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Don't delay pipeline permits
NWT News/North - Monday, March 29, 2010

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Imperial Oil's announcement that it will not begin construction of the Mackenzie Valley Pipeline until 2013 is an opportunity for Northern workers.

Following the Joint Review Panel's report, Alternatives North - a Yellowknife social justice group - said it was concerned that many Northerners would not be job ready by the time ground-work on the pipeline begins.

Although another setback in the often-delayed pipeline is not welcome news for those who have been banking on the mega project, there may be a silver lining. The NWT now has more time to get Northerners employment ready for the $16.2 billion project.

Training more tradespeople is a win-win situation for the NWT. Maximizing the number of Northerners qualified to work on the pipeline will ensure that a fair portion of labour costs for the project remain in NWT communities.

Also, whether the pipeline goes ahead in 2013 or later, more tradespeople can only be a positive for the North. Major construction projects in the Arctic too often rely on southern workers, essentially funnelling money away from those in the North who could dearly use high-paying jobs.

The federal government cannot squander the remaining time either. Indian and Northern Affairs Minister Chuck Strahl must ensure his promise to create efficiencies in the Northern regulatory system is reflected in the National Energy Board's dealings with the pipeline's final hearings. Let's ensure the NEB process is thorough but stays on schedule. If the economics of the Mackenzie pipeline do improve substantially - natural gas prices could rebound - then the regulatory quagmire won't sink the project.

Negotiations with the holdout First Nations must also continue with the goal to have all agreements in place well before Imperial Oil's 2013 objective.

Let's use this time to truly get ourselves ready.

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Northern House a success
NWT News/North - Monday, March 29, 2010

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The GNWT made a sound $800,000 investment in Northern House - the pan-territorial pavilion in Vancouver showcasing Canada's North during the Winter Olympics.

Northern House was the most popular non-sports venue in the city, by many accounts. With more than 170,000 total visitors - quadruple the population of the NWT - Northern House surpassed expectations and provided exposure for Northern culture, arts, tourism and business.

Aside from the influx of visitors, who, at times, lined up for blocks, Northern House also received valuable local, national and international media attention.

Now, the question is how will it all pay off?

It is vital the GNWT develop a small but efficient team tasked with exploiting the contacts and opportunities generated in Vancouver to develop money-making opportunities for the NWT.

This could turn out to be the North's gold medal of the Games.

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Healing foundation must go on
Nunavut News/North - Monday, March 29, 2010

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Recently many Nunavummiut joined hands to show their support for the Aboriginal Healing Foundation and the programs its funding had created in their communities.

In 1998, the foundation was given $350 million by the federal government and tasked with helping Canada's aboriginal peoples find ways to heal from the traumas of mental, physical, and sexual abuse suffered in Indian Residential Schools, and their repercussions - depression, alcoholism, violence, poverty, suicide, weakening of cultural skills and parenting skills. The goal was to help those suffering and stop the destructive cycle from being passed on to future generations.

The programs in Nunavut funded by the healing foundation commonly provide counselling, training in cultural skills, on-the-land trips, and events bringing together elders and youth. They also provide employment - full-time, part-time and seasonal - for scores of Nunavummiut.

However, all the community-based programs that have sprouted over the past decade now face a struggle to survive as the foundation's funding ends on Wednesday.

To be fair, the Aboriginal Healing Foundation's mandate was 11 years, and had already been extended once.

But it was optimistic in the first place to think 11 years of programming would be sufficient to heal the multi-generational pain created by residential schools.

Contained in the healing foundation's 2009 annual report is a plea to government for assurance that some kind of healing programs will be available in communities when the Truth and Reconciliation Commission visits.

Those who choose to speak to the commissioners will need support both before and after their testimony. Talking about their experiences will reawaken painful memories and reopen wounds.

That it would throw healing programs into upheaval at this delicate time shows that despite all the progress made in the past 15 years, Ottawa still doesn't get it.

The federal government has allotted $65.9 million to respond to ongoing residential school mental and emotional trauma through Health Canada over the next two years, but it remains to be seen if that money will be channelled to the programs established by the healing foundation funding.

It would be wasteful to dismantle programs that are already running and working, and they are a bargain if one considers the toll of doing nothing, both on a humanitarian and economic scale.

The healing foundation spent about $40 million a year nationwide supporting 134 community-run programs. Compare that to the $94 million Nunavut alone plans to spend on running its Department of Justice in 2010-2011.

Let's choose healing over further punishment.

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For green and glory
Weekend Yellowknifer - Friday, March 26, 2010

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If hospital brass and Health Minister Sandy Lee think a stony face will aid them while ignoring a coroner's report aimed at preventing more people from overdosing on antidepressants, perhaps they should recall the following tale.

In the spring of 1992 Stanton Hospital was faced with a terrible crisis when complaints about its abortion procedures went public.

The complaints, initially involving 14 women, were brought forward by the NWT Status of Women Council, who accused doctors of performing abortions without giving them painkillers or anesthetic.

The hospital's response? Well, everything is done by the book around here, so go away. But then suddenly the number of complainants swelled to more than 80, and international headlines appeared portraying Stanton doctors and hospital staff as cruel and racist; the kind who would put aboriginal women through painful operations to educate them on the errors of their ways.

The more the hospital muddled its way through the problem, the deeper into the muck it sank, until before long the health minister of the day, Tony Whitford, found himself taking the fall and handed his job over to Premier Nellie Cournoyea.

Perhaps Lee thinks her chances are better than Whitford's, and in the end, people won't really care what happened to some poor kid who ate three month's worth of Effexor - a drug even the maker describes as potentially dangerous without supervision - and then died.

Ditto for Stanton CEO Kay Lewis, who says she won't read the March 11 coroner's report unless handed specific instructions by the health department. It's unfathomable that a hospital CEO would not be interested in recommendations coming from the NWT Coroner's office, particularly when they call into question the way the hospital administers prescription drugs to mentally unstable patients.

While true both chief coroner Garth Eggenberger and deputy coroner Cathy Menard are but just laypersons, their observations don't come lightly or without considerable research. If Lewis isn't worried about blowing them off, how would she handle a complaint from a patient or from the family of a patient using this drug?

And for Lee to not step up and assure the public that her department is taking the issue seriously, it is yet another sign she can't handle any pressure beyond appearing for photo-ops.

More than two weeks have gone by since the coroner's report has been issued, and her department has yet to respond.

One young man has died after consuming Effexor. Eggenberger also wonders if the death of another, Philip MacNeil, is linked to its use. As well, a 32-year-old Yellowknife man died after overdosing on Effexor in 2006, although it was ruled as accidental.

Eggenberger wants to see changes to the Mental Health Act, changes that seem reasonable given the circumstances.

The hospital and the health department won't be able to hide from this forever.

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Enterprising spirit
Editorial Comment
Roxanna Thompson
Deh Cho Drum - Thursday, March 25, 2010

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If there's one thing the Deh Cho has a lot of, it's entrepreneurial spirit.

Across the region, individuals and existing business are always on the lookout for opportunities. These opportunities range from putting in bids for locally-based projects to identifying gaps in services and developing a product to meet the need.

In Fort Simpson, the most recent evidence of this entrepreneurial drive was in the opening of the Mackenzie Rest Inn. Owner Lois Martin and manager Reg Bellefontaine saw the potential for a bed and breakfast in a house and overcame 10 years of renovations to make it happen. That's a sign of dedication to a project.

In the Deh Cho, business ideas range from the small scale to sizes that defy belief. For years the idea of a bridge across the Mackenzie River at Fort Providence was just that - an idea, a dream.

It took a lot of work and a lot of effort, but through the Deh Cho Bridge Corporation the Deh Gah Got'ie First Nation and the Fort Providence Metis Council, the dream became a project that was officially launched in August 2007.

The bridge, however, is an example that not all enterprising projects come to a successful end for those who start them. The territorial government has stepped in and has taken over the management of the project, removing the corporation from that role.

Although the community's future involvement in the project is still being sorted out, Chief Joachim Bonnetrouge still sees the benefit of having participated in the endeavour.

"The project is quite complex and because of that, there was a big huge learning curve for the leadership and the community," he said.

Bonnetrouge admits that even he had a lot to learn throughout the project - one of the key aspects of any entrepreneurial undertaking. Not all start-up businesses and projects run successfully, but they always provide a learning experience - sometimes an unforgiving one - for those involved.

Entrepreneurs, whether they have plans for small business or structures that will span a river, are crucial to the Deh Cho's economic health.

Unlike some regions in the North, the Deh Cho can't count on big-ticket natural resource development projects to secure middle to long-term economic stability and growth.

Some are still holding out hope for the Mackenzie Gas Project and the spinoffs it will bring, but until then the Deh Cho has to make it on its own economically.

It's only by trying new ventures, seeing what works and what doesn't and hopefully surviving financially to learn from any mistakes that the economic viability of the Deh Cho will expand.

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Community must be willing to move forward
Editorial Comment
Andrew Rankin
Inuvik Drum - Thursday, March 25, 2010

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By the time you read this, council will have already looked at what is pretty much the final draft of the town's energy plan and sustainability plan.

The plans still have to be ratified by councillors and there still has to be some systematic procedure developed to ensure that both plans are respected. By that I mean both documents aren't filed in a corner somewhere and everyone just resorts back to the status quo.

Until both plans are given the OK by council, they won't be made public. So I haven't had a chance yet to look through them. But I do know that a lot of work and money went into producing both of them. Consultants were hired, public forums were scheduled, drafts have been written, all in an effort to come up with plans that would make sense for Inuvik and its residents.

What's important to note is that both plans had to have been completed in order for the town to qualify for federal gas tax revenues. It doesn't appear that there are any real or significant consequences for the town if it doesn't meet some of the goals outlined in both documents. So maybe this is just another toothless bureaucratic process meant to appear as though work is being done on both fronts, when really no one is expecting much to happen. It would be disappointing if nothing good comes of all the time and energy spent.

Although I have yet to see detailed drafts, I do have an idea of the topics dealt with in both. Some are of great interest. For example in the energy plan there's mention of setting stricter energy efficiency standards for new buildings in Inuvik as well as encouraging new retro-fits for older buildings. Another topic centres on a particularly hot issue: developing a local energy supply.

Being somewhat related plans, some ideas are bound to overlap. A sustainability plan means what it says -- to keep the community going in the healthiest, productive and progressive manner. A lot of people believe that such a plan should take heed of traditional knowledge, and show respect for the environment and culture.

Both documents in themselves are stagnant. It will be interesting to see whether residents will be interested enough to work with the town and each other to try to ensure that some of the goals outlined in both documents are pursued. Obviously government spending is a must, too. But without the communities continued participation, the whole thing is a waste of time.

The plans come at an interesting time in Inuvik - when the pipeline project is foreseen. Now is as good a time as any to act. With institutions such as Arctic Energy Alliance and a soon-to-be brand spanking new Aurora Research Institute right at our fingertips, there's plenty of opportunity to move forward. But there must be a will to do so.

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Councillors trump administrators
Yellowknifer - Wednesday, March 24, 2010

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It's taken some prodding, but city council has shown lately that it is largely responsive to citizens' demands.

So far this year, council has pulled administration back on course in three areas where the city has been way off target: regulations on housing development, which were too stringent; a proposed parks bylaw that was outrageously restrictive without good reason; and the reopening of a salvage area at the dump - a staple of Yellowknife living which had been closed for several months.

All this begs the question: how much leadership power do the mayor and council actually have?

Administration and council do not appear to be on the same wavelength when it comes to setting policy. Our elected officials have been reacting to administration's directives, which are not in line with the stated policy to encourage development. Fortunately, voters have made themselves heard and council, under mounting pressure, has rethought its stance on placing too much emphasis on aesthetics for new buildings and lots.

There are several messages administration can draw from council's work over the past month. In the case of the salvage area, which had been shut for six months even though city hall repeatedly promised that it would reopen within weeks, the lesson is don't make false promises. Simply tell us why it can't be opened yet. Level with us. Reusing items and salvaging is a cornerstone of living in this city, as proven by our summer-long garage sales and extensive advertisements for used items. Residents showed they're not going to let salvaging quietly fade from memory.

As for detailed restrictions on housing development, what does that have to do with easing the extremely low vacancy rate in this town, encouraging city development, and easing up on the cost of living?

Numerous restrictions on parks use? In meetings, city managers have pointed to intoxicated and unruly individuals harassing staff and misusing indoor facilities like the public library and the Multiplex. That has nothing to do with preventing people from enjoying the great outdoors by keeping them from straying from trails, forbidding them to climb objects or use toboggans and prohibiting them from doing anything that would draw a crowd. That proposed bylaw, as ludicrous as it was, had residents protesting on the lawn of city hall.

An important lesson to be learned is that council should work with administration more closely and give more guidance. Mayor and council must use their weight of authority from voters to ensure administration - and even the territorial government - are acting in the best interest of Yellowknifers as well.

Councillors' work over the past month has shown they are up to the task, and they have the potential to do more for the benefit of all.

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Pop tax just fool's gold
Editorial Comment
Darrell Greer
Kivalliq News - Wednesday, March 17, 2010

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While Nunavut Finance Minister Keith Peterson's decision not to tax sugarladen soft drinks has not been good news to some folks, it was refreshing to hear a minister speak openly and honestly about the subject.

The pop tax proposal was put forward by Iqaluit West MLA Paul Okalik as a way to help stem rising diabetes rates in Nunavut, as well as cover health care costs related to obesity.

Okalik contends that implementing a pop tax would help reduce the vast amounts of the beverage being consumed in Nunavut and raise more revenues for the government.

In rejecting the proposal, Peterson said there is no need to impose the tax with Nunavut's balanced budget, and such a move would adversely affect the territory's poorer population.

He then admitted the steep rise in tobacco taxes four years ago has done little, if anything, to lower the number of smokers in Nunavut.

There is no denying the risk those who light up are taking with their own health, but it was refreshing to hear a minister state the only thing the high tax rate on tobacco has done in Nunavut is give the government more money.

Numerous studies show high tobacco taxes are felt most strongly by those who live below the poverty line.

Senior abuse also rises, due to younger smokers demanding money from parents and grandparents to get their tobacco fix.

And those who point to tobacco use as the main drain on the health-care system know full well obesity costs the system more, especially when one takes into account the billions of tax dollars smokers pour into provincial, territorial and federal coffers each year.

That said, there are more than a few people who would welcome a pop tax, and look upon it as a way to help prevent rising diabetes in the territory, and encourage healthy choices among our youth when they reach for something to quench their thirst.

Of course, these are the same people naive enough to believe no one under a certain age can get their hands on caffeine-laden energy drinks because the sign posted in the store says so.

A number of people have also attacked the minister for his comments that a pop tax would actually take food off of people's tables. In their Utopian view of the world, the tax would immediately have people staying away from pop and making healthier choices.

Unfortunately, in the real world, that's nothing more than wishful thinking and Peterson knows it.

Those who point to increased tobacco taxes as the reason the number of smokers has decreased in Canada during the past two decades are simply playing the shell game.

Tobacco use has dropped primarily because of the increase in information on the negative effects of its use, and the educational programs put in our schools.

While the appeal of a quick-fix tax is hard to resist for some, the same educational approach must be taken and maintained to convince our youth to live healthier lifestyles.

Education, information and honesty are the real bars to helping people make better choices.

Tax as a deterrent is nothing more than a few flakes of fool's gold.