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Imaginary battle
NWT News/North - Monday, April 26, 2010

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We had hoped that the election of Antoine Michel as chief of Lutsel K'e First Nation, would mean the band would be more open to sharing with the Metis Nation.

Former Chief Steve Nitah was adamant in his protest against recognizing the Northwest Territory Metis Nation's claims to the proposed park land encompassing the East Arm of Great Slave Lake which the LKFN is negotiating with the federal government. Unfortunately it seems Michel shares Nitah's stance on the issue.

However, Nitah wasn't always so dismissive of the Metis and he should have been reminded of the spirit of camaraderie he once shared with Metis.

Following last week's article, a photo was delivered to the offices of Northern News Services demonstrating Nitah once had a close relationship with the Metis.

In the photo, Nitah, clad in traditional Metis garb, proudly stands as a member of the NWT Metis Reelers Dance Group. George Mandeville, a prominent Metis musician from Fort Smith and a representative of the North Slave Metis, submitted the photo along with a note stating that Nitah didn't mind being Metis when the photo was taken.

Earlier this month, when referring to the NWT Metis Nation's claim on future park land in what the LKFN considers Akaticho territory, Nitah said: "There should not be two distinct aboriginal groups in our area."

The Metis - who are recognized in the Canadian constitution - are not the Akaitcho's enemy. In fact, for the two groups to be at odds over the development of the park is senseless.

There is strength in numbers and it makes more sense for the Metis and the Akaitcho to work together.

Betty Villebrun, president of the Northwest Territory Metis Nation, has extended the hand of co-operation to the LKFN. Both groups seek the same thing, recognition of their traditional rights and protection of their traditional lands.

The Metis have a long history in the Lutsel K'e area. Mandeville can trace his lineage back to a man the Akaitcho once called Katehwi. Mandeville described his ancestor as a Metis who was a recognized leader of the Chipewyan. Katehwi, Mandeville says, was also an accomplished peacemaker.

Divisiveness between the Metis and Akaitcho will only serve to weaken both groups' negotiating position with the federal government. It's time to put aside small differences and act in a spirit that will best serve both the Metis and the Akaitcho. Let peace and co-operation rule the day.

We hope that Chief Michel will eventually see the value of working with the Metis.

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Take care of our own
Nunavut News/North - Monday, April 26, 2010

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In the 1950s, the federal government promised several families from northern Quebec a much better lifestyle if they were willing to relocate to uninhabited parts of the far North, to what is now Grise Fiord and Resolute.

What those "volunteers" found was an extremely harsh environment, a scarcity of wild game to survive on and inadequate housing - some actually lived in tents.

Ottawa's ulterior motive was to populate the High Arctic to demonstrate Canadian sovereignty.

It took close to 40 years, but the federal government acknowledged how it manipulated and disrupted those families' lives. In 1996, Ottawa set aside $10 million dollars for those who were essentially treated like guinea pigs in the harshest of conditions.

Eight million dollars was bankrolled for the families while $2 million was given directly to them.

The money that was invested made hundreds of thousands of dollars in interest annually for a number of years, resulting in fairly substantial payments to the High Arctic exiles.

Then the good returns hit a brick wall in 2008 as the stock market sunk like a stone. The trust fund has not even turned enough profit to cover the administrative costs to run it, estimated at up to $60,000 a year.

It's a sad state of affairs as the families' payments have been next to nothing - or literally nothing - while the recession wreaked havoc over the past few years.

So, what can be done? For starters, land claims organizations Makivik Corporation and Nunavut Tunngavik Incorporated have dozens of administrators between them. They should be taking care of the trust fund paperwork for free.

These are Inuit people, many of them aging, who should not see a portion of their benefit eaten up by paying workers to cross i's and dot t's.

While the economy has been showing signs of a rapid recovery on a number of fronts, there is a proposal from the trustees overseeing the $8 million fund to release another $3 million for the some 35 original Arctic exiles who are still living, out of the 86 who were shipped off to the most remote part of the country several decades ago.

That decision rightfully rests with the survivors. They must be consulted.

But it is not all about money.

Simeonie Amagoalik, who was moved to Resolute all those years ago, said there's one other thing he still wants: an apology from Ottawa.

After all the anguish he's endured, that certainly doesn't sound like too much to ask.

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Profiteers not welcome
Weekend Yellowknifer - Friday, April 23, 2010

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The blame game has long been a part of the politics of Northland trailer park.

It's an easy game to play when one considers its ownership history and transformation from a neighbourhood of tenants to a condo consortium.

Residents today point to Cliff Johnson, former co-owner of Triple E Developments, which bought the trailer park in 1988 and soon after began selling off individual lots. Previous to this, some of the trailers were owned by the lot tenants, who were charged rent for the land on which their trailers stood; other residents merely rented the trailers.

Regardless, for much of this period afterwards Triple E remained the largest owner and thus the largest voting block within the condominium corporation.

Johnson has been blamed for keeping condo fees recklessly low, according to the condo board in Yellowknifer's feature story on Northland last Wednesday, and because the fees were so low, money to replace ageing water and sewer lines - owned by Northland and not the city - wasn't there. Lot fees to the remaining renters, meanwhile, skyrocketed, while Triple E was seeking a 75 per cent profit on lot sales, according to a trailer owners association newsletter in 1990.

After selling off the last of the lots a couple years ago, Johnson quietly rode off into the sunset, taking his pile of money with him, or so the legend goes.

Northland owners may feel wronged now, but to lay the blame squarely at Johnson's feet is a bit rich.

Residents - tenants included - voted in favour of a condo association 20 years ago; and there is certainly no indication that they were not in favour of low condo fees - $65 a month six years ago - year after year. Nor, at least until very recently, have people been dissuaded from purchasing in Northland, generally the least expensive real estate in town.

Longtime resident and board member Pearl Benyk most recently told Yellowknifer that Johnson "was given carte blanche to run things they way he did."

But she identified at least part of the problem last fall, after learning Northland trailer owners needed $18 million for infrastructure improvements: "There are many people that think this is part of the city and the city needs to fix it. They don't internalize that this is their land, that they're responsible for it."

The city rightly reduced property taxes in Northland by a small amount last week, which were too high compared to other trailer parks in the city. The city is also seeking ways to help ease the pain for residents when it comes time to start paying for the crumbling water and sewer lines.

Despite hopes of finding money grants and loans with other levels of government, the city will likely be the source of most of the money and that should be done through long-term, low-interest loans.

And, should any Northland owner wish to sell the property before the loan is repaid, the remaining balance must be attached to the purchase price, with that portion going to the city.

It's only fair that if Yellowknifers come to the aid of Northland residents, there is no chance of people profiting from a quick sale.

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Sports that excite
Editorial Comment
Guy Quenneville
Deh Cho Drum - Thursday, April 22, 2010

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Two stories in this week's Drum highlight the importance of providing youth with a proper learning environment for recreational activities.

Late last month and early this month, 14 students from Echo Dene School in Fort Liard travelled to a first-class ski resort in neighbouring British Columbia to learn how to snowboard. Interest in the sport among the hamlet's youth spiked in the wake of the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics.

So after a suggestion from students, the hamlet decided to bus the students south for a two-day crash course in the popular winter sport.

Hamlets, band offices, municipal governments and First Nations representatives all work continually hard to provide fresh and exciting ways for youth to spread their wings, inside and outside the community, and good on them.

The goal of the trip, according to the hamlet's manager of recreation and wellness, was to whet the students' appetite for the sport and hopefully encourage the students to put their new skills to use on the hamlet's small but capable snow hill.

Since several of the students have expressed an interest in getting a snowboard, consider it mission accomplished.

Meanwhile, in Fort Simpson, a dream that has long appeared unattainable is finally going to become a reality.

Yes, the village will install a skate park in the community this summer - several years behind schedule.

As one person put it, "Some of the people who originally pushed for this now have kids."

Regardless of the delays, the news has been met positively by Fort Simpson's skateboarding community, as it should.

Youth need a place to call their own, and youth centres and recreation halls - by virtue of their being indoors - can only serve that purpose to a point.

It's not just a matter of convenience, or having a place to hang out. It's a matter of safety.

It's not a rare sight to see teenagers skateboarding on the front steps of Thomas Simpson School, on the sidewalk or, perhaps most alarmingly, in the middle of the street.

They do it not because they get a kick out of scaring passersby, but because they have nowhere else to go.

Nathan McPherson, the village's recreation co-ordinator, is to be commended for taking the initiative one year ago when he decided, upon starting the position, that the money set aside for the park would no longer go on collecting dust.

Special mention must also go, of course, to the village and the Liidlii Kue First Nation who are footing the bill.

Now, let's roll.

Guy Quenneville is the interim editor of Deh Cho Drum. Roxanna Thompson returns next week.

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Who's minding our dogs?
Editorial Comment
Andrew Rankin
Inuvik Drum - Thursday, April 22, 2010

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It's that time of year again when countless stray dogs will be roaming the roads. I've already seen far too many for my liking. The pound is being constantly filled with neglected animals.

I don't know why it's taken me this long to say this, but I think the town needs to provide a free service where dogs can be spayed and neutered.

Maybe that means taxes have to be raised but I think the situation has come to that. I'll admit I would have no problem with that, but then again, I'm a dog lover.

The problem came to mind after I covered a rather heart warming event a few weeks ago involving our town veterinarian, Peter Krizan.

Mushing legend Frank Turner travelled here from the Yukon with his dogs en route to Herschel Island. Overnight one of them got injured and needed medical attention. Turner was surprised to find out we indeed have our own animal doctor. Instead of having to leave his animal behind, Krizan did the needed work, which included stitching the wounds, and away they went. The dog, Mischief, was well on his way to being healthy.

Seeing Turner so happy made me realize just how lucky we are to have our own veterinarian. It also made me realize that he's being taken for granted. Which is funny when you consider, aside from Krizan, the closest vets to us are in Hay River and Yellowknife.

Yet in talking to Krizan I know he's having trouble making ends meet. That's a shame. Through our discussion I found out that many dog owners in town don't ensure their animals get the proper vaccines to keep them healthy. As a result Krizan, on many occasions, has had to deal with severely sick animals whose illnesses wouldn't have gotten so bad if they were given basic care.

I'm not trying to point a finger here, but if you look around town there isn't enough being done to help the animals. In talking to some residents I've found most are willing to support such a free service.

So maybe we should get started on one.

I'm not saying that having it would eliminate the stray dog population but it would be a move in the right direction and show that we're at least trying to tackle the root problem. Part of the town bylaw officer's job is to pick up stray dogs and hold them at the pound until someone claims them. Surely their efforts could be put to better use.

Dog owners also used to be able to have their animals vaccinated against rabies free of charge. But that territory funded service was scraped once our veterinarian arrived. Meanwhile Aklavik dog owners are still offered the service for free. Where's the logic in that?

No one needs to be reminded that there are foxes hanging around town. Foxes sometimes carry rabies, which can be passed on to dogs if the animals come in contact. Everyone also knows that rabies can be passed on from dog to human.

The bottom line is that our governments could be doing a lot more to deal with the town's stray dog situation but they are not. It's up to us to do something about it.

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Safety net doesn't offer much assurance
Yellowknifer - Wednesday, April 21, 2010

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Once again the GNWT is sending a mixed message as to the fate of one of its safety nets - the Tourism Deposit Assurance program.

Kevin Todd, the North Slave superintendent of Industry, Tourism and Investment (ITI), insisted last week that the program, which offers the full or partial return of trip deposits to visitors who have booked NWT excursions, had not been cancelled despite a statement on the department's website earlier in the week claiming just that. The statement has since been removed.

Last December Todd sent a letter to outfitters stating the department would no longer be "receptive to claims," but a few days later ITI backtracked on that statement.

The mixed message as to the fate of the program, particularly when caribou outfitters face extinction themselves, can only breed a lack of confidence in the industry.

The GNWT seems to be doing precious little to help this $5 million a year industry.

The suggestion to have clients pay with a credit card, which offers refunds, is a good idea, but, outside of that, ITI also needs to guarantee how much of the tourist's trip deposit will be returned. Providing from "zero to 100" per cent back, as Todd mentioned, offers little peace of mind.

The GNWT has to stop writhing like a fish on a hook. It must make sure outfitters and tourists alike are taken care of, and show it supports hunting and fishing lodges.

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Set your civic priorities
Yellowknifer - Wednesday, April 21, 2010

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Last week an early draft of the city's 10-year plan indicated that in order to pay for everything planned, property taxes in 2010-11 would need to rise by 7.21 per cent.

Yellowknife is a small city with a population that has decreased slightly over several years.

Operating mines within the city limits became a thing of the past in 2003, along with the revenue they brought the city through their taxes.

Yet since then we've built the twin-pad Multiplex arena, the Somba K'e plaza outside city hall, renovated the library and now we're constructing the Fieldhouse. We've prettified one side of 50 Street and are about to move on to the next. There's aging infrastructure such as water and sewer lines to be replaced, streets to be resurfaced, and a landfill that will need expansion in coming years.

Over the past few months, citizens have been decrying the cost of living in this city - something which may well be contributing to the population's stagnation. A tax hike of this magnitude would only make it that much more expensive to live here and may drive some residents away.

Something's got to give. The city has to either reduce its spending or hike taxes. Most of our city councillors have told Yellowknifer they wouldn't support a tax increase of 7.21 per cent.

We're counting on them to reduce the tax hike substantially, and we hope those citizens who think Yellowknife's cost of living is too high will accept the corresponding decrease in grand civic projects.

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Let's be careful out there
Editorial Comment
Darrell Greer
Kivalliq News - Wednesday, April 21, 2010

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While there were extenuating circumstances, that does not change the fact the blizzard that ripped through the Kivalliq in late March and early April claimed a life.

I can't say how many difficult stories I've written, now in my 12th year with Kivalliq News, that dealt with someone dying on the land, but there's been far too many.

In fact, one story about someone dying on the land is one too many as far as I'm concerned.

The wildest environment I face every winter can be found at the Rankin arena.

I have absolutely no desire to go out on the land during the winter months because, quite frankly, the thought of it puts the fear of God into me.

From my first week in Rankin Inlet in December 1998, I was amazed at the severity of the Kivalliq climate.

Yes, our winters have been a little warmer the past few years.

Great. Now, if you're not careful or don't know what you're doing out there, it might take a few minutes more to send you to the promised land.

I don't find that a particularly comforting thought, by any means.

I've developed an incredible amount of respect over the years for those who possess the skills necessary to hunt, travel and survive on the land during our winter months, especially the elders.

It's nothing short of mind-boggling to me when I see someone in their 60s, or older, heading out in -30 C temperatures or colder.

They seem to give out awards for just about everything these days and, to me, each and every person who possesses such skills should be recognized for them, as they're truly amazing.

On the other side of the coin, however, are the feelings I get when I see someone taking unnecessary, or just plain stupid, chances during our coldest months.

A young man from Whale Cove got very lucky recently when he tried to make it to Rankin Inlet by machine after his friend had turned back due to bad weather.

He was fortunate to have made it back alive after running into machine problems.

We all know of people who lost their lives trying to make big money bingo games in Rankin, going out to their cabin with light clothes and no gear because they trusted their machine, trying to travel from one community to another, or out on 'short' hunting or fishing trips on their own without emergency supplies.

I've been here long enough to know a great many folks in this region don't need some guy, originally from the south, preaching to them about being careful on the land.

That's especially true when it happens to be a guy who doesn't go out on the land unless it's 10 C or warmer.

But there's an old saying from the south: familiarity breeds contempt.

In other words, you do something long enough and a false sense of security sets in.

A certain late Australian and dangerous animal lover comes to mind, as does a late bear lover.

As impressive as your skills are out on the land, there is precious little room for error in the Arctic environment.

So, by all means, continue to impress me, but, please, let's be careful out there.