Efforts by Health Canada to crack down on retailers selling smokes to minors are a vital step in helping sway young smokers from picking up the deadly habit.

Earlier this month the department's health promotion branch issued warnings under the federal Tobacco Act to six Yellowknife retailers.

These warnings came after the branch hired test shoppers -- Yellowknife youth aged 15 and 16 - who were given money to go inside stores to buy cigarettes.

Six stores in town failed the test -- they happily coughed up a pack of cigarettes to these teenagers -- and were issued warnings. Why does this not surprise us?

While the warnings will give these stores a second chance, these retailers are well aware of the law and should be punished accordingly.

Officials from the department will be back at some point in the next few months to hire a new batch of shoppers and repeat the test.

If these kids are sold cigarettes from the six retailers who received warnings, the next step is laying charges.

If offenders plead guilty, and they usually do, then the Crown recommends a fine which can run from $500 to $1,000 for stores and $300 for clerks.

But it's not just retailers that are breaking the law.

What many may not understand is that people, too, can be prosecuted for buying cigarettes for people under the age of 18.

And according to statistics there's a lot of kids getting their hands on cigarettes.

A recent study shows 12 per cent of children between 10 and 14 in the NWT are regular smokers.

And if you don't believe the statistics, just go out on the street to see the number of young people who smoke.

It's a very real, serious problem, which, as we all know, leads to serious health problems.

Cracking down on retailers is one positive step, but we have to go beyond that.

Children have to be educated about the dangers of smoking, in schools and at home.

Think about it.

Some people work their entire lives, going from paycheque to paycheque, holiday to holiday, and never really make a difference.

To those people, a job is little more than something to fill in the days, put money in the bank and be cause for complaint.

To others, like longtime Northern probation officer Don Hunter, a job is a calling, where each day is a new challenge and each person is special and deserving of his undivided attention.

For a lifetime of good work, on the job and as an unpaid volunteer, Hunter recently received the John Howard Society's National Humanitarian Award.

Thanks, Don, for setting a good example we can all follow, whatever line of work we're in.

Mine rescue competitions aren't just about saving lives, just as racing in the Grand Prix isn't just about getting from A to B.

But in the drive to be the best, technologies, systems, drills and people are in a continual state of development, always sharpening speed and efficiency which sets the stage for startling accomplishments.

The lessons learned can save lives on the job.

The Workers Compensation Board just sponsored the 34th Annual Mine Rescue Competition and Yellowknife's Miramar Con Mine came out on top.

While winning is sweet, it is the tradition of celebrating mine safety that really pays off.

The WCB is doing its job by keeping the tradition alive.

In a public relations battle to fend off Jupiter Power International Inc., the Northwest Territories Power Corporation is reminding Fort Simpson residents of the reliable service they receive now.

NTPC's record for reliability is impressive. On the environmental front, the Power Corp. has won a national environmental award for reducing greenhouse gas emissions in its plants throughout the NWT and Nunavut.

It's been said many times by residents and the village council that local Power Corp. employees are valued, and their loss would be the community's loss should the corporation leave.

Yet the company's chairman and even the minister himself insist that business can be done better. Despite that, NTPC has yet to firmly state whether it's willing to offer better power rates or free residual heat for the village. Instead they talk about energy conservation tips, simplifying customer bills and offering payment options.

If there's a true commitment to do business better, the Power Corp. should say how much flexibility they have on pricing. If there's no room to manoeuvre, at least residents can keep that in mind, along with all the other factors, for the September plebiscite.

It takes time

Elder Madge McRee had plenty of wisdom to share during the Spiritual and Healing conference in Fort Simpson. One of her pieces of advice was to respect the elders, something commonly heard in the Deh Cho. McRee suggested, for example, that we serve the elders first during meal times and at community feasts.

Shortly thereafter, she finished her presentation at the drum circle and everyone took a break. Most people wandered over to a table full of bannock, fruit and juice and helped themselves. Others lit up a cigarette.

I sat there, enjoying the cool breeze under the shade of the arbour. A woman passed by with blueberries, grapes and bannock on a piece of paper towel. Noticing two elders sitting nearby, she asked if either of them would like her snacks. One of them nodded. So she handed them to her. "Would you like that too?" she asked the other elder. She also nodded. So the woman went back and got some snacks for her as well.

It then occurred to me that McRee's words had quickly been forgotten by the majority of people there, including myself.

It goes to show that we have to work at these things. Listening to someone speak is sometimes useful, but we have to remind ourselves of those lessons until they become second nature. It's worth remembering.

Welcome back

Val and I will be heading out on vacation this week. Filling in for the month of July will be Terry Halifax. I'm sure many of you will recall Terry from his well-received stint here in the Deh Cho last summer. Those of you who didn't have the chance to meet him, keep an eye out for him -- the camera equipment, notebook and pen and inquisitive looks are dead giveaways.

See you in August.

Although Mother Nature played a large role in last year's narwhal hunt, which was conducted under rare ice conditions and the presence of killer whales, one should be concerned over the number of narwhal landed, wounded and sunk.

We should also be concerned with the reporting practices of some of the communities involved.

We can take pride in the Kivalliq Region because Repulse Bay's reporting methods were widely hailed as being accurate, honest and provided in the manner in which the hunt was set up.

All parties involved -- from our local HTOs, to the Nunavut Wildlife Management Board, the Kivalliq Wildlife Management Board and the federal DFO -- have to work together to ensure the catch remains at sustainable numbers.

The first step is making sure all participating communities accurately detail the numbers from their hunt.

Erroneous information could lead to long-term narwhal stock damage.

With Repulse leading the way with its self-imposed 100-narwhal quota, another huge improvement in this year's hunt will be the physical presence of DFO field personnel from its enforcement branch.

While the key here is for all parties to work together and have a viable, long-term sustainable hunt, enforcing rules at an early stage will greatly aid in the implementation of a workable plan.

Fisheries officers are also expected to enforce the section of the Marine Mammals Regulations, which state that no person who kills or wounds a marine mammal shall abandon or discard it (a reasonable effort must be made to retrieve the animal) during this year's hunt.

They are also expected to enforce the stipulation that no person who kills a cetacean or walrus shall waste any edible part of it.

Repulse's move to larger floats to reduce the loss of struck narwhal, and implementing a rule requiring hunters to cache narwhal carcasses for later retrieval are also positive improvements.

Hopefully, the DFO will make good on its promise to conduct another in-depth survey on the narwhal population this August.

With the data collected from the first two hunts, hunter knowledge and scientific input, a sustainable plan should be developed so that the hunt can continue for many years.

That is, as long as everyone involved co-operates and plays by the rules.

Hopefully, every community taking part in narwhal hunting this year will follow Repulse Bay's lead in managing practices.

It's for the good of everyone involved.