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DENINU KU'E/FORT RESOLUTION
Recent cancer deaths have some people in Fort Resolution questioning whether rates of the disease in the community are higher than normal.

Carol Ann Chaplin, the community co-ordinator in Fort Resolution with the Yellowknife Health and Social Services Authority, and Les Harrison, the authority's CEO, hear ideas on improving programs from a discussion group during a public meeting in Fort Resolution on Jan. 19. - Paul Bickford/NNSL photo

"There's a lot of cancer in our community," said resident Carole Collins at a Jan. 19 meeting with representatives of the Yellowknife Health and Social Services Authority, which covers Fort Resolution.

Collins asked the health authority what it can do to look into the situation.

"It's a big concern here," she said, noting a lot of people have been lost to the disease in the community in the last 20 years. "It seems like nobody is doing anything about it."

Les Harrison, the CEO of the health authority, said the organization has noticed there appears to be a higher than normal incidence of cancer in the community. "Something seems to be wrong," he said.

Harrison said there could be some research the health authority needs to do, including comparing cancer rates in Fort Resolution to other communities in the NWT and Canada. It is an area of real concern, he added. "We need to take a look at it."

Collins suggested research examine a possible connection to similar concerns about cancer rates in Fort Chipewyan, Alta., which is on the river system flowing north towards Great Slave Lake.

"It's all coming down this way," she said.

Leanne Towgood, the director of population health with the health authority, said cancer is considered a reportable disease so trends can be tracked, and there will be a request for statistical information sent to the Department of Health and Social Services to compare Fort Resolution to Fort Chipewyan.

"There are a lot of things that need to be looked at," Towgood said.

Following the meeting, Harrison said it is not really known if there is a problem in Fort Resolution.

"We share their concern that there could be an above average cancer rate here, but we don't know," he said.

The concern about cancer seems to be a recent development in Fort Resolution, he noted. "There have been a few deaths recently of cancer."

Harrison said to his knowledge no research has been done in the past.

For an investigation, he said the health authority would confer with the Department of Health and Social Services and ask it to research the issue and compare rates across the North.

The concern about cancer was just one of the issues raised at the information session held by the Yellowknife Health and Social Services Authority.

About 30 residents of Fort Resolution attended the public gathering.

They first heard a description of the many programs offered in the community, and then offered suggestions on ways to improve the services.

Harrison noted the Fort Resolution seat is now vacant on the health authority's board, but there are recruiting efforts underway to find a community representative.

The CEO also expressed concern about the number of no-shows to appointments in the community, noting there were 405 no-shows from April to December of last year - one out of every 10 appointments.

"This issue of no-shows is something we're grappling with as an authority," he said, adding community members should help deal with the problem.

Community members also had their share of concerns, beginning with the fact there were no interpreters at the meeting to help elders who might not be proficient in English.

"If you want to communicate with the people here, you've got to have interpreters," said Leonard Beaulieu.

Harrison said that will be considered for future meetings.

Community residents also offered a long list of suggestions on how health and social services programs could be improved in Fort Resolution, including such things as services on weekends, more cultural activities, parenting workshops, the creation of a safe house, shopping trips to Hay River for elders, more visits by dentists, more information on diabetes and medical travel, and building a new health centre.

Towgood said the health centre in Fort Resolution is 41 years old, making it one of the oldest in the NWT.

One area of particular concern was the need for more home visits to check on the health of elders and chronically ill people.

Harrison said the concerns raised at the public meeting will be summarized in a written report, which should be available for the community in four to six weeks.

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