Editorial

But even the staunchest naysayer would be forced to admit our teachers and schools must be doing something right given the stellar performance of our six medal-winning students at the national Skills Canada competition in Saskatchewan.

Look at the list: Cody Peterson, gold; Tyler Heal, silver; Kyle Wright, silver; Tyler Janz, bronze; Megan Welsh, bronze; and, Royce Schaff, bronze.

These fine young Northerners gave it their all and doubled the territorial medal haul compared to last year's competition.

As Peterson, who earned the NWT's first ever gold in post-secondary graphic design, the honour gives the territories some bragging rights and lets everyone else know, "...the NWT has stuff going on."

This medal haul hasn't come easily. For the past several years, politicians, community leaders, educators and others have worked hard to build an education infrastructure that prepares youth to take the jobs of the future and reduce our reliance on an expensive, unstable southern workforce.

Hats off to the dedicated teachers who inspired these wonderful young learners, not only to try something new, but to excel at it on the national stage.

The spirit of giving

Yellowknife's generous spirit has always been evident in the amount people are willing to give to worthy causes.

Relay for Life is one of those causes. Virtually everyone, regardless of age, sex or race, has been touched in some way by cancer.

This year, more than $100,000 was raised - nearly double the amount collected in 2006 - and organizers lauded the level of support as the best in years.

Teams are given special recognition if they raise $10,000 or more. Each year a team has made that goal, but this year, for the first time, four teams met or surpassed the $10,000 goal.

Louise Riordan, program co-ordinator with the Canadian Cancer Society, called the achievement phenomenal and we agree with her.

The Canadian Cancer Society estimates that there will be 159,000 new cases of cancer in 2007 and more than 70,000 deaths. The numbers are frightening and demonstrate the urgency for continued research in combatting one of Canada's biggest killers.

Those who participated in this year's Relay for Life should be proud of their achievements and, hopefully, this upward trend will continue in years to come.

Nuclear reaction

Editorial Comment
Christine Grimard
Kivalliq News
Wednesday, June 20, 2007

Those able to attend meetings in Baker Lake two weeks ago, have likely heard enough about what uranium is and what development of this resource can bring to Nunavut.

I had a chance to speak with two Baker Lake residents who pointed out to me that people there are just learning now about what uranium is. Since uranium is primarily used to produce nuclear power, I thought I would take a chance this week to talk a bit about the subject.

When nuclear power first came out in the 1950s and 1960s, it was seen as a miracle power source, where all the world's problems would be solved with this seemingly endless supply of energy.

Since 1945 Canada has denounced any intention to build atomic weapons and has concentrated all its efforts in developing technology for nuclear power.

Nuclear power has been associated with "clean energy" because, in comparison with fossil fuels, it is one of the world's most abundant and effective energy sources if, and this is a key point, safety measures are carefully followed and nuclear waste is disposed of properly.

The myth of the "miracle" energy source was dissuaded after the disasters of Three Mile Island in Pennsylvania in 1979 and the 1986 accident at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in Chernobyl, a power plant near Pripyat, Ukraine. Up to 146,000 square kilometres of land around the plant was contaminated by radioactivity and 350,000 people had to move.

But Canada does not carry the dysfunctions of a communist country, and modern technologies have minimized, and arguably altogether abolished the likelihood of a similar disaster. Canada has taken a leading position on nuclear power. This country has 20 nuclear reactors, and is a world leader in nuclear technologies. Countries such as China and India use Canadian CANDU reactors. Nuclear power provides half of Ontario's electricity.

At this month's G-8 Summit, climate change was on everyone's lips, and is one of the leading issues businesses and governments face. Al Gore's documentary, An Inconvenient Truth, popularized the issue that scientists and activists have been pushing for years, sending out the message that our production and consumption habits are slowly killing this planet.

Nuclear power does not produce soot or greenhouse gases, the primary triggers Gore so clearly linked to climate change.

Mining, however, does produce waste and this is an important point to consider in allowing mining development in the area.

It's also important to recognize that the North's past and present connection with uranium hasn't been good. It was mined in the 1930s, 1940s and 1950s near Great Bear Lake in the NWT, and the community of Deline continues to deal with the after-effects.

A proposal to explore for uranium in the Thelon River area east of Lutsel K'e was recently denied by an NWT regulatory agency, citing environmental and cultural concerns.

Leaving the conservation issues linked with uranium development aside, giving uranium development the go ahead is also a vote for nuclear power, and this is something I strongly support.

Even Patrick Moore, one of the founders of Greenpeace, has put himself behind nuclear energy, as he wrote in an op-ed piece for the Washington Post: "my views have changed, and the rest of the environmental movement needs to update its views, too, because nuclear energy may just be the energy source that can save our planet from another possible disaster: catastrophic climate change."

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

Inuvik needs to meet the needs of the disabled

Editorial Comment
Dez Loreen
Inuvik News
Thursday, June 21, 2007

I want to start with two questions: How much asphalt would we need to fix every sidewalk and building in town with proper access to wheelchair ramps; and how much will it cost?

I'd really like a response to my questions, so feel free to mull that over while I condemn the town's lack of wheelchair accessibility.

I took part in the wheels on ice challenge last week to show my support for a friend and to see what state our community is in.

My ''simple task'' was to make my way from SAM school to the Mackenzie Hotel and request a room rate.

After watching Boot Lake MLA Floyd Roland make the SAM school ramp look easy, I made my start. Let me first say that the ramp at the elementary school is steep. It's too steep for this able 24 year-old to manoeuvre without the help of aides. After eventually making my way down the ramp, I started my voyage across the driveway and the main road.

It was during this long stretch of ''pavement'' that I noticed the smallest pebbles were leading me off the beaten path. Again, thanks go to my aides, who took the time from their studies to help with the event, I made the crossing.

My struggles continued when I tried to get up onto the sidewalk. The entry was cracked and raised from wear and tear. I nearly fell backwards trying to climb the slope.

Next time you're out walking on Mackenzie Road, look at the side walk. I'll bet this copy of the newspaper that you'll be shocked with the poor state of our only sidewalk in town. Might be time to redo some areas.

I don't know too much about the abilities of the average person in a wheelchair. What I do know is that travelling in a wheelchair in this town is extremely difficult.

I think it's embarrassing for our town to have such low quality service for people in wheelchairs.

Evelyn Bullock was in the wheelchair and had to get into a convenience store for a drink. It took the help of two aides to get the chair in a position where it could be lifted on a ramp in front of the store.

I want the disabled to feel comfortable in Inuvik. I want them to have a sense of dignity and independence.

I know that if I was in a chair and approached the store, I'd feel pretty bad because I'd have to ask for help.

Have you pondered my initial questions long enough yet? I hope the people in the town council chambers can pull enough cash together to fix the sidewalks. I also want the local business owners to get on the same page.

If this challenge showed me anything, it told me that this problem needs to be addressed and quickly.

I hope it doesn't take too long, because I don't think the people with disabilities want to wait any longer for their services.

On behalf of every fully-abled person in town, I want to show my support for the wheelchair bound. Keep fighting your fight. I'm sorry that nobody cares enough to patch some concrete or lay down some pavement. If you need help anywhere, call me up.

Make the celebration meaningful

Editorial Comment
Roxanna Thompson
Deh Cho Drum
Thursday, June 21 2007

One of the more enjoyable parts of the summer is having days off of work.

Summer months offer plenty of opportunities thanks to a number of different holidays.

Interestingly, while many people leap at the chance to have an extra day off of work to enjoy the summer weather not everyone can explain what the various holidays signify. A definition of why the civic holiday exists isn't sitting on the tip of everyone's tongue.

Surely in the North you would think the same wouldn't hold true for National Aboriginal Day. With a population that is made up primarily of First Nation, Inuit and Metis people you'd think that the meaning of Aboriginal Day would be crystal clear.

But what exactly is it that people should be celebrating on Aboriginal Day? What makes this holiday any different or more significant than the others that crowd the summer months?

According to the official definition that can be found on various government of Canada websites, National Aboriginal Day is a day to celebrate the unique heritage, cultures and contributions of the First Nation, Inuit and Metis people in Canada.

That's a concise definition but it covers a lot of ground while not offering much insight.

A bit of history might help.

June 21 was first proclaimed as National Aboriginal Day by former Governor General Romeo LeBlanc on June 13, 1996. Prior to the proclamation there was a long standing desire for a day to be set aside nationally to celebrate Aboriginal peoples and cultures.

In 1982 the National Indian Brotherhood, now the Assembly of First Nations, called for June 21 to be made into National Aboriginal Solidarity Day.

In 1995, the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples recommended the creation of a National First Peoples day. Pressure built in the same year as the Sacred Assembly, a national conference of aboriginal and non-aboriginal people, called for a national holiday to celebrate the contributions of aboriginal people.

June 21 was finally chosen because of the cultural significance of the summer solstice and because many aboriginal groups have celebrated their culture and heritage during this time of the year for generations.

What it really means is that Aboriginal Day is whatever people want to make of it.

If people choose to simply use the day as an excuse to escape from their 9 to 5 job, then that is all it will mean to them.

If people take their free day to participate in the planned activities such as traditional games, handgames tournaments, drum dances and canoe races then they are taking the celebration's meaning one step further.

But to really make June 21 more than just a date on the calendar, aboriginal and non-aboriginal people alike would have to take time to consider the contributions and heritage of all of Canada's aboriginal peoples.

The day should be used not just to look at the past and the present, but also to think about the future. This is particularly significant in the Deh Cho as the members of the Dehcho First Nations prepare for the annual Dehcho Assembly that will place in Fort Simpson June 26 -28.

Only a few minutes are needed to change June 21 from a day without work to something meaningful.

Corrections

The correct spelling of the NWT Metis Development Corporation CEO's name is Chris Johnston.

Also, in Wednesday's article about the community barbecue, city employee Gerry LePrieur's name was spelled incorrectly, and the barbecue was held to mark the 40th anniversary of Yellowknife being named capital of the NWT.

As well, a headline and brief about a 14-year-old accused of assaulting an 11-year-old on a school playground contained misleading information. The teen was charged under the Youth Criminal Justice Act.

Yellowknifer apologizes for any embarrassment or confusion caused by these mistakes.