Subscribers
 News Desk
 Columnists
 Sports
 Editorial
 Readers comment
 Tenders
 Obituaries


Free Features

SSISearch NNSL
 www.SSIMIcro.com

News Highlights
 News briefs
 News summaries

Entertainment
 Arts and entertainment
 Games page
 TV Listings

Best of Bush
The past week by
cartoonist Norm Muffitt

Views North
 NWT views
 Nunavut views
 YK views
 Wildlife Pictures
 Last week in pictures


Classifieds
 Nunavut classifeds
 NWT classifieds
 National classifieds
 Southern job opportunities

Northern Jobs
Nunavut and NWT job opportunities

Guest Book
Send a message or see who signed in

Obituaries

Visitors guides
 Inuvik and Region
 Deh Cho Region
 Yellowknife
 Iqaluit

Handy Links

Free travel brochures

Market reports
 Construction
 Oil & Gas Drum
 Nunavut Mining Symposium
 NWT.Nunavut Mining
 Opportunities North (all industry report on Nunavut and NWT)

Special issues
Dozens of features reports from NNSL publications

Advertising
Readership study
demographic and
market information,
circulation coverage
advertising information,
special issues and features
for all NNSL publications

Year in review
 Deh Cho Drum
 Inuvik Drum
 Kivalliq News
 Nunavut News/North
 NWT News/North
 Yellowknifer

Contacts
All papers, offices and departments. Phone, Fax and e-mail numbers

Distributed in Northwest Territories and Nunavut Canada

Northern News Services Online

Home page text size buttonsbigger textsmall text Text size Email this articleE-mail this page

A bumpy ride
NWT News/North - Monday, February 9, 2009

Last Thursday's $1.3 billion territorial budget seemed to be fairly well received by many members of the public, community and labour leaders, NWT businesses and representatives of environmental organizations.

But it was a painful process to arrive at this point.

Due to a projected $40 million budget shortfall over two years, Premier Floyd Roland and Finance Minister Michael Miltenberger forewarned last May that 135 GNWT job cuts were on the way. Layoff notices were even issued. After public outcry and a threat by regular MLAs to vote down the 2008-09 budget, Roland and Miltenberger changed their tack.

By October they were threatening to introduce numerous new taxes and tax increases. This too was met with resounding fury.

In December, Roland went back to the first well, threatening that 100 civil service positions would be chopped.

All that tough talk infuriated people throughout the NWT. In the end, what came of it? There were 14 jobs eliminated last year, another 14 will be slashed this year.

New taxes introduced Thursday amount to higher prices for smokers and drinkers and higher property taxes for industry.

These are tough economic times globally. Our territory is borrowing $81 million from Ottawa to fund infrastructure projects. Our national government is incurring a $40 billion deficit over the next two years. The American government is dipping deeper into the red as its economy reels.

Yet premier and cabinet's messages over the past year have largely been alarmist, poorly thought out and extremely counter-productive.

Unfortunately, their miscues haven't simply been limited to budget items. They did a poor sales job with the $165 million Deh Cho bridge, whereby they tried to keep the details under wraps and only offered weak assurances that the finances wouldn't become a public liability. Ditto for the $34 million loan to Discovery Air, which is a debt-laden, penny-stock company that employs a few hundred Northerners.

Miltenberger angered the masses yet again by forcing the idea of board mergers down people's throats. At least he says he's willing to sit down and discuss how it will work after dictating that the mergers are inescapable.

Then there's the supplementary health benefits changes, which has seniors up in arms. Health Minister Sandy Lee professes that the government's aim is to ensure that the working poor are covered for extended health benefits like drugs and glasses. The problem is that similar benefits for those with modest incomes would be clawed back to some extent.

Many of the government's proposals are conceived by bureaucrats, and many are well-intentioned. However, it's a politician's job to carefully examine the impacts of such decisions. Some of the ideas need to be rejected outright, others need to be refined and polished and then negotiated through consultation and communication.

Before coming to the public seeking feedback and acceptance, our premier and cabinet, who narrowly escaped a non-confidence vote Friday, need to have a clear and workable vision. They need to be fully informed and answer all questions honestly. Their political credibility, and perhaps future, rests on it.


Start again
Nunavut News/North - Monday, February 9, 2009

The resignation of the two remaining members of the Indian Residential Schools Truth and Reconciliation Commission is disappointing.

What began with promise last May has ended less than a year later, without accomplishing much.

Even though many Northerners were not happy with the lack of Inuit representation on the commission, its complete disintegration delays the recording of elders' recollections from residential schools, and our elders are dying. First, the chief commissioner resigned late last year, saying the other two members had different ideas on how the commission was to be run and the three of them could not work out their differences. Now the other two have thrown in the towel as well.

It's ironic that three commissioners, with their hefty law or health-based educations, charged with a mandate to listen, understand, communicate and ultimately reconcile, could not work together well enough to even begin the process they were hired for.

While the three of them bickered and dilly-dallied, survivors of residential schools went on with their lives, some still living with the effects of abuse and the disruption of their cultural connections.

The only bright spot in this disastrous beginning is the chance for a fresh start. This time when selecting commissioners, the federal government would do well to appoint at least one Inuk.

All groups affected by residential schools deserve a voice on the truth and reconciliation commission. We hope the next group of commissioners keeps in mind the people they are there to represent and what they are supposed to accomplish.


Trades make good careers
Nunavut News/North - Monday, February 9, 2009

Sarah Tautuajuk from Pangnirtung may admittedly be short but her size, and her gender, are no barriers to getting the job done. She trained through a building trades helper program and now works at the Snap Lake diamond mine in the NWT.

What has helped her succeed isn't an ability to lift heavy objects, but her confidence, commitment and hard work.

Like a first experience at skinning an animal carcass or cooking a meal for a crowd, entering a trade can be daunting. But not unlike traditional skills, trades are learned by doing them under the supervision of those with many years of experience.

Skilled tradespeople are in high demand and the work pays better than being a cashier or a receptionist - more traditionally "female" careers.

In fact Tautuajuk hopes to have enough money saved up in five years' time to put a down payment on a home.

She's setting an example for others to follow.


Attack on the middle class
Yellowknifer - Friday, February 6, 2009

The Department of Health hastily backed away from implementing its new health benefits program this week after a massive public outcry.

Anyone in government who dares to tinker with existing health care benefits for seniors and middle class citizens had better communicate clearly what the changes mean, or incur the wrath of voters as Health Minister Sandy Lee found out recently.

The bar was clearly set too low. A net income limit of $45,000 for a family of four to be eligible for the new Supplementary Health Benefits Program was poorly thought out. Supporting a family of four on such a modest household income in Yellowknife is not easy, let alone adding more costs for health care.

The GNWT didn't help itself with its poor communication. Even though the policy change on extended health benefits had been approved by cabinet in September 2007, residents were unaware of the changes to be made until Lee announced in December 2008 that the plan would take hold in April 2009. Also, the legislative assembly is far from being in consensus on the matter. Non-cabinet MLAs have attended seniors' conferences to voice their own opposition. On Wednesday, the government's poor communication compelled one MLA to call for a vote of confidence.

Lee's announcement this week to put off the health benefit changes until Sept. 1 - to "address complaints" on income thresholds and drugs coverage - may have saved her political future.

The government must regroup and find a more palatable alternative.


Bar staff must be vigilant
Yellowknifer - Friday, February 6, 2009

The Gold Range bar has been ordered to shut its doors for a period of one week starting on Feb. 23 due to six separate violations of the Liquor Act last year.

Among the violations are separate instances in which staff served alcohol to customers who were already clearly intoxicated, and in which the bathrooms were left in unsanitary condition.

It's virtually impossible to run a bar where the bathroom isn't sometimes dirty and where customers never get drunk. But servers need to be fully aware of when customers are merry or fall-down drunk.

When people are found passed out in the pub - as happened at the Gold Range on Sept. 22, 2008 - it's a clear indication that staff are not paying enough attention. On the night the patrons were found passed out by an RCMP officer, the pub's manager, Sam Park, had left the bar in the care of his cousin for about half an hour. Based on what the police officer subsequently saw, it reinforces how important it is to have responsible and experienced employees behind the bar.

In December, management at the Gold Range put its servers through a training program to ensure staff are able to handle the challenges of working in a liquor-licensed establishment.

Those are lessons that shouldn't be forgotten.


Dog owners must own up
Editorial Comment
Roxanna Thompson
Deh Cho Drum - Thursday, February 5, 2009

Anyone who watched Canadian Zinc submit its applications for the final permits needed to operate Prairie Creek mine and thought it would be just a hop, skip and a jump before zinc was rolling out of the mine is facing a reality check.

The mine has never had an easy relationship with the permitting process in the territory. A number of the permits the company has applied for in the past have moved very slowly through the permitting process.

Based on the progress made so far it looks like the applications for the type-A water license and type-A land use permit are also in for a long, tough slug. Even knowing Prairie Creek's track record on such matters, it's a bit surprising to see that after six months in environmental assessment, the file is still stuck in the scoping phase.

Given the snail's pace things are moving at, it's easy to see how both the company, their investors and local residents who see the possibility of benefits from the project would get discouraged. It's also easy to see how people could assume certain parties are purposefully using the environmental assessment process to undermine the project.

Keep a company from getting the necessary permits for long enough and even the hardiest of investors is bound to look elsewhere, and that's when the economy is good. As Chief Keyna Norwegian of the Liidlii Kue First Nation pointed out, investors are even less likely to ride out a long review process given the current state of global economic uncertainty.

Let's consider the role of the vocal parties. Both Dehcho First Nations and the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society (CPAWS) have had long-standing views on the project.

As an environmental organization, it's unsurprising CPAWS hasn't been a big supporter of the mine. CPAWS has repeatedly stated it doesn't believe the mine is compatible with its goal of protecting the South Nahanni watershed.

The Dehcho First Nations (DFN) has also questioned how the mine can fit in with the direction given by elders to preserve the land and water for future generations.

Both parties clearly don't want to see the mine move into production. Some people may criticize them for holding up the review process but they are actually playing an important and necessary role.

Even if everyone in the region and beyond wanted to see the mine in place, there would have to be at least one opposing voice to urge caution, and as a result, ensure that project was implemented safely. Even people who want the mine likely don't want to see it damage the environment in the process.

We should continue to push for more efficient environmental assessments, but the process is necessary to ensure the possible impacts of projects like Prairie Creek are understood and can be minimized if they move forward.


It's been great
Editorial Comment
Dez Loreen
Inuvik Drum - Thursday, February 5, 2009

After spending nearly three years reporting for Inuvik Drum, I find myself reflecting on the work I've done and the people I've met.

This is my final issue of the Drum. I've accepted a position as one of the new bylaw officers for the Town of Inuvik.

Consider this to be fair warning against all those drivers who don't use their seat belts.

On Monday afternoon, I drove past a long-haired man who parked in the only handicap parking spot in the downtown core. He ran across the road like a gazelle, leaping over the ice mound that divides the lanes on Mackenzie Road.

Party time is over for the people who think they're above the bylaws of this community, that's for sure.

Since announcing my job change, a lot of people asked my why I gave up my post as the "Drum guy."

Believe me, there is no easy answer to that question. A lot of things in my life factored heavily into the decision to resign from the newspaper.

When I first started working as the newspaper reporter, it was a bit tough getting into the lifestyle.

One thing is for sure, the job isn't a "nine-to-five." There are long nights, weekend assignments and long-distance interviews.

Being from the community, I grew up knowing a lot of people around me. When I started working for the newspaper, I quickly realized that I didn't know nearly enough of the people who work hard to make this community a success.

Here we are now, almost three years later and I feel I'm still getting to know people.

It's been a great experience, working with the youth, being in the schools and chronicling the events in town.

I've had the chance to work with the best and brightest in Northern journalism through my time as a reporter.

Some of my most treasured memories come from my days working the beat.

Being an "official" photographer is great because I have been in the front of many other budding camera enthusiasts.

People would make room for me in front of meetings, gatherings, coffeehouses and more.

There isn't much of a better way to meet new people than to offer to take their picture and have a few short words.

Many thanks to everyone who stopped me in the street to compliment my latest editorial rantings, or to straighten me out and give me an earful for voicing my opinions.

It'll be different for me to pick up the newspaper and not know what waits inside.

Again, I might have been the one typing the articles, but it was the community that made Inuvik Drum so solid for the past few years.

Keep it going for the next editor and help keep Inuvik Drum strong for generations to come.


Blind drunk
Yellowknifer - Wednesday, February 4, 2009

The trouble with Alfred Baillargeon's recent complaint against the RCMP is that he was too drunk to remember exactly what happened after they had arrested him.

Baillargeon alleges that the RCMP roughed him up and injured his arm following a night of drinking with a friend on Jan. 22.

Police arrested him outside a downtown restaurant that evening after receiving a report about an intoxicated man - a common scenario in this city.

Take a look at the Crime Watch report on page 11 of today's Yellowknifer.

Of the 359 calls for service the RCMP received from Jan. 19 to Feb. 2, no fewer than 46 of them were Liquor Act complaints, which generally means public intoxication. Another 121 calls were for mischief and disturbing the peace, which are often associated with drunkenness.

The public have reason to be wary of how police conduct themselves when dealing with people in such a state. Police officers, after all, are human and can be expected to get annoyed from time to time when confronted with an intoxicated person. It's not unheard of for an officer, out of inexperience or poor judgment, to react with violence.

In Inuvik, a 15-year-old girl already in handcuffs and subdued on her stomach was Tasered by an RCMP officer in March 2006. Although details remain scant, the officer involved in that case has been cleared in an investigation. Many questions are still unanswered.

There was also a case here in Yellowknife where an RCMP officer, Const. Scot Newberry, was found by a judge to have used excessive force during an arrest in 2004. Newberry punched a man in the temple, knocking him unconscious. The man broke his leg while falling.

The RCMP have promised to investigate Baillargeon's complaint. That investigation should be thorough and, ideally, objective. If the police are open in the results of their assessment, it increases the confidence the public will have in the outcome.

Unfortunately, Baillargeon himself cannot shed much light on this case. All he remembers is being in a police vehicle and then waking up in a cell the next morning in his T-shirt, shorts and socks. His right arm was swollen and bruised.

His family have played an instigative role in getting this complaint launched. They should also have a heart-to-heart talk with Baillargeon, making it clear to him that when he drinks he is a danger, at least too himself.

Whether the police are responsible for his injured arm or not, there are street toughs out there who are likely to do much worse to a drunken victim.


Premier made the right call
Editorial Comment
Darrell Greer
Kivalliq News - Wednesday, February 4, 2009

The reaction to Premier Eva Aariak taking the Justice portfolio away from now-Education Minister Louis Tapardjuk for his comments in an e-mail to staff members has been surprisingly divided.

There are many who share the premier's view of Tapardjuk's comments being inappropriate, while others maintain he was simply speaking the truth.

In their view, all too often a female starts an argument with her spouse, calls the authorities when the situation escalates and her poor male partner is charged.

To these people we would ask: when is physical violence an acceptable action in a relationship?

The answer, whether they accept it or not, is never!

There's always a choice.

If a relationship is that bad where one partner is always verbally antagonizing the other to the point of violence, they have the choice of ending the relationship.

If one partner has verbally abused the other to the point where he or she is thinking about using violence as a remedy, they can also think about walking out the door instead.

Yes. It's that black and white.

Unless you're in a situation where you have to defend your life, violence is never an option as the means to ending an argument.

Most people realize we almost all go through some very tough periods in our lives.

Some things hurt so deeply, and the pain so intense, it feels like it will never pass.

This brings us to the second part of Tapardjuk's controversial e-mail, in which he maintained the Canadian judicial system has killed more of our youth, through suicide, than were ever murdered in any given period.

You have to admit, it would be hard for the premier to leave a Justice minister in place who truly felt that way.

To those who support that particular Tapardjuk viewpoint, we ask the question: when is suicide an acceptable solution to a problem?

The answer is never!

Looking at both contentions, the one thing they share (other than extreme lack of judgment and poor taste) is the door to a dark room where the blame game is played - a staple of today's society where nobody is really responsible for their own actions.

If there's one thing the Canadian judicial system is truly guilty of, it's allowing that line of thought to become so prevalent in this country.

It may seem like he mugged you to steal your money, but really he was lashing out at his parents for the problems of his youth.

Yeah he may have blackened both her eyes, but she brought it upon herself.

Or the harshest, coldest and meanest of all: blaming a person for someone taking their own life because they ended a relationship with them.

That's not meant to trivialize the loss of life because that's always a tragic thing, but so is the burden carried by someone blamed for another's actions.

Aariak's decision to remove the Justice portfolio from Tapardjuk was the right one.

We can only hope Tapardjuk's retraction of his comments was sincere, and that his statements do not reflect the mindset he plans to introduce to our educational system!