Secret weed meetings butt out public input Weekend Yellowknifer - Friday, May 19, 2017
If a government meeting happens in a boardroom and no records are taken, did the meeting actually happen?
Right now, a territorial government working group is holding meetings to draft recommendations on how the legislative assembly will develop corresponding legal marijuana legislation for the territory.
The only thing the public knows is the group exists and has met five times as of May 10. What the public doesn't know is who is going to these meetings, what they are discussing or a timeline for acting on the group's recommendations.
Why don't we know these things? Because this working group keeps no records of their meetings or discussions.
Marijuana is set to be legal in Canada by July 2018. That might seem really far away right now but drafting, passing and implementing legislation moves at a glacial pace. For example, the legislative assembly passed a new version of the Mental Health Act in the fall of 2015 but as of this day, there is still no timeline for implementation.
Think about that. Eighteen months after passage of a new Mental Health Act, it has yet to be implemented. Right now, the NWT is 13 months from the expected federal implementation of legalized marijuana and nobody has the faintest idea of what the territory's legislation will look like.
Yellowknifer doesn't necessarily believe the working group needs to go so far as to keep meeting minutes but is it so unreasonable to expect members to document what topics they are covering at the very least? Things such as minimum age, intoxicated driving laws, intoxicated snowmobile driving laws, education and health issues?
The Department of Justice has said there will be a public consultation component to the drafting of this legislation.
Meanwhile, the working group might be discussing topics that the public may not even realize are issues. This sort of information is unquestionably valuable to know, so the public is informed and ready to give feedback when the time comes.
The more government shares about what it is doing, the better off we all are.
A small initiative with a big impact Weekend Yellowknifer - Friday, May 19, 2017
It started with a Facebook group with one member and expanded to 600 active volunteers over the course of three years.
Renee Sanderson's Pay it Forward NWT is now a small army of individuals who want to make the world a better place.
They do things like put together Christmas gift bags for homeless individuals, deliver baby baskets to new moms at Stanton Territorial Hospital, host toy and coat drives and deliver care packages to families going through tragedy.
For example, the group recently fundraised for the recovery effort of four missing hunters in Fort Chipewyan, money that helped make possible a planeload of groceries for families affected by the tragedy, as well as the rescue team.
Sanderson's group shows how much can be achieved when people work together to make their communities a better place.
The next step for Sanderson is to reach out to other community organizations, such as Salvation Army Yellowknife, to see how Pay it Forward NWT's work can benefit them. Bravo to Sanderson and Pay it Forward NWT for everything they do.
Heated debate sometimes necessaryInuvik Drum - Thursday, May 18, 2017
A few sparks flew at town council after the final vote on the licensed premises bylaw last week.
Coun. Vince Sharpe, the most consistently outspoken member of council, declared the vote "disgusting" once it was made.
Councillor Darrell Christie took issue with that and Mayor Jim McDonald had to restore order.
It was one of the rare times Christie has spoken at council, so it was nice to see some emotion.
Agree with him or not, you have to respect the passion.
Councillor Kurt Wainman took issue with Sharpe's comments and let him know as much once the council meeting ended.
This issue hit many emotional notes, even including a member of the public crying during council while relaying what alcohol had done to her family.
On the one hand, there is the clear, rational case to be made that prohibition does not cure addiction problems.
If people want to drink, they will find a way to drink, or they will find something else to put in their body. Alcohol prohibition can lead to even more dangerous substance abuse.
On the other hand, there is the fuzzier but no less worth considering argument that Inuvik is a unique environment and conventional wisdom may not apply here.
Perhaps simply sending the message that the town does not support regular drinking habits is meaningful to enough people to have an impact. Gwich'in Tribal Council President Bobbie Jo Greenland-Morgan made this point.
To that end, though, one wonders where it should stop. Why not ban alcohol completely?
Either way, the licensed premises bylaw and KBL Environmental's proposed soil treatment facility have brought out the most debate in council in recent months.
This is when council looks healthiest. Nothing's better than a good war of words.
Voters want their political representatives to go to bat for them and to have no fear in the public arena.
There are too many wallflower politicians skating by with politically correct terminology, scared to open themselves up to disagreement.
Town council almost seems to regard these debates as a tragedy, as if the rift in opinion and forceful words means something is wrong in Inuvik.
But these debates are democracy in action, and if anything, having them more often and on many more issues would be even better.
It's also a great way to get people interested in politics.
It goes without saying that political theatre needs to stay on the stage.
Adults should all be able to express themselves freely in council chambers and shake hands afterwards.
People who aren't afraid to kick the hornet's nest make life worth living, and council worth attending.
RCMP: Use the media to warn, gather informationYellowknifer - Wednesday, May 17, 2017
It took three days and some gentle prodding by Yellowknifer for the RCMP to put out a news release last week seeking information from the public on a report that two strangers attacked a 15-year-old girl on her way to school.
The police justify the delay by insisting the attack was an "isolated incident" and that public safety was not at risk.
It's an odd response to say the least. Even if police have information ensuring them that the incident was indeed "isolated" and no else is at risk, it brushes aside an important fact – namely that a violent crime has been committed and suspects are still at large.
It's particularly concerning the crime involves a youth on her way to school in broad daylight.
If the RCMP is at all serious about asking the public's help in identifying suspects, waiting three days to alert the public is an odd way to advance its efforts in finding the assailants.
A more immediate alert would put the public on the lookout, better help identify possible eyewitnesses and provide suspects less opportunities to evade arrest.
The RCMP are careful about asking the public for help and for good reason – one doesn't want to overwhelm police with trivial observations and commentary that bog down investigative efforts.
Yellowknifer understands how having to answer questions from media is time consuming, even irritating.
To this we say, when seeking culprits in serious crimes let the media be your trumpet and the public your many extra sets of eyes.
The RCMP can rest assured
Yellowknifer can be a valuable tool, one police can use to get the word out about crimes and criminals.
Don't be shy RCMP, use us.
Creative business types wantedYellowknifer - Wednesday, May 17, 2017
The city should get full marks for its innovative approach to sparking business growth downtown.
A contest is being held awarding one year of free downtown commercial space to the winner.
The city has witnessed a business flight from the downtown core in recent years as retailers struggled with high rents, competition from online sales, and social problems related to loitering and public intoxication.
It will take some revitalization and enticement to draw them back. The city can start by focusing on the problem it is most able to address - the high cost of real estate. There may be some great ideas out there for a downtown business that are stifled by the cost of leasing retail space in the downtown core.
That said, the city's core is not a lost cause. The success of new businesses such as The Fat Fox Cafe and Birchwood Coffee Ko attest to that, as does the success of not-so-new businesses like Bijou Boutique.
And nothing encourages success like success. The more new and thriving businesses that pop up in the downtown core, the better it is for all businesses and the people who shop downtown.
There are other benefits to this contest beyond its function as new business incubator. It will give the city a sense for how much interest there is in developing storefront businesses in the downtown core. Presumably, if the city is overwhelmed with solid applicants and business concepts, all waiting for a little financial help to get off the ground, then a contest like this one can be repeated in the future.
Out on the final limbEditorial Comment by Darrell Greer
Kivalliq News - Wednesday, May 17, 2017
Famous NHL coach Toe Blake set the bar high on those who would make predictions on the game of hockey, but with so much playoff talk going on in the region, it's time to stick my neck out and go against the grain in my choices for the Cup final.
In the East, the Penguins are defying the lord of the injury bugs and keep pulling out big wins in their quest to defend the Stanley Cup.
These guys are on a mission and, as exciting as Ottawa's run has been, the Pens are playing a smart, disciplined style of hockey and sticking to their playbook.
The Senators stud D-man, Erik Karlsson, has been the main reason they've made the semifinals, but he's going to find the sledding a lot tougher against Pittsburgh's strong forecheck and smart play in the neutral zone.
With both Kris Letang and Trevor Daley out with injuries, the Pens have circled the wagons and are employing a team defense that their forwards have bought into.
And, while Karlsson can light it up offensively, he may find the going a little tougher in his own end of the rink with the likes of Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Phil Kessel darting around.
Add to that the confident and dangerous play of Jake Guentzel, the speed and quick shot of Conor Sheary and the bulldog approach of Patric Hornqvist, and the Sens defense is going to have to come up very big.
Finally, the hockey gods gave a deserving Marc-Andre Fleury his long-awaited chance and the best backup goalie in the NHL this year has delivered in spades.
Fleury has reclaimed the starter's role and has no intention of giving it back to Matt Murray, at least not this year.
And for all the talk about Ottawa's "vaunted" offense, the truth of the matter is the Sens had but three 20-goal scorers this year in Kyle Turris (27), Mike Hoffman (26) and Mark Stone (22).
This team goes as far as Karlsson takes them, and, up against Malkin and a very determined Crosby, my money's on the Pens.
The West is a whole different kettle of fish.
The stats say Nashville should take out Anaheim in four or five games, and many folks have jumped on the Predators bandwagon after they eliminated Chicago in four games during the opening round.
Add to that Nashville has taken the Ducks down the past three times they've met in the playoffs, and things don't look too rosy for the Ducks heading into their semifinal showdown.
I'm going way out on a limb and saying the Ducks are going to get it done based on two things: Ryan Getzlaf is one of the greatest team leaders in hockey, and he was on a mission in the first two rounds, and the Ducks defensive corps is smart, tough when it needs to be, fast, and very well balanced.
Nashville is going to have to keep coming at them, game in and game out, in hopes of wearing them down as the series progresses.
That very well may happen, but the Ducks blue-line corps is still a relatively young one and they should have plenty left in the tank if the series goes six or seven games.
There's no doubt the loss of 32-goal scorer Patrick Eaves is felt by the Ducks, but they still have plenty of pop with Getzlaf, Rickard Rakell (33 goals), a hot Jacob Silverberg and Corey Perry to match-up against Nashville's trio of key offensive weapons in Ryan Johansen, Viktor Arvidsson and Filip Forsberg.
In all probability this series will come down to the goaltenders, and the majority of hockey talkers seem to give Nashville a huge advantage here with Pekka Rinne between the pipes.
The branch is pretty thin where I'm at, but I'm picking the Ducks to eek it out on the strength of Getzlaf's leadership and their overall balance.
That sets-us up for a Pittsburgh vs. Anaheim final.
Go Ducks! Go Pens!
Consensus government has run its courseNorthwest Territories/News North - Monday, May 15, 2017
It makes sense when it came time to decide on what type of government the territory would have that something not entirely mirroring the British Westminster system was deemed appropriate.
After all, this is a land that was brutally colonized for generations by Europeans - many of whom were of British ancestry.
True consensus government, as the territory recognizes it, got its start in the late 1970s as indigenous leaders and other Northerners began to assert their rights over the land and Ottawa allowed a move toward "responsible government" with a fully elected legislative assembly. To reflect indigenous custom, elected members sit in a circle.
But experts and scholars generally consider an absence of political parties as a sign of political immaturity in a governing system. There are also some pretty clear examples of how the current consensus form of government has some serious flaws.
Two prominent residents of Inuvik spoke out about consensus government in News/North last week, ("Time to agree on ending consensus government?" May 8). The premise of the report was to determine what, if any benefits were to be had with both of the town's MLAs - Robert C. McLeod (Twin Lakes) and Alfred Moses (Boot Lake) - being in cabinet.
 | "Maybe by having our MLAs as ministers we have been getting some benefit. I just haven't seen it at this particular juncture." - Jozef Carnogursky, Nihtat Gwich'in Council president
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Under a political party system of government, it's generally assumed that constituencies represented by politicians in the governing side of the aisle will fare somewhat better over time than those with opposition MLAs. The icing on the cake for a constituent is to have his or her MLA be in cabinet, as that inner-circle decides on policy and spending and can direct projects or infrastructure money to their home turf.
"Having two ministers from Inuvik, the question is, is that a good thing?" asked Jozef Carnogursky, president of the Nihtat Gwich'in Council. "Sometimes it can be but when you're going through budget cuts and processes like we're going through now, you don't really have anybody that can advocate for you publicly because of the government-cabinet solidarity issue."
Joe Lavoie, Inuvik town councillor and businessperson said, he has doubted consensus government for a long time.
"I believe consensus government has run its course in the territory," he said. "It's good in theory, like I suppose all political systems are, but we don't have the opposition that's calling the government to task.
As the Yukon and the rest of Canada knows, having a party system means there is a main opposition party and perhaps a third or fourth party holding the government's feet to the fire every day. While that does result in some theatrics for TV during Question Period, it does make for a governing party that must work pretty hard to stay in power.
Critics of the consensus system wonder how anything really gets done, as there is little motivation for cabinet to work extra hard to move files through the bureaucracy. Also, as the regular MLAs - the unofficial opposition aren't assigned shadow cabinet roles as is done under party politics, they simply jump from issue to issue and never really make a mark.
Minister McLeod said being in cabinet might take away his ability to stand up in the House during session and raise constituency issues but he can still raise those issues meeting with ministers individually. He said governments in party systems often have majorities, meaning they can push through budgets and legislation by strength of numbers.
News/North says that's exactly what we need more of in the NWT - progress.
That's called accomplishment. That's called building a future instead of talking about one.
Consensus government might be fine for a student body or a city council but perhaps it's not best for larger, more complicated jurisdictions.
A proper Westminster system of government - and we certainly don't want to consider a Republic, as in the United States - includes political parties.
It doesn't mean we have to lose sight of all indigenous traditions, just incorporate them into a better system of government.
Still no transparency from Nutrition North
Nunavut/News North - Monday, May 15, 2017
Last month, North West Company bought its own airline to reduce the cost of freight. It's a smart business decision if there are savings to be had but customers have a right to be concerned about what this means for them.
The cost of food is high in Nunavut, and Nutrition North was intended to reduce costs for Northerners. To do so, the federal government shifted its funding from Canada Post to retailers. The funds were redirected to the companies that are already shipping food, in hopes that the consumer will see the results by way of discounted food prices.
Discuss the program with anyone in Nunavut, and you are sure to find most still think prices are too high.
If the program was supposed to bring prices in the North in line with southern retailers, where are the savings?
Cauliflower hit sky-high prices everywhere last year but in Nunavut it's still in the $10 to $11 range. Metro, which sends its flyers to Nunavut mailboxes, this week is selling cauliflower for $5 each.
Its website also lists English cucumbers at $1.50 each. In Iqaluit, they're selling for $4 each.
These are just examples, and readers will likely have their own.
On the flip side, we all know how much air travel costs and that discounts are rare. Like air travellers, retailers are captive to the prices - and schedule - set by the soon-to-end monopoly of Canadian North and First Air.
But there's no escaping the fact that North West Company is in pretty good stead. The company reported a $15 million profit in the first quarter of 2016, and its Northern operations were its growth engine, according to a report to its shareholders.
We're all for a private business staying in business but now that private firms are in the business of taking public money the federal government needs to insist on higher accountability.
It's also in the best interests of the retailers to be as transparent as possible about the subsidies customers are getting on each item. With greater transparency, customers will be more understanding when the costs of food, fuel, and freight go up due to factors out of the retailers' control.
As retailers find new ways to cut costs - buying an airline is an extreme way - savings need to be passed on to customers. If savings are not transferred, shareholder greed will jeopardize the Northern cash cow when customers stop accepting the mystery pricing strategies and the government is forced to step in once again with a cost-saving program that bypasses retailers.
