Home page

Text size

E-mail this page

Order classified ad

The Scholastic catalogue distributed in schools in September contained some products that shouldn't be marketed through schools.

One mother spoke to Yellowknifer last week, upset to see video games such as Teenage Zombies, Guitar Hero and Barbie Island Princess Pack in her son's Scholastic catalogue.

With descriptions such as "Fight through seven challenging worlds to reach the ultimate big brain snack!," the benefits of these games are questionable.

According to Maral Maclagan, corporate communications manager for Scholastic Canada, each item in the catalogues has been deemed to have some educational value by a team of experts, "whether it be strategy, problem solving or hand-eye co-ordination." Let's keep kids sharpening those skills through gym, music and math class.

In fairness, Scholastic is still aiming to keep students interested in reading - many wonderful works by children's authors are still being sold through its new catalogue. That's reassuring, as reading is fundamental to learning.

If parents want to buy video games for their children, that's up to them. There's no harm in a little fun.

But video games are already very heavily marketed at young people so the advertising need not extend to schools. Going high-tech in our classrooms is desirable but it shouldn't equate to battling zombies on a screen.

Down in the Willow Flats on the shore of Yellowknife Bay, the Yellowknife Rotary Club has been quietly plugging away at a community park and boardwalk.

Some, including the city, may note how long it's taken to pull the project together.

The Yellowknife Rotary, a volunteer-based service club, has been at it periodically for five years - ever since entering a partnership with the city to construct the park and walking trail.

Project manager Peter Vician acknowledges that it's taken a long time to complete the park but it's hardly the club's fault. For one, the boardwalk is off-limits most of the spring and summer to avoid disturbing nesting birds. Secondly, the Rotary volunteers are a very busy bunch.

Whether it be organizing the Canada Day parade or working with kids to send blankets to needy children in Mexico, the Rotary Club is frequently on the move even if the park isn't - but it is taking shape.

After all, the city's Somba K'e Plaza has been a long time coming too but there hasn't been an outcry yet to hurry that along.

For now, let's look at the above Yk Views photo and imagine how wonderful the park will be when complete.

Anyone paying attention for the past decade knows the gap between the haves and havenots in Nunavut is growing wider all the time.

Now it appears, judging by Nunavut Tunngavik Inc. (NTI) president Paul Kaludjak's remarks this past month concerning Nunavut's Education Act, the gap between those with a firm grasp of reality in this territory and those living in their own little world has also widened.

Kaludjak claims the legislation is flawed and was passed against the advice of all Inuit organizations.

But, what was truly shocking was the president's contention that local district education authority (DEA) members and teachers do not represent ordinary Inuit.

NTI seems set on hiding behind the shield of what it views as southern curriculum and the pervasive English language as the sole reasons why only 35 per cent of all Inuit who start Grade 10 graduate.

NTI is obsessed with lowering teaching credentials to increase the number of Inuit teachers and dumbing-down the curriculum as an illadvised way to increase the number of graduates. The land claims organization has lost touch with reality.

And statements like the ones made this past month show NTI as teetering on the edge of relevance with territorial policy making.

We're not in the business of embarrassing anyone, but has NTI noticed the number of educators and affluent Inuit who have sent their kids to the south to finish high school and prepare for postsecondary studies during the past few years?

Does that indicate our educational standards are too high? Too high for whom? The ordinary Inuit NTI refers to? If that's what NTI is selling, we're not buying.

Most educators and DEA members who supposedly do not represent ordinary Inuit have a much firmer grasp on the issues than NTI, judging by the path it wants to follow.

Those frontline educators and involved community members know many of the problems facing our educational system have little to do with legislation.

Small schools lacking more qualified local teachers could be seen at the top of the heap when it comes to the challenges faced by education, but that's mainly because there's far too much reliance on the system itself.

Too often, teachers are expected to be guidance counsellors, disciplinarians, athletic coaches, group leaders and advice givers while there is next to no focus being placed on family support or management in the home.

Add the abnormally high number of specialneed students who are receiving next to no specialized instruction and the territory's terrible literacy rate, and you don't have to be a genius to realize there's no magic bullet dressed up as an Education Act.

And we don't need to spend millions to discuss the matter for another 10 years to arrive at the same conclusion.

NTI should continue to pressure the Nunavut government to increase the power of local DEAs to match the level of responsibility they shoulder, rather than start viewing them as not representing ordinary Inuit.

Maybe if its leaders spent more time with the little people, NTI may realize how connected teachers and DEAs truly are to ordinary Inuit.

Of course, that would take a whole lot of smartening up instead of dumbing down.

There aren't many campaign signs to be found around the Deh Cho but the federal election is fast approaching.

On Thursday there were 19 days left until voters go to the polls to choose Canada's next government.

If following politics at a national level isn't something that interests you the impending election might have barely registered in your consciousness. Ottawa is, after all, a long way away and the party leaders don't make a lot of house calls around the Deh Cho.

Candidates in the Western Arctic, however, are making their ways to as many places as possible in the territory before the polling day. While on the election trail every candidate will be explaining their parties' platforms to anyone who's willing to listen.

Most of the points will be broad and apply to changes they'd like to make across the territory. It will be up to voters to ask pointed questions and find out what a party has to offer the Deh Cho.

There are a few areas that candidates should be quizzed about. Near the top of the list is what will their party do, if elected, with regards to the Dehcho Process.

The Dehcho First Nations has been in long-standing negotiations with Canadian government. Deh Cho voters need to know if other parties have considered the Dehcho Process and whether or not they would expedite the negotiations. Also, if re-elected, does the Conservative government have any concrete timelines for how they'll move forward with the process?

Part and parcel with the Dehcho Process is the Dehcho Land Use Plan. Candidates should also know where their party stands on conservation levels for the area.

On the subject of conservation, the Nahanni National Park Reserve is also an issue some people will want to raise. Residents who are concerned about the amount of land that may or may not be included within the park's final boundary will want to direct candidates' attention to that area.

All of those issues, however, are things that won't effect daily life for most residents. Many people want to know what a political party is promising to do for them.

Ideas for how to lower the price of living in the North are something every candidate should have. The Deh Cho isn't exactly a hotbed of economic opportunity and with rising costs many people are feeling the pinch.

Concrete plans, however, instead of vague ideas and half-mumbled promises are what will get candidates the support from the people in Deh Cho.

By questioning candidates about local issues residents can make the federal election more personal. Even if playing 20 questions doesn't inspire more people to vote it will at least keep the candidates on their toes.

No matter what political candidate you support or how many posters you put up outside your house, none of it matters unless you vote.

That's right Inuvik, it's election time again, but now we're looking at a broad campaign for the member of parliament for the NWT.

Now, we have familiar faces and an incumbent looking to continue his work on Parliament Hill.

In the past weeks, we have heard all sorts of new regulations for our voting process.

The powers-that-be decided all voters across the country should provide photo identification at the polls to prevent voter fraud.

Preventing voter fraud is a horrible excuse for this regulation.

Some I have spoken to are claiming it's about controlling who gets elected.

While it all sounds like a plot for a lazy movie about conspiracy theories, the issue raises questions.

With many people in the NWT living their lives in smaller communities with reduced services, one has to wonder if they will have problems voting.

I just logged onto the Elections Canada website and it tells me people living in the Western Arctic riding have three options to vote.

The first choice is to bring in a piece of government-issued ID with a photo on it, like your driver's licence.

The second choice would be to bring two pieces of non-photo ID which prove your identity and residence. That includes a power bill or health care card.

The third and final option for those of us up North who want to vote is to swear an oath and be vouched for by someone in the community who is on the voters' list in your polling division. That person needs to provide ID as well.

If there was ever a way to reduce the number of Northern voters, I think this is it.

People I know don't like voting but they do it anyways. They go into the polling station, check in with the clerk and mark their ballot.

From what I can see, all the new regulations will do is deter people - sending them back home to search for power bills or a neighbour to vouch for them. How many will bother to return to the polling station?

I'm glad the people of the region were at least given this brief window to get their affairs in order.

By that, I mean they have some time to rifle through their belongings to find enough paperwork to vote.

It's going to be interesting to see the numbers once the dust settles on this October election.

I hope Elections Canada is doing everything it possibly can to inform people in remote communities about the changes to the voting system.

What about the people who don't have any ID or don't have any utilities in their name?

I don't think there is enough time to cut through the bureaucratic red tape and fill out forms to get a suitable ID before then.

Maybe the best solution is to sign up for a power bill, if only to have your name on file.

What we need to remember is this: no matter what obstacles are put in our way, we need to vote.

Read the notices and be prepared to prove who you are on voting day.

A good turnout by remote voters could sway the decision away from bigger centres like Yellowknife.