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After more than 50 power outages in Yellowknife since Jan. 1, including the 53rd and 54th disruptions on the weekend, residents are largely still in the dark about why service is so unreliable.

The occasional power outage is something Northerners have to live with, but people are beyond frustrated at the frequency of late having to constantly reset their blinking clocks, reboot computer systems, wondering if their electronics are on the fritz due to the repeated power problems and having to spend extra hours at work due to lost productivity - some tasks simply cannot be left until the next day.

When a Facebook group called "Yellowknifers Want Power... OR MONEY!" was started last week, it quickly grew to more than 600 members. People's posts suggest many residents share a dim view of the power corp.'s requested 25 per cent power rate hike in light of the numerous outages. Many members of the group argue that it is power corp. that owes them compensation for inconsistent service.

Business owners are also speaking out about the impact frequent outages have on their bottom line. Whenever electricity is lost, revenue is lost. Stores lose customers who cannot pay for their desired merchandise. Restaurants cannot provide food for patrons, and some of what was being cooked winds up as waste. Sometimes workers have to be paid overtime due to the power outages.

The NWT Power Corporation and power distribution company Northland Utilities owe ratepayers an explanation as to why outages occur so frequently - ranging from single customer disruptions to citywide blackouts.

The power corp. has recently developed an 18-point action plan to address problems. That was done with the help of outside experts in an effort to improve service. That's a start.

Northland Utilities, on the other hand, continues to rely on existing checks and balances, according to spokesperson Dwayne Morgan. Surely the deteriorating situation calls for Northland to step up its efforts as well.

The top officials at the power corp. are apparently going to shed some light on the issue today. Brendan Bell, chair of the power corp., and Emanuel DaRosa, the utility's president and CEO, called a press conference at Jackfish power plant, scheduled for 10 a.m. The information session is intended "to provide additional information about its plan to increase the reliability of its Yellowknife system," according to a press release issued Monday.

Now that the power providers are in the spotlight, they should take the opportunity to enlighten their customers about precisely how they plan to keep the lights on longer and more.

Michael Miltenberger, minister responsible for the power corp., should also be prepared to discuss the matter publicly so that ratepayers can be confident improvements are in the offing.

Reassurances, it should be noted, will only go so far. There's only one thing that will truly appease Yellowknife residents, and that's reliably keeping the lights on at home and at work.

Regular readers of Kivalliq News know I often take an editorial stance against any form of government abuse, especially when it pertains to a misuse of power.

Ditto the cone of silence when they throw credibility and accountability out the window to deal with an issue behind closed doors, or refuse to explain the reasoning behind an action taken.

The cone of silence is a seed from which abuse of power often grows and, in a country where even access to scientists on the government payroll is being denied, far too many have begun to sprout in Canada during the past decade.

But, still, we're far better off than many countries when it comes to just how far a government will take things to make a point. Or are we?

I must admit, as mad as I was at the time, I forgot all about Bruce Montague of Kenora, Ont., until I read an exceptional piece in Troy Media by Karen Selick this past week, who is the litigation director for the Canadian Constitution Foundation.

Selick's piece was prompted by the smug outrage of many Canadians over the two-year sentence given the Russian group Pussy Riot, following its political panning of government head Vladimir Putin in a Moscow church.

Two years for such a relatively harmless display of protest was a tad heavyhanded for our liking, and we were relieved to know that could never happen in our country.

Well, that's where Mr. Montague comes in.

A mere decade ago, Montague had all the legal documentation necessary to run his arms business, but he wasn't exactly enamoured with this country's Firearm's Act (you remember that!).

He joined a protest group and intentionally let all his documentation, including his firearms acquisition certificate, expire.

By 2003 he had become an illegal business owner ready to challenge the act in court.

In fact, Selick refers to him as the "poster boy" for the protest, which was exactly what he had become.

Montague did just about everything he could think of to have himself charged with violations, but to no avail. Everything that is, but harm, threaten or try to scare anyone, or support violence in any form. He was always peaceful in his protest demonstrations.

Finally, while at a gun show with his 12yearold daughter, he was arrested by six Ontario Provincial Police officers and faced 53 counts on 12 different charges.

He was found guilty on 26, sentenced to 18 months incarceration, 90 days imprisonment in the community and a year's probation all for failing to comply with regulations.

Now Ontario is trying to take away his home because it housed his gunsmith shop. He's been given the option of paying the government $50,000 and keeping his mouth shut about it to keep the house.

And this is a man who never harmed a soul or as much as threatened anyone.

In Nunavut, when so many were upset with the long gun registry, folks often conducted business as usual with unregistered weapons.

Imagine what the authorities could have done if they'd decided to make an example of someone.

Little seeds can grow into big trees very quickly - trees that cause a lot of damage when pushed over on you. That's why we should do all we can to prevent those seeds from growing, when first we notice they've been sown.

There is something wrong in Fort Resolution.

At the beginning of the year residents expressed concern to the health department about the number of cancer deaths in the community. Chief Louis Balsillie put the severity of the problem into perspective last week when he said he was going to a funeral almost every month to mourn the latest person to succumb to cancer.

A recent report by the health department confirms incidences of cancer in Fort Resolution are unusually high, exceeding what would be considered normal by 78 per cent. When tasked with studying the deadly anomaly, the health department paid attention to environmental concerns community members believed were contributing to the cancer rates. Among those concerns were fears associated with the possibility of contaminated drinking water, asbestos exposure and residual radiation from the 1978 crash of the Soviet satellite Cosmos 954.

The report noted there were no environmental risk factors that could account for the increased cancer cases. However, the report's findings had Balsillie seeing red and refusing to accept its outcome.

The research found the cancer rates in Fort Resolution might be attributed to lifestyle. Among the factors: smoking is common, there is over-use of alcohol, obesity is an issue for some and participation in cancer screening programs is lower than average.

It's understandable that the news would cause some anger among the people and leaders of the community, but it would be a mistake to completely ignore the findings.

Unfortunately, that is the road Balsillie is choosing to take. He refused to participate in follow-up meetings concerning the report, nor has he read the health department's document.

"We need to put an answer to it, not say that your people smoke too much," he said.

The juxtaposition of those two statements shows that Balsillie is ignoring the facts.

The data is telling. Lung cancer accounted for nearly one-third - 32.7 per cent - of the cancers diagnosed and 95 per cent of those diagnoses were attributed to smoking or second-hand smoke. Eighty-eight per cent of the cancers detected were also said to have alcohol as a factor.

Balsillie might be right about there being other factors involved in the community's cancer rates, but he must admit there is compelling proof that lifestyle is a major contributor that should not be ignored.

As chief he has a responsibility to participate in any dialogue that will help save lives, even if that communication forces people to look at some hard truths. By choosing to ignore the report, he is telling people it's OK to turn a blind eye to their personal risk factors. He also risks losing the chance to be a part of future studies to closer scrutinize possible environmental factors.

There comes a time when people must take responsibility for the consequences of their actions. In the NWT as a whole - not just Fort Resolution - smoking and excessive drinking rates are twice the national average, according to the NWT Bureau of Statistics. It's time to see those stats as the potentially deadly numbers they are.

Balsillie should demonstrate leadership by being part of the solution, which includes supporting the report's recommendations for more public education and prevention strategies.

The report has urged closer surveillance of cancer types and rates in the communities over the next five years, which should help to further clarify the causes and risk factors.

But work must start now to prevent people in Fort Resolution from attending more funerals and part of that work includes taking a long, hard look in the mirror.

"Justice delayed is justice denied," said William Gladstone, prime minister of Great Britain during the 1800s.

Gladstone obviously wasn't referring to Nunavut's court system, but he very well could have been.

There have been instances in our territory when an accused walked into a courtroom on several occasions, each time with a different lawyer. Another accused appeared eight times in court before acquiring legal aid. That's ludicrous and shouldn't be allowed to happen.

There are files backlogged because Crown lawyers face conflicts of interest and must wait for colleagues from the south to jump in, resulting in further lags.

Many issues brought forward in a Nunavut legal services study from a decade ago still need to be addressed today.

There was unanimous agreement from survey participants that there is an unmet need for legal services in Nunavut due to a lack of representation or a lack of quality representation.

There must be clear communication between lawyers and the clients. A court worker's responsibility includes assisting the client to work with the justice system, to understand the situation and their rights. While the onus is on the client to seek representation immediately, those who deliberately drag their feet must be forced to act.

The longer cases crawl through the system, the longer victims remain victimized by the system.

Nunavut needs effective trial processes, not cases lingering for months, or worse, for years.

Search and rescue missions are all too common in Nunavut.

Within the past month, nine caribou hunters from Cape Dorset were in need of supplies from the coast guard; five narwhal hunters had to be plucked from the waters outside of Arctic Bay; three Cape Dorset boaters who capsized after hitting ice were rescued by a passing vessel, but one of those men later died.

There are cases where people find themselves in great danger and need help right away.

This is why those who venture out on the land and water should always have satellite phones and SPOT devices.

But some travellers temporarily stranded by weather, rough waters or ice, could avoid costly search and rescue missions involving coast guard ships or aircraft scrambled from southern Canada.

Workshops should be held in communities to inform and remind residents of how to be ready for the punishing and even deadly features of the Arctic's geography and climate. It is necessary to bring extra medication in case of delay and pack ample food and blankets in case circumstances change.

Too many uneventful trips without exercising adequate foresight lead to complacency, but proper preparation could be the difference between life and death.

Answering questions concerning the NWT's one and only addictions treatment centre earlier this year, Health Minister Tom Beaulieu suggested the future path for treating those in need will lead them into the bush.

"On-the-land addictions and mental health treatment. The department is trying to move in that direction," Beaulieu said in response to questions by Yellowknife Centre MLA Robert Hawkins, who was questioning the minister on the capability of the Nats'ejee K'eh Treatment Centre on the Hay River Reserve to deal with people addicted to hard drugs.

Whether out on the land or in Hay River, it's doubtful either option is sufficient to help people where help is most needed: right here in Yellowknife.

Last year, a jury made 16 recommendations after a coroner's inquest into the death of Raymond Eagle, who was found injured and bleeding from a head wound on a downtown street in August 2006. He died after being in a coma for more than three years after first being taken to the hospital the night he was found, then to jail, and then rushed back to hospital when his condition worsened.

One of the recommendations, which like many of the others remains unfulfilled, called on the Department of Health and Social Services to put together a community consultative group to explore the possibility of establishing a drug, alcohol and substance rehabilitation centre in Yellowknife, and a halfway house to transition clients back into society.

Other than a withdrawal program at the Salvation Army, there is nothing resembling a detox facility in Yellowknife. A detox centre near Dettah, the Somba K'e Healing Centre, was closed in 2003 due to a lack of medical expertise and insufficient funds.

Nats'ejee K'eh, which opened its doors in 1993, has 30 beds available for both men and women. But despite being the only residential treatment centre in the entire territory it is usually only half-full.

This clearly shows the facility is not adequately addressing the rampant addictions issues afflicting our city or the territory as a whole. Outcasts from the smaller communities in the territory aren't going to Hay River, they're coming to Yellowknife. Our downtown streets are full of some of the most dysfunctional citizens in the territory on any given day of the week. Having a detox centre won't result in all of them marching through its door, but it will surely offer a guiding light to some.

The need is here and always has been, which made the government's decision to place Nats'ejee K'eh in Hay River purely a political one.

Beaulieu's halfhearted commitment to "take a closer look" at opening a Yellowknife-based treatment centre and halfway house sometime before 2015 doesn't hold much promise, considering his department's non-committal stance to provide permanent funding for the downtown day shelter run by the John Howard Society.

Police, hospital staff, and social workers, meanwhile, will continue to be bogged down, trying to cope with the sea of troubled humanity that continues to flood into our city from elsewhere.

We can't endorse all the recommendations the coroner's jury made following Raymond Eagle's death. For instance, the idea that the hospital should establish a protocol for sharing medical information with police. It would seem more logical that people found bleeding profusely from the head should simply not be put in jail. They'd be better off in a hospital bed, strapped there, if necessary.

Raymond Eagle lived and died in a troubling manner, like so many people on our streets before and after him. But if any good comes out of his death, it would be this: that the GNWT dust off those recommendations from the coroner's jury and build a residential treatment centre in Yellowknife.

Students are continuing to settle into their school routines this week, with most of them bracing themselves for the loads of homework and projects to come.

Some students are excited to be back but many would rather have summer last forever. Deh Cho Drum spoke to a number of students this week to find out what their goals are for the school year. For most, their only objective in mind was passing their classes so they can get to the next grade. But to kids school should be something more than just that place parents make children go and it's up to the community to help them see that. Teachers can't do it alone.

Students who have a stronger attachment to school have fewer emotional and behavioural problems and ultimately do better academically, according to the Canadian Public Health Association.

The community can help students connect with their school by working together to ensure all students are safe and happy while they're there. Everyone should be keeping an eye out for bullies and taking action to ensure bad behaviour stops. If no one intervenes, the bullying will continue because a lack of action tells the child what he or she is doing is acceptable. Students also need to know it is OK for them to talk about bullying. Parents can help by bringing the topic up to their kids and letting them know who they can talk to besides themselves. Adults can start by putting the number for the Kids Help Phone on the fridge.

Literacy is also an important factor to consider. Statistics from the NWT Literacy Council show that a child's literacy level greatly affects how they do in school.

In Canada, about 60 per cent of youth with a reading level of one or lower completed high school. Meanwhile, 100 per cent of the students reading at the highest levels received their diploma.

Of course, teachers need to be helping students learn how to read, but literacy starts at home.

Parents should ignite a child's love for reading at a young age by bringing books into the home. That love of reading will spill over into school and help them succeed in the future.

The youth are our future and how they do in life shouldn't be left up to one person. It takes a village to raise a child.

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Vandals made others go hungry
Editorial Comment
Danielle Sachs
Inuvik Drum - Thursday, Sept. 13, 2012

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The newsroom phone was ringing off the hook as people called to talk about the most recent Inuvik Food Bank break-in.

The descriptions didn't even come close to the real picture.

"Horrific" and "disgusting" were just two of the words used to describe the vandalism.

It was obviously done with malicious intent, someone said.

Darkness is starting to return to Inuvik and with the darkness, unfortunately, vandalism.

It wasn't only the food bank that suffered over the weekend. Jars of spaghetti sauce stolen from the non-profit were used to break windows at the library and the front door of Samuel Hearne Secondary School.

It's one thing – not necessarily the right thing – to break into a food bank and warm up while eating some food. Everyone has the right to basic shelter, nutrition and comfort. But breaking into a needed community resource for the sole purpose of smashing everything to be found? That's inexcusable.

Desk drawers were opened and sauce poured in. Shelves were swept empty of cans, bottles and dry goods. The fax machine was smashed.

A group of volunteers cleaning the building for hours on Monday night worked by flashlight until lightbulbs could be replaced because even those had been unscrewed and smashed to bits on the ground.

It didn't take long to mobilize a clean-up crew, but there shouldn't have been a need for one.

Anything that could be salvaged was. Cans were wiped clean and set aside. One volunteer jokingly mentioned setting up camp on a rooftop with a paintball gun waiting for the vandals to return.

But there weren't any smiles at the cleanup. The entrance is off the beaten path and anyone wanting to gain access could easily do so if they were determined enough. And there there was nothing but determination here.

It takes a lot of effort to smash everything you see, especially in the early morning hours of Sunday when most people are asleep. The saddest part is the vandal, or vandals, willingly took food away from their families, friends and neighbours. An expected delivery of groceries and supplies for the food bank had to be delayed because there's no point in storing them without a secure door.

There are people who have gone to bed hungry this week. People who count on the food bank to get them through one more week. Whoever is responsible will be caught. Hopefully, whatever their punishment is will demonstrate exactly how much they have hurt their community.

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