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Energy standard paved the way
Yellowknifer - Wednesday, April 22, 2009

Two years ago, modular home retailer Regent Homes threatened to boycott Yellowknife after city council instituted rules requiring new homes to be more energy efficient.

Its sales manager Blair Turner said it wasn't worth it for the company to recalibrate its Lethbridge, Alta., factory just because little old Yellowknife wanted to out-green other cities in Canada.

He said if Regent or any of its sister companies under the SRI Homes umbrella tried to comply with the new rules, the homes would have to be built bigger, and would get stuck under bridges and overpasses on their way up North as a result.

Yellowknife developers such as Homes North and Premium Homes joined the chorus of condemnation for the high efficiency standards.

How times have changed, and quickly. Yellowknife resident Wade Friesen brought a SRI-built single-wide trailer into the city last week, which he says will meet the EnerGuide 80 standard.

The initial cost is higher, by about $25,000, but savings on heating will gradually offset that.

SRI now says, after figuring it how to do it, that it will only take a couple months to a build a mobile home it not long ago said was unprofitable and impractical to build.

Klassen Homes out of Enterprise, meanwhile, is marketing energy-efficient, manufactured homes in Yellowknife.

Two things have become clear: the market is showing that energy-efficient homes are the way of the future, particularly if heating fuel prices continue to rise, which they will.

Secondly, council was right on this one.


Making good neighbours
Wednesday, April 22, 2009

When Yellowknives Chief Fred Sangris handed a cheque to Yellowknife Mayor Gord Van Tighem on behalf of Dettah last week, he was doing more than settling a financial debt.

Sangris was paying back the city for the Yellowknife Fire Department's assistance when a man set his wife's home ablaze in August 2008.

The $3,171.72 cheque, in addition to paying for the service, was meant as a goodwill gesture, signifying an improving relationship between the communities.

This past summer, Yellowknife extended its hand to Ndilo when it committed to paving its roads, despite a lack of funding from the federal government. This opened a door for a new neighbourly relationship between the communities.

Another recent symbol of the area's developing unity was Van Tighem's attendance at a Dettah drum dance over Easter.

It was the first time a Yellowknife city official was invited to such a function - and hopefully the first of many.

It is encouraging to see trust and understanding developing. The communities' leaders should be commended for their efforts.


Cheating the game
Editorial Comment
Darrell Greer
Kivalliq News -Wednesday, April 22, 2009

After a number of years of moving in the right direction, Kivalliq hockey took more than a few steps back this past season with the verbal harassment of officials.

I am also growing alarmed at the number of senior officials who are skating away due to the harassment.

Those who follow the game realize I am still an active Level 4 official who continues to work more than 100 games annually.

This past season included a number of firsts for me as an official.

It was the first time I ever stepped away from the action before all was said and done, needing a reprieve from it all with three games remaining in the final series of the Rankin Inlet Senior Men's Hockey League playoffs.

I am, by my own admission, a tough official who calls what players often refer to as a "tight game."

The reason is simple. It's what Hockey Canada (HC) asks of its refs with the new standard of officiating and I follow HC directives to the best of my ability.

So you can take me at my word when I tell you I've heard my share of creative and colourful expletives over the course of my career.

The 2008-2009 season was also the first time in my life I ever had a hockey player accuse me of cheating.

And again, you can take me at my word when I tell you such an accusation burns much deeper - and hotter - than "Hey ref, you suck!"

This season also marked the first time I was spit on by a player since 2002, and the first time I ever had a player shoot a puck at me on purpose.

The cumulative effect of these actions gave me a healthy dose of insight as to why so many refs are leaving the game.

Some - such as when a player told me the refs cost his team the game during an elimination match in the Avataq Cup in which they lost by a score of 8-3 - were so absurd as to be laughable.

There was nothing funny, however, about being called a cheater.

I cannot even fathom the thought of an official deliberately fixing the outcome of the greatest game on Earth.

Local hockey officials rarely get any kind of credit for what they bring, or add, to the hometown hockey scene.

But it's time for players to start giving some serious thought to what may happen to their leagues if they get up one morning to find there are no real refs left who want to officiate their games.

People who know the game and its terminology understand exactly what I mean when I say it's the players who have to start speaking up.

They stand to lose as much as the officials if it reaches the point where experienced refs want nothing more to do with their leagues.

Hockey is an emotional sport, and there's no escaping the fact frustration will often rear its head.

But like everything else, there are boundaries.

And when the boundaries are crossed by those with no respect for the game, it's the game itself that gets cheated.

For now, I'm left to an off-season haunted by the memory of a six-year-old girl smiling at my partner and I as we left the arena.

As we walked by she looked up and sweetly said, "One-sided referees!"


Caribou management
NWT News/North - Monday, April 20, 2009

Earlier this month the federal government released a doom-and-gloom report on the state of our nation's woodland caribou herds.

More than half of the herds have less than a 50 per cent chance of survival if a management program is not put in place.

Of the 57 herds listed, 10 have a 20 per cent -- or less - chance of survival without a management program.

In the NWT figures are less dire. Although News/North received an earful from the Canadian Parks and Wildlife Society (CPAWS) and the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) for that assessment, the numbers in Environment Canada's report clearly indicate woodland caribou in the NWT are either significantly stronger than their southern counterparts or have a better shot at recovery with proper herd management.

Of the six solely-NWT herds, three are listed as having a 50 per cent chance or better survival rate without changes to habitat management. One of those herds - referred to as the Yk/Gwich'in in the report - has an 80 per cent survival rate.

Two herds, both in the Deh Cho, are worse off with a 40 per cent chance of survival. Although both of those herds are listed as being above critical populations - 300 animals or more -- both CPAWS and WWF insist the herds are in decline. However, only half of the six herds have undergone assessments of population trends. The Yk/Gwich'in herd is deemed to be increasing. Both Dehcho herds are said to be "likely decreasing." In the case of the Dehcho North/Southwest herd, the assessment is based on "professional judgment," which the report explains is based on "limited data, not on rigorously collected field data."

The GNWT doesn't see the report as an accurate reflection of woodland caribou numbers in the NWT, according to a government spokesperson.

NWT outfitters, who have been battling caribou counts for years, see the report as an indication that the NWT is not losing boreal caribou at a high rate and, in some cases, herds are increasing in numbers.

Regardless of whether one sides with the hunters or the conservation groups, one of the most alarming statistics in the report pertains to the two herds that cross between the NWT and Alberta. Both of those trans-boundary herds - listed at a 20 per cent chance of survival without a recovery plan - appear to be in serious trouble. Therefore it would be prudent to take action now.

Listed as one of the primary barriers to the trans-boundary herds' sustainability is disturbance from human and natural interference. Interruptions in herd migration and shrinking habitat range in Alberta caused by widespread industrial development are prime suspects.

Although the report indicates herd disturbance North of 60 is low or moderate we could easily see that threat rise to high if proper checks and balances on development are not in place. It is important we do something now to ensure caribou sustainability is a top consideration when approving future development and hunting practices in the NWT.

We look forward to Environment Canada's follow-up studies, which will put more effort into identifying critical caribou habitat. Most importantly, Environment Canada's future reviews will use traditional aboriginal knowledge, something the initial report did not incorporate, but should have.


No Inuk, no commission
Nunavut News/North - Monday, April 20, 2009

The appointment of a new Indian Residential Schools Truth and Reconciliation Commission is weeks away, and the Chuck Strahl, the minister of Indian and Northern Affairs, still will not commit to appointing at least one Inuk.

This is the second time a commission is to be selected. The first time there were two First Nations commissioners and a non-aboriginal commissioner, all of whom resigned because they were not able to work co-operatively.

Citing expediency, Strahl said whether the new candidates can do the job and work with people from a variety of cultures is more important than what group they themselves are from.

This is true.

It can also be argued that one Inuk and two First Nations commissioners would be able to connect better with Inuit residential school survivors than three First Nations commissioners, or two First Nations commissioners and one non-aboriginal.

This is the second time Inuit organizations have lobbied hard for an Inuk on the commission. If their voices are ignored again, they will be rightfully annoyed.

The residential school system existed throughout the North and arguably had some of its most dire impacts here. It was a system imposed on Inuit by the federal government and governed from the south.

The commission tasked with uncovering the real history and legacy of residential schools should not be similarly imposed by Ottawa and governed from the south. To do so would be a continuation of colonial attitudes.

A refusal to participate in a commission that doesn't include an Inuk may be the only way to communicate how seriously Nunavut is taking the truth and reconciliation process. The federal government should oblige, or give Nunavut funding to create a truth and reconciliation of its own.


Congratulations to an outstanding actor
Nunavut News/North - Monday, April 20, 2009

Natar Ungalaaq's performance in the film Ce qu'il faut pour vivre (The Necessities of Life) has earned him a Genie award - Canada's equivalent of an Oscar - for best actor, beating out such household names as Christopher Plummer and Paul Gross.

This is yet another confirmation that Nunavummiut have the talent, skills and determination to rank among the world's best in any profession they choose.

Fluent in English, French and Inuktitut, Ungalaaq is eager to work on all sorts of movie genres and tackle roles not defined by his heritage alone. As he told our reporter, "I can be anything."

This is something he expresses to youth in his other work as a student counsellor at Ataguttaaluk high school, and it's worth repeating.

Where you go in life is limited only by your imagination and the depth of your commitment.

Congratulations, Natar, and keep inspiring us to be our best.


Act needs MLA watchdogs
Yellowknifer - Friday, April 17, 2009

In 1998, Yellowknife was facing a very uncertain future. The impending birth of Nunavut in 1999 meant a 40 percent reduction in the territorial budget. Giant Mine was teetering on receivership. Con Mine's closing was in the rumour mill.

One of those sounding the alarm was Mayor Dave Lovell who worried the mine closures would mean the end of lucrative property taxes and hundreds of employees leaving town.

He wasn't alone. The Yellowknife business community was just as worried. The lone diamond mine in the barrens, Ekati, was built but Diavik was years away.

Diamond cutting and polishing factories offered a hope of diversifying Yellowknife's economy, filling the void created by the crumbling gold pillars that had propped the city up since the 1930s. Problem was, the federal government was not worried about the Northern economy nor excited by the secondary diamond industry. The territorial government was forced to go hat in hand to the diamond mines asking them to volunteer a share of their diamond production at market value.

The mining companies were reluctant to share given the proven services of long-established cutting and polishing companies in Europe. The practice of grouping high-value diamonds with lower-value diamonds to increase profits also played a role in keeping high-value diamonds going to Europe instead of Yellowknife.

Still, Lovell, backed by city council, and the Yellowknife business community, together formed a Yellowknife Diamond Industry Task Force and fought for the industry, both at home and in Ottawa. The fruits of their labours hit a peak in 2004-05 with 200 workers at four factories.

Now the numbers are much lower, less than 50 workers at two factories.

The good news is, the cutting and polishing industry has sprouted in another fledgling diamond town - Sudbury - with a Yellowknife connection.

De Beers has a mine north of Sudbury and has agreed to supply Crossworks Manufacturing with an estimated $25 million, or 10 percent by value of the mine's diamond production. Crossworks has a small cutting and polishing factory in Yellowknife with 11 workers and expects to hire 50 workers in Sudbury.

That magic figure of 10 percent is what Yellowknife's polishing industry was supposed to be given access to by the three diamond mines - Ekati, Diavik, and De Beers.

Without ironclad agreements, that never happened. What exactly did happen the public will never know. The mines cloak the supply lines in secrecy, which serves their purposes but confuses governments attempting to grow an industry. Cutting and polishing companies who also know what's offered have to hold their tongues for fear of losing the supply they do have.

In a tightly controlled market like diamonds, supply is everything. Yellowknife was never offered anything close to the 10 per cent in the watery "gentlemen's agreements." As the mines pull about $1.5 billion worth of diamonds out of the NWT's ground every year, we should have access to $150 million worth, five times what's being offered in Sudbury, potentially creating 300 jobs.

For Yellowknife, even 200 jobs would shore up the tax base and allow the city to expand into the quality of life gem council wants it to be. What's needed is another Yellowknife Diamond Industry Task Force to focus the energy and bright political, government and business minds of the city on reviving a promising industry.


Too good to be true?
Editorial Comment
Roxanna Thompson
Deh Cho Drum - Thursday, April 16, 2009

Things that seem too good to be true often are, and this might be the case for the fabled one-rate power zone.

The idea of a one-rate zone for all residents of the NWT was raised at the public forum on the NWT Electricity Review held in Fort Simpson on April 8. Most of the residents who spoke during the forum voiced their support for the implementation of a one-rate zone.

This isn't the first time that the idea has been raised.

A one-rate zone has been like a holy grail for the Deh Cho. The idea has been brought forward numerous times and sought after by many but never obtained. Its proponents are sure that having it would solve a lot of problems for residents of the small communities, and it's easy to follow their reasoning.

In the public discussion paper on the review the government published, equitable cost distribution is listed as a point to consider. According to the math, if costs across the North were averaged out, rates in the NWT would be approximately 31 cents per kilowatt hour.

According to one-rate supporters, if the community of Nahanni Butte, for instance, was suddenly able to pay 31 cents compared to the 166.40 cents, the second-highest rate in the territory, they currently pay, a lot of residents would probably rejoice. If residents of Fort Smith, on the other had, were forced to pay 31 cents instead of their current rate, the lowest in the territory, of 16.36 they'd likely stage a revolt.

This line of argument paints the one-rate zone as battle between diesel-generated communities who want it for the cost savings it would bring, and hydro communities who oppose it because it would raise their rates.

But what if it wasn't that simple? The old saying of "be careful what you wish for" could apply to the one-rate zone.

Most residents of Nahanni Butte don't actually pay 166.40 cents per kilowatt hour. Thanks to the Territorial Power Support Program (TPSP), residents are subsidized for the first 700 kilowatt hours to the Yellowknife rate, which is currently 26.03 cents.

According to the Northwest Territories Power Corporation, approximately 80 per cent of its customers use less than 700 kilowatt hours per month.

The real savings associated with the one-rate zone rest on what happens to the TPSP. If everyone in the territory, including Yellowknife, was paying 31 cents in a one-rate zone, the subsidy could end. How, after all, can you subsidize to a rate that no longer exists?

Thirty-one cents is more than 26.03 cents, so residents of all the communities, even those with power rates that are currently high, would actually find their power bills had increased. The only people who might see a savings are the 20 per cent who use more than 700 kilowatt hours because they already pay a high price for their extra usage. Without the TPSP, the one-rate power zone idea suddenly looks less like the holy grail and more like a poisoned cup.

Residents of the diesel-generated communities are right to be looking for ways to decrease their power bills, but consequences of the plans they suggest need to be thought through very carefully.


Olympic dilemma
Editorial Comment
Andrew Rankin
Inuvik Drum - Thursday, April 16, 2009

I know it's been two weeks to the day that the Olympic committee and the premier strolled into town to announce something about a new partnership. If I sound somewhat vague, then you'll have to excuse me.

Maybe I was distracted by the blazing mascots and endless hyperbole.

Anyway, I'm pretty sure it had something to do with showcasing the NWT: its people, culture, business opportunities in Vancouver for everyone on a global scale to celebrate.

That's a great idea. I have no problem with that.

I just couldn't understand why a huge celebratory jam was orchestrated to announce such a thing, especially when so few details about the deal were forthcoming. No press release. No nothing.

Premier Floyd Roland was quick to acknowledge that the $2.5 million of your tax money that's paying for this partnership is well worth it. But when pressed to explain how, he resorted to muddy reasoning about the specifics. Our artists will be there, but nothing, it appears, has been set in stone.

Now I don't expect Roland to be thoroughly briefed on every single item on the government's agenda. But if you want me to celebrate something, give me something solid to celebrate. I'd like to know a few names of the artists who will be travelling to the 2010 Winter Games to represent the territory. Those individuals should be given the chance to speak to residents so we can get a sense of who they are.

Maybe I'm sounding a tad cynical about the Olympics. That's not my intent at all.

I've always held a childlike reverence for the event. It symbolizes a spirit of community among countries. I always feel an acute sense of pride whenever one of our own hits the podium. Of course I will be keeping a close eye on the Canadian Men's Hockey Team.

As for the torch relay that will include Inuvik in November, it will be a profound moment, I'm sure.

I suppose what sours me about this whole partnership thing centres on a conversation I had at the announcement with a four-time Olympian from Aklavik, Sharon Firth.

She developed into the world class athlete she is because she had the coaching and resources to do it. She lamented the fact that the funding and support that could allow our current athletes to thrive isn't available. As a territorial government employee whose job it is to advocate on behalf of youth, there are few others who can talk more knowledgeably about the subject than Firth.

I commend her courage to speak up. Where are the government's priorities when it comes to the Olympics? Does it just want to be seen as part of the gang, not wanting to be left out?

What is it about the North that the territorial government wants to see promoted? Why are the Olympics so important to the territory? Why can't that passion be communicated a little more clearly?

Taxpayers and our athletes deserve to know.


Corrections
An error occurred in Friday's Yellowknifer, April 17, in the article "Human trafficking expert visits Yk." Dave Bouchard is an employee of the Canadian Religious Conference and not with the Government of Alberta. Yellowknifer apologizes for any confusion or embarrassment the error may have caused.

Clarification: In the April 15 edition of Yellowknifer, the EGH-80 standard trailer covered in the article "Energy-efficient home complies to new rules" has not been tested by the city yet.