Wednesday, April 25, 2001
Matthew Grogono's idea of opening up the Yellowknife's old Bartam Trailer Park site for a waterfront market makes perfect sense.
Grogono is proposing to transform the now idle parcel of land into what would become the city's first park that overlooks Great Slave Lake.
Apology An Item in Friday's Yellowknifer incorrectly reported that Peter Charles Tsetta pleaded guilty to three counts of sexual assault. The error occurred when Yellowknifer mistakenly identified an individual on the docket as being Mr. Tsetta. In fact, all charges against Mr. Tsetta have been stayed. Yellowknifer unequivocally retracts these statements and apologizes to Mr. Tsetta without reservation. |
The good news is that Grogono already has the support of Coun. Dave McCann who agrees freeing up Bartam for such a tourist attraction would be a win-win situation.
All you have to do is drive down to Old Town on any summer day and see the vehicles clogging the area to realize that tourists love Old Town and would benefit from having the Bartam site to park their cars. The other plus is the School Draw playground is already there, and would provide a great addition to the waterfront market.
Then there's the fact that Grogono himself spent many years running the Yellowknife city market and obviously offers the enthusiasm to see a project like this through. The old market, located in an empty lot next to Fritz Theil Park, offered a place for entrepreneurs to peddle their wares in an Old Town laid-back atmosphere. Music and old-fashioned home cooking turned it into a favourite stomping ground for tourists and residents alike.
McCann says he plans to bring the idea up at an upcoming city committee meeting. We hope his idea meets with success.
Canadian diamonds carry more identification than some people in this country.
For example, if you buy a BHP-mined gem, you can be sure that's where it's from. Each stone comes with a laser-engraved Maple Leaf, an individual gem print and two certificates.
This may seem excessive, but it's not.
Free trade, globalization and the Internet give consumers increased access to several choices of products. Choice is good, but it makes buying tougher because you may not know that what you're getting is the real thing.
But the world has our word that when it comes to diamonds, Canadian-made is the honest way to shop.
Canadian communications company Telesat wants one of the last two orbital slots over Canada. The satellite business has proven to be good for the company that launched the first private communications satellite 29 years ago and now it wants a bigger piece of the pie
It's important to ensure what's good for Telesat -- or any other satellite firm -- is also good for the North.
As part of its proposal to Industry Canada, it's promising two channels that would provide better multi-media connections to the North.
That would make more room for high-speed Internet access, tele-medicine, tele-education and other services.
That kind of improved service is needed across the North, where climate and distance can only be bridged by this kind of technology.
The orbital paths circling the earth should be more than just places to make money. Serving the people beneath them must be a priority.
Editorial Comment
Darrell Greer
Kivalliq News
Female hockey coach Jill Suzanne Sparks deserves full marks for her ability to look beyond medals when judging the progression of female hockey in Nunavut.
We here in the Kivalliq region have always boasted some of the best female hockey talent in the North, and it is good to know someone as well grounded as Sparks is involved with the program, both at the grassroots development and elite levels.
Sparks knows there is far more to accurately judging a program's development than the number of awards its teams or athletes rack up.
Competitiveness, enthusiasm, skill development and appreciation for the game are all aspects of an athletic program's development every bit as important as winning awards, if not more so.
Culture awareness
April was a big month for Inuit culture and tradition with the annual Nunavut Drum Dance Festival in Rankin Inlet and an audience with Pope John Paul II for five Kivalliq youth.
As exciting as having our Kivalliq youth perform in front of 50,000 at Saint Peter's Square in Rome is, the event which awaits next year right here in Canada promises to be every bit as big a triumph for Inuit culture on the international stage.
The more Inuit culture and tradition is exposed to the global community, the more quickly interest grows in experiencing that culture first hand.
That interest in experiencing a specific culture and its traditions quickly translates into sales in the areas of artwork and fashions.
History has shown in other regions such attention also holds the promise of attracting tourists, eager to learn about their new interest and the history behind it.
At the same time, events like the Nunavut Drum Dance Festival are equally important for keeping our traditions alive and strong within our own borders, and helping to develop the next generation of performers who will present that tradition to the world.
While funding for the trip to Rome was courtesy of the 2002 World Youth Day organizing committee, such ventures help lay an important foundation for our own government's ventures in promoting all things Nunavut to the rest of the world.
A foundation, hopefully, the future success of our region and territory can be built upon.
Editorial Comment
Malcolm Gorrill
Inuvik Drum
It can be interesting to observe the different methods groups use to raise money, or to get a point across.
When Cheese Day was held at Sir Alexander Mackenzie school, Lisa Rettman, dental therapist with the Inuvik Regional Health and Social Services Board, went from classroom to classroom, handing out cheese to one and all.
The purpose was to point out how beneficial cheese can be for one's teeth, as well as to promote dental health month and the importance of good oral hygiene.
The day was a big hit for those lucky enough to get a tasty snack.
Also held recently was Daffodil Day, in which daffodils were sold in Inuvik and many other nearby communities to raise money for the Canadian Cancer Society.
The flowers could perhaps remind people of a loved one claimed by cancer, but these symbols of hope also serve as a reminder that cancer can be beaten.
As well, last weekend the 2001 Samuel Hearne Grad Committee raffled off a prize fitting for this time of year -- a chocolate rabbit. However, this was no ordinary Easter bunny, as it weighed 26 pounds.
No doubt many people chuckled upon hearing what the grand prize of this raffle was. The giant rabbit was also a big hit with kids who wandered by the Northern Store last Saturday around the time of the draw.
Efforts like these can provide a valuable service while also giving people food for thought, or reason to chuckle.
Planning ahead
There's plenty of different jobs available in a variety of fields.
It makes for a lot of choice, but how to pick the right one?
That's the question many people are asking themselves, especially this time of year, with graduation looming for Samuel Hearne secondary school and Aurora College.
It all makes the recent Career Quest all the more timely, and important. The two-day event at the Midnight Sun Recreation Complex was well attended and featured representatives from a variety of firms.
Talks were also given to Samuel Hearne students that week.
Such events help to answer peoples' questions about certain jobs, and can open their eyes to opportunities they hadn't thought of.
Vacation time
This is my last issue before I head out of town for my vacation. So far my stay has been very interesting and I look forward to another stint.
Maria Canton shall replace me until my return during the last week of May.
See you then.
Editorial Comment
Derek Neary
Deh Cho Drum, Fort Simpson
For many of us, fitness is something that seemed to come easily when we were young. Most kids are very active and need not worry about the mid-section bulging or the butt sagging. That being said, today's generation is mesmerized by video games and computers. If children spend too much time sitting in front of a monitor or screen, they face a greater chance of being overweight.
Exercise doesn't have to consist of repetitive, monotonous motions. As we get older, there are many recreational pursuits that can keep us busy. However, most professionals find themselves trapped behind a desk for the majority of the day (plus overtime). There's plenty on our plates from a occupational perspective, let alone parenting, volunteering or exercising.
Although working out is so important, it's forsaken by those who decide they don't have enough spare time to be active. In some cases, it's just poor time management. A half-hour spent unwinding in front of the television could be done while riding an exercise bike or jogging on a treadmill. It's more invigorating and will make you feel better than simply "vegging" on the couch.
For those who simply cannot bring themselves to get up a half hour earlier in the morning to make time for exercise, there's always the option of walking to and from work rather than driving. Every little bit helps.
Life today is designed for the sedentary, it seems. Remote controls keep us on the couch rather than making us get up even just to change the channel. Nearly all tools are motorized these days, requiring less elbow grease than in years past. Many stores in the south have automatic doors so we don't even have to exert ourselves going in or out.
Those who have to travel frequently find that living out hotels and eating fast food can compound the problem. Much restaurant fare is high in fat. More and more store-bought foods are highly refined, containing astronomical amounts of sugar -- energy that is often never burned.
Over time, the waistline grows. Clothes become snug and then don't fit at all. It's a gradual process, as is taking off that excess weight. None of it happens overnight.
Yes, life can be tough in the North. There are long, cold, dark winters with which to contend. There are infestations of mosquitoes and bulldogs (horse-flies) during the summer. Those are darn good excuses if you want to use them. But it's yourself that you have to answer to, ultimately. With heart disease, diabetes cancer and other ailments being linked with obesity, it's a considerable risk to take.
It's spring. It's relatively warm. There are few bugs. What better time for a walk or a bike ride?