The Constitutional Working Group is back in action at last. And none too soon. While it is better to write a new constitution for the western NWT properly, rather than hastily, the lack of progress over the last year has been worrisome.

Before the members of the group waste any more time, they should get a few things straight. First, they should forget about the idea of double representation for aboriginal citizens in the new legislative assembly.

The federal cabinet and many Northerners have rejected the concept of giving two votes to aboriginal voters and one to everyone else as a violation of the Charters of Rights and Freedoms. It will not fly and should be abandoned now.

Alternatives that give voters options among different assemblies could be considered, but the basics of democracy are not open for discussion. Whether we like it not, Ottawa has made that clear.

Second, the group must take into account the present and future self-government negotiations being conducted with land claimants throughout the western NWT. Many of the powers now vested in the GNWT will be transferred to the regional governments now being established under land claims.

Health, justice, the economy and education will remain pan-territorial concerns and standards should be set. But provisions should be included to allow for local management of those areas and others.

Third, the authors of any new constitution must keep in mind that the primary goal is not the creation, or even the re-creation, of government in the western NWT, but future development of its people and economy.

The next round of public discussions is scheduled to begin next month. These forums must be better organized than the last time and people must be given viable models to consider.

Otherwise, a sad history will simply be repeated and total constitutional stagnation will result.

Truth: it's the one salve that can heal all wounds. Ironically, truth often means tearing open old wounds before they mend properly.

Victims of sexual abuse at Grollier Hall are facing their demons once again. They've gone public, and are preparing to face the predators of their childhood.

To some, it might seem right now that telling the truth was a mistake, that the weight of their shame has been doubled, and will double again in the courtroom.

But calm always follows a storm. And months, even years later, the benefits of this truth-telling will become evident. As alleged victims Harold Cook and Lawrence Norbert write in a letter to the Drum, "by confronting our past, our children may not have to go through what we did and that they can, in turn, be better people and better parents."

Unveiling the bitter truth of Grollier may well serve to heal not only those directly damaged by the institution, but also family members and spouses who may well have misunderstood the pain and isolation of their fathers and husbands.

This is also an opportunity for the Catholic Church, which administered Grollier and dozens of other residential schools across the country.

The church has covered up its legacy of abuse and neglect for decades, when the flood of stories of residential school and altar boy abuses first started pouring in.

The church is a billion-dollar corporation like Microsoft, and like a multi-national, it has engaged in "damage control" whenever an apology is requested, or assistance asked. One can only imagine a team of lawyers sitting around the Pope at the Vatican, advising him that to apologize would open the door to potential lawsuits.

The church has -- for better and worse -- played a pivotal role in the development in the North. It has helped, but it has also hurt. If the church truly stands as an institution of God for the people, then it must do all it can to preserve this public trust, which has been deeply damaged by this event.

In this age of cynicism about institutions, the church is morally bound to do all it can to help in the healing. How the church handles this incident -- whether through denial and evasion, or through admission of its role in the atrocities -- will speak volumes about its true commitment to people.

It is gratifying to see people like Cook and Norbert with the guts enough to tear open their personal wounds in order to aid in the healing of others. It is time for similar soul-searching within the church, and admission of its responsibility in the matter. The truth must be told.

When your life depends on a machine, as does anyone whose kidneys have failed, travel becomes a problem at the best of times. Wherever you go, you can't afford to be far from dialysis equipment to clean your blood.

It only seems logical, then for Stanton Regional Hospital to make its dialysis machine available to visitors to our city like Calvin Marshall, who was able to see his son's family this Christmas thanks to the new arrangement.

Extending health-care services to visitors is just another way that Yellowknife can roll out the welcome mat. We can't to afford to discourage anyone from paying a visit.