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Last week city council reversed a key element of its 2004 General Plan, which established clear-cut guidelines for Yellowknife's growth until 2014.

Under Coun. Mark Heyck's initiative, the city has decided to re-zone the area of Tin Can Hill - all 260 acres of it - as a parks and recreation site.

Council's action on this is ill-advised. Vacancy rates are at record lows. The cost of living is hitting highs that are driving people to leave. The city has precious little land on which to build.

Tin Can Hill had been marked in the General Plan as the primary site for new residential development. Cutting this out blows a huge hole in the plan, the goal of which was to ensure the city has room to grow and develop.

Public input, according to the plan, highlighted the need for low-cost housing. This will not be possible so long as there is a housing shortage in Yellowknife. The shortage of land for real estate contributes mightily to the lack of affordable housing.

The General Plan also set the goal of assuring that 10 per cent of the total population lives downtown - a well-serviced area where further utilities and infrastructure can be added at relatively low cost. A quick look at a map indicates the obvious - that Tin Can Hill is the ideal area for construction to keep in line with these goals, not to mention reducing dependence on cars to get to work downtown.

In discussing the resolution last week, some councillors drew comparisons to the Niven Lake development, claiming that Tin Can Hill development would draw the same failed results.

This argument holds no water. Niven Lake failed because the city, despite past failures, was lured into the development business again. Despite that, the remaining lots will sell very quickly when the economy returns to robust levels, and the city will again be frantically looking for land to expand.

Removing Tin Can's entire 260 acres from development will oblige the city to allow development at the fringes of the city, which goes against the well-thought out goals of the general plan.

That's why city council must reconsider its short-sighted resolution on Tin Can Hill. The area's value as a recreational site need not be lost, nor should its potential as prime real estate. While a good part of it can be reserved for recreation, there is no indication Yellowknifers at large want to reserve the entire swath of land parks, sacrificing the long-term needs of the city.

Residents are now distracted with economic turmoil. In the near future they will be demanding low-cost housing, and the city will need more land to build houses on. Hopefully it won't be left to future councils to rectify the mistakes of the present one.

The John Tsetso Memorial Library is one of Fort Simpson's assets.

On any given weekday a variety of people can be found in the library making the most of its services.

The library is an asset because it provides all these people with a safe place to build their literacy skills, learn new information and exercise their imaginations.

The people of Fort Simpson are in danger of losing this resource.

The library is currently located in Dehcho Hall and, as everyone knows, the hall is very close to permanent closure. The Village of Fort Simpson is responsible for finding a new location for the library.

To their credit, village councillors have been working on this problem for quite a while, but so far to no avail. Although they haven't verbally admitted defeat, at the council meeting on Dec. 15 it was confirmed the best and only option for housing the library won't work.

The village is now pushing for an intervention on the part of the territorial government and, failing that, the library will close as soon as Dehcho Hall does.

The problem is the territorial government isn't responsible for finding a location for the library. According to a spokesperson for the Department of Education, Culture and Employment there's no specific legislation to dictate who this responsibility falls on in any community in the territory.

In most places the municipality looks after its library. In some communities a library society takes on this role and in other cases a society works with the local school to host a library.

This means the government, which has a lot of bigger issues to worry about, isn't likely to willingly devote a lot of time to the problem of where Fort Simpson's library should go.

The village is lucky to have a public library at all. Fort Providence, the second largest community in the Deh Cho, didn't have one until November 2007 when the library in the Deh Gah school was transformed into the Zhahti Koe Public Library. According to the NWT Public Library Services website only two other communities in the Deh Cho have any type of public library service. Fort Liard and Nahanni Butte apparently have virtual libraries, which consist of two public access Internet workstations.

The reality of what's available in the rest of the Deh Cho should be enough to make residents of Fort Simpson realize their library is something they should fight to keep. If it closes there's a fair chance it won't open again, at least not in anything close to its current form.

It's up to the residents of Fort Simpson to show both the village and the territorial government the library is something that's important to them. If no one protests, the final chapter will be read and the book will be closed on the John Tsetso Memorial Library.

I was reunited with my long-lost Xbox 360 last week.

My console was stolen on Dec. 28, 2007, along with a collection of games and a controller.

I had the RCMP investigating and all my friends on the lookout for my lost property.

Instead of replacing my machine and starting over, I strayed from the Xbox and ran to my new love, the PlayStation 3.

The biggest problem with switching consoles was that the Xbox live community in Inuvik was starting to grow.

When I finally got set up on the PlayStation network, it became apparent that Xbox was the video gaming system of choice in town.

For the last year, I've been living my online life, playing games with strangers and occasionally finding a friend I knew.

Then last week I got a call from a friend who had just bought a used Xbox 360 from a shady character.

It turned out the console my friend just bought was the same one I lost a year ago.

The funniest part was that my gamer profile and saved game information was still intact, waiting for me to finish off those last few levels of Halo 3.

Needless to say, I was stunned. I couldn't believe my old Xbox 360 was coming full circle.

I had held off from buying another one, out of bitter hatred for the person who had robbed me of my pastime.

Now I know who that person is. The thing I can't understand is why he would do such a thing. We grew up in the same neighbourhood, played in the same playground, yet he didn't think twice about taking my property.

It's sick and unforgivable, how people with bad intentions think and act.

Well, it took me less than two days to get back in the thick of it all in the Xbox online world of gaming.

I added a few friends who were active in a popular shooting game and pretty soon I was simulating battles, trying to climb the ranks.

Now I'm connected with many people in the community through my old Xbox 360.

A lot of young students in town are spending their time on these games and I think it's great.

I mean, sure it's important to stay physically active, but it's undeniably fun to spend hours talking with friends, laughing at dumb stuff online.

When we're online working as a team, age, gender or social status doesn't matter.

You talk, learn and enjoy the company of others, while taking part in group activities.

Team games teach leadership and good communication skills.

Ask anyone who plays video games. They'll attest to the positive rewards of playing online.

Last year, I helped organize a Guitar Hero tournament at the high school, which raised more than $200 for the food bank.

This year, with the popularity of video games gaining more momentum, I think it's time to plan for the new year.

To all the parents out there who are encouraging their children to play collaboratively online, good for you.

With a new way to connect with each other through Xbox live, I think this winter just got a bit easier to bear.

Hal Logsdon, rental officer for the NWT, says he's surprised more people haven't filed complaints about the lack of heat at Ptarmigan Apartments.

His comments last week came after officials with the Stanton Territorial Health Authority visited the building and found the majority of boilers used to heat the building were either turned off or set very low.

A health officer recorded a frigid reading of 0 C in the hallway. The temperature in individual apartments was 14 C - about six degrees below room temperature.

But by the end of the week only one family living at Ptarmigan Apartments had filed an application for compensation with the NWT Rental Office. Yellowknifer spoke to several tenants who were clearly afraid to make a fuss out of fear of being evicted.

It certainly doesn't seem like a complainers' market these days. The Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation recently reported rental vacancy rates in Yellowknife are at a six-year low at less than one per cent. With so few choices, it's easy to understand many renters may be reluctant to complain.

The fact is, however, tenants do have rights. For one, it is an offence to bully a tenant into vacating a residence. A corporate property owner can be fined up to $25,000 if convicted. A tenant, in most cases, also has a right to a hearing with a rental officer before the landlord can evict them.

As for vital services, such as heat, a tenant can seek compensation for the days spent without it, particularly if the tenant had to pay extra on their electricity bill if they were forced to use electric heaters or an open stove to heat their apartment.

Tenants are well protected in the NWT. There's no reason to be afraid to exercise your rights.

One of the city's most popular annual events, Caribou Carnival, has been on the verge of non-existence for the past few years.

Organizational troubles as well as competition from other events - many volunteers were drained following the Arctic Winter Games last March - have reduced the carnival to a fraction of what it once was.

But there is hope yet for the ailing carnival. At the association's annual general meeting earlier this month, the event got a breath of fresh air as Jolene Hughes stepped up and became the group's new president. Hughes' friend Catherine McManus filled the position of treasurer.

A few days later, the new organizers had already rallied up a group of enthusiastic volunteers to meet and talk about fresh ideas for the next carnival.

With everything from an ice-fishing derby to an all-ages hockey game in the works, Hughes said she wants the carnival "to take over the city" this spring.

Caribou Carnival should be a lively and exciting event that showcases the city's artistic and athletic talent and gets families and friends out together for fun and games. The carnival is well on its way to a successful return thanks to Hughes, McManus and others, but let's all be ready to do our part.

Well it's time, valued readers - time for the Kivalliq News Christmas gift list.

And, there's no better place to start than at the top.

To Premier Eva Aariak we steal a page of tradition from the book of finance ministers and send a pair of glass slippers.

We also send a special Nunavut clock that's rigged to never strike 12 and a permanently blooming rose.

May the slippers fit and the clock and rose always work as intended.

To Health Minister Keith Peterson we send the world's longest lasting reusable Band-Aid.

We hope the minister keeps it handy for any time the media gets on his nerves.

To Education Minister Hunter Tootoo we send a this-way-up sticker personally autographed by Ed Picco.

We've also included instructions so Tootoo knows which side sticks best and which bar it's meant to raise.

There are a number of former, would-be and lower-ranking politicians (and you know who you are) who earned rather large lumps of coal this year for their lack of grace in accepting defeat.

But, rather than add to climate woes by putting more coal in circulation, we came up with a better idea.

To these Grinches we send a copy of the Eagles' song, Get Over It. Listen and learn!

To former minister David Simailak of Baker Lake we send a slice of Christmas humble pie, and our sincere hopes for a lesson well-learned and a future return to a leadership role he is so capable of excelling in.

To new Rankin Inlet South-Whale Cove MLA Lorne Kusugak we send a special compass that always points to the Kivalliq, just in case he gets a little too comfortable in the Baffin.

To the Iqaluit senior men's hockey team we send a marvellous pink ballet tutu that's softer and more snugly than the rock-hard Tootoos that come from the Kivalliq.

We have another special compass to send out to Nanulik MLA Johnny Ningeongan.

This compass points to Coral Harbour until noon and then swings to Chesterfield Inlet until midnight.

It comes in its own special carrying case that reminds Ningeongan of his campaign promise by displaying the former addresses of his predecessors.

To Barney Tootoo of Rankin Inlet we send 12 coupons worth one hour of access to a Public Works vehicle every month.

The coupons can be used any time Barney thinks there may be a problem with the roads in Rankin.

To the Nunavut Association of Municipalities we send a special how-to guide on better interviewing and hiring skills for management and executive positions.

May they learn to use it!

To Arviat hamlet council we send a gold record of Bad Company's song, I Can't Live Without You.

We couldn't get the band members to autograph the disk, so we thought having the GN's director of community development, Darren Flynn, sign it was a nice touch.

May these gifts be received in the spirit in which they were intended.

Merry Christmas to all.

It's hard to believe RCMP in the NWT are attempting to justify the use of a stun gun on a 15-year-old girl who was face down in a cell with her hands cuffed behind her back.

That's what happened at the Arctic Tern young offenders facility in Inuvik in March of 2007.

An investigation by the federal Department of Justice - not far removed enough and not viewed as independent by many - found no wrongdoing in the case.

That judgment leaves a lot of unanswered questions, for starters: how can a teenager who has been restrained and placed on her stomach be a significant threat to anyone?

We're glad to see a new investigation is being launched into the incident by the Commission for Public Complaints Against the RCMP.

Unfortunately the commission's findings are not binding, something that should change.

The commission recently released a report showing that Tasers, designed to discharge up to 50,000 volts, are being used more frequently since their introduction to the RCMP in 2001.

A strong argument can be made that the weapon has a useful place in the police arsenal - if used under the appropriate circumstances.

However, police officers must be trained to use the utmost discretion before subjecting a suspect or prisoner to a debilitating shock that could be lethal.

More accountability and better oversight can only increase the responsible and safe use of stun guns.

That's really what's needed.

At Prime Minister Stephen Harper's behest, Gov. Gen. Michaelle Jean suspended Parliament on Dec. 4.

It was the right decision.

It will allow a cooling-off period until Jan. 26, when the House of Commons will reconvene. Then we'll see whether the coalition has enough public support and has maintained the will and momentum to remove the governing Conservatives.

The implications for the North would be the loss of a ruling party that has brought Arctic issues to the forefront and put an Inuk in cabinet. Leona Aglukkaq was not just given a junior seat either, she has a prominent role as national health minister.

Harper's government deserves credit for its attention to Arctic sovereignty, proposing a Northern development agency and seeking ways to streamline Northern regulatory systems - although it must achieve a balance whereby Northern input is strong and the environment is protected. Granted there are other areas where progress still stands to be made, such as housing, social issues and devolution (an issue that lagged under the Liberals for many years as well).

Western Arctic MP Dennis Bevington, although a hard worker and poised for a cabinet seat of his own should the coalition ever realize its goal of forming government, has brought little to the table in way of economic development proposals for the North. Fighting for an increase in Northern Residents Tax Deduction is welcome but it won't do a thing for job creation.

Nature is cruel. There is nowhere on Earth where that lesson is more plain than in the Arctic.

This is an environment where the weather, and one's luck, can change in the blink of an eye.

Last month more than 600 unlucky narwhal were trapped by ice about 17 km from Pond Inlet. There was no way to rescue the whales before they would run out of air holes and drown.

Hunters in the community could have chosen to do nothing, allowing the animals to suffer a lengthy, meaningless death.

But that is not the Inuit way. Instead the community of Pond Inlet committed itself to weeks of arduous labour - 12-hour days spent killing, hauling and processing 629 narwhal - so some good would come from the accident of nature. The doomed narwhal were dispatched as humanely as possible and now there is plentiful meat and maktaaq to be shared for Christmas.

For this the people of Pond Inlet were subject to criticism, harassment and insults from animal rights activists and misguided people who fail to understand the stark realities of life in the North.

In the midst of their errand of mercy, they were forced to defend themselves as best they could in a war of words.

Last week, Pond Inlet residents received the support of two federal cabinet ministers who jointly issued a press release chastizing one of the most outspoken critics of the cull, Paul Watson of the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society. Though it came late in the game, that government statement is evidence that the presence of an Inuk in cabinet can bring Northern concerns to the forefront.

The efforts of the community during this difficult time deserve a round of applause.