For any future civic planners out there, a free lesson in what not to do with a public project is currently being offered by Yellowknife council.

The city's twin-pad arena -- a long-awaited and much-needed facility on which construction started just before Christmas -- is already $2 million over the projected $11.3 million budget.

It could, and all signs so far show it likely will, plunge further into the red before the building is completed.

But it could have been prevented, and that's the lesson we want potential planners to learn from all of this.

To be fair to council, it thought it could save the city money, or at least postpone some of the financial pain, by building a shell for two ice pads while just completing one rink this year. That one is scheduled to open in September, to make up for the one at the condemned Gerry Murphy arena. The second will be installed a few years down the road, after the nearly $3 million cost for it is raised.

But rather than have a firm plan in place -- and it is the least we should have expected after a decade of debate about a new arena -- council decided to take a gamble and design it while construction was ongoing, and thereby opening itself to the risk of paying more.

That bet lost. Rather than having a firm contract which placed the onus of rising costs on the contractor, the city is stuck paying those costs. Instead of letting council decide how to cover those costs, it is now time for the public to have a say.

It should be up to the taxpayers to decide how the $2 million over-run gets paid, be it a tax increase, delayed capital projects or borrowing which would increase the city's heavy debtload. Don't forget, council also wants to borrow $3.3 million to open up new lots at Niven Lake subdivision.

We hope council finds some common sense and decides Monday night to hold a plebiscite on the matter.

Chuck Fipke provided the key to unlocking the North's potential when he discovered diamonds on the tundra.

Others have thrown the chest wide open with the development of Diavik, exploration at Snap Lake, the staking rush in the Coronation Gulf.

There's Canadian Zinc, the CanTung mine and more. More than diamonds, mining companies are looking for gold, zinc, tungsten, palladium and other minerals and metals. It's like diamonds put the sparkle back into the Northwest Territories' mining industry.

This is Mining Week, a time to reflect on what the industry means to Yellowknife and the Northwest Territories.

But while we talk about the billions of dollars needed to build the mines, the billions in profit the companies will gain and about the billions governments will earn from royalties and taxes, the real benefits must flow to the people who live here.

The government knew that when it extracted guarantees from companies that they will provide rough diamonds to Northern cutting and polishing jobs and hire Northerners.

Some may question whether or not enough Northerners are getting jobs, but just getting a transnational corporation to agree to such an arrangement is a good start.

Government must continue to work with these mining giants to maximize the jobs open to and filled by Northerners. That means monitoring the quotas and continued training and education at the mines and in our schools.

While the diamonds and precious metals that we pull from the ground help fill our Northern treasure chest, it's jobs and marketable skills for Northerners that will be the real lasting benefit.

Editorial Comment
Darrell Greer
Kivalliq News

We don't doubt Rankin Inlet RCMP Const. Mario Vachon's sincerity in addressing hamlet bylaws concerning all-terrain vehicles. And, although we do have reservations, we're not overly concerned with the handing out of a few warnings at the beginning of the spring.

However, we do have a major bone of contention with his assertion that warnings have proven an effective way of dealing with the problem. The ATV scenario certainly isn't indigenous to Rankin Inlet. Riders speeding around hamlets with no helmet on is a common sight across Nunavut. Let's be honest about this -- common sights are three to six people piled on one ATV, young kids at the controls who still have trouble holding their bicycle upright when it's stopped, and people carrying objects that protrude out a good two feet from either side (or both) of the machine.

And, when in comes to a number of riders, hamlet stop signs would be more accurate if they were billboard sized and read: Could you please slow down to at least the hamlet speed limit as you go through the intersection?

Early warnings to riders in the spring are fine, but they should only be issued once with regards to helmets and registration. When it comes to insurance, riding through the hamlet once with no insurance is one time too many.

Ask anyone who has had property damaged or a family member injured by an uninsured driver what they think about warnings over driving with no insurance.

An innocent victim paying the price for an irresponsible driver's actions is unacceptable, regardless of the time of year the accident occurred.

The bottom line in this matter is that it's not like bylaws and the Motor Vehicle Act just came into being during the past few years. You would need a compelling argument to convince us that, youngsters aside, anyone who rides an ATV is not fully aware of the laws governing its use. As such, any spring "grace period" should be an extremely limited one.

While letting someone off with a warning over operating a vehicle in an illegal manner may be great public relations for the police with some community members -- it does very little to convince riders to abide by the rules and regulations concerning their ATVs.

Likewise, RCMP detachments and bylaw officers have to be consistent in enforcing the bylaws and rules of the road in each hamlet.

A violation in October is a violation in July and vice versa. Until people realize they will be charged consistently for not abiding by the rules, they will continue to race around our communities without helmets or insurance.

And that's one warning you can take to the bank.

Editorial Comment
Terry Halifax
Inuvik Drum

The Inuvik Native Band has once again voiced their opposition over the one-third ownership of a proposed Mackenzie Valley pipeline.

It comes as little surprise. The band has been steadily courted by the ArcticGas people who offers 100 per cent ownership, while the Mackenzie Valley Group just blew into town last week.

Chief Firth and his people are feeling last in line again, and well they should.

Nellie Cournoyea, chair of the APG, has an office two blocks away from the Gwich'in band and has yet to take the time to walk over for a visit.

Despite numerous requests from the band, neither Nellie, Wilf Blonde or anyone from the producer's group have made any attempt to meet with the Inuvik Native Band to explain their project.

The Inuvialuit and Gwich'in have lived together here since time immemorial and it seems inconceivable to outsiders looking in that the two groups could not get together on an issue so important to them both.

As with many of the signatories to the original memorandum of understanding, the Inuvik band has been kept out of the loop on a project that will likely secure a legacy for their people. They react accordingly.

Perhaps this week's petroleum show will inspire someone to extend an olive branch to the other and show the world that 25 years after Berger, the original people here are ready to do business with the world and with each other.

Dogs on the run

The recent dog attack here rekindles a debate that's been heard all over the North for years about dogs and their owners, but this time the issue is breed-specific.

Debbie Gully wants council to make specific amendments to the dog bylaw that would place special restrictions on so-called "vicious dogs" like pit bulls and Rottweilers.

I think she is spot-on in this assessment. I don't need to be attacked by one to know that these dogs are dangerous and if owners aren't legislated into responsibility, they likely won't take any action.

We people are inherently lazy dogs and we don't tend to roll over unless there's a reward in it for us.

Leaving the responsibility up to pet owners has not been effective here.

Take a five-minute drive and I'll bet you see five loose dogs.

Our bylaw officer picks up roaming dogs every day in this town and most of them are killed because no one wants to pay the impound fee.

Dogs are no longer the work animals they once were in the North and they've adapted quickly to the domestic life, but their owners have been slow to adapt to the responsibility.

As more of these dangerous breeds come North, you can factor in natural selection, add some lazy owners and it won't be long until we see pit bulls, Dobermans and Rottweilers running in packs here.

Making owners pay more for a dangerous dog licence or imposing more restrictions might keep owners in line or, even better, keep these vicious beasts down south where they belong.

Editorial Comment
Derek Neary
Deh Cho Drum

If he can't be persuaded not to quit, having Michael Nadli step down as grand chief would be a major loss for the Deh Cho First Nations.

There can be no denying that Nadli has been thoroughly committed to advancing self-government negotiations during his five years in office. While it could be argued that things could have been done more expediently, the grand chief has seemed to genuinely have the best interest of the region at heart, refusing to settle for second-rate terms.

Having chosen to make his family his number one priority, for which he should not be faulted, Nadli decided to move to Fort Providence earlier this year. Consequently, his dedication to the Deh Cho First Nations has been called into question. The organization essentially requires the grand chief to reside in Fort Simpson, where the office exists and the bulk of the work is completed.

Even while Nadli lived in Fort Simpson, the strain of his job was periodically evident in his face. For years he has called for a deputy grand chief. His pleas went unheeded. A deputy grand chief position is again on the agenda for next week's Deh Cho Assembly. It should be examined thoroughly, as the next grand chief could also face burnout.

Don't get rolled

A recent picture of a vehicle wreckage in this newspaper is not pretty.

It's not the only rollover to have occurred recently. In fact it's startling to learn just how many Northern residents have lived to tell about their own near-death experiences on Deh Cho "highways." Not proudly, I became a member of the not-so-exclusive club in October, 1999 on the Liard Trail.

The posted speed limits -- 80 km/h and 90 km/h in most areas -- can be surpassed with the illusion of control. Then hazardous washboard stretches of pitted road can appear out of nowhere, causing the vehicle's rear end to "fishtail," or swing wildly, sometimes practically turning the car or truck sideways. Speed kills -- that is true on the Autobahn, on the 401 and on Deh Cho highways.

No matter how skilled a driver may be, there could be wildlife ready to dart onto the road at any given time. The bushes alongside the highway narrow in places, prohibiting a driver from reacting to a bear or, heaven forbid, a moose that could step into the vehicle's path. It's easier, obviously, to brake in time while driving at 90 km/h than it is at 130 km/h, or at least less damage would be incurred at the lower rate of speed.

Local roads are frequently in atrocious condition, especially after a rainfall. This isn't to fault the department of transportation's crews. They can't work miracles.

The road surfaces can be groomed to some degree, but, as the old adage goes, you can't make a silk purse out of a sow's ear.

The reality of the matter is that a region of approximately 3,000 people isn't going to justify a multi-million dollar paving program.

Maybe when a Mackenzie Valley pipeline is constructed there will be some real road improvements. Maybe.

Until that day all we can do is slow down. Racing to make the next ferry could put you on a crossing into the great hereafter.