Features

Interruption to two trades programs at the Thebacha campus of Aurora College is a major concern to a Northern economy booming with resource development.

A heavy-duty equipment technician program has been suspended and the Fort Smith-based carpentry program delayed because tools and equipment were found to be outdated or of insufficient quantity.

The discovery followed a review conducted by the Alberta Apprenticeship Board, the Occupational Trade and Apprenticeship Board, the Department of Education Culture and Employment and Aurora College.

About $1 million is needed to update the programs to meet current industry standards. News of the programs' cancellations couldn't have come at a worse time for Northerners seeking to capitalize on the growing number of jobs in the Northern mining and construction industry. The announcement of recent projects such as the construction of the bridge across the Mackenzie, Diavik's underground expansion and Snap Lake beginning production, means more jobs and more money.

It is essential Northern workers have the opportunity to capitalize on the potential employment spin-offs of this activity.

To do so they will require training. The GNWT and industry owe it to the people of the NWT to ensure training is available to maximize the number of Northerners in the workforce, instead of relying on southern tradespeople.

Mining in the NWT is a multi-billion-dollar industry. Making a $1 million investment in training programs would be money well spent.

With the help of the GNWT and the NWT's four operating mines, enough money to boost the programs and get them back up and running is likely sitting in a few collective wallets.

There has been a lot of finger pointing in Behchoko in recent weeks as the community struggles to determine the factors leading to a string of youth-started arsons.

Eight fires are being attributed to bored youngsters in Behchoko. Residents there are placing blame on community leaders for not having enough activities for the youth while the recreation complex is closed for renovations. Leaders, in turn, are blaming parents for not supervising their children.

The truth likely lies somewhere in the middle. What it comes down to is respect. Residents have to respect the fact their leaders are trying to do the best they can with limited resources. As well, leaders must respect that some youth fall outside the regular realm of recreational opportunities. As wonderful as sports may be, they are not going to encompass everyone.

It's the responsibility of leaders and parents to find solutions for these "left-out" youth, aside from slapping a curfew on them and telling them to stay indoors.

Perhaps a program similar to the SideDoor Youth Centre in Yellowknife is in order: a safe place with activities where youth can go between the hours of 6 p.m. and midnight. It's important to remember arguing over who is at fault isn't going to fix the problem, in fact, it will probably just make it worse.

Even as Nunavummiut celebrated the brilliant work of one of the Grise Fiord's original residents, the legacy of the 1950s Inuit relocation lingers.

Earlier this month Larry Audlaluk, 57, was selected for one of the country's highest honours - the Order of Canada.

For the past 40 years, the respected father and hunter has travelled around the world, bringing awareness to his family's difficult story of being shipped to this country's northernmost High Arctic community from northern Quebec. The federal government, with sovereignty claims in mind, moved the families, promising better hunting and fishing in the far North.

Audlaluk's work is an inspiration to many in Nunavut, who have endured similar hardships over the years. Unfortunately, just a week after the award was announced, the community had a much more negative issue to contend with.

On Jan. 5, someone in Grise Fiord drove a municipal truck into RCMP buildings and vehicles. A letter later turned over to police indicated that the motivation for the crime was injustices done during the relocation and dog slaughter.

It is an important reminder of how the pain and actions of the previous generations are filtered through the youngest.

Despite all of Audlaluk's dogged work to raise the profile of this issue, further support is needed for today's youth. That means more counselling services and more opportunities in both education and occupation.

We hope the federal and territorial governments take note.

The revelation that six muskoxen were killed and left to rot on the tundra outside of Cambridge Bay two summers ago caused embarrassment and anger within the community and territory. The incident went against the Inuit beliefs of respecting animals and wasting nothing.

Nunavut's elders grew up on the land and depended on animals for transportation, food, and warmth. Their very survival rested on maintaining a balanced relationship with all animals. Every part of a harvested animal was put to use, and what wasn't used was given to the dogs.

Harvested animals were, and continue to be, shared among family and community members.

To kill an animal for fun was especially condemned, as it was believed that the animals would pay you back. Everything has a purpose and reason to live, Inuit believe.

As Nunavut Wildlife Management Board chairperson Joe Tigullaraq said, it is up to individual harvesters to pass on ethical hunting skills to their relatives.

The 2006 slaughter is one that will hopefully not be repeated, as young men and women learn from family members the age-old lesson that wasting is unacceptable.

When it comes to events related to sports, the Deh Cho has an overflowing cup this month.

This weekend the Fort Simpson recreation centre will host two separate sporting events. Approximately 40 young hockey players are expected to arrive on Jan. 11 to participate in the Mackenzie Youth Hockey Challenge. Across the hall and in the warmer gym basketball players will be competing in the TSS Invitational tournament.

The following week students at the Charles Yohin school will be learning skills at a hockey workshop on Jan. 17. Meanwhile on the next day female hockey players will take to the ice in Fort Simpson for the annual Moosehide Mamas Chicks with Sticks tournament. Simultaneously, a soccer tournament is scheduled to take place in Fort Liard at the Echo Dene school.

Wait a week and male teams will take to the ice in Fort Simpson for the annual men's hockey tournament.

The last week brings us to the end of the month when the Fort Simpson Pulsars will be travelling to Yellowknife to compete in the territorials with the hopes of winning the honour of representing the Northwest Territories in the Arctic Winter Games.

It's a full schedule and it doesn't even take into account all of the smaller events, team practices and curling nights that are happening around the region.

While a full slate of sports events usually isn't much to get excited about, it is rather timely.

Fittingly all of these events are happening just after New Year's.

New Year's, besides a time to celebrate the changing of the year, is also a time when people traditionally think forward and make some sort of a resolution. Among the most popular resolutions are to become more fit, lose weight and spend more time with family and friends.

January is also traditionally the time when the resolutions people have made fall by the wayside.

In the Deh Cho, however, there is no reasonable excuse, except for a bad case of the stomach flu that is travelling around, for anyone not to be able to keep their resolution if it's related to physical fitness. With so many athletic events planned there are plenty of opportunities for people to pick up a hockey stick, tie on a pair or skates, hoist a curling rock or grab a basketball.

Athletes across the Deh Cho will be active role models over the rest of the month as they practise and compete.

If you've also resolved to spend more time with family and friends you can do both by bringing those people along to a sporting event even if it's just to cheer.

Whether you rang in the new year with a drink, a smoke or any other party favour, you should now be ready to start the year right.

Within the resolutions and phony promises lay real goals and wishes.

Usually someone makes a resolution to be healthier, by quitting smoking or some other vice they have.

A lot of the time, before you know it, you're back in your old habits.

While I can agree with wanting to make a better life, I don't agree with the way people go about it.

If you want attention drawn to yourself, there are other ways besides some empty promise.

After talking with some friends and people around town, it's become obvious to me that people will say one thing and do another.

Why lie to yourself?

Someone who announces they're going to stop their wicked ways at New Year's just seems ridiculous to me.

If you're going to start living a healthier life, just do it, rather than wave it in the air like some sort of flag. I don't need you telling me that you've quit drinking soda. That can only be proven over time. If you want to start something, like a routine of exercising, then brag about it after you've done it.

Telling people that you're ready to make a change is one thing. Starting such a task then flaking out a week later is nothing to brag about.

For those of you who actually keep their resolutions and make an honest run at changing for the better, congrats.

I don't think resolutions are really necessary. I made some important life choices in mid-December. The original idea was to make a New Year's resolution out of it, but I decided that I should just work hard and make the choice earlier.

It can be hard to imagine, but there are people who live their lives every day to be as fit as possible.

I know, it sounds difficult and I'm sure it was at first.

The cool thing about a routine is that it becomes the normal thing to do.

Wake up at six in the morning and lift some weights for a while. Have breakfast and start your day. After meeting with some of the more active members in the community, I realize I have some common interests with them.

They keep working and participating in sports and I keep writing about them and nagging others to start being active.

There are many families in town who want others to join them in active living. Sign up at the rec complex for a sport, or volunteer to help with the organization.

After experiencing the Sunrise Festival this past weekend, I want to express my gratitude to the Inuvik Volunteer Fire Department and anyone else that contributed time and effort to make such an awesome event possible. Countless hours were donated by volunteers to give a good show to the town.

I was walking to the bank earlier this week and overheard someone say the show was not good enough.

I'm sorry, but in a town where I have to wait weeks for video game releases and pay too much for food, I'm happy to see any sort of lights in the sky.

To Rick, Al, Duane, Scott and everyone else who didn't get to see the show because they were busy running the fireworks, thanks.

I can tell from the number of backed up vehicles after the show that others are appreciative as well.

Hopefully, a sad saga will come to a close with former finance minister David Simailak standing up to apologize during the next sitting of the Nunavut legislative assembly.

Simailak was found to have contravened the Integrity Act by failing to disclose, in his annual public-disclosure statements on four occasions, the name of a subsidiary of a private company in which he had an interest.

The review was conducted by Nunavut Integrity Commissioner Robert Stanbury.

The commissioner made three recommendations as a result of his findings.

He has recommended that (1) Simailak be reprimanded by the assembly, and (2) make a statement in the assembly acknowledging his wrongful conduct, apologize to his peers, constituents and all Nunavummiut, and promise to faithfully fulfil his future commitments under the Integrity Act.

Stanbury also recommended that (3) should Simailak fail to fulfil the requirement of No. 2 within 10 sitting days after the assembly's acceptance of the recommendations, his right to sit and vote in the assembly shall be suspended without indemnity or allowance until the requirement is fulfilled.

While the assembly has the option to accept or reject all of Stanbury's recommendations, there appears to be no reason for rejection.

We tend to side with the commissioner and take Simailak at his word that his failure to fulfil his obligations of disclosure was the result of honest error and not a deliberate attempt at deception.

Only time will tell if that, in fact, was the case.

That being said, a finance minister is expected to understand his obligations under the Integrity Act and fully comply with them.

There are no excuses for failing to do so, whether intentional or otherwise.

What may yet prove itself interesting is what is decided in regards to Simailak's cabinet position.

The situation eerily parallels that of a few years ago, when another minister was removed from cabinet.

As in that case, we cannot see Premier Paul Okalik wanting Simailak to be voted back on a secret ballot, although the premier's wishes hold little sway in full caucus.

But, with the premier already talking about an election this coming summer, the odds are in favour of leaving the cabinet post vacant until Nunavummiut head to the polls, which is what happened in the previous case.

The fact of the matter is, that would also be the best path for Simailak to follow if he, indeed, plans to run again in the next election.

Inuit are well known for their ability to forgive and grant a second chance when a person admits a mistake, apologizes and is willing to work hard to make amends.

Should the assembly accept Stanbury's recommendations, Simailak could make his apology, continue to serve his constituents in Baker Lake for another few months, brush up on political obligations and throw his hat back in the ring come election time.

Should the people vote for a second chance, he could then return to the capital with a relatively clean slate.

That sounds to us like a tidy solution to a messy situation.

In a Jan. 7 News/North article about lottery winners, Roy Hansen of Hay River was incorrectly described as a father of one. In fact, Hansen has two children. News/North apologizes for any confusion or embarrassment the incorrect information may have caused.