If there's a common theme emerged following last Monday's civic elections in communities around the Northwest Territories, it's the need for new mayors and councilors to focus on economic development.

Corrections: Planning workshop In the Yellowknifer article titled "In the year 2016," the date given for a public workshop on downtown planning was wrong. The actual date is Tuesday, Oct 24. Yellowknifer apologizes for the error. Site Contractor The Qikiqtaaluk Corporation was hired by the department of Indian affairs and Northern development as the site contractor for the clean up of Resolution Island. They were not fired. News/North sincerely apologizes for any inconvenience or embarrassment the error may have caused.

In Inuvik, mayor-elect Peter Clarkson says that means coming to grips with the boom that's expected to accompany oil and gas development.

In Norman Wells, Mayor Kevin Diebold wants to see his town grow, with new opportunities for existing businesses.

Fort Simpson's Tom Wilson wants to build "a common vision" between his village and aboriginal groups.

Duncan McNeill wants to work with the entire community to see where Hay River needs to go in the future.

In Fort Smith, new councilors look to tourism and a new road south to soothe some of their economic ills.

Even in Yellowknife, new mayor Gord Van Tighem faces development challenges.

The issue of economic development is not unique to the North, but the challenges Northern communities face are.

We need new roads and to improve the ones that we have. Social issues -- homelessness, alcohol and drug abuse, education and health --- are all compounded with the territory's size and small population and by the sudden, dramatic growth that comes with resource development.

The NWT is on the brink of new, exciting times - and it's important that we're prepared for what's ahead. That means city, town and village councils must find a common voice.

Only by working together through a forum such as the NWT Association of Municipalities - can we share concerns, find answers to mutual problems and set common goals and understand and articulate the needs of each and every community.

It's that kind of togetherness that will help all communities ride the crest of the economic boom we all hope is coming and not get crushed in its wake.

So, we're missing the mark with German tourists.

It's a big a market with 97 million potential travelers. They have been sighted in Alaska and Yukon, but few ever venture this way.

Apparently, they're not keen on fishing and don't much care for hunting. Thanks to a vigorous anti-fur campaign, they prefer that our furry friends of forest and tundra keep their coats.

It could be that they're not our kind of people.

However, it's more likely that they have never heard of the Northwest Territories, or if they have, road conditions have stopped them at the border.

A million-dollar advertising budget doesn't carry our message very far. Then there are those people who rent out motor homes. Apparently they warn clients about the consequences of driving on our roads - something to do with canceling insurance.

Clearly, action is called for. The GNWT should spread the word that with the speed limit set below a snail's pace, the territory's roads are safe for tourists and rented vehicles.

The wildlife officer who was convicted of illegally shooting a bison near Fort Providence, was finally stripped of his duties, RWED Minister Joe Handley announced recently.

While Handley said the procedure for handling such cases is set out in policy, officer Rick Sanderson was not let go until after the chair of the Renewable Resources Officers Association, Keith Hickling, voiced his concerns in these pages.

The firing of Sanderson should serve as an example to all of those in a position of trust to ensure they uphold the laws and regulations they represent.

As well, the case should serve as a reminder to politicians and bureaucrats that disciplinary action must come sharply and swiftly in such cases.

Growing weary of hearing talk about the botched sewage treatment plant and the state of the roads?

Looking for less talk and more action?

Well, the people of Iqaluit have spoken. Their voices are echoed through the newly elected mayor and council.

With renewed hopes that council will be able to turn campaign promises into results, political pundits and citizens alike are riding the wave that political change can bring.

People voted for change. Only three familiar faces will be seen in council chambers after the swearing in ceremony on Nov. 6. Lynda Gunn, Matthew Spence and Simon Nattaq are well known, the rest are newbies, committed to ending the frustrations they faced when they were ordinary, anonymous residents just a few weeks ago.

Now it is their opportunity to rise to the occasion, to be put to the test, to discover if dealing with community issues and town planning is easier said than done.

The new councillors will quickly be brought up to speed on the way government works.

One of the first orders of business is the Nunavut Water Board hearings, scheduled to be held on Nov. 22.

The hearings promise to be action-packed, as the Town attempts to convince the NWB that moves have been made to meet all of the criteria laid out a year ago.

The task that lies ahead is grand indeed.

There is much work to be done over the next three years. It remains to be seen is if this council will be more productive than the last.

Women of our grandmothers' generation remember October 18, 1929, as a grand day indeed.

They remember it as the day when a Supreme Court decision was overturned, thereby declaring women to be persons.

The ruling meant women were at last eligible to be appointed to the Senate.

Five ordinary yet energetic Albertan women, now known as the Famous Five, were responsible for that achievement.

As we reflect on their efforts 71 years later, we must be grateful to them, but we must also realize there is still a great deal more to be accomplished.

Why not a woman as prime minister? Why not a woman as premier?

Heck, let's start locally in light of the territory's municipal elections. Why not a woman as mayor?

In business, as with many things in life, you learn by doing.

So organizers of the first-ever Kitikmeot trade show should heed the advice of Kugluktuk's Bessie Sikatak.

She wants more booth space for small businesses at next year's show.

Sikatak was one of a handful of small business owners who were able to wangle a booth. It paid off - big time. In addition to selling most of the wares she brought to the event, she made numerous entries in her order book.

Regional trade shows in the North can give small business exposure on a southern and international scale -- exposure that would be difficult to match otherwise.

With the experience organizers garnered at this year's event, they can build more promise in to future trade shows for small business owners throughout the North.