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49 days is not enough
NWT News/North - Monday, March 15, 2010

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Clearly frustrated, Hay River South MLA Jane Groenewegen offered a tepid critique of consensus government in the legislative assembly earlier this month.

She said the consensus system may not be the best way to govern the territories and it's "not the most congenial way of getting business done either."

Surely Groenewegen realizes that for every condemnation of consensus government there is an equal or stronger example of how party politics does not serve people well. Politics by its very nature is often a nasty business. While our elected officials are ideally looking out for the best interest of their constituents, they are sometimes trying to bolster their public image at the expense of someone else, and often preoccupied by self gain.

Consensus government should bring government closer to the people. Legislators from each riding are elected based on their merit as individuals, not as members of a political party. As such, they are expected to fight for the will of the people in the communities they represent, instead of having to toe a party line

One reason things may not be working optimally is because our elected leaders spend far too little time in the house of government working for us. From March 11, 2010 until March 11, 2011, MLAs are scheduled to put in a mere 49 days of work in the legislative assembly. That's not enough.

It's not that our neighbours to the south have a better political system, but many provinces and even our federal politicians - Prime Minister Harper's fondness for proroguing Parliament notwithstanding - sit for twice as long, or longer.

Working more would be a good starting point.

The regular MLAs have proven that they can flex their muscle as the "unofficial" opposition. They have acted as the voice of the people and forced the premier and cabinet to regroup on proposed measures like board reform, extended health benefits and additional taxes. The regular MLAs may very well have taken down the premier in February 2009 after accusing him of failing to be open and honest with them, but they got too ambitious and chose instead to try to defeat the entire government. They wound up on the short end of a 10-8 vote. This speaks to another shortfall within the ranks of regular MLAs: Some of them are perceived to be blinded by their desire for a cabinet seat and the prestige and perks that come with it.

Regardless of the form of democracy, there will be scandals and there will be money spent inappropriately. Some governments are more acrimonious than others, some are more productive.

What we need is to ensure our consensus government puts the regions in as strong a position as Yellowknife, and that aboriginal governments are viewed as partners, not subjects of the royal GNWT. The caribou hunting ban fiasco has shown this is not happening.

Fixing the problem is going to take a united will, one that has been almost completely lacking during the first half of the territorial government's four-year term.

Kam Lake MLA Dave Ramsay had this to say following the messy session in February 2009: "I do think we spent too much time fighting with one another, but we wouldn't be fighting with one another if we spent more time communicating."

The best way to improve communication is to meet face to face, more than 49 days a year.

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The joy of sports
Nunavut News/North - Monday, March 15, 2010

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The 2010 Arctic Winter Games wrapped up this past weekend in Grande Prairie, Alta., and Nunavut had especially strong showings in Arctic Sports, Dene Games, table tennis and wrestling this year. What these sports have in common is that none of them require expensive equipment or facilities. Success is determined only by an athlete's interest, an encouraging coach, and the amount of practice.

Nunavut's athletes have creative ways of getting around the challenges of training in remote communities, the most pressing being the lack of equipment and the lack of opponents.

Kugluktuk table tennis players, including Susie Akana who won silver and bronze ulus, trained with the aid of a Chinese-made machine that made balls fly at superhuman speed.

Arctic Bay's Dene Games team was especially inventive in their training. Coach Thomas Levi had his athletes chiselling holes in the ice using a traditional tuuq to strengthen their fingers - not letting them stop until they got water in the holes. He also had them lifting rocks, and even had them pushing his red truck around with a pole to practise for the pole push game.

All that work paid off when the Inuit-composed team owned the Dene games podium in men's open snow snake – taking the gold, silver and bronze ulus – and took gold in the junior male snow snake.

Of course, winning medals is not what sports are all about. Competitions, be they local, regional, territorial, national and international, provide the motivation to train. But the benefits of regular exercise are wide-ranging and felt year-round.

Through sports, youth learn skills such as co-operation and recovering from mistakes. They practise discipline in following a training schedule. They find out what foods they need to eat to perform at their best. They learn to set achievable goals and to have patience and persistence in pursuing them.

But besides increasing strength, agility and endurance, exercise also reduces stress and improves mood, providing an outlet for the emotions and tensions youth face in their daily lives.

What it boils down to is that participating in a sport or any kind of physical activity keeps kids and adults fit, healthy and happy.

Congratulations to all the athletes who competed in Grande Prairie. We wish you the best of luck in training for the 2012 Arctic Winter Games in Whitehorse.

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What's the rush?
Weekend Yellowknifer - Friday, March 12, 2010

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It's round two in Sandy Lee's attempt to overhaul the territorial government's extended health benefits package for non-aboriginal residents, and once again it's not going well.

The Health and Social Services minister says changes are needed to make the program fairer for all non-aboriginal residents in the territory, but MLAs are questioning the speed at which the government is rushing to make changes to the $8.4 million program, with the date set for Sept. 1.

As before, the issue is mainly about communication. In December 2008 Lee announced changes that would have cut extended health benefits for seniors and people with chronic illnesses whose incomes were above a yet-to-be-determined threshold.

Even though the plan was approved by cabinet in September 2007, it wasn't until Lee's announcement more than a year later that people had any inkling that changes were coming. And worse, the deadline was set for April 1, 2009, a date which caused immediate panic for some seniors and people with disabilities - who were about to lose or receive reduced coverage for prescriptions, eyeglasses, and other items not paid for under regular health care.

In the face of growing criticism and protest, Lee was forced to back down in February of last year.

Now a new plan, one which suggests some non-aboriginal residents will pay a premium or portion of costs so that all non-aboriginal residents can be covered, is in the works. By suggestion, it would appear similar to plans adopted in provinces like Ontario and B.C.

Currently, the territorial government only offers extended benefits to non-aboriginal residents over 60, or with certain chronic illnesses, or with very low incomes. Extended health benefits for Metis and aboriginal residents are paid for by other programs.

The GNWT has not made it clear how many low-income residents are currently without coverage for extended health care benefits. No advocacy group has stepped forward to openly lobby on these people's behalf. Therefore it's hard to gauge the level of need.

At least this time, the health department has issued an information form and questionnaire asking residents for their thoughts on who ought to pay for these benefits and who should be a priority. The health department is also fanning out across the territory to conduct a number of town hall meetings, including one in Yellowknife on April 7.

But as some regular MLAs have pointed out, there's something fishy about the government's newfound desire for public consultation. As Great Slave MLA Glen Abernethy put it, the six-month time line for changes is "insane."

This scenario over the last year is reminiscent of the one that played out when the Department of Industry, Tourism, and Investment dropped a bombshell on full-season campers in Yellowknife two years ago, who were told fees were doubling and the maximum time they could stay at Ingraham Trail campgrounds was being cut in half.

Similar to last year when Lee was facing stiff opposition, parks officials backed off at the last minute, promising to consult campers before making any changes, which they did, and then promptly re-introduced pretty much the same package in 2009.

We can only hope Lee and her department are seriously considering the public's input, and aren't merely going through the motions.

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Sacrificed for the greater good
Editorial Comment
Roxanna Thompson
Deh Cho Drum - Thursday, March 11, 2010

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I have somewhat of a ghoulish predilection to reveal.

I really enjoy including in Deh Cho Drum photos of youths participating in harvesting and trapping programs. My preferred photos are ones that show students with some manner of dead animal that they have just extracted from a snare, trap or net.

It sounds strange at first, but photos like those submitted this week from the Chief Julian Yendo School in Wrigley aptly illustrate the reasons behind my fondness for these images. First of all, there are few places in Canada where you can get away with putting a picture of a child with a dead marten or mink or any other animal in a paper.

More importantly, the photos capture the reaction the students have to participating in activities like the Take a Kid Trapping and the Take a Kid Harvesting programs. Joy radiates from the faces of the youths as they pose for photos with whatever animal they have just harvested.

I can think of dozens of photos that I've featured in the Drum, taken either by myself or submitted by others, that show smiling children and teenagers proudly displaying some creature they have just helped catch. Notable mentions include two students from Trout Lake cradling a dead beaver, and a group of preschoolers in Fort Providence gathered around a snared rabbit.

The photos show that students of all ages love participating in on-the-land programs. The reason they like the programs so much probably has less to do directly with the dead animals and more to do with simply connecting with traditional activities outdoors.

The students enjoy going on boat or snowmobile trips to camps where they learn skills that they might not otherwise experience, but ones that have deep connections to their history. Activities include setting and checking traplines, snares and fish nets and properly handling whatever animals they catch.

The programs are important. All students should be allowed to take part them for the cultural lessons they teach. Students learn about what it took to survive on the land in the past and how their ancestors lived. Respect for the land and animals is also instilled.

The programs also show students that even if activities like trapping are no longer a necessary way of life, they can still pursue them as a secondary source of income, or simply because they enjoy it.

Outdoor traditional activities take time away from classroom curriculum studies, but it is time well spent. The photos taken during these events show that students are actively engaged in learning.

Fur-bearing animals in the Deh Cho should tremble in fear, because students in the region would benefit by being out more often in pursuit of them.

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Starting fresh
Editorial Comment
Andrew Rankin
Inuvik Drum - Thursday, March 11, 2010

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I can't really put my finger on it, but there was something a little moving about the graduation ceremony held at Ingamo Hall Friendship Centre on Friday. The event was held for the 15 Beaufort Delta residents who completed a 10-week community wellness program run through the Inuvialuit Regional Corporation in partnership with the Aboriginal Healing Foundation.

One of their vital roles will be to act as liaisons between people looking for treatment or counselling and government health programs.

It was a pretty low-key affair, just a small gathering of people there to support their family and friends. I didn't catch the whole thing, but when I arrived, graduates of varying ages, including a mother-daughter couple, seemed genuinely happy and there was a feeling of spirited energy. So I decided to stay a while. I enjoyed the funny, quirky stories some of the graduates told after the ceremony about their fear of dogs and flying. Somehow it suited the mood better than grandiose speeches that seem to dominate these sorts of events.

I happened to talk with one of the graduates, Maria Arey, who seemed especially passionate about trying to help her fellow community members deal with what ails them. In fact she was the one who suggested this week's Street Talk question, which asks what residents would like to see in a wellness program for Inuvik.

While some of the program graduates are IRC employees, Arey is not. She is currently looking for work, and hoping that the group will work together with the Inuvik Interagency Committee to promote wellness in the Inuvik and the Beaufort Delta community.

What's particularly important about this group is that each of them are aboriginal - and who would know about the problems facing their community and the best way to approach them? It will be interesting to see how the graduates are welcomed in the community, and what kind of support they will get. They'll have their work cut out for them.

Hopefully the GNWT will see this as sign to pitch in and put more effort into trying to solve some of the social problems here. Obviously it's a disgrace there isn't a detox centre here, despite the fact residents keep underlining the need for one. The shelter, which isn't big enough to accommodate our homeless population, is barely making ends meet, despite the fact the territorial government funds it.

Having certified wellness workers in Inuvik is a start. Just having a group of people step up and ready to face the problems head on is refreshing in itself. It's good news but there has to be a basic foundation of support and the essential institutions in place for them to be as effective as possible.

One thing seems clear. It's a great opportunity to start afresh and to make wellness a priority in Inuvik and the Delta.

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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!