It appears a solid dose of common sense may yet take hold at City Hall when it comes to local citizens salvaging at the legendary Yellowknife dump.

Mayor Gord Van Tighem has indeed come out from his banker's desk and taken some leadership on the issue, as we called for from this page in June.

While some changes at the dump are in the wind, such as perhaps prohibiting salvaging when heavy equipment is operating or having dump scavengers sign liability waivers, Van Tighem said at a priorities, policy and budget committee meeting July 28 that he does stand in support of the general principle of citizen-salvaging at the dump.

Councillors Wendy Bisaro and Alan Woytuik are also both on-side. "I think to stop salvaging out there doesn't make any sense at all," said Woytuik, while Bisaro opined, "No, we're not looking at stopping salvaging anytime in the near future."

Why the fuss? Oldtimers know the answer, but for anyone new to the North -- and there are always plenty of folks like that in Yellowknife -- they should know the capital city's dump is truly famous for the quality of its treasures ripe for the picking.

At $3 per pound to haul that four-year-old 35-inch Panasonic TV or five-year-old Maytag washer back down South -- and leaving too soon to wait to see how a classified ad works -- departing residents do what thousands of their predecessors have done; they haul it off to the dump. That's why you'll see friends, neighbours -- even GNWT cabinet ministers -- eyeing your recently dropped-off possessions. It's called recycling and reusing in the very best sense of the words.

In addition to reams of national press coverage over the years, the dump has spawned its own community access cable television show, Dump Talk, produced by Western Arctic Moving Pictures (WAMP), as well as our very own Yellowknifer gumboots columnist Walt Humphries' Tales from the Dump.

Part of the problem here is that council, until the recent committee meeting, had failed to lead and had once again been led by the nose by its bureaucrats, who do what bureaucrats do best: regulate, regulate, regulate. When in doubt, they move every time to ban, proscribe and prohibit.

The same kerfuffle happened over regulating -- to the point of extinction -- under a 1990 bylaw hot dog vendors on downtown streets. Fortunately, common sense also seems to be prevailing on that issue with council, if not its bureaucrats.

With any luck next summer, we'll be able to enjoy a hot dog downtown before making a run out to the dump for an afternoon of scavenging.

There is one thing that will, without fail, undermine the integrity of a community, no matter how friendly or seemingly safe.

The disease that attacks the very core of our social fabric is crime.

It doesn't have to be violent, or even brutally destructive to leave a lasting mark. Its very presence corrodes the morale and health of a community.

In the last few weeks Rankin Inlet has been attacked night after night by a band of petty thieves.

Business after business have fallen prey to these hooligans who have no respect for the law and the people that they undoubtedly, during the day, call neighbours.

Even this office has not been spared these senseless acts.

At times, the thieves make off with cash, alcohol or other valuables. Other times they take nothing, leaving broken doors, cabinets and locks in their wake.

RCMP say that in the last couple of weeks there has been more break and enter crime in Rankin than there has been all year.

Stores have been forced to upgrade security, change locks and install cameras to defend themselves.

Sometimes even these new measures have failed.

Physically, as of yet, no one has been injured by these crimes.

But, the scars these criminals leave behind are far worse than any bruises.

They violate our sense of security, create fear and mistrust.

Already the police have captured six of the alleged culprits, but a few still remain.

These cowards, whether they be adults or youths, have no respect for the people of this friendly and trusting community.

The RCMP are doing everything they can to investigate these crimes, but they need the help of the community.

They need your eyes and your ears to ensure these criminals are brought to justice and answer for their crimes.

If you notice anything suspicious or hear of anyone that could be responsible, let the RCMP know.

Don't allow these people to attack the hamlet with their ignorant assaults on good, hard-working people that don't deserve to be burglarized.

Editorial Comment
Terry Halifax
Inuvik Drum

I enjoyed meeting some of the spunky residents of Norman Wells who were unceremoniously yanked from their homes last Thursday.

When I first met them at the airport on Thursday, the mood was anything but what I expected. Kids were running about and carrying on like they were on their way to Disneyland and parents shrugged the whole thing off like a shopping trip.

I never expected that attitude from them Thursday and I certainly didn't expect to see more of the same when I visited them Tuesday.

While many looked like they'd been rode a bit hard, their spirits were high and they really didn't see what all the fuss was about.

They were grateful for all the help they'd been given from the town and the emergency services here, but they were otherwise unfazed by most of what transpired over the past week.

I guess that speaks volumes to the spirit of Northerners and it's part of what makes this such an interesting place to live.

I've always contended that Northerners are more than a little bit tougher than the rest, but it sure feels good to see that toughness exhibited from time to time.

We can hunker down and wait out a blizzard, hunt and fish in clouds of flies and do it all without excessive moaning and groaning.

If you'd taken 70 people out of suburban Toronto and planted them at the FOL, you wouldn't even hear the jets take off for all the whining that was coming from the barracks.

The folks from the Wells won't require a royal visit from the Rolling Stones to restore their spirit; it's just another day in the North to them.

Good luck and God speed.

Ramble on

Not an hour ago I read of the passing of Bill Laferte, the Metis Rambler.

I spent a few months in the Deh Cho filling in for Derek "The King" Neary at the Deh Cho Drum and got to know Bill quite well.

It was usually about this time of day when Bill would drop by the newspaper office with that week's column and I'd put the coffee on -- despite the looming deadline.

We'd sit and smoke on the porch and discuss that week's column, history, bloodlines, the news of the day or his most recent trip to Batoche.

While our talks often pushed me past my deadline and I sometimes wished him gone, in looking back, the hours we spent were precious few.

I'd occasionally run into Bill in Yellowknife or Hay River and always drop what I was doing to go for coffee and catch up on his latest.

He was a good man who spoke his mind and was always quick to smile and share a laugh and had a charm you just couldn't turn away from.

I might have missed a few deadlines, but I'll always treasure those truant hours spent shooting the breeze with the Rambler.

Editorial Comment
Derek Neary
Deh Cho Drum

Why do bad things happen to good people?

It's a question that comes to mind with the recent loss of Bill Laferte to cancer. Bill put up a fierce fight against the devastating disease, which attacked his liver, one of his lungs and his brain.

He was the stoical type. He rarely complained about his condition. If caught on a bad day, he might admit that he wasn't feeling all that well but his ailment never consumed him, not his mind anyway. When he had the opportunity to be social, it was as if his ailing body were a mere afterthought. He loved to hold conversations. As one of his relatives pointed out, it could take him a half hour or longer to walk a single block because he'd stop and chat with so many people.

He was fiercely proud of his Metis and French ancestry. It is why he changed the spelling of his surname to Laferte, as opposed to the more common Lafferty. It comes from the French, derived from "the strong."

Bill wrote often of Metis and Northern history in his Metis Rambler column. Some people said he was mistaken or exaggerated at times, and made denigrating references to the Dene. Be that as it may, I remember Bill telling me more than once that, in essence, we're all human beings. We all share the need for food, water, air and the need to love and be loved.

He also told me that when he served in the military, he was a Canadian soldier first, a Metis second. When you are in a war zone, the enemy doesn't stop to ask whether you're white, Indian or Metis. They just shoot, he said.

I'll remember Bill Laferte as a kind and knowledgeable man. He taught me a great deal.

In his own words, as he closed every newspaper column, "May God bless you and keep you from harm."

Living for today

Al Harris hasn't been afflicted with a life-threatening ailment, but a life-altering one, to be sure.

His seizures have prevented him from driving, a privilege so many of us take for granted.

Did he deserve to be robbed of such an everyday convenience? No. Is he bitter about it? No.

That speaks volumes about his character. Harris is one of the most affable and sensible people you're likely to meet.

It would be understandable if he had a chip on his shoulder. If put in his shoes, some people may rail on about the Draconian law preventing them from driving for one year after a seizure.

But Harris possesses a much more enlightened outlook. He's grateful to be alive. He celebrates today because, driver's licence or not, there may not be a tomorrow.