Addiction counsellors and youth workers across the Western Arctic have every reason to be concerned that Health Minister Kelvin Ng is pulling the plug on the NWT Youth Addictions Program as of Dec. 31.
The territorial-wide program, run by Northern Addictions Services, is based in Yellowknife. With a small budget of just under $600,000 annually, more than 60 young Northerners received counselling during the past five years.
We agree with the results of the recent NAS review which revealed a dire need to revamp the services offered by the program, including the possibility of a new, more remote and holistic location. But we hardly see why the Department of Health must lock the door of the Yellowknife facility until these changes are made.
Do we close hospitals when the call comes down to redesign the services offered, or change programs? What about the staff at the centre? Are they to be laid off, only to take their expertise elsewhere while the government takes four months to redevelop the program? What about the waiting list?
Department officials say youth on the waiting list will either be sent south for treatment or offered services on a case-by-case basis in the North until the new program is up and running.
This is the usual fallback position and is nothing but a step backward. Why, we ask, does health minister Kelvin Ng consistently ignore impending crisis. He invariably fails to begin serious planning until everything has gone to hell.
He allowed health care in the Keewatin to disintegrate last year while hospital beds sit empty in Iqaluit this year due to a lack of nursing staff. Meanwhile, his cabinet colleagues, especially Premier Morin, who is supposed to be in control, seem unable to grasp the meaning of competency. On social issues, cabinet's main concern seems to be balancing the books and getting their stories straight about how matters became so grave.
It is clear this government is fast becoming part of the problem when it should be offering solutions.
If the North was ever cut off from the South, what would we do for food and clothing?
The answer is we'd look to our abundant resources - animals and fish. But with all our luxuries and Hollywood packaging, Northern resources are underutilized by most people, even though they are superior in many ways.
Nunavut hunters prefer seal and caribou skin for keeping warm. In the Western NWT, moose hide is best while country foods fill freezers across the North. The problem with these goods is that unless you can hunt or sew, or have relatives that do, they are hard to get.
We hope that as the producers of Northern foods and clothing continue to explore new markets, they don't overlook the Northern consumer.
One can only hope the harsh lessons learned on Canada's East Coast are not lost upon the people of Sanikiluaq as they look towards developing a viable commercial scallop fishery as a means of generating revenue.
Residents of the Belcher Islands community have asked Newfoundland native, and fisherman turned consultant, John Melindy to help them develop a test fishery.
No one should know better than a native Newfoundlander the dangers surrounding an attempt to ensure a sustainable fishery.
It's been good to hear Melindy talk of things such as evaluating the amount of time it takes new scallops to grow to replace those harvested and having respect for the habitat.
However, the East Coast experience showed that rhetoric and common sense have a way of being quickly replaced by greed once harvesting gets under way and the bucks start rolling in.
If the test fishery and feasibility study pan out, Sanikiluaq residents would be well-advised to immediately put a community association in place to set, monitor and strictly enforce harvesting procedures and quotas.
They should also insist fishermen and biologists work together to ensure the scallops are harvested in such a way as to remain sustainable and protect their natural habitat.
If the fishery becomes viable, the community association could also ensure scallop numbers are meticulously recorded annually and set quotas are immediately adjusted to reflect any downturn in numbers.
As proved on the East Coast, man has the inherent ability to erase centuries of nature's work, seemingly overnight.
When 11,500 people meet the challenge thrown down by the NWT Literacy Council to read for 15 minutes, you have to know that people in the North are taking their books seriously.
Nearly 20 per cent of the population of North of 60 participated. Numbers like that have to be rewarding for the Literacy Council.
However, the war is far from over. The ability to read is the cornerstone of a modern education and education is the foundation for a future.
While school drop-out rates are coming down, they are still frighteningly high in the North.
Events such as the Literacy Council challenge keep the focus on what's important, learning to read.
Editorial Comment
Derek Neary
Deh Cho Drum
Home maintenance is a fact of life, but I'm not quite comfortable with it.
I have to admit, I'm not one of those people who watch Bob Villa every week and nod in agreement as he points out which tools best suit the needs of a given project.
Circular saws, hack saws, jig saws. I know they're all sharp and I know I should avoid them.
Shingling the roof isn't something I've ever done, nor something I can ever see myself doing. The same holds true for car repairs. I certainly wouldn't consider fiddling with the timing belt, touching the transmission or even going near the engine.
On the other hand, changing the spark plugs and doing an oil change are things I think I could handle if I make the time and find somebody with enough patience to show me.
It's not that I'm totally inept. I can change a tire. I also have successfully boosted others' vehicles without having the battery blow up in my face, although I cringe every time someone asks if I have cables.
Even around the house, I've been known to perform a few miracles. Recently, the doorknob that was practically hanging off the front door to the Drum office was replaced. Guess who? Yep, I did it. All by myself too.
I didn't stop there, though. I installed a new deadbolt afterwards. For your average person, these jobs are probably "no-brainers," absolutely routine. But, I was pretty darn proud when I finished and the door opened and closed properly (thankfully there's a side entrance/exit to the building so we couldn't have wound up trapped in the office if anything did go terribly wrong).
Just last week, there was an insert in the newspaper from Arctic Energy Alliance. The guide contained dozens of useful tips on home and small businesses maintenance.
I immediately thought, "Hey, this is something my dad would probably appreciate." It did occur to me that I too should run through the checklist, particularly the plumbing section.
You see, ever since we moved in, the taps have been performing a few cruel tricks. Neither constitutes an emergency, they're just annoying.
For some reason, the cold water starts out cold, but quickly warms up and runs hot for about 20 seconds before finally turning cold again.
Then, lately, the taps have added another prank to their repertoire. Unpredictably, after turning on the tap, there will be a gurgle and then the water will explode out of the faucet at one million pounds of pressure per square inch. It doesn't happen often, but, when it does, I never expect it and I always wind up drying the water droplets off myself, the counter, the cupboards and whatever else happened to be within the vicinity.
I would think the air in the pipes would be affecting others in the community, but I haven't found anyone else with the same problem, yet.
In some people's minds, admitting that you don't have a sense of mechanical know-how is equivalent to forsaking your manhood. Well, the way I see it, I think it's better to be honest than a self-professed handyman who can't get the job done.
Besides, women are equally capable of fixing the plumbing. Anyway, if anyone out there thinks they know what the problem may be, stop by, please. I'll be sure to show you the new doorknob.