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At a time when so much political, economic and environmental attention is being paid on the North, the NWT needs the strongest voice possible to represent it in Ottawa.

With NDP MP Dennis Bevington's announcement that he may not seek re-election if Prime Minister Stephen Harper sticks to the set election date of Oct. 19, 2015, a lot is at stake.

With the federal election race in its very early days, candidates are starting to come out of the woodwork for the newly-renamed NWT riding.

Last week, a few candidates identified themselves, but we would like to see more.

If Bevington, the strongest NDP candidate in the territory, doesn't run, the question of who could fill that NDP slot is a bit of a mystery.

Kieron Testart, who recently resigned as president of the NWT Liberal Party in order to put his name forward, is untested and unknown.

Voters have yet to find out who he is, which isn't necessarily a bad thing. We question whether he has the political clout or name recognition - especially outside of Yellowknife.

Floyd Roland, who is seeking the Conservative Party nomination, is very much a known quantity. Residents had the chance to get to know his leadership style during his time as premier - and they didn't necessarily like what they saw.

Where Premier Bob McLeod, who took over from Roland, has finished the devolution agreement which is now being implemented, seen the opening of the Deh Cho Bridge, completed bilateral agreements and renewed relationships with many aboriginal governments, and raised the profile of the territory in Ottawa, voters will likely have a hard time pointing to similar accomplishments from Roland. Ask anyone about Premier Roland, and you're likely to hear about his high-profile sex scandal involving a legislative assembly clerk.

The most likely candidate to win if Bevington does retire is someone with a solid track record in leadership who has the name recognition required to get the votes.

Where are the female aboriginal candidates? Former premier Nellie Cournoyea would yet make a formidable opponent for any challenger.

A federal election also means that party politics are about to sweep through the North. For this brief period, votes somewhat stop being based around how long someone has been in the North and their family ties.

Voters will be asked to choose between the Conservatives, who could remain the party in power even if people are tired of them; New Democrats, traditionally strong in the NWT but have suffered in national polls after the loss of its enigmatic leader Jack Layton; and the Liberals, for whom the young leader Justin Trudeau is making strides, yet in many ways is as untested as Testart.

However you feel about him, Harper has paid more attention to the North than any other prime minister in recent history. His government, however, has clearly been playing favourites with Nunavut, who elected Conservative MP Leona Aglukkaq. If the Conservatives win again, we can expect more of the same unless we send a member of the Conservative Party to Parliament.

While the general population in the territory appears to be split relatively evenly between pro- and anti-development sentiments, five out of seven aboriginal groups are outwardly pro-development.

If the North is "open for business," as our premier loves to say, it will be important to have an MP from the ruling party next term.

If climate concerns and sustainability are going to rule the next term in office, then voters will have a more difficult - and perhaps more interesting - choice to make.

Either way, it all starts with people who feel passionately about politics moving beyond thinking about running and putting their names forward.

Now is the time.

Opportunity is knocking and only a few are answering the door when it comes to the Mary River iron ore mine on north Baffin Island. Baffinland Iron Mines Corp.'s labour market analysis is forecasting that almost 80 per cent of jobs will be filled by workers from the south, who will be transported to Nunavut on chartered aircraft for rotating shifts.

Existing training programs cannot get Nunavummiut ready fast enough to operate heavy equipment or find employment in a range of jobs at the large, open-pit mine, which began shipping iron ore to Milne Inlet this year in anticipation of next year's open-water shipping season.

There is an estimated 365 jobs between the Mary River mine site and the Milne Inlet port. So far, only 41 of the low-skill level positions that only require on-the-job training are expected to be filled by Inuit or local non-Inuit people.

That leaves hundreds of other employment opportunities just waiting to be filled. It is estimated that applicants for 325 jobs require a minimum of a high school diploma or occupation-specific training. Another 177 jobs will require post-secondary education or advanced training in a trade. Baffinland has already paid $20 million to the Qikiqtani Inuit Association because of its Inuit impact benefit agreement but must also increase its level of Inuit employment over time. Priority is given to Inuit from the communities of Pond Inlet, Iglulik, Clyde River, Hall Beach, and Arctic Bay but no specific targets have been attached to the number of employees that should be hired.

We recognize that working in a mine is not attractive to all people and that a majority of Inuit would prefer to live a traditional lifestyle, relying on hunting, trapping and fishing to support themselves and their families.

There are many others, however, who recognize that it is possible to adapt to a balanced lifestyle.

They relish the opportunity to increase their skill level, learn to work within a large company and become accustomed to meeting the challenges of living in camp for two weeks, then returning home for two weeks to spend time with family before the next rotation.

It is easier than ever for residents of the Qikiqtani communities to exploit the opportunities presented by the mining company, to reap the benefits of a multinational company doing business on their land, because they have been given priority-hiring status and the company is developing an Inuit human resource strategy.

Baffinland is in its infancy, finally getting past regulatory, financial and corporate structure hurdles to proceed with its long-term plans, which suggest the mine could operate for the next 20 years.

As the poet Horace said, "carpe diem," or "seize the day."

While domestic violence can sometimes seem to be a private matter, it is now being pushed to the forefront by groups and victims of abuse as a societal problem.

More than 50 people marched to raise awareness for Canada's missing and murdered aboriginal women during the Sisters in Spirit walk Oct. 3. Participant Sarah Carr-Locke said she was there to support women and bring attention to the safety of women in Yellowknife and other communities. She asked whether the city's streets were safe for all women, citing another walk for women, Take Back the Night, which was held this past Thursday. The last Sisters in Spirit walk went to Behchoko in 2006 and was warmly greeted by the community and people living along the route.

When people participate in these kinds of events, it proves they do care about ending violence in all its forms. However, there seems to be a debate forming around the question of which gender is affected more. The answer is everyone.

Sisters in Spirit organizer Marie Speakman called on the men of the communities to step up as protectors, explaining the issue of domestic violence affects them as well. As one man on the walk, Kelly Bourassa, said, all men have women they care about in their lives, so this is an issue that touches everyone.

Until recently, the focus has been almost exclusively on female victims. To make this everyone's issue, women and anti-violence groups have to reach out to men and men have to stand up in opposition to domestic violence. In hindsight, some campaigns to bring domestic violence to the forefront may have cast a bad light on men as the perpetrators of violence and women almost always the victims. This has led to mistrust on both sides. This has to be put aside if we hope to make any real progress on this issue.

Inaction is the main reason violence persists, either out of fear or belief that it's "not my problem." Stories from our own community show people are still reluctant to confront it. Mira Hall recounted her own experiences at the opening event of Family Violence Awareness Week on Oct. 6. An ex-boyfriend publicly attacked her in a coffee shop where she worked, but no one stood up to help her. Instead, she said patrons sat at their tables "looking at their coffees." This was after she escaped an abusive boyfriend in Manitoba with the help of a male roommate. Premier Bob McLeod made a stark point after hearing her experience in the coffee shop, saying such non-action is tantamount to signalling domestic violence is OK.

If we want domestic violence to be dealt with, we have to deal with it ourselves. Grand heroics are not required, but simple phone calls can expose abusers and send help to victims. We are making progress, but women are still going missing or being murdered, or are running to emergency shelters, family and friends to escape violent partners. We still have a long way to go.

It's often said if you have big names fronting your event, it will be a success.

Such was the case last week for a couple of special events. First, the Sutter family headlined the annual Summit Air Champions For Children dinner in support of KidSport NWT.

Next, the NWT Literacy Council managed to bring Jonathan Torrens, better known to most as J-Roc from Trailer Park Boys, back to the city for his seemingly biennial appearance in support of the Peter Gzowski Invitationals for Literacy.

The total funds raised during these events aren't known yet but what is known is plenty of people were talking about them.

As much as celebrities and personalities are frowned upon for stealing the spotlight far too often, these are two examples where it's a good thing to have name recognition on the marquee.

People will buy tickets and write cheques for a good cause if they know a big name is involved.

What's even more noteworthy in these two instances is that those famous names who came North actually believe in the causes.

The Sutter family is arguably the NHL's most famous family and always do benefits for young athletes, while Torrens has been travelling the country in support of literacy for years - even if he isn't exactly literate in his portrayal of J-Roc.

So, the next time you see a celebrity's name on the advertising poster, look closely. As long as the name doesn't contains "Kardashian," chances are you're in for a good time and supporting a good cause with someone who actually cares.

There are so many themed weeks and months these days that it's hard to keep track of them all.

There is National Addictions Awareness Week, National Fire Prevention Week, National Diabetes Awareness Month and the list goes on. Depending on the community, the organizers and the relevance of the topic, some themes are recognized with one event while others get a whole line-up of activities dedicated to them. But after the allotted time is over, what really remains?

There might be a little more awareness and maybe some people took home themed prizes from some of the events, but often the topic fades from active memory.

Family Violence Awareness Week, which just took place from Oct. 5 to 11, however, is one themed week that deserves to be actively remembered all year long. To begin with, the topic is very relevant to the NWT.

Rates of reported family violence in the NWT are four times the national average.

Family violence also covers a range of situations that can have lasting consequences on those directly involved, wider family groups and communities. Family violence is any abuse or violence that takes place between intimate partners and family members.

It includes spousal abuse, elder abuse and child abuse, among others. Those committing the abuse or being abused could be husbands or wives, boyfriends or girlfriends, aunts and uncles or grandparents.

Family violence is also not just limited to physical abuse. It can also be psychological, emotional, financial or sexual.

This year's theme for the week is that family violence is everyone's business. According to a 2013 Statistics Canada survey, female victims of any type of abuse in the NWT most often turn to family members, friends and neighbors for support and guidance.

This is one of the reasons Family Violence Awareness Week is so important. It draws attention to the problem, lets victims know they are not alone and also provides people who may be approached by a victim of family violence important information and tools they can use to help.

Although family violence is often hidden, in small communities, like those in the Deh Cho, people are often aware of what is happening to their extended family members and neighbors. By being up front about family violence, everyone in the region can play a role in helping those who are being abused and by doing so, help families and communities become stronger.

The seasonally-operated Ingamo Hall Friendship Centre's soup kitchen opened just in time for the first real snowfall of autumn last week, and it was a welcome sight to many in town.

In its first week of operation, the kitchen was serving between 25 and 35 people over the 90 minutes a day it was open.

In of a town of a little more than 3,000 people, that's a troubling number.

Anyone who lives in Inuvik can tell you how dire the economic situation is becoming, particularly for those who don't have a government job of some sort.

Estimates place Inuvik's homeless population at around 50 people or so. While many of them are using the soup kitchen on a regular basis, they're not accounting for everyone using it.

As cook Donna Firth points out, some high school students are straggling in, and that's just in the first week of operation. That's something that's bound to increase.

She's not about to turn them away either, which is a compassionate response that needs to be commended.

It would be easy to make a knee-jerk observation that some of the people using the kitchen don't really need to. But that's simplistic. Many of us are one paycheque away from needing this kind of service.

As Brenda Jerome, the executive director of Ingamo Hall, said, there are large numbers of Inuvik residents living paycheque to paycheque, and sometimes they run out of money for food before the next pay day arrives.

If someone living under those conditions comes by and uses the kitchen occasionally, Jerome said she's not going to begrudge that. If there is a family struggling to get by to the point where their school-age children drop by the soup kitchen periodically, Jerome and Firth aren't going to begrudge that either.

That kind of true compassionate caring and concern for the community is what's needed under these circumstances.

In this economy, most people aren't all that far from needing to use services such as the soup kitchen, the local food banks or possibly even the homeless shelter.

That's something that should be given some sober second thought before casting stones.

RCMP initially struggled with its decision to warn people that notorious sex offender Travis Casaway is back in Yellowknife but ultimately made the right call.

Casaway, 27, snatched two children off the street in 2002 and sexually assaulted them - one at knife point. He was 15 years old at the time but pleaded guilty to the crimes two years later as an adult.

He spent five years in jail and then moved to Edmonton where he spent time in halfway house. Edmonton police were so concerned about his decision to relocate there they issued a statement upon his release in 2009, warning the public that "a violent sexual offender who poses a risk of significant harm to the community" was in their midst.

The RCMP's hand was forced last week after Yellowknife Catholic Schools issued a letter to parents Oct. 7 warning them that an unnamed sex offender had returned. The letter stated the school district was not permitted to name the offender.

Naturally the warning, though unsatisfactory to people looking for complete information, spread like wildfire. People who had heard the offender's name was Travis Casaway through local gossip began posting his mugshot from the Edmonton police on social media.

This, of course, put police in an untenable position, and by Thursday they had no choice but to identify Casaway by name and release his photo. Further steps were taken Friday when police arrested Casaway and brought him to court under a peace bond application to restrict his movements and activities.

Some pundits have argued that issuing warnings about sex offenders does not always serve the public well, that they can cause unnecessary panic and lead to vigilantism.

There is no shortage of sex offenders in the Northwest Territories so this is a dilemma police must face often.

But Casaway clearly presents a particularly grave and predatory danger to young girls and women. His self-concern and lack of remorse exhibited during his interview with Yellowknifer - complaining he was "pissed off" by the attention he was receiving - shows he has little thought for his victims or appreciation of the fear he has caused.

It's worth mentioning after attacking his first victim in Yellowknife - a 12-year-old girl he grabbed and sexually assaulted - RCMP failed to alert the public. Casaway's next victim came nine days later.

Alerting the public this time and taking preventative measures to keep Casaway on a short leash while he remains in Yellowknife is the only decent thing the RCMP could do.

Sweater tossers need not apply as Kivalliq hockey fans
Editorial Comment by Darell Greer
Kivalliq News - Wednesday, October 15, 2014

When people lay down their hard-earned money to attend a professional sporting event, they have the right to boo or cheer for whatever team they wish.

As long as they don't break any laws, or become unruly enough to ruin the event for others, they can boo the home team at the top of their lungs if they think it's under performing to that extent.

However, there's this little word called respect that helps govern what most would consider acceptable behaviour.

Whether you enjoy the sport or not, only a fool would claim the game of hockey to be non-important in this country.

But hockey has been slipping a bit, in terms of respect, during the past decade and it has nothing to do with the game itself.

Too many players feel they are invincible with today's modern equipment.

That has led to a loss of respect in how they make physical contact with an opponent, especially one in a vulnerable position, and a large chunk of the game's unwritten code is in tatters.

Still others have become obsessed with the riches today's game can offer in the professional ranks of the NHL, KHL, European elite leagues and even the AHL.

To them, an opponent is but an obstacle to go through on their way to claiming the riches they feel entitled to.

This is no dump on the game of hockey or those who play it.

In today's instant-gratification-driven society, with the funding and scholarships involved in sport, a loss of respect in some quarters was inevitable.

But the line is moving outward to encompass areas once deemed sacred, and the actions of some would-be fans would have been looked upon as sacrilegious not all that long ago.

It's one thing to sit behind a computer, using an online name in almost complete anonymity, to put down a team's performance.

Sadly, such behaviour in today's virtual world has transcended acceptance to become expected.

But, in sporting etiquette, to throw your team sweater - or any other garment bearing your team's logo - out onto the ice or on the floor of the level beneath you is an act devoid of class or respect.

In the vast majority of junior and professional dressing rooms, just walking on the uncovered logo of your team is cause for immediate ridicule and retribution from those around you.

You are demeaning every player or fan who came before you when you disgrace a team logo, not to mention the team's history and that of the game itself.

The act has been happening with alarming regularity in Edmonton during the past few seasons, and viewed by millions of Canadians across this great nation of ours.

To see the once proud Edmonton Oilers belittled like that is both reprehensible and sad.

I have never viewed such an action in all my hours in Kivalliq arenas and I hope I never do.

Whether it's the Rankin Rock, Team Nunavut or a storied NHL franchise, it's a despicable act that puts a stake through the heart of the entire community.

A photo of a person tossing a sweater on the ground should be hung in every Kivalliq arena, with a message of do not try this at home!!

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