Back in April, 2002, SARS was unknown, mad cow disease didn't happen here and Iraq was still under Saddam Hussein's control...

We had weathered the worst of the 9/11 storm. Tourism traffic was starting to pick up.

Since then, however, tourism fears have resurfaced. Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) has killed dozens and made people think twice about travelling.

Back then, a $9.2 million convention centre eyed by the city, territorial government and tourism groups sounded like a great idea.

The 33,510-square-foot facility could attract 43,800 people to Yellowknife annually. Yellowknifer jumped on the bandwagon, too.

We still like the idea, but it must be tempered with a dose of today's reality.

Explorer Hotel general manager Harry Symington understands all too well the havoc international crises have wreaked on tourism. He's seen occupancy rates drop to 50- to 60-per cent of capacity.

He has offered his convention facility -- now used 10 per cent of the time -- to the city for $1 a year, plus the $350,000 annual operating cost.

Symington says Yellowknife is not ready to jump into the convention business with both feet.

He's right, but that doesn't mean we shouldn't get our toes wet.

The city paid $1.5 million to help build the double gymnasium at Weledeh/St. Pat's so it could be used for conventions and similar functions. That's where the Elks/Royal Purple national convention was held.

The Capitol Theatre hosts Prospects North events.

Then there's the Yellowknife Inn, Chateau Nova and Super 8 hotels.

Yellowknife River Resorts' plans to build a $25 million hotel/convention centre on Twin Pine Hill must also be factored into the equation.

We have to fully use those facilities first.

That means getting a convention committee together to aggressively market what Yellowknife has to offer.

Perhaps the airlines could be part of the solution, too, working out lower-cost charters to fly convention-goers into Yellowknife.

Better efforts must be made to attract Canadians and Americans to the NWT as regular tourists, too.

From there, a case can be built to spend the millions needed to build a stand-alone convention hall.

It won't be easy, because we're up against places like Vancouver, Edmonton, Toronto, and Calgary that offer top-notch facilities and easy access.

We offer the adventure of the North.

There seems to be a bit of concern among some Kivalliq residents as to the right of elected officials to conduct private business with the Nunavut government.

Arviat MLA Kevin O'Brien, in particular, has become the target of a letter writing campaign raising questions as to his right to lease property (housing units) to the Nunavut government.

The Integrity Act provides for any MLA to request clearance from the integrity commissioner for any contract they are entering into with the territorial government.

Each transaction is scrutinized on its own merits to ensure its approval is in the public's best interest.

Once approved, a letter of permission is issued to the member.

MLAs must also fill out an annual statement of disclosure.

They must disclose the source, nature and owner(s) of assets worth $10,000 or more, any income received over $5,000 during the past year, any contract entered into with the Nunavut government and its resulting benefits, and any activity authorized by the integrity commission.

That includes the name of any party with a 10 per cent or greater interest in the business activity authorized.

Conversely, the nature and source of any liability over $10,000 must also be disclosed.

The system provides transparency for the public's right to know what person, partner or corporation is doing business with the government. That being said, the process is a two-way street.

An MLA has every right to enter into the same type of business arrangement anyone else in the territory can.

That's the way it should be. An MLA shouldn't be prevented from conducting business simply because they were elected by the public.

As long as the elected official has permission, provides full disclosure and does not use their position to influence a business decision or benefit from inside knowledge the general public is not privy to, it's business as usual for them.

As it is, the Nunavut government has a limited number of people or organizations to deal with that can provide the goods or services it requires to run effectively.

To further inhibit the government's access to those goods and services by prohibiting an elected official from doing business with it would be foolhardy.

It's really a matter of checks and balances. As long as elected officials play by the same rules as everyone else, their successful business transactions with the Nunavut government could, ultimately, benefit us all.

Editorial Comment
Terry Halifax
Inuvik Drum

There was a mood of respect that hung in Ingamo Hall last Thursday night for the meeting of the Gwich'in candidates, that's quite rare to find in the midst of an election campaign.

While three of the four candidates for chief didn't feel the meeting warranted their attention, the candidates who did show made their presentations with positive, promissory points.

There wasn't the finger-pointing and mud-slinging present at most forums, but calm and respectful submissions from all who spoke.

With the election only a week away, I expected to see more campaigning than there has been, but I suppose some of the candidates are feeling pretty secure about getting elected.

Judging from the turnout at last week's meeting, it seems like there are some voters ready for change in the local government and it's going to be interesting to see how it all turns out.

Regardless, it would be nice to see that mood of respect for others in and out of government carried over into the next Gwich'in government.

Can-do committee

It seems like this new recycling legislation is a go and I know I'm not alone in asking, "What took you so long?"

Ray Massey made some great points to the committee here on Tuesday and I really hope the government listens to the voice of his experience.

Refund laws were talked about here 10 years ago and then just forgotten because of the high costs associated with transporting the recyclables back South.

I have never understood that argument since most barges and trucks going South travel back empty.

It seems to me, transport legislation could go a long way by charging a toll on trucks returning South empty or providing a toll credit to truckers hauling back recyclables.

We all stand to benefit from this legislation and we all should get behind it.

Streets will be cleaner because of it, but that's only the beginning.

People will start to think about throwing things on the ground, regardless of whether or not there is value attached to a container, candy wrapper or chip bag.

Recycling makes people aware of what they are throwing away and will eventually lead to reduction and reuse, but it has to start with an incentive.

When a dozen beer cans all of a sudden represents $1.20, people aren't going to throw that away, but if they do, someone will be sure to pick it up.

Editorial Comment
Derek Neary
Deh Cho Drum

Four Deh Cho fire crews came home from British Columbia last week. A few days later three more crews boarded a plane to get into the thick of things.

None of them were stationed in Kelowna, which has been getting the majority of media coverage. Rightly so, it was from that city that 30,000 people had to be evacuated. It was there that million-dollar homes burned to the ground (although the dollar value of the structure isn't so much the issue; a family that lost a $150,000 house is equally devastated, left without the place they know as home).

But the work the Deh Cho crews were doing was no less important to the people of Creston, a town not much bigger than Hay River.

Although fires are combatted in a calculated manner, there is obviously an inherent risk in fighting them. Many studies have been carried out to make fire behaviour better understood, but the fires in southern B.C. have even baffled some of the experts.

Add to that the outbreak of so many fires across the southern portion of the province and an influx of firefighters from around the country, and you have chaos, especially in the early days. These are some of the elements Deh Cho crews were facing as they stepped off the plane.

Despite some harrowing situations, looking back on the ordeal, crew boss Jimmy Deneron described it as good experience for everyone.

The camaraderie amongst firefighters is something that is hard to convey. Similar to a combat unit, they find themselves working shoulder to shoulder in terribly adverse conditions over 12-13 hour shifts. It results in the formation of a strong bond. It's good to know that people from the nearby community of Creston were appreciative of the firefighters' efforts. To approach them and thank the firefighters in the streets and in stores is quite a compliment.

Little did they know that the Fort Simpson crews had only rested for a day before coming to their rescue. They were in Norman Wells for 11 days battling a blaze that threatened that community prior to taking off for B.C.

The Deh Cho hasn't suffered from a severe fire season since the mid-1990s. Due to the lack of local action, Deh Cho fire crews have been available to work elsewhere over the past several years. They've travelled to Alberta, Saskatchewan, B.C., Ontario and ever the northwestern U.S. to confront raging infernos.

The word that seems to come back with them is that they do an outstanding job, hence they are called upon over and over again.

As fires tend to occur in cycles, our region will likely experience a tinder dry summer with numerous blazes in the next few years. Then we will need every member of the fire crews here at home. And maybe then their southern brethren will be summoned to return a favour.

In Friday's Yellowknifer, both Donna Zaozirny and Dr. Kami Kandola were incorrectly identified. Yellowknifer apologizes for any embarrassment or inconvenience caused by these errors.