Seeing the world in black and whiteNorthwest Territories/News North - Monday, February 1, 2016
It's really easy to just see the world in black and white but much more wise to consider it in true colors.
In an Alternatives North report released Jan. 14 urges the people in the Sahtu turn away from the oil and gas sector in favour of developing a smaller scale, local economy based on hunting, trapping, fishing, agriculture, alternative energy, forestry and arts and crafts.
The report, dubbed "a discussion paper on building a balanced economy" states, "the Sahtu region and the Northwest Territories face a choice between two different economic futures."
It goes on to explore the differences between an economy dominated by resource extraction and one built on local and sustainable resources.
Oil and gas exploration, according to the report, will bring much doom and gloom to the region in the form of increased crime, drug and alcohol use, child abuse, neglect and spousal assault.
Building a local economy, on the other hand, "fosters teaching, family and community cohesion, and can produce income that can be used toward access to hunting and trapping."
These assertions are true. Oil and gas projects bring a short-term population boom, and with that, crime and drug use. It's also true that a local economy in the Sahtu built on traditional skills will foster things like teaching and family cohesion.
But one fact remains that this report can't deny: there are billions upon billions of barrels of oil beneath the Sahtu and when the price of oil goes high enough to make drilling economical, it will happen.
The report includes 12 recommendations with the mindset of turning away from oil and gas, rather than broadening the economy to include smaller scale projects alongside oil and natural gas development, or even leveraging the benefits of oil and gas development to foster a local economy.
For example, there is a recommendation to implement a "triple bottom line" approach to economic planning, factoring in environmental and social goals with financial. This is a great idea, and should be utilized when considering the societal impacts of industrial development - such as the fact that this sort of development brings millions in funding for educational, health and community initiatives.
Other recommendations deal with building more community employment offices, as well as financial incentives and support for building local businesses. These ideas are all not only plausible without turning away from the oil and gas sector, but could be made possible by embracing it. One recommendation actually suggests the elimination of subsidies for oil and gas development in favour of subsidies for other sectors. Again, there is no reason one subsidy should automatically negate another.
A strong economy isn't necessarily just tourism-based, resource extraction-based, or arts and crafts-based. A strong economy is broad, and has many sectors to pick up the slack if one is sagging.
Alternatives North is right to urge the growth of a broader economy but there is no reason this should mean the people in the Sahtu need to turn their backs to oil and gas development.
Insisting this is is the case dismisses valuable opportunities for the sake of keeping an anti-development ideology and ignores the reality of high living costs and high unemployment due to non-existent job opportunities.
Nunavut leads country in people who smoke poisonNunavut/News North - Monday, February 1, 2016
It is no wonder community health representatives are going into Kimmirut, Kugluktuk and other communities to set up displays in an effort to educate residents about the perils of smoking cigarettes.
The percentage of daily or occasional smokers in Nunavut is off the charts, according to numbers prepared by the Nunavut Bureau of Statistics using data from Statistics Canada.
Smoking rates in 2014 were highest among two age groups -- 20- to 34-year-olds and 35- to 44-year-olds -- where almost seven out of every 10 people smoked daily or occasionally.
In 2014, more than two-thirds of the population ages 12 years and older in Nunavut were daily or occasional smokers. If that is not bad enough, one published report suggests that 90 per cent of pregnant women in Nunavut are occasional or daily cigarette smokers, according to anecdotal evidence gathered by staff at Qikiqtani General Hospital in Iqaluit.
The number of smokers per capita in Canada is highest in Nunavut by a wide margin, with 62 per cent of the general population telling information gatherers in 2014 that they smoke daily or occasionally.
That is a lot of smokers. And the numbers are solid, since coverage by statisticians was extended in 2013 to represent 92 per cent of the population.
For comparison purposes, only 14 per cent of British Columbians ages 12 and older smoke. The second highest province or territory is the Northwest Territories at 33 per cent, but there is a sharp decline when one looks at the other provinces, with the Maritimes coming in at 22 per cent, Alberta at 19 per cent and Manitoba at 16 per cent.
January happens to be Tobacco Reduction Month and National Non-Smoking Week was also held last month. The territorial Department of Health is drawing attention to its Tobacco Has No Place Here campaign, which includes a Facebook page, a website (www.nuquits.ca) and a toll-free number (1-866-368-7848), which offers tips for people wishing to stop smoking, expands on the dangers of smoking to personal health and legislation which is intended to protect non-smokers from second-hand smoke.
Simply put, smoking cigarettes is bad. Ask any smoker about the coughing fit they experienced the first time they took a drag of a cigarette. It is an automatic response by the body to signal that smoke is poison.
Why would a person want to poison themselves, even though their parents, friends and siblings have done it before them?
If you are a smoker, we encourage you to take advantage of the resources available to quit and join the 86 per cent of the population of British Columbia who are smart enough not to touch the deadly stuff.
Business improvement districts not needed Weekend Yellowknifer - Friday, January 29, 2016
The city has identified three locations in Yellowknife as possible business improvement districts. On the face of it, improvements are a good idea. But it doesn't follow that every path to improvement is a wise one.
The districts would mean taxing both businesses and residents in predetermined locations and using those funds for items such as beautification or added security. Such districts are popular in bigger cities such as Toronto and Vancouver where thousands of businesses invest into them.
There are far fewer businesses in Old Town and along Old Airport Road, two possible improvement districts. Their contributions to area improvements wouldn't amount to much no matter how much more they were taxed. As it stands, they likely don't need the help, at least not the kind of help that comes with a higher tax bill.
Old Town businesses could be looking at an additional $7,000 in taxes per year based on a $200,000 property value assessment.
When one considers that most if not all tourists make their way to Old Town anyway, it would be a tough sell to convince business owners there that they would benefit from more taxation on the premise it could increase traffic to Old Town. Old Airport Road is home to several anchor stores, the best kind of draw a commercial area can have. Businesses there do not need help from the city to increase traffic. Drive by Canadian Tire or Walmart on the weekend and notice how packed the parking lots are if confirmation of traffic flow is needed. It's downtown businesses that need the most help but few there are clamoring to get on board with this initiative. Downtown businesses in Yellowknife face serious challenges to their economic viability. Increased taxation is unlikely to be a welcome prospect.
Not surprisingly, a Yellowknife Chamber of Commerce poll of businesses garnered a "largely negative response" to the idea of funding district improvements through increased taxation.
Why does the city continue to flog this dead horse?
Instead, the city should focus on moving forward with properties it has already forked over taxpayer dollars to acquire, rather than look for a way to wring a few more dollars out of Yellowknife businesses on the vague promise of beautification projects.
Downtown needs an anchor to draw shoppers in. The proposed cultural centre for the 50/50 lot should be the city's primary focus.
The city is to be commended for looking for ways to improve the lot of businesses across the city, and especially in the downtown core. But throwing money at a plan that would mean increased taxes is not the way to go.
If the city is itching to spend $10,000 right away - the cost of sending up to five Yellowknife business people to a talk on business improvement districts in April -- it should instead put the money toward developing concrete plans for the downtown properties it already owns.
Sending a select group of business owners to Vancouver to talk about ways to increase taxes in the city is not money wisely spent, no matter how well-intentioned that talk may be.
Rocky times don't diminish Folk Weekend Yellowknifer - Friday, January 29, 2016
That executive director David Whitelock has been shown the door and is now threatening a lawsuit against his former employer shouldn't overshadow the fact that Folk on the Rocks organizers still have a show to put on.
The yearly festival is a major part of the community culture and it needs to be supported and celebrated.
Since the inaugural event in 1980, it has been bringing southern performers and northern music lovers and musicians together in one what amounts to being one of Canada's most unique cultural gatherings.
Northern artists such as Digawolf, Leela Gilday and Erebus and Terror have shared stages alongside internationally acclaimed acts such as Bruce Cockburn and Buffy St. Marie.
Last time there was a major staff change, some grant deadlines got lost in the shuffle.
The best way to make sure that doesn't happen again is for enthusiastic and dedicated Yellowknifers to step up to the plate as board members and volunteers.
If this year's Folk fest is going to keep up the 36-year tradition, a little help won't hurt.
Just the ticketDeh Cho Drum - Thursday, January 28, 2016
For the Hamlet of Fort Providence, Chase the Ace is just the ticket the community needs.
Fort Providence, like countless other small communities in the North, suffers from endemic social issues. Among those are homelessness, poverty and youth crime.
Homelessness in the Deh Cho has a different face than in larger urban centres, because people who are homeless often live with relatives or friends. But even though it is not as visible, the need is still there -- and those who live in these smaller communities know it.
Recently, a group of business-minded individuals in Fort Providence decided their community could no longer wait around for territorial or federal funding to address these issues. Thus was born CAPS -- the Community Advancement Partnership Society.
After brainstorming how to best address the issue of homelessness, they landed on the idea of hosting a game each week to raise money.
The game, Chase the Ace, is well-known in some circles across Canada but is relatively new to the North. The returns can be high, though, and successful games in provinces such as Nova Scotia have raised millions.
They call it a "pilot project" with the end goal of raising enough money to build small housing units as well as a youth centre.
After years of floundering for solutions, Fort Providence may have finally found one -- if all goes as planned and the society can reach its goal of $600,000. It is a credit to Fort Providence and to the entire North that a handful of well-meaning community members can take it upon themselves to fill a need.
That kind of initiative is crucial in order for solutions to be implemented.
The members of CAPS give up their Saturday afternoons to sell tickets for Chase the Ace, with a draw at the end of the afternoon. Just six weeks in, the game is already picking up steam -- and generating interest -- in the community.
Chase the Ace may not be as big in the Northwest Territories as it is elsewhere in Canada but as the saying goes, where there's a will, there's a way. The society has the will and is determined to find a way.
However the situation plays out, it will be educational and inspiring to track the progress of this project.
Other communities should fix their eye on the situation as well, because if it works in Fort Providence it will very likely work elsewhere in the territory.
Witnessing such a positive push for change is wonderful. Residents often state the need for Northern solutions and at last that need is being filled.
Programs don't replace familyInuvik Drum - Thursday, January 28, 2016
This week, we spoke to people involved in ongoing intergenerational programs seeking to bring together elders living in long-term care and young people in school.
These are important efforts and are clearly paying off in many ways. But they should not be left to stand on their own.
Elder neglect and even abuse is a problem all over the world and such efforts, like the partnership between East Three Secondary School and long-term care, go a long way to combating that. But they do not replace family, as the people running the program will be the first to tell you.
Susan Keats said her stated goal is to make sure elders in her care remain a central part of the community, but she can't do it alone.
Many families, especially here in the North, do an excellent job of this without even thinking about it -- it's just part of the culture or a financial necessity. For other families, for whatever reason, keeping in touch with the older generation can be difficult. Families are spread across vast distances, making it difficult to pop by for a visit. People work, are raising small children, and otherwise have busy lives. Still, keeping elders in the loop pays off in so many ways.
The difference between children who grow up while regularly seeing their grandparents and even great-grandparents, and those who aren't so lucky, is made clear in programs that bring elders and youth together.
There are some children who feel comfortable approaching elders right off the bat, but there are always a few who hang back, unsure what to say and do. These last are the ones who benefit the most from such programming and generally warm up as the sessions go on.
There is a lot of focus on keeping indigenous cultures alive and passing it on to the youngest members of the community, but this is an insurmountable task if those young people aren't comfortable around their elders. For those lucky enough to have grandparents and older extended families, the process can and should begin early as a matter of course. Once again, this is hardly news to the families who rely on their elders for guidance, support, and to help raise children.
For everyone else, intergenerational programming can open the door to better understanding, increased interaction and lots of learning on both sides.
Homeless status quo a costly burden Yellowknifer - Wednesday, January 27, 2016
Every police and ambulance call, every hospital and emergency shelter bed, every string of court appearances means the public purse gets that much lighter.
But despite the heavy cost burden, these are Band-Aids that cover the perpetuating wound of homelessness. Those Band-Aids come off, then they're put back on, and then they come off.
A new policy shift by the RCMP means that when police come across intoxicated people on winter city streets, they take them to a shelter rather than to RCMP cells. And as Yellowknifer reported last week, this has one shelter boss warning of a looming crisis.
Denise McKee, executive director of the NWT Disabilities Council, which operates the Safe Harbour Day Centre, spoke of the lose-lose conundrum in which the shelter accepts a highly intoxicated person and with them increased violence and aggression; or turns them away to face - 40 temperatures and nowhere to go.
There is a pronounced gap in the system - and this is where the territorial government comes in. No longer is it acceptable to rely on Band-Aid solutions when longer-term solutions such as supportive housing are proven to be cheaper. Supportive housing is a type of service that provides a roof over people's heads plus programs such as addictions counselling and job training.
While the local numbers are not available in an easy-to-read package, it's fairly well documented that supportive housing is significantly cheaper Canada-wide.
A 2005 report prepared for the National Secretariat on Homelessness found the cost of housing somebody in detention centres or psychiatric hospitals costs between $66,000 and $120,000 per year but affordable housing with supports costs between $5,000 and $18,000 per person.
According to the Edmonton Homeless Commission, each chronically homeless person costs the system $100,000 a year, yet housing that same person with supports is but a fraction of that - $35,000.
In Yellowknife, a 2011 Homeless Hub report states that when a homeless person with severe mental disabilities is moved into subsidized housing with social service support they spend "considerably less time" in shelters, hospitals, prisons and detention centres.
The ping-ponging of homeless people between already-stuffed-full emergency shelters and RCMP cells should be a loud warning bell that forces the territorial government to spring into action and at least start studying what long-term measures could alleviate the homeless problem.
A hospital bed at Stanton Territorial Hospital costs $756 a day. It costs $102,200 annually to house an inmate in jail in the territory, an analysis by another media source found late last year. The territory spends more than $40 million annually for the RCMP's services - much of which is dedicated to dealing with the city's homeless population. Court services and legal aid services cost the territory $20 million last year.
Something has to change; the status quo costs too much.
In 2008, according to the Homeless Hub report, 936 unique individuals accessed shelters in the city. The City of Yellowknife's homeless count, purported to be a conservative estimate, found 150 homeless people at a time. One only needs to walk the downtown streets or step over sleeping bodies in banks to recognize a problem in need of a tangible, long-term solution that has nothing to do with a Band-Aid.
Scanning headlines is a bad ideaEditorial Comment by Darrell Greer
Kivalliq News - Wednesday, January 27, 2016
Thanks to the world of the Internet, all things social media-related and downright lazy reporting -- at least what passes for reporting in some instances today -- there are items worthy of a few good chuckles these days.
Yet, such as it was this past week when a story resurfaced about no-ball soccer. There are warnings buried beneath the guffaws.
And, believe it or not, there can be some barometers on public opinion buried beneath the subterfuge known as the comments section.
A high percentage of these episodes come about as the result of people simply scanning headlines -- and maybe taking the time to absorb the lead and followup paragraph on a good day -- and rarely taking the time to check the source of a maddening yarn someone posted on Facebook or some other social-media site.
A rebooted story this past week that enraged so many was originally published on the website of the good folks behind the satirical radio program, This is That, back in 2013 (there's that scanning headlines thing again).
Yet the anger expressed before people clued into the origin of the resurrected story was nothing compared to what hit cyberspace in 2013.
The satirical yarn told of a soccer league in a fictitious Ontario town that had children playing soccer without a ball to eliminate the negative effects of competition.
The story grew legs so monstrous that publications such as the Washington Times and USA Today reported on it.
The outrage expressed across Canada and the United States in connection to the story was staggering.
The make-believe tale opened a wound among sports fans across North America that no Band-Aid could cover.
Although the comments were unknowingly aimed at a fictitious story, the feelings expressed were deeply rooted in reality.
Thousands of comments from those who believed the story to be authentic showed the width of the chasm between a large percentage of the common folk, and those in positions of power who idle away the time coming up with ways to make sports perfectly safe and then impose their will on the masses.
Being a family newspaper, I cannot write the term used by some to describe rules put in place to make sports a kinder, gentler environment, where competition is a bad word and everyone wins by showing up.
Suffice to say it is not a term of endearment.
Outside of the world of satire however, far too many are duped by supposed news articles published by dubious sources that are, in reality, pushing an agenda.
It's one of the modern era's ways of shaping public opinion.
Think of it as a metaphorical pair of giant clippers looking to shear as many sheep as possible.
And, as noted above, they can clip some big sheep.
It truly is a sad commentary when contemporary journalists are as lazy at checking their facts as the everyday folks scanning the headlines.
And, lest you think the no-ball-soccer yarn succeeded because it duped sports fans, the year previous Public Radio International reported on a story done by the same group that claimed dogs in Montreal would have to know commands in both English and French by law.
Sacre bleu!
