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While the aurora borealis can be counted on to continue to draw thousands of tourists, the question we might want to ask is that all there is to visiting Yellowknife? The aurora borealis is spectacular -- that's our gift from nature. But as any parent knows, raising children is a combination of nature and nurture. Tourism can be thought of in an analogous way. The time is now to nurture cultural tourism.
While some of Yellowknife's tourism drawbacks are obvious -- think remote location with horrendous highway road access to the south -- the problems of getting folks to stick around once you lure them with natural attractions isn't unique.
New Brunswick for years was known as Canada's "drive-thru" province. Visitors from Ontario and Quebec historically were spending one night in New Brunswick -- on their way to Nova Scotia or Prince Edward Island. In the late 1980s, then Premier Frank McKenna's government developed a strategy to offer cultural tourism -- and New Brunswick has become a "destination" rather than a drive-thru. A summer visitor could easily enjoy the spectacular Hopewell Rocks, home of the world's highest tides in the morning, and be in a play at Le Festival Acadien de Caraquet in the evening.
The Okanagan Cultural Corridor Project in British Columbia's Okanagan Valley markets everything it offers as a collective effort -- from wineries to art exhibits.
It's time Yellowknifers think about packaging everything from the aurora borealis to touring a gold mine to dockside performances of Bush Pilot to examples of the clothes sewn by Dene elders at the Prince of Wales Northern Heritage Centre.
It's easy to understand the desire to find renewable energy sources. Just look at your electrical bill each month.
A $110,000 territorial government program is well spent to help reduce energy costs and lessen the demand on the diesel-generated power.
Most of the funding went to solar energy projects while some individuals used the $7,500 grant to put up wind generators and one even installed a micro-hydro system for their Ingraham Trail home.
It's Northern ingenuity at its best. But while we all may not be willing, or able, to spend that kind of money and time looking at energy alternatives, we can do our part.
When replacing your hot water tank, or any appliance, get the most energy efficient. Make sure your home is well insulated and turn off the lights when leaving a room.
It all adds up to electrical savings.
The Department of Indian and Northern Affairs should continue to think long and hard before it makes a decision on the offer it received last July from Miramar Mining.
Miramar, in a bid to not have to provide a security deposit for the cleanup of its Con mine, has offered DIAND a $3 million interest in its 60-year-old Bluefish hydro plant.
Located near Prosperous Lake, the plant currently provides power to Miramar's mining operations in the city.
But what would Yellowknifers stand to benefit from the federal government getting its hands on a power plant? Does the power corporation even want DIAND involved in the power business? Wouldn't the power corporation themselves want to buy it?
Until we get the answer to these questions, we don't think DIAND should do anything rash.
Editorial Comment
Darrell Greer
Kivalliq News
The committee members for the Rankin Inlet Men's Recreational Hockey League are to be commended for their decision to dedicate February's 16-and-older tournament to the four brave souls who perished aboard the Avataq.
The members are also to be commended for following the book and seeking permission from family members before announcing the dedication.
Hockey tournaments dedicated to the memories of loved ones, popular community figures or sports heroes from a particular town are popular right across this great nation of ours. A tournament bearing the name, or preserving the memory, of those who were highly thought of by their peers often rises in stature above similar gatherings.
But the biggest point being made by dedicating February's tourney to those four brave men is this: it lets them know they may be gone, but they'll never be forgotten.
Ringing up sales
While we're on the topic of a job well done, congratulations to Brian Schindel and the rest of the staff at Kivalliq Arctic Foods for topping the $1-million mark in gross sales this past year.
One of the best stories surrounding Schindel and Nunavut Development Corp. president John Hickes' trip to L.A. can't be told due to security constraints.
However, we can say it was a good move on the company's part to only send two representatives to L.A. because, as we all know, too many cooks can often spoil the broth, even the most well-connected ones.
Chester needs facility
It will be interesting to see how the meetings (negotiations) play out in Chesterfield Inlet this week concerning the St. Theresa long-term care facility.
Chester cannot afford to lose St. Theresa and, hopefully, the major players will be able to work out a deal to keep everyone involved happy. That includes the good bishop, who extended his contract last year and is looking forward to moving on to different challenges after April 1, 2002.
That being said, we do hope the bishop is sincere in listening to any pleas the developers may pitch to have the diocese stay on through a short transitional period.
Such a transitional phase would go a long way toward ensuring the quality of care to which the residents have grown accustomed receiving does, in fact, remain the same.
Editorial Comment
Malcolm Gorrill
Inuvik Drum
There's a couple of new developments on the music front in the Delta. Students are jamming on a weekly basis at Samuel Hearne Thursdays after school. No one who shows up is allowed to be a spectator, but those who take part have a great chance to play with fellow musicians and learn a few new tunes along the way.
As well, a co-founder of the Strings Across the Sky Foundation is coming to Inuvik and several other NWT communities soon. Andrea Hansen will not come empty handed, of course. She has plenty of donated fiddles to hand out to young people, and will provide introductory lessons as well.
It is to be hoped that children who receive some of those fiddles will continue practising after Hansen leaves and the hoopla caused by her visit dies down.
Music is in many ways the universal language, as listening to a song can make people laugh or cry or contemplative, even if they do not understand the words because they're in a foreign language.
Being able to play a tune, whether via a fiddle or guitar or some other instrument, is a valuable talent that can bring a lot of joy to a musician over the years -- even if they never cut an album or reach the top of the music charts.
'Joy rides' cause grief for many
The Town of Inuvik, acting on a request by the RCMP, is studying the idea of requiring owners to lock up their snowmobiles to deter would be thieves.
This comes in the wake of an increase in the number of snowmobiles stolen in the community. RCMP explain that many of the machines are found before long, and that many of the thefts apparently result from people deciding to add a little excitement to their lives.
Unfortunately, what these thieves do not seem to realize is that joy rides may be fun for them, but are anything but that for the owners. At the very least owners encounter inconvenience, not to mention a sense of violation, and probably repair bills and higher insurance costs.
Editorial Comment
Derek Neary
Deh Cho Drum, Fort Simpson
In Fort Simpson last week, Indian Affairs Minister Robert Nault emphatically stated on two occasions that he will not discuss Deh Cho negotiations in the media. Yet what he did say publicly was rather inflammatory. His contention that a Mackenzie Valley pipeline could proceed across Deh Cho territory with aboriginal consultation but without consent is something that the courts may have to ultimately decide. Hopefully self-government negotiations proceed smoothly enough so the matter doesn't have to be dragged into the courts.
Nault's assertion that the outcome of the Deh Cho Process would be "very similar" to other settled land claims in the NWT certainly isn't what the Deh Cho First Nations were hoping to hear. To date, their self-government negotiations have already broken ground. No other land claimant group has had an Interim Measures Agreement or worked towards an Interim Resource Development Agreement.
With the exception of Fort Liard, there is to be no land selection in the Deh Cho, a key component of other land claims settlements. Federal negotiators have acknowledged that.
So while the minister keeps talking tough, the Deh Cho keep making advances. It's headway that hasn't required the federal government to make unreasonable concessions or even threaten to shut down negotiations. As long as that continues, things should progress just fine.
Fortunately, Nault was not affected by Tuesday's extensive federal cabinet shuffle. A new minister always brings setbacks in scheduling. That definitely would have been the case if Nault were moved as he committed to meet with the Deh Cho in Ottawa by mid-February.
Uphill battle
Beaver Enterprises' decision to hire a drug and alcohol counsellor for its troubled employees is one step in the right direction. With the company owned by band members, it is up to them to decide how the situation should be handled in the long run. Stringent measures such as pre-employment testing would help eliminate the problem at work sites, but not necessarily in the community. It would also leave a significant number of people without a job.
Let's not forget, there are some top-notch, substance-free workers in Fort Liard. The question is how to deal with the ones who are not.
Mercury rising
Residents of Wrigley are being asked to pay 90.5 cents per litre for home heating fuel? Ouch!
It's probably safe to assume there's a lot of firewood being cut in the community in order to avoid such an outrageous expense.
With home heating fuel selling for less than half that price in Fort Simpson, 220 kilometres away, wouldn't there be a profitable way for a private agent to supply Wrigley with heating fuel at a lower price?
In "They know the drill" (Yellowknifer, Jan. 18) an error was made in the final scores. 825 Yellowknife Air cadets came in second.
Also, in "In the Army Now," (Yellowknifer, Jan. 18) Richard Luxon's name was misspelled.
The story headlined "Cold Weather brings ice" (Yellowknifer, Jan. 18) contained two errors.
A worker on the ice road last year died from exposure after the Snow Cat he was operating fell through the ice. Also, the Tibbitt-Contwoyto ice road is 540 kilometres in length.
Yellowknifer apologizes for any confusion or embarrassment these errors may have caused.