Editorial

Last week's sold out concert by the White Stripes proved something Yellowknifers already knew about their city - It's a worthwhile place to visit if you give it a chance.

Maybe the White Stripes are just plain kooky and decided to tour the North on a rock stars' whim. They have nothing to lose. They're on their sixth album, they're rich, they can do whatever they want.

But one thing is for sure: Selling CDs isn't as easy as it used to be, not with endless titles available on the internet and MP3 players in every high school locker. Some record companies are reporting a decline in sales as much as 20 per cent over just the last year alone.

That's not the case in Yellowknife this week, however. CD Plus is reporting four White Stripes CDs are in the top ten for sales, including their latest disc, Icky Thump, at number one.

It's a drop in the bucket in the great scheme of things but it shows that a small city like ours appreciates when a big name act comes to town. It also shows other bands down south that playing smaller venues is not such a bad thing and can even be a publicity hit.

Better yet, local acts such as Diga, who opened for the White Stripes, are given a chance to show that they can play a mean jam in front of a larger crowd.

Cheers to the White Stripes and to Yellowknife too. We're not just a dot on the map. Hopefully White Stripes is just the beginning of greater things to come.

Use extreme caution

That whiff of smoke in the air is the scent of the land we love going up in smoke.

The clear blue skies and hot sun that lure so many people to the lakes and woods around Yellowknife is a blessing after a cold spring, but with the hot weather comes increased risk of forest fires.

The hazard rating is at extreme, prompting total burning bans in the city. At Drybones Bay, flames charred 353 hectares of spectacular country that Yellowknife boaters and campers enjoy. Fire officials blame humans.

So far this year, 86 fires have burned 156,198.36 hectares in the NWT. In the North Slave, there have been just 11 fires to date burning 2,522 hectares. It's a far cry from the summer of 1998, when cabins and historic mine sites were destroyed and campers at Ingraham Trail parks were sent packing when a huge blaze tore through the Tibbitt-Gordon lake area, charring about 165,000 hectares.

While we can do nothing about fires sparked by lightning, we can do a lot about our own actions. Don't drop cigarette butts on the ground and make sure your campfire is out before you leave.

The department of natural resources offers plenty of tips about how to build a safe campfire - like clearing combustible materials within three metres of the fire, not building on moss or other organic materials, and having a bucket of water, shovel and sand at hand to douse the flames.

Everyone needs to be cautious in the woods and heed warnings and fire bans because even a small fire can quickly get out of control, threatening popular camping areas, homes and entire communities.

Women harassed by obscene caller

Editorial Comment
Dez Loreen
Inuvik News
Thursday, June 28, 2007

Some women in town have been harassed by an unknown caller and think the problem started online.

For safety reasons, the women interviewed for this story wished to stay anonymous. Jean (not her real name) said the phone calls started for her a few weeks ago.

"I can't even count how many time I've been called," she said.

"The calls happen all night, ranging from 11 p.m. to 8 a.m."

Jean said the calls start off with a male voice, followed by a moaning woman.

"The first call was for my mother. I told him she wasn't at home," recalled Jean.

"Then he told me it was okay for me to hear his message. That's when he started playing porn noises."

Jean said the call was obscene and made her feel uncomfortable, but she chalked it up to a friend joking around.

"The tape he played sounded like it was looped to repeat itself," said Jean.

"The call lasted a few minutes, I asked who it was. The more I talked, the more annoyed his voice sounded."

It was after the first few calls that Jean called the RCMP.

"I asked the RCMP about any other incidences, but they said they had no clue what it was about," said Jean.

"The police asked what was said and how they said it."

Jean said the last call she received was in the early morning, when she yelled at the caller.

"The last time he called, I freaked out at him," said Jean.

The police told her they would look into the matter.

"The RCMP told me to watch what I say, so I don't make this guy think I enjoy this or anything," she said.

Jean said she thinks that being a part of a big social circle is a possible reason for being targeted.

"He's been calling my friends. We all know each other and it's kind of weird," said Jean.

"I feel pretty invaded, but I don't really feel scared. It does make me think twice about going out with my friends though."

Jean said she believes the man responsible for the calls is local and could be watching them from a distance.

Jean added that the calls might stem from the website Bebo.

"We're all on Bebo and talk to each other a lot," she said.

Jean said she thinks the guy is being entertained by the obscene calls.

"I think he's getting off on this," she said.

"It was scary at first, now it's just disgusting."

Jean has a warning for other women who could be targets of the caller.

"Just be smart about what you put out there online," she said.

Jean said she feels that people reveal too much on websites like Bebo.

"I know some people who drag out way too much on those sites. There are all kinds of people reading those profiles," she said.

Another victim of the calls, Beth, said the calls are shaking her trust in the people of Inuvik.

"This definitely takes away from that whole 'we live in a small town where everybody knows everybody and we all take care of each other' mentality," said Beth.

Beth wants people to know about this caller because she felt vulnerable and wants other victims of the harassment to come forward.

"Its a good idea for people to talk about this. It's not just happening to one person. It's a whole bunch," said Beth.

"If we acknowledge that we are connected, then there is kind of that safety in numbers."

RCMP Const. Kile Pharis said the Inuvik RCMP are investigating the matter and are looking for anyone else who may have information about the caller or other related incidents.

"We are in the initial stages of the investigation and we need the help from others who have been called," said Pharis.

"We're trying to find out who this guy is."

A tip of the hat to teachers

Editorial Comment
Roxanna Thompson
Deh Cho Drum
Thursday, June 28 2007

The end of June heralds a number of things; among them is the end of the school year.

As the hours of sunlight reach their peak and the temperatures turn nicer, students start to count down the days until they are released from the classroom and allowed to spend their summer days of freedom.

Linked to the yearly release of school is the release of the teachers. For them the summer can be just as much an anticipated event as it is for the students. And as the teachers walk out through school doors across the Deh Cho, some will not return.

The spectre of the one-year teacher is something that all Deh Cho communities have seen and many long-term locals both with and without children in schools have come to regard with disdain.

When a new crop of teachers arrives each fall, many community members seem to eye them up to try and judge how long they will stay in the community. This distrust created by years of experience makes it hard for both the community members to accept the newcomers and for the teachers to integrate into the community.

As the school year ends, the focus should be taken away from who is leaving and instead placed on the good that teachers have done throughout the year.

Children are a blessing but sometimes they are best taken in small doses. Parents would be the first to confess that it's just nice to know that someone else is looking after their children.

Many people without children can also relate to this feeling. While it's nice to have some interaction with a child every once in a while, it's also great to be able to give them back to their parents after the visit is over.

Teachers are the ones that have to interact with children five days a week and for more face to face hours than most parents have the luxury of spending with their offspring.

This also isn't a matter of one or two children, but groups ranging into the 20s depending on class sizes and the school situation. How teachers make it through just one week of this, let alone an entire school year is a source of amazement to many people.

Some teachers only spend a year in a community and while this may disrupt the sense of continuity for other staff and students alike, the teachers should be thanked. They took on the challenge of moving somewhere that is likely far from their home and family and taught the community's youth.

Even more deserving of praise are the teachers who have decided to stay in one community, or the North for an extended period of time.

This year, a number of communities in the Deh Cho are losing teachers and educators who have been in their schools for years.

Some of these teachers only lived in communities half the year and spent their summer months elsewhere while others moved in lock, stock and barrel, but they all devoted more than a year of their career and life to children in the North.

This is one of the times when people need to look at the silver lining hiding behind the cloud and thank teachers for their dedication to education no matter how long they've been in a community.

Kids make great friends

Editorial Comment
Christine Grimard
Kivalliq News
Wednesday, July 4, 2007

I have a problem with being alone.

This is something I've known for the last few years, and I've grown to accept. Not in the emotional, one relationship to another sense. I have no desire to spend time on my own. I'm perfectly happy constantly surrounded by people.

I find being by myself absolutely boring. I think most people would if they gave up today's modern media. Spending my entire day in front of the computer, I do not want to even see one at the end of my day.

I gave up television many years ago when I realized how horribly annoying it is to hear sales pitches on commercials every five minutes.

Other than reading the occasional book or magazine, I have no need to spend time on my own and have kept roommates most of my life for this reason: constant entertainment and company, without the need to host them like you would a guest.

Coming to Rankin Inlet was a bit of a challenge in this respect.

While I've made many friends, and keep myself entertained, it's difficult to find other adults who are willing to spend so much time with you, even if it's just sitting around doing nothing, just to keep each other company.

In all this self-pity, I am coming to a point. Last Sunday I made some new friends to help fill this void. People perfectly happy just to sit around and watch me clean dishes, people I don't have to entertain, and who are constantly amazed by almost everything I do.

Who are these simple souls? Children, of course. For the last two weeks I have found a new following in town, eager to spend every minute of their time with me if they could.

Being all well behaved kids, I'm thrilled with this new kind of company. They visit me sporadically during the day at the office, giving me a nice break from the solitude of my day and even help me out.

The bonus is I just shoo them out whenever I want. Most of my adult friends probably wouldn't react too well if I told them, "Go away, you're annoying me." Children have the common sense not to take it too personally. They usually just ask when they can come back.

With my newfound friends, I'm rediscovering games I haven't thought about for years. Remember the thrill of hide-and-go seek? The dash to the hiding spots during the countdown, and holding your breath as the hunter approaches.

I don't remember tag being so fun either, or for that matter having so many rules. At our game at the neighbourhood playground I discovered the rules: four steps on the ground, you're safe when you're touching yellow, three steps on the bridge and of course, no touch backs.

They do tend to tattle on each other a little more than my adult friends, but at least it's more honest than community gossip.

I think I've learned a lot from my newfound crew of kids: don't take it personally when someone doesn't want to see you; laugh as much as you can, especially at the simple things, any question is appropriate as long as it comes from genuine curiosity, and there are eight good hiding spots in the Kivalliq News office.

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

Corrections

An error appeared in last Wednesday's Yellowknifer. Marie Speakman was misidentified in the cutline to a story ("Walking against violence," June 27). Yellowknifer apologizes for any embarrassment or confusion caused by the error.