Friday, November 19, 1999
The public school board says it is trying to put the past behind it and get back to the task of educating children.
With the recent dismissal of the district's superintendent and the potential for some long involved legal wrangling, the bad news may not be over.
Acting superintendent Judith Knapp declared that the issue of Ken Woodley's dismissal "is between the lawyers." This is not entirely true.
If legal action proceeds, every decision the board made regarding Woodley, from hiring to firing, will be under the legal microscope.
This would be a daunting process for anyone, probably doubly so for people who have volunteered to sit on the school board to help deal with education issues rather than the intricacies of employment laws.
Board members are paid $4,800 a year for 10 to 20 hours work a week, low compensation for the high level of dedication required.
If nothing else, the nature of the Woodley case illustrates how complex running a school board can be and the tremendous costs involved when things go wrong. With legal fees clocking in at hundreds of dollars an hour, each hour of legal representation uses up the equivalent in costs of at least a day of a teacher's time if not more.
Fortunately, between Yellowknife ratepayers and the territorial government, the two city school districts are well funded, which allows them to maintain the high quality of education Yellowknifers have come to expect.
While public school board members may think the district's credibility and their own has been damaged by this year's events, the public will only be concerned if the quality of education is affected.
This has not happened yet and the board has experience and resources to ensure it doesn't.
One of the amenities Yellowknife offers is a superb library. We are fortunate to have it.
Other communities aren't so lucky. However, Lisa Campbell of the NWT Literacy Council is doing something to amend that.
She has organized a book drive to put reading material in the homes of people in Wekweti, Gameti, Wha Ti, Rae-Edzo and Lutsel K'e.
Campbell is asking Yellowknifers to drop off children's books at the public library and at the city's two book stores. Air Tindi has generously offered to transport the books on its regularly scheduled flights.
Literacy is a keystone of education, which in turn is the foundation for a future. It is all too easy to forget that much of the territories doesn't enjoy the same facilities and ready access to books that we do in Yellowknife. So let's share the wealth.
The news that Yellowknifers may be able to become regular blood donors is worth remembering.
Canadian Blood Services, the group that has now assumed control of Canada's blood supply from the Red Cross, is considering bringing one of its mobile donor clinics to Yellowknife.
The fact that every year hundreds of patients at Stanton Regional Hospital require blood products proves the need is there.
Currently, all the blood products used by the hospital comes from Edmonton.
Canadian Blood Services say if there's strong enough community support -- people willing to become donors -- a mobile clinic would make sense. Time will tell if our community is committed to making this a reality.
Editorial Comment
Daniel MacIsaac
Inuvik Drum
Whether or not the North should embrace the system of established political parties remains open to debate. There are valuable points being made for both sides of the argument.
The consensus system is certainly not perfect. MLAs, like everyone else, possess political and philosophical biases. Motions in the legislative assembly come down to votes in any case and favour the majority. The party system offers openness and accountability -- qualities the assembly is still working to achieve.
On the other hand, it's also true that the North is undergoing a dramatic transformation, and the introduction of partisan politics offers one more ingredient to an already volatile mixture. There's also the argument that conditions in the North are different from those in southern Canada and we shouldn't be trying to adapt yet another European-model of governance.
Perhaps what is happening is, however, for the best. It's the NDP who've stepped up to bat and they only have six candidates running in the election for the 19-seat legislature. Northerners will have the chance to see how they perform and to decide if they like what they see before voting. If nothing else, the New Democrats' emphasis on responsibility and on presenting a co-ordinated, very public political platform forces the other candidates to do the same.
It means we should know a little more about the would-be legislators and their ideas for the future of their ridings and the territory well before we head to the polling booths on Dec. 6. If that happens, then the introduction of party politics will have served some good.
Gracious hosts
Inuvik appeared to do a great job in hosting the NHL Oldtimers last week. Everything went smoothly and the Midnight Sun Recreation Complex handled the crowds and the demands placed on it without so much as a scuff or a scuffle.
Moreover, the home team put on a great show, too, and didn't make it to easy for the former NHL greats. The RCMP, local businesses, the cadets, minor hockey players, figure skaters and drummers came together to entertain the crowd and the visitors. They also ensured that Inuvik, despite its small size, will likely be the venue for a future NHL match-up.
Making the grade
Sir Alexander Mackenzie school is right to be proud of its high attendance record this year. Grades and work levels may still need some work, but success in those areas can only begin when the kids are attending school consistently and are taking it seriously.
School and board staff play a major role in accomplishing those targets, but as they stress, parents remain the deciding factor. Kids are influenced by what they see and hear at home, and when their parents are telling them to stay in school -- and taking an active part in helping them and checking homework -- those kids will listen.
Editorial Comment
Derek Neary
Deh Cho Drum
They said they are all in favour of economic development and supporting local businesses. No surprise there. They said they all support the Mackenzie Valley Highway extension.
Returning the health centre to hospital status got the unconditional thumbs up from everyone, except Jim Antoine, who qualified his answer. The reality of the situation is that with current budget restraints, it will never happen (unless there's a population boom to justify it, and without economic development don't bet on the population boom).
None of them want to see Yellowknife gain the balance of power in the NWT.
All of them said they will work at improving the level of communication between the government and the public.
Their campaign platforms did offer a little variety, though.
Paul Gammon has adopted the "haves" and "have nots" theme. Yellowknife, as he sees it, has way too many benefits and policies existing in its favour. He vows to rail against the system and to do his best to ensure that he looks out for the little guy (in this case Nahendeh). People in the riding can relate the issue of comparatively higher food and fuel costs. While there may be some room for improvement, to think we will ever be anywhere near equal footing with the 17,000 people in the capital city is idealistic, however.
Gammon's argument that money put into studies and some legal matters would be better spent on economic development is one that deserves some thought. As does his idea of an ombudsman.
Antoine wasn't making any big promises last Tuesday. He looked and sounded confident, but also like someone who has been entangled in the morass of bureaucracy for the past eight years. However, with that comes a sense of what is realistically attainable. He's aware how thinly the budget is stretched, and that gaining control of its natural resources is integral to prosperity. The effects of First Nations self-government is still an uncertainty for each candidate, though.
Antoine made reference to troublesome old policies more than once throughout the evening. It makes one wonder why he hasn't played a greater role in vying for the abolishment or revision of such policies.
Bill Laferte, like Gammon, is making a rallying cry for change. He said we live in an information age, yet don't know what our own government is doing. That has been changing to a degree under Antoine's tenure, with a policy of transparency and openness beginning to make some inroads, such as lifting the veil off the Finance Management Board Secretariat.
Laferte's strength lies in his theme of equality among all peoples.
While it can be refreshing to hear a politician admit that he or she doesn't possess all the answers, Laferte may have taken that a step too far. His willingness to create advisory committees to direct him sounds good in theory, but would it be efficient in practice? While public input is a great thing, committees are prone to apathy, self-interest and discord.
Who was most effective then? Well, the voters will let us know that answer on Dec. 6.
There was plenty of agreement among the MLA candidates at last week's forum.
Editorial Comment
Darrell Greer
Kivalliq News
It has reached the point where our Nunavut Government ministers, local agencies and even concerned citizens have to take action to address these serious shortfalls in our system.
The fact that many single parents in the Kivalliq are still being represented in family court by Yellowknife lawyers is totally unacceptable.
Especially when one figures Inuit culture into the equation and their need to establish one-on-one relationships built on trust.
Surely our Nunavut Government must realize the importance of custody and access issues and the major implications they can have on a child's development.
A fair number of Kivalliq schools are also operating short-staffed.
The number of students enroling continues to rise while funding hasn't kept pace.
In addition to under-staffing, many of these same schools are being forced to use unqualified substitute teachers.
Now, we find there is an alarming shortage of foster parents available in the Kivalliq.
This is one area where Kivalliq residents themselves have to shoulder their share of the load for an effective safety net to be in place for our region's less fortunate children.
A fair per diem is paid to foster parents, whose generous giving of time and love can have a great impact in helping to secure a young person's future, not to mention their immediate well-being.
The foster parent program is nearly maxed out in the region, which could lead to a child's safety being comprised if an emergency situation cannot be addressed.
There can be no denying the fact that there is an incredible demand being placed on Nunavut's financial resources, especially as the legislative assembly prepares to start its first pre-budget discussions.
However, how many top priorities can be above the well-being, care and education of our children?
In a perfect world, a child's care, and his or her safety and well-being, is most evident in the home.
Sadly, however, this is not always the case in reality.
A strong safety net must be in place to accommodate those children needing immediate help and adequate legal assistance established to help look after their long-term needs when a family unit breaks down.
Our future progress as a territory depends on how we care for, educate and protect our children.
A responsibility that must be shared at every level of our new territory if, indeed, it truly is a territory for all people.
The Kivalliq Region is suffering shortages in far too many areas which affect our children.