Never been to Fort McMurray? How about Saskatoon or Vancouver? Well, if you get sick in the NWT these are just a few of the sunny locales where you could be flown since the intensive care unit at Stanton Regional Hospital shut down last weekend.

Your trip could start from any one of our Northern communities. And if you get sick on the right day you could be lucky enough to stay at the hasta del Stanton in Yellowknife. There your needs will be tended to by a dedicated staff who will provide the best care possible.

There's no need to worry. Health Minister Michael Miltenberger has assured everyone in the territory that just because they did not have enough staff to keep the ICU open, patients are not in any danger.

But remember to pack a pen and paper when you're medevaced from Fort Good Hope or Sachs Harbour.

You may be destined for Stanton, but if the No Vacancy sign is up, your next destination could be Edmonton. And if they can't take you, it's points east or west.

Oh, and there may not be Slavey or Inuvialuktun translators where you are going, hence the pen and paper. You may have to rely on pictograms to let nurses or doctors know when you are in pain or distress.

Our only chance to change this situation is by having everyone call Miltenberger and let him know just how unacceptable and serious this situation is.

Those of you who have had family members receive excellent care on the ICU really need to give the minister an earful.

Tell him about your 20-year-old brother or 67-year-old mother who died on the unit, and how the painful process was eased somewhat by the fact that you were surrounded by family. Tell him that you don't know what you would have done if your loved one had been sent to a Southern hospital.

Tell him having direct contact with a family member who is sick or dying is a necessity not a luxury.

Female members of Iqaluit's Amarok Hunters and Trappers Association must be given credit for the wise stance they took during last month's members-only assignment vote.

As mandated by the Nunavut Land Claims Agreement to set policies governing assignment in Iqaluit, the HTA developed a set of procedures for Inuit to follow when assigning their harvesting rights to other Inuit or a non-Inuk spouse.

Article 5.7.34 of the agreement guarantees all Inuit -- including those women married to non-Inuit spouses -- have the right to transfer their hunting rights to a husband or other non-beneficiary. Accordingly, the HTA drew up ballots with proposed procedures on them and asked all of their members to attend a meeting to vote on them.

The first part of the ballot asked members to accept or refute 18 terms and conditions. The second part asked members to decide which species they thought Inuit should be permitted to assign.

Each of the options included provisions for assigning hunting rights for caribou, various species of seal, fish and game birds. Only one option, the first, included big-game animals. Everything was proceeding as planned, until the women showed up.

Though strong enough in number at the meeting to sway the vote if they had wanted to, the women were more troubled by the lack of understanding about the subject among the male members preparing to vote, and instead asked for a delay.

If they truly wanted their husbands to hunt bears and whales, as some HTA members suspect, they would have marked option number 1 and non-Inuit men in Iqaluit would be lining up to get a bear next spring. But the women have stated for years that they have no intention of allowing their husbands to hunt big game. They just want steady, guaranteed access to caribou, seal and fish.

By asking Nunavut Tunngavik and the HTA to put together a two-day educational workshop so everyone could better understand the issues surrounding hunting-rights assignment, the women may have prevented a good deal of conflict in the future.

And by doing so, they demonstrated that they have the best interests of Inuit in mind when it comes to the politics and logistics of harvesting from the land and sea. The same cannot be said for those members who hold the balance of power at the HTA. Their hearts may be in the right place, but they're aren't using their heads as wisely.

It's not just another day off.

On Friday, workers around the Northwest Territories will drop their tools and join in a celebration of National Aboriginal Day.

What are we celebrating?

Independence. Self-reliance. Tradition. How essential First Nations are in the continued development of the North.

So don't just sit in front of the television. Join in and honour the spirit. Be thankful the North's First Nations continue to preserve and protect their identity and heritage because that's part of what makes the NWT so special.

Oh, the irony. Grise Fiord has been making do with less than enough fresh water to quench their thirst and meet daily needs, all the while surrounded by one of the world's largest supplies of fresh water.

Unfortunately, that water is frozen, forcing the hamlet to use expensive artificial tanks rather than lake reservoirs.

Meanwhile, dozens of brands of bottled water make use of the "arctic" name, and at least two companies are selling bottled Arctic Ocean icebergs. Now, if only Grise Fiord could find a way to exploit its ice. Quick -- file a patent.

Editorial Comment
Darrell Greer
Kivalliq News

There can be no denying the tremendous pressure the Nunavut government found itself under to offer a quick solution to the bad gas dilemma.

We applaud how expeditiously the government moved on testing the gas, setting up a compensation package for those who have suffered engine damage and working to find a long-term solution to the problem.

That being said, we have grave concerns about the government's decision to drop the price of gasoline by 33 per cent at the pumps.

On the surface, it appears to be a good-will gesture to pacify those who are upset over paying top dollar for sub-standard fuel. However, the move is also prompting people to fill up their machines even more with gas already proven to damage engines.

The price cut could easily be viewed as a move by the government to encourage people to purchase more gas at a discounted price to go through the supply faster.

The problem this creates is twofold. First, with people racing out to take advantage of the discounted price, it is inevitable that some of them are going to find themselves in trouble using this gas. Whether it's stranded on the land or stranded on the water -- people using this gas are going to have their machines break down.

It's been happening since the supply arrived and it's not going to stop now simply because it's cheaper. Reducing the price of the tainted gas by 33 per cent isn't going to make it any better.

Second, we fail to see how increased consumption of the tainted gas is not going to lead to even more compensation claims against the government before all is said and done. The move to discount the gasoline now could, in effect, lead to a much larger price tag for the government to pay in the future.

Having moved so quickly with the compensation package -- taking for granted it will be fair and easily accessed by those who truly deserve it -- the government has already earned itself good reviews for addressing the problem.

It would have been better thinking on its behalf to leave the price as it was in hopes people would only use what they absolutely needed.

In fact, an argument could be made that the government would have been better served to have come up with a rationing formula to keep the purchase of tainted gas at a minimum until such a time as a successful way to improve its quality was implemented.

When it comes to buying tainted gas at any price, the song being sung is still a sour one. And, sooner or later, somebody's going to have to pay the fiddler.

Editorial Comment
Terry Halifax
Inuvik Drum

Last week's Western Premier's conference sounds like it must have been quite a bully session with Premier Kakfwi walking away "embarrassed" by the Klein, Knowles and Duncan tagteam on the Alaska pipeline.

Despite the political crowing and manoeuvring coming out of Alaska and Yukon, one thing remains blatantly obvious that will see the Mackenzie Valley line go first -- producer support.

The Alaskan producers have said that the economics of the highway route still aren't there to drive the line -- even with the tax credit. Exxon said they don't want the tax credit and they say the political meddling will distort the market.

On the Mackenzie side, the producers are forging ahead with regulatory filing and the newest worry is if the pipe will be big enough to accommodate all the producers.

As last year's seismic data is now being analyzed, we'll no doubt be hearing about many more discoveries like the huge Devon/PetroCanada find announced last month.

All the talk from all the premiers, senators and governors won't add up to anything without the backing of the energy companies.

Grad for dad

Last week's graduation at Samuel Hearne was a real special event to cover.

A teacher friend from down south told me last week that, "Unless the graduation is yours, they're all pretty boring."

I thought for a second on that and had to disagree. I've covered dozens of grads and they all have their own nuances that make them all quite unique.

There are people and places that set them all apart, but there is always a mood that fills the air at these events that really makes each one a special celebration of achievement and pride.

The Class of 2002 seemed to have a lot of class. The banquet afterwards was emceed by Desmond Loreen who exhibited a quiet confidence that was echoed throughout the class.

What will stay with me from this year's graduation was the valedictorian's birthday wish to her dad. I never looked around, but I don't think Candace and I were the only ones with wet eyes.

Good luck to all this year's grads. Your special celebration here, made missing my niece Mandy's grad a little more tolerable.

Editorial Comment
Derek Neary
Deh Cho Drum

A resolution to form a Deh Cho economic development corporation is on the agenda for the Deh Cho Assembly. Hopefully it is discussed with all due consideration. Then, with or without amendments, it should be ratified so it can proceed.

However, assemblies have known to get sidetracked with one major issue or another. It's not unusual for agenda items to be deferred until the next leadership meeting.

This economic development initiative cannot be allowed to idle for several months longer. Who knows how many opportunities have already slipped by? Many more will surely be missed unless something is done now.

While many initiatives could be undertaken presently, projects of a wider scope will become more feasible as joint venture partners begin to surface. That will happen with an Interim Resource Development Agreement between the Deh Cho First Nations and the federal government. That document, once signed by both sides, would allow selected areas to be opened up for development. Unfortunately, it appears that any agreement of that nature won't come without some sort of miracle at the negotiating table. The DCFN and the federal government are heading for a showdown.

With demands of as much as 50 per cent of resource royalties, the DCFN is miles from reaching accord with the federal government, which is offering what seems to be a miserly sum. While the government should be given credit for showing considerable flexibility in negotiations to date, it has so far failed to table a reasonable offer in the resource revenue area.

Despite a possible protracted political dispute, could a regional development corporation spur enough economic activity to assuage the growing appetite for enterprise?

While struggling for financial and environmental terms that it defines as acceptable, the DCFN has, in the past, opposed and quashed development projects that Deh Cho communities had been ready to tackle.

Why would things be any different at a regional level? This could get messy.

Summer of fancy

Does anything beat a Northern summer? Okay, it doesn't last long, but that means we should savour it all the more.

The emerging green and the lengthy days are a delight. Of course, the extra sunlight can make it hard to sleep for some, but that problem can be countered by covering bedroom windows with garbage bags or foil, or wearing a sleep mask. Defence against hot days comes in the form of air conditioning and ice cream. Bugs and mosquitoes can be fended off by aerosol sprays (which may be more of a hazard than the insects) or flailing arms.

Winter will make its return soon enough. Let's enjoy the brief warm spell.