The issue regarding the sale of the former Bartam Trailer park land in Yellowknife comes just before nominations open for a new mayor and council.

We expect in Monday's debate, if council chooses to have one, to see what councillors stand for.

At issue is what's to be done with a precious piece of waterfront. Should it be part of a larger public development as was anticipated even before the residents were evicted? Or should it be sold to developer Mike Mrdjenovich to construct apartments?

We hope the election pressure motivates councillors to think independently of Mayor Dave Lovell whose vision begins and ends with the figures cooked up by city administration.

Lovell was quick off the mark on the Mrdjenovich proposal with the thoughtful point that while it was a worthy concept, it may not be the best for the site, best referring to the geography and expectations of the public for the valuable piece of waterfront.

We can only imagine city administration whacking our distracted mayor on the head with the budget, saying: 'Hey Dave, you're going to have to raise taxes if we don't sell Bartam to Mrdjenovich so he can build apartments and pay more taxes.' And Mayor Lovell, as always, dazed by the weighty figures says 'OK'.

While the city has finally been getting its financial house in order, it has been ignoring the waterfront for a decade, despite a longstanding mandate to do something. The biggest expenditure and effort to date has been a costly and futile court challenge of the federal government's jurisdiction over houseboaters.

Imagine if the $3 million sunk in the botched Niven Lake subdivision had instead been invested in waterfront development?

So we want to see some debate in council, not only about the sale of Bartam but about the lack of available waterfront which makes the Bartam site so crucial.

With the election so close, Yellowknifers need clear choices.

In life, some things will never change.

For example, at this time of year, we know some Yellowknifers will shed a tear when they stare out their window at 10 p.m. and darkness stares back, meaning summer is truly over and winter preparation soon begins.

We also know traffic volume increases dramatically as big kids, little kids, parents and staff drive, walk, bike, rollerblade and skateboard to the city's 11 schools.

Armed with such knowledge and time to prepare, those in the driver's seat have no excuse. They must exercise extreme caution in school zones, especially near Mildred Hall and Ecole St. Joseph schools.

Both are located on main streets, and children as young as five, excited and apprehensive about their first day of school this Monday, may not be paying close attention when crossing.

So, just as we tell our children: Make sure you look both ways, and slow down.

The recent fire ignited by a towel left atop a halogen lamp in Yellowknife is an important reminder of how easy it is to cause a lot of damage and trauma.

The fire, in a first-floor apartment, resulted in dozens of people being forced from their homes for about an hour and $30,000 damage to the apartment and its contents.

It could have been much worse. The fire could have spread beyond the one apartment and affected many other families.

As it is, one family was forced to find somewhere new to live, to try to clean and repair possessions damaged by water and the apartment building owner has had to do extensive repairs.

It could have all been prevented by simply making sure the lights were turned out before the family left the apartment and, of course, by not drying a towel on top of a very hot halogen lamp. It's a lesson for us all.

Cool temperatures did not stop a small but spirited group from exercising for a good cause last Saturday.

The 13 participants in the Raven Walk, Run and Ride for Arthritis raised more than $500 for the Arthritis Society of Canada. They also had a lot of fun along the way.

Rekha Trembath, who organized the event, was encouraged both by the amount raised and the fun displayed.

"People were really in good spirits and had a lot of fun," Trembath said. "There was a small group of us, but it raised a lot of awareness. There are a lot of people talking about the run."

Trembath perhaps best summed up the spirit by saying, "It was a little bit drizzly and the faint at heart maybe never made it today, but the people with big hearts did."

Reeling 'em in

As fish stories go, this one's a whopper.

But no exaggeration is needed here, because the inconnu caught by James Pokiak of Tuktoyaktuk is truly one big fish -- a full 50.6 pounds.

Pokiak landed the fish on Sunday morning while using a rod and reel near his cabin along Anderson River. DFO officials are checking to see if his catch set any Canadian or world records.

Ironically, Pokiak had originally planned on leaving the area Saturday. Lucky for him. Not so lucky for the fish.

Waves of fun

Children from several communities participated in the recent annual Beaufort-Delta Regional Swim Meet. The swimmers were from the host Inuvik Dolphins, Tuktoyaktuk, Aklavik and Paulatuk.

The purpose of the event was to allow kids to meet, compete with, and hopefully make friends with kids from the different communities. In addition to the competition, the kids engaged in a soccer game and thoroughly enjoyed the weekend.

Making room

One story which really stands out from Gov. Gen. Adrienne Clarkson's recent visit to the area was the scrambling, and co-operation, necessary during her visit to Holman.

Clarkson and her entourage had not planned to stay the night in Holman but were obliged to when bad weather prevented them from going to Sachs Harbour. So immediately, Eleanor Young, senior administrative officer, and others began the unenviable task of finding accommodations for 40 people in a community of about 400.

It might sound like mission impossible, but the job was done, and according to Young, everyone seemed pleased the next morning.

Certainly an abundant supply of co-operation and a spirit of sacrifice must have been present for such a last minute, giant undertaking to succeed.

Larger centres could learn from Holman's example.

The Deh Cho Assembly debate over whether to reinstate the traditional Dene way of having elders select a leader was fascinating.

Many of today's young First Nations leaders have grown up firmly entrenched in the principles of democracy. Elections are what they know. Nevertheless, some chiefs felt it was right to leave the decision in the hands of the elders.

But at least one delegate rejects the idea of having elders select a leader when the region's First Nations establish their own public government. The entire public must be considered, he said.

Whether or not this elders system -- if the First Nations of the Deh Cho want it in the future -- would be acceptable to Canada is unknown. Chris Reid, the DCFN's chief negotiator and legal counsel, said the First Nations are entitled to establish their government however they see fit. He suggested that having the elders choose a leader would make the grand chief accountable to them. The leader might be removed from office by the elders instead of voters.The system would also encourage more interaction with the elders, according to Reid.

At present the grand chief oversees the DCFN organization, which is supposed to help strengthen the local governments of its 10 member communities. Michael Nadli, the current grand chief, said there's a long way to go before we'll know if there will even be a central government in the region. He said it would be presumptuous to think that there may be a head of state, such as a grand chief, within a Deh Cho First Nations' government. That would be too similar to a colonial institution, something aboriginal people had forced on them many decades ago, he said.

There was some talk that last week's recommendation from the elders came without any notice. That may have been part of the problem -- it was sprung on the delegates unexpectedly. Some also felt that the elders' discussions should have been held in an open forum. Perhaps that isn't a bad idea.

During the assembly, Senator Nick Sibbeston offered this on the prospect of relying solely on elders: "I think it goes against the principles of democracy."

It does fly in the face of democracy, but is democracy the top priority here or is it to restore tradition? Can a balance be achieved?

A way of life

The leaders and delegates at the assembly may step on each other's toes at times -- that can't be avoided in a political arena -- but it cannot be overlooked that the assembly goes well beyond politics. The same group of people that gathers in the arbour to sift through the issues, gathers again each morning, afternoon and evening for meals. They come together for entertainment in the form of talent shows, sporting events and games. They assemble for spiritual events like drum dances and pray together. Ideally the political wrangling remains at the table and the community leaders put aside their differences afterwards. That's something we should all strive for.

The one thing every worthwhile project has in common is that they all suffer growing pains.

Although some growing pains hurt more than others, hopefully the Arviat alternative justice camp program won't suffer because of the actions of one man.

The camp has the potential to help individuals find a better path in life, and put people back in touch with their heritage, culture and tradition.

But there are bound to be a few problems initially with such an ambitious project.

So, the Nunavut Department of Justice should work diligently to improve its screening process and greatly reduce the odds of an individual finding himself in such an "incompatible" environment again.

There are far too many examples today of a few people ruining a good situation for those trying to improve their quality of life.

We can only hope the Arviat alternative justice camp won't be added to that list.

Saying no in our community

A thumbs up to the combined efforts of the Arviat and Churchill RCMP in keeping more than $300,000 worth of drugs out of the Kivalliq. Medicinal properties aside, which is a completely different topic of discussion, it is good to see local police forces continuing their efforts to stamp out the drug trade.

Although naysayers are quick to point out that busts only represent a fraction of the drugs getting through, every "joint" kept out of the hands of youth is a victory.

Combined with DARE programs, early intervention and education, major busts like this and last year's seizure in Rankin Inlet may lead to a drug-free Kivalliq region.

Prevention through education

Kivalliq News fully supports regional fire Marshal Tim Hinds' assertion that education is our most useful tool in preventing fires like the one that caused $40,000 worth of damage to the Chesterfield warehouse earlier this month.

Programs in schools and youth organizations warning of the dangerous combination of children and fire are needed, but we also want to stress that education begins at home. We must stop children from playing with fire to prevent future tragedies, including loss of life.

Parents must take the time to speak to their children and educate them about the dangers of fire.

After all, the life you save may be your own or your child's.