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Better late than never that two regular MLAs have been granted a seat on a committee tasked with merging public boards responsible for health, housing and education into mega boards for each region in the territory.

Kam Lake MLA Dave Ramsay and Tu Nedhe's Tom Beaulieu were invited to join the territorial government's "re-focusing committee" almost two months ago, although the group has only met once since then.

Ramsay says he can't support the merger until he sees some proof that it's a good thing. Hopefully Michael Miltenberger, the cabinet minister who chairs the committee, will take that to heart before final plans for the merger are announced in April. If he hopes to gain any supporters for the merger, Miltenberger must show residents why the merger is so important, particularly in Yellowknife where tax-funded, elected school boards are on the chopping block. Saving money is supposed to be a byproduct of the merger process - just how much we'd like to know - but a clear plan for how the new model would work is essential. Miltenberger's continued insistence that combining boards is a done deal and non-negotiable has only heightened the level of tension among the government, the school boards and the public.

Miltenberger and his committee, which also includes Yellowknife MLA and cabinet minister Bob McLeod, would be well-advised to hold hearings and make their case in public.

To not do so would only reaffirm suspicions that this government is too afraid of the people to converse with them directly.

The city recently flew Dennis Fletcher, transit expert for Toronto-based Entra Consultants, into Yellowknife for a one-on-one session with councillors regarding the floundering transit system.

Fletcher, while riding the bus in town, saw first-hand one of the system's flaws when he noticed bus drivers skipping parts of routes because "nobody ever stops there."

Along with pointing out obvious issues such as this, Fletcher told city council it would need to spend from $0 to about $560,000 to improve the bus system.

Perhaps a few thousand of these dollars could have been saved had the city not flown him up just to point out what any Yellowknifer could have observed - that the service needs some fixing and it will probably cost a small fortune. How many studies does city hall need to do to understand this?

The city has been coughing up money to analyze the bus service for well over a year.

Replacing some of the old model buses - which are never filled anyway - with smaller, more fuel-efficient buses would be a sensible first step.

The number of buses on the road could then be reduced during non-peak hours and routes amended according to demand.

To encourage demand, the city should offer more days of free rides, especially during cold winter months.

Expanding service into Niven Lake and Kam Lake makes sense, but trimming costs and fixing the existing service ought to be done soon, without yet another study.

When I found out that there was a curling clinic being held in Fort Simpson I knew that I had to go.

Curling is a sport that my family in the south has been urging me to pick up for awhile. "There's lots of winter up there, you should try it out," my mother repeatedly tells me despite the fact that she doesn't curl.

With her voice in my head urging me on I showed up at the Fort Simpson Curling Club on Friday night ready to give it a go in spite of my lack of basic athletic skills. I, however, wasn't alone. Another nine adults, both men and women, came to learn.

The general skill level between all of us wasn't enough to equal what a professional curler has. For many, like me, it was their first time curling, while others were coming back to the sport after a few years away.

Out on the ice we all had to practise the sliding movement you use to walk around on the ice before even starting to learn how to slide and throw a rock. While trying to imitate the stance of professional or at least experienced curlers a lot of us wobbled and generally toppled sideways on the ice.

Some people improved quickly but it was still looking pretty grim even before we tried throwing the stones, expecting them to stop at designated places on the other end of the ice.

Despite all the difficulties faced, including muscles a lot of us knew would be sore the next day, everyone seemed to have fun.

It was that high level of enjoyment compared to our low level of skills that illustrates why people do and why more people should join sports.

In the Deh Cho, it seems that adult sports are less about the activity itself and more about socializing. Sure some people are competitive and winning always brings a good feeling but even those athletes would be hard pressed to deny that they enjoy the camaraderie of hanging out with their teammates.

Sports are a great way to get active and stay physically healthy but they're also a good way to stay social.

In the Deh Cho, winters are long and dark. People tend to retreat into their warm homes and when you do meet people outside they're normally so bundled against the cold all you see are their eyes and all you hear are a few muffled sentences through their scarves.

In the Deh Cho there's no shortage of winter activities that people can join both in Fort Simpson and in all of the other communities.

Hockey is one of the most popular options and is a great team sport.

In many communities, if you want to get outside there are trails for cross-country skiing and snowshoeing and friends could set times to go out together. Depending on your location other options include figure skating, fitness classes, badminton, darts and broomball to name a few. In Fort Simpson the curling club is also looking for new members.

Starting a new sport can be intimidating but people shouldn't let that stop them from joining and opening up new social circles.

It used to be that bingos were a community event that would bring in people from all over, just for a chance at the jackpot.

In the last 10 years, the face of our favourite pastime has changed. Gone are the days of piling into a crowded hall, waiting in line for peel-back Nevada tickets, all the while inhaling second-hand smoke.

Those were the days, when you'd sit too close to the person next to you, armed with good luck charms and the coloured dauber of choice.

Yelling "Bingo!" was a high honour that would be shared and jeered by the others in attendance at the game.

With the aid of technology, a new way to play brought us closer to our television sets and away from the crowded bingo hall.

Of course, the fall of the bingo hall could also be attributed to the laws about smoking cigarettes in public places as well.

Without the luxury of lighting up in front of their cards, people seemed to favour being in the comfort of their own home instead.

I've been to some home-games where a group of people will gather and sit on the floor, with a slab of plywood or stiff cardboard to post their cards on.

People love the chance at the big money and there is no doubt it's still a strong social event.

Over the years, it started becoming apparent that this town loved bingo and wanted every chance to play it, even if it meant there was a bingo being held every night.

After talking with Mayor Derek Lindsay about the introducing the Wednesday night bingo ban in 2004, it seemed like the community found it's break from the grip of bingo.

Of course, there were adjustments to the hosting schedule of the bingo games and growing pains were felt by those community groups who depended on that extra game a week.

Inuvik remains bingo-free for two nights of the week, Sunday and Wednesday.

That Wednesday night spot will prove valuable for any community group looking to host a meeting without the distraction and low turnout from a high-stakes jackpot.

Back when our middle-of-the-week bingo games were still on, the Ladies Auxiliary held the games, for many years. When the night was taken away, I can imagine it caused them a bit of stress.

Now, as always, the Ladies Auxiliary is taking another one for the team, this time by giving up three months of their weekly bingo time slots, to be awarded to another deserving group.

That is what bingo is all about, the generosity. Despite what some might say about the tight hold of gambling addictions, the game of bingo has been a good thing for a lot of people in our town.

Sports teams, various community groups and our youth all benefit from those games.

Not to mention the winners of those gigantic jackpots. They're the happiest participants of all.

The most time I spent in family hall during those old bingos was running in to see my grandma, hoping she'd win some door prize to bring home for me.

Last week the territorial government and the NWT's three diamond mining giants - BHP Billiton, Rio Tinto and De Beers Canada - announced their commitment in writing "to attract skilled workers and their families to become residents of the Northwest Territories."

Their agreement includes a number of cost-saving measures for the mining companies, such as having employees share flights and joint agreements with Aurora College, rather than separate programs.

There was also a commitment to train and hire locally. This is an important point as it was revealed in the legislative assembly in October that more than 3,000 mining employees routinely fly in and out of the territory, taking more than $300 million out with them every year.

Unfortunately, the memorandum of understanding ignores a major barrier to living in the NWT: housing.

Low vacancy rates and extraordinary housing prices make flying in/out an obvious option for workers and the companies that employ them. The government must ensure affordable housing is available for workers.

Otherwise such agreements amount to nothing more than vague promises that will do nothing to retain a skilled workforce ready to build the NWT.

The Yk Chamber of Commerce has suggested a $10,000 grant for new and existing residents to use towards a mortgage, forgivable after five years for newcomers.

This would generate more property tax and income taxes. The government should act on this idea to encourage workers to put down roots here.

My how the worm has turned.

I have written a number of times that minority governments do not last long in this country, but seven weeks is a whole different animal.

Little did federal Finance Minister Jim Flaherty realize when he delivered his fiscal update this past month that he could be firing the first salvo in a string of political attacks that could rip this country apart.

And how ironic is it that Prime Minister Stephen Harper, the man who tried to team with NDP leader Jack Layton to topple former prime minister Paul Martin in 2004, now faces a similar dilemma brought on by the formation of the NDPLiberal coalition backed by the Bloc Quebecois.

Oh what a tangled web we weave...

Gov. Gen. Michaelle Jean's decision to suspend Parliament until Jan. 26 has a number of far-reaching ramifications, at the heart of which is democracy itself.

Yes, Canadians voted in 163 members of the NDP, Liberals and Bloc Quebecois combined this past election, but each of those parties had fewer seats than the 143 Tories who were elected.

The coalition taking over the governance of this country would not be democracy's finest hour.

The scariest issue of all concerning this stomach-churning change of events, is how quickly the focus shifted to the separatist movement.

This whole situation could, quite rapidly, evolve into an emotionally charged battle of English versus French.

The Bloc promised to keep separation off the table for 18 months in its support of the coalition, but this is politics we're talking about.

The Liberals were aghast when Harper struck his deal with Layton to try and oust Martin, but look who's leading the charge now.

So how much faith can we really put into words, especially from a party that once believed the ethnic vote struck down its attempts to become a separate nation?

The problems facing the North have become very, very small potatoes right now, no matter how this shakes out during the next seven weeks.

The coalition, which would comprise six NDP and 18 Liberals in a 24-member cabinet, would not be a good thing for this nation.

Central Canada would be in crisis, the West would be outraged, the East confused (still) and the North irrelevant should it come to pass.

Unfortunately, the chances of Harper waking up to realize he has to work with Parliament in a minority government before the Tories table their federal budget on Jan. 27 are slim.

That would leave the only alternative being a call for yet another federal election.

As costly and distasteful as that may be to many Canadians, it would give us a chance to vote knowing it was a battle between a Tory majority or coalition rule.

If the rhetoric between the parties doesn't change quickly, this situation has the potential to turn very ugly and deeply divide Canada.

In fact, the Tories' blunder with its fiscal update in November may prove itself to be the biggest weapon handed Quebec's separatist movement since the Meech Lake Accord.

If ever there was a time this country needed a shot fired over someone's bow to stop the lunacy, it's now.

Where's Brian Tobin when you really need him?

For months the GNWT has been whining about the need to raise taxes and cut jobs to cover a $40-million deficit.

With that, one would think the government would seek ways to curb unnecessary spending.

Unfortunately, our government leaders have proven time and time again that they have very little common sense in this regard. First and foremost they should remember the people who put the money in the coffers so they can collect their hefty paycheques.

We have long-time territorial residents leaving for the south because they can no longer afford the cost of living, even though salaries in the North are, on average, much higher than the south.

In response to this crisis the government has proposed a tax increase and the power corp. has hiked its rates, which compounds the high costs of food, housing and fuel.

As costs rise, people move. As people move, the territory receives fewer dollars from the federal government in transfers. In response, taxes and rates rise to meet the shortfall. It's a vicious cycle.

In that vein, it is ludicrous that MLAs attempt to justify a $30,000 trip to Malaysia to attend the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association conference, which has very little Northern relevance.

These trips bear minimal value for the significant expenses incurred.

Our MLAs can swear the conference has educational value until they are blue in the face, but the truth is they just don't want to lose an all-expenses-paid trip to an exotic locale. Denying they are nothing more than a vacation is a bald-faced lie. We can't see how a cultural tour of Kuala Lumpur has any value to Northerners.

We would love to be able to tell the people of the North the workshops gave MLAs ideas on how to decrease power costs in the NWT, how to save people on food costs, or even how to build the Mackenzie Valley highway or Deh Cho bridge better and cheaper. But we can't.

The MLAs admit they have no obligation to report on what they did while attending the conference. There is no accountability to the public or even to the legislative assembly. That in itself makes these trips worthless and is basically flushing money down the toilet.

If the GNWT insists on maintaining its membership in the association then the rule should be to only send the Speaker, whose expenses are covered by the membership fee. To continue to allow another MLA to attend with the option to bring his or her partner is ridiculous.

We challenge the legislative assembly to prove the value of these conferences with a public report on what was discussed and how it can be applied to the North. If the public is not convinced then the government should withdraw from the association and spend the money on Northern residents.

Northerners demand more accountability from MLAs than statements such as "It would be shortsighted to think that we don't have anything to learn from other jurisdictions or parts of the world." Those are Speaker Paul Delorey's words.

There may be a kernel of truth in them, but as the economy enters lean times we suggest Delorey and Mackenzie Delta MLA David Krutko -- who has been on two of these overseas trips -- bring the world to them instead. A subscription to National Geographic, for example, would do just that.

The balance of the funds could stay here at home.

In Nunavut, the amount of rent paid by tenants of social housing units varies according to the household's total disposable income as reported to the Canadian Revenue Agency.

Rent ranges anywhere from 10 to 28 per cent of income. Seniors and the disabled are not charged.

It's been argued that Nunavut's current sliding rent scale discourages tenants to find jobs. If their income increases, so does their rent.

A 2004 report by the Nunavut Housing Corporation and Nunavut Tunngavik stated 45 per cent of all housing in Nunavut was public housing. Only 28 per cent of Nunavummiut were homeowners, compared to 63 per cent nationally. Of the 28 per cent who owned homes, only seven per cent had purchased them without government assistance.

Home ownership tends to go hand-in-hand with long-term, high-paying steady employment, which is rare in most communities.

Those with high-paying jobs are paying the highest social housing rents, making it difficult to accumulate the money to buy a home. Those with household incomes in excess of $125,000 don't qualify for the GN's down-payment grants.

The same report indicated the Nunavut Housing Corporation spent $18,000 per unit a year on operation and maintenance. Waiting lists are regularly more than 1,000 families long. There's is, unquestionably, a public housing crunch.

The government should make an innovative change allowing tenants to put a substantial portion of their rent towards a home down-payment program. This would take many years, allowing for the private housing market to grow.

It's in the government's best interest to encourage home ownership. Every family able to purchase their own home saves the corporation $18,000 annually and reduces the public housing waiting list by one.

An expanded home ownership program would help the territory make the most of its limited federal funds for social housing.

There is a growing demand for tours in Nunavut; some cruises along the Baffin coast are fully booked years in advance.

Much of this demand stems from the international success of Inuit art and film. People want to see the landscape, culture and people that produced the art seen in galleries and museums all over the world.

Nunavut's art industry has two advantages over most. First, print-making and carving skills are already established in the territory. Second, the territory's art is already popular internationally.

All the artists need is logistical support - grants for materials, shipping, workshops and travel - to boost their incomes and spending power. More art and artists on the world stage increases Nunavut's profile and draws more art buyers and visitors.

Yukon has an entire government department for tourism and culture, recognizing the link between the two, and their importance to the economy. The department's budget for arts and culture grants currently stands at $2.7 million.

Nunavut doles out a few hundred thousand dollars a year, often late, to the Nunavut Arts and Crafts Association, which has full-time staff of one person. Money for artists' tools and materials are accessible through community economic development offices.

Art and tourism are valuable renewable resources. It's time the territorial government start treating them as such.