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What's wrong with Stanton?
Yellowknifer - Friday, July 24, 2009

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Stanton Territorial Hospital has turned into a giant money pit with no detailed answers as to why.

Since 2004, the hospital has been in a downward financial spiral and picking up speed as it hurtles toward terminal velocity.

The facility's revenue has shown healthy growth since 2003. Over a a six-year period, Stanton's revenue has grown from $58.8 million to $108, if the territorial government's $16.5-million government bailout is included.

However, its expenses have also ballooned, nearly doubling from $58.2 million in 2003 to $101.4 million in 2009.

Since 2003, the hospital's administration budget has increased by $3.3 million and the hospital services budget has grown by $36.2 million. That means spending on hospital services has increased by 48 per cent as opposed to 18 per cent more being spent on administration.

The hospital and the GNWT are both asking: is the hospital underfunded or overspending? The answer: no one seems to know.

That is a problem. It is difficult to accept that an organization responsible for nearly $100 million annually doesn't know where the hole in its pocket may be. Someone has to explain why the annual deficit has been growing for several years, exploding to $9.5 million this year, which led to the $16.5-million government bailout. It's not a new situation for Stanton. Back in 2000 the GWNT coughed up $800,000 to help with debt reduction. Back then the now-defunct hospital board predicted it would have the facility's debt under control in five years. A decade later the hospital is worse off.

We understand health care is not cheap and the costs are not easy to manage, especially for Stanton which tries to provide services to not only the people of Yellowknife but the entire territory.

However, answers to the pressing financial questions are necessary if the money woes are going to be solved.

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Preventing a traffic nightmare
Yellowknifer - Friday, July 24, 2009

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The intersection of Range Lake and Old Airport roads will establish itself a major commercial centre of uptown Yellowknife this fall, once the Center Ice Plaza shopping mall and relocated Bank of Montreal open their doors for business.

Fortunately, the city has anticipated that traffic volumes will increase greatly. Preparations for a new entry and exit point to the mall site are in the works, and proposals to add access via Butler Road in the Range Lake North district are being considered. Pedestrian and bicycle traffic have also been taken into account, according to Jeff Humble, the city's director of planning and lands.

The growth of the Range Lake/Old Airport Road centre is in line with the city's Smart Growth Development Plan, Humble told Yellowknifer this week. The plan's goal is to map out a development strategy suited for the assumption that the city's population will more than double to 45,000 residents.

The reworked intersection is a chance for the city to demonstrate that its long-term development plan is effective - if not, some traffic headaches are bound to ensue at that increasingly busy intersection.

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Clean celebration
Editorial Comment
Roxanna Thompson
Deh Cho Drum - Thursday, July 23, 2009

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Mackenzie Days, the annual summer celebration in Fort Providence, will kick off next week.

A number of volunteers put a lot of time and effort into the event and it shows. Mackenzie Days is well organized and always has a great parade and other popular events like the youth and adult canoe races.

The organizers, however, can't control everything. On the left-hand corner of the Mackenzie Days schedule the Deh Cho Drum received there's a box full of text stating the committee isn't responsible for any injury or loss of property that anyone might suffer during the celebration.

The precautionary warning is a good idea for the organizers of any of the Deh Cho's annual celebrations and carnivals but is especially so for Mackenzie Days. Sadly, almost without fail, every year the good-natured fun of Mackenzie Days is marred by reports of excessive use of alcohol.

Some years the alcohol abuse results in property damage and during other years it just means that a higher-than-usual number of people spend some time in the local RCMP detachment. Either way, the excessive drinking overshadows the positive aspects of the festival and sends out the wrong impression about Fort Providence.

The hamlet may have something to learn from an example set by Tuktoyaktuk.

This year Tuktoyaktuk enforced an alcohol ban during their Beluga Days festival from April 14 to 21. The experiment seems to have worked to a degree. During the festival there were only seven alcohol-related incidents compared to 13 the previous year.

Imposing an alcohol ban may seem like an excessive measure but it's one way to proactively combat the reputation Mackenzie Days has gained as a time for excessive drinking.

An alcohol ban, while hard to enforce in a community with easy road access, would send a clear message that alcohol abuse won't be tolerated.

The sad thing is such a message has to be sent out at all. Festivals like Mackenzie Days are all about building communities and fostering community pride and friendships. Most of the events are designed with families in mind and there are usually adult and youth versions.

It should be clear to everyone the festival is a time to enjoy events without turning to artificial stimulants. With all of the events there is plenty to keep everyone busy and entertained. The majority shouldn't have to pay for the actions of the minority.

As Fort Providence prepares for another Mackenzie Days it can only be hoped that alcohol usage will voluntarily be kept to a minimum. Both the organizers and the rest of the residents of Fort Providence deserve to have a blemish-free festival they can be proud of.

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Out-of-control kids need a different approach
Editorial Comment
Andrew Rankin
Inuvik Drum - Thursday, July 23, 2009

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In my conversations around town, people have been saying alcohol abuse among minors is a growing problem.

A story headlined "Kids out of control" in the July 16 edition of Inuvik Drum reported that not only do youths commit most of the break and enters in this town, which have been many of late, but generally they are repeat offenders. The obvious conclusion to be reached is that the perpetrators aren't being punished enough to be deterred from crime.

To some degree there's truth to that argument. But where's the solution?

In my job as Inuvik Drum editor I have met remarkable youths here and I have made an effort to tell their stories. When I speak of young offenders, they are the minority, but they are no less deserving of the community's attention.

Compared to what I had growing up, Inuvik has a lot more recreational activities to keep kids occupied. Through a variety of engaging and stimulating programs, such as video and music production training sessions and a healthy lunch initiative, the Inuvik Youth Centre has proven to be a haven for scores of youth. The Gwich'in Tribal Council and the Inuvialuit Regional Corporation invest in youth programs that focus on building strong leaders who have a strong sense of culture.

Of course there will always be the bad apples, and some youths are dealing with severe emotional issues stemming from a whole host of causes, including problems at home. Although sometimes delinquent youths need and deserve a harsh punishment for their crime, there's probably a better approach.

Maybe part of the solution rests with a more collective, community-minded approach. Maybe some type of a restorative justice program is in order, in which the emphasis is on the people affected, making the young offender see the damage he or she has done. It could be facilitated by an RCMP officer along with a qualified counsellor or clergy member, for example.

Such an approach might also allow the victim(s) and other community members to develop an understanding of why youth commit these crimes.

It seems to me this sort of process is more conducive to healing and rehabilitation than a slap on the wrist or punishing youths and ostracizing them, which in many cases just adds to fuel to the fire. Many communities in Canada use restorative justice programs and they've been shown to be successful in many cases.

I'm not naive enough to think this approach is the magic solution to youth crime.

But the great American poet Carl Sandburg once wrote "Brutes have been gentled where lashes failed." I subscribe to that notion, especially when it comes to kids. It's not easy being one these days and if we can help them along the way to responsible adulthood and prevent even just one from falling through the cracks, then it will be worth the effort.

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Northern plums
Yellowknifer - Wednesday, July 22, 2009

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Should Prime Minister Stephen Harper choose Iqaluit over Yellowknife for his much-touted and Northern-based development agency next month, it could only be viewed as politics over reason.

Last year, Nunavut voters elected a Conservative MP who has become very powerful, Health Minister Leona Aglukkaq. The NWT chose to re-elect the NDP's Dennis Bevington - a candidate far removed from the Conservatives in power.

It's hard to believe Harper could see any other benefit for putting the Northern Economic Development Agency headquarters in Iqaluit except to offer Aglukkaq a tasty plum for winning the Conservatives their only seat in the territories.

Iqaluit has no road access; has no significant federal presence or office space to accommodate it; and is at the extreme east end of the three territories this agency is supposed to represent.

As a whole, Nunavut has the smallest population of the three territories. Taxpayers will surely be dismayed to note that should the Conservatives place staff and rent space for a new federal department in Iqaluit, it will be doing so in the most expensive place to live and work in the entire country, which rang in with a three per cent hike in the consumer price index over the past year.

We shouldn't forget either which territory will be host to Canada's largest construction project to date in the 21st century, the $16 billion Mackenzie Valley Pipeline.

Putting the new agency in Iqaluit would make Minister Aglukkaq the biggest winner. Is that good government?

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Ticket-holders left in the dark
Wednesday, July 22, 2009

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Despite unsatisfactory ticket sales, a lot of people were left disappointed when the Randy Bachman show in Yellowknife was cancelled earlier this month.

There was good reason for calling off the show, but people deserve straight answers on refunds.

Lynn Fowler, manager of the Yellowknife Ravens broomball team - which was going to work the bar and security at the concert as a fundraiser for upcoming tournaments - said when the concert was cancelled, only 362 tickets had been sold for the Multiplex concert.

Sold at $60 each, they were not nearly enough to cover the costs of the concert, so Hay River promoter Garth Mackie, not given much of a choice, cancelled the event.

Though calling off the concert was the ultimate decision, Mackie has done little to provide any details on a refund process. Consequently, hundreds of people are left wondering if and when they will get their money back.

Mackie hasn't issued a press release as promised, which further erodes his credibility.

Many of the inquiries have instead been screened by Fowler, who had nothing to do with ticket sales and who doesn't have an answer about refunds.

Fowler said he thinks Mackie may have had to pay Bachman out of his own pocket, which would make it impossible right now to refund the tickets.

But it would be easier for ticket-holders to be understanding about the cancellation if Mackie would be upfront about the situation.

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Not a big fan of FANS
Editorial Comment
Kassina Ryder
Kivalliq News - Wednesday, July 22, 2009

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The deadline for applying for Financial Assistance for Nunavut Students has passed, and now students are waiting to hear if they have received approval for the program.

But if you aren't a Nunavut Land Claims beneficiary or you didn't attend elementary or high school in Nunavut, be prepared. You will be receiving less than $5,000 a year while you're in school.

Non-beneficiaries who have never attended school in the territory are only eligible for FANS' primary loan during their first year, at a maximum amount of $4,400. This loan is given to students who have lived in Nunavut for three years and it doesn't need to be repaid as long as the student lives in Nunavut for one year following their education.

After that first year is completed, students are then eligible for the secondary loan which must be repaid. The maximum amount for secondary loans is, again, $4,400 for the year.

So basically, if you're not a beneficiary and you never went to school in Nunavut, you're only going to receive $4,400 each year you're in school.

While it's great to not have to pay back the loan from first year, the other loans must be paid back in full. Even in the south, $4,400 is not enough to cover tuition, books, rent, food and other expenses. Also, residents of Nunavut are ineligible to receive student loans from any other province or territory, which means FANS is the only option.

FANS also has a "needs assessed loan" component, which allows you to borrow an additional $165 a week, which helps, but it's still not enough to cover all costs.

Students who attended elementary or high school in Nunavut and beneficiaries get a much better deal. FANS pays to fly those students to and from the city nearest where they will be attending school. They pay for tuition, books, rent, food and other living expenses. They even fly students home for Christmas vacation.

Certainly, beneficiaries are entitled to full FANS benefits, but the question is why shouldn't all students in Nunavut be given the same? If the those benefits are also awarded to people who attended elementary or high school in the territory, why can't they be afforded to all students who plan to work in Nunavut after completing their education?

I can understand the reluctance to pay for a student who is from the south and plans on returning to the south after completing school, but what about people who have lived in Nunavut for years before attending school and plan on returning to the territory to work?

From a personal perspective, I lived in Nunavut for three years before going to Toronto to attend journalism school. I returned to Nunavut every summer to work, and now that I've graduated, I live and work in Nunavut.

I received what I referred to as my "pittance" from FANS each year, which I was fortunate enough to be able to supplement by working at the Children's Group Home in Rankin Inlet during the summers.

Now it's almost time for me to start paying back the money I owe to FANS, and it makes me wonder how many non-beneficiaries can't go to school next year because they can't afford it.

Fans website states that "FANS was established by the Government of Nunavut to ensure that financial need is not a barrier to post-secondary education."

If that's the case, then all Nunavummiut who plan on working in the territory should be eligible.

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Enough to go around
NWT News/North - Monday, July 20, 2009

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The NWT has a unique opportunity to protect vast quantities of its land, water and wildlife.

Unlike many other regions of the country and the world, much of the NWT still boasts untouched wilderness, free from development and human habitation.

The fact the NWT is largely virgin territory allows us the chance to preserve vast and diverse tracts of land without the need to reclaim it from previous industrial damage.

Approximately 10 per cent of the territory is now permanently protected, of which two per cent is open to subsurface development, according to the NWT Protected Area Strategy. There is another 10 per cent of land that is temporarily protected - with varying expiration dates -- while land claims negotiations are ongoing.

The territory has more land protected than any other jurisdiction in Canada - approximately 234,000 square kilometres, including temporarily protected land. However, the future of half that area is uncertain.

In terms of the percentage of land protected, the NWT lags behind even industrial-centric Alberta. Our neighbours to the south rank second only to the Yukon in percentage of land protected while the NWT is sixth in the national ranking.

For years, debates have raged over the health of the NWT ecosystem. Caribou herds are declining in some areas, levels of heavy metals and other pollutants continue to rise and sea ice is melting. Yet we face increasing pressure to exploit our rich deposits of gas and precious metals.

And, despite our geographical isolation, we are not safe from the affects of climate change and from the downstream effects of industrial activity such as the Oil Sands in Fort McMurray, Alta.

Some would argue protecting vast tracts of land and forever cutting it off from potential resource development will serve to relegate the NWT as a have-not jurisdiction with no chance at self-sufficiency or economic growth.

That is a fear tactic which overlooks the economic uncertainty of resource wealth - the so-called "boom and bust" effect -- a lesson provinces such as Alberta have learned during this economic downturn.

This past March, the oil-rich province watched a projected $8-billion surplus - propped up by projected high oil prices -- dissolve into a more than $1-billion deficit, its first deficit in 15 years.

Although protecting lands and waterways is not viewed as a way to generate financial wealth, it is difficult to place a value on lands that serve as habitat for countless species of fauna and flora, not to mention preserving a host of culturally significant areas.

With proper planning, the NWT has the ability to protect significant portions of land while still maintaining its ability to develop significant portions of its huge resource potential.

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Anybody want to be a senator?
Nunavut News/North - Monday, July 20, 2009

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For many Canadians, senators seem irrelevant. Who are they? What do they do all day?

The Senate is technically the upper house in Canada's Parliament, what our first prime minister Sir John A. MacDonald characterized as the chamber of "sober, second thought."

Senators review all legislation passed by the House of Commons, and sit on special committees to investigate how effective legislation and government policies are.

Of the senate's 105 seats, one is designated for Nunavut. It's been vacant since Willie Adams retired last month.

New senators are handpicked by the current prime minister. The qualifications are rather loose: one has to be Canadian citizen, over 30, a resident of the province or territory he or she will be representing, and, bafflingly, own property in that province or territory worth at least $4,000.

That amount hasn't changed since 1867; at the time it was the equivalent of about $200,000. Though acknowledged to be a largely irrelevant qualification now, it's never been abolished. It has only been a problem once, in 1997, with the appointment of a Catholic nun who had taken a vow of poverty. Her Catholic order ended up having to transfer enough property into her name to meet the requirement.

Knowledge of the Canadian political system is not required. Adams himself admitted he was six or seven years on the job before he understood how the government of Canada works.

A senator currently earns $130,400 per year, with an additional $20,000 allowance if he or she lives more than 100 km from Ottawa, another $150,000 is allotted for offices and staff, and 64 free return trips are provided anywhere in Canada that are transferable to family and friends.

Though a mandatory retirement age of 75 was legislated in 1965, senators can voluntarily retire any time after age 55 and receive a pension that's 75 per cent of their annual salary.

The only way senators can lose their jobs is by not showing up for two consecutive sessions, by declaring bankruptcy, by being convicted of treason or any felony, or by ceasing to be qualified.

Basically, a lucky senate appointee hits the jackpot in the Canadian parliamentary version of the win-for-life lottery.

Since senators are not elected, none of us has any say in who will fill Nunavut's seat and live off of Canadian taxpayers for the rest of their life.

This decision is still solely the prime minister's, even though this is something the prime minister's own party has campaigned to change. A spokesperson for the Prime Minister's Office has said an Inuk will likely be appointed, but made no firm commitment. That's all we know.

The next senator for Nunavut could be anybody. So be nice to your property-owning friends over the next few weeks. You never know when you'll need a friend in Ottawa with 64 free round trips a year.