. There's pent-up demand for housing. Proof of that came when dozens of new Copper Sky condos were snatched up within a couple of days earlier this year. Demand for the condos, villas and townhomes being constructed in Niven Lake is also high.

So one would think there would be jubilation when Homes North and the GNWT swung a deal last week to swap land, which would create a new subdivision. Les Rocher, owner of Homes North, exchanged three of his downtown lots - which he had purchased for $642,000 -- in return for a 118,459 square metre tract of real estate in Kam Lake, not far from North Slave Correctional Centre. Rocher plans to put 90 to 120 manufactured homes on the site, which is believed to be valued at a much higher rate than the downtown lots - but few of us know for sure because the appraisal is not being disclosed.

Rocher has been vilified by some, but he is undeniably someone who gets things done. Over the past decade when there have been a housing crunches, primarily caused by the flocks of new workers at the Ekati and Diavik diamond mines, it was Rocher who opened up new subdivisions to relieve the pressure. He has faced controversy over zoning and been accused of encroaching on green space.

While his record is not flawless, he has kept the city out of the development business, which is a good thing. The city failed to recoup more than $2 million it sunk into developing Phase I of Niven Lake almost a decade ago.

Now it's Rocher who takes the risks and reaps the rewards, as he recently did in the Con and Rycon area, installing new manufactured homes.

There's a public hearing for rezoning set for Aug. 8. The city will hear concerns regarding the change in status of Rocher's new lot to residential from public service. That means the process is still largely accountable, which is essential, but so is having more homes for Yellowknife residents.

At a time when many Yk retailers are abandoning downtown in favour of the city's uptown, box-store approach to business, Weaver and Devore remains a testament to the fact that merchants can also thrive in Old Town.

The general store and camp supplier recently celebrated its 75th anniversary and remains a landmark and even a tourist draw.

Through good times and bad, and against growing online competition, Weaver and Devore has somehow carried on, weathering the ups and downs of the North's mining sector and the bounty and disappointment it can bring. The general goods store has succeeded as a family business that has been able to rely on the contribution a large family can make - including "child labour" in the form of younger family members willing to help serve customers, as Ken Weaver recalls.

Weaver and Devore has also lasted this long because it's simply a good business providing a necessary service and paying attention to the needs of both industry and walk-in customers. The crowded store with its narrow aisles - and basic supplies ranging from porridge to parkas as well as specialty items one would not expect to find - is a reminder that business can be bustling, even in Old Town.

Summer vacation doesn't mean it's time to stop learning. It may be a break from school and textbooks for kids and teenagers, but that doesn't mean it's time to turn the switch to autopilot.

Rather, it's a time for young people to try new things and explore. It's time to find out what they're good at and what they like to do. And there have been all kinds of opportunities for youth in the region to do just that this summer.

For example, last week there was a music camp in Rankin Inlet that gave kids aged eight to 16 the opportunity to throatsing, hip- hop dance, play the fiddle or the guitar.

The camp brought the school to life despite it being the middle of summer vacation.

Anyone who walked into the Leo Ussak Elementary School during the five-day camp was greeted with music - whether it was Michael Jackson coming from a stereo in the gym where kids were practising their dance moves, or a few G chords coming from a classroom where they were trying their hand at the guitar.

It was fantastic to see the kids spend five of their summer days having fun while learning new skills. Although the camp is now over, camp facilitator Andrew Morrison and the other instructors took two nights during the week to encourage and instruct musicians in the community, so that they are able to continue teaching youth.

This is the most important part of the camp; It is a way for the learning to continue beyond the five days. Now, it's up to the skilled musicians to step up and take the initiative. They need to encourage the youth to build on their new talents, whether it be with positive words, a few pointers or lessons.

It's like the old adage "it takes a village to raise a child." In this case, it takes the effort and care of experienced musicians to foster the interest and excellence of those that are just beginning.

With a small effort from the community, youth will gain a great deal from learning an instrument or learning to throat-sing or hip-hop dance.

It can provide youth with a constructive summer activity, a retreat from stress and an outlet for anger, frustration and sadness. It teaches them patience, concentration, co-ordination, creativity, rhythm and tone.

It also helps them gain self-confidence, not only from the positive reinforcement they receive from their families, friends and community members, but also from the knowledge that they are able to learn and succeed.

Nearly 8,000 aboriginal people in the NWT over the age of 15 do not have a high school diploma, representing almost half of that demographic's total population.

In comparison, a little more than 2,100 non-aboriginals -- only 12 per cent of that population -- in the same age bracket are without a high school diploma, according the NWT Bureau of Statistics.

The statistics are alarming and point to an urgent need for more programs, funding and awareness to help improve the academic success rate of aboriginal students.

Earlier this month, the Department of Education, Culture and Employment signed a declaration with the Dene Assembly to create a partnership to help close the education chasm between aboriginal and non-aboriginal students.

Since 2001, the number of aboriginal graduates in the NWT has been steadily increasing. In 2009, 222 aboriginal students received a high school diploma compared to 106 in 2001. Although a marked improvement, ECE still reports only 44 per cent of aboriginal Grade 12 students are graduating compared to 70 per cent of non-aboriginal students.

The Department of Education's Aboriginal Student Achievement plan outlines strategies and pilot projects that have been initiated in various NWT communities. Aside from improving access to education, the plan also tackles key areas such as attendance, parental education, nutrition and incorporates aboriginal culture in the classroom.

This latest declaration could prove to be the biggest step to ensuring the Aboriginal Student Achievement plan is successful. Garnering the support and input of the aboriginal leadership will go a long way towards building the trust needed to engage the First Nation community in the territory's education system.

It is vital that this partnership is supported by the necessary finances, culturally-aware educators and programs to make a real difference.

Northerners will head to the polls this October to select the members of the next legislative assembly.

A few candidates, including incumbents, have already announced their intentions to run.

Now is the time to consider whether a role in territorial politics is right for you. There are many issues facing Northerners and each constituency has a variety of needs and concerns, ranging from health care and education to housing and utility rates. Improving our territory and the quality of life for all NWT residents takes the dedication of a responsible and accountable government. Declaring your candidacy is as important as casting a ballot.

In the 2007 election, three of the territory's 19 constituencies were won by acclamation, meaning only a single person vied to represent those regions. Ideally, there will be a race in each constituency this year.

Voting turnout sends a strong message. The number of votes a candidate wins or loses by is, essentially, a constituent's report card for incumbents and sets a mandate for new MLAs.

Aside from the number of candidates vying for seats, demographics are also important. We need our assembly to represent the diversity of the NWT. Of the 55 candidates in 2007 only 10 were women and of those, only three were elected.

If you're planning to run in the upcoming election we encourage you to announce your intentions early. Putting your name, face and ideas out there sooner could improve your chances.

About 130 people die in Nunavut every year.

The remains of those who die in Qikiqtani General Hospital in Iqaluit are stored in the facility's morgue. In most of the rest of Nunavut's communities, no such facilities exist.

Bodies may be picked up by the same hamlet staff who deliver water and pump out sewage. They get stored in a variety of makeshift places such as the garage of the RCMP detachment, a hamlet cooling unit or once, regrettably, in a community's country food freezer.

This is a less-than-ideal situation in terms of the dignity and security of the deceased, as well as for public health.

Some hamlet workers are livid that the Department of Health and Social Services hasn't stepped up to take charge of this necessary service. Hamlets aren't responsible for handling births in the community, so why are they being tasked with caring for the dead?

This issue will only become more and more pressing as the population grows, and as Nunavummiut become more mobile. Nowadays, people travel for medical treatment, for school and for work. Family members elsewhere have to make arrangements to fly in, and funerals are delayed until they arrive - in the case of Resolute, sometimes up to two weeks. Safe storage of the deceased in the meantime is essential.

The Nunavut Association of Municipalities has asked the Government of Nunavut to provide an inventory on the status of existing morgues. The association also wants the GN to address the lack of morgues in most hamlets. For its part, the government has stated its intention to eventually equip each nursing station with some kind of morgue in which to store the dead prior to burial.

That's news grieving families will be happy to hear, as long as the work begins sooner rather than later.

This year's edition of the Alianait arts festival gave Iqaluit what it had asked for: a shorter, more intense festival with more music.

Despite being compressed into three days instead of spread out over a week, the festival retained its laid-back charm and still managed to wow audiences with its dynamic diversity.

By day, workshops and events took place under the circus tent and by night, musicians from around the world and from just around the block performed at the main stage at Nakasuk School.

Any festival board has a lot of people with differing interests to please. Alianait attracts Iqaluit residents, Nunavummiut artists and those from elsewhere in Canada and abroad, as well as tourists from all over.

Shortening the festival will also, in time, help draw more visitors. The cost of accommodations and meals in Nunavut is astronomical, so spending three days in Iqaluit rather than a week significantly reduces the costs for travellers, making the trip far more attractive.

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