Editorial

That's Shorty Brown recalling his decision to move north and play hockey for the Town Indians - one of several minor league teams in Yellowknife at the height of Yellowknife's gold mining days in 1951.

Brown quickly embraced Yellowknife. People here were family to him. After going overseas to play hockey, he came back with his Dutch wife Mickey to raise a family of his own - all of whom still live here.

Over the years, he strove to make Yellowknife bigger and better. Brown so believed in the city's potential as an economic and government center, he and his partners populated the downtown with office towers.

In Quebec, while coaching a Yellowknife peewee team in the mid-1960s, it dawned on him that city kids didn't have enough opportunities to go out and see the world.

His solution? Bring the world to Yellowknife by hosting an international hockey tournament.

That one didn't pan out but the idea did seed the foundation for the Arctic Winter Games. The first one was hosted in Yellowknife in 1970, and now the event is held every two years in communities across the circumpolar world.

While travelling through the North one year, Brown saw that there was a shortage of skates and hockey equipment for kids. Brown got on the phone to some of his hockey pals, and before you know it, skates were flooding in from across North America to isolated communities everywhere in the North.

It's no wonder that Brown was inducted into the Order of Canada, and had a street and a rink named after him. He was the number one pick in a Yellowknifer poll to name the Multiplex arena

Many streets have been named and monuments erected to commemorate other Yellowknife residents. It's common practice to do such things when a prominent citizen passes on.

What makes Brown's honours more remarkable, however, is that he was still around to receive them in person.

Brown never sought out the limelight, but his overwhelming sincerity and kindness made it easy for other people to put him in it, whether it be Yellowknifer or Peter Gzowski.

To anyone who has lived here for a while, it was easy to be proud of him. All his accomplishments are homegrown, and for everyone living here to see.

Yellowknife is not a city that encourages long-term habitation. Most people who arrive here come and go within a few years. This was true in 1951 as it still is today. But Brown thrived here, and the city thrived with him.

It's unlikely Yellowknife will ever see another like him. For the city's sake, we hope that isn't true.

My Rankin welcome

Editorial Comment
Christine Grimard
Kivalliq News
Wednesday, June 13, 2007

When I first stepped out of the airplane in Rankin Inlet two weeks ago, I must admit I was a little intimidated.

Coming from Ottawa, Yellowknife had been my big adventure when I moved up there last December.

However, a few days in Rankin Inlet has made me realize that my time in Yellowknife was hardly different than in any other Southern town.

With pubs, malls, dance clubs and even a movie theatre I had all the comforts of home, even if I was North of 60.

I was warned before I came here that I haven't really experienced Northern life yet, and to be ready for the adjustment.

Well here I am, and even in the second largest community in Nunavut I'm starting to understand how foreign a person can feel in their own country.

I'd like to thank the people who have helped me start to get to know what this town is about.

A weekend at Andrea Duffy's, with friendly visitors stopping by and a family that could not have been more welcoming, was a lifesaver to a stranger drowning in the unknown.

I was lucky enough to be in town when Adina was visiting, and shared some time with the sisters sipping coffee and working on paintings.

A friendly game of cards with a giggly group of ladies was also a great taste of home.

Having left a little bit richer, I'll be glad to meet up with you ladies again.

While I enjoyed a Sunday drive with Andrea out on the land, I must say that the excitement of my week was an invitation to go snowmobiling on the bay.

This may be difficult for people who have grown up on snowmobiles to believe, but it was only my second time on one in my life, and the first time I got to drive one myself.

What a wonderful freedom racing out on the Bay.

With no roads to define our path, we set out free on what turned out to be the only sunny night this week.

As my time here progresses and my job at the newspaper pushes me into the community, I'm getting to know Rankin Inlet a little more.

It's tricky trying to write my impressions, having hardly spent two weeks in this place.

I can say from what I've seen so far, I'm looking forward to getting to know it a little more.

I've been made promises of beautiful tundra, weekends on the land, hopefully some fishing and hunting as well.

As you read this, I have just five more weeks here before I return to Yellowknife and Darrell comes back.

Until then, I welcome any invitations to take part in whatever you can image.

From fishing to hunting, sewing to singing, I'm hoping you'll welcome me and show me what the true North is as about.

For the warm welcome I've received so far, I thank you all.

-- Darrell Greer, the regular editor of the Kivalliq News, returns July 16.

Support your neighbours

Editorial Comment
Dez Loreen
Inuvik Drum
Friday, June 15, 2007

We've all been down and out in our lives, whether it be a bad day at work or just the blues.

The thing about feeling bad is that most of the time it can be fixed by performing a random act of kindness.

I feel the best way to do something good, is by affecting someone in a positive way.

I want Inuvik to extend a hand and help out the people who live here. We all chose to be here and we should do our best to strengthen our community from the inside.

There are plenty of good causes out there to give money to. You don't even need to give money, just your time.

I'm not advocating any specific charities or people. I just want to spread the word that there are people in the community who need our help.

Through whatever circumstances, we have people in this town who might need a hand making ends meet.

We have established a food bank and thrift store for those people who need assistance.

I think those services are great for aiding those who might not want everyone to know they need help.

There are also other groups of people raising money and resources. They might be a non-profit organization or the family of someone who was in some sort of accident.

The Inuvik Children First society is raising funds for their programming. This weekend they chose to bring in comedian Jimmy Flynn to entertain adults.

I like that because you get something from the donation. Not to say that you should always get something for giving, but I think it improves the chances of getting some cheddar from those penny-pinchers out there.

I will be in the audience for Flynn's performance. I commend the group for bringing someone who can turn a frown upside down.

Another good source of fundraising is unique events, like the upcoming "Wheels on Ice" challenge. Perform a task in a wheelchair. Sounds easy, but the smart money says looks are deceiving.

I'll also be in a wheelchair to prove I can step up. I hope I am joined by many well wishers for Chris Schab.

The Samuel Hearne sports teams have done a great job of fundraising as well.

While the track team chose to hold a car wash, other groups in the school have held in-house tournaments.

I took part in the volleyball tourney and it was a great time. Tons of people were out to support me (I think) and give for a worthy cause.

The best part of a tournament is that once you pay to get in, you have a full day of fun and exciting sports to watch. Perfect for those armchair athletes or parents.

I'm glad to live in a town where the people can band together and make things work for everybody.

Remember that your life can change forever in an instant.

Nobody asks for misfortune. Nobody asks for life-changing injuries. I wouldn't wish bad luck on anyone I know, and I don't want it to happen to me.

I hope I will never experience how it feels to lose something as precious as the ability to walk, and I support anyone who is struggling to make ends meet after an accident.

I hope that everyone reading this will take the time to give to a cause they find worthy because there are enough people in this community that we can make someone's life easier.

Local initiative on global problems

Editorial Comment
Roxanna Thompson
Deh Cho Drum
Friday, June 15 2007

Participants at last week's Dehcho Climate Change workshop took on a challenging role.

When it comes to overwhelmingly broad topics, climate change is right in there. The term climate change covers a wide variety of changes that are being caused by an equally wide variety of sources.

Heading into the workshop, Doug Ritchie, the program director of Ecology North, the organization that held the event, was up front with the fact that the topic of climate change is so big that people often feel overwhelmed by it.

"With climate change it's easy to be overwhelmed by the negative and the doom and gloom," said Ritchie.

Participants gathered around the tables in Fort Providence for three days, however, didn't seem fazed by the enormity of the problem they were looking at.

Taking it all in stride, participants went right to the heart of the matter - how is climate change going to affect the Deh Cho?

Divided into groups, they came up with long lists written on flip-chart paper. Many of the problems were uniquely Northern.

While climate change is raising temperatures globally it won't be the much discussed ice melt and resulting water level increase that will be the big problem in the Deh Cho.

As temperatures rise there will be increased problems with ice crossings and winter roads. Both are important to many communities in the region, especially Nahanni Butte and Trout Lake. Participants pointed out that with warmer weather the season for winter roads will be shortened, effecting the community's chances to be resupplied. Other problems will include weakening of the ice crossings and less safety on ice in general.

Other changes will come in the form of loss of permafrost and changes in animal species.

Having identified what the Deh Cho has to lose if climate change continues unchecked, participants also did some hard thinking on what can be done locally to help fight the changes.

Recommendations from the workshop included increased use of alternative energy sources like the solar panels in Jean Marie River and for each community to develop a community energy plan so they can assess where their energy is coming from and if it's being used effectively.

These measures might not seem like much in the face of the enormity of the problem, but the key is that they are a start and, more importantly, they are things that can be done locally.

As Ritchie stated, it's easy to be overwhelmed by the negative news about the size of the problem, but that shouldn't be allowed to stop individual communities and people from taking it upon themselves to work towards a solution.

The recommendations from the workshop will now be presented to the delegates at the upcoming Dehcho Assembly, in Fort Simpson, at the end of the month. Leaders will have the chance to provide feedback on the short-term goals.

Although the recommendations will be fighting for space and attention amid a variety of pressing local issues, it can be hoped that leaders will take the time to give the issue some serious thought.

Corrections

In Wednesday's article 'Mine rescue teams hone skills' the Community Emergency Response Team was identified as Yellowknife's Search and Rescue Team.

Yellowknifer also said that the group had been involved in the event for three years.

They have been helping with the simulation since 2003 and this was their fifth scenario that they have provided for the mine rescue competition.

Yellowknifer apologizes for any confusion our error may have caused.