Home page

Text size

E-mail this page

News that some of the 800 delegates at last week's 39th annual Yellowknife Geoscience Forum had to withdraw because of a lack of accommodation is troubling and symptomatic of a larger problem.

It's not a new issue. The need for a convention bureau in Yellowknife has been identified time and again with presentations made to the legislative assembly and Yellowknife city council in past years.

Although arguments in favour of a convention bureau centre around a desire to attract more visitors through promotions funded by a hotel-room levy, in this case it may have helped with an organizational issue. A GNWT meeting that was held at the same time as the geoscience forum took up about one-sixth of the city's 900 hotel rooms, said Jenni Bruce, president of the Yellowknife Hotel Association.

"This is where a convention bureau would have been helpful because they would have been able to flag that it's not a good time to hold your meeting because the geoscience (forum) has been held on the same week every year," Bruce said.

The need for better co-ordination is further ammunition for the proponents of a convention bureau, which has the unanimous support of all Yellowknife-area hotels.

It's not like the establishment of a hotel room levy - common in other jurisdictions - and convention bureau hasn't been debated before. The concept was introduced in 2000 as Bill 13 in the territorial legislature. At that time, the GNWT seemed willing to match a hotel room levy to the tune of $900,000. In the end, Bill 13 was defeated because MLAs believed the amount of the levy - 5 per cent on each hotel room booked by visitors - was too high. There was another effort to form a convention bureau in 2006-07. However, that effort failed because some believed the proposal relied too heavily on GNWT funding.

The latest initiative, floated to territorial MLA candidates in September, calls for a two per cent "destination market fee," which would add between $2.50 and $4 to the cost of a room and generate up to a half-million dollars annually for tourism promotion and conference co-ordination.

Yellowknife MLAs should champion this cause and introduce legislation to establish a funding formula as soon as possible.

The NWT Coroner's Service released several recommendations last week in relation to the accidental drowning of 49-year-old David Legros. The recommended steps are reasonable and realistic.

On March 1, 2009, Legros, a safety supervisor with Tli Cho Logistics, fell through ice on a pond at Colomac Mine after staying behind after a job to take pictures of caribou. He was alone.

Coroner Garth Eggenberger's report called for fencing and warning signage on site; a process for workers to report in at regular intervals, a rescue team with training in ice and water rescue; and that workers near ice wear a highly visible floater vest and proper waterproof clothing, as well as have a dry change of clothes.

Legros' wife, Shirley, said she considers the recommendations vague, albeit a start to a safer workplace. She brings a safety message of her own: don't put your work ahead of your safety. She also reminds us that David is not just a statistic, but a husband who leaves behind grieving relatives.

Although reports and recommendations put forward for any workplace-related fatality have their limitations, processes that increase safety are worthwhile.

There's been discussion in some corners on moving to a Nunavut-wide trade show instead of holding three distinct regional shows.

But, we side with Kivalliq Trade Show committee chairperson Pujjuut Kusugak on this one.

Kusugak is bang on with his assessment of the regional format being far more beneficial to the Kivalliq than what could be expected from a territorial gathering, at least for the foreseeable future.

Still others, who have watched these events since the first Manitoba trade missions after Nunavut's split from the NWT, who question their effectiveness at all.

But, while it's true one sees many of the same players on the trade show floor today who were meeting in small conference rooms back in the day, there are also a growing number of exciting new ventures sharing the floor.

And a number of other things have changed dramatically during the past decade.

First and foremost atop that list in the Kivalliq is the fact we now have things people from the south want other than our cold cash.

There's gold in the land and uranium, too, if the powers that be ever figure out the benefits far outweigh the risks.

Although there are times our regional Inuit organization comes across as being a bit too concerned about what's in it for the organization, rather than the average beneficiary and the communities involved, outside companies have to employ a good number of local workers if they're ever going to take anything out of the ground.

The benefits of that reach far and wide.

Yes, popular buzz words such as networking are often overused and their importance overstated.

But, never before have partnerships between Kivalliq companies been so important, as we enter into what should be the most profitable era in our region's history.

And we say that with as much emphasis on partnering with each other as with southern firms.

A regional trade show, as Kusugak said, allows the focus to remain entirely on the Kivalliq and its development.

We wish business endeavours in the Baffin and Kitikmeot nothing but success, but the time is now for the Kivalliq and that's where our undivided attention should be.

Opportunities like Meadowbank, Meliadine and others looming on the horizon come once in a generation.

Our window of opportunity for training, employment, community infrastructure and sustainable business ventures is opening, and we have to be positioned to take full advantage of it.

And the Kivalliq Trade Show -- by bringing all the players together in one community for two or three days of face-to-face meetings, negotiations and exchanging of ideas -- is playing an important role in helping the region obtain its goals.

We also have faith in the trade show's committee to work with communities such as Arviat and Baker Lake -- for now -- so we see them share in the show's economic benefits, especially on the hospitality industry and arts and crafts community's side of the ledger, in the near future.

Many things change with time, but, for now, the Kivalliq Trade Show best serves its region by standing alone.

A recent court decision to dismiss a bootlegging charge in Tuktoyaktuk isn't a free ride for would-be liquor smugglers.

On Oct. 28, Judge Garth Malakoe ruled the RCMP's search of a Tuktoyaktuk man's luggage was unlawful and a violation of his Charter rights. Prior to laying the charges, police acted on a tip that an illegal quantity of alcohol was being transported via aircraft to the alcohol-restricted community.

Tuktoyaktuk Sgt. Bill Mooney told News/North the ruling has some hamlet councillors discouraged and fearing more alcohol will slip through the airport as a result. The sergeant, however, said he doesn't see the ruling as something that will hinder officers' ability to intercept alcohol. In fact, he said the ruling was positive.

Mooney said the judge's ruling will help RCMP with future investigations by ensuring officers conduct searches with the proper supporting evidence and do it by the book.

The sergeant also emphasized the ruling will not stop police from acting on information from the public, nor should it discourage residents from calling in tips to help deter the illegal transport of alcohol. Those tips have resulted in the seizure of vast quantities of liquor over the years.

While Malakoe's ruling may well cause the RCMP to tighten up its procedures, the judge also sent a message to bootleggers. His decision to uphold the seizure and disposal of the alcohol reinforces the fact the courts are on side with communities and their desire to curb the negative effects of excessive drinking.

News/North published its annual addictions supplement last week and alcohol was a common theme in its pages. RCMP lamented how alcohol is a factor in an overwhelming majority of calls, ranging from property crime to domestic violence; it was also cited as an addiction common among those in the corrections system.

This case was dismissed based on a technicality and we should not be deterred; it will not undermine the will of communities to regulate quantities of inbound liquor or how the authorities punish those who break the law.

Bootlegging is a plague on NWT residents who are fighting for their right to live in a safe and healthy community.

Bootleggers are despicable in their efforts to prey on the weaknesses of others by selling bottles for hundreds of dollars to capitalize on liquor restrictions. Not only do they make existing alcohol problems worse, they add financial strain to families.

Our battle against alcohol addiction, alcohol-related crime and the subsequent social ills will continue, so bootleggers beware.

Pond Inlet MLA Joe Enook has become the unlikely face of one of Nunavut's most pressing problems: inadequate housing.

The territorial politician and his wife, Mary Kilabuk, have been living in a shack since leaving Iqaluit on Nov. 3. Having been a resident of Iqaluit when he was voted into office, he's determined to live in the community that elected him. The problem is, there are no homes available in Pond Inlet.

The federal government has allotted $300 million since 2007 to help build almost 1,000 new homes in Nunavut. Despite that, the situation remains dire.

The cost of living in Nunavut is high, no question, and housing plays a part of that. The prices we pay for groceries, airfare, rent, power, long-distance calling and Internet are all much higher than most other places in the country. In many cases, the more remote the community, the higher the prices get.

The median family income in Nunavut was $54,300 as of the 2006 census. More census data was collected across the country earlier this year, so a more up-to-date figure will be available next year. Even if that number climbs by a few thousand dollars, Enook, who was elected to the legislative assembly on Sept. 12, outpaces many income earners with his compensation package, which easily exceeds $100,000 per year.

No matter how he tries to explain it and how much support he may have among those wanting him to live in Pond Inlet, the idea of an MLA applying to occupy a social housing unit, even temporarily, when there are people earning much less on a waiting list is a very unwise move politically.

He should find another alternative. Enook has raised the issue of houses designated for GN employees that sit vacant while those government workers are living in social housing units.

If that's true, somebody - and who better than Enook himself -- ought to be relentless in attacking that issue publicly. The Nunavut Housing Needs Survey, which wrapped up in June 2010, identifies as many as 30 Pond Inlet units as unoccupied.

"A private home will become available, it's just a matter of when it will be vacated," Enook said of his own predicament.

Like many Nunavummiut, Enook may have a long wait on his hands, especially since nearly two-thirds of the units in Pond Inlet are considered public.

The GN's housing survey found 1,220 people are homeless - 90 of them in Pond Inlet -- and 3,580 people wish to move when more housing is available. The data also show 23 per cent of Nunavut's homes are in need of repair.

At least Enook is well placed and presumably motivated to help fix an inexcusable situation that cannot be allowed to continue.

With the planet's seemingly endless appetite for TV shows and films about and based in the Northwest Territories, it's puzzling how little regard there is from the territorial government toward the NWT's burgeoning film industry.

How many reality TV shows and prime-time dramas does the GNWT need to see before it realizes that this is big business, and that there is much potential for the homegrown talent who live here?

This year the Department of Industry, Tourism and Investment set aside $100,000 in SEED money dedicated solely to producing NWT-made films. While any new money is welcome, it's really just a drop in the bucket. It wouldn't have been enough nor could it have been used to spare the NWT the indignity of watching the film adaption of Richard Van Camp's critically acclaimed novel the Lesser Blessed move to Ontario. The project was short $250,000 needed to keep the filming here.

Despite the lack of GNWT support, producers keep coming here to film TV shows, movies and commercials.

They hire Northern filmmakers, recruit local acting talent and spend lots of money -- $9 million worth, according to a recent GNWT commissioned report.

Just this year alone in Yellowknife we had the filming of Arctic Air, a new TV drama coming to CBC, which booked 80 rooms out of the Explorer Hotel during their last visit; an appearance by the Duchess of York Sarah Ferguson and her crew, who were filming a new reality TV show for the Oprah Winfrey Network; and the premiere of a feature-length film, Love/Hate, by Yellowknife filmmaker Andrew Silke.

That's on top of the ongoing success of NWT Ice Pilots - filmed largely in Yellowknife and employing or featuring dozens of Yellowknifers; the continuing artistic pursuits of the now internationally famous ice road trucker Alex Debogorski, and the worldwide media feeding frenzy of last summer's royal visit from Prince William and his bride Catherine Middleton.

With so much interest in our territory and Yellowknife as a base of operations, it would seem logical that a well-financed film or TV project created here in Yellowknife would be well-received down south. But looking at how the Yukon and Nunavut governments outspend us seven to one on their film industries, there doesn't seem much chance of that.

There is so much interest and opportunity out there in spite of our reluctance to help our filmmakers and show the welcome mat to others.

Diavik Diamond Mines Inc. announced earlier this month it will develop the first large-scale wind farm at an operating mine globally. In doing so, it will help reveal whether wind power has a future in the North.

The project, which is expected to cost up to $30 million, consists of four 2.3-megawatt wind turbines, and it should be ready to roll by this time next year.

The mining company conducted a three-year wind resource study before deciding to proceed. The aim is to reduce the mine's diesel consumption by 10 per cent and lower greenhouse gases by about 12,000 tonnes.

There have been past studies in the North to pursue wind energy by both the GNWT and organizations such as Arctic Energy Alliance which have generally led to unfavourable results due to the turbines providing less electricity than expected, being costly to maintain and requiring technicians and parts to be flown in.

Diavik's use of wind-generated power is environmentally responsible, the question is whether it will prove to be economically feasible.

The diamond mining company, which has been generous to this city in terms of donations, is focused on profits.

If Diavik cannot make wind power cost effective, we'll know the city and the rest of the territory may as well look to other alternatives.

Moose are a very important animal in the Deh Cho.

Moose traditionally were, and continue to be, an important food source. Even though people can buy commercially raised meat such as beef at the Northern Store, harvesting moose is a way to stay connected with their culture.

In addition to being a healthy and tasty food source, moose also provide the hides for traditional crafts such as moccasins and the materials for moose hair tufting.

That's why it's encouraging to see Deh Cho leaders and residents promoting and demanding research on moose in the region. The Department of Environment and Natural Resources is currently conducting its annual moose survey.

Over the course of two weeks, weather permitting, the department's staff and community observers will spend 100 hours in the air crisscrossing the region in an airplane looking for moose. The department conducted its first survey in 2003-2004 in response to input from communities, which identified moose as an area of interest.

The department is conducting a large-scale survey this year to check the baseline density set in the first survey and subsequent data gathered every November in smaller surveys.

While the survey is a good start, there may be more work and harder work to come if the Deh Cho wants to maintain its current population of moose.

Some residents have been informing the department that they're concerned the limited access to barren ground caribou is putting added pressure on the moose population.

In Jean Marie River, Chief Stan Sanguez said residents are already seeing changes. In the past three to four years people from elsewhere in the territory and Alberta have been hunting in the community's traditional area.

Jean Marie River is already taking action.

Community members are being encouraged to avoid harvesting cows between the fall hunt and the spring so they have time to birth calves.

Jean Marie River has also requested two bison tags from Fort Providence in order to supplement moose with another wild meat source.

Regardless of the survey results, Deh Cho residents will need to start considering what measures they'd be willing to take to ensure the region's moose population is sustained for future generations. Curtailing hunting rights is an incredibly sensitive topic, especially when related to a way of life that has been followed for countless generations, but there may come a time when traditions will have to be changed to preserve what is important to the region's moose.

Everyone in the North is familiar with scientists coming to the communities, doing studies and then leaving, taking the research with them.

At Aurora College last week, a three-day course was held to teach Northerners how to research, where to get funding for research and what could be a great idea to research. Local residents could improve the work done simply because of their greater awareness of the issues in their community.

Many studies are being done in the Arctic right now and few are done by people from the Arctic. Why not take advantage of your location and the international interest in your community by completing a study yourself? That information can be used to lobby for a change in policy and maybe make a difference where you live.

Participants at Aurora College came up with ideas for possible research studies, including how much physical activity do people undertake, how many people have left the community in the past three years, how many people have been to the dentist in the last three years, at what age do people start drinking, and why are people now getting sunburned, when they didn't 10 years ago?

It's kind of funny, in terms of media, too. Where are the Northern reporters? As you may have noticed, a lot of people from all over the country come and go at Northern News Services and the Inuvik Drum. Although the editors tend to be long-term residents, there's not really any reporters from the North and there are no aboriginal reporters.

I've heard comments that the Inuvik Drum editor is a "typing tourist," and in some cases that's true. In some cases that's even great. People new to communities see the place in a different way, can question things and ask why things are the way they are.

But, other times it seems a lot of work is done researching topics that we're hearing about for the first time. It takes a while to get up to speed.

That's where having a reporter from the community could be a benefit. Like local researchers, people from the North should have a role in telling their stories and have a chance to ask questions of leaders and the public alike. A Northerner's perspective will differ from someone who grew up in suburban southern Ontario when it comes to certain issues. Shouldn't Northerners - aboriginal and non-aboriginal alike - step up and tell those stories?

There are lots of issues and concerns related to health and climate change in Inuvik right now and local people have the answers, if only because they have the questions. They see what's going on every day. Shouldn't they be the ones doing the research, alongside the southerners coming up for a month or two?

Get inspired. Find a question that you're fascinated with and do some research. Find out why this town is the way it is, and maybe you could change it for the better.

We welcome your opinions. Click here to e-mail a letter to the editor.