Be bold with GamesYellowknifer - Wednesday, February 3, 2016
Let's not beat around the bush, Yellowknife is in a rut. Everyone living here knows it and everybody feels it.
The black cloud that appeared with the closure of De Beers' Snap Lake diamond mine in December continues to rumble overhead as falling commodities prices and a failing economy threaten what remains of the territory's resource sector.
Government, which years ago replaced mining as the city's primary economic lifeline, is also signalling trouble ahead. The territorial government announced Monday that shrinking revenues will be having an effect, raising the silent spectre of cuts to programs and services, even layoffs.
Right on cue, the NWT Chamber of Commerce released a gloomy letter to MLAs and city council expressing "absolute opposition" to the proposed bid for the Canada Winter Games. The letter states this is the time "to step back" and not "put additional stress on the private sector or on our residents."
In all due respect, we would argue, as does city councillor Shauna Morgan, the Canada Winter Games is exactly what this city needs and the timing couldn't be any better. Furthermore, it will be great for business.
The prospect of hosting the Games in 2023 has been a source of derision since the idea first appeared on city council's radar in 2014. The business community, with some justification, is suspicious of city administration and the GNWT's unblinking enthusiasm to bring the Games North, surmising that doing so will lead to higher taxes and costs with few benefits.
The chamber points out in its letter that two of the top three priorities its members would like the legislative assembly to address are poor economic growth and the territory's stagnant population. Neither of these problems will be remedied by hunkering down and counting pennies.
This city, and by extension the territory, needs a bold project and a goal.
Yes, the Games - now projected at $76.8 million - will be expensive, and additional revenues may have to be raised to pay for them. Prince George, B.C. required taxpayers to fork out an extra $125 a year over four years to pay for its games held last year.
But, aside from a renewed vibrancy, a new swimming pool, an overhaul of existing facilities and a greater sense of purpose such an event would bring to the community, there are straight up dollar benefits too.
Prince George's mayor told Yellowknifer last fall that his city's Games were expected to add an extra $70 million to $90 million in economic benefits. The figure turned out to be closer to $120 million.
And there will be jobs.
According to the report on the 2011 Games in Halifax, the event spawned 1,112 jobs and $40.4 million in wages and salaries. More than 11,500 people attended those games as participants or spectators. Total gross economic activity totalled $130 million.
Pulling off the Games in Yellowknife, with its smaller population, higher costs and relatively greater distance from other population centres will not be easy. But rolling over when faced with challenges while hoping some magic life preserver will be tossed our way to rescue us from our slump is no way to beat the doldrums either.
Right now the voices of 'no' hold sway. That's partly because the city and GNWT have not demonstrated that they can work together to ensure the city isn't stuck with the bill. It's ridiculous the GNWT won't commit to funding $26.5 million for an athletes' village without council approval of the Games bid itself. This stance only heightens the risk that council will reject the bid.
The key players must also ensure they are transparent and timely when providing information. One of the main reasons why the city's worthy geothermal project died in the womb was because of its reluctance to lay out all the facts. This seeded the distrust that led to the project's defeat in the borrowing referendum of 2010.
Yellowknifer supports the Games because we believe it will breathe new life and ultimately benefit Yellowknifers. But if problems are glossed over and costs misrepresented in an effort to deflect legitimate questions and discredit critics, we will expose those efforts vociferously, much as we did during the lead up to the geothermal vote.
The Canada Winter Games is a winning ticket and everybody -- the city, territorial and federal governments and business - should do everything they can to ensure the territory emerges a winner.
JLM growing tale of successEditorial Comment by Darrell Greer
Kivalliq News - Wednesday, February 3, 2016
Tournament season got off to a rousing start in the Kivalliq with the JLM (Jon Lindell Memorial) Calm Air Cup senior men's event in Arviat from Jan. 22 to 24.
The crowds were large, boisterous and well-behaved, the atmosphere electric, and the hockey fast, competitive and exciting.
Organizer Gleason Uppahuak has been doing a steadily-improving job with the event and, as noted by Karetakers' forward and son of the tournament's original namesake, Jackson Lindell, his efforts have not gone unnoticed.
I've travelled to Arviat for the JLM since its inaugural year, and it has slowly grown in credibility and prestige during those years.
This year, the excitement on the final Sunday was quite palpable.
So too was the enjoyment of the hundreds of fans who took it all in.
And nowhere was the impact more noticeable than on the smiling faces of the kids loving every minute.
It was quite enjoyable to see the looks of admiration on so many of those children's faces as they watched their favourite players take to the ice, and the looks of awe as they saw some of the region's best-known players walk past them in the arena.
Make no mistake, a good number of the kids knew full well who Rodney Taparti of Naujaat, David Clark and Wendel Kaludjak of Rankin Inlet and Chris Jones of Whale Cove were.
Some might say these guys are just senior hockey players from the Kivalliq, but those folks underestimate the impact the game of hockey has on so many children in our region and that players of their talent, whether they want to be or not, are role models in their own right.
And this year the players came through in spades for the children.
They saw a high-calibre of action with no fights, very little dirty play, and four teams on Sunday afternoon giving it everything they had.
The Arviat arena has a ways to go to equal the atmosphere in Rankin's grand old lady, but the Arviat fans have come light years during the past few seasons.
This might be something you'd expect to read, seeing as it is penned by - as everyone knows - a hockey guy. But the truth of the matter is there was almost a festive feeling around Arviat during the JLM weekend.
Whether you're a sports person or not, you must admit such an atmosphere is always a welcome addition to our communities during our Kivalliq winters.
If I had $10 for every time I was high-fived or knuckle-tapped by children in the arena during the weekend, as I was going to or from the ice surface, I'd have a nice little early-year bonus to deposit. And that's the type of spirit our regional tournaments can instil in our youth when they're well-organized and the players set a good example by sticking to hockey.
Hopefully, Uppahuak and whoever else pitches in can continue to grow the JLM Calm Air Cup and make it even more attractive for players and fans alike.
And, while acknowledging money for travelling is always a barrier, it would be nice to see a few more communities send teams to the JLM on an annual basis. There is nothing to rival the satisfaction that comes with the success of a homegrown event, and the JLM is poised to take its place as one of the top three hockey events of the season in the Kivalliq, if not all of Nunavut!
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.
