Needless to say, we were alarmed, as surely many others were as well, to learn police arrested 134 people over Caribou Carnival weekend for general mayhem and other alcohol-related offences.

For a city of 19,000, that's a lot of misbehaving.

When incidents like these arise, it speaks poorly for our community. It says we are town full of drunken louts with little respect for ourselves or others. It reinforces the stereotype of a wild frontier town, which despite our proximity to the outdoors, surely is not the case.

We may, to some degree, have a rough and tumble gold mining past but a recent warm spell is no excuse turn the clock back 60 years.

Yellowknife is a capital city. People raise their families here. Eleven schools have been built here over the years to accommodate them, not to mention all the other trappings of a civilized society we have long since possessed like swimming pools, arenas and theatres.

The RCMP, along with Citizens on Patrol and Mothers Against Drunk Driving, anticipated trouble, and came prepared when the weekend festivities commenced.

Because of their actions, this city was fortunate, considering the number of charges, that something more serious didn't happen.

Spring-like weather and Caribou Carnival is no excuse to act like morons. To those who felt otherwise, grow up.

We salute Caribou Carnival organizers and volunteers for putting on an exciting event, despite the problems brought on by Mother Nature.

Although unseasonably warm weather resulted in overflow that nearly flooded the site just days before carnival began, organizers put on a terrific weekend festival. Thousands of Yellowknifers and visitors had a blast.

The addition of a petting zoo this year was a brilliant idea, making the event even more exciting for kids young and old.

With plenty going on, from snow stage events to snowmobile races, there wasn't a dull moment.

We have to admit some trepidation over the late start organizing the Carnival, but the board, co-ordinator John Dalton and dozens of volunteers came through at crunch time.

Carnival board members say they're ready to start working toward 2007, and we hope that pays off in bigger and better fun.

Editorial Comment
Darrell Greer
Kivalliq News

Many recommendations have come forth lately aimed at reducing violence against women in Nunavut, including increased effort by the Status of Women to address the issue.

While there are varying levels of merit attached to each recommendation, they all share one common fault.

They're just words.

And, unfortunately, many of these words -- proper counselling, breaking the circle, etc. -- have been heard a thousand times before.

Yes, there is a place for large gatherings to exchange ideas and share information like we've seen in Iqaluit and Rankin Inlet during the past few months.

And there is no doubting the sincerity of organizations wanting to stem the tide of violence once and for all.

Yet, despite all the words, a cloud of doubt hangs in the air concerning the effectiveness of all this brainstorming in dealing with the violence.

And another cloud is forming over the Kivalliq - a cloud of fear.

It's a cloud pushed by injustice and inaction that can't be dispersed by words spoken in any language.

In fact, this cloud is being formed by the very entity the women of our territory look to for help - Nunavut's justice system.

While the pen may be mightier than the sword in some situations, action speaks louder than words when it comes to handing out justice.

We now have women afraid to go outside alone in Repulse Bay.

They are afraid because the perpetrator of the last violent crime against a woman in their community received nothing more than an all-too-familiar slap on the wrist from the courts.

And this particular villain entered the courts with previous baggage.

Until the courts back them up, well-meaning groups can toss out all the ideas, lobby all the departments, make all the resolutions and pass all the motions they want, and nothing will change.

There is no shortage of supposedly liberal thinkers who take every opportunity to state harsh punishment has never been proven as an effective deterrent.

It's time for the Nunavut justice system to put that theory to a test.

Since division, the courts have done nothing but the old soft shoe when it comes to dealing with men - and we use the term lightly -- who repeatedly batter women.

Maybe it's time for those handing down light sentences to take a little stroll across Repulse Bay, barefoot, in the middle of the winter, to appreciate the full impact of this violence.

While you hold your collective breath waiting for that to happen, speak up and demand harsher sentences for those who shatter the lives of so many of our friends, family and neighbors.

We're seeing the results of almost a decade of soft-shoe justice, and it isn't a pretty sight.

Maybe it's time for eight years of steel-toed justice to deal with the problem.

The violence just may slow down with the shoe on the other foot.

Editorial Comment
Dez Loreen
Inuvik Drum

The high school has just finished one of its brighter moments of the year, and it looked like everyone had a great time.

The annual snow week proved to be great for the morale of the students.

With activities ranging from a Fear Factor eating challenge to a dizzy stick obstacle course, I'm not surprised it was such a success.

Keeping the students active in the school is a better alternative to walking the streets during break time.

I remember my glory days in Samuel Hearne secondary school (SHSS), and the fun we used to have. It actually doesn't feel like that long ago.

The events I saw this past week were not all that different from how it used to be, although we were lacking in several areas.

I think the pie throwing contest should be brought back, with the teachers as targets.

Nothing against the faculty, but the proceeds could go to program funding.

Seriously though, I have to congratulate the teachers and staff who volunteered their spare time to snow week, because without them, a lot of the activities couldn't be possible.

The Inuvik Family Centre celebrated its first anniversary on Sunday afternoon.

It is always good to see something good last in this community.

I don't know anyone who has had a bad experience in that pool, and I have to attribute that to the great staff there.

I've been there a few times, sadly not enough though.

I talked to a few of the high school students who are training to be lifeguards, and possibly work at the pool in the future.

They seemed willing and able to help people in need, both in the pool and out.

It is always good to see role models developing, and I feel comfortable knowing the community will soon be in their hands.

I think the biggest part of Inuvik that I missed was the brotherhood.

We are a unit here, and co-operation is key for a healthy clean community.

Being in Yellowknife for nearly three months allowed me to reflect on what people can be like, both for the good and bad.

I came home to see a better Inuvik, with less trash on the street. Unfortunately it looked like it snowed a lot since January.

A lot can happen in just over two months.

I guess the point I am trying to make is that we all have to keep working together to make Inuvik the utopia of the North.

I also noticed the sun rises at crazy early times in the morning.

I guess it just means less coffee for some of us to wake up for work.

Editorial Comment
Roxanna Thompson
Deh Cho Drum

There's nothing like a good sports tournament to bring a community to life.

The mood in the Fort Simpson recreation centre and the Thomas Simpson school gym was often electric as spectators took advantage of a weekend of free entertainment during the Connie Loutit Memorial Soccer tournament.

Spectators became extremely involved in the games. Watching the crowd's reactions to the action was almost as fun as watching the game itself.

People winced as collisions occurred, cheered or looked disappointed when goals were scored and yelled out instructions to the players. In the close games some spectators could barely stay in their seats as they involuntarily imagined themselves in the midst of the action.

Sports events provide a way for people to become engaged in a community and it's not just about watching the games. A large part of the tournament is about socializing, whether it be with neighbours from down the street or acquaintances from other communities with whom you only cross paths once in a while.

And if tournaments can be this positive for adults, the benefits for youth cannot be underestimated.

The simple action of playing a sport builds the foundation for so many skills and qualities needed later in life. Basic lessons such as the importance of physical activity and teamwork are picked up quickly. Sports can also provide a boost for self-esteem.

Athletes also learn that in life the goal shouldn't always be to win, but to stay true to the spirit of the activity during the journey.

Teams were also flexible in allowing athletes to move between age divisions to fill gaps where necessary.

Athletes also had a chance to see first hand how important volunteers are to a community. Behind the scenes were a lot of people who all did little parts to make the tournament successful.

Some spent six hours figuring out the logistics of scheduling 93 games. Others organized enough food and places to sleep for 460 players. Volunteers made the tournament happen.

On the less cheerful side, sports tournaments also teach youth about how to deal with the disappointments that life sometimes presents.

An early ability to deal with small let downs like a game loss will help make the inevitable bigger disappointments down the road easier to handle. With so many positive lessons to be learned through them, let's hope that sports and sports tournaments continue to flourish in the Deh Cho.

While organizations such as the Fort Simpson village council have been pondering what to do with stray dogs, youth have been coming up with their own solutions.

The effort by class four in Bompas elementary school to raise money to care for stray dogs shows that youth have a keen sense of what is happening in their community and often have ideas about what should be done. Youth should be encouraged to voice their opinions. When children are seen and not heard, the germs of important ideas may be lost.

In Wednesday's South of 20 column, School library closed by thieves, the photo was taken by Natalie MacFadyen. Also, in Street Stories from Jan. 25, June was Sonny Arden's third wife. He was also married previously to Denise and Myrna. Yellowknifer apologizes for any confusion or embarrassment caused by the errors.

In the village council briefs in the March 30 issue of the Deh Cho Drum, it was reported that council is examining the logistics of buying a vacuum truck. Council is, in fact, studying the whole issue of water and sewer rates charged to residents living off island. The Drum apologizes for any confusion this may have caused.