Home page

Text size

E-mail this page

Outside of one mishap involving a Griffon helicopter clipping high-voltage power lines from the Snare hydro generating station there is a lot to consider regarding the presence of the Armed Forces in the Northwest Territories for Exercise Arctic Ram.

The incident that plunged the city of Yellowknife into darkness for two hours during the evening of Feb. 13 and fortunately did not result in loss of life among the chopper's three occupants, has generated many a conversation around town.

But the exercise entails so much more. Based in a large encampment at the Sand Pits outside of Yellowknife, the 17-day operation which ends Feb. 26 involves about 1,500 personnel operating in a 300-kilometre area that stretches to Gameti.

The Northern deployment has been a long time coming for the Canadian military, whose resources have been stretched thin in recent years with the conflict in Afghanistan, including the deployment of four Canadian ships to the Persian Gulf, plus humanitarian missions in Haiti and other parts of the world.

This is the largest Northern exercise of its type since 1987 and is very important as a demonstration of Canada's Arctic sovereignty.

The Harper government has made the North a priority area and the exercise is vital to ensure troops and equipment can operate in sub-zero temperatures.

Exercise Arctic Ram is essential to test the readiness of Canadian Forces to operate in the North. And, although the military caused an inconvenient power outage, it also demonstrated the vulnerability of Yellowknife's infrastructure.

It is our sincere hope that the objectives of the exercise are realized and that the Armed Forces return to the North again to maintain preparedness and continue to establish Canada's sovereignty.

Women and their children who are homeless or at-risk of being homeless need our support to escape the street and pursue healthy, productive lives.

Thankfully, last week Housing Minister Robert C. McLeod announced $2.3 million in funding for the planned Betty House women's transitional home, a YWCA-run facility being designed to provide refuge, support services and training programs for women and their children who lack stable shelter or who are trying to rebuild their lives after fleeing violence. There are plans for six spots for single women and 18 spaces for women with children.

The GNWT's contribution, along with funds previously committed by the federal government and BHP Billiton, brings the amount raised to almost two-thirds of the estimated price tag, which is upwards of $6 million.

The territorial government was right to commit substantial funding to the project, which will help ease some of the responsibilities borne by Yellowknife. In addition to having the highest population in the territory by a considerable margin, the capital attracts many people from other communities, including some individuals and families who require special resources and support to thrive.

While MLAs celebrated McLeod's funding announcement, Yellowknife Centre MLA Robert Hawkins and Frame Lake MLA Wendy Bisaro identified a lack of consultation between cabinet and regular members on the issue. Projects such as Betty House require co-operation from all levels of our community, and cabinet should heed the call for increased consultation.

Imagine being told a great story of Toronto being burned to the ground, and the glow from the American cities of Washington, D.C., and Buffalo, N.Y., being engulfed in flames bright enough to bathe the horizon in an amber neon of destruction.

Detroit surrenders to an invading force without firing a single shot, and a handful of naval vessels bring a powerful fleet of warships to its knees.

Obviously a work of fiction -- you might think right from the get-go -- and probably the latest Hollywood blockbuster on marauding alien invaders or the ultimate armageddon of the world via nuclear warfare.

And, if the story does have any actual basis in fact, it is, no doubt, loosely interpreted by Tinseltown screenwriters who place far more emphasis on dramatic effect than any historical reference.

If the person then goes on to tell you the story also features Canada kicking military butt and emerging the victor against impossible odds, you'd probably be rolling around on your carpet caught up in fits of uncontrollable laughter.

Imagine, then, the surprise to learn not only is the tale totally based in fact, it actually happened right here in our country 200 years ago.

It is known as the War of 1812.

The federal government is going big on the bicentennial of the War of 1812, which directly led to the birth of our nation and is looked upon by many historians as being just as significant in that birth as our nation's ultimate Confederation in 1867. True, we were still under British rule at the time, Toronto was known as York, and the vast majority of those who defended Upper Canada (Ontario) were recent American immigrants, but it was the 1812-1814 conflict that provided the spark of a true Canadian identity.

The English were at war with Napoleon Bonaparte at the time, and it was their decision to intercept American ships as part of a blockade against Europe that led to the Americans declaring war.

At the time, former U.S. president Thomas Jefferson remarked that the conquest of Canada will be a mere matter of marching.

Long walk!

History is often more dramatic than the work of the world's best fiction writers, which is one reason why a good book will almost always trump a great movie.

It's astounding to realize at the outset of the mostly forgotten war, one of its still recognizable heroes, Maj.-Gen. Sir Isaac Brock, was in command of a mere 1,200 British troops and a handful of Canadian settlers and First Nations combatants.

Standing against them was a nation of more than seven million.

It might also surprise a few people to know one of the true Canadian heroines from the War of 1812 was none other than Laura Secord.

Secord warned the British of a coming American attack that led to their huge victory over the Americans at the Battle of Beaver Dams.

We have the privilege of living in the most wonderful country in the world, and we owe a great deal to a host of long-forgotten names who answered the call to arms 200 years ago.

A riveting tale on the process of a nation's birth that, hopefully, will rise to prominence once again through bicentennial activities.

A sweet story, indeed!

The RCMP announced on Feb. 2 it had taken an estimated $750,000 worth of drugs off Yellowknife streets after a raid on Jan. 20. Strangely missing from the press release were the names of the two individuals charged with crimes ranging from possession to trafficking.

It was later revealed one of the accused is Brittany Beaulieu, the daughter of Health Minister Tom Beaulieu. Sgt. Wes Heron, a spokesperson for the Mounties, initially told News/North the names were withheld so as not to impede the investigation, although charges had already been laid. Several days later, the names of the individuals charged were released to News/North by the prosecutor but the RCMP was still not confirming the identities.

RCMP Insp. David Elliott said the police force's policy is usually to release the names of those accused after formal charges are laid and only if doing so would not interfere with an ongoing investigation. If that were applicable here, why was the Crown providing the information?

We don't know that this was a case of favouritism but when the charges relate to the daughter of a prominent territorial politician, such a perception can easily be created.

To compound the issue, Beaulieu's co-accused, Alexander Mackenzie Smith, was named in an earlier press release after charges were laid in relation to a drug bust in January 2011. In that case, the quantity of drugs seized was actually considerably less. There are other examples where names have been included in public dispatches dealing with a variety of alleged crimes.

If the latest example did follow policy, then the Crown and the RCMP should improve communications so as to not jeopardize future investigations. Otherwise the RCMP should make every effort to ensure those accused of the same types of crimes are treated even-handedly.

Social housing in the NWT is not working, evidenced by more than $13 million in arrears. Much of that money will likely never be recovered, considering the sum includes rent owing by tenants no longer in the system.

The GNWT took steps earlier this year to impose a moratorium on evictions to give tenants who are behind on rent an opportunity to negotiate a repayment plan. However, last week the legislative assembly heard not a single tenant had made any such arrangements.

It is a difficult situation. Close to 65 per cent of those in social housing pay less than $100 a month in rent, according to the NWT Housing Corporation. These are people living off social assistance money. In those cases, the system makes little sense, paying the government with rent money it is collecting with one hand while doling out income support with the other is illogical. For those tenants the government must stop wasting resources chasing after rent and include housing costs in its social welfare program, taking the cost of rent right off of welfare cheques.

In the case of the 35 per cent of tenants who reported income, those arrears must be collected. If the tenants refuse to negotiate a repayment plan, the government should hand the files over to collection agencies to begin recouping losses.

The legislative assembly is reviewing its housing policy and part of the review includes changes to the rent scale. For those who are reporting income, that scale should limit rental rates to 32 per cent of a renters' income, a benchmark the Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation states as the maximum affordable level for housing.

Unemployment rates are high in the communities and social housing is a necessity as we try to combat homelessness and overcrowding, which makes evictions an unrealistic solution.

It is time to write off the losses concerning those who are not making an income, collect what is possible from those who are, and redraft the housing policy to reflect realities in the communities.

No one would be surprised to hear Nunavut's dropout rate is the worst in the country - but take a look at how stark the difference is between here and the rest of the country.

According to Statistics Canada, 50 per cent of 20- to 24-year-old Nunavummiut in 2007-2010 did not have a high school diploma and were not in school. Compare that to 30.1 per cent in the NWT or 15.5 per cent in the Yukon. The highest dropout rates in the provinces over that time period were 11.7 per cent in Quebec and 11.4 per cent in Manitoba; the lowest were 7.4 per cent in Newfoundland and Labrador, and 6.2 per cent in British Columbia.

It is plain to see the decline is sharp once one leaves Nunavut. What isn't so plain is why that is the case. Yes, Nunavut has its social problems which definitely extend to its children - but school can be a safe haven from a troubled home. Education is free and available to all. Many of the North's teachers are diligent and ambitious, and truly care about educating their students.

What these students need to learn, and see proof of, however, is that it's worth it to spend 13 years of their life in school to get a high school diploma, and possibly invest more time to further that education.

It can be tough to find a job, particularly a career-building position, in a remote hamlet of a few thousand people or less, unless there happens to be a mine nearby, but even those jobs aren't for everybody.

As for the opportunities in the south, many Nunavummiut want to stay in the territory to be near friends and family, and with the land they love.

If they want to stay, they look at existing employment opportunities here and realize a good number of them don't require post-secondary education or even a high school diploma. Labour and retail positions can often be had with less than a Grade 12 education.

This is why economic diversification in Nunavut and special training programs, like the Akitsiraq law program - the second round of which was squashed by a lack of government funding - are so essential.

Education is also important for a sense of history. Problem-solving learned in the classroom helps youth function in the world they live in. Literacy and reading helps them understand themselves and others, and how to effectively communicate their feelings.

There are exciting programs starting around the territory aimed at improving attendance - on-the-land courses for those who are drawn more to that skillset, community involvement programs, more opportunities to learn in Inuit languages. We will see how these pan out, but the effort is certainly being made.

Regardless of success on those fronts, the federal government must look at the disparity in dropout rates around the country and pump money into bringing more jobs North; although education is its own greatest reward, the incentive of employment and income is perhaps the greatest way of ensuring it happens.

It's hard to disagree with Frame Lake MLA Wendy Bisaro's accusation that the territorial government has a "can't-do attitude" when it comes to helping residents of Northland Trailer Park overcome infrastructure woes.

The GNWT is essential to Yellowknife, provides many valuable services here, and in fact employs, clothes and feeds a good portion of our city. Yet this is not the first time we've seen cabinet turn logic on its head while trying to avoid policies and services that, heaven forbid, would benefit primarily Yellowknife if implemented.

Two years ago, Robert C. McLeod, who is still firmly ensconced in his position as minister of Municipal and Community Affairs, actually argued that because the GNWT could only provide 911 emergency phone service to 77 per cent of the territory - in Yellowknife and the six other largest NWT communities at a startup cost of a little more than $1 million -- that it could not proceed until 911 can be established in all 33 communities simultaneously.

So, because 911 wouldn't work in tiny, isolated places like Sachs Harbour and Tsiigehtchic, which already do without most of the amenities found in larger communities, including hospitals and police detachments, the government refused to provide a service that would save lives in 77 per cent of the territory.

It's this view toward Northern realities that give Bisaro's "can't-do" accusation its weight. So does Finance Minister Michael Miltenberger telling Bisaro in the legislative assembly that Northland needs to "get itself organized" before the government would be even willing to consider a low or no-interest loan to aid the 1,100 trailer park residents with their $20 million water and sewer pipe burden that many of them probably cannot afford.

What would Miltenberger say if this was Fort Good Hope we were talking about and homes were falling into the Mackenzie River? Would the GNWT tell the community it's a hamlet responsibility?

Northland may very well be a private entity but it's also affordable housing, and Yellowknife - if we are to believe the latest data from Statistics Canada - is where many people from outlying communities come to live.

The territorial government has a moral duty to help its citizens - all citizens -- when they are in trouble. It's unacceptable for cabinet ministers to shrug their shoulders and say they don't have any policy in place that would relieve them of their inertia.

As Bisaro says, the only thing stopping the GNWT from helping are the people in charge.

Emergency services are critical in any community.

When something goes wrong, and things inevitably do, it's important for residents of any given community to know they will be taken care of. People want to be able to rest assured if they are very sick or seriously injured there will be an ambulance and attendants on hand to get them to the nearest medical facility. Likewise, if their house or business catches fire, people want to know there will be a fire truck and firefighters on their way shortly to take care of the situation.

While people want all of these emergency services, it's also easy to take them for granted. As long as ambulances and fire trucks show up when they are needed, most residents don't put a lot of thought into the process that got them there.

In smaller communities complacency is problematic.

In large cities, firefighters and emergency medical personnel are paid. They show up at the scene of emergencies because it is their job to do so. None of the Deh Cho communities are large enough to pay their fire departments or ambulance services.

Instead, all Deh Cho residents depend on volunteers when it comes to firefighting and ambulance services. This is where the complacency problem comes into play.

Volunteers have to come from somewhere, they don't miraculously appear fully trained.

Communities want to feel secure in the knowledge they have adequate emergency services, but community members have to take active steps to make that happen.

The Deh Cho has been lucky recently that there have been no major house fires or multi-victim accidents. Before the streak is broken, each community should sit down and take a serious look at the state of their emergency services and gauge if anything needs to be changed or if additional support is needed.

In Fort Simpson, the volunteer fire department has launched a recruitment drive. The fact the number of members has fallen to critical levels shows the village needs to take a look at how it is supporting the department and ensuring its own safety.

Volunteer firefighters and ambulance attendants are not something communities can take for granted. Each Deh Cho community must take active steps to make sure it will be prepared in the case of an emergency.

A lot of changes are in the air this year.

Two schools will be reduced to rubble and one new, super structure will open its doors to a new generation of students.

A lot of transition will happen in the meantime, physically, mentally and emotionally.

Usable furniture, classroom decorations, pens and pencils must be rounded up, packed away and transfered to the new school.

Teachers, staff and students will trade a comfortable environment to create a new home. It will be daunting and scary at first, but once everyone takes a deep breath, opens their eyes and sees the new dwelling, the jitters will dissipate and a new feeling of home will thrive.

With all beginnings, there are endings.

Sir Alexander Mackenzie School and Samuel Hearne Secondary School have been a presence in the community for more than 40 years. Generations of students have walked those halls, and like any school, the memories are a mixture of both good and bad. Some students will remember the times they were not allowed to speak their native languages in class. Some will remember getting a good mark and being rewarded with a hearty meal at home.

Many past students of the schools are present still in the halls and classrooms, as teachers for a new generation. They have seen the school transform while the building remained the same.

It will be these strengths, these changes, that will make the move over to the community's new school. It is a school that is built on the themes of transparency and light and it is here where new memories will be made – with all Inuvik's students under one roof. There have been steps along the way to let go of the old and prepare for new: the Truth and Reconciliation Commission's visit in June, a craft night organized to encourage community members to step into the high school and say goodbye, and there are committees gathering together to organize a final farewell to the schools -- such as a dance.

No matter the memories, the schools have both shaped who people in the community are: through challenges and successes.

A chance to say farewell will most likely not be regretted and will complete the cycle as the community enters a new era in a new school.

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