It's supposed to work for Northerners, but it doesn't. It's called Indian Affairs and Northern Development.
In the past year, the spotlight has been on this billion-dollar federal department on three issues: 1. Moving the Northern Development offices North from Ottawa. 2. Managing the environmental risks of Giant and Colomac mines. 3. Ensuring the environmental review process protects the land and benefits people.
The department's effort to move its Northern Development offices North was a bad joke. The process was left in the hands of the department officials who have homes, families and roots in the Hull/Ottawa area. These officials asked themselves and their colleagues: 'Do we want to sell our houses, disrupt our families and move to a place we've never been, all in the name of Northern development?' Of course the answer was a resounding 'No!' backed by reams of research signifying nothing but self-serving motives.
The department's success with bankrupt Royal Oak can be described only as pitiful. More than 260,000 tonnes of arsenic have been shovelled into crumbling slopes of Giant Mine. It will have to be removed, costing taxpayers millions. Meanwhile at Colomac, a toxic brew sits in a juryrigged pit system waiting for a costly taxpayer-funded solution that hopefully comes before an environmental disaster.
In Diavik's environmental review, department officials are torn between accommodating big business and protecting the environment. They do a lousy job on both fronts. Despite public confidence in the earlier BHP environmental review, the department wanted to try something easier and now the integrity of the Diavik review is severely damaged.
Now it's the secondary diamond industry, a beautiful opportunity for the department to fulfil its Northern development mandate and cost Diavik nothing. Instead, senior department officials ignore their Northern development mandate and common sense, siding squarely with the company against Northerners.
The end result makes Minister Jane Stewart look like she has no idea what is going on and Western Arctic MP Ethel Blondin-Andrew appear powerless to make her constituents heard.
The department is a disgraceful insult to Northerners and it's mainly because the people with decision making power all live in Ottawa.
It's up to the politicians to change that as soon as possible.
OK, so you've got a computer - like the song says, that don't impress me much.
The fact that somebody managed to hack into and take over the Government of the Northwest Territories' website last week poses no end of questions, but two immediately spring to mind: does this thing have no security at all; and why would anyone want to or be bothered to.
If it's impossible to secure these things, perhaps websites aren't the best way of promoting or advertising the GNWT. Maybe we should get off the web before we wind up with something more embarrassing than CIA links and a couple cheap shots at former members.
As for the individual doing the hacking and all others of that ilk - for the sake of everybody, get a life or at least find another hobby. May we suggest fingerpainting?
It comes as no surprise that the reaction from business owners is positive to the increased presence of police on street patrol.
In the city, the street is where the police belong.
Concern over the safety of the streets in Yellowknife, particularly late at night, has been expressed for some time now.
Late at nights on the weekend, some of the streets in this city are a disgrace. There is a fine line between having fun and being a public nuisance, but there is a line.
Police on the street is a proven deterrent to random violence. It isn't a matter of increasing arrests, it is a matter of crime prevention and front-line officers are the most effective on that front.
We're glad to see the police maintaining a presence on the streets of Yellowknife.
Editorial Comment
Paula White
Inuvik Drum
I doubt there was anybody who attended the District Education Authority's annual general meeting who was unaffected by what they learned there.
The issue of suspensions has been in the spotlight lately. This is one of the reasons the DEA decided to gather up these facts. Apart from an article written well over a month ago, neither the board nor the schools had done much to defend themselves. I'm glad to see they finally took the steps to. The facts and figures presented by member Arlene Hansen were astounding.
They're also pretty hard to argue with.
More than 160 suspensions of more than 80 students; more than 50 per cent of those suspensions were the result of behavioural problems; 27 per cent the result of violent behaviour, which included throwing a desk and hitting a teacher. Hansen was right on the money when she said it was her opinion the policies were, in fact, too lenient. Most schools are supposed to have a zero tolerance policy towards violence. It should be no different for Northern schools.
According to the statistics, one student had seven suspensions. Seven! And that student is still in school. I realize every student has a right to an education, but with seven suspensions, chances are he or she isn't getting much of one. Maybe public school isn't the answer for that individual?
Hansen said, based on her findings, she could only come up with the conclusion that there is a serious lack of respect in this community for teachers and, it would seem, the school system in general. She's right. It's a lack of respect among students that causes a large part of the behavioural problems.
Even worse, though, than the lack of respect from students is the lack of respect from parents. Teachers should be able to count on parental support. There is very little of that going around. I'm sorry to point the finger, but I think somebody should.
This is not a problem restricted to this community. This is an international problem -- perhaps even worldwide. Who knows? As I mentioned in a previous editorial, my dad was a teacher. I know from talking to him that he and the teachers at his school experienced the same problem -- a lack of respect from both students and parents. This isn't something I just formed an opinion on 12 hours ago. I've felt this way for a long time now -- long before I moved North.
I'm not saying teachers or the school system is perfect. But they do their best. They are trying to provide an education for our children. We should be backing them 300 per cent!
Anyway, if anything, let's hope that these statistics put an end to the many complaints. Let's hope parents realize from this that, for the most part, the schools are more than justified in their decisions.
Just call me Pearl
Imagine my surprise (and embarrassment) when I became part of a story I was covering this week.
Yes me. I was covering the dress rehearsal of East Three -- The Story of Inuvik when, to my horror, I was asked to go on stage to play Pearl the Waitress. It was during the Greasy Slick scene, which I'm sure many of you around town are familiar with.
I was totally taken by surprise. An actress I'm not, a fact that probably doesn't come as a surprise to the other people who were at the rehearsal. Just ask the lady I was supposed to throw a glass of water on. I whimped out and missed her by a mile! But the last time I was involved in the theatre was a Grade 6 school performance. Let's just say I didn't get a standing ovation.
Anyway, I will admit it was kind of fun. But don't expect a repeat performance.
Editorial Comment
Derek Neary
Deh Cho Drum
Months of hard work destroyed in a thoughtless act that probably took all of five minutes. An individual or group of individuals ran roughshod through the Thomas Simpson school greenhouse last week, pouring fuel over the plants. It really is a shame.
It tends to make one somewhat cynical when they embark on a project to enhance the community. There's always the question in the back of one's mind whether some vandals will target the efforts, rendering them futile. It doesn't happen that frequently. Then again, it doesn't have to. Major setbacks such as the one that occurred at the greenhouse can be enough to make us somewhat wary, a little hesitant to devote significant amounts of our time when someone could very well ruin it in a fraction of that time. We want to shelter what we can, keep an eye on it because we know there are a few bad apples out there who will take advantage if given the opportunity.
It's similar to when we were children. An entire afternoon could be spent constructing a snowman or snow fort. By the next morning we would often find it demolished by some hooligans, who undoubtedly had a good laugh while quickly toppling the day's work.
As we grow older, the ante goes up, though. The greenhouse project involved countless hours, a lot of sentimental attachment and considerable money. It wasn't cheap either to replace the panes of glass at Fort Simpson's Northern Store, due to somebody shattering the doors. The windows at Deh Cho Hall also seem to be a popular target. Bompas school's Dene camp has been struck a few times and has apparently been turned into a makeshift bar on occasion. Sometimes, the destruction takes on a hint of a vendetta as it did for a local businessman earlier this year. A few of his properties and vehicles were vandalized to the tune of close to $40,000.
Who would do such things and why? Most often, those questions aren't easily answered. The primary suspects are often underprivileged children. That's not to imply that they necessarily come from poor or destitute homes.
While covering court proceedings in Yellowknife, I learned of a couple of youth who broke into abandoned buildings and a bus and camped out there. It was pointed out by the boys' appointed lawyer that they came from "good homes." Asked by the judge why they committed such actions, they didn't come up with any extraordinary reasons. They "just wanted to." He seemed stumped by their indifference, but warned them to clean up their act just the same. If their home environment supposedly isn't lacking, what would compel them to run away?
Whether the vandals in our community are dealt with by the police or by a community justice committee, hopefully they come to realize how much sorrow and disappointment they have inflicted on others. Somehow, they have to be made accountable for their actions. More often than not, these individuals, capable of committing much worse crimes, are frustrated and crying out for help.
It's important to remember, though, the majority of people in this community are working for its betterment. As disheartening as they are, we can't let the setbacks stop us from striving for that objective.
Editorial Comment
Darrell Greer
Kivalliq News
With high school graduations taking place across the Keewatin this week and next, many of our youth are about to enter the next phase of their lives and the future has never been brighter.
With Nunavut now a reality, many programs and initiatives have started, or are in the works, to encourage further training and post-secondary education in an attempt to keep more of our youth studying in Nunavut.
Incentives for home ownership, more and more job opportunities opening up at the territorial and municipal levels, and technological advances and modern equipment becoming evident across the Keewatin all add extra incentives for our youth to remain at home.
It can be quite a scary time for teenagers at this stage in their lives. All too quickly the joy of graduation wears off and the uncertainty of what lay ahead begins to take hold.
We hope that our Class of '99 grads across the Keewatin will not bend to the spectre of apprehension, but, will look upon their futures as one of growth, tremendous opportunity and almost unlimited potential.
Today's grads have opportunities which none who came before them experienced, all tied to finally having a land they can call their own.
With the need for young, bright minds to chart Nunavut's course during the coming decades comes the dawn of a rebirth, a renewed sense of purpose and a strengthened commitment to improving our quality of life.
With more than half of Nunavut's population being under the age of 25, there can be no doubt our greatest resource is our youth and one of our greatest strengths may well prove to be our territory's brash confidence and youthful exuberance as we tackle the challenges awaiting us.
There is more and more emphasis being placed on education across the Keewatin. With the NTEP starting to churn out a string of educators native to our territory with a solid understanding of the things that are indigenous to our land, the impetus for our youth to continue with their educations can only grow.
This June sees the first graduates of Nunavut. Hopefully, our first wave will prove itself to be a strong one and their future success will help pave the way for those who will follow behind them.
Good luck to all our grads across the Kivalliq and a resounding job well done. Everyone should be truly proud of their accomplishments.