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Wednesday, July 26, 2006
Finish the job

There's no doubt that implementing a dozen safety orders that stemmed from the deaths of two firefighters in March 2005 is a big job.

Firefighters Cyril Fyfe and Kevin Olson should never have died trying to put out a simple shed fire. This tragedy exposed critical safety problems, and resulted in charges that could cost the city tens of thousands of dollars in court costs and possible fines.

After the 12 orders were handed down by the Workers' Compensation Board in February, City Hall formed a committee to implement them. The committee included management staff and firefighters, including Lieut. Craig Halifax, president of the firefighters' union local, Lieut. Mike Lowing and one other firefighter.

During the past several months, Halifax has been the most vocal advocate for firefighter safety, asking important questions and forcing city leaders to address critical issues.

Instead of staying on the sidelines, Halifax rolled up his sleeves and got to work.

Until recently.

The committee continues to work to address the issue, so its job is not yet complete. Even so, Halifax quit the committee, saying he doesn't have time to commit to the task any more. Lieut. Mike Lowing also left the committee. He has declined to specify his reasons for leaving.

As a former deputy fire chief and with long-term knowledge of the department, Lowing's loss will be keenly felt, we're sure.

Halifax's voice was important, too, because he has been the only one to publicly question the city's response to the deaths of Fyfe and Olson.

His reasons for leaving the committee include the fact many of the meetings took place on his days off and the time needed to do the work hurt his ability to do his job as a firefighter and union president.

Given the amount of work that was needed, perhaps Halifax and Lowing should not have signed on to the committee in the first place, but once committed they should have stuck it out to the end.

Maybe the committee work could have been better planned to make it easier on the two professional firefighters who are also leaders in the department.

Could meetings have been rescheduled or work portioned out differently?

Perhaps a person could have been hired on contract to do the detailed work and have committee members provide oversight and advice.

The WCB orders aren't going away and it's in everyone's interest to get the job done well and quickly.

We hope the loss of Halifax and Lowing won't hurt the committee's ability to finish the job. Two firefighters died. Yellowknifers and firefighters both need to know that everything is being done to ensure all safety procedures are in place and being followed.


Baby muskox had to be killed

Editorial Comment
Andrew Raven
Kivalliq News


There is no doubt the killing of two baby muskoxen last week by wildlife officers is visually unsettling.

The tiny calves, who were nursed back to health by prospectors at a mining camp west of Rankin Inlet, were blindfolded, marched to the end of a remote runway and shot in the head.

But the Sopranos-eque ending was the only humane solution to a problem that appears to have begun when workers at the Ferguson Lake camp forgot the meaning of "wild."

Wildlife officers allege the prospectors took the animals - which appear to have been abandoned, though wardens don't know why - under their wing about two months ago. The animals were being fed by camp workers until July 14 when two wildlife officers flew to Ferguson Lake to carry out the death order.

Their herd long gone and their mothers milkless, the muskoxen were candidates for predation or starvation and not much else. That made the bullet the most humane solution to two lives that should have ended on the ice-covered Ferguson Lake two months ago.

The fact that a baby muskoxen was saved from the tundra outside Cambridge Bay last year could have given the prospectors false hope. That calf, named Chance, was nourished by airline workers, flown to Yellowknife - where he was hooked up to an intravenous line - and relocated to a game preserve outside Whitehorse.

While Chance's ordeal grabbed headlines across the country, it underscored how hard it is to relocate wild animals; Chance died of apparent liver failure before reaching his first birthday.

This reporter spent a half-hour with Chance in the office of a Yellowknife veterinarian while the 25-kilogram fluff ball rested, awaiting his transfer to the Yukon.

For most of that time, he stood against the back of his cage, his tiny knees awkwardly angled inward.

There was no doubting his cuteness. But that should not make people oblivious the harsh realities of nature. Even in Nunavut, it seems, people forget what a cruel place the tundra can be.

The government should not have to pay for an airplane charter - much less a full-scale relocation - just because these muskoxen tugged on a few heart strings.

Nunavut is better off spending money on its human inhabitants, who trail the rest of Canadians in most social markers.

To borrow a phrase, the lives of muskoxen are nasty, brutish and often short. Such is nature. No matter how well-intentioned people might be, there is no way around it.

The regular editor of the Kivalliq News, Darrell Greer, is back in the saddle this week. I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone in the Kivalliq for their hospitality and helpfulness during the last six weeks. Qujjannamiik.


Sharing knowledge

Editorial Comment
Dez Loreen
Inuvik Drum


The main message I have to deliver to my readers today, is the word of sharing.

I don't mean that I want you to go out and give money, or forfeit half of your worldly possessions to your neighbour.

I'm not here to preach; I just want to make our community as nice as possible. While walking through the arts festival earlier this week, I saw a man and his son looking at some carvings.

I talked with them for a bit, and learned about some nice looking pieces. They were talking about different styles, and how the art has been changing. It was nice to be a part of the exchange, because it made me reflect on the things around me.

I think the arts festival is a great place for learning, regardless of age or walk of life. I saw artists giving workshops, and passing on their knowledge to interested people who would stop and talk with them as they worked on their latest projects.

Various discussions took place, about the many techniques one can have with a paint brush, from short, brisk stokes, to dabbles with a worn out brush to give a painting an "air brushed" look.

While some people may think that sharing your success in art could be classified information, I say it should be open to all. Let anyone know how, so if they choose to become active in the craft, they have a good idea of where to start.

I also saw that television personality Dennis Allen was on hand to share his wisdom with whomever wanted to sit down and listen. After working with this guy for just over a year I can say that I learned a lot from him.

Whether it be shooting tips with a digital video camera, or writing tips, and how to properly outline a 24-minute TV program, I could always count on his explanations.

One thing about Dennis' teaching, is that he never complicates his words by jumbling some useless jargon when he's telling you about something.

His workshop was a great opportunity for regular people who do not work in the broadcast industry to pick up a video camera and shoot.

I don't mean the kind of video camera that you learned about at your cousin's wedding, when your uncle told you that nobody else could work it. These machines that Dennis uses on a daily basis are top of the line equipment.

I know because I was in the thick of it all for two years, and when I left, I still had no clue about what half of the knobs were for, and my white balances were off on more than half of the raw footage I took. I thank Dennis for his patience as well.

For those of you lucky people who were in the workshop, now you have a taste of the biz, and what comes with the territory - working late nights and sharing workspaces with other people.

We need more venues like the arts festival, so more and more people can become involved in pastimes that they enjoy.


One step at a time

Editorial Comment
Roxanna Thompson
Deh Cho Drum


It's great to see the large number of people who took the emergency firefighter course in both Fort Simpson and Fort Liard.

With most of the participants being between the ages of 18-24, these young people gained additional skills that could open new doors or job opportunities for them.

They are also now qualified to help fight forest fires if the need ever arises.

Even more encouraging is the number of women who took the course. In Fort Simpson four of the nine participants were female.

From the outside, fire crews can seem like a male-dominated environment so it's positive to see women who are willing to move into the field.

Besides developing new skills and probably getting a boost for their self-esteem, these young women paved the way for even more to follow.

It's been more than 40 years since the women's liberation movement in Canada swept the nation in the 1960s and '70s. While women have come a long way, their journey is not yet over.

October is women's history month in Canada, an event that has been celebrated since 1992. This year the focus is on aboriginal women and their journey forward.

The goal is to make people across Canada more aware of aboriginal women's contributions to their country, communities and families. Organizers also hope to promote an understanding of the unique realities and challenges that aboriginal women face in their lives.

In the Deh Cho, women occupy many positions of power. There are women chiefs, council members, Metis presidents, health care workers, entrepreneurs and professionals.

But it's not just the women with fancy titles who are powerful in communities.

Many families are kept together by women who work hard to care for children and the household - contributions that often go unseen.

Women are also important in preserving many aspects of the culture in the Deh Cho. Women carry traditional knowledge about a variety of subjects and ensure that traditional crafting skills are passed on to the next generation.

Women are even branching into different cultural areas that have been traditionally seen as the domain of men. A few months ago a group of women in Fort Providence gathered together to learn how to make and use drums.

Across the Deh Cho it's time to recognize the contributions that women make to communities and the quality of life. There is no need to wait for October to arrive. Women provide examples daily that are worthy of praise.

As the younger generation of women move forward it's important that they know about the people in whose footsteps they are following so they can both appreciate the ground that has been covered and break new trails moving forward.

Whether they are taking emergency firefighter training courses or making drums, women in the Deh Cho have clearly shown that nothing is beyond their grasp.