 |
For months, people have been talking about the housing crisis plaguing Yellowknife. The boom is coming, we've said; get ready.
Meanwhile, the rental vacancy rate has plunged to zero. Just one developer has begun work on an apartment building. Residential building permits have risen marginally. The number of residential sale listings has dropped to the lowest level in a decade; only 35 homes appear in current sale listings.
Anywhere else in Canada, developers would have been drooling to get into the action. In Yellowknife, restrictive land policies have contributed to a stagnant building market.
Only now, with the realization that Diavik expects to hire 300 more workers in coming months, has the city been spurred to act.
A committee voted last week to open up the second phase of Niven Lake development and free up other lots near Kam Lake. Council's now eyeing other property on Tin Can Hill and is expected to throw the doors open to developing the rest of Niven Lake.
To be fair, the city's hands are partly tied by slow-paced land claims talks with the Yellowknives Dene -- killing any idea of developing Commissioner's Land.
Promising is the fact council appears to have made an important philosophical shift to letting the market do its work. "The city can't tell developers what to do," is what Mayor Gord Van Tighem told Yellowknifer. "We make land available and zone according to the needs of the city and encourage development within that."
Encouraging words ... but they come two years too late.
Let's hope, speedy action will encourage developers to build in Yellowknife. If not, how many of those 300 Diavik jobs will go to people who will be commuting to work at Lac de Gras from Edmonton or Calgary?a
Warning messages to not feed animals in zoos and parks are not there because wildlife officials are afraid animals will turn into fast-food addicts if visitors share leftover burgers and fries.
The warnings are there to save lives of animals and humans, and are applicable everywhere, including Yellowknife. You never know when your furry friend might attack. Wildlife officer Raymond Bourget could not say if the fox population in Yellowknife is increasing, but many sightings have been reported.
If foxes are turning into city dwellers it means we are feeding them or not properly disposing of our trash. We should be able to outsmart the fox with a very simple strategy: don't feed the animals and wrap up your garbage.
The entire Yellowknife community can only serve to benefit from last week's investiture of 17 long-serving volunteers by St. John Ambulance.
The 900-year old organization rolled out the red carpet at the Great Hall of the legislative assembly last week to honour these Northerners, including seven Yellowknifers, for their dedication in helping our communities.
From Stuart Oldham's promotion to commander to Gladys Eggenberger joining others who were invested as officers, this tribute goes a long way in giving back to our volunteers what they have so generously provided our community.
Take a bow, volunteers and keep up the good work.
Editorial Comment
OK. We know it's tough, but try to shake off the shock of a Rankin Inlet MLA actually lobbying publicly to bring something to the community.
And, we have to give credit where credit is due. Rankin South-Whale Cove MLA Manitok Thompson's argument is well researched, accurate and compelling. In short, the boisterous housing minister's contention that Rankin is the ideal spot for an Inuit Heritage Centre is right on the mark.
And that's without Rankin having to stoop to playing the decentralization card.
Even without mentioning how much this community has lost to decentralization while gaining precious little in return -- Rankin is the best choice for a new heritage centre.
Now, if Culture, Language, Elders and Youth Minister Peter Kattuk would just show the fortitude to make the proper decision without consulting every single person in Nunavut with an opinion -- we'd already be $300,000 along the way to a new centre.
Furthermore, taking for granted Thompson's peeking over Sustainable Development's financial fence is correct, we already have half a million reasons why we should combine a heritage and visitors centre in Rankin.
But that's just the tip of the iceberg, as are Thompson's valid assertions of Rankin being the geographical and cultural centre of Nunavut.
The bigger picture is that Thompson's plan would set a standard that up to now has been unspeakable, if not unthinkable, in these parts. Imagine, were Sustainable Development and CLEY actually to get together and work something out to make the Rankin project doable. We'd actually have a group of Nunavut ministers getting together and coming up with a workable plan to benefit Rankin Inlet. We can almost hear the Rankin North MLA pounding on the door of inclusion.
Or was that the door of acceptance at Repulse Bay?
No matter, Thompson is absolutely right on this one. Rankin Inlet is the best location for an Inuit Heritage Centre.
And, we shouldn't have to spend $300,000 for no other reason than to, once again, give the bray of opinion the chance to topple the voice of reason. Unfortunately, that seems to be the Nunavut way. At least, whenever the Kivalliq is involved.
Editorial Comment
Gift certificates and a well deserved pat on the back were handed out recently.
About 100 people turned out for the Town of Inuvik Volunteer Recognition Event at the Midnight Sun Recreation Complex.
The event was particularly appropriate since it occurred in the midst of the first Live to Give Volunteer Symposium. Delegates from as far afield as Colville Lake to Sachs Harbour took in the event, and got tips on things such as team building and planning.
This is also the International Year of the Volunteer.
Though doubtless most volunteers would say taking part in an event or an organization, and making a difference, is reward enough, it's nice for them to get some kind of official acknowledgement.
Volunteers play a crucial role within most communities, and that certainly holds true in Inuvik. They help put on meetings and events at the rec complex and Ingamo Hall and other places, and help run many organizations, including the local army cadets and girl guides.
It's nice for them to hear that their absence would be felt.
Sharing the experience
Speaking of showing appreciation, a dinner was held at the legion on Sunday evening so that the 1st Inuvik Scouts Group could thank all those who helped 16 members attend the 10th Canadian Scout Jamboree this past summer in Prince Edward Island.
A definite highlight was a slide show of photos taken during the event, many of which were snapped by the scouts. Images ranged from people sliding along ropes into the ocean, to people sightseeing, and of course, worn out scouts snoozing away.
Commentary on various aspects of the trip was provided too, adding further proof that such brief events can leave lasting memories.
Counting down to the games
It won't be long now before athletes from all over the North compete at the 2002 Arctic Winter Games.
Over the next few months regional trials will take place, including many in the Delta, as young people seek the chance to take part in a truly special event.
Hopefully the athletes will bear in mind that while winning is nice, what's really important is trying their best, and representing their community well, whether at regionals or the AWG.
It's worth noting too that the trials and Arctic Winter Games are definitely very volunteer dependent.
Editorial Comment
The hue and cry for a nurse in Wrigley should evoke sympathy.
It would be most reassuring for residents to know that a trained medical professional in the community could address medical concerns within minutes. Instead, symptoms are usually relayed over the phone to Fort Simpson, more than 200 kilometres away. If urgent, a medevac flight is arranged.
The same situation exists in Jean Marie River, Nahanni Butte, Kakisa and Trout Lake. None of those communities have a single nurse.
As much as we may sympathize with these communities, the reality of the situation is that recruiting nurses has proven a real chore in the North; not only the North, but across the entire continent over the past few years. The Deh Cho has been fortunate, for the most part, with only a few of its positions vacant at times.
Unfortunately, in the battle to attract nurses, resource-rich Alberta has been offering a very handsome package and has a distinct advantage. Other nurses have gone south to the U.S. where extremely generous salaries and benefits are provided.
Although Deh Cho Health and Social Services (DCHSS) achieved a surplus in its last fiscal year, it is not able to apply any of that unused funding towards additional incentives to attract nurses to this region. Doing so would violate the Union on Northern Workers' collective agreement, DCHSS chief executive officer Kathy Tsetso said.
This nursing shortage is a problem that stands to get much worse, according to an American news feature. It stated that aging "Baby Boomers" are supposed to require peak nursing care by 2010. That coupled with the fact that enrolment in nursing programs has dropped substantially in the U.S. over the past five years is the formula for a medical crisis.
Yet there seems to be a glimmer of hope in a nurse practitioner program offered through Aurora College in Yellowknife. It's not a panacea, but it would surely ease the minds of people in communities who have no medical personnel to turn to at the moment.
Deh Cho Dr. Shane Barclay is an advocate of the nurse practitioner program. The program has nine students enrolled, as it is in its infancy in the NWT. However, the example in Newfoundland is one the NWT could certainly follow. There, nurse practitioners can order blood tests and X-rays as well as prescribe certain drugs. Just as important, they also provide reassurance.
Having someone with some medical knowledge and training in our smaller communities would be an important first step in countering our nursing crisis.
Darrell Greer
Kivalliq News
Malcolm Gorrill
Inuvik Drum
Derek Neary
Deh Cho Drum, Fort Simpson