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Monday, April 03, 2006
Coal: the new oil

A $5 billion coal mining project that might - and "might" is still the main word here - get its start north of Fort Liard is the latest proof of the vast riches to be developed in the Northwest Territories.

There was a time when any kind of mining project fuelled nothing but optimism and expectations of new jobs, high incomes and a better life for Northerners.

But Fort Liard Chief Harry Deneron made some interesting comments that point to a different resource development attitude.

When he heard about West Hawk Development Corp.'s plans to mine coal, he didn't exactly jump up and down with joy.

"They always leave a mess behind and they always disappear," he said of the mining industry's record in the North.

This is something being heard more and more as people fasten their attention onto the Mackenzie Valley pipeline and similar mega-projects.

There's a rising sentiment that "it's not about the money."

Just because the resources are there, and just because developing them will mean hundreds of millions, if not billions, of dollars to the NWT economy, there is a growing recognition that the land must be protected.

It's encouraging that West Hawk is saying a lot about consulting with First Nations on what it wants to do.

But as we've seen with the Mackenzie pipeline discussions, the people of the NWT want to know two things: One, that they'll have a direct say in how that resource is developed and share the benefits; and two, that outcomes from development don't include destruction of the land, animals, lakes and rivers.


Time to bury the hatchet

Education Minister Charles Dent was right not to grant autonomy to Hay River's education authority.

Unlike Yellowknife, Hay River doesn't have the taxation power to go it alone. This means the community's education authority is stuck in an unhappy relationship with the South Slave Divisional Education Council, but as Dent said, cutting them loose may lead to other communities clamouring for the same.

A territory filled with mini-education authorities would lead to the duplication of administrative staff positions, and stretch the government's ability to provide money for teachers and education programs.

Regardless, Dent should take Hay River's complaints seriously. It's his job to mend fences where needed, and come up with solutions when parties aren't getting along.

The fight between the South Slave and the Hay River Education Authority has been going on for a long time.

This is Dent's chance to prove himself as an effective mediator. He should sit down with both parties and address their grievances one by one. If education standards are the issue, they shouldn't be lowered at Hay River's expense. Instead, standards should be raised in other South Slave communities.


Lives at stake

Cambridge Bay's fire chief and his deputy have quit over safety which they say is being ignored by the hamlet council and administration.

They are angry that a long list of grievances, from poor maintenance at the fire hall, to leaking fuel tanks and a lack of safety equipment, has not been addressed.

Unfortunately, their story isn't unusual.

In Fort Simpson, NWT, the entire volunteer department quit and village council was fired by the territorial government after a long-simmering dispute blew up over a snow plowing bill.

In Yellowknife, two firefighters died in March 2005 and the city, its fire chief and a deputy chief were charged by the Workers' Compensation Board.

Now, fingers are pointing and harsh words flying and no-one seems to want to take responsibility for firefighter safety.

In 2004, the Iqaluit fire department was criticized by Nunavut's fire marshal, who said lack of training and leadership led to the destruction of the former Joamie school in 2003. Large or small, elected councils seem ill-equipped to deal with the complex needs of fire departments, whether firefighters are paid or volunteer.

It's obvious that something has gone wrong in Cambridge Bay. Without a chief or deputy, the volunteers have no leadership, putting the lives of firefighters and citizens in jeopardy.

Now is the time for Nunavut's fire marshal to step in. It's his mandate to ensure fire departments are capable of doing the job of fighting fires effectively and safely.


A good catch

People working in the Nunavut's fishing industry have good reason to celebrate.

When the federal department of Fisheries and Oceans announced that the entire turbot quota increase this year - 2,500 tonnes of fish - would go to Nunavut, fishing companies were reaping the benefits of the hard work put in to build this fledgling industry.

The move means more money and more jobs for communities that have high unemployment rates. It also means Nunavut now controls 68 per cent of the turbot quota off the northern Baffin coast.

But those involved in lobbying the federal government must keep the pressure on until Nunavut has 100 per cent of the turbot quota.


Storm clouds brewing for NTI

Editorial Comment
Darrell Greer
Kivalliq News


Nunavut Tunngavik Inc. (NTI) president Paul Kaludjak would be better served trying to address the problems highlighted by the dismal voter turnout for NTI’s election earlier this month, rather than throwing out the same old tired excuses.

Nice weather may have kept some beneficiaries away, but are we really expected to believe it was the reason only six per cent of those eligible bothered to vote in Baker Lake?

Was warm weather to blame for less than 30 per cent of all beneficiaries casting their ballot for a new first vice-president and vice-president of finance?

Hardly. In fact, we give James Eetoolook full marks for his candid remarks on the turnout being a signal that the majority of beneficiaries are unhappy with the way things are going.

A large part of the maturation process for any culture is when people start to find their voice and, slowly but surely, we’re seeing that in Nunavut.

A growing number of beneficiaries are wondering when they’re going to see all those benefits they heard so much about before division.

While it’s true expectations were too high to begin with, and many goals did not have a realistic time frame attached to them, the fact of the matter is too few Inuit are benefitting from Nunavut.

It’s long been fair game for some leaders to blame the influx of southern workers as the main culprit in holding back Inuit, especially in high-paying jobs.

But more and more Inuit now realize that excuse rings hollow.

As our population becomes more aware, we realize senior management and highly-skilled jobs take years of training and our youth are moving in the right direction.

We’re seeing more graduates every year continuing on to post-secondary education.

It’s a slow process, but we are on the right path.

In the meantime, beneficiaries are getting a pretty good handle on southern terms such as “the old boys club” and “the inner circle” and what they truly mean.

In short, relatively small power bases in terms of the number of people involved wield an amount of power and influence that belies their numbers.

It’s a case of give the electrician a hard time and the plumber, who happens to be the electrician’s cousin, won’t come when your toilet is..., well, you get the picture.

Another word often associated with inner circles is nepotism, which beneficiaries also now understand.

A growing number of people are getting tired of seeing too many jobs that are within reach of the average beneficiary being tossed up into the same family trees.

The low voter turnout shows most beneficiaries are not happy, but they still have one more step to take.

It’s obvious too many have reached the point where they believe it doesn’t matter who they vote for because nothing will change.

But apathy is not the answer. Keep voting for change and change will come.

The next step is to show NTI president Kaludjak he may have been right about the weather - there is a storm cloud of discontent brewing and it may be heading his way.


Do something wonderful, not notorious

Editorial Comment
Jason Unrau
Inuvik Drum


It has been an interesting two-and-a-half years being the editor of your community paper.

In that time, I have come to know Inuvik in ways that have delighted me, and unfortunately, in ways that have been not so delightful.

Because for every story that celebrated somebody's achievement, there were those that focused on things not so flattering in the community.

A couple of weeks back a young boy asked me what people had to do to get in the paper. I replied that you either had to do something wonderful or something not-so-wonderful.

"Like what?" he asked in reference to the not-so-wonderful.

"Like commit a crime," I said, adding that I would much prefer he did something great, and not just because he thought it would get him in the Drum.

"Geeze, I know that," he said with a laugh before walking away.

Now there's one kid who won't be jetting through the streets in the wee hours on a stolen snowmobile. Thank goodness for small mercies.

But in all honesty, while writing about people misbehaving can be juicier, positive feel-good stories are much better for all involved and Inuvik can always use more "something greats."

Being the 'Drum guy'

I remember sitting around with friends back when I was younger and talking about how great being famous would be and how each of us were going to try and achieve this. Granted it wasn't much of an original ambition, or much of an ambition at all.

Turn on your television any given evening and you'll find loads of people attempting to do just that - either for their singing ability or for some other, how shall I put it, not so savory behaviour they want to share with the world. It's kind of like that question the boy asked me about getting in the paper, but I'm straying off topic here.

Anyways, the point is that after living in the public eye and being known as, "the Drum guy," "the photo man," and "that writer guy" (among other things), I long to return to a somewhat more anonymous lifestyle.

That said, there were a lot of perks to being the town reporter and foremost was meeting and getting to know many interesting people. And what I will take away from Inuvik are a lot of fond memories and friendships I've made while living here. For that, I extend a heartfelt thank you.

So as I prepare to break trail and head south, I will always appreciate my time spent here at the End of the Road. Whether it was jamming with the band on Saturdays at the Mad Trapper, or hanging out with the kids at SAMS school, one thing is for certain: there were a lot of laughs.

New editor ready to work

Next week, I'll be passing the torch to Dez Loreen, an enthusiastic and capable fellow, born and raised in Inuvik. Just back from Yellowknife, where he was honing his reporting craft at Northern News Services headquarters, Dez says he's ready for the challenge of taking on the role as Drum editor and I'm I'm confident in his ability to do a great job.


Dog dilemma

Editorial Comment
Roxanna Thompson
Deh Cho Drum


One item should be added to the list of the only things certain in this world.

The revised list would read, "death, taxes and loose dogs."

Once again dogs have made it back into the headlines with the Village of Fort Simpson enacting an emergency dog control program to combat free roaming canines.

Everyone can have their own viewpoint on whether or not the emergency program is the best way to go, but one thing is certain - something had to be done.

On almost any trip up or down main street you are bound to run into at least one loose dog.

Dogs of all shapes and sizes wander along the sidewalks and sometimes onto the road, where they often take their time moving out of the paths of vehicles.

Some of the dogs are regulars who can be recognized from previous sightings. In their desire to run free, some dogs have become regular escape artists. In January, a dog dragged its whole house down the street before being foiled by its chain and a stop sign. Another dog has been recently sighted pulling a length of chain along behind itself.

In those cases, the dogs must belong to someone because they had the trappings of civility. But there are clearly some canines that have no set home. Putting a dog down is hardly ever an easy decision. There is a strong argument that says by putting an animal down, you are simply punishing them for something a human has done by not taking proper care of the creature. This, however, still leaves the problem of what to do with the already loose, ownerless dogs.

It can be hoped that during the run of this emergency program some consideration will be given to dogs that might actually be good family pets that have simply had a momentary lapse in behaviour.

But where will the problem of loose dogs end? Is there a permanent solution?

At village council some interesting suggestions were thrown onto the table. Often it was hard to decide which ones were said in earnest and which in jest. One councillor suggested that no pet - dog, cat or otherwise - should be allowed within the village limits. Only living things with two legs should be allowed. Another idea involved having every dog spayed or neutered.

One idea that wasn't mentioned is that maybe dog licences should really become human licenses.

If you need a licence to drive a vehicle, perhaps a licence is also necessary to own a dog. After all, poorly trained dogs can be just as dangerous as a poorly driven vehicle.

To start the program, all dogs would have to be confiscated and hopeful owners would have to take a series of tests to prove their suitability for the position.

By making ownership of a dog an honour, perhaps the animals would be treated with more care and not be allowed to roam. Of course, this may not be the easiest plan to implement, but in the end something has to be done. The answer has to start at the grassroots level with people who care about the animals.


Corrections

In the March 13 edition of Nunavut News/North, the name of the acting president of the Nunavut Council for the Status of Women, Annie Napayok, was misspelled. Nunavut News/North apologizes for the error.