Wednesday, February 07, 2001
Yellowknife students parade through the streets telling us to not drink and drive. Politicians ratchet up laws in response to public pressure. Cops put up check stops to catch offenders.
Then we get a four-time repeat offender in court facing his fifth impaired driving charge.
He was sentenced to three months' jail -- to be served intermittently so he could keep his job. He lost his licence for two years and has to pay for damage caused in a crash he doesn't remember. It's only our good fortune he didn't hit a person.
The Crown chose to go lightly because it had been 12 years since his last conviction. Because of that he is spared the full weight of the law: he could have gone to jail for two years.
The sentence he received doesn't send a very strong message.
Last week's ruling by the Canadian Industrial Relations Board gives the Public Service Alliance of Canada a foot in the door at Sirius Diamonds and the North's growing diamond industry. The board also found that Sirius Diamonds broke provisions of the Canada Labour Code when management dismissed an employee for his efforts organize the company's workers.
Sirius was ordered to pay compensation to the dismissed worker.
The next step for the union and the Yellowknife company is negotiating a first contract. Union officials expressed the hope that past differences will be set aside and that future relations will be trouble-free. Company officials did not appear at the hearing and have declined to comment, so it's not clear if they got the message: it's time to stop bullying workers and start bargaining in good faith.
Clearly there's no debate on how important maps are to our society. Whether it's travelling out on the tundra for that hunting or fishing trip, or looking up the hamlet your boss is sending you for that business meeting, maps are used regularly by Northerners and visitors.
The recent joint-effort to introduce a map specifically highlighting Yellowknife's favourite cultural and historical areas is long overdue.
A joint-effort between the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society, the city, Ecology North and the Northern Frontier Visitor's Centre, these groups went the extra mile and polled the public to see what spots they'd like to see on the map. This move resulted in 80 additional spots being added, including Rat Lake, the fish plant and the Snowking's castle.
We look forward to seeing the finished product.
While we quickly point fingers when finances dictate cuts be made to health care, day care or education, the Side Door's after-school program in Yellowknife could be cut even though it has money.
It has the cash to pay for after-school snacks, educational software, arts and crafts supplies. What it lacks is enough volunteers to run a program that has grown increasingly popular since it began in October 1999.
Side Door co-ordinators found themselves in a tight spot last month when they had to turn kids away and cut activities because there's not enough adult supervision.
The Royal Bank donated money to run Junior Side Door, surely some people can donate some of their time.
There has been a noticeable improvement this week in the efforts of the Rankin Inlet arena staff.
Work is proceeding on the dressing room and public washroom areas, and Rankin recreation co-ordinator Johnny Tucktoo has the staff making a visible effort to clamp down on the shenanigans of some of the hamlet's more youthful rink goers.
We can only hope this effort continues and doesn't disappear once the community's attention is diverted elsewhere.
Camps beneficial
It has been a difficult week for Premier Paul Okalik in his role as Justice minister.
Okalik and his Justice Department heads made a smart move by calling in corrections officials from Yellowknife to investigate the tragic death of Baker Lake's Bruce Aasivaaryuk at the Arviat Alternative Justice Land Camp Jan. 29.
The move should eliminate any claims of bias against the government investigating itself.
As tragic as Aasivaaryuk's death was, we agree with Premier Okalik that the benefits these camps provide far outweigh the risks involved. To date, former inmates at the Arviat camp have been receiving solid reports from their home communities.
And although it is still too early for actual statistics to be compiled in our region, it appears, to date, former inmates at the land camps are less likely to re-offend than those who spend their entire time behind bars.
Honours earned
A big thumbs up this week to Rankin Inlet's Mary Tatty and the women's senior volleyball team.
Tatty has worked tirelessly with the volleyball program in Rankin for years and deserves the accolades that come with "her girls" capturing the bronze medal at last month's NWT Senior Women's Volleyball championship in Yellowknife.
Solid decision
Sustainable Development Minister Olayuk Akesuk's appointment of Coral Harbour's Jackie Nakoolak as DevCorp chairperson was a good move for the new minister.
Many smaller communities in Nunavut have been complaining loudly that their needs are not being heard by the Nunavut Government and Nakoolak's appointment shows Akesuk is aware of the importance of smaller communities having a voice in the NG's affairs.
With Nakoolak being from Coral Harbour -- if any of the larger communities are feeling slighted by the appointment -- Akesuk may very well have felt that they will just have to grin and bear it.