The conflict between the Chamber of Commerce fall trade show and Remembrance Day comes at a particularly poignant moment, as the world comes to grips with the terrible events of two weeks ago.

The chamber says it had no choice but to schedule the trade show for the weekend of Nov. 10 and 11. The only suitable venue, the Explorer Hotel, is booked solid for the rest of the season. The city's branch of the Royal Canadian Legion argues that Remembrance Day is not an appropriate time for a trade show.

On the one hand, thousands of Canadians died defending our freedom -- freedom that includes the pursuit of business opportunities. On the other hand, one day, one full day, set aside each year to remember the sacrifices that paid for that freedom doesn't seem like too much to ask.

With the spectre of armed combat, possibly involving our own troops, dominating the news, we need to reconsider our place in an often violent world. The costs of our actions as a nation and the prices we may have to pay have never been higher.

It may be too late for the chamber to reschedule, and attempts are being made to incorporate the Legion's Remembrance Day activities into the trade show's agenda. But we all may be able to learn something from this unfortunate clash of schedules.

In an age when "holidays" have been reduced to little more than shopping opportunities -- for the benefit of both consumers and retailers -- is it any wonder that our veterans' legacy is so easily misplaced?

Remembrance Day only falls on a weekend twice every seven years or so.

Maybe next time, the chamber's managers can book a little further in advance. Lest we forget.

"There's nothing to do...." How often do we hear that cry from teens, or well-meaning adults, trying to rationalize acts of petty theft and vandalism?

Unfortunately, we can build all the recreation facilities we want, and some people will still smash and trash our arenas and tennis courts like they did recently.

The city has responded by installing an alarm system at the arena.

What's next? Padlocked gate, chain link fence and barbed wire around the Sombek'e tennis courts? Or maybe a webcam that films the courts night and day.

Unfortunately, that may be what it takes to protect our public property from petty vandals. And the rest of us will pay the price in increased security costs and less freedom.

If any flaws exist in the health minister's proposed changes for NWT health boards, it is certainly not the change that will eliminate competition for workers among regional boards.

We already exert too much energy vying with the rest of the world for too few health-care workers, so we don't need to continue competing with each other. The new system will also reduce the amount of time it takes to allow an employee to work for a different health board in the NWT.

We must all remember that time is of the essence when it comes to patient care. So let's learn to share our most valuable Northern resource: health-care workers.

Editorial Comment
Darrell Greer
Kivalliq News

Jim Shirley of Rankin Inlet is absolutely right when he says the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11 on the United States were on a way of life, not a building. There, more than anywhere else, lies the dilemma.

While we all appreciate and, to a certain extent, advocate increased security in our country to protect ourselves from terrorist attacks, we must exercise caution and reason when putting policies into effect.

No one at Canada Post, for example, has come forward to explain the logic behind the 36-hour holding period before mail over 250 grams in weight will be put on a passenger plane.

If we're talking terrorist bombs here, one can only hope they're using a cheap timer -- either very loud or only good up to 24 hours (which wouldn't be so great for anyone working at the post office).

As for air cargo requiring a package's content to be clearly labelled, well, that speaks for itself.

Terrorists may think nothing of claiming thousands of lives, but they'd never lie about what was in a package, especially if they have to put it in writing.

Terrorists know they can never win a war the conventional way. But, if they make us alter our lives -- the way we conduct ourselves in our own country -- the terrorists win.

If we have to exchange so many of our rights to feel safe, that we wake up one morning living in a police state -- the terrorists win.

There are no easy answers.

We here, living in the Kivalliq region, were affected by the attacks -- a tightly knit global community indeed.

Maybe the one effect of their attack these terrorists did not count on was the new-found appreciation for our freedom.

We no longer take it for granted.

There are people here in the Kivalliq region who are asking why these attacks should affect us in Nunavut. It's time for these people to take a look around and start appreciating what we have here in Canada and the rest of the free world. And how easily it can be taken away!

These weren't just attacks on Americans, they were attacks on democracy, free enterprise and freedom.

The terrorist attacks in Washington and New York City all too graphicly illustrated the price complacency can command. Freedom is the king of cliches when it comes to not appreciating what you have until it's gone!

Editorial Comment
Malcolm Gorrill
Inuvik Drum

A hot topic in the Delta recently is the territorial government's proposal to establish a highway toll to fund an increase in highway maintenance.

Transportation Minister Vince Steen appeared before Inuvik Town Council last week, faced with the unenviable task of trying to justify imposing a permit fee, which many people consider another tax.

When it came time to decide upon what position the town would take on the issue, Coun. Denny Rodgers made a motion in support of the toll -- a motion which was defeated in a 5-3 vote.

Interestingly, Rodgers argued that the main reason he supports the toll concept is that something has to be done to allow for more highway maintenance -- not exactly a ringing endorsement of permit fees.

Members of the public are speaking against the toll as well, with at least 400 people expressing their displeasure via a petition.

Nevertheless, few people are arguing that NWT highways need more work done on them than has been done, especially if oil and gas and mining activities increase. Immediately thumbing down the toll concept, which the public at large tends to do with anything that even resembles a new tax, will not make the highway issue go away.

A toll would make goods more expensive, and presumably these costs would be passed on to consumers. Many have pointed out it's already expensive enough living in the territory.

But these costs have to be measured against costs incurred from poor highways, such as damage to vehicles, and more likelihood of accidents. The possibility of road bans at some point in the future has also been raised.

The government is arguing they don't have much choice if they want to fund more highway maintenance. But perhaps alternatives to the toll could be looked at, and examined more closely, in the months ahead, as the toll debate continues.

Available alternatives was certainly one thing several members of council want to know more about.

The toll would take effect Jan. 1, 2002. If members of the public do not wish for it to pass, they should tell the government so.

However, people should also stay involved in the debate, and if they want the government to come up with alternatives, they should help come up with some alternatives worthy of closer study.

Otherwise the "I survived the Dempster Highway" bumper sticker might take on a lot more meaning in the years ahead.

Correction

An error occurred in "Friends mourn death of Elkadry" (Inuvik Drum, Sept. 13). Business owner Mohamed Elkadry did not die outside his home above The Roost, as was stated. He was found in the front entrance of the restaurant.

Editorial Comment
Derek Neary
Deh Cho Drum, Fort Simpson

Although MLA Bill Braden, a member of the standing committee on the proposed highway toll, admitted last Thursday that he's not in favour of the bill in its current form, he does believe there is a need to improve the roads.

For his family of four living in Yellowknife, the road toll would amount to nearly $500 per year in extra expenses. Is that too much, he asked. What if they were only to pay $200 per year in extra expenses? He wanted to know what other ideas people had to raise funds. Mayor Tom Wilson noted that the federal government is reaping the benefits from Northern resources, while the North struggles to meet its infrastructure needs. That argument has been made many times but nobody seems to know how to get the federal government in an armlock to wrestle the money away from it.

Wilson also suggested that too many companies are doing work in the North, but are based in the south. Therefore they aren't paying the taxes to the GNWT that they should be. Taxes are what should be paying for infrastructure, Wilson argued.

Anyone else who feels they can enlighten the territorial government can do so by writing a letter over the next few weeks. Written submissions will be accepted and reviewed before the legislature resumes.

MLA Floyd Roland was right in pointing out that an outcry from the public helped eliminate the proposed hotel tax earlier this year. The curious part of all this is how the GNWT intends to pass any form of tax or a toll if they're relying on public support to do it. Sending out a standing committee, which tours the NWT at substantial expense, to hear people state the obvious (that they don't want to pay more for goods and services) doesn't seem to be a very prudent way to spend their current funding.

Cuts will hurt

It was a very disheartening financial message that was conveyed at Monday night's village council meeting. If MACA's proposed funding cuts take effect next year, residents of Fort Simpson will surely notice. The village will have no choice but to charge more for practically all services. Worse yet, there's a strong possibility that the recreation centre will be forced to close temporarily if not permanently. As senior administrative officer Bernice Swanson noted, the primary expenses for running the rec centre are lights, heat and water. If the building is open at all, each of those elements are absolutely necessary.

Yes, there are many areas of the village's budget that stand to be slashed (especially legal fees), but recreation will still be a major target.

If the GNWT can't be convinced to re-evaluate its position, the residents of Fort Simpson will pay dearly.