Drugs, in particular cocaine and its derivative crack, continue to ruin the lives of many Northerners and have for years now.

With personal wealth set to grow by way of increased mining and petroleum activity -- and given the fact a gram of crack in the NWT fetches a $40-$50 premium over what it's worth on the streets of Edmonton -- you can bet dealers aren't about to stop voluntarily.

It's time for the powers that be to get serious about this problem and fight back against the criminals delivering this plague.

It would be one thing if this nefarious network operated in the shadows, transporting their poisons stealthily.

But the police know how and where the drugs are coming in -- it's no mystery. There are only three highways leading into the territories.

As well, Northerners who live on the right side of this law aren't in the dark as to where narcotics are sold. Say what you will about small-town life, but it's hard to conceal a drug house when everyone knows everyone else's business.

If we are to fight back, several things must happen first.

It's disgraceful that our RCMP officers don't have a drug dog at their disposal on a full-time basis. This hole in enforcement must be plugged.

Armed with such a cagey canine, officers could then ambush their prey at natural choke points like any good hunter out on the land. Be it at airports, along highways or in post offices, there aren't a lot of options for criminals moving drugs into the territories -- their paths are well-worn and tracks are always visible.

The next key is for regular folk to speak up.

It's sad that in Hay River, for example, only five calls have been registered with Crimestoppers over the past 10 months related to illegal drug trafficking.

That's not to single out Hub residents any more than other Northerners, we all have a part to play in this battle for our right to a safe environment in which to raise our children.

If you know something, whether it's a name or an address, pick up the phone and take a stand. You can do so anonymously and, hey, you might even earn a cash reward.

The final piece of this puzzle has to be fitted into place by the courts. When dealers choose to operate in the North, the courts must make it clear they do so at their own peril. Meting out tough penalties and lengthy sentences would encourage these proverbial snakes to flee our garden once and for all.

It's a fight that doesn't need to be futile providing we give police and prosecutors the tools they need to win it on our behalf.

Nunavut may offer all the conveniences of modern life to many people but too many people are still left out in the cold.

Why? Because there are not enough jobs to go around. Most of the jobs that are available require a level of education or experience that is out of reach of average people.

It's clear government cannot do the whole job of making sure people have enough to eat, a warm place to live and raise their families. Business can't do it either, not yet.

So, until the Nunavut economy grows large enough to offer everyone a job, people will have to look after each other.

A group of Cape Dorset volunteers, who recently formed the Harvest Society, are tackling the problem head on. They will hold monthly meetings of social workers and community members in an attempt to help government help people.

The main idea is to work together to survive as traditional Inuit, make unemployment, hunger and homelessness a community problem rather than the burden of those suffering alone.

The Harvest Society is a noble cause.

No matter how successful they are, just by trying they become an example to the rest of us.

The Nunavut Broadband Development Corp. thinks it may be ready to flip the switch on territory-wide broadband Internet access by Christmas.

This is great news for some.

However, if Nunavut is to cash in on the opportunities high-speed Internet brings, we'll first need to train the large percentage of the population who are comfortable using the Internet.

Training someone in each community to act as a technical assistant is a good first step, but more needs to be done.

If such a person is not doing their job, then a large number of people may not take advantage of the new technology.

Similar problems have been observed with grant programs for Nunavut's artists.

There may be a regional officer who is to find suitable candidates for support and explain the application process to them, but even still, perfectly good grant money often sits untouched.

Without spending time and money to teach all of Nunavut's people about broadband's benefits, introducing this system may bring barely a ripple of change rather than the intended wave of innovation.

Editorial Comment
Lisa Scott
Kivalliq News

Last week I chronicled the saga of a Rankin Inlet woman's cursed birth certificate marked with an incorrect name and date of birth.

Odile Rusk spoke willingly of her plight to rid herself of the E3 number that was used in the sixties and seventies to document Canada's Inuit population.

Her story is a reminder that the creation of communities and the end of the nomadic Inuit way of life for most people is only a couple of generations old.

Rusk is hoping to legally change her name, but her incorrect identification is a symbol of the strides her people have made in the last few decades.

They have reclaimed ownership of their land, their administration and their children.

She isn't alone either. Apparently, the request for a legal name change because of E3 numbers is a common one for the Nunavut Court of Justice in Iqaluit.

When Rusk finally becomes Odile Silu Sammurtok, I hope the journey she took to get to that point is included in her history, as told to her children and grandchildren.

It is an important thread in the narrative of her people, and one that must not be forgotten.

My time is up

It seems fitting that it's raining as I write this on my last day in the Kivalliq region.

The abnormally wet fall, and windy one, has marked my seven weeks in Rankin Inlet.

I barely cracked the surface of Nunavut during my time here.

I've seen some of the land, the rivers and Hudson's Bay during the changing of the seasons. Unfortunately, the wildlife has eluded me, except for a couple of Arctic hares.

People have told me that I haven't experienced the territory unless I've spent a winter here.

That's likely true and that's why I'm returning to Yellowknife with the feeling that my exploration of Nunavut isn't finished.

The people have been friendly, the hospitality good, but the children and their unassuming chatter stands as my best memory.

Thank you all for making my stay in Nunavut one I will remember for the rest of my life.

Editorial Comment
Jason Unrau
Inuvik Drum

It would seem the Roger Allen saga has finally come to an end with the embattled Twin Lakes MLA's resignation Tuesday from his post at the legislative assembly.

As Allen gets ready for his day in court -- he's slated to appear in the Inuvik Courthouse Monday to enter a plea on the charge of sexual assault against him -- the only certainty is that he will no longer be the media's whipping boy.

Allen will appear before the judge just as countless other accused persons do each and every day -- as a regular citizen of the Northwest Territories answering to a criminal charge.

While there are those who will toast the man's departure from territorial politics, let us not forget the fact that there are others who would happily cast their vote for Allen were his name to be on a ballot for consideration in any other capacity.

Candidates running for mayor and council in the upcoming municipal election in Inuvik should count their blessings that nominations have closed.

So as some dust off their campaign placards in anticipation of the coming by-election for Allen's vacated seat in the assembly, most others will be tucking themselves in bed tonight in preparation for another day because life goes on, with or without Allen at the helm of the Twin Lakes riding.

Film director Woody Allen once said that comedy is tragedy plus time.

While nobody is laughing now at Allen's demise from politics -- least of all Allen himself -- in the years ahead this twisted tale will probably find itself in the realm of parlour jokes and other shenanigans discussed over the umpteenth whiskey sour.

And just as the memories of Allen-inspired guffaws fade into the haze of a stinging hangover, so too will the facts and rumours of the entire episode meld together like the exploits of a lost weekend on the town.

In the end, either are as meaningful as suffering through somebody's sorry retelling of the last Simpson's instalment that busted their gut.

As many predicted, Allen has called it quits from territorial politics and gone out on a less-than-stellar note. Whether anything changes for Inuvik in the wake of these events is anybody's guess.

There are some who say change is as good as a holiday. I say, let's get on with life and hope for a better tomorrow.

Poor planning lets Ethel off the hook

Several people commented that they enjoyed last week's editorial about the importance of punctuality.

While I stand by the essence of the piece, it should be noted that Western Arctic MP Ethel Blondin-Andrew's plane was late coming in from Ottawa prior to her announcing the Aboriginal Skills to Employment Program funding at the college.

While she was at the mercy of her air carrier's delayed arrival into town, event planners should have taken into consideration the possibility that her plane could be late and arranged the shindig at a more appropriate time.

Because, quite frankly, nobody likes to be kept waiting around.

Editorial Comment
Derek Neary
Deh Cho Drum

One man's junk is another's man's treasure.

That old adage exemplifies that perception can make a world of difference. The same thing can be said of politicians. One person may say a particular politician is easily accessible while another may say the same politician is evasive.

That very issue arose Friday evening at MLA Kevin Menicoche's constituency meeting. Because the meeting was held on the eve of a long weekend, it prompted some mild criticism from Fort Simpson resident Peter Shaw.

He asked Menicoche, somewhat in jest, whether he planned to hold his next constituency meeting on Christmas Eve.

Menicoche reacted with humour; he laughed, turned to constituency assistant Lisa Lafferty and told her that Shaw had caught on to their strategy, so they better reschedule that Christmas Eve public meeting.

Is Menicoche really denying his constituents their say by holding a public meeting just before a long weekend? Some people did leave town, but in a community of approximately 1,200 people, only 11 showed up.

Menicoche defended the time and date by stating that it was a busy week.

The previous evening was the Take Back the Night march. Undoubtedly he would have raised the ire of a few marchers had he not participated in that event and chosen instead to hold his constituency meeting.

The night before that he met with the Liidlii Kue First Nations, and a Fire Prevention Week open house was being held at the fire hall. Two nights earlier, comedian Don Burnstick put on a performance at Thomas Simpson school, so that evening was pretty well out of the question.

Menicoche explained that he wanted to hold the constituency meeting prior to the next sitting of the Legislative Assembly, which convened on Oct. 13.

He pointed out that he had been in Fort Simpson throughout the week and some people approached him in public with their concerns. He said he has been visiting people in their homes, which some residents prefer to constituency meetings because they are too shy to speak in front of a group. As well, he noted that he has a constituency office in the community. There, concerns can be addressed to his assistant, who will relay the messages to him.

Menicoche said he advertised his last constituency meeting in March, but only one person showed up. In August, he toured the Nahendeh communities with the ministers Michael McLeod and Michael Miltenberger.

In Fort Simpson, where some people said there was not enough notice, less than a dozen people turned out.

There was some grumbling in the community when Menicoche wasn't present for a public meeting on policing on Sept. 30. He was at GNWT budget meetings in Yellowknife.

His next scheduled stop in the Nahendeh communities will be Dec. 6-8 with Premier Joe Handley and the ministers of education, finance and public works and services.

Is that accountable enough? Again, that's a matter of perception.

Is he going to make everyone happy? No, and that's a matter of fact.