Editorial page

Monday, June 19, 2000

Mining still the economy's backbone

The North has long known the benefits that come from mining.

From the hard-working miners who have become the backbone of our communities to the wealth that comes the ore pulled from the ground.

Last week the NWT celebrated Mining Week, and it was fitting that a representative from the Diamond High Council of Antwerp was in the North to discuss the possibilities of locating a polished-diamond grading facility in the Territory.

It's a far cry from early days of the North's diamond industry.

When BHP's Ekati mine was in the planning stages and other mines, Diavik and Winspear, were just being talked about, the North was told not to worry about secondary manufacturing.

Just get them out of the ground and let others do the rest were the words of advice in February, 1998 from De Beers director George Burne.

Government and business leaders weren't prepared to accept that and steadfastly pushed their dream of having cutting and polishing plants here.

The NWT Chamber of Commerce, under then-president David Connelly, future premier Stephen Kakfwi, MLAs John Todd, Jake Ootes, Roy Erasmus, Charles Dent, David Krutko and Seamus Henry, Yellowknife Mayor Dave Lovell and MP Ethel Blondin-Andrew were instrumental in ensuring the North got more than just mining jobs.

We're now reaping the benefits of those efforts, with Diavik under construction and Winspear on the way, two cutting and polishing plants in operation and two more planned.

Thanks to social accords, Northern residents are getting jobs in the mines, and thanks to efforts to get a share of the diamonds for Northern plants we have a burgeoning secondary-industry.

The mining jobs won't last forever, but while the diamonds can be pulled from the ground, we're doing the best we can to maximize the benefits.

It just takes foresight and hard work.


DIAND's commitment is questionable

Nobody will argue with fiscal responsibility, especially when it involves the municipal, territorial or federal governments.

But, when the Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development substantially cuts the amount of money they plan to give to a project that is a proven success, we have to seriously consider their level of commitment to Nunavut.

DIAND Minister Robert Nault announced late last week that the Resolution Island clean-up project would receive $3.5 million for year three of the five-year undertaking.

The Qikiqtaaluk Corporation, the project contractor, asked DIAND -- their partner in the project -- for $3.5 million to $7.2 million in funding. The more money Indian Affairs provided, the more training and employment opportunities would be created for Nunavummiut.

But, because the federal department chose to go with the base amount, the number of jobs will be scaled back and fewer Baffin Inuit will get jobs or be given the opportunity to build on the training they've received over the last two years.

We also have to seriously question DIAND's commitment to cleaning up the environment. By choosing the bare-bones version of the work schedule for year three, less of the contaminated material will be removed from the site this year. The completion of the project is likely to be delayed at least one year.

Resolution Island is the most toxic abandoned military site in the North. Levels of PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls), go as high as 8,000 parts per million -- Canadian environmental laws require that to be reduced to 50 ppm.

By reducing the workforce, DIAND has basically said it's okay for those contaminants to remain in the environment awhile longer.

As the owner of Resolution Island, DIAND has a very clear and direct responsibility to clean it up.

By stalling on that responsibility and delaying the clean-up, they call their commitment to Nunavut's environment into question.


Training and fries

As a job, working at McDonald's doesn't stand out.

As a job training ground for students, McDonald's may well have few equals.

That's why the NWT Employer of Youth award went to Al and Kelly Kaylo, owners of the Yellowknife McDonald's franchises. Their two outlets employ from 40 to 90 young Yellowknifers over a year.

Punctuality, teamwork, cleanliness and customer relations are all part of working at McDonald's or many food franchises. Because they employ youth all over the world, such global corporations have developed training programs that get results.

So, a career in fast foods? Maybe, maybe not. A career after fast foods? It's almost guaranteed.


Skilful showing

Competitors a different nature were proudly representing Nunavut at a recent competition in Quebec City.

Three Nunavut tradespeople in training took the opportunity at the Canadian Skills Competition to shine countrywide when all three placed in the top ten.

In order to reach the national level of the competition, a competitor must win gold at the territorial level, which was held in Yellowknife this year.

For Erik Hughson of Baker Lake, Lino Aqatsiaq of Iglulik and Sonia Marchand of Iqaluit a gold medal finish isn't far in the distance, not to mention that giving a gold medal effort is worth just as much.


Making the grade

Graduation ceremonies in Rae-Edzo on June 24 will be a proud day for three families in particular.

Two decades after quitting school, Madeline Zoe, Francis Erasmus and Mary Rose Mantla will be donning caps and gowns to receive their high school diplomas from the Jimmy Bruno school.

Their accomplishment wasn't easy, all three admitting that their first day back in the classroom they were totally lost.

It turns out these three women not only found their success in the classroom, but they also served as positive role models for the younger students at the school.

These students are living proof that it's never too late to make the grade.

Take a bow, ladies. And good luck.


Study is a triumph

The modern history of the North is one that is plagued by misunderstanding and misinterpretation.

Too often, decisions, sometimes critical decisions, are made on the basis of incomplete information, interpreted by people who don't understand the complex yet frail workings of an environment they find forbidding.

So it is encouraging to learn of the Final Report of the Inuit Bowhead Knowledge Study. The report was based on interviews with more than 250 hunters and elders, all of whom have an intimate understanding of the ways of the bowhead whale.

If you want to know something, ask someone who knows. That's the reason traditional knowledge should be incorporated into contemporary studies of Northern life. It's where the wisdom of the ages lies.


On the right track

For some adults, the thought of more than a thousand kids, gathered together in one place, is a nightmare. For others, it's a dream come true.

Two weeks ago, that many kids met in Hay River to compete for territorial honours in track and field.

The event is huge. People come from all across the NWT. For some competitors, it is the first time they have ever run on an official track.

In size and scope of participation, the crowd compares favourably with the Arctic Winter Games.

Like the Games, the track meet embodies all the positive aspects of sport.

Congratulations to all the winners, of course, but a special acknowledgment to all of you who showed up to compete, or volunteered so the event could happen. It was worth it.