Monday, February 7, 2005
We believe the true savings would have been negligible.
How do you save money flying people back and forth between Yellowknife and Hay River every time there's a trial?
You still have to heat and maintain the courthouse. Plus there's the cost of moving long-term government workers and severance for 13 others.
Thanks to public pressure, however, the government decided to keep the court offices open. Other planned cuts will continue - notably remand units at South Mackenzie Correctional Centre, Dene K'onia young offenders facility and regional community justice co-ordinators.
What's astounding is how quickly the government put the cost savings on the back-burner.
Instead of looking for other ways to cut justice department spending, the government simply rolled over and will add the $700,000 potential savings back into the expense budget.
A government committed to cutting costs, with minimal impact on jobs and communities, would have rolled up its sleeves and gone through the budget line by line to find a more appropriate place to save money. The justice decision looks more like the hack and slash method of balancing the books.
In the future, the NWT's political masters - MLAs and cabinet ministers - must ensure cuts are more thoroughly planned, with the full costs - human and monetary - considered first.
There are eight reasons why vehicle safety recommendations made by a coroner's jury last week must be implemented.
They are: Iyukaq Qupapik, Adamie Nookiguak, Sheila Mathewsie, Ann-Margaret Jeffrey, and four unnamed children. They died under the wheels of municipal vehicles in other Nunavut communities between 1997 and 2003.
Anyone who sat through the inquest in Iqaluit was likely shocked to learn just how dangerous the roads of Nunavut really are.
Files detailing vehicle maintenance at the City of Iqaluit are "sporadic at best," admitted public works director Mark Hall. There are 65 vehicles in that fleet.
There is just one person mandated to inspect vehicles in all of Nunavut: Tom Bragard.
He said there should be a mandatory regime that every vehicle be inspected every three months to rule out mechanical deficiencies.
"I thought that right from the beginning," he said. "It's frightening."
Frightening is not a word people in Nunavut want to hear coming from the lips of the one man dedicated to inspecting public vehicles in Nunavut. But there it was, loud and clear, at the inquiry.
Among the jury's recommendations: more government motor vehicle inspectors.
One person cannot adequately cover the needs of 26 municipalities, the jury said. But this is still the tip of the iceberg.
What about the "roads" of Nunavut, if you can call those icy, snowy paths roads.
The jury recommended construction of pedestrian pathways similar to what's being promoted by a citizens group in Iqaluit.
All communities should look at making such paths to keep people and big equipment apart.
In a land where big trucks drive around with normal traffic like no big deal, people are dying.
It was important that this inquiry shed light on the failings of the territorial government and the city to protect people from the deadly trucks that are out there.
Pure anger and rage were surely brewing inside family members who sat through the inquiry. Let's hope those family members and everyone who cares about kids join a loud chorus keeping the pressure on officials to put all those jury recommendations into place.
Enterprise hamlet council will hold a byelection to fill a seat left vacant because of a resignation.
The council had another option, but chose to ignore it. During the last election, three candidates received the same number of votes for the last two seats. The third candidate, Anne Leskiw, lost out in a random draw. The mayor said council "felt it would be best if the community decided." Sounds like the community did during the last election. Council should have saved some time and money by appointing Leskiw to the seat.
Editorial Comment
Darrell Greer
Kivalliq News
One wouldn't think there would be too many youth issues being studied in the United Kingdom capable of sending a red flag in Nunavut's direction.
However, research done by London University's Institute of Education shows youth centres being run without proper programming may do more harm than good.
In fact, the research suggests many teenagers would be better off spending their evenings in front of the TV than going to their youth club.
The problem stems from the fact too many youth centres simply provide a place for teenagers to hang out rather than offering any form of constructive programming.
When it comes to the habits of an average teenager on any continent, the study seems to add credence to the adage that idle hands are, indeed, the devil's workshop.
London University's research found that teenagers who spend time in unfocused youth facilities tend to produce poor exam results and are more easily led into a life of crime and drugs.
We tip our hat to the British for getting our attention on the issue, but the conclusion that groups of bored teenagers hanging out together can lead to unacceptable behaviour is hardly earth-shattering news.
That being said, the study does remind us that simply giving youth a place to go is not the answer to curing all their social ills.
Out of sight, out of mind, are hardly words to live by when it comes to positive parenting skills.
Nunavut Tunngavik Inc. (NTI) president Paul Kaludjak alluded to the need for more youth centres during NTI's annual general meeting in Rankin Inlet this past year.
Kaludjak scored a bull's-eye when he said these centres should be set up in a way for elders and youth to spend more time together and for youth to take part in constructive programming.
In short, simply opening a building or finding a space available with a few video games and a ping-pong table just doesn't cut it.
Proper planning has to be put into our youth centres and it has to involve input from the youth - that's input, not infinite direction.
While you can't put the fox in charge of the henhouse, you also can't create a scenario where the youth are receiving nothing more than what adults have decided is right for them - another point made by the British study.
Youth centres can be effective, but only when their programming is properly structured.
And that entails proper planning and consultation to put in place a well-balanced program that youth enjoy and are willing to participate in.
The effective youth program run this past summer in Rankin shows these goals can be reached.
However, if adults in any given community aren't willing to put in the effort to help structure their teens' leisure time, they shouldn't be too shocked by how they may choose to spend it.
And we don't need London University to tell us that!
Editorial Comment
Jason Unrau
Inuvik Drum
All around the region there are buildings of historical significance in various states of disrepair.
In Tsiigehtchic, efforts are currently underway to get the Catholic Church there recognized as an historic site. Thus far $10,000 has been provided to research other buildings of historical importance in the hamlet for potentially similar status.
In Aklavik, the old Catholic church ‚ still a beautiful structure ‚ no longer hosts parishioners. The door is nailed shut and its history is largely unknown to visitors left outside in the cold to ponder the past significance of such a place.
Just down the road the old Aklavik Museum's doors are wide open and snow drifts collect around and inside the entrance.
Drive to Fort McPherson and have a look around there. Broken down buildings ‚ some more than a century old ‚ are plentiful.
The time for Lucy Adams cabin, built in the '40s just outside Inuvik, is running out. Already sitting precariously on the edge of an eroding shoreline, it is predicted the sod roof structure will fall into the river this spring.
While having a particular building declared an historic site is one step towards preservation of the region's and the territory's architectural history, that status does not provide for upkeep.
What the territory needs is to establish some kind of fund for the maintenance of these places.
It's true that tourists visiting the North come for the wide open spaces and regional flora and fauna. It is also true that among these tourists exists an element that gets very excited when they see some tangible evidence of the past.
Unfortunately, the line between historical site and surplus infrastructure can be blurry, as in the case of Sir Alexander Mackenzie school (SAMS). This majestic wooden structure could face the wrecking ball when the GNWT and District Education Authority finally settle on a plan to replace the aging elementary school.
Along with Ingamo Hall and the Igloo Church, SAMS school is synonymous with the Inuvik landscape. Upon my arrival in town, it was the first building I took particular notice of and after spending so much time there covering various events, I've fallen in love with the place.
Many will agree that when it goes, something will be sorely missing from Inuvik. Which is why something needs to be done to preserve what remains in terms of the land's architectural history and protect threatened landmarks.
Similar to preserving language, there will be no immediate recoup of any investment made to tackle the job of protecting heritage buildings. The pay off will come from the pride beautification and preservation, particularly of historic sites, can give to a community's residents. The other spin off will be a more satisfied tourist who returns home with a little more than just tales from around the campfire.
Enhancing Northern tourism means showcasing the culture of Northern communities and that includes preserving historic sites.
Editorial Comment
Derek Neary
Deh cho Drum
It seems we spend a lot of time lately trying to identify the potential impacts of a Mackenzie Valley pipeline.
It's difficult to pinpoint them all, of course. Nobody will know the full extent of pipeline "side effects" until the project comes to fruition, but we can't let that stop us from trying to be as prepared as possible.
Among the anticipated "infrastructure" impacts is the onslaught of heavy truck traffic. Flatbeds, tankers and tractor-trailers will be coming and going at a rate never before experienced in the Deh Cho. It's been pointed out that all those heavy trucks will erode roads and highways, which are already in poor condition compared to many other areas of Canada. There's been talk of forcing the oil and gas companies to ante up for repairs and maintenance of our highways.
It doesn't seem too much to ask.
There are other consequences of having so much heavy traffic on the road, and that's the hazard it poses to other drivers. The series of accidents on Highway 3 over the weekend is a prime example. The big trucks kick up a lot of powdery winter snow, making it temporarily impossible for oncoming drivers to see. Heaven forbid getting stuck behind one of the big trucks because the whiteout conditions are horrendous.
Drivers following these enormous workhorse vehicles are often itching to pass, and therefore sometimes get closer to the semi than they should. That's a life-jeopardizing move.
Realistically, unless the truck diver heads into a roadside pull-out (which is rare because they're on tight schedules), there's nothing for drivers to do other than slow down, grin and bear it.
This is something that Deh Cho motorists will be facing on a regular basis if and when the pipeline is built. The truck traffic here will resemble that of northern Alberta and B.C., if not heavier at times.
Unfortunately we don't have paved highways in some cases.
Who among us hasn't experienced the rear end of the vehicle swinging wildly after hitting a pitted section of dirt road commonly known as "washboard," even at speeds below the posted limits? Let's hope none of us is in the precarious situation of having that experience when a huge flatbed truck with a 20-tonne load is coming in the other direction.
The pipeline can bring some short-term jobs that will pay well. It can provide lucrative business opportunities. The project can also prompt benefits such as expanded cell phone coverage.
What it won't do is make our roads safer. That's something we'll be reminded of every time we climb behind the wheel and head out on the highway.
In the "boom" years ahead, we're going to need the Department of Transportation to be more vigilant than ever in keeping the roads as clear and smooth as possible.