Editorial

The territorial government is taking an important step towards protecting the integrity of our rivers. A decision to negotiate an agreement with the Alberta government to deal with trans-boundary water issues is something that should have been done long ago.

Unfortunately, NWT residents will still be waiting at least three more years as the wheels of bureaucracy spin and studies and meetings are conducted. Hopefully by the time all the ridiculous red tape has been waded through it won't be too late.

Northern Alberta has one of the greatest impacts on water resources in the southern NWT. Water from the Athabasca and Peace Rivers, which dump into the Slave River, is diverted for use in agriculture, industry, human consumption and for the oil sands project. All of these factors, added to lower levels of precipitation and winter snow pack in recent years, create a need to be cautious about how we use our water.

Aside from human consumption, water levels in the NWT are vital for animal habitat, travel and subsistence land rights. Water levels will also be important for the territorial government's plans to introduce run-of-river hydroelectric projects to reduce reliance on diesel power generation.

We must be prepared to defend our water resources with every legal resource at our disposal. Any eventual agreement must have clear guarantees and teeth to back them up. The GNWT must be prepared to take legal action to demonstrate to our southern neighbours our willingness to protect the water resources upon which we rely so heavily.

While Alberta has always been a good friend to the NWT, billions of dollars in revenue flow from the oil sands into Alberta government coffers.

The longer the talks take, the more money rolls in. Our government must not allow talks to drag on and on. The negotiations are expected to take three years. In that time, oil sands expansion and other industrial projects, agricultural and municipal needs could continue to reduce water flow in the NWT.

Agreements with B.C. and Saskatchewan are next on the list and negotiating with Alberta is an opportunity for the NWT to demonstrate the strength of its resolve. A strong agreement with Alberta will make it easier to be tough with B.C. and Saskatchewan.

We can have good relations and be diplomatic, but the bottom line is that it's time to stand up for the rights of NWT residents and protect one of our most precious resources.

A school with vision

There are many extraordinary things happening at Nuiyak school in Sanikiluaq, and it's gaining national recognition.

The Nunavut Department of Education recommended Nuiyak as a model of excellence for a study entitled Sharing our Success: More Case Studies in Aboriginal Schooling. The recently released report focuses on 10 aboriginal learning institutions from across Canada. The chapter on Nuiyak school features some glowing praise for the educational staff.

The teachers, particularly co-principal Lisi Kavik, have worked with community members to develop a strong Inuit cultural program. Those traditional studies are blended with regular academics, trades training such as carpentry and taxidermy and a modern media and technologies program.

This wide array of programs wouldn't be affordable in a remote community with 300 students unless an innovative funding arrangement was devised. The school wisely partners with other organizations, including the non-profit daycare, to access different pots of money.

Although half of Nuiyak's staff are Inuit while the other half are non-Inuit, the consultant who assessed the school made note of how they work harmoniously towards the same goals.

He also mentioned that the continuity in the school's leadership has been an important factor in its success.

One troubling aspect of the evaluation is that Nuiyak still doesn't produce many more grads than the territorial average, which is a mere 25 per cent.

The report cites the Iqaluit Education Authority's explanation that students in Nunavut face obstacles including hunger, malnutrition and fetal alcohol syndrome.

Overcrowded homes and, in the case of Sanikiluaq, English as a second language can be added to the daunting list of challenges.

John Jamieson, Nuiyak's other co-principal, and a man who plays a key role in many community initiatives, pointed to what he says is a much more important statistic: Sanikiluaq has the lowest rate of suicide in Nunavut. This comes as a result of a community-wide effort, but the school definitely plays a part.

With all the obstacles in place, and even with the abundance of effort, some youth just aren't able to pass the Alberta Achievement exam, Jamieson noted, and that can come as a frustrating blow. So to boost students' self esteem, Jamieson and Kavik have been contemplating a new version of a high school diploma that would be awarded to those who pass their Inuit cultural studies.

Their approach and perseverance are admirable. They are aiming to foster scholars, but also helping the students retain their roots, learn employment skills and, most importantly, find their way in a changing world.

Nunavut officials need to be protected before it's too late

Editorial Comment
Darrell Greer
Kivalliq News
Wednesday, March 28, 2007

After years of moving in the right direction, respect for hockey officials took a big step backwards this season.

There's no doubt at the start of the year, some of the frustration aimed at officials was the result of Hockey Canada's new standard of officiating, which closely resembles that of the NHL.

The hooking, clutching and grabbing of years past are gone forever, and interfering with those in pursuit of the puck is also called much more frequently.

However, many of the hockey players in Nunavut, especially in the Kivalliq, adapted remarkably well to the new rule emphasis and standard of officiating.

In fact, they adapted far quicker than most officials thought entering the season.

So, blaming the new standard for the increase in abuse towards officials rings a little on the hollow side.

In Rankin Inlet, the executive of the most successful adult recreational league in the North showed the good sense to adopt a suspension system for players who got personal with their remarks to the officials.

The move did not totally address the problem, however, as was seen during the Avataq Memorial tourney when an official left the ice after incurring more verbal abuse than he could take.

It has been especially disheartening this year when players who also coach or officiate themselves have been involved with such behaviour.

While their dedication to the game in different capacities is admirable, they, among all others, should realize the damage done when officials are abused by players.

The damage is threefold, the least of which being the high attrition rate among officials who don't return the following year.

Even more damaging - especially in areas where large crowds at games are the norm, not the exception - is that would-be officials who witness the abuse immediately lose their desire to become hockey referees.

Nunavut has a perilously low number of certified hockey officials.

If those numbers continue to drop the territory's entire hockey program will be at risk, and we're closer to that point than many people care to admit right now.

However, the biggest impact the abuse has is reserved for those playing minor hockey, especially when the abuse comes from a player who the kids may look up to.

Abuse of officials in minor hockey is parallel to domestic violence and the family unit in that both are where the cycle begins.

Minor hockey players, who see their role models abuse officials, get it in their head that this type of behaviour is acceptable.

And, in many cases, they continue that behaviour as they progress to higher age brackets of hockey, thus perpetuating the cycle of abuse to the point where it remains a problem on a yearly basis.

Nunavut hockey cannot afford to allow the abuse of officials to continue.

It's time for our hockey associations and league executives to increase the penalties for such infractions to, once again, make it clear to players of all ages that such behaviour will not be tolerated.

It's our game. Let's work together to protect it.

Higher expectations

Editorial Comment
Dez Loreen
Inuvik Drum
Friday, March 30, 2007

We all have responsibilities with our jobs. It's no secret that some jobs expect more from you than others. A lawyer has more on his plate than the Quickstop clerk and so forth.

No matter what your career is, you still need to follow the rules and proper procedures if you want to last long. It's simple really. Do the job properly and you will be rewarded.

This brings me to Wednesday morning. I was at home on my day off when my phone rang. Seems someone I know got a traffic ticket from a by-law officer.

You could say the by-law officer has one of the highest profile jobs in town. People see him in the red truck and put their seat belts on. It's common knowledge that he is out on the road to enforce the rules. I have an incredible amount of respect for him and his work for the community.

So, on that sunny morning, Rory Gordon made an illegal left turn across a lane of traffic into the Eskimo Inn. We all know the manoeuvre of which I speak. You probably did it twice today without even thinking about it.

Rory brings me the traffic ticket, which was issued for March 21, 2006. The year was filled in wrong, which is understandable, I caught myself writing the wrong year a few times. Then I noticed the officer's signature was also missing from the ticket in question. That lit some alerts in my head.

Was this ticket valid if it had the wrong date? Wouldn't the officer have to sign it to prove the authenticity of the fine? Should Rory pay the fine? Would I be able to enjoy my time off? All those questions were running through my head.

It seems that the officer's signature is needed on the ticket, so says SAO Tom Lie. But according to Lie, the by-law officer has the authority to change tickets after they have been handed out.

Rory didn't seem too interested in paying for a ticket that was incorrectly filled out.

The by-law officer has one duty, to uphold the municipal laws written by the town. On any given day that man could write a dozen tickets before stopping for some lunch.

Seems to me that someone who spends his time giving tickets should know how to fill one out correctly. Not to be super-blunt like that, but it's true.

A by-law officer has authority in town over us and our vehicles. He can appear in court cases and has legal accountability. That means we expect his knowledge of the date to be better than the random guy on the street looking for the time.

Some of the most important information on a traffic ticket is the date and authorizing signature. Without those on the paper, it may as well be used in the john as supplemental wipe material.

I hope someone will be accountable for this, because I am sure it's not the first time this has happened.

Yes, the traffic laws need to be respected and obeyed, they are in place for our safety, but at the same time, they should be enforced with some sort of protocol, instead of this "mulligan"-esque behaviour.

We all make mistakes and we are all human. I can forgive and excuse someone for their mistakes so long as they learn from them.

I think the ticket should have been ripped up and the officer should have shrugged it off instead of offering to re-issue the ticket.

Keeping us safe

Editorial Comment
Roxanna Thompson
Deh Cho Drum
Friday, March 30, 2007

On the list of things that residents of the Deh Cho are concerned about a terrorist threat to the Enbridge pipeline probably doesn't rank very high.

Thanks to the recent trend in warmer weather more people are probably worried about being knocked in the head by melting snow sliding off of roofs or slipping on a patch of ice or polished snow.

For communities like Fort Simpson that are located along rivers there is the worry that the upcoming breakup might prove to be the big one that will flood buildings.

Across the Deh Cho people probably worry about vehicle accidents, bank statements and what to have for supper on a daily basis, but not terrorist threats.

Terrorist threats on the whole are, of course, things that need to be taken seriously. The Deh Cho, however, seems to be a world away from any likely terrorist activity.

The Deh Cho certainly isn't in the Middle East where most current terrorist threats are emerging, according to officials who are quoted almost nightly on news broadcasts.

Residents living here thankfully don't have to worry about whether they will encounter a suicide bomber on their next trip to the grocery store or if the car driving past them is carrying a bomb that might explode at any minute. It's also unlikely that anyone will hijack a plane and purposefully crash it into any of our local buildings to make a point.

These are all things to be grateful for.

There is, however, a practical need for the upcoming Operation Narwhal that will take place in both Fort Simpson and Norman Wells.

Although the likelihood of anything like the exercise's scenario of a terrorist threat to the pipeline actually happening may be low, it's comforting in a way to know that someone is considering the option and taking steps to ensure that it could be handled properly.

Few things are worse than having a disaster happen and realizing that no one has the training to address it. With officials from the Canadian Forces and Joint Task Force North running exercises concerning terrorist threats to the pipeline at least they will be more prepared if something did happen.

Really, the pipeline might be one of the most tempting terrorist targets in the Northwest Territories if a terrorist group was really looking to work in the area. Disabling a diamond mine would probably have far less of an effect than shutting down the flow of oil in the Enbridge pipeline or worse yet, creating an environmental disaster with it.

In the midst of all this serious consideration of terrorism, it's nice to know there is still one bit of levity surrounding the whole situation.

It's a bit amusing to think that the military personnel who are coming from Ontario to work in Fort Simpson during Operation Narwhal are concerned about our local bear population. Soldiers are always portrayed in popular culture as being macho and self-secure.

Bears aren't something you would think would faze them.

In the case of a real terrorist threat bears would likely be the least of the soldiers' worries but at the moment it's worth a chuckle.

They do, however, have a point because spring is a higher-risk time for bears. Some might not have had enough to eat before going into hibernation and will be waking up hungry.

While now keeping one wary eye open for suspicious terrorist activity, residents of the Deh Cho would be well-advised to keep the other open for hungry bears.