They specifically noted our depiction of a crack pipe, where it was being sold; and of the simple materials used to create crystal meth, another horrid substance that has ruined so many lives.

But a newspaper has a duty to inform its readers as fully as it can, even if that sometimes means revealing things that will shock and dismay.

The more that the general public knows from direct information on these drugs, the better equipped they are to confront it. Now parents know what to look for and can counsel their children accordingly.

Knowledge is power. Indeed, even after all the stories Yellowknifer reporters have written over the years about drug abuse and especially the crimes committed by people attempting to buy more of the soul-destroying substances, we were surprised to see exactly what a crack pipe looks like.

It doesn't take much effort for Yellowknifer to see the effects of drug abuse. We have only to look out of our office windows to the daily sad passion play on the street.

It is not a pretty sight, but one we encourage all readers - especially NWT's MLAs - to come see for themselves. Perhaps, finally, they will be convinced of the need for a drug and alcohol treatment centre.

On another note, we congratulate the downtown Reddi Mart for acting quickly to take its stock of crack pipes off its shelves. This is being a responsible member of our city.

Tapped in the One of a Kind category, old Millie was praised for its design and attention to Aboriginal culture.

The news came just a few days after three high school graduates - Adam Hassan, Antonio Babic and Kirsten Mahler - were named as Chancellor's Citation scholarship winners from the University of Alberta.

With just 22 of these $15,000 awards handed out to students from across the country, the trio definitely deserves a hearty "well done" next time you see them around town.

Our city's education system takes a lot of knocks over the course of the year. Mildred Hall and these scholarship winners prove our schools, teachers and students can not only compete with, but out do, their southern counterparts with hard work and dedication.

Editorial Comment
Darrell Greer
Kivalliq News

It will be interesting to see how Rankin Inlet hamlet council deals with a newly formed local consortium which has taken it upon itself to try to block the much-rumoured plunge into the convenience store business by the Northern store.

Now, exactly how serious the Northern is about jumping into the convenience game remains to be seen.

But, considering the pressure members of this behind-the-scenes group are capable of exerting on council, if the Northern is serious, we could see quite the battle being waged on the political front.

The reasons the Northern will be met with resistance are threefold.

First off, another convenience store will eat into existing profits - even if it does replace an existing specialty shop.

But, that argument doesn't garner much public sympathy, so, if we are witness to a retail battle in Rankin, the first question we'll hear asked is how many convenience stores can one hamlet support?

The problem is, whether the hamlet can support two, three or 29 stores is irrelevant.

This country is built on democracy and free enterprise and we kind of like it that way.

So, should the Northern, or any other chain decide to open shop in Rankin, existing stores will have to find a way to compete.

We've all heard the argument that ma-and-pa operations can't compete against larger competitors and are forced out of business when such stores open nearby.

None of us like to see a business go under in our communities because, quite frankly, we need the competition.

But, let's be honest, as a consumer, do you go to ma and pa's and pay $5 for an item or do you go to Honest Bessie's across the road and get the same item for $3?

Let's take it a step further, as far-fetched as it might be at this point in time.

How many people in the community would be running around carrying save-the-Northern signs if it was announced Wal-Mart was moving into Rankin?

Our guess is you wouldn't need a very big truck to take them to the protest.

The second argument we'll hear is that the smaller operations won't be able to match the buying power of the Northern, which will force them out of business by offering substantially lower prices on their merchandise.

You'll be told they'll even take a loss for the first year or two to force out the competition and then clean up as a monopoly.

Please!!

There are plenty of similar items for sale in Rankin's four main stores now, with prices being basically the same right across the board.

And, for all the kicking the Northern takes from time to time, the store provides local jobs and is on the top of everybody's list when it comes to donations for fundraising events.

That's not even to mention it's the only retailer in town that will run the Loto booth for proceeds to go to our local minor hockey program.

The bottom line is; while increased competition may not be good for current store-owner profits, it does hold the promise to benefit consumers.

And, even if that benefit is marginal, when you're talking Northern prices, we say bring on the Wal-Mart!

Editorial Comment
Jason Unrau
Inuvik Drum

"(September) is the month when the great fish come. Anyone can be a fisherman in May." - Santiago from Ernest Hemmingway's novel, Old Man and the Sea

Judging by the variety of reactions to last week's access and benefits summit in Inuvik between pipeline proponents and aboriginal leadership, one wonders if everybody was attending the same meeting.

While one group continues to harp on about Imperial's socio-economic impact obligations, another expresses concern about securing lucrative contracts inside its settlement region. That's if the pipeline project ever sees the light of day.

That said, progress is being made.

At the beginning of the year things were looking bleak before the Deh Cho and the feds patched things up.

Then, four months later Imperial announces it's halting work on the project, citing unreasonable demands from the communities in terms of socio-economic compensation.

The company, which is the lead proponent in the pipeline project, stated its intentions to continue talks, even while some aboriginal negotiators were saying the access and benefits package put forward by Imperial last week in Inuvik was miles from making the grade.

Like Santiago, the persistent fisherman in Hemmingway's story, nobody is backing away from the mother-of-all-fish waiting to be landed, if and when the project gets the go-ahead.

With Joint Review Panel and National Energy Board hearings still to take place, issues regarding the preferential contract awarding processes are as distant as the harbour seems to Santiago the moment the old fisherman hooks his prize marlin, only to have it drag him out further to sea before being completely devoured by sharks.

I suppose this entire Hemmingway metaphor is not so much a case of casting pipeline players into various roles in the tale, rather the idea that, as in the story, each player - the sea, the fish and the fisherman - relies on the others.

Put another way, without the gas, or the proponents or those who will be affected - for good or ill - along the pipeline corridor, the Mackenzie Gas Project would not exist in its current state.

Since everybody appears ready to continue negotiating, the pipeline is far from dead in the water. And so the players will meet again this September in Calgary.

The question that remains is whether they will land the big one or continue to chase what seems to move further away with each passing day.

Editorial Comment
Derek Neary
Deh Cho Drum

Essential (adjective): Necessary, indispensable.

That's the Oxford Dictionary's definition of the word.

The debate rages on as to whether the Lafferty ferry should be designated an "essential service" to keep it running should crew members go on strike.

Twice each year, during freeze-up and break-up, people in Fort Simpson, like those in Wrigley, have to pay more for produce and dairy.

Those goods and others are transported by helicopter across the Liard River (or the Mackenzie River in Wrigley's case). For three to four weeks in spring and again in late fall, vehicles are unable to get from one side of the waterway to the other. That's a fact, and we've lived with it for many years.

The only way to change it would be to build a bridge as is planned in Fort Providence. So, being faced with the prospect of having no river shuttle during the summer is highly unusual and it would most certainly be a huge inconvenience. But can we say the ferry is absolutely necessary? There appears to be at least one argument that makes the case. Although traffic would be greatly reduced, anyone who gets into an accident on the opposite side of the Liard River from Fort Simpson is exposed to greater risk.

Paying an extra buck for two litres of milk or an additional 50 cents for carrots isn't life threatening. Lying in the ditch with internal bleeding, perhaps unconscious, following a serious car accident, now that is a matter of life or death.

Yes, a helicopter can often be used a substitute for emergency purposes - it's even faster than the ambulance. However, as one astute Fort Simpson resident pointed out, helicopters are subject to grounding due to low cloud cover or heavy smoke. Then there is a possibility that no helicopters are immediately available.

It may be quite an unlikely scenario, but if you or your family members were the ones severely injured in a crumpled truck and a helicopter could not be dispatched to come to your aid, then you would probably be convinced that the ferry is an essential service. It's the only way the ambulance could arrive. That would seem to make the vessel necessary, indispensable.

The legislation pertaining to the matter states that the service must be maintained "to the extent necessary to prevent an immediate and serious danger to the safety or health of the public."

Would that mean it's permissible for the ferry crew to picket so long as they get the vessel going should an ambulance need to make a crossing? That's a grey area.

Then there is the fact that the ferry currently doesn't run after midnight or start until 8 a.m. Because there are fewer vehicles on the road at those hours, accidents are pretty well unheard of at those times, but still possible. So that's another grey area.

The "essential service" label is going to be a tough call for the Canada Labour Relations Board. Practically everyone in Fort Simpson and Wrigley is waiting with bated breath for their decision.

In the Aug. 19 Yellowknifer, the story titled "Centre Square Mall sold" gave the wrong impression that all of the retail space had been sold. The lower portion was purchased by Huntingdon Real Estate Investment Trust. Royal Host still owns the upper retail space along with the Yellowknife Inn. Yellowknifer regrets any confusion this may have caused.