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For those who have experienced hour-long commutes on the hated expressways of larger cities down south there is certainly a reason to look upon Yellowknife's "rush hour" with fondness.

It takes no more than 15 minutes to reach any destination within city limits. And for people who'd rather keep the car at home, or do without one all together and bike to work instead, there is no reason why that can't be done - even in the bitter depths of winter.

Yellowknife is perfectly situated for the cycling enthusiast: small enough to commute to work or a friend's home with ease but also a pleasant place to pedal, with gentle hills and scenic trails. This is something else the city may want to highlight next time it makes a promotional video touting the positive aspects of Yellowknife living.

Of course, not all is perfect. This city was not built with cyclists in mind, and some roads in the city - most of Franklin Avenue and Kam Lake Road, for example - can be extremely daunting places to ride. Some would say the best way to keep cyclists safe would be to adopt a mandatory helmet bylaw, but that would be a mistake.

Bicycle helmets do provide some measure of protection but a helmet bylaw would likely prove an unnecessary impediment to Yellowknife's growth as a cycling city. It's wise to wear one when driving on the main roads, but should people be expected to carry them when going to the store or paying bills at city hall?

The Netherlands is the most bike-friendly country in the world, with nearly 30 per cent of the population using only their bicycles to get around. Yet that nation has no helmet law. Their solution is to have safer paths and roads, something Ecology North's transportation issues committee has been encouraging the city to do for some time with limited results.

City council should view every road rehabilitation project as an opportunity to develop bicycle lanes and paths to keep cyclists away from motorists - the main threat to their safety.

The city's recent push for road, water and sewer replacements presents a golden opportunity to begin revamping Yellowknife as a true cycling city.

It is time Yellowknife, home to almost half the territory's population, gains more representation in the legislative assembly.

Currently, the capital city has seven of 19 seats in the arena of territorial politics.

On Feb. 4, the Northwest Territories Electoral Boundaries Commission proposed a number of electoral boundary changes in an effort to improve democracy in the NWT. The commission proposed options with 18, 19 and 21 seats.

The 18-seat map would not add any new seats to Yellowknife, but would rejig some of the district boundaries. If 19 seats are maintained, the commission advises eliminating the sparsely-populated Tu Nedhe riding and adding a Yellowknife district, which would amalgamate portions of the Range Lake, Yellowknife Centre, Weledeh and Frame Lake ridings.

If 21 seats are adopted, the commission suggests adding two Yellowknife seats by combining the Niven Lake subdivision and residences around Frame Lake for one district, and the residential neighbourhood on the southwest side of Old Airport Road, Northland Trailer Park, and Woolgar Avenue for the second district. In addition, Ndilo and Dettah would be removed from the Weledeh riding and combined with the existing Tu Nedhe riding.

The comparatively dense population in Yellowknife, having neighbourhoods with different needs and interests, would be well-served by an extra seat, or two, in the legislative assembly.

Residents of Yellowknife, Ndilo and Dettah should contemplate the commission's proposals and share their input before the spring deadline if they conclude as we do that it's time for democratic change.

There are times you can't help but wonder who sets the priorities within our territorial government.

You'd think getting a program into our communities which offers front-line help in the battle against suicide would be high on the list.

Yet, as of this past month, only about 40 per cent of school principals and staff members in four communities across Nunavut had taken the Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASIST).

That's a staggeringly low number considering the high rate of suicide we grapple with in Nunavut every year.

Many educators and a number of local district education authorities would like to see every school staff member take the training, as well as having ASIST made available to the general public in every Nunavut community.

The Government of Nunavut (GN), apparently, is looking into providing more training, and ASIST has been available in Inuktitut and English for the past three years, but at a frustratingly slow pace.

ASIST is suicide firstaid training, which teaches participants to recognize risk and learn how to intervene effectively to reduce the immediate risk of suicide.

Delivered by certified trainers, those who take the program learn to recognize people at risk are affected by personal and societal attitudes about suicide, identify factors that indicate and estimate the risk of suicide, estimate the degree of risk, and discuss suicide with a person at risk in a direct manner.

They can demonstrate skills required to intervene with a person at risk, and list resources available and commit to helping co-ordinate social support resources to them.

Many ASIST evaluations have been conducted in numerous countries and the vast majority are overwhelmingly positive.

The twoday program is emotionally draining, but its pros far outweigh its cons.

A homegrown program, ASIST was developed at the University of Calgary, Alta., in the early 1980s and, in 1991, LivingWorks Education was established to market the course outside Alberta.

In many of the test studies in the 1990s, such as the one conducted with medical students by the department of psychiatric research and development at the University Hospital of North Norway, the participants reported more confidence and better skills in suicide intervention.

The assessment has remained consistent over time.

During a 2007 review in Scotland, the vast majority of participants reported positive reactions to the training and found it useful and relevant.

Those who found it to be most useful included local government and voluntary sector staff, and individuals who perceived themselves to have low levels of suicide intervention confidence, knowledge and skills prior to attending ASIST.

Participants reported their levels of knowledge, confidence and skills of intervening with someone at risk of suicide increased considerably immediately after ASIST, and the increases were largely maintained over time.

With such endorsements from around the globe, surely the time has come for the GN to step up its efforts to provide additional ASIST training in our communities.

It is another effective tool to help us defeat one of the most devastating ailments in the North and yet another way action can replace talk to help those who are struggling to embrace life.

Devolution. It's a word that has been circulating the halls of the GNWT and Northern communities for more than two decades.

Over those years, four premiers have sung the benefits of the territory assuming province-like powers and each has, at one point or another, claimed to be close to a deal with the federal government.

Like Moses's biblical quest across the desert in search of the promised land, devolution has become a shimmering mirage. Most people are at the point that they'll believe the tales of wealth and autonomy when the ink finally hits the paper.

There is no question the Devolution Agreement-in-Principle has brought us closer to finalizing the transfer of power than at any time in the past. However, the road ahead won't be easy. Many concerns have been raised by aboriginal groups and MLAs about how devolution will truly benefit the GNWT. Premier Bob McLeod insists the NWT will save millions per year and make millions more in resource revenue.

Aboriginal leaders who have not signed on to the agreement-in-principle have not bought into the benefits, nor do they believe the consultation has been sufficient. Although the premier has said the devolution caravan will push ahead without that support, there is potential that lawsuits could further delay an agreement.

MLAs Bob Bromley, Norman Yakeleya and a few others are also raising alarm bells over the NWT's role in environmental protection when devolution takes effect. Instead of assuming the power to legislate our own regulatory regime, we will be left to administer on behalf of the Government of Canada. The NWT needs autonomy over development. It is vital that Northerners dictate the type of development they want to see on their land and the levels of protection in place.

It is also important to note that devolution will in no way free us from the purse strings of Ottawa. Had devolution been in place in 2012, the territory would have retained approximately $65 million in resource revenue, according to the GNWT devolution office. Despite the government's assertions that federal transfer payments won't be affected by devolution - a point we remain skeptical about - $65 million comes nowhere near the billion dollars we receive from Ottawa every year, which makes up the bulk of our budget.

There is no question devolution is important and every premier over the past 20 years has been hoping to be the one to sign their name to the historic document. Nevertheless, we should not grow impatient or view the length of time to ratify an agreement as a failure. The choices made under devolution will have sweeping effects on the territory, so ensuring we get the best possible terms is worth the wait.

Hopefully our political leaders can keep that in mind and not settle for a second-rate deal just so they can say they were the ones to finally make it official.

As many of our readers know all too well, the land of the North can be a treacherous place.

One must always be vigilant and situationally aware.

The predatory beasts that inhabit this land are of less concern than the winds, snow and temperature - the inherit risks of the Northern environment.

The modern world is no less dangerous, though its dangers and obstacles are different, and perhaps more difficult for which to prepare.

The skills one uses on the land are clear and well-defined; they can be learned by watching and taught by doing. Though life skills for the modern world are less clear and well-defined, they can be taught and honed, and are just as essential to young Nunavummiut.

Nunavut News/North has consistently stressed the necessity of maintaining traditional skills and values. It's important both for the survival of culture and for an individual's physical survival on the land.

The modern world's direct parallel to nature's hostilities must be recognized, and we must - as peers, parents, teachers and friends - enforce modern values with the same gusto as we do traditional values.

Being late for a meeting, or for work, is no more a moral issue than heading for shore when the wind picks up. It's just what one must do to get by. Failure in academics is not something to be ashamed of - or a sign that these subjects are not worth learning - but a step in education.

Inuit are incredibly lucky to have profound knowledge about living on the land; knowledge that has been passed down and honed since time immemorial. Much of these related skills, however, do not directly apply to the world that began overseas and imposed itself upon North America. This world was vastly different, and most, if not all, Inuit were hit hard by its differences and are trying to adjust while holding on to the ways of life that define them.

Maintaining both is possible, but adaption to the modern world cannot be placed solely on the shoulders of teachers brought up from the south. Its importance must be recognized by all, and we are seeing every day the effects of not adjusting.

Our high rates of alcoholism, youth suicide and terrible violence all have roots in this culture clash. Skills of conflict management, coping strategies and goal-setting - such as what is being taught in Arviat's Leadership Resiliency Program - must be emphasized as much as hunting and survival. These are, after all, survival skills as well.

No Inuk asked for the Western world to come and fundamentally change the way life works on this beautiful and powerful land mass, but this is the world we have today. This is the world our children are inheriting. To live optimally, they must retain a grasp on their Inuit heritage while adapting to values promoted in school and the workplace.

Money should be no obstacle when it comes to desperately-needed treatment services for Yellowknife residents afflicted by alcohol and substance addictions.

Professionals and a designated treatment centre are needed to help people live productive lives, not only because it is the compassionate thing to do but also because it will save taxpayers money in the long run.

Take, for example, the case of Rose Martel, a 39-year-old 14-time repeat offender who is serving five months in jail for a shoplifting spree that took place over 21 months. Martel's string of crimes began at Canadian Tire in April 2011, followed by Shoppers Drug Mart, the Yellowknife Downtown Liquor Store and, last month, Barren Land Jewellery, where she stole a rack of earrings valued at $1,665.

Martel has a painful past, and satisfying her crack cocaine addiction is the motive for her crimes, according to her lawyer.

Also disturbing is the case of Shane Elanik, a 35-year-old offender with 56 prior convictions who was sentenced to 30 months in jail for nine more convictions, most of them related to a month-long rash of thefts late last summer. He stole from the Old Airport Road Extra Foods, Sears, and broke into Acme Analytical Labs Ltd., the Super 8 Motel, and Staples, where he stole laptops valued at $1,945. He also attempted to steal cash from the Monkey Tree Gas Bar.

Like Martel, Elanik suffered a painful past, and similar to Martel, his lawyer said feeding a crack cocaine addiction was the motive for his crimes.

Clearly, the court costs and costs to businesses that were the victims of these crimes makes a mark on the public and private bottom lines. Reaching out to support people with addictions before they end up in jail, or soon after they are released, is key to cutting this human and economic toll.

Yesterday's territorial budget announced $1.15 million for mental health and addictions prevention and awareness initiatives. The funding also aims to develop detox program models, improve case management for people dealing with mental health issues, and connecting clients with mental health treatment and follow- up services through the tele-health system.

Another $339,000 is being set aside to continue the pilot alcohol and drug treatment program at the South Mackenzie Correctional Centre in Hay River, where a majority of the offenders suffer substance abuse problems.

However, the new funding merely represents a refinement and maintenance of the status quo when it comes to pulling addicts away from the criminal margins of society.

More in-depth intervention is needed given the scale of the problem in the NWT, which is concentrated in the capital - the North's largest centre and the place where many addicts from communities land. This will come at a cost.

Operational expenditures for the Department of Justice, of which court costs account for a substantial portion of the expense, amount to almost $117 million in the 2013-2014 budget. Each person accused of crimes costs thousands of dollars in expenses related to police, court clerks, judges, and jail staff if they are kept in custody or given a sentence behind bars.

Money spent on a Yellowknife treatment centre would be a wise investment to help lower these lofty figures over the long term while improving lives along the way.

It's great to hear about the strength of the Canadian Ranger patrol in Fort Providence.

The patrol has more than 30 members, 21 of whom participated in a training session and on-the-land patrol last month. As the five-day patrol demonstrated, the Ranger program brings with it a number of positive benefits.

One of the great parts of the Ranger's program is the emphasis it places on traditional and bush skills.

Being on the land is one of the parts of being a Ranger that Sgt. Clifford Vandell, the officer in charge of the Fort Providence Rangers, enjoys most. Vandell joined the Rangers 13 years ago after being away from Fort Providence for approximately eight years.

He wanted to get out on the land more often and learn more while he was there. It's great to be on the land and learn from more experienced Rangers, he said.

In the Deh Cho, a lot of emphasis is placed on the importance of teaching youth traditional skills. However, there is seldom talk of how to pass on or strengthen those same skills in adults who may not have learned them, or simply haven't had many chances to use them.

The Rangers fills that gap. Sgt. Marcy Maddison, a Ranger instructor, said the annual patrols gives the older Rangers a chance to pass on knowledge to the younger ones.

"They've got that experience on the land," she said.

In addition to passing on bush skills, the Canadian Rangers can also play an important role when disasters strike or search and rescues have to be undertaken.

While on patrol, the Fort Providence Rangers did a search and rescue drill in which they were tasked with locating two hunters, known to be in their area, who were two days overdue.

If two hunters had really been missing, they would have counted themselves lucky to have the Rangers on their trail. In the simulation, the Rangers found the two mock hunters in approximately 45 minutes and were quickly administering first aid, warming them up with blankets and a fire and setting up a tent for shelter.

The patrol members in Fort Providence and other Northern communities are upholding the history of the Canadian Rangers. They are keeping traditional bush skills alive and preparing to serve when they are called on.

The distinctive red hoodies that Canadian Rangers wear should be considered a sign that deserves respect.

It shouldn't be news to anyone that Inuvik is struggling through a difficult economic period.

Nevertheless, a visit by the GNWT Economic Opportunities Strategy panel last week brought many issues to the forefront.

Several local business owners grumbled about the lack of proper marketing, direction and resources from the GNWT when it came to tourism. Others blamed the government for creating a regulatory nightmare that chases potential big-bucks developers off. Still others blamed the government for contributing to, if not creating, a system of dependency that is robbing people of their independence by making it difficult to cut themselves off from support programs, if not outright discouraging it.

All these claims have validity to them, but the onus cannot be put solely on the government.

Rather than take the blunderbuss approach, I'm going to narrow my focus to the tourism market, and the problems it has that we can fix.

"Tourism is a 24/7 business," assistant deputy-mayor Alana Mero said at the panel. "Tourism has to be a lifestyle. The community has to be motivated, or there's no buy-in."

I think Mero put her finger on one of the cruxes of the problem when it comes to tourism here. I've travelled extensively across Canada, in small Northern towns and larger urban centres, and there are places that just "get" the concept of tourism, which is strongly associated with customer service, but far more don't.

Now, I don't want to ruffle too many feathers here in Inuvik, particularly since I've been here only a week or so – but I am going to stir the pot a little. Or maybe, I'm going to stir it a lot.

While I've found most people here to be extremely friendly and welcoming (which is something I truly appreciate), Inuvik immediately strikes me as a place that doesn't, to use Mero's phrase, buy into tourism. By extension, customer service in town needs to satisfy tourists. Instead of enthusiasm, apathy abounds.

While people are fiercely protective and loyal to the town, and justifiably proud of many things associated with it, my first impression is that there is a profound ignorance, if not outright obliviousness, as to why someone would want to visit here. It's an indication of a troubling and perplexing lack of curiosity and appreciation for what surrounds you.

I've seen the same thing in town after town and region after region. It's not so much that residents are jaded about the charms of where they live, instead, it's more likely they've never experienced them at all because the "grass is always greener somewhere else."

I lived just outside of one small town in Ontario for more than 10 years. Just beyond the town limits is a fantastic cave system with spectacular photographic possibilities. You know who visits it though? Tourists and transplants. Most people born and raised there had never visited.

I see signs of the same apathy in Inuvik, and that's clearly one of the problems with tourism here. Many people just aren't excited to be living in the town, and I think they should be. That's also something that visitors will quickly pick up on, and word of mouth, especially with social media, travels fast and far.

As chamber of commerce president Newton Grey said at the meeting, "we have to get Canadians excited about coming to the NWT."

The people here already have to be excited, too.

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