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MLAs Bob Bromley and David Krutko made a positive move last week.

They held a press conference to explain the benefits of spending $54,000 to send them, two bureaucrats and a consultant to Scandinavia to learn how countries there use their environment to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and lower the cost of living.

They also promised a public report by June, with recommendations on how to achieve these goals, such as setting up factories to turn bush scrub into wood pellets to heat our buildings and homes.

That's quite a departure from the norm where MLAs return from some foreign country without a word explaining why unless vigorously hounded.

Some may ask Bromley and Krutko whether it is really necessary to spend tens of thousands of dollars to learn about wood pellet plants halfway around the world. Couldn't it be done by conference call, or reading research papers or doing an Internet search? We'll argue that sometimes you have to see it to believe it.

Yellowknifers may not be crazy about raising gas taxes and mandatory energy retrofits to homes, as Bromley suggested. But producing our own wood pellets instead of shipping out raw plant matter to Europe so they can produce pellets there and sell them back to us does make sense.

The question is, can this territorial government deliver and make this industry possible? If two years go by and all we've heard is more talk and no action, we'll know this trip was a waste of money and time.

Every year as mounds of dirt-encrusted snow melt, giving way to a hidden layer of garbage, it becomes apparent just how negligent some residents are when it comes to keeping the city clean.

A group of Yellowknifers, not willing to sit back and watch this eyesore accumulate, has been hitting the streets armed with garbage bags and a good sense of community spirit. Despite the cold and windy weather, they've picked up the litter fellow irresponsible citizens have carelessly tossed.

The city is noticeably cleaner, and these volunteers deserve our thanks and praise.

Before the cleanup began, a good portion of the litter consisted of plastic bags.

Some grocery stores have recently stepped up to help in the fight against litter by offering reusable bags at low cost, and by charging for plastic bags.

Soon we'll be able to see the difference this makes to our city's landscape.

As a concerned letter writer to this paper pointed out this month, another good chunk of the garbage around town is made up of disposable cups from coffee shops.

Some coffee vendors in town offer discounts for people using travel mugs. The incentive, unfortunately, hasn't made much of a dent in the litter of cardboard and Styrofoam cups.

Perhaps the coffee shops should impose a modest additional fee on disposable cups, further encouraging patrons to use their own travel mug. It's a tactic that's working for Extra Foods.

Improving our Northern education system remains one of the top priorities for the future development of our territory.

We still have many bridges to build between cultural knowledge and the traditional forms of education in our schools.

And, we still need to better adapt our system to recognize and meet the needs of a shifting job market.

Hand in hand with that is the need for better infrastructure in our existing schools, and more facilities that focus on the trades and advanced, specialized learning.

It's been a slow, painful process, but we're getting there.

Sure, an argument can be made the rest of the country had a pretty decent head start on us, but we're a long way from being a bunch of babbling backwater buffoons, as some people would paint us.

I've been slightly amused, and more than a little angered, by the way the everyday, just-trying-to-make-a-living Northerner has been portrayed by some folks recently.

I've read and heard a number of badly outdated comments on how the majority of Northerners, especially Inuit, can't navigate the Internet or fill out a basic application form, and wouldn't know a BlackBerry if they fell over it.

What Northern communities have these people been hanging out in?

The vast - and I mean vast - majority of young people I know in the Kivalliq are more proficient with today's high-tech gadgets than me (neither a quitter, nor a twitter, shall I ever be).

Now - in addition to insinuating the majority of Northerners are a little slower than your average bear - it's being suggested a large number of Canadian Rangers would quit if the Canadian Forces ever decided to arm them with better than old Enfield rifles, and asked them to train a bit towards combat situations during their annual exercises.

Let's hope there's never a Canadian Ranger put in a potential combat situation.

But it's asinine to suggest large numbers of Canadian Rangers would quit if the challenge to Canadian sovereignty in the North ever reached the point where they were called upon to do their share.

What wonderful opinions of Northerners some people have, even some who live here.

The associated beginnings of the Rangers date back to the Second World War, when a volunteer militia was formed on the Pacific Coast to repel a Japanese invasion.

The Canadian Rangers' official history goes back to the Cold War, when they were formed to protect our Northern communities.

Maybe it's just me, but that doesn't sound like the lineage of a group of people who would cut and run at the first sign of trouble.

There is no mandatory retirement age with the Rangers, and it would be ridiculous to expect those we regard as elders to prepare themselves for combat.

Then again, knowing some of them personally, chances are good they'd be the first ones trying to sign up.

Either way you cut it, they're indicative of most Nunavummiut in that they're a long way from being the undereducated and unpatriotic bunch some who don't know any better suggest they are.

It's a wonder the Salt River First Nation accomplishes anything. For nearly eight years the band has been embroiled in political controversy resulting in numerous leadership changes, many civil court battles and criminal proceedings against band and council members.

Unfortunately, the cost has been more than just monetary. Band council has lost credibility by wasting time and resources fighting among themselves, while needs of the community have largely gone unmet. There have been a few notable achievements despite the turmoil: a new men's homeless shelter, a reservation agreement was finalized and upgrades to housing for band members are underway.

But, consider how much more could have been done had all of band council's energies been focused on band business.

All the problems speak to a common denominator -- weak governance and election legislation.

For example, the fact the 2002 council could pay itself hundreds of thousands of dollars with the simple stroke of a pen is a ludicrous example of mismanagement.

Allowing a few councillors to remove a chief or other members of council from office is a serious problem and a recurring one in Salt River.

Council's recent spending of more than $1 million of band money on personal legal costs, revealed through court proceedings, is an outrage.

It's obvious that some guidelines with teeth are needed. As is the case with many First Nation governments, the Salt River First Nation has the autonomy to set its own election code and model of governance. That is vital to a democratic system, and it's an approach that allows a society to have the power of self-determination.

However, there are a number of holes that must be plugged. One of the next elected government's top priorities should be to strengthen the First Nation's election act and governance legislation. More checks and balances must be put in place.

Band members should be better informed of what's happening through regular membership meetings and newsletters. The people who aren't in office should make sure the elected officials are fully accountable.

There should be clear limitations on how band funds can be spent and band membership approval should be required for major expenditures.

A diversity of opinions should be welcome. Councils consist of more than one person to ensure multiple viewpoints. An elected body can only function if its members are free to speak their minds in meetings or to the public without fear of reprisal.

The members of the Salt River First Nation deserve an effective government that is committed to strengthening the band. Only a strong election code and governance model can ensure that happens.

A recent report by Indian and Northern Affairs Canada has confirmed what Northerners have been saying for years: the food mail program is flawed.

Graeme Dargo, the report's author, points to breakdowns in the program that span everything from ordering and delivery to administration and financing, to promotion and accountability.

As a result, there is a serious mistrust and lack of understanding about the program. Costs have also skyrocketed, nearly doubling over the past four years.

Dargo's recommendations range from a short-term overhaul of the program to its eventual replacement.

One of the most significant proposed changes is the elimination of personal orders, a recommendation with two schools of thought.

Presently, personal food orders account for less than 10 per cent of all food mail orders. Dargo states in his report that Northern organizations told him, "the shipment of personal food orders is unfair and favours privileged individuals." The program requires the use of a credit card for purchasing and access to a vehicle to transport goods, both of which put it out of reach for some people.

Dargo continued to say that personal orders negatively affect the Northern economy by reducing the purchasing power of Northern retailers. That means fewer options on store shelves and increased prices, he stated.

On the flip-side, many argue that personal orders keep prices low in communities with only one grocery retailer because the store is then forced to compete with southern retailers via the food mail program.

Although people will always be able to purchase goods in the south cheaper than in the North, the government's lack of required accountability for the food mail program has caused many to distrust Northern retailers. Dargo states that individuals and organizations doubt the government subsidy is being passed on by their local retailer.

There's a simple reason for that: retailers have no obligation to report how subsidies are applied.

Eliminating personal orders only makes sense if some fundamental changes are made, changes that Dargo proposes.

First, the program must regain public trust. Stores must be required to demonstrate how the subsidy is applied, the cost breakdown of goods and the savings realized by the customer. Second, the government should negotiate direct agreements with Northern retailers. Direct control over product delivery may allow retailers to find savings in shipping costs.

Eliminating personal orders combined with the two above recommendations would mean more money for Northern retailers and, if done properly, would translate into cheaper groceries for all as well as increased merchandise.

It's worth doing. Healthy food should not be a luxury.

Prospectors have been given one less reason to take up their rock picks as the territorial government has axed its grubstake program. It's bad news for independent exploration and for the NWT.

The program had offered financial support to prospectors since 1962. It was beneficial to an economy reliant on the mining industry.

Originally a federal funding initiative, the program was taken over by the GNWT in 1995. Last year, the program's funding was slashed to $50,000 from $150,000. Now, with the GNWT reporting waning interest in the program over the past few years, the money has been taken off the table entirely.

Because the program was not used often during the dizzying heights of a financial boom doesn't mean there is no longer a need for this funding.

As the world struggles to cope with an economic downturn, we should not forget that it was independent prospectors Chuck Fipke and Stewart Blusson who gave rise to our diamond riches by founding the Ekati mine. They saved our economy as the gold-mining era tapered to an end.

Our neighbours in the Yukon see the value in funding "the little guy." In February, the Yukon government bolstered its mining incentive program by a whopping $1.1 million, bringing its total up to $1.8 million annually.

Our government -- which has $54,000 for MLAs and bureaucrats to travel to Scandinavia in the name of energy research -- has gone the opposite direction and will suffer for it.

Yellowknife RCMP have prided themselves on being tough on drugs. With that in mind, the slow response from the police earlier this month after a Frame Lake resident reported 97 suspicious baggies littering neighbourhood yards is nothing short of discouraging.

The suggestion from a dispatcher and a staff sergeant that police officers were too busy to show up, especially given it was Super Soccer weekend, isn't adequate.

Building confidence in its police force is essential to a strong community, which in this case has been dealt a blow, at least for the Frame Lake woman who said she feels she was "blown off" by the RCMP.

Most police officers are hard working, dedicated professionals. They should be given credit for creating early awareness around the dangerous drug ecstasy, blamed for the deaths of a few teens in Alberta in recent months. Recognizing that drugs which are a problem in Alberta often find their way to the NWT, police were quick to get the word out to the public here last week.

So they have a handle on the "proactive" part, which the RCMP likes to emphasize. Now they have to improve on the responsive end. The next time a call is made about suspected drug paraphernalia, it shouldn't take two days to get a response.

Every year groups of students from around the Deh Cho are taken on trips to locations in southern Canada. In some cases the trips are for members of a graduating class while the smaller schools often take most, if not all, of their students along.

These trips are much-anticipated rewards for a year of dedicated schoolwork. They also serve to open the students' minds to what the world has to offer beyond their own backyards.

Recently, 14 students from Fort Liard completed the second half of an exchange when they visited Bella Bella, B.C.

The purpose of the exchange was to bring students from two small communities together to provide a better appreciation and understanding of their community, said Diane Nelson, the teacher who organized the exchange.

Often people just complain about their community. The exchange helped them realize there are also good things they can share, Nelson said. This remark illustrates one of the important functions of school trips and exchanges.

Travelling to communities in the south opens students' eyes to different ways of life. The trips often take students to places they might not visit otherwise where they get to see how other people live.

While students come away with the realization that larger centres mean more stores, more shopping and more entertainment options they also see what is traded off for those extras. Students witness the traffic jams, compacted living arrangements, smog and pollution.

They also see how very different the developed landscape is compared to the nearly-unending wilderness that surrounds the communities they come from.

School trips allow students to see the things they don't have, but also give them more of an appreciation for the things they do. It's much easier to be grateful for something after you realize not everyone has it.

The trips also show students there is a broader world and other places they could strive to go if they wanted to. During the trips students take in a variety of educational activities and sights. Older students are often introduced to different careers and the colleges and universities they could attend in order to achieve those goals.

The experiences and memories the students develop while on the trips stay with them well through the summer and into the next school year.

Planning exchanges and school trips, however, isn't easy.

The trips are a challenge both logistically as well as financially. Each year the trips require a lot of work and dedication by teachers, parents and students who all work together to fundraise in advance.

The people who make the trips possible deserve recognition. On the surface the excursions are just a fun thing for students to be able to do. On a deeper level, however, the trips also instill in students an appreciation of what they have and a recognition of the choices they can make for their futures.

I don't know Vince Sharpe at all, but on the rare occasions I have met him he struck me as a level-headed, friendly guy.

So when he showed up to my office a little more than a week ago raving mad about his fight with the territorial government, my instincts told me something had to be wrong. It didn't take long for me to feel some sympathy for the man.

He'd be fighting the government to pay for a $3,000 piece of medical equipment - yes, you heard me right, $3,000 - to be installed in our hospital so his wife Lena could get treatment here instead of having to travel to Edmonton while she's dealing with a serious disease of the lymph nodes.

By the time Sharpe started his fight, the territorial government had already spent an estimated 10 grand covering her plane tickets back and forth to Edmonton. Confused?

Turns out the government didn't want to pay for the treatment because it's the federal government's responsibility to purchase such a piece of equipment.

So now it's a little easier to see why Sharpe was furious.

Rather than waiting for the endless tangle of bureaucracies to unravel, he boarded a plane to Yellowknife on May 6, where he had every intention to handcuff himself to the legislature's entrance if the government continued to stall.

His plan worked.

The government was forced into doing the right, honourable thing. I know it all sounds so desperate. But I wonder where our local MLAs stood on this issue and why it seems no one stood up for Sharpe. Since the health minister, and everyone else in the government, refuses to talk about the case for confidentiality reasons, we're going to have to go with Sharpe's explanation.

That is the GNWT didn't want to give in to his demands for fear that it could start a chain reaction. Then anybody would be beating on the door begging the government for one medical treatment or another. Well that's reassuring.

I hope if another case such as this one arises, in which a citizen feels the need to call our politicians out, demanding justice and common sense to prevail, then they'll actually do it. The last I heard the underpinning of any democratic government rests on the notion that it's built for the people by the people.

Frankly, the territorial government should be beyond embarrassed that it stalled as long as it did over a measly $3,000, especially if you look at some of the tabs our local MLAs appeared to have run up during a recent visit to China.

Sharpe mentioned he was grateful for the local support he received throughout his battle. It's pretty hard not to support such conviction and passion. He provides a perfect illustration of what one person can achieve in a democracy, despite the fact that he went to the pains he did to achieve his goal.

With the community's support and pressure from the press, he was able to shame the GNWT into doing the right thing.

It just seems sadly ironic that a department that's supposedly committed to the health of every Northerner would subject any taxpayers to so much needless suffering and agony for the sake of a few thousand bucks.