Expansion of broadband Internet to 30 NWT communities will either mean people can download pornography faster or gain improved access to services and better education.

The choice is up to the government.

Last week's announcement that SSI Micro and Falcon Communications have completed the network was one of the most important stories of the year.

First of all, it brings a level of communication to remote NWT towns that we in Yellowknife take for granted.

Secondly, it can open a new world of opportunities not previously available.

We hope education officials are hunkered down planning ways to develop an online curriculum and get more computers into schools in Deline, Sachs Harbour, Trout Lake or Lutsel K'e. The government should be working with publishers to create online textbooks that link to a range of resources and which can be updated more regularly than paper copies.

The health department has a toll-free info line for medical questions. Do it online. People should be able to order birth certificates or fishing licences using the Internet. Surely there are more ways to bring government to the people using modern technology.

What's clear is that the World Wide Web has become become little more than a huge entertainment outlet.

It's the territorial government's challenge to make the internet work for Northerners to span the huge spaces that divide our communities.

Whether it's experiencing Vimy Ridge, diving in the Caribbean, a Broadway show or a trip to a Lego robot competition in Edmonton, Yellowknife students are able to see and do things that their parents can only dream about.

To get there, however, takes a lot of cash. While some students and their parents are happy to foot the entire bill, others reach out to the community.

They bag groceries, wash cars, work as designated drivers during the holiday season, or host raffles. The St. Patrick high school students who will travel to Vimy Ridge and other famous Canadian battlefields in France in April have raised $45,000.

Every time you turn around, it seems, there's a youth group here or a sports group there asking you to buy raffle tickets or participate in some other fundraiser.

Some people may wonder why they have to shell out over and over to various groups.

Most people, however, smile and pull a toonie, fiver or $10 bill out to help out.

These trips are fun, for sure, but they also open up a world of experience for youth. Lessons learned from a textbook may be dry and dull, but they come alive when you get to experience the sights and sounds.

One of the most important lessons for these young people however, is the hard work it takes to achieve a dream like the once-in-a-lifetime trip to witness the rededication of the Vimy Memorial.

Editorial Comment
Darrell Greer
Kivalliq News
Wednesday, February 14, 2007

If ever there was a glaring example of how much the almighty dollar dictates many of the decisions made in today's society, it came courtesy of the boob tube earlier this month.

The stage had been set for a proud moment for aboriginal people in Canada on the evening of Feb. 3.

Akina Shirt, a 13-year-old originally from Saddle Lake First Nation and now living in Edmonton, was scheduled to sing our national anthem at a NHL game in Calgary pitting the Flames against the Canucks.

It was, in fact, history in the making as Shirt was to become the first person in NHL history to sing O Canada in her native Cree language.

The network carrying Hockey Night in Canada had been advertising the significance of Shirt's appearance on its website, and many an aboriginal was in front of the TV to witness the historic moment.

Given the proud aboriginal history in Canada and the importance placed upon hockey in this nation, this was the type of event where, many years from now, people could proudly proclaim that they watched as Shirt sang the anthem in her native tongue.

But, unfortunately, the earlier game matching the Toronto Maple Leafs against the Ottawa Senators went to a shootout and put the network behind with its commercials.

So, someone in a position of authority - no doubt making a salary most of us can only dream about - decided Shirt's appearance was of such minor interest that it could be skipped over for an extended run of commercials.

Hey, people who watch hockey would probably rather watch a bunch of ads than history in the making.

Besides, hockey fans even know the words to all the jingles and wouldn't understand a word in Cree anyway, right?

All together now: "Hands in my pockets, hands in my pockets, hands in my pockets."

Simply put, Canadians should be more than a little embarrassed by the network's decision.

The vast majority of hockey fans would gladly have foregone a few minutes of play for the network to get caught up on its commercials after Shirt had her historic moment on national TV.

In fact, many of us were looking forward to her appearance and that giddy feeling we get when we're proud to be Canadians.

Instead, I was left to feel embarrassed and, even though I had nothing to do with the decision, more than a little guilty.

The call to cut Shirt from the show was but another example of why so many aboriginals continue to distrust corporate (read white) Canada.

Even more disturbing was the slap in the face to our fellow Canadians by our supposedly national network.

The network did air a taped segment of Shirt's performance later in the show, but it was too little too late.

An apology should be issued and the network should show the good sense to bring the teenager back for an encore performance.

It may no longer be a first, but it could be done right to give Shirt - and the millions of us who would be honoured to have her sing our national anthem in Cree - the proud moment on the national stage that she was promised.

Editorial Comment
Dez Loreen
Inuvik Drum
Friday, February 16, 2007

Seriously, I think it's high time that we stand up as a community and give the boot to crack dealers in town.

These people come to Inuvik with a suitcase full of cocaine and a hunger for money. It must be the easiest job in the world to sit by the phone and wait for the business to roll in. In an industry where the product moves itself, any greedy, selfish person can become a crack dealer.

We need to take a proactive approach to this situation. We cannot wait for the police to step up and make another "large" bust. Pre-empt the RCMP and make some phone calls. Send anonymous tips to the detachment. I've been told that is how our system works.

People who attended those meetings last year about the crack problem are still waiting for results. Well guess what? You are the ones who should be blamed. If you claim to know who these dealers are, then rat them out.

Every crack dealer in this town is an outsider looking to score some easy money from the weak, addicted people in the North. If you are a crack dealer from in town, you just became an outsider.

I'd like to ask a crack dealer what he or she wants from this life. I'd like to know what he wanted to be as a kid and how his mother must feel about his career choice.

As much as I want to, I cannot leave all the blame with the dealer.

After all, it's called supply and demand. Just because he brought some rocks up North on the plane does not mean you have to buy them.

Problems like this only go away when people in the community stand up and admit they have a problem. If they can't stop, there is no reason for the dealers to leave.

I don't think people in Inuvik are taking this problem seriously. Maybe they didn't attend that meeting because they don't know anyone addicted to crack.

Well hey, every addict is someone's family. If you have not been affected by crack yet, you may be soon.

People get curious. It's our nature to question the world around us and try new things. Now, if we could push crack dealers out of town, there would be no temptation for kids to try crack.

Part of the power of cocaine, crack, speed or any other chemical is the physical addiction. You cannot control it even if you want to. It starts with a harmless sample at a party, and eventually you're flushing entire paycheques down the toilet.

If you are battling an addiction to crack, please get help. Talk to your family about it. Let them know that you plan on beating this.

By being an addict and giving these crack dealers a reason to keep coming back to the land of the midnight sun, you are a big part of the problem.

I have faith in the people here in Inuvik. Rather than boot out all the addicts in town to starve the dealers' demand, maybe we should just deal with the crack merchants.

By giving a dealer your money for a gram of rock, you just sealed that guy's fate. Instead of learning a useful trade or finding a career, this person is making it rich in life by feeding off people's weakness.

He could have been a pilot or he might have been a good basketball player, but someone hooked him up with a sweet gig, selling cocaine to Northerners.

Can we just put everything else on hold and fix this? I think it's time to put the pipe away and crack down on rock.

Editorial Comment
Roxanna Thompson
Deh Cho Drum
Friday, February 16, 2007

While people are constantly beaten over the head by the idea that it only takes one person to make a difference in the world, this theory recently worked astoundingly well in Fort Liard.

Thanks to the idea of one man and the backing of some community members, a young girl now has a greater amount of independence.

Gene Hope noticed the difficulties that Patricia Duntra had travelling around the roads in Fort Liard using her own arm power to propel her wheelchair. One day he took a chance and started canvassing for donations for an electric wheelchair. In a day he had gathered enough for three-quarters of the price of a new wheelchair.

While most plans don't always go that smoothly, it's actions like this that give rise to the theory that one person can change the world. In this case the change was in the world of a young girl.

A lot of great ideas come from observing something that doesn't work as well as it might and coming up with a better or different way to do it. All those people out there who have been storing a plan in the back of their heads, whether it is for a change in their community or a useful invention, should take this opportunity to try and make their own plans into realities. You'll never know if something will work unless you give it a try.

The clock has ticked down and for the residents of Fort Simpson the NWT Winter Games are upon them.

With confirmations from 31 of the possible 33 communities in the Northwest Territories, this means close to 300 students and their chaperones will be descending on the village for the weekend.

For the participants the games will provide a wealth of benefits.

The games are designed to be non-competitive and introduce youth ages 10-14 to new sports and hopefully get them hooked. If even a handful of the participants are inspired to join a new sport or take a familiar sport to a higher level the games will be worth it.

With all the recent statistics concerning overweight and unhealthy children, every youth needs to be encouraged to take part in a physical activity regardless of whether or not they become a star athlete for the territory.

Participants at the games will be able to play badminton, snowboarding, speed skating, cross-country skiing, broomball, basketball and Dene games. Darts, curling and archery will be held as optional activities.

Other benefits will include the chance for the youth to travel and meet new people and old friends. At almost any gathering, youth say the best part of the event is socializing with people their own age.

Residents of Fort Simpson can also get more out of the games than just a weekend where the village is overrun by youth.

The games will provide a great chance for people to get out, cheer on some athletes and maybe rekindle some athletic abilities of their own.

Let's make this an event that will have participants talking positively about the Deh Cho and Fort Simpson long after the games are over.