Wednesday, January 12, 2000
Mayor Dave Lovell looks back on 1999 and sees the best year of his political career.
Can Yellowknifers say the same?
Not really. Property values dropped across the board, shrinking the city's tax base by 3.7 per cent. Giant mine shut down and threw several hundred people out of work. City taxes went up despite vigorous protest.
Lovell acknowledges all of the above and even a few other problems. Seems our mayor's greatest strength is putting a good face on bad situations, stalwartly defending city administration and council no matter what.
He did so when his finance director owed the city hundreds of thousands in unpaid taxes; when conducting illegal secret meetings; when allowing court action against houseboaters when the city had no hope of winning and when supporting construction of a $11 million twin-pad arena that ratepayers wisely rejected.
He did so again with the last tax increase. Even as a city press release boasted a 10 per cent reduction in spending, Lovell insisted a tax increase was necessary because of higher costs.
That's because the budget is set up in two parts. One chunk of revenue deemed untouchable, almost $15 million, goes to funding expansion and keeping water and sewer systems going while another chunk, $19 million goes to maintaining other city services.
Out of the $19 million, ratepayers contribute $11 million while the rest comes from the territorial government and a portion of the user charges for water and sewer. If something happens like the Royal Oak bankruptcy, the only place administration tells mayor and council to look to make up the shortfall is taxes.
While we hope Lovell runs for mayor again, he certainly has the experience, he must shed his corporate mentality and see past the spreadsheets.
While good things did happen in 1999 with promise of more in the future, old attitudes persist at city hall.
The problem posed by greenhouses gases is clear: gases like carbon dioxide, methane, and ozone are trapping the sun's heat. That could mean the world's temperature could rise between 1.5-4.5C over the next 100 years. Climates will change and sea levels will rise as ice caps slowly melt.
A recent report indicates the NWT's emissions are expected to double by 2013. That has led to a call for a strategy to reduce greenhouse gases emissions.
It's a sensible call. The problem is entirely caused by people and industry. With the new industrial development in the North, the time is right to put measures -- through legislation and public education -- in place that will ensure the NWT continues to contribute less than half of one per cent of Canada's total greenhouse gas emission.
The coming of the annual deep-freeze signals the arrival of the city's favourite boreal transients, winter tourists. The vast majority of those tourists are from Japan.
It is not unusual to see a gaggle of overseas visitors, uniformly outfitted in bright red parkas and spotless white Sorels moving uncertainly through the ice fog. There is growing competition for the Japanese tourist market. Alaska; Ft. McMurray, Alta. and Churchill, Man. are all making a serious pitch for winter tourists from Asia.
If Yellowknifers want to continue to enjoy the prosperity that comes with a growing tourist clientele, it would behoove them to show our Asian vistors some of that legendary Northern hospitality. A warm welcome can go a long way toward making a visit to the North the kind of trip you recommend to your friends at home.
Editorial Comment
Darrell Greer
Kivalliq News
Judging by the level of student participation, the theme-orientated learning program adopted by Leo Ussak elementary school in Rankin Inlet is a resounding success.
Students were completely immersed in the international phase of the program.
The kids learned about different cultures in various countries; where they are located on this great planet of our ours and the different lifestyles, dress and diet preferences.
Those who visited the school on its International Day got a first-hand look at just how involved the students are with the program.
The majority of friends and family who took the tour left the school more than a little impressed with the effort the students put into the day.
The icing on the cake was the international flavour the students carried over into their annual Christmas concert.
The elementary students have just begun their Favourite Author phase of the program, which promises to bestow just as many, if not more, benefits upon the kids.
Leo Ussak is holding a Just Me and My Dad night tomorrow from 7-9 p.m.
Dads will have the opportunity to visit the school and see what books are attracting their kids and listen as the stories are explained to them. Talk about quality time!
The evening will help boost the kids' self-esteem as they will be able to interact one-on-one with their fathers in a leadership roll.
Another benefit of this phase is that the kids will learn the amount of effort it takes to produce a book. Not to mention becoming familiar with different authors and illustrators and learning to recognize their different styles.
As principal Cheryl Forbes pointed out (see feature story page 24), the students' language and reading skills will also be enhanced by the Favourite Author phase.
Theme-orientated learning programs have been effective educational vehicles in other regions and are proving to be just as effective in the Kivalliq.
Any program that instills the desire to learn within young minds, expands their horizons, promotes interaction with friends and family and helps to positively mould their personalities deserves strong local support.
We hope record numbers of fathers turn out tomorrow evening to spend some quality time with their kids and lend support to a worthwhile program.
We're willing to bet not only will the evening be educational, it will be downright fun.