Family law is being separated from the criminal side. It's moving to a convenient, accessible location, rather than being stuffed into an office at the back of a building somewhere.
Instead, thanks to MLAs playing politics, it's now been cast in a dim light. Dave Ramsay and Sandy Lee challenged the government's decision to locate the office in the mall, next to the WCB's medical office. Why? Cost of rent and anonymous complaints by mall merchants.
Merchants' discomfort is understandable, but their concerns should be directed at mall management, not government.
Rent too high? So long as government amends the Legal Aid operating budget to reflect the increased cost, nothing should change. Two other bids to house the office were rejected, leaving only the mall.
If anything, putting a family law office into a downtown mall -- also home to the Workers' Compensation Board and the library -- will make it easier for people to use the service.
With all the problems Caribou Carnival has experienced, the last thing it needs is to separate itself from a successful winter event.
The dog derby is set for the last weekend in March, year in and year out. Organizers of the Caribou Carnival have yet to finalize a date, but it looks like it will happen on a different weekend.
Organizers of the Caribou Carnival say a scheduling conflict prevents them from holding it at the same time.
However, dog derby organizers know of no such conflict, so whatever the reason, it lies in the Carnival camp.
The dog derby and the Carnival are complementary events. They belong together. Both festivals celebrate winter; both attract lots of people; and both benefit the other.
There is nothing as exciting as the start of a sled dog race. But once the dogs are out of sight, people will go home and likely not return until two hours later to watch racers cross the finish line.
Bring in the Carnival and people have a place to go while the racers make their way to the finish line.
The sled dog races help attract the people; the Carnival keeps them at the site.
If you run one without the other, people from out of town aren't likely to drive to the capital twice in the same month. Both events are run under different boards, which is fine. But they need to work together to get the most out of their events.
This is the 50th anniversary of the Carnival. Make it big, make it memorable, but make use all the assets available, especially the dog derby.
Editorial Comment
Darrell Greer
Kivalliq News
There are only two real conclusions you can come to when analyzing the level of service Canada Post provides to the Kivalliq region -- and neither one is pretty.
The first conclusion, easily reached, is that Kivalliq residents are viewed as nothing more than second-class citizens by Canada Post.
A group of people who, by choosing to live in the Arctic, should simply accept whatever mail service comes their way and be happy they even have mail delivery at all.
Except for the people doing their best at our community post offices, the words customer service have absolutely no meaning to Canada Post when it comes to Kivalliq residents.
The second conclusion is that Canada Post gets away with its terrible service to the Kivalliq because of our apathy towards the situation.
The mail delivery has been so bad for so long, residents feel there's no use complaining because nothing's going to change.
In reality, it's a combination of the two.
I, myself, could be found laughing at the Rankin postal outlet earlier this month (Oct. 14, to be exact) when I received a letter from Fort Saskatchewan, Alta., postmarked Sept. 21.
Problem close to home
People in the communities are convinced the problem originates with Churchill, Man., and that Canada Post does not spend nearly enough time ensuring the regional carrier awarded the lucrative mail contract adheres to the terms of the agreement.
We tend to agree.
Our winter storm days aside, there is no logical reason for the snail pace at which our mail is delivered other than indifference on the part of Canada Post.
That is especially true when one considers how much faster the mail is leaving the Kivalliq for destinations in the south.
On average, a letter takes less than half the time going north to south than vice versa.
And, that's letters. We won't even get into parcels and the amount of time they take to find their way to Kivalliq destinations.
We do sympathize with those people who take the time and try to contact Canada Post to voice their concerns.
Good luck trying to get a real person to come on the line and provide you with answers.
That being said, the only way mail service is going to improve in the Kivalliq is if enough people start to voice their concerns over the speed of its delivery.
If you can't get satisfaction from Canada Post, write your MLAs and your Nunavut Member of Parliament and encourage them to get answers from the corporation as to why the mail continues to be so undependable in the North.
Getting answers to your concerns is in their job description!
Until enough voices are heard to embarrass Canada Post into addressing the problem, stamps aren't the only things that will continue to take a licking in the Kivalliq.
Editorial Comment
Jason Unrau
Inuvik Drum
Looking at the new lineup of town councillors, one can't help but notice the lack of aboriginal representation.
Examine the voting patterns for mayor at the Ingamo Hall polling station versus the Midnight Sun's and the picture starts to come a little more into focus.
Though important to acknowledge the steep rise in voter turnout -- 63 per cent compared to last election's lacklustre 35 per cent -- the surge can be most likely attributed to political newcomer Kurt Wainman's challenge to incumbent Peter Clarkson, who enjoyed the benefit of acclamation in the last municipal election.
In Wainman's press release following his defeat, he thanks his campaign workers and supporters with this: "Do not feel we lost; we can take pride in a valiant and honourable effort which has raised community awareness and brought our concerns to the table."
When Wainman says "our concerns," one gets the impression that "aboriginal" could easily have been substituted for "our," regardless of whether or not that was indeed the sentiment.
It is also the perfect complement to a remark one of the councillor-elects made after perusing the new council line-up.
"If there ever was an argument for self-government, this is it," the new member said, dropping the results back on to my desk.
In conversation with another councillor-elect Tuesday, that person was curious to know my opinion about why the race for mayor was so close and did I think it had anything to do with issues people had with the actions of the previous council.
Wedge highlighted
While I'm looking forward to seeing the new Family Centre completed and enjoying its amenities, the centre is a good place to begin in terms of highlighting the wedge -- real or imagined -- being driven between the haves and the have-nots in Inuvik.
Some are concerned about the operating costs and whether the town can afford the upkeep of such a facility.
The catalyst for such worries is generally the town's previous solution for saving money on lighting costs at the rink by turning them down a notch on the minor hockey players.
Concerns that an admission charge to use the upcoming Family Centre will put it out of reach for many families in town, especially those with more than one child, are also rampant.
Therein lies the catch-22 of the Family Centre and why, next to the pipeline and self-government, it's still a hot-button discussion topic, even just months before its completion.
Designed to provide a recreational and physical fitness outlet for what many like to believe is a recreation-starved population, many will be unable to access it, therefore making the centre useless for the purpose it was intended -- unless you can afford the price of admission.
If nothing else, the greater interest in the municipal election from all members of the community will hopefully spill over into all levels of politics in the months and years to come.
Editorial Comment
Derek Neary
Deh Cho Drum
A powder keg is explosive, but it doesn't have to blow sky high.
That is precisely the situation in Fort Liard right now. It's volatile. Things could detonate -- or they could be resolved with a little dialogue and co-operation.
A significant number of community members are outspoken about problems in the community, both economic and social. Many point to chief and council as being responsible for pretty well everything.
Chief Floyd Bertrand -- who it should be noted has been elected twice within the past two-and-a-half years -- says band council meetings and Beaver Enterprises board meetings are open to band members. Come in, pull up a chair and sit down. He says the invitation has always been extended.
But, he says, people simply do not show up at those regular meetings. His detractors, on the other hand, contend the band council doesn't hold enough public meetings. It's a divided community.
Some people say social problems, particularly drinking, are exacting a heavy toll right now. Things are slow, there's little work, so people are depressed and turning to alcohol, goes one theory.
Other people point an accusatory finger at chief and council for considering another oil and gas exploration cycle. When land is opened up, big money flows into Fort Liard and then alcohol and drug abuse is rampant, they argue.
So which is it? Are things worse when there's too little money or is it out of control when there's too much money?
Can a balance be struck?
Couldn't better addictions and support programs be put in place to offset social problems?
The answer is yes, but it will only succeed if the community works together.
Someway, somehow, residents in Fort Liard need come together to clear the air. Fort Liard is not the only community in the NWT with such problems, but it's really simmering there now. Diplomacy is badly needed.
Please, prove them wrong
Yes, the calendar really does read 2004. Sitting at the Fort Simpson village council meeting on Monday evening, one could have easily believed that it was 2003. Here were representatives from Imperial Oil making the same overtures to village council that they made 18 months ago.
Council recited its pipeline wish list once again -- very similar to the last time despite a different mayor and some different councillors -- and the industry types promised to take those desires back to their superiors, just as they promised last year. The words yes and no were rarely uttered at all.
It seems that little has changed, other than the passage of time.
A pipeline passed through Fort Simpson in the 1980s with precious little benefit to the community. The proponents of the Mackenzie Valley pipeline are espousing their intent to work with the communities, but they are making few firm commitments at this juncture. Sure, everything is conditional on the pipeline actually being constructed, but a few "Can do" responses would go a long way.
It's up to elected leaders throughout the Deh Cho to hold Imperial Oil's collective feet to the natural-gas-fuelled fire.