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Outmuscle the thugs
Yellowknifer - Wednesday, March 10, 2010

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A warning from the RCMP that gangs are beginning to migrate north is something we must take seriously.

During a crime prevention workshop in Yellowknife last week, police spoke of the increase in gang activity and drugs, which often go hand in hand.

Yellowknife needs a different kind of gang mentality - one that works together to fight crime and to inform police of suspicious goings on. It can be intimidating to report suspicious activity because it may lead to testifying in court. Being part of a prosecution is not easy, but it's an essential part of standing up to criminals who take advantage of others and bring lawlessness to the city.

One of the most important aspects of helping keep the gang problem from thriving is protecting the youth. As one RCMP member pointed out during the workshop, it is easier to stop a person from becoming involved in a life of crime while they are young.

As the old adage goes, it takes a village to raise a child.

Just as schools have anti-drug, smoking and alcohol awareness programs for students, it would be a good idea to incorporate awareness about gangs. Educating our young people about gangs and related dangers has become a necessity.

There also needs to be community awareness programs in place for at-risk youth.

Yet we should also remember not to panic. The fact the principal of Sir John Franklin High School, Patricia Teskey, says the school is 'amazingly crime-free' is evidence that evil isn't about to prevail - unless we let it.

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Safety includes snowmobilers
Yellowknifer - Wednesday, March 10, 2010

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Once again, city hall's unvarnished contempt towards those who dare venture about this city by any means other than on foot or its flagging transit system is in full display.

The city wants to build a pedestrian-only underpass on Highway 4 connecting the Frame Lake and Niven Lake trails. The city's transportation committee would prefer an overpass but administration says that's too expensive.

Just as well, because anybody driving by the area in winter will know that the main traffic hazard there is snowmobilers crossing the road, often in the dark and obscured by rocks and bushes on the south side of Highway 4.

But that reality won't stop the city from barging full steam ahead with the underpass for the exclusive use of pedestrians. Why? Because the federal government, who the city would like to have foot the entire $440,000 bill, won't "look favourably upon it" if the underpass had a snowmobile lane too. Just not green enough, thank you.

There's nothing wrong with green projects. In fact, as today's page 3 story shows, there are plenty of reasons to support them - for both environmental and financial reasons.

But ignoring a legitimate safety issue just to satisfy Ottawa's desire to appear greener than it never will be is outrageous. The underpass at Old Airport Road is open to snowmobilers. It only makes sense that this one is too.

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Sorry for mistake, but let's keep it real
Editorial Comment
Darrell Greer
Kivalliq News - Wednesday, March 10, 2010

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First up, I would like to thank everyone for passing along their comments on the wrong story about the Avataq Cup that ran in Nunavut News/North this past week.

I would especially like to thank those people who understood the mistake was in the editing process at our home office and had nothing to do with Kivalliq News.

Now, let's be straight forward and honest about two issues regarding this error.

First of all, yes, it was a terrible mistake that shouldn't have happened to begin with.

And, secondly, yes, our readers have every right to bring it to our attention when we, as journalists, make mistakes that appear in the publications we write for.

But, really, to those who wrote in or called to accuse someone of making the mistake on purpose to make any family associated with the winning team look bad: c'mon, this is our vocation we're talking about here.

I would never, under any circumstances, do anything of that nature out of respect for my readership, the people I write about, myself, and, most importantly, the craft of journalism itself.

I would never have believed I would ever have to make such a statement in an opinion piece I penned, but, apparently, the North is no more void of conspiracy theorists than anywhere else in this great nation of ours.

And to those who insinuated - due to the erroneous information under the photo that accompanied the story - that I've been living in Rankin Inlet since 1998 and still don't recognize people in my community like Barney Tootoo, Kyle Tattuinee and Gary Sigurdson, my two-word response is, oh please!

I can't believe anyone truly believes that to have been the case.

There are no excuses for mistakes, but journalism is a pressure-filled vocation in a number of different areas.

The same can be said for the people who work behind the scenes helping to lay out the paper, editing stories and proofreading copy, doing board checks and working on photo content.

Again, no excuses, and everyone has the right to bring it to our attention when mistakes are made (and we appreciate it when they do).

But bringing a mistake to our attention and making wild (and hurtful) accusations with no basis in fact are two completely different issues.

Imagine if thousands of people were able to review your job performance every week and then have the ability to point out your mistakes to everyone in the Kivalliq region.

I'm betting you'd appreciate it if they just kept their reporting to the facts, and didn't start making bizarre accusations about possible motives behind your honest mistake.

I have never known a decent journalist who didn't feel absolutely terrible when a mistake appeared in a story they were responsible for.

And, they often felt a whole lot worse after "discussing" the matter with their managing editor, all of whom take a dim view of careless mistakes.

But, in the end, mistakes in all walks of life happen and journalism is no different.

So, please, bring it to our attention when mistakes happen, but let's keep it real!

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Court case hurts conservation consensus
NWT News/North - Monday, March 8, 2010

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The Government of the Northwest Territories doesn't need a court decision to validate its authority over wildlife management. The NWT Act allows the GNWT to limit subsistence hunting in cases where it will further endanger a species at risk. The Wildlife Act does the same for sport, resident and non-resident hunts.

Taking the question to court is nothing more than a political game meant to deflect attention away from the true issue. The government continues to insist that arguing against the caribou ban is akin to fighting over who gets to kill the last one.

It's time to cease the bogus sentimentality and muscle flexing by Environment Minister Michael Miltenberger and the rest of cabinet and begin addressing the real issues.

The caribou are a valuable and vital resource in the territory and conservation must be a priority. However, we cannot forget we live in a democracy and the GNWT's approach to the ban contradicts the intent of NWT land claims negotiations and undermines the values enshrined in the legislative assembly's newly enacted Species at Risk Act.

The purpose of the act, as stated in the legislation "is to prevent species from becoming extirpated or extinct by establishing an integrated and co-operative system for recovery and conservation of species at risk that integrates principles of co-management included in land claims agreements, and that recognizes the roles and responsibilities of all management authorities."

The act goes on to recognize co-management boards and the Tlicho government as management authorities. Although the Species at Risk act did not come into power until after the ban, how can the GNWT be trusted to live up to the values written into that legislation when the ban was such a unilateral decision.

Miltenberger can argue until the proverbial cows come home about the consultation process prior to the ban, but the reaction of aboriginal groups makes it obvious any prior discussions were of no significant value.

It's unfortunate considering that groups such as the Yellowknives Dene, by its own volition, had agreed to cancel its community hunt. Early on the Tlicho government also expressed its support for a management strategy. However, that support has recently been withdrawn because the ban was not handled as requested.

Navigating the labyrinth of land claims, aboriginal governments, the territorial legislation and federal law is no easy task. The GNWT could have avoided the land mines of the caribou issue if it had approached the issue as outlined in the Species at Risk Act.

Instead it continues to delay. The Wek'eezhi Renewable Resources Board deadline has been moved on more than two occasions. The legal question will again prolong the issue and in the meantime government/aboriginal relations continue to deteriorate.

It is time for the caribou summit. All involved parties must come together and figure out how to save the caribou and guide the animals into recovery. That means co-operative management, sound science that incorporates traditional knowledge and alternatives to ensure communities still have access to country foods.

This is a people issue as much as it is a wildlife issue. There are families in the communities who are being deprived of healthy food and some cannot not afford nutritious food at the grocery store. The time for political manoeuvring is over, we need solutions.

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Build it before they come
Nunavut News/North - Monday, March 8, 2010

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Progress on the Bathurst Inlet Port and Road project (BIPAR), first conceived in the 1990s, has moved at a snail's pace. Despite an estimated completion date of 2007, in 2010 even the review process has yet to be completed.

With the technical review for the Nunavut Impact Review Board on hold; the BIPAR Joint Venture co-owned by Kitikmeot Corporation and Nuna Logistics estimates it will restart the hearing process in the middle of next year.

The project proposes the construction of a deep water port at Bathurst Inlet and an all-weather road stretching inland to connect with a winter road system supplying mines in operation and in development. This would lower transportation costs and make operating mines in Nunavut more feasible.

BIPAR would be expected to create 260 construction jobs. Once built, operations are expected to provide 57 full-time jobs.

The companies behind mines in development such as the Izok Lake base metal project and the Hackett River precious metals project have expressed interest in using the port and road, but if they have to wait much longer they may each build their own roads to the coast to suit their own purposes.

The Bathurst Inlet port and road project may provide the best option to minimize damage to the environment while allowing development of the Kitikmeot's resources.

It would funnel traffic along one road intended to be used seasonally in the winter, giving caribou calving grounds a wide berth.

If the port and road is going to happen, it has to happen sooner or it risks becoming irrelevant later.

The Kitikmeot Corporation has been providing the most leadership in keeping the project alive but it cannot do it alone. It will take the combined committment of the Nunavut and federal governments to make the project what it should be - a national priority.

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Young guide heads to North Pole
Nunavut News/North - Monday, March 8, 2010

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There's a saying that age is just a number, meaning your experience and outlook on life have more influence on your character than the number of years you've lived.

Sarah McNair-Landry, the 23-year-old Iqalummiut woman who will attempt to guide an Australian couple to the North Pole this month, is young in years but old in outdoors experience. She has skied Antarctica, been out on the Greenland ice cap, to the South Pole and kite-skied across the Gobi desert in addition to her many adventures in Nunavut helping out with mother's expedition company.

Aside from being a world-class role model for young Nunavummiut, McNair-Landry is proof that on-the-land skills can translate into jobs in guiding and tourism - sometimes quite lucrative ones.

We wish her and her clients a safe trek to the Pole.

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Leave property taxes out of it
Weekend Yellowknifer - Friday, March 5, 2010

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This city, and that means city hall and the people who live here too, are in a bit of a pickle when it comes to Northland Trailer Park. Home owners there need up to $18 million to fix the park's crumbling water and sewer lines.

This is a problem that should've been fixed long ago, but trailer owners - including many who no longer own property there - opted for ridiculously low condo fees of $65 a month just six years ago when the park's sewer lines were already nine years past their expiration date. Unlike other neighbourhoods, the city doesn't own the water and sewer pipes; Northland's condo corporation does.

Now the chickens have come home to roost. A sewer line burst last month. This situation at Northland is urgent.

While trailer owners are responsible for the upkeep of Northland's infrastructure, leaving them to the mercies of time and want of money is not an option either. The Northland residents represent 258 homes. If they were to all pick up stakes and leave, their departure would burn a serious hole in not just the local economy but in city tax revenues.

This is where the situation gets tricky. City councillor Bob Brooks has put forward a motion - a somewhat loosely worded one - drafted by the condo corporation that asks the city to help it find funding sources to repair its water and sewer lines, plus sidewalks and roads.

Presumably, this would mean the territorial and federal government. We can only hope there is that kind of assistance out there that trailer owners can access, although rest assured there won't be nearly enough funding to pay for all the needed repairs.

The motion also asks the city set up a long-term loan plan with payback schedules that are as affordable as possible for Northland residents. This is the right approach, and something current Northland owners at the end of the day will have to swallow.

It would be an intolerable situation should the city turn this into a capital project funded with property tax dollars, even if just a small amount.

The rest of Yellowknife undoubtedly wants this issue resolved, but not by forking over their hard earned dollars so Northland residents can up their up their property values on the backs of other ratepayers.

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Gathering as one
Editorial Comment
Roxanna Thompson
Deh Cho Drum - Thursday, March 4, 2010

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Thomas Simpson School hosted an incredibly powerful and positive event last week.

From Feb. 24 to 26, the school ran the ninth annual Mackenzie Regional Youth Conference. The conference brought together 260 students from 12 communities including Lutsel K'e, Hay River, the Hay River Reserve and Fort Resolution in addition to all of the Deh Cho communities.

The power behind the conference is the gathering of the students from different communities and the sharing that takes place as a result. As principal Robert Byatt pointed out, since its inception in 1996, the conference's primary goal has been to promote healthy social interaction among youths.

A prime example of this took place during the handgames workshop on Feb. 25.

A group of teenagers, a mix of boys and girls from Fort Resolution, sat on one side of the mat. On the other side was a mixed team made up of teenagers from Wrigley, Fort Simpson and Nahanni Butte. One of the more outgoing players from Wrigley dubbed it a Wrigley-Fort Resolution match up.

Fort Resolution made the first call. All of the Deh Cho players opened their appropriate hand but with a mischievous smile on his face the same Wrigley player proclaimed that he hadn't understood the call, it must be a Fort Resolution one, he said. Players on both sides responded in laughter before the game continued.

It was that simple exchange that illustrated what the conference allows to happen. Handgames calls vary from community to community, but players always manage to decipher unfamiliar ones during tournaments.

Likewise, bringing the students from different communities together allows them to share their experiences and find common ground. This is especially important for students from the smaller schools who have small peer groups.

The added benefit to the conference is all of the participants are exposed to a wide variety of ideas and subjects normally not available in the curriculum. Students were able to learn about everything from contemporary dance and hoop dancing to archeology and song-writing.

Organizing a conference of this magnitude -- involving 45 presenters and eight workshop rotations - requires a lot of time and dedication. The teachers and staff of Thomas Simpson School deserve recognition for once again pulling off a fantastic conference while calmly overcoming unforeseen difficulties, including the loss of running water to the school for part of the conference.

By putting in hours or work above and beyond their regular duties, teachers and staff have created an event that was undoubtedly a formative one for many of the participants.

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Feeding stereotypes with oranges
Editorial Comment
Katie May
Inuvik Drum - Thursday, March 4, 2010

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Thousands across the country have caught a glimpse of Inuvik on their television screens in the past week, watching as smiling residents sip free Tropicana orange juice and stare up at a giant, electric light-emitting helium balloon - the "Arctic sun" production crews brought to town in January to kick off Tropicana Canada's Brighter Mornings, Brighter Days advertising campaign, which was launched last week.

The orange juice company did indeed shed some light on Inuvik, but under its glow some aspects of town life appear distorted, as if we Inuvik residents needed a corporate hero to rescue us from darkness, to brighten our otherwise dim lives with their generous citrus gifts.

Of course, we know that is not the case. We know Tropicana hired southern production crews to come here with the ultimate goal of selling more orange juice.

We know they filmed for a few days, compensating those involved, before packing up their sun and heading home. We know the town of Inuvik received about $200,000 in revenue from their time here, including hotel stays and charitable donations to the food bank and daycares, among others.

And for that price we're left with a 60-second montage of schoolchildren, snowmobilers and elders seemingly in awe of this grand "sun" as well as a final aerial shot that encompasses the town, declaring that on Jan. 8, Tropicana, "brought the sun to Inuvik because we believe brighter mornings make for brighter days." The commercial, in erroneously claiming Jan. 8 was "Day 31 without sunlight in Canada's Arctic," disregards the fact that Inuvik's first sunrise after a month of darkness occurred shortly before 2 p.m. on Jan. 6, days before the film started rolling.

Nevertheless, what's the real message here? At least one resident has described the commercial as "embarrassing," a portrayal of residents as "isolated and detached from normal society." Others, including mayor Denny Rodgers, have heaped high praise upon the ad, welcoming any opportunity to showcase the town and its residents - some of whom are now enjoying their 15 minutes of fame on national television and the Internet.

But, considering the majority of the company's target audience in southern Canada has never visited Inuvik and is largely ignorant of Arctic life, this commercial may be some people's only view of our town. A town that, as represented in the ad, would have been in the dark - physically and metaphorically - without the good people of Tropicana.

Is this a stereotype those of us who live here would stand by and proudly show off? Of course not. It's tremendously insulting and completely untrue.

We can hope, however, the ad's potential to feed damaging stereotypes is lessened by its potential to pique interest in our community and spark tourism from open-minded adventurers.

Then Inuvik residents will have a chance to demonstrate first-hand - with no scripts or TV cameras - that we're much more than just the heart-warming smiles and good-natured attitudes for which we've become famous.

Fake sun not included.