Editorial page

Wednesday, February 12, 2003
The capacity question

The city's three Catholic schools are near capacity. That much we believe. The Catholic board says the city needs another school and will spend $16,500 to prove its case. We are not sure if we should be buying that fact.

In the 2001-2002 school year, student enrolment in all Yellowknife schools was about 3,700. For them, there are 10 public and Catholic schools, three boards, and two private schools.

The question that must be asked now is how much taxpayers are willing to pay for this degree of choice.

Perhaps it's time the Department of Education examined the cost of separate boards, and how to make the most use of the city's existing schools.

In 2001, for example, William MacDonald school was at 60 per cent capacity, according to Department of Education budget analyst Chuck Tolley.

Filling that space would seem a more fiscally responsible move than to build another school.

What would happen if we had one school board and schools that housed kindergarten to Grade 8 and one high school? Perhaps we could save money on administration, accommodate present enrolment and still have room to grow.

Then there's the question of where enrolment is going. In 2001, student enrolment in the NWT dropped by 122 students. Education Minister Jake Ootes had to come up with $1.3 million in additional funding to help school boards cover their costs. A large amount of that funding was for Yellowknife schools.

Building a new Catholic school could hobble the public system. With more modern facilities, parents may choose to send their children to Catholic schools. That could leave the public board with little choice but to close schools, lay off staff and reduce programming.

The real question now is do we build more when public schools have empty desks?

Are the millions it costs to build a new school paying for choice or necessity?

These are questions that need answers before deciding to build a new school.


Sour grapes over missing visit?

Editorial Comment
Darrell Greer
Kivalliq News


I have to admit feeling a little queasy when Hockey Nunavut president Tom Thompson asked me if I'd be interested in going to Iqaluit this weekend to take some of the strain off of the local refs.

This weekend, of course, being the broadcast of Hockey Day in Canada, originating from Iqaluit.

As such, the Iqaluit refs are going to put in a hard day's work officiating the exhibition games planned for this Saturday.

To be perfectly honest, I don't give a hoot about all the limelight that will be flooding the Iqaluit arena Saturday.

That being said, I am among the millions of hockey fans who hold Don Cherry and Ron MacLean in high esteem.

I would have liked the opportunity to meet the two and perhaps had the chance to talk a little "shop."

Regular viewers of Hockey Night in Canada and its famous intermission feature, Coach's Corner, realize MacLean is an accomplished referee in his own right.

Alas, by the time I was asked, I had already committed to officiating this weekend right here in Rankin for the Avataq Cup.

And although on some level I know I will regret missing the opportunity to meet Grapes and MacLean, I also know how much I will enjoy this weekend's action at home.

For all the glitz and glamour this Saturday in Iqaluit will hold, when it comes to the hockey, the games being played there are exactly as they're billed -- exhibition.

The real hockey action will take place right here in Rankin during one of the most highly skilled and hotly contested tournaments our region has to offer.

I am hoping some worthwhile topics will be discussed in Iqaluit and it doesn't turn out to be a day of illusion as to the state of hockey in Nunavut and how far it has to go.

My faithful VCR will record those conversations for me to view at my leisure after the Avataq Cup.

And who's to say I won't get another opportunity somewhere down the line to grab a few pearls of wisdom from the dynamic duo?

Yes, I will enjoy my weekend at the Avataq Cup.

After playing the game for 33 years, officiating is now what I do.

If I ever do get the chance to tell Grapes why I had to pass on an opportunity to meet him, I'd like to think he'd understand.

To me, Cherry's a guy who always puts the game first.

No knock on Iqaluit, but, given the chance, I'd also suggest to Mr. Cherry that if he ever wants a taste of true Nunavut hockey, he should drop by Rankin some day for the Avataq Cup or Whale Cove for the Johnny Kook Memorial.

This visit he'll spend some time in Nunavut's den. Hopefully next time he'll drop by the Kivalliq to find out what the heat's like in the kitchen.


Lighting up

Editorial Comment
Tara Kearsey
Inuvik Drum


New Year's resolutions are more than a month old if they aren't already a distant memory.

Non-Smoking Awareness Week is history. The Quit and Win contest has come and gone.

Yet some people in the Deh Cho continue to fight the battle against cigarettes. For that reason, the Drum will be profiling smokers and ex-smokers over the next few weeks. You'll read about those who have kicked the habit, those who are struggling and those who have all but given up.

Maybe their stories will offer some insight and inspiration.

Margaret Thom makes an excellent point: when it comes to formal support groups in small Northern communities, they are practically non-existent. Yet that doesn't mean there's no help to be found. There are always plenty of people who have shared the same experience. Sometimes just knowing that you're not alone in your struggles is enough to give one that needed boost. A listening ear can also make a world of difference.

Smokers are fewer today than in the past. There's a move afoot to ban smoking in public establishments. Secondhand smoke is a major issue. An Ontario waitress who had worked in a smoking establishments for close to 40 years was awarded worker's compensation in a court case in October. The waitress has lung cancer and her doctor blamed it directly on secondhand smoke. If that's the direction the courts continue to take, it's little wonder that smokers would be banished when they want to light up.

The territorial government has its own proposed legislation to prohibit smoking in public buildings and work places. Fort Simpson village council had also been wrestling with a bylaw to forbid smoking in all municipal buildings. That debate ended on Monday evening when the bylaw was scrapped on third reading.

The issue isn't going away, however. While there are more people choosing not to smoke, there are those who still light up. Their rights and the rights of others will invariably continue to clash.

Mystery man

The story of Tiele Stowhase certainly is an unusual one. It's rare when a complete stranger can touch the lives of others in such a profound way. It will be most interesting to see what the Department of Immigration uncovers in its investigation of his background.


Sheer irresponsibility

Editorial Comment
Derek Neary
Deh Cho Drum


What would possess one man to risk his own well-being for the sake of a dog, while other dog owners shirk their responsibilities all together?

The answer to the former question is love and loyalty. It's something that some dog owners feel strongly, and something that dogs return many times over.

The explanation for the latter remains frustratingly elusive. Clearly, some people aren't meant to own dogs, but there's precious little to stop them from having one or more. It seems a shame that a wolf would attack a restrained dog -- one that is cared for and wanted -- as happened in Fort Liard earlier this month. In all likelihood, the odd stray dog is also nabbed and devoured by wolves, it's just that nobody notices, nobody cares.

Most dogs aren't slain by wolves, however, they are killed by the bylaw officer. It's only out of necessity that this situation exists.

Part of the problem is that uncaring dog owners seldom realize the consequences of their irresponsibility. They cast the dog out -- whether it's -35 C or in the summer -- and don't care if they ever see it again.

While they sit at home, drive away to visit relatives or go out to dinner, the last thing on their mind is the fate of the abandoned, innocent pet. After all, puppies are plentiful and another one can be obtained easily when the impulse arises.

It would be impossible to legislate, but one antidote for neglectful pet owners would be to compel them to accompany the bylaw officer to the dump, the execution chamber.

After that bullet pierces their dog's flesh and the animal draws its final breath, those irresponsible owners should have to stand over the carcass and reflect on the needless death. It's a cruel reality they have created.

Shaking and shivering

Just to add another thought to this week's Street Beat, "What's a sign that it's really cold outside," there are some not-so-subtle indicators from one's vehicle.

For starters, when the door of a 2000 model truck creaks like a 1962 model upon being opened, it's cold. Then, while driving down the highway for more than an hour, the cold wind whistles in through the still-frozen mouldings around the door.

Finally, although the heat in the cabin is set at maximum for hours, the truck still strains to pump enough warm air to match the cold that's flowing inside. That's the type of week it was.