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Clear our sidewalks
Wednesday, December 9, 2009

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A recent meeting focusing on communities that are friendly to seniors highlighted one of Yellowknife's most pervasive problems: mobility in an often heavily snow-covered city.

City councillor David Wind, who attended the forum, said it's hard for older residents to get around in winter.

There is an existing bylaw that requires downtown businesses and residents to clear their sidewalks, however, there is no such bylaw outside the downtown core.

This of course leaves the elderly, the disabled and moms and dads pushing young ones in strollers at a disadvantage should they attempt to walk around areas other than downtown.

Yellowknife is covered in snow for much of the year, so it would make sense to require residents to clear all sidewalks adjacent to their homes.

Such a proposal was defeated in council chambers in January.

With some different faces around the council table since then, now would be the time for our municipal politicians to reconsider the idea.

Seniors, some of whom have taken a tumble on the uneven surfaces around town, have been vocal about the issue.

At the same time, a number of Yellowknifers may not be physically able to clear their own sidewalks due to age or chronic ailments, but exemptions could be made as they are for designated parking. In those few cases, it would be up to the city or the Winter Samaritans -- a volunteer snow clearing group started by Coun. Paul Falvo -- to get the job done. If Yellowknife wants to be friendly to seniors, the disabled and to parents with strollers, it needs to improve winter accessibility.

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Entrepreneurial spirit alive and well
Wednesday, December 9, 2009

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Yellowknife's entrepreneurial spirit is as strong as ever.

The recession did little to discourage business ventures of every description throughout the city, as stories in the business section of this newspaper have shown over the past two weeks. Yellowknifers are not lacking in services, thanks to inspired entrepreneurs who have a nose for opportunity. Among them are Yellowknifers like Darcy Milkowski, whose company offers cleaning services for athletic gear, Barry and Carmen Bessette, who have taken the mantle to keep the M&M meat shop running with an expanded offering of foods.

The Center Ice Plaza, near the big box stores of Range Lake and Frame Lake South, has proven to be a magnet for many new ventures - from busy chef Pierre LePage's new food market, to Lube-X owner Jim Funk, whose Alberta-based express oil change business will shortly open an outlet by the plaza.

City hall must continue to ensure this town is fertile ground for such entrepreneurs. It has done well so far. The only points of contention are looming questions about increasing traffic around the Center Ice Plaza hotspot, and what to do to stop the flight of businesses from the downtown area.

All that is needed to stay the course is good foresight - by city planners as well as our entrepreneurs.

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MLAs playing dangerous game
Editorial Comment
Darrell Greer
Kivalliq News - Wednesday, December 9, 2009

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We're all for spending money on programs, traditional or otherwise, that may lead to getting some Nunavummiut off the path to a life of crime.

That's even if we do find the notion that just introducing them to nature will have them stop breaking the law to be somewhat simplistic.

And we would look at a new community learning centre in Iqaluit as a positive development, as long as it's equipped with the type of staff and programming that helps people lead productive lives.

Truth be told, every hamlet could come up with a proposal its leaders believe would help turn some of their residents away from crime and lead them to becoming productive members of their community.

And, as long as we're dealing with truth, chances are a number of the proposals would offer better results than what we've seen in the past decade with land camps and community justice committees.

Crime is continuing to rise at an alarming rate in Nunavut, and that shouldn't be the case if the majority of the grassroots programs already in place were truly operating with any degree of effectiveness, so, by all means, bring on the fresh new proposals.

But there's a problem with all this.

New learning centres and rehabilitation proposals – that may or may not work in the future – have little to do with what the territory is dealing with right now, and that's the powder keg known by most people as the BCC (Baffin Correctional Centre).

In defeating a $300,000 request from the Department of Justice to conduct a study on options for upgrading or replacing the BCC, noncabinet MLAs have decided to spin the chamber and enter into a dangerous game of Russian roulette.

Depending on the day heads are counted, published reports have almost 100 prisoners being held in custody at the BCC: a facility with a mere 66 beds.

Justice Minister Keith Peterson's contention that conditions at the BCC have the potential to lead to violence is in the running for understatement of the year. And for those making snide remarks about jails not being holiday resorts, this is not just about the inmates.

Like it or not, we have a responsibility to provide an adequate, safe environment to our inmates. And Housing Corp. Minister Hunter Tootoo is bang on when he says we also have a responsibility to provide a safe working environment to our corrections employees. And any jail housing one-third more inmates than it was intended for is not a safe environment.

Surely this is common knowledge within our government, when one looks at the record (no pun intended) of a number of our politicians during the past decade.

Maybe it would have been a good idea for Peterson to have had a number of MLAs spend a month, or so, inside the BCC before tabling his request.

Maybe then they'd be more willing to drop their idyllic musings and political posturing over what they consider to be money better spent, and actually base their decisions on reality.

The reality of an outdated and overcrowded facility that's a tragedy waiting to happen!

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Co-operative development
NWT News/North - Monday, December 7, 2009

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If there is one thing Northerners hate, it's being forced to abide to policies driven by the all-powerful denizens of the south -- especially those viewing the nation from the ivory towers that dot skylines of Ottawa, Toronto and Vancouver.

The disconnect between North and south can, at times, be so broad that it is difficult to believe southern and Northern Canada are not different countries divided by a wall preventing communication.

For those reasons, it was with cautious optimism that we read John Kearney's comments in last week's News/North business story "Singing from the same songbook."

Newly elected as president of the NWT and Nunavut Chamber of Mines, Kearney, who lives and works in Toronto, stated that aside from improving the NWT's regulatory system, the chamber must work with Northern aboriginal groups to ensure success in the mining sector.

He couldn't be more correct. What many developers from the south fail to remember is they are visitors on this land. Although some land claims agreements remain under negotiation, the aboriginal self-government process enshrines Canada's belief that the North's indigenous populations are the true stewards of the land.

In that vein, it is the responsibility of government, companies and policy advisory groups -- such as the chamber of mines -- to develop the NWT with the approval of aboriginal governments and organizations.

We all recognize the importance mining plays in the Northern economy. But it is essential that the industry be equally supportive of the North's citizens.

Over the years, mining companies have greatly improved their relationships with Northerners, sometimes voluntarily, sometimes bowing to pressure or government policy.

Efforts have been made to train and hire more Northern and specifically aboriginal workers. Also, certain policies - such as work rotations - have been reworked to accommodate traditional lifestyles, allowing employees to continue partaking in culturally-significant activities such as hunting and trapping.

There is still work to do, however. More training to ensure jobs in the NWT and Nunavut go to Northerners is vital; spin-off business contracts must be available to Northern companies; and, using routes and locations approved by the Dene, Inuvialuit and Metis, the continued push by the chamber of mines for added road and port infrastructure is exactly what is needed to ensure maximum benefits for Northern citizens.

By design, mining's sole purpose is to take. If Kearney wants the support of aboriginal governments, he must help generate ideas that will create a legacy long after the mines are depleted and the companies leave.

If the new chamber president is true to his word, he will lobby for a North that will remain economically strong even after the mines are gone. To accomplish that goal, we need a North populated with skilled people and connected by viable transportation infrastructure. Those two ingredients will be essential toward creating job and business opportunities for years to come.

Eyes are trained on Kearney, who will likely be held to a higher standard and face harsher criticism, as he leads a Northern organization from the belly of the south.

He must not disappoint.

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Build harbours for sovereignty
Nunavut News/North - Monday, December 7, 2009

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The latest sovereignty salvo from Ottawa is to rename the Northwest Passage the "Canadian Northwest Passage."

The change was prompted by an Ontario MP, and the motion passed almost unanimously in the House of Commons last week.

However, there was a clause included to recognize a second official name, one in Inuktitut, after Nunavut Tunngavik and Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami protested and rightfully insisted that Inuit should be consulted on such issues in their territory.

Ottawa's approach was typical of the simplistic ploys the federal government has been using to assert Canada's claim on the far north, such as the occasional patrol by ship, or flag waving on Ellesmere Island.

To residents of southern Canada, the Northwest Passage - and the Arctic in general for that matter - is a faraway piece of real estate, formidable to traverse and largely unpopulated. It's a big, empty area on the map that needs a Canadian stamp put on it, otherwise no one would know it belongs to us.

In reality, many Canadians call this area home and most of them are Inuit, descended from the people who first trekked its shores and navigated its waters. Year-round there are people on the land, ice and water who are apt to notice when strangers show up.

Remember when that Romanian fellow tried to sneak into Canada by boat from Greenland in 2006? He was lucky to make it to Grise Fiord and was immediately picked up by the RCMP. It was likely that sort of sovereignty-by-presence-of-people that the federal government had in mind when it sent families up to Grise Fiord and Resolute in the 1950s.

So one would think that when the idea of officially naming the passage in the cause of sovereignty came up, Inuit would be the first people to be asked for suggestions.

The fact that federal government consultation with Inuit continues to be an afterthought, given its poor track record in aboriginal affairs in the 20th century, is an insult.

According to Paul Kaludjak, president of NTI, Inuit have long had a name for the Northwest Passage. It's called Tallurutik, which he says means "a woman's chin with tattoos on it," describing how the land, ice and water along the passage look, from a distance, like intricate designs.

Tacking this Inuit name onto the motion is treating Nunavummiut's thoughts and wishes as secondary.

Establishing safe anchorages, docks and harbours in Nunavut's communities - facilities found in abundance in other coastal parts of the country - would do more to ensure Canadian presence in and monitoring of the disputed waterways than any piece of parliamentary paper, no matter how many lofty signatures are on it.

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No magic bullet
Weekend Yellowknifer - Friday, December 4, 2009

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For the average Canadian, including those living here, the National Rifle Association (NRA) of the United States represents just about everything that makes us queasy about Americans.

A particular image has been forever seared into Canadian minds, thanks in no small part to Michael Moore's 2002 hit documentary Bowling for Columbine: the swaggerin', gun-totin', God-fearin' redneck wrapped in an American flag while blowing up clay targets with a submachine gun.

American John Andre, who owns an outfitting camp in the NWT, asked the NRA to intervene in caribou hearings in Behchoko on Jan. 11-12.

That the four million-strong organization is actually a highly organized and politically savvy lobby group is lost on some Canadians. It's the abode of gun nuts, and a symbol for gun-perpetuated violence, many here will surely say.

Well, we'll find out for sure now that the NRA has been granted intervenor status for the caribou hearings by the Wek'eezhii Land and Water Board, where the fate of big game outfitters who rely on the Bathurst caribou herd hangs in the balance.

The territorial and Tlicho governments want to put a halt to the $4 million industry, plus non-aboriginal and commercial hunting on Bathurst caribou, until 2012. The government contends that these drastic measures are needed to allow the herd to recover after it dwindled to 30,000 animals this year from 130,000 in 2006, by the GNWT's count.

The city and Yellowknife Chamber of Commerce have joined outfitters to intervene in the upcoming hearings. They question whether it's a wise idea to completely destroy the industry, which provides jobs and tourism dollars.

The Wek'eezhii board will have to seriously consider what the city and chamber have to say. They represent local people with plenty to lose.

The board must also ensure aboriginal groups who still want intervenor status are heard as well. After all, the Dene and Metis have survived on caribou for many generations. Although the animals' populations have varied throughout the years, aboriginal people used caribou meat for sustenance and parts of the carcass for tools, boats, shelter and thread for many years. For some, hunting caribou is still the difference between having a meal on the table or going hungry.

The NRA, meanwhile, whose direct interest in the debate is arguable, must ensure it doesn't become a distraction and thereby do more harm to the outfitting industry than help.

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A chance for change
Editorial Comment
Roxanna Thompson
Deh Cho Drum - Thursday, December 3, 2009

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With the election for chief and council only a week away, the Pehdzeh Ki First Nation is in an enviable but difficult situation.

In an unusual state of affairs all four of the men running for the position of chief agree that the single most important issue facing Wrigley is the community's lack of unity and communication. It's unusual for two people running for the same office to agree on a primary point. Having four people agree must be some sort of a record.

The residents of Wrigley are in an enviable position in that all of their potential leaders have apparently correctly identified what the community needs most. The revelation that unity and communication are weaker points in the community won't come as a surprise to those living in Wrigley, and anyone else who has been following the band's ups and downs.

Although the average length of time that a chief and council lasts in power has improved in the community over the past few years that doesn't mean their terms have been any smoother. Community members' support of any group that has been in power has always been tenuous. The most recent term headed by Chief Darcy E. Moses was marred by a vote of non-confidence when 23 people tried to remove the leadership in June.

Among their list of grievances was the failure by the chief and council to keep the rest of the community informed on what was happening and the decisions they were making.

All of the men now running for the position of chief have apparently learned from their own and other leaders' previous mistakes and are making promises about how they'll avoid the same pitfalls. What's left now is for the people of Wrigley to make the right decision, and hold the newly elected leaders to their promises.

Pehdzeh Ki First Nation members have already seen how all of these candidates have performed in office. They know their track records and likely have a good idea if they're capable of change. Voters need to weigh all of these options and look at the candidates' qualifications when they go to mark their ballot instead of voting along family lines, which can be very strong.

Once the election is done, residents will have to get behind the leadership and offer them their support. The chief and council has a responsibility to keep the lines of communication open to members, but only the members can choose to utilize that offer. Residents will need to be proactive and bring problems to the council before they escalate to the point where another vote of non-confidence seems like the only viable option.

Wrigley is often painted with a broad brush as being the black sheep among the Deh Cho communities. The problems that Wrigley faces are no different from those found across the rest of the region, they are just more visible.

With this election, all of the residents have a chance to pull together and make a conscious decision to work in unity and set a new course for the Pehdzeh Ki First Nation.

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Close call
Editorial Comment
Andrew Rankin
Inuvik Drum - Thursday, December 3, 2009

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It would be easy to turn a blind eye to that scary snowmobile accident on Kingmingya Road on Saturday evening. The drivers were lucky they didn't collide head-on. Two people were on both Ski-Doos and no one was wearing a helmet. I've already seen countless youths flying around town on their Ski-Doos helmetless. Of the four, three were youth.

Obviously very poor judgment was at play here: two Ski-Doos travelling on the same side of the road headed over a crest at such high speeds that one of the machines lay crumpled after the wreck.

One of the Ski-Doos veered into the road to avoid a head-on collision. Imagine if a vehicle had been coming over that crest at the same time or a pedestrian was around? There are a lot of possible terrible outcomes.

It doesn't make any sense to me why Ski-Doos are allowed on roads here. The roads are slippery enough during winter to navigate without worrying about whether a Ski-Doo will cross your path. That goes for pedestrians too. Is it just me or is that a recipe for disaster? Just so you know, no one involved in Saturday's crash had a licence to be on the road.

A day later I was driving up Mackenzie Road and a snowmobile, which I'm sure was speeding, zoomed right past me, travelling the opposite way, with a foot or two to spare. While out walking I've seen snowmobiles whizz by me doing at least 100 km/h, and I know I'm not the only one who has seen them.

I always thought snowmobiles were designed for back-country trails, not town streets. It seems to me that if you're going to allow snowmobiles on town streets than somebody should be on the lookout for delinquent drivers. Maybe RCMP officers could do regular street patrols on snowmobiles. Maybe that sounds a little ridiculous, but Saturday's accident was ridiculous too. And the next time there's a snowmobile accident we might have to worry about more than just a wrecked snowmobile.

For the most part, I always enjoyed my visits to Cafe Gallery. The food was always pretty good, healthy and well prepared. The coffee was very good. There was art hanging on the lively coloured walls. It managed to attract an interesting crowd. But I didn't get there as often as I would have liked and the food there was a tad expensive.

But I appreciate any person that tries to make a go of it. Obviously competition in town is pretty fierce. I liked the fact that the former owner Rob Cook made an effort to offer something a little different. Instead of the burger and fries, he offered a healthier, fresh chicken sandwich and soup. Instead of selling coffee-flavoured water he offered full-bodied coffee and specialty javas too. He did that for more than 10 years.

He contributed something good to the community and he deserves a nod for that.