Home page

Text size

E-mail this page

Liberal leader Justin Trudeau's recent tour of the North was rich in platitudes and photo ops but his plans for the North, should he return his party to power, remain hidden from view.

Yellowknifer had no problem getting access to him during his visit. Our archives are full of pictures of him holding babies, kissing elders and just being a glowing star of attention in general. No doubt many people in the places he visited --- Inuvik, Yellowknife, Iqaluit and Rankin Inlet - can claim the same.

The newspaper was given not one but two interview opportunities with him. Alas, when pressed with questions about what he would do to fix the multitude of problems facing the territory: the untenable cost of living, the failure of Nutrition North, the poor infrastructure, the limitations of natural resource development to maintain economic strength, Trudeau insisted this was a "listening" tour and his party's platform for the North will come at a later date.

Hopefully, that will come before the federal election scheduled for this fall and not after he and his party have been safely ensconced in office.

Frankly, it's not at all satisfying the leader of the number one party in the polls feels the best he can deliver on an election year tour is a promise that he is listening. One would think after running the country for most of the nation's existence, the Liberals would have a better grasp of what the issues are.

Will Trudeau remember the North while battling in vote-rich Ontario and Quebec?

He has certainly proved he is charming, and not at all afraid to press the flesh with voters. This is a refreshing change from the moated security phalanx that accompanies a visit from Prime Minister Stephen Harper.

Of course, a cynic might suggest Trudeau's prince-among-the-commoners approach might all go out the window should he be elected prime minister. Memory suggests there wasn't much difference - security-wise-- between Harper and former Liberal prime ministers Jean Chretien and Paul Martin whenever they came to town.

Trudeau and the Liberals seem to be betting that a charm offensive alone will beat the years of dedicated service provided by New Democrat Dennis Bevington in the NWT and the historic rise of Canada's first Inuk in federal cabinet, Nunavut's Leona Aglukkaq of the Conservative Party.

This strategy may very well work but it would be all the much better if it had some substance. Right now it does not.

Trudeau put on a good show during his visit and he is riding high on the mystique of his father's legacy, but in reality he has yet to prove he has any real grasp of the issues facing Northerners or a concrete plan on how to address them.

The weird world of Beatles dislike
Editorial Comment by Darell Greer
Kivalliq News - Wednesday, January 21, 2015

Square dancing rules in the Kivalliq, with country music hot on its heels.

Hip hop, technopop and gangsta rap live on the teenage dance floor, and hard rock, for all intensive purposes, is only found on the headphones and ear buds of the super-cool kids (of all ages!).

It's a Northern, or, at least, a Kivalliq thing.

While all the above styles occupy the bottom rungs on this music fanatic's priority list -- with the exception of hard rock -- there's no denying the joy seen in gyms and halls across the Kivalliq when the square dance is on or the teens are bumping the tunes.

And that's a very, very good thing.

That being said, I've lived in numerous provinces across Canada, and I've met more people in Rankin Inlet who claim they do not like the Beatles than in every other place I've lived combined!

Now, I've often been told by those less-sunny amongst us that no matter how long I live here, I will never be a true Northerner.

That's a discussion for another day, but, if being a true Northerner -- or a true Kivalliqmiut -- means not loving the greatest rock-and-roll band to ever plug in a guitar, then I accept my fate.

I suspect those who say they don't like the Beatles are really people whose anti-mainstream compass has gone completely and utterly mad.

I've known many a musical anti-mainstreamer during my music-loving life.

I listened (with a straight face, I might add) as they told me the Sex Pistols or the Damned were musically superior to the Clash during the heyday of punk music.

They often speak the names of groups such as The Jesus and Mary Chain, Sonic Youth, the Pixies and Arctic Monkeys in hushed reverence, and they own every song the Smiths ever recorded.

And, of course, they loved Arcade Fire. That is, until they became popular.

But I digress.

It is quite staggering, to this humble scribe, how anyone who professes to like popular music can't find something from the Beatles catalogue that turns their crank.

From the impossible to resist, I Saw Her Standing There, and the jaw-dropping cover of the Phil Medley and Bert Russell-penned Twist and Shout on their first album in 1963 -- through the artistic accomplishments of Rubber Soul and Revolver to the masterpieces of Sgt. Pepper, The Beatles (White Album) and Abbey Road -- the Beatles constantly broke new musical ground while unleashing lyrical and melodic genius upon the world.

Lennon's In My life, Revolution and Nowhere Man; McCartney's Eleanor Rigby, Yesterday and Let It Be; and the songwriting duo's magnum opus, A Day in the Life, will stand forever as pop music classics that changed the musical playing field forever.

Looking at such an impressive list of work, one would think there would be, at least, a healthy portion of acknowledgement and respect dished out for such accomplishments from anyone who claims themselves to be a music lover.

With the exception of Dwight Yoakam, I can't go an hour of country music without leaving the room screaming for mercy, but, I love Johnny Cash.

To deny the man in black would be almost as ludicrous as saying, "I don't like the Beatles."

Nah. Not even close!

It seems the economic outlook for the NWT is quite rosy for the next few years, at least according to a recent report released by the Conference Board of Canada.

On the surface, there is a lot of good news: the Inuvik-Tuk highway and the beginning of construction for the DeBeers-Mountain Province Gahcho Kue Mine will lead to a forecasted 3.5 per cent increase in the territory's GDP next year.

This is significantly better than the forecasted increase to Canada's overall GDP growth, set at 2.6 per cent.

However, upon closer inspection, the organization has made a lot of assumptions in its longer term forecast for how the NWT's economy will fare moving forward.

It assumes three more mines - not including Gahcho Kue - will begin construction within the next year. That kind of boom would be nearly unprecedented in the territory's history. The trouble is, it probably won't happen.

Canada Zinc's Prairie Creek Mine is most likely to move forward, but the company still has to raise more than $300 million in capital before it can afford to begin construction.

Despite receiving all the proper permits required for Fortune Mineral's NICO mine to begin construction, that company needs to raise more than $600 million before the project can get off the ground.

Perhaps least likely of all to go ahead any time soon is Avalon Rare Metals Inc.'s Nechalacho mine. It needs a stunning $1.5 billion in capital.

Given the current market, it's difficult to believe anyone is going to raise that kind of money in the near future.

Northerners should all have learned by now the whim of major corporations can change quickly.

Even if all the proposed mines go through, the Conference Board of Canada is forecasting a sharp downturn in the NWT economy starting in 2020.

In light of all this why exactly is it that people keep pointing to mines as the way of the future for the NWT?

The assertion that enough mines will open before the diamond mines close for good to pick up their slack is dubious at best. Also, once mines enter production, they tend not to provide jobs to communities outside of Yellowknife, as there are few scheduled flights that pick up employees elsewhere.

The real question, however, is what are the alternatives?

Even if Northerners can all agree that it's a bad idea to pin all their hopes and dreams on mining - or even non-renewable resource development in general - what would the NWT economy look like?

Small businesses, tourism, trapping and trades can only go so far.

In the absence of any sure things on the horizon, News/North suggests residents and government shift their focus from mining to projects that will get us ready for what is to come. That means building quality roadways in every region and reducing costs, especially in energy.

It's refreshing and inspiring to see Nunavut through the eyes of one of the most influential group of people in the territory.

Youth are not only where the future of the territory lies, they are the largest demographic group in the territory, with almost 25,000 of about 32,000 residents under the age of 35, according to the 2011 census.

Sarah Jancke is a prime example of a person who provides hope for the future. The Cambridge Bay woman is a board member of the National Inuit Youth Council and has been described as a social activist and an educator. Currently a programs co-ordinator with the Kitikmeot Inuit Association, Jancke has attended a range of conferences over the past few years and has a unique perspective on the place Nunavut and its people have in the world.

"Unless you leave Nunavut you don't realize just how lucky we are. We live our lives knowing we have rights as Inuit." She compared the lot Inuit have in life to indigenous people in Australia, who have

"zero recognition."

Jancke admits there are no easy answers to the issues facing Nunavummiut but readily accepts and embraces the notion that it is up to the people of Nunavut to identify the leadership within to make changes and improvements. Her perspective is realistic with the knowledge that her grandfather was born on the land, as many parents were, and that it takes time for people to evolve from a way of life that revolved around traditional activities such as hunting, fishing and trapping.

Thankfully, Jancke is not alone in being an inspiration to youth in Nunavut and beyond. There are many young people in the territory who have the betterment of their communities at heart, including those who are famous.

Throatsinger Tanya Tagaq of Cambridge Bay is an outspoken defender of the Inuit way of life. Award-winning recording artist and motivational speaker Susan Aglukark shipped thousands of pounds of food to Nunavut communities before Christmas through what she called the Arctic Rose initiative.

Professional athlete Jordin Tootoo has shown leadership by being frank in his book, All The Way, about what he had to deal with while growing up in Rankin Inlet. It is amazing to see someone so celebrated say he came from the same place that many Inuit youth now experience.

Tootoo had his own demons to wrestle, not least of which was the suicide of his brother. The first Inuk in the NHL opens up and details his struggles with alcohol, including receiving an ultimatum from the Nashville Predators to get help with his drinking problem. His honesty, courage and willingness to reach out has the potential to change lives.

If a positive attitude is a significant marker when measuring the likelihood for success, the future looks bright for the youth of Nunavut.

After 30 years in business, it's time now to look at expanding the Northern Arts and Cultural Centre with the same vigour and enthusiasm the community demonstrated more than three decades ago.

It was in the Jan. 5, 1983, edition of Yellowknifer where a column from NACC called on citizens to offer financial support to a project that would see the old Sir John Franklin High School gym turn into a 320-seat theatre.

"It's not an impossible dream. After about three years of work, the NACC society now has: an architect's donated services; GNWT's commitment to pay the operating costs; an agreement in principle with the school; and around $700,000, raised largely in the south with the help of the Globe and Mail -- enough to make a start on the actual conversion," reads the column.

With the co-operation of the school, government and national fundraising, champagne was flowing at the centre's opening in May the following year.

But today, the conversation has changed, with executive director Marie Coderre calling on city council to restore $15,000 in core funding cut from its budget. Nickels and dimes compared to those efforts 30 years ago.

Maybe it's time to think bigger.

Having achieved that dream once considered impossible by some, and having achieved it in a lasting, meaningful way, where the organization is operating with a surplus the second year in a row and keeps its seats filled in the downtown theatre, it is once again time for the city, territory, their citizens and arts community to come together and build a new venue separate from the school, one that would further encourage cultural tourism and promote the performing arts.

Already, a unique opportunity has presented itself.

A 20 per cent condo fee hike that has raised the Yellowknife Public Library expenses by $53,000 has already prompted council to consider a new standalone library.

What if it also housed a new theatre?

Is that an impossible dream? Maybe. But look what NACC accomplished in three years back in the 1980s.

With the right enthusiasm and willingness to dream, where might we be three years from now?

Imagine putting out job ads for a vacant position, getting responses and hiring a qualified candidate.

Then once that person arrives from down south, they spend only several hours in the community before packing up and heading back for the airport.

That's the position the Dehcho Health and Social Services authority managers found themselves in late last year.

Having not even gone to work, the person decided to leave.

It's an extreme example of how hard it can sometimes be to recruit skilled employees and keep them on the payroll in an isolated, Northern, part of the country.

Authority CEO Donna Allan said sometimes people apply not understanding the realities of living in the North.

The regional healthcare provider has about seven vacancies, which Allan said is concerning because it means the level of care expected may not be able to be delivered.

The authority has put plans in place to continue service while the positions are filled.

As a recent arrival to the village, I think I can lend my experience to help explain why someone might want to cut and run so soon after arriving, especially as winter sets in.

There can be a shock for someone moving to the community

who is more used to being able

to jump in a vehicle and drive to a city an hour away.

That was my experience when I arrived in Fort Simpson at the end of October.

As the ferry was pulled out, my world shrank to the village limits.

It felt very isolating, especially arriving knowing not a soul in the community.

But as I went to work covering community events I met some of the wonderful people that make up village life.

Everyone was welcoming, telling me about various ways to get involved in the community and meet people.

While small communities like Fort Providence and Fort Simpson may not have all the amenities of similar sized communities in the south, what I've experienced so far is that they have strong social ties.

If the village, and region, are going to attract new people and keep them, residents need to make sure newcomers are welcome and shown the ropes.

Photo opportunities make me uncomfortable. As part of my job, taking photographs at opportune moments is necessary, yet I still find it slightly nauseating. They feel staged. A bit awkward. And, generally, at least one of the parties in the photo has a motive. But, maybe that's just me being cynical.

Without bringing platforms and voter intentions into the conversation, I have to say that I was genuinely impressed with Justin Trudeau during his visit to Inuvik. As the leader of the Liberal Party of Canada, Trudeau is in line to possibly be the next prime minister of this country, but made sitting down and shaking hands with members of the community a priority. Seriously. I'm quite sure he shook hands and chatted with every single person who attended A Taste of Inuvik, and took photos with the vast majority of them.

Did these photo ops make me uncomfortable? Not all of them. Most of the shots were taken at the request of the parties other than Trudeau, but he enthusiastically obliged. Chances are a number of these photos have already been splattered across every social media site.

Here's what makes me uncomfortable. That moment when what started as just a handshake leads to a prolonged handshake, possibly a hug and then a conversation in which a thoughtful smile is plastered across either party's face as a photographer, or numerous photographers (myself and other media included) spot the photogenic moment and start snapping away.

Were there moments during Trudeau's stopover in which those opportune moments to kiss the proverbial baby came up? Yes, there were. But, the difference is that isn't all there was. He struck up conversations with community members ranging from youth to elders. His son joined in on an impromptu game of keep-away with local kids in the gymnasium. He took part in a community dance where he shuffled away from being in the front position to blend more into the crowd (not easy for someone who is much taller in person than he appears on TV). His team headed out in the night to take in a viewing of the Northern Lights. In other words, there were genuine moments.

Granted, there is a requisite number of photo ops for every politician when touring a new place, and I'm sure he accumulated some, but I appreciated that during Trudeau's visit to Inuvik there seemed to be a real intention to get to know the people, the place and the issues - not just those that photograph well.

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