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Smoke screen Weekend Yellowknifer - Friday, August 6, 2010
With the tightened security comes the expectation that security authorities thoroughly keep track of all passengers and items screened, as well as other activities within the airport, via video or other surveillance records. The experience of at least one Yellowknifer shows this city's airport falls short of a clean record on this. Sean Ivens still does not know who took his son's $600 iPhone from the airport screening area on June 29, where it was left just before his son got on the plane, and disappeared within 10 minutes. Ivens said telephone records from Bell show the phone was used several times by an unknown person in Yellowknife within an hour of its loss. The Canadian Air Transport Security Authority (CATSA), which is responsible for screening passengers in Canadian airports, told Yellowknifer it closed its investigation of the matter last month. The agency would not say what the results of that investigation are, and Ivens has not been informed of any of this since he submitted a complaint to CATSA, one day after the incident. This case suggests airport authorities - though vigilant about what makes it onto flights - are unconcerned about following up with passengers who have legitimate complaints. CATSA should provide answers on this to Ivens, at the very least. Answers are needed to reassure the public that airport security is up to the level passengers expect it to be. Just as importantly, authorities must remember that people passing through screening areas are not simply sheep to be counted and examined.
Drunk driving a sure route to regret Weekend Yellowknifer - Friday, August 6, 2010 It's hard to comprehend why people still drink and drive. In 2006, there were 2,889 people killed and 199,337 people injured in Canadian incidents where the driver had been drinking, according to Statistics Canada. Mothers Against Drunk Driving estimates in 2007, of the 359,310 individuals injured in motor vehicle crashes, 73,120 of them were injured in impaired driving crashes. That's roughly an astounding 200 people a day. Yet, people continue to get behind the wheel and put their lives, along with the safety of innocent bystanders, on the line. On May 28 an intoxicated Yellowknife woman smashed into the back of a school bus at 8 a.m., injuring one child. The 23-year-old woman was given four months house arrest for her stupidity. She's lucky the incident didn't result in more serious injuries or death. Not only are lives on the line, but so are jobs, personal relationships and money. A woman recently convicted of impaired driving told the court she will likely lose her job because she needs her driver's licence to fulfil her duties. If you choose to drink and drive then you must suffer the consequences of your actions if you're convicted. Drinking and driving happens all too often in the NWT. The courts are full of similar incidents, almost on a daily basis. If you are drinking, don't drive. Walk, call a cab or catch a ride with a designated driver. It may be mildly inconvenient or cost a little money, but it's a small price to pay for preserving your life and those around you.
Reassessing an old acquaintance Editorial Comment Roxanna Thompson Deh Cho Drum - Thursday, August 5, 2010
Water covered in an oily sheen when it should be clear and clean is one. Another is shorelines and riverbanks their grasses and vegetation coated in a layer of dark oil. The most disturbing image, however, is of birds with slicked down feathers futilely flapping their wings when they should effortlessly be able to take flight. The first came from the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig in the Gulf of Mexico that began gushing oil following an explosion on April 22. Misgivings about what can happen when the containment of oil goes wrong were compounded last week when approximately 19,500 barrels of crude oil escaped from one of Enbridge Inc.'s pipelines in the state of Michigan on July 26. The oil entered the Kalamazoo River where clean-up efforts are underway. While the BP disaster seemed far away and of little consequence to the Deh Cho, primarily because the region doesn't have any deep sea drilling rigs, the Michigan incident hits much closer to home. Enbridge Pipelines (NW) Inc. is a longstanding member of the business community in the Deh Cho. The company operates an 870 kilometre pipeline that starts in Norman Wells, runs past Wrigley, Fort Simpson and the Mackenzie River before heading to Zama, Alta. Seeing a local company associated with an oil spill is bound to give anyone pause. If a spill can happen on an Enbridge line and pollute the Kalamazoo River what's to stop it from happening on the Mackenzie? The answer and extra measures to make sure it doesn't happen may be implemented once the cause of the Michigan incident is determined. So far Enbridge has proven itself to be a responsible and community minded organization in the Deh Cho. Undoubtedly in light of the recent spill the, company will be going to extra lengths to reassure the communities along its pipeline route. The annual oil spill exercise, which coincidentally took place outside of Fort Simpson just two days after things went wrong in Michigan, is one visible sign that if the worst was to happen Enbridge is well-versed in containment measures. So what will the aftermath of the Michigan incident look like? For the Deh Cho, especially communities like Fort Simpson and Wrigley, new consideration will be given to the pipeline that to this point has often been forgotten or overlooked. Branching out in Inuvik Editorial Comment Katie May Inuvik Drum - Thursday, August 5, 2010
We already know aboriginal people have made their homes in the Beaufort Delta for centuries, and now, according to the maternal results of a DNA study conducted throughout the region last summer, we know that Inuvialuit and Gwich'in residents still bear a strong genetic resemblance to their ancestors indigenous to the land. This suggests that, unsurprisingly, people of the same culture have stayed in one place long enough to continue passing on an undivided, unmistakable biological code to future generations. Many of the amenities that first attracted settlers to the region - prime hunting and fishing spots and a pristine landscape - no doubt continue to lure tourists here today. But what makes them stay? The answer to that question could be the key to economic success for the Inuvik region and for the territory as a whole. It's an answer the GNWT is still trying to fully grasp with its Tourism 2010 Plan. The plan, launched five years ago, was to make the tourism industry more valuable by investing in tourism services such as fishing, outdoor adventure and hunting - but that can only be a first step. Though tourism pulls in more than $100 million a year and makes up more than two per cent of NWT's total economy, it's not enough to simply get people to visit. They need to live here, work here and, ideally, raise families here. If they don't, community workforces - including Inuvik's - will suffer. The GNWT has released statistics showing the territory is in the middle of a population decline and a labour shortage. Even if every current NWT resident was trained and working, there still wouldn't be enough workers to meet the demand. For Inuvik, which is a regional centre and a gateway to the NWT's higher Arctic communities, tourism spending is particularly important and fair regional allocation should be one of the GNWT's priorities if and when it reviews its Tourism 2010 Plan. Already our town depends heavily on visitors coming to big events including the Great Northern Arts Festival, the Northern Games, the Inuvik Petroleum Show and, potentially, the End of the Road Music Festival. It's particularly important for the community to rally around those events and get involved in hopes of keeping our local tourism industry strong, both to attract more visitors and new residents who may someday join different branches of Inuvik's family tree. Katie May is interim editor of Inuvik Drum. Andrew Rankin will return in September. Cooling to a warm idea Yellowknifer - Wednesday, August 4, 2010
Word came in July that the cost had ballooned to $61.2 million - almost double. If you listened hard enough, you could probably hear some jaws hitting the floor. There seems to be two schools of thought forming around this project. Councillor Mark Heyck defended the project, even at its much higher price, by pointing out the new figure includes geothermal heat for a greater number of buildings in the city's downtown area, 39 compared to the previous 20. Heyck also argued some people fixate too much on the money. "We tend to focus on the dollars and the economic side of it, but there's a huge environmental benefit to proceeding with a project like this as well." Mayor Gord Van Tighem was much more pragmatic. He spoke of studying the cost and the return, and then deciding whether the project made sense, both environmentally and economically. He put affordability at the forefront of the discussion, which is most responsible. Those comments are in line with the way Mark Henry, the city's energy co-ordinator, couched the project earlier this year. He said the geothermal initiative would be like a stand-alone business, one which must have more revenue than expenses. While all the numbers have not been finalized, we do know the federal government has committed no less than $10 million and no more than $20 million towards the project. Even at the highest end, $20 million out of $61.2 million still leaves a daunting amount for a city of 19,000 to pay down, especially a city with a new fieldhouse, a relatively new Multiplex and a growing number of water and sewer projects to undertake, not to mention the need for a new water treatment plant. Of course, $61.2 million by no means represents the final cost, either. That figure could rise yet again as more number crunching is done. Let's not forget the Deh Cho Bridge, which started out with a price tag of $55 million about a decade ago, but now stands at $182 million. Same goes for the proposed Mackenzie Valley natural gas pipeline, which for many years carried a $7 billion estimate, but that number then jumped to $16.2 billion. The governments that approve such legacy projects rightfully are haunted or applauded for those decisions forevermore. While we would dearly love to rid ourselves of dirty fossil fuels and drastically reduce our greenhouse gas emissions, we must take affordable steps towards that goal. If a solid and foolproof case cannot be made for geothermal heat, then it's best to keep a lid on it for now.
The inevitable war of words Editorial Comment Darrell Greer Kivalliq News - Wednesday, August 4, 2010 So, here we are, barely into the month of August, and hockey talk has been rampant around the Kivalliq the past few weeks. Most of the talk has focused on the free agent contract of Ilya Kovalchuk and what it could mean for the NHL going forward. Many were baffled by the NHL rejecting Kovalchuk's 17-year, $102-million deal with the New Jersey Devils, in view of similar deals given to Marian Hossa, Chris Pronger, Rick DiPietro and others. In fact, most agree nothing prohibits a multi-year, front-end-loaded contract in the collective bargaining agreement (CBA) between the NHL and the NHLPA. That being said, most also agree the signing is outside the spirit of the agreement and is viewed by the vast majority of hockey followers as a CBA loophole. Few people blink an eye at the actual value of the contract, as the money being earned by a large percentage of NHLers these days is beyond the average person's conception. To those who live in the real world, $40 million, $70 million or $102 million are just abstract numbers. The truth is we have no comprehension of what it's like to earn that kind of money. What the millions of hockey fans in Canada do know, is the storm clouds are brewing for yet another labour stoppage following the 2011-12 NHL season. And the sick feeling in the pits of their stomachs comes from not knowing if the game can withstand another labour war. With the NHLPA wanting Donald Fehr as its next executive director -- the man who kept a salary cap out of Major League Baseball for 23 years and makes Bob Goodenow look like a teddy bear in comparison - the wagons are already being circled on both sides. Former NHL goalie Glen ("Read my lips. The players will never accept a salary cap.") Healy is already on the air beating the drum for the abolition of the salary cap. The decision by NHL commissioner Gary Bettman to reject Kovalchuk's contract, and force the NHLPA to take it before an arbitrator, is a shot across the bow of the NHLPA. The NHL knows in Donald Fehr something wicked this way comes, and it's sending a message to the NHLPA that it's still very much prepared to continue the fight against escalating player salaries. In short, the most acrimonious labour-management relationship in the history of pro sports is about to get nasty once again. For those who love the pro game, there's nothing to do but enjoy the next two seasons and prepare for the inevitable war of words that will escalate as the end of the current CBA draws near. And, while we can all hope against hope for cooler heads to prevail, and for the two sides to realize another labour stoppage may ruin the NHL forever, history is not on our side. For as it was following the N.Y. Rangers Stanley Cup win in 1993-94, the NHL is shining brightly with a stable of young stars, an exciting product and a spiking popularity. So you can leave it to the league and the NHLPA to quickly unveil a new slogan for the near future - Beware: dark days ahead!
Positive trend NWT News/North - Monday, August 2, 2010
Although crime rates in the NWT are still significantly higher when compared to the national averages there was a four per cent decline in incidents of crime between 2008 and 2009. The figures are so encouraging government officials have labelled the decrease a trend and are hoping to build on the success. It's always difficult to pinpoint exactly what factors contribute to crime rates. Demographics, according to Sgt. Law Power with RCMP G division, plays a key role. Compared to other jurisdictions the NWT has a much younger population and although Power emphasizes that doesn't mean all young people are criminals he said younger populations are generally more responsible for breaking the law, specifically relating to property and violent offences. Shirley Kemeys-Jones, director of community justice and community policing, attributes the success in crime reduction to community-based crime prevention initiatives and increased enforcement. Power commended the GNWT for its responsiveness to addressing staffing requests from G division, adding the RCMP in the NWT has benefited from some of the highest staffing levels it has seen in years. As of June 24 the department had two vacancies territory-wide - one of which was administrative. However, RCMP staffing and crime prevention programs aside, the most notable factor attributed to the lower crime rate is public participation. Kemeys-Jones said more people are stepping up to report crime. This speaks to a growing recognition from residents that they must take responsibility for the safety of their communities. It is also indicative of a growing positive relationship between members of the community and the RCMP. Power said all police officers stationed in the NWT come voluntarily and are not subjected to mandatory postings, which means officers working here have chosen to work in the North, which often makes them more invested in our communities. Overall, there were 18,279 crimes in our territory reported to police in 2009. That number can surely be reduced even further. The GNWT, the RCMP and the public are on the right track when it comes to addressing the high crime rates in the NWT. Hopefully we will build on this success in the future. In order to do that the government, the police and the general public will need to further strengthen the encouraging signs we have seen lately.
Change needed in High Arctic Nunavut News/North - Monday, August 2, 2010 Getting around Nunavut is always a challenge, but for residents of the High Arctic communities, the situation is worse than most. First of all, it's expensive. And second, residents of High Arctic communities have no guarantee of being able to leave or return when they choose. They are at the mercy of the weather, made worse by the infrequency of the commercial flight schedule. In Grise Fiord, for example, one or two bumped or cancelled flights means travel plans could be delayed up to a week or longer, resulting in missed work, missed school, missed meetings and missed training sessions. Even government-run consultations and workshops touring the territory often have to skip these communities and try again later, sometimes only making it in on their second or third attempt. This inability to participate in the face-to-face opportunities others enjoy makes High Arctic residents essentially second-class citizens in their own territory. An adult round-trip ticket between Grise Fiord and Resolute costs more than $1,000. Flights are scheduled twice a week, on Thursdays and Saturdays, but can be delayed or cancelled due to weather and the small planes have low weight restrictions, limiting capacity. A subsidy for travel on the existing commercial airline service would reduce the cost of airfare but do nothing to improve the likelihood of being able to fly in or out of these communities. The consultants who wrote the High Arctic Transportation Cost Study recommended option five, in which the government would charter an aircraft to make regular flights between the communities and Iqaluit, where most passenger traffic is headed for government and medical travel. The downside is this would overlap with the current commercial service. The airlines serving the High Arctic say they're doing the best they can, given the small market and the high cost of serving it. They are certainly right in that Grise Fiord, Arctic Bay and Resolute are not Toronto, Ottawa and Montreal - large, bustling cities with enough demand for multiple flights daily between them on competing airlines. That's because the High Arctic communities were established by the federal government for the sake of sovereignty, not logic. They are, in fact, logistical nightmares when it comes to transportation and re-supply. That the communities of Grise Fiord and Resolute Bay have persisted for more than 50 years is a testament to the resourcefulness and determination of the people who live there despite the obstacles stacked against them. Frequent, reliable air service to these communities will never be profitable for a private company. That's why it's essential for the government to step in and help, but in consultation with the airlines whose input has not yet been invited. These changes must be made in a way that does not eliminate airline revenues to the region. A combination of subsidies or vouchers for commercial flights with government-chartered flights to regional hubs is necessary, however, to provide High Arctic residents with the same level of service other Nunavummiut expect.
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