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The fate of Old Town's "House of Horrors" is already a forgone conclusion. Years of disuse have relegated the infamous poker den to a slow, lingering demise.
When the old Burn's Meats plant -- already designated for demolition -- caught fire last week it was decided it would be better to let it burn to the ground.
There are currently eight buildings in town designated as heritage sites, including the log school at Mildred Hall, the Wildcat Cafe and TD Bank on Latham Island. Most of these buildings are privately owned, and it's up to the owner to maintain them.
There are many other sites Yellowknife's Heritage Committee would like to see added to the list. Without sufficient financial support from City Hall and willing property owners there is little they can do to preserve these buildings, other than gather historical information and compile walking trail guides.
There are few incentives for property owners to renovate buildings deemed of historical significance -- 50 years in age or older. The best they can hope for from the city is that the property assessor won't increase their taxes.
Why would someone spend $30,000 to restore a decrepit building and receive no financial help -- other than a promise from the city that it won't jack up their property tax assessment upon completion -- when they can tear it down and start anew?
According to the city, no one has applied for the heritage property tax incentive for years.
Other cities like Nanaimo, B.C. however, take their heritage programs one step further. Nanaimo will forgive property taxes for 10 years if the owner of an historical site agrees to upgrade and maintain it.
Of course, the most certain way to preserve these sites is to ensure that they are still in use. Boarding and shuttering them up will only seal their fate.
Ultimately, it's going to be up us if we want to salvage our history but it's going to cost some money. How much city council is willing to spend on restoration programs and tax incentives will likely depend on how much interest they receive from the public.
From what we can tell the interest is there. The stories that enter our newsroom still seem to indicate that somewhere among these old buildings the heart of the city beats on.
Editorial Comment
Chris Puglia
Kivalliq News
Any Grade 6 social studies student can draw a map of Canada, or at least trace one.
Unfortunately, the same can't be said about the Canadian Tourism Commission (CTC) whose latest tourism magazine is riddled with errors.
Errors include missing cities, places spelled incorrectly and even missing provinces.
With out even looking at the map in the magazine entitled PureCanada, one can already guess what region has been slapped with one of the mistakes.
You guessed it, Nunavut.
Once again Northern Canada is the victim of ignorance and researchers who don't have the time and patience to ensure something is done right.
On the map Nunavut, is spelled Nunavit. It might not be as bad as leaving P.E.I. off the map altogether, but it is insulting nonetheless.
The magazine also lumps the three territories of the Yukon, NWT and Nunavut together.
The lack of information on Nunavut is also indicative the commission has not bothered or cared to update their information.
Canadians are always complaining that other countries don't have an accurate understanding of what Canada is.
Northerners find it insulting that even citizens of their own country pay them little heed.
Magazines such as the one put out by the CTC should endeavour to not only attract people to our great nation, but to educate them on what Canada has to offer.
If they are not going to take that responsibility seriously enough to put out a product that at least appears to have made that attempt then they should hand it off to someone who will.
All Canadians should be offended by the ignorance this magazine spreads, whether it is intentional or not.
Being part of the media industry I know mistakes occur, but their is a difference between a spelling error and what is evidently a failure to apply due diligence to a project.
In fact, the magazine is such a joke that even the tile is ironic. It's pure something, but that something isn't Canada.
Editorial Comment
Terry Halifax
Inuvik Drum
While the numbers may be down at the door and in the tills at this year's arts festival, organizers can feel good, knowing that they've accomplished the greatest thing about the Great Northern Arts Festival.
Bringing together artists and their work to form those long-lasting relationships is easily the biggest benefit to all who participate in the show.
Selling their work is a bonus, but what the crafts people take home is worth much more.
The workshops offered by other artists strictly for artists give individuals a broader perspective of art that they would otherwise go without.
Watching others work, sharing their skills and learning their techniques in the craft and the marketing of same, will benefit the artists far and away beyond the 10-day festival.
Artists in the North are often cloistered away in remote villages and chances to interact with peers are too often limited to chance encounters or shows like this one.
While the art sales may be down a bit this year, the artists who came here will go home with a greater appreciation of their craft and a greater understanding of the business of art.
Organizers, staff and volunteers can take heart in knowing that what they set out to do has been accomplished, even if outside influence has waned a bit.
A good choice
The landslide win by Fred Carmichael in the GTC election shows the membership they've made a good choice in their leadership.
The vote of confidence is no doubt reassuring to Carmichael and his team, but it will also instilI a new sense of confidence for the Gwich'in people.
All too often, lines are drawn in the sand (or snow) over politics and direction becomes skewed or clouded by personal feelings.
Unencumbered by political dissension, the council and the board and their president will be able to concentrate on building a stronger future for the Gwich'in people, rather than slinging mud back and forth throughout the term.
Pictures of hope
It was a real pleasure meeting photographer Vladimir Sertun last week.
It's not often I get to meet ambassadors so removed from the politics of nations that they truly care about people, despite the borders that separate them.
Through an act as simple as sharing photos, Vladimir has brought us closer to the people across the top of the world and I wish him every success in building his photo bridge.
I'd had one of my photos reprinted from a school concert here at SAMs and passed it along to him to share with his friends back home and I'd urge others to do the same.
It's heartening to realize that we don't need politicians to build relations among people but it also makes a lot of sense -- it was politicians who built the walls between us, I suppose it's up to us to tear them down.
Editorial Comment
Derek Neary
Deh Cho Drum
It was interesting to glean some insight from Grand Chief Herb Norwegian and chief negotiator Chris Reid on the pending transfer of territorial government jobs to a Deh Cho regional government.
First of all, it should be emphasized that the transfer process is still a long ways off. There more questions than answers at this point, but it's a topic that many current civil servants have begun to ponder.
The idea that some non-aboriginal government employees who don't qualify as Deh Cho citizens -- however that's ultimately defined -- may lose their jobs is unsettling. The negotiations on this issue are bound to be bumpy.
Although there may be an elimination of some government jobs through a streamlining process, surely chiefs and Metis presidents in the Deh Cho are going to be demanding more positions in their respective communities. In the end, the overall number of jobs could balance out, if not increase.
The objective of employing a greater percentage of Deh Cho Dene and Metis in government positions is understandable. Regardless, there will still be an incredible need for non-aboriginal employees through government and industry. There simply aren't enough employable Deh Cho born-and-raised residents to fill all the positions.
There's lots more to be said on this issue, but it's another example of how self-government is going to affect the lives of everyone in this region.
Uneasy allies Jim Antoine for premier?
There are factions within the Deh Cho First Nations that would like to see Antoine back on top, even though he says he's retiring from politics. As premier, Antoine would be in a strong position to recognize the Deh Cho Process and support it. If he sided with the DCFN on critical self-government negotiations issues -- the pipeline comes to mind -- it would add weight to the region's position.
That leaves a few major suppositions. First of all, can Antoine be convinced to run again? Would he be elected again? Could he manoeuvre his way into the premier's seat? He would be one of the favourites but not a sure thing.
Finally -- and this may be the most uncertain element -- how far would Antoine be willing to stick his neck out for the Deh Cho First Nations?
The split in ideology between Antoine and the DCFN has been well documented over the years. If Antoine, as the next premier, were to play chess with the federal government in hopes of advancing the Deh Cho's cause, he could be facing political suicide. The rest of the regions along the pipeline route would be calling for his head. Outside of Antoine, the next Nahendeh MLA would have only a slim chance of becoming a cabinet minister and virtually no shot at being premier. That may be the reality the Deh Cho First Nations have to cope with in four months.