In every crisis someone gets hurt.

Yellowknife's housing crunch has already hit many people hard. The latest victims are five trailer owners who have been told to pack up and leave by April 15.

Their dream of home ownership has turned into a nightmare.

The land they rent on 43rd Street is destined to become home to 14 condominiums. The culprits in this case are not the Hay River entrepreneurs who see an opportunity to supply some of the housing this city needs.

The blame must fall at city hall's steps. Because of their years of meddling in real estate, this is a city struggling to keep up to housing demands, where land comes at a premium price.

For Jim Cheyne and Helen Lawson, who get by on pensions, buying a lot -- if one could be found for a trailer -- is likely beyond reach.

Although we believe housing and land development is best left to the professionals, the city should play a role in helping the 43rd Street owners find a new place for their homes.

The other alternative would be to abandon these tax-paying citizens, to let their equity disappear.

And that would be a shame.

Welcome, to the new, more genteel face of Yellowknife. Caribou Carnival "cops" at the city's 48th annual rite-of-spring extravaganza next month may be more likely to be giving out empathetic hugs than wielding their traditional beatsticks.

"In the last couple of years, what's been happening is the individuals that we've had to be our Caribou Carnival cops have been a little aggressive," carnival president Bernie Bauhaus told Yellowknifer last week.

"You put a black cop hat on them, put them in a uniform and they get this Rambo mentality."

Hence, the move, if we may appropriate a few words from former U.S. president George Bush Sr., to a kinder and gentler Yellowknife.

Oh, there will still be a "jail," but it will only be used for "arrests" that are called in.

No more getting shoved behind bars for not wearing a $3 Caribou Carnival button. No more carnivals cops hawking them in workplaces and bars.

Not all that is novel about the carnival will be lost. There'll still be an ugly truck n' dog contest and the waiter-waitress relay race.

But make no mistake, the diamond-in-the rough that was Caribou Carnival is about to be polished. It's a small sign that may say something interesting about the changing face of Yellowknife.

The old Bob Dylan lyrics, "Come writers and critics who prophesize with your pen and keep your eyes wide...for the times they are a-changin" seems wonderfully apt.

Editorial Comment
Darrell Greer
Kivalliq News

You can't help but wonder what Canadian icon Peter Gzowski would have thought listening to some of the comments made this past few weeks following his death.

Indeed, Gzowski championed literacy in Canada for years, from coast to coast to coast, and he had a special place in his heart for Nunavut.

I had the opportunity to break bread and drink a pot of coffee with Gzowski about two years ago when he was visiting Rankin Inlet. During our extended conversation, his love for the North was as evident as his conviction towards literacy.

He knew, and fully understood, how important literacy is to the future development of Nunavut.

I found myself thinking a lot about our time together after his death last month, and the subsequent tributes that filled the airwaves concerning his work on behalf of literacy.

Many of the accolades being heaped upon Gzowski's memory started to ring somewhat hollow amidst the news funding cutbacks were forcing the hamlet of Arviat to step in and try to keep the Bobby Sulik library open in that community -- at least on a part-time basis.

Although everything being said about the man's efforts to improve literacy across the North were true, it was somehow irritating to hear them coming from a government that continues to slash funding from literacy programs.

I remembered how appalled Gzowski was, as I explained to him back then, that the local DEA at the time was still fighting to have the Rankin library open to students during school hours.

A library that was actually housed inside the school.

Believe me when I say the irony was not lost on the man.

Gzowski spoke glowingly during our conversation about the work of Inuit children's author Michael Kusugak. In fact, he actually chastised me for not reading one of Kusugak's books at the time (I believe it had something to do with rocks).

The importance of Inuit youth having role models from their own culture, such as a successful children's book author, was not lost on the man. Far from it.

Gzowski, more than most, fully appreciated the difficulties a fledgling territory such as ours will face.

And, although I'll never know for sure, I can't help but think he'd swap all those accolades in a heartbeat, in exchange for increased funding in our educational system.

Before you can read the books, you have to have access to them. How else will tomorrow's youth be able to read about this cool guy named Peter and how strongly he believed in literacy?

Editorial Comment
Malcolm Gorrill
Inuvik Drum

Yet another reminder of the power of words was last weekend's Rabbie Burns Dinner in Inuvik.

Around 90 people, from many different backgrounds, gathered together for just one of many such celebrations held world-wide to honour a man who died more than 200 years ago.

Toasts were made, a meal was enjoyed and people shared a lot of laughs.

It is a remarkable testament not just to the popularity of one writer, but also the ability of words to inspire and otherwise affect people from all walks of life, and in many parts of the world, even centuries after they were first penned.

Family Literacy Week activities are taking place, and are another way to emphasize the need to learn from and be inspired by books.

All of Canada is mourning the loss of one man who knew well the power of words, Peter Gzowski. The former host of CBC Radio's Morningside died Jan. 24, and was a big promoter of literacy.

I was fortunate enough to meet Gzowski once. I interviewed him briefly while he was in Yellowknife about two years ago, holding one of his golf tournaments.

I recall Gzowski spoke quite softly, and that it felt weird to be interviewing someone who has himself conducted so many interviews of his own.

Vote looming

Information packages are being made available this week on the proposed family centre for Inuvik.

Ratepayers are to be asked shortly whether or not the town should borrow up to $5 million to build the centre, which would include an year round pool, among other facilities.

The plebiscite takes place Feb. 18 from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. at the Inuvik Centennial Library.

A public meeting takes place on the centre proposal and the plebiscite this coming Monday in council chambers, starting at 7 p.m. It is to be hoped both this meeting and the plebiscite will feature plenty of participation. To proceed or not with this project is one of the most important decisions residents will make this year, and the more people who have their say and cast their vote on this matter, the better.

Good luck to athletes

A number of Arctic Winter Games territorials take place this weekend, including juvenile male and female soccer, and Pee Wee hockey, in Inuvik, plus snowshoeing in Fort McPherson.

The best of luck is wished to all athletes taking part.

Curling up a storm

The Dave McLeod rink out of Aklavik swept to success over the weekend, winning the "A" qualifier in the NWT Curling Association's Men's Playdowns. Now they'll see if they can advance to the national championships.

Curling can provide plenty of exercise and enjoyment. This is true whether it's a low-key game between friends or a truly competitive match.

Congratulations are extended to the McLeod rink, as well as the best of luck as they seek to advance further.

Editorial Comment
Derek Neary
Deh Cho Drum, Fort Simpson

Thirty-two dollars a month is not a lot of money. That's all that some tenants in Fort Providence -- those with no income -- were asked to pay for their public housing units.

Some have apparently spent years taking advantage of the roof over their heads without paying a cent. The consequent evictions are most unfortunate and, undoubtedly, very disheartening for the seven Fort Providence Housing Association board members to have to enforce. After all, the board members are also community members and maybe even neighbours to those in question.

Allen Bouvier, manager of the Fort Providence Housing Authority, said that since such drastic action has been taken, other tenants with outstanding rent have begun to make payments.

Housing comes at a cost. In the case of public housing, the costs aren't even covered by those who pay rent. Tenants must make rental payments a priority just like buying groceries. There are so many others waiting to be granted a public housing unit -- and willing to pay rent -- that those who can't meet their commitment must face the consequences.

Incidentally, although there is still a demand for housing in Fort Providence, the trend is not towards building any more social housing units, rather its towards home ownership, according to Bouvier. Plans are in the works to have local businesses involved in constructing multi-dwelling units like "four-plexes" or "six-plexes," he said.

A different view

It's interesting for a Fort Simpson resident to be in Fort Liard and hear the people there talk about how slow things are this winter. Last year was apparently fairly slow by their standards as well. Comparatively speaking, the oil and gas industry and related seismic activity were brisk two and three years ago.

Regardless, walking into the bustling 210-person Beaver base camp just outside Fort Liard is, in itself, unlike anything found in Fort Simpson. The board found on the wall just inside the front entrance to the camp kitchen is speckled with names in erasable marker, indicating who is assigned to what room at camp. A majority of those names belong residents from a variety of Deh Cho communities. The rest are workers from the south.

There are also a number of Deh Cho residents employed at the two drill rigs at Bovie Lake.

If, in the future, each Deh Cho community dives headlong into its own economic development initiatives, how could this region of approximately 3,000 people possibly muster the workforce to take advantage of all the jobs? It couldn't.

The CanTung Mine has taken on a few Deh Cho employees. If and when the Prairie Creek Mine goes into production it will also provide more jobs.

Although jobs are only one part of the economic equation, it's an important part. Therefore it would be in the best interest of local people to carefully pace development over the long term.

Due to an editing error in the story "Ice Castle for High Level?" Yellowknifer, Feb. 1, a reference was made to the Yellowknife Chamber of Commerce instead of the High Level and District Chamber of Commerce. Yellowknifer apologizes for any confusion this may have caused.

Clarification

In a news brief published in the Jan. 30 Yellowknifer, Sir John Franklin high school was omitted as one of two high schools hosting students across Canada for the Interchange on Canadian Studies conference, April 6-13.

Yellowknifer apologizes for any embarrassment or inconvenience these errors may have caused.