Friday, April 13, 2001
Mining companies doing business in the North are going to have to pay before they play.
The bills from toxic waste left behind by corporate brigands are piling up around us. The worst and largest belong to Royal Oak Mines.
Royal Oak abandoned responsibility in 1999, financially or otherwise, to clean up Giant and Colomac mines.
If there was a blue ribbon for environmental nightmares, it would be pinned to the Colomac mine site 200 kilometres north of Yellowknife.
Before we spend millions to clean up Colomac, we have to pay to develop technology to handle the contaminants in the tailings pond and pit because none currently exists.
If we don't come up with a process within five years, "we'll be up a creek without a paddle," according to Scott Mitchell, head of DIAND's contaminated sites division.
Should the tailings pond fill to the brim and overflow, the runoff will spill into Dogrib territory and gather water, fish and wildlife in its poisonous embrace.
Corporations, government, and the public can partly blame ignorance of the consequences for the legacy of pollution and contamination at Port Radium, Giant mine, and Discovery mine.
We can't say the same for Colomac. A big company bullied its way to getting a licence to operate without any guarantee of leaving us with land that wouldn't kill us, and we let it happen. Mining companies may try and scare us with talk of millions of dollars that will be lost to the North if they can't get permission to develop mineral resources.
But that is hardly more frightening than the toxic cesspools left behind and the millions that taxpayers have already lost trying to fix the problem.
Falling interest rates and economic growth are pushing demand for housing and last week Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation answered the call for financing that more closely matches the Yellowknife market.
CMHC raised the ceiling on its loans program to $250,000 from $175,000 in Yellowknife, "to give potential home buyers more choice," according to CMHC representative Sandra Turner.
Local realtor Rod Stirling observed that the new ceiling neatly captures the focus of most buyer demand; it could lead to new construction and boost the re-sale market as well.
For as little as five per cent down, apartment dwellers can sign on for a new or used home. Nothing like a little easy credit to oil the wheels of commerce.
In a split second your life can be changed forever.
For Brenda Walsh, that could have been the case after she was knocked unconscious in a traffic accident.
The truck she was driving was ready to roll into the busy intersection at the corner of Range Lake and Old Airport roads. Her life and those of her children, who were also in the vehicle, were at risk.
Along came John Sorenson.
He had the presence of mind to act in an instant, saving the family from possible serious injury.
Call it instinct, call it courage, but Sorenson has a sense of responsibility and is willing to step in harm's way.
It would be easy to downplay the severity of the event, but that would take away from the fact that Sorenson did save Walsh and her children from danger.
Editorial Comment
Malcolm Gorrill
Inuvik Drum
Sights and sounds abounded for both young and the young at heart alike this past weekend.
The Muskrat Jamboree came and went for another year, giving residents and visitors the chance to gather together, swap stories and share a lot of laughs.
Boot Lake was a lively place over the weekend, with tents and a stage set up. Hundreds milled about, taking in the competitions on stage like tea boiling or log sawing.
People also got to soak up lots of sunshine amid days of beautiful, mild weather.
Kudos to the organizers for a job well done. Events like this are needed to bring people together and lift everyone's spirits.
Bins introduced
An important debut occurred during the Muskrat Jamboree.
The Inuvik Recycling Society introduced their new PET bins to the general public. Those involved in the society could be seen at the jamboree grounds, pointing out to people that these new bins are designed to allow pop cans and juice containers to be recycled, instead of going to a landfill.
The bins are being placed in the schools and in various offices in town and mark an important step in the society's efforts to decrease the amount of garbage produced by the community.
Room to grow
The Town of Inuvik and the Department of Municipal and Community Affairs are close to a deal on commissioner's lands.
Several members of the public dropped by at a meeting last week, in which town officials outlined the lands they are requesting be turned over to them from MACA.
The deal would provide the town with the lands needed for development over the next two to three years.
If approved, the deal would be an important one. Not long ago council complained about the lack of available land in the area, and the need to reach at least a temporary agreement on commissioner's lands.
Budding writers
This year Sir Alexander Mackenzie school students have been working on a special project.
The first two issues of the SAMS Journal have been printed, with more expected to follow.
The journal is a good chance for kids to practice their writing skills, and doing so may spur them on to read more.
That can only help them in their future endeavours.
Putting together a journal requires a lot of teamwork, from picking assignments for students to do, as well as getting stories in on time.
The latter is something journalists know a lot about.
Editorial Comment
Derek Neary
Deh Cho Drum, Fort Simpson
Fort Simpson residents have the right to know their mayor was seeking a half-time salary from Village council.
It's a matter of public interest.
Mayor Tom Wilson told The Drum he did not ask to have his request for a half-time salary discussed in camera at a March 19 council meeting.
"I wasn't trying to keep it hidden," Wilson said.
Yet, while Wilson was out of town, the matter was discussed in camera at the March 19 council meeting. Senior administrative officer (SAO) Bruce Leclaire described it as personnel matter because it related to salary.
As an elected official, whose salary is a matter of public record, discussions regarding the mayor's remuneration need not be dealt with in private.
At the very least, there should be no fear of simply listing the topic for discussion, whether it be a personnel matter or a legal matter. Yet this has not been the case with Village council. Leclaire noted that there's no legal requirement for revealing the topic. Nevertheless, he and Wilson said they will ask council whether they are willing to alter the practice. Without so much as a reference to the subject matter, it only raises suspicions.
In Yellowknife, each topic is introduced during the regular city council meeting, and if a councillor believes any topic should be discussed in camera, a vote is held. If two-thirds or more councillors agree, then the topic, known to all who attend the meeting or review the minutes, is reviewed behind closed doors at the end of the public meeting.
In Fort Simpson, when it's time to go in camera, councillors never raise questions or object. They routinely raise their hands in favour, although, in some cases, they aren't even aware of the topic at hand.
It's time for councillors to take a more hands-on approach.
It should be noted that council cannot pass a by-law or resolution while in camera -- they must open the doors first. The Drum is not suggesting that Fort Simpson Village council has disregarded this principle.
Televising council meetings may seem like a way to make Village council more accountable, but as long as in camera meetings continue to be held without so much as revealing what's being discussed, a video camera will make little difference.
As a side note, Tom Wilson deserves credit for not shying away from the half-time salary issue. Although his request was dismissed by council, and is therefore a dead issue, he openly and willingly discussed it after the fact. Whether you agree with his opinion or not, that's accountability.
Editorial Comment
Darrell Greer
Kivalliq News
Judging by Iqaluit MLA Hunter Tootoo's spiel against artificial ice for the Kivalliq region (page 18), it appears much easier to take a stance against such a project when your home riding boasts two arenas with artificial ice.
However, we here at Kivalliq News couldn't help but notice this was the same MLA who ran towards every southern media camera he could find when down south watching Rankin's own Jordin Tootoo strut his stuff.
The Iqaluit MLA extolled the virtues of a solid sports development program in Nunavut to anyone carrying a note pad or cassette recorder.
Tootoo is quick to point out he informed the southern media that Jordin developed his talent on the natural ice surface of Rankin Inlet.
However, he knows as well as anyone that is a half truth at best.
Jordin left home
Jordin had barely begun his teenage years when he left home to further develop his hockey skills on the artificial ice of southern arenas.
Many talented Kivalliq players have followed Jordin's path and, with a mere three months (give or take a week) of hockey in our region, we will not have a program in place anytime soon to develop our own players at home a little longer.
We cannot argue with Tootoo's assertions that Nunavut's needs are many.
However, we will argue against the view Nunavummuit are supposed to simply shut-up and be satisfied with nothing more in their lives than bare essentials.
Is that the dream of Nunavut? Do we want our youth to eventually have the wherewithal to pursue their dreams in their own territory?
Or, is the message we want to send simply one of don't worry about having a life, be happy to simply subsist?
Tootoo knows full well the benefits a strong hockey program and a multi-purpose regional facility in Rankin Inlet would bestow on two of his three areas of concern.
Young students in strong extracurricular programs stay in school longer, achieve higher marks and are less likely to be involved with self-destructive or criminal behaviour.
These are documented facts, not merely smoke being blown by the region's puck heads to support artificial ice in Rankin.
CG&T Minister Jack Anawak has come up with a decent program which will allow a number of Nunavut communities add a little extra to their lives. Unfortunately, it's beginning to look like anything above "bare essentials" is only welcome in the capital.