A quick glance at Yellowknifer's classified ads presents dozens of employment options. For a job hunter, the labour shortage caused by economic prosperity is a great opportunity. But for business and industry, the lack of workers is a significant problem.

The NWT's unemployment rate in 2005 was only 5.4 per cent, dropping from 8.6 per cent in 2001. Also, the number of people employed increased to 72.3 per cent last year from 69.8 per cent five years ago.

Chamber of Mines' general manager Mike Vaydik said supplying skilled workers is one of the keys to Yellowknife's future. And mining is the backbone of Yellowknife's economy.

A mining industry council prediction says there will be a shortfall of 81,000 skilled workers over the next decade, a scenario caused by increasing metal prices and a retiring workforce.

But the problem isn't just Yellowknife's. The labour shortage is nation-wide. It is even worse in other provinces. The unemployment rate in Alberta, Manitoba and even Saskatchewan are lower at 3.9, 4.8 and 5.1 per cent. We think the labour shortage is bad here in Yellowknife; it's even worse in the south where jobs are plentiful and workers have the upper hand.

It's a booming national economy and Yellowknife's employers have to be more wily than their southern counterparts if they are going to attract a labour force and keep them here.

Workers aren't coming here for the great weather or the low housing costs. So cash, a comfortable workplace and a satisfying lifestyle have to be considered. The territorial government is working on "made in the North" solutions. One answer is training and retaining the young people who are here now.

At any one time there are 300 apprentices from various industries working and training in the NWT. And 1,720 people have completed journeyman tickets.

There are many government programs and financial incentives in the North to train people for the wanting workforce.

But in order to attract good people, employers are going to have to be even more imaginative. Diamond mines took training to the communities to build their Northern workforce.

Smaller companies may have to follow suit with imaginative programs and even higher wages.

Business, big and small, also have to work with City Hall to make sure there's affordable housing and amenities for young people and young growing families who want to stay here at home.

Editorial Comment
Andrew Raven
Kivalliq News

The Government of Nunavut and its medical contractor did more than look a gift horse in the mouth last month in refusing to renew the contract of the Kivalliq's longest serving doctor.

They kicked that horse - popular family physician James Wiens - square between the legs and in the process jeopardized the health of all Kivalliq residents.

Wiens, based in Rankin Inlet, was told three weeks ago he would not receive a new contract when his short-term deal expired June 16, cutting the complement of full-time doctors in the region down to two.

In an area starved for medical professionals, the decision is mind-boggling.

Wiens spent four-plus years in the Kivalliq, twice the tenure of the next closest active doctor. The 45-year-old Manitoban is also well liked in Rankin, where he joined community members on the land and in the dance hall.

But here's the real kicker: Wiens was ready to stay in the North indefinitely.

"I have never seen that before," said Rankin Inlet North MLA Tagak Curley.

Wiens, who plans to spend the summer in a remote northern British Columbia cabin, was never given a reason for his dismissal.

Adding fuel to the smouldering fire, Health Minister Leona Aglukkaq refused to discuss the situation publicly and the Northern Medical Unit - the University of Manitoba wing under contract to provide doctors to the Kivalliq - did not return a phone message seeking comment.

The people of the Kivalliq, who see more new doctors than Toronto-area country clubs, deserve to know why Wiens was handed his walking papers.

More than that, they are entitled to the best medical care possible. While doctors in the region are by all accounts excellent, study after study has shown that a turnstile approach to staffing medical positions hurts patients. According to the Canadian Medical Association, continuity of care results in less emergency room visits, fewer medical errors and lower health care costs.

For fans of irony, the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Manitoba - the contractor that declined to renew Wiens' contract - highlighted the importance of doctor-patient familiarity on its website.

"Continuity of care is an integral part of family medicine," the website reads. "Continuity favourably influences health care outcomes and patient and medical staff satisfaction."

Uh-huh... Meanwhile, Kivalliq residents are left scratching their heads and pining for the medical godsend that once was.

"We finally have a doctor who has embraced the community and the spirit within it," Rankin mayor Lorne Kusugak said last week.

Well, he's partially right.

Thanks to what looks like a short-sighted decision, we HAD that doctor.

Editorial Comment
Dez Loreen
Inuvik Drum

We've come a long way, baby.

In my 23 years in Inuvik, I have seen many different kinds of celebrations.

People gather to remember our soldiers who died during war, to celebrate Canada Day and a variety of other events where food and fun is had.

I'm sure you all enjoyed Aboriginal Day festivities, and filled up on traditional meats.

Hopefully, there was some dry meat left after I arrived. I apologize. I'm weak for the taste of well dried caribou.

I can remember years ago, when gatherings like this came and went, without much planning or preparation.

People would show up at a set time, which was sometimes changed because of a late dance the night before.

Good ol' Delta time, eh? The activities start when the co-ordinator gets up.

Luckily, we have now seemed to crawl out of the darkness, and into a new era where things happen as they are supposed to.

The people who have been responsible for planning the many events we have in town need to be applauded.

A number of individuals tirelessly give their time to ensure the public is having a good time.

If you have ever burned your hand while working a grill at Jim Koe park, I thank you.

If you ever missed your favourite TV show to coach a ball game, then you're in the same boat. Thanks.

Yes, Aboriginal Day is a great day for all people in town.

I see the celebration as a gathering of people without colours and without borders.

Everyone out in a sunny day, looking to enjoy each other's company and maybe eat some free food.

It really goes to show how far Inuvik has really come over the years.

In the past few years, the streets are cleaner, and our quality of life has improved greatly.

People smile on the streets, and, heck, they might even wave back to you if you stick your hand in the air.

As a people, I think we have evolved into a new age, that supersedes any society I can think of.

I remember walking down a street as a little kid, and being intimidated by the number of drunks on the street, or gangs of unruly kids who didn't like the way I acted.

Maybe they just wanted my bike. Who knows?

The main point I want to hit home is that we have all banded together to make Inuvik safe for families.

Our soccer field has grass, now if we only had some nets...

And, oh yeah, a note to all you kids who "use" the soccer nets when they are up.

Those nets are expensive, and are not to be used for hammocks.

If you've ever kicked a ball into the Northmart parking lot, you know how frustrated I am.

Editorial Comment
Roxanna Thompson
Deh Cho Drum

Water is something all Deh Cho communities have in common.

Each is located near a body of water, whether it be a river or a lake.

Just as the people in the area are linked by close ties, the water is also linked as it all moves inevitably towards the Mackenzie River -- from which this region gets its name.

The waterways and the water itself have a wide variety of roles.

The water can be welcomed as a provider of leisure activities and transportation routes.

This past weekend, the boat launching points around Fort Simpson, and probably in other communities, were filled with vehicles loading and unloading a variety of boats. People were headed out for a number of reasons including fishing, visits to cabins and pleasure rides.

NWT author Jamie Bastedo is combining both leisure and travel as he makes his way along the Mackenzie River.

Bastedo has been visiting the communities in the Deh Cho along the Mackenzie over the past few weeks as he travels by canoe doing research for an official guide book on the TransCanada Trail in the NWT.

The end product of Bastedo's journey might bring more adventure tourists into Deh Cho communities. In the short term, it is a reminder that the waterways are also a link to the past and the traditional water trails used before the invention of combustion engines and metal hulled boats.

But the water also has a side that residents have learned to watch for cautiously.

This week, Nahanni Butte saw the potentially destructive nature of water as high levels in the rivers created lakes in the community.

Luckily the flooding was not extensive. A few homes had water up to their doorsteps and some uninhabited buildings had water flowing through them.

Residents took this all in stride with good humour, resorting to inventive means of dealing with the water, including canoeing down streets and walking through flooded areas in hipwaders.

People in other communities will be able to relate to the feeling that comes with wondering how high water will rise as they watch it slowly creep up the banks.

With water touching so many aspects of life in the Deh Cho there has to be a recognition that this is a two way street. Water gives us so much and in return we have to ensure that what we are giving back is not harmful.

Many presenters at the Joint Review Panel hearings in Kakisa and Fort Providence remembered this fact. In both communities, the main concern was possible pollution or disruption to the water.

It is good to see people stepping forward and voicing their concerns about the future of something that is so important in the Deh Cho. Probing for answers to unanswered or nagging questions is crucial so informed decisions can be made.

While the possible impacts of large developments must be scrutinized closely, the same diligence should be applied to our own actions.

Everyone has to do their part to ensure that the we can continue to enjoy the water found in abundance in the Deh Cho.

The photographs in the photospread "Fighting fires" in the June 15 issue of the Deh Cho Drum were taken and kindly provided by Christopher Carson and Yvonne Anderson, not Roxanna Thompson.