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All quiet on the taxation front Weekend Yellowknifer - Friday, May 14, 2010
The city unveiled its wish list last week that calls for $132,300,000 in capital spending over the next ten years, including $2 million for renovations at city hall and $25 million for a new water treatment plant that no one with the federal government, as of yet, has demanded must be built. Some of the spending may be supported by federal funding but still we're talking about tens of millions of dollars. This, on the heels of a proposal for a 7.2 per cent property tax hike next year, by far the largest in recent memory. Generating tax revenue may not have been so much of a problem when Yellowknife's two gold mines were in still in operation, but they've been closed for several years now so the city is reliant almost entirely on homeowners and small businesses to keep the cash flowing. And it's not like there are more of us out there. The population of Yellowknife has remained relatively stuck for the better part of the last decade at around 19,000, and yet almost 40 positions - about a 19 per cent increase - and more than $30 million - around a 100 per cent increase - have been added to the annual budget since 2001. It might seem logical that this would be a major cause for concern but it doesn't seem to be yet, at least among those who tend to make themselves heard the most. Some may recall a poll Yellowknifer conducted last fall during the municipal election. Taxes and city fees fell far behind other issues of concern, such as downtown crime and homelessness. By far the biggest issue identified by people who answered our poll concerned the amount of greenspace. Some 34 per cent felt it was the most critical issue facing the city, and another 64 per cent argued there could never be too much greenspace - a seemingly paradoxical observation considering the vast amount of it that remains inside and outside of Yellowknife. Of course, we'd be the first to admit our online polls are less than scientific. Just as city council can be swayed toward limiting development and maintaining services at all costs by the vocal few, so too can the responses to our polls. It all depends on who's pushing the buttons. It's worth noting that there was a lot of talk two months ago about forming a citizens' group to combat the high cost of living in Yellowknife following a massive response on Facebook, but little has been heard of that since. To its credit, the city has provided a portal on its website until June 1 inviting residents to comment on city budget plans for the next three years. Mayor Gord Van Tighem promises the comments will be made public. If people really are concerned about city spending they have to make themselves heard. This would be the time to do it.
Well-deserved thanks Editorial Comment Roxanna Thompson Deh Cho Drum - Thursday, May 13, 2010
Rowe has been named a RBC Local Hockey Leader. The national award recognizes the "unsung heroes" of Canada's favourite winter game. The fact that Rowe won the award says just as much about him as it does about the community of Fort Simpson, and volunteerism in the Deh Cho at large. The award shows village residents are willing to take the time to recognize those who make a difference in the community. Rowe was the first to point out that a lot of people put a lot of effort into writing the nomination that helped him win the award. Local leaders, business people and hockey players took the time to write letters and provide comments that were included in the nomination paper. Covering 16 pages, the nomination was possibly the longest the panel of judges had ever seen. It was the photo on the last page, however, that really made an impact, according to Katie Hammill, a spokesperson with the program. The photo shows 16 people cheering enthusiastically around the recreation centre's sign where they posted the news of Rowe's nomination. The photo spoke to everything the nomination paper said about Rowe's importance to hockey in the community, Hammill said. In Fort Simpson when volunteers are going the extra distance to help others out, residents are also willing to rally to see they are recognized for it. The award also shows volunteerism is, fortunately, still alive and strong in the Deh Cho. In many Deh Cho communities there are volunteers like Rowe who act as a rallying point and role model for others. Their efforts encourage others to also step forward. These volunteers can be found in sports, cultural and youth activities. The activities would still exist without them, but they wouldn't be nearly as vibrant or successful. There's an important link between volunteers and recognition that shouldn't be overlooked. Most volunteers donate their time and energy not for awards, trophies or other forms of recognition. They do it because they are passionate about their activity or cause and want to see others share that enthusiasm. The occasional award, however, helps ensure volunteers stay engaged. The awards don't have to be on a national level. Rowe said he was almost happier reading the nomination paper that people put together for him than he was with actually receiving the honour. Volunteers are an important part of the Deh Cho and the occasional thank-you and expression of gratitude can be enough to ensure communities continue to benefit from their tireless efforts.
Hope in the face of suffering Editorial Comment Andrew Rankin Inuvik Drum - Thursday, May 13, 2010 This man, whom we will call Frank, is one of those guys that likes helping people and doesn't expect a big fuss in exchange. In the midst of our conversation he mentioned he's a recovering alcoholic and it had been a few decades since he last had a drink. He's also given up smoking for several years now. Anyway, he attributed his recovery to Inuvik's now defunct addictions centre. He told me he arrived there many years ago drunk, crawling on his knees. But someone there recognized him, put him in a bed and he slept for a week straight and then he went through the torture of withdrawal. He admits it hasn't been an easy road to recovery. But he made it and he no longer craves alcohol. He credits that facility, which was shut down due to a lack of funding, for saving his life. Frank's mended many relationships, holds a good job and discovered his self worth. At the old addictions centre he got the medical assistance and holistic support he needed. He felt safe there, where he found a community of people behind him. In past editorials I have argued that detox centres are a must in Inuvik. I still think so. But there must be a collective will to achieve this. The Gwich'in Wellness Camp outside of Inuvik offers hope for people. Hope lies in Tuktoyaktuk, too. The community has been promised $100,000 in funding from the GNWT and The Inuvialuit Regional Corporation to transform a donated NWT Housing Corp. building into a new addictions centre. It's not expected to provide the community and the area with an on site medical detox treatment, which is desperately needed. But it's a start. It should be a place where people might find a safe environment to sober up and get encouragement. In other words, start on the process of healing. That shows Tuktoyaktuk is, at least on the surface, taking addictions treatment seriously, and that it is committed to doing something about it. In my work here I've interviewed some pretty resilient people who have overcome addictions and are currently living productive lives - Winston Moses for one, and, as featured in today's paper, Aurora College graduate Patricia Rogers. The one ingredient they both said was essential for recovery was a caring support group. Hopefully Tuktoyaktuk's will to battle addictions in its community will take hold here as well. I think Gwich'in Tribal Council president Fred Carmichael got to the heart of the matter in a quote that was published in a News/North story earlier this month, "Tuk to revive addictions centre." In it, Carmichael said: "Addiction has no borders. It does not discriminate, no matter who you are. There's limited dollars out there, and the greatest cost is operational. How are we going to build relationships if we continue to do stuff that's really pulling people apart." How can you argue with that?
Spectacular plates Yellowknifer - Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Unveiled last week, it's a move away from the old steel variation, which had not been updated since 1986.
The new plates are not only easier for police and bylaw officers to read, they retain the iconic polar bear shape with some eye-catching additional colour evoking the northern lights as well as images of trees and a bear atop some bedrock.
Some NWT residents are critical of the government for not holding a round of public consultation on the look of the new plates. That would have surely slowed down the process and driven up the cost beyond the $10 being charged as a one-time additional fee for the new plates.
If government checks the pulse of residents on almost every aspect of its work, then how can we expect things to be done efficiently?
Not all consultation ends well, either. Those who recall the rename the territory campaign, launched by former cabinet minister Stephen Kakfwi in 1996, will surely remember that the name Bob was one of the frontrunners. That initiative was scrapped.
The new plates are worthy of carrying the tourism slogan, "Spectacular Northwest Territories."
High heating and power costs account for a big chunk of Yellowknife's pricey cost of living.
Energy conservation is, therefore, that much more desirable here. Every drop of home heating fuel saved means more dollars in our pockets.
So it came as a blow when Ottawa announced the end of the ecoEnergy Retrofit Program in March, eliminating federal incentives to develop and renovate homes well suited to the sub-Arctic. Fortunately, the territorial government will continue to fulfil this need with a simplified program that promises to be more efficient.
Homeowners who apply for rebates when they adopt energy-efficient technologies will no longer require the government to assess their homes.
Any advice from energy efficiency inspectors will be optional -- performed by Arctic Energy Alliance -- and paid for by the hour.
Making inspections optional allows Arctic Energy Alliance to perform more complete evaluations and advice on demand, throughout Yellowknife and the vast territory. Homeowners keen on limiting energy consumption costs should be able to get as much as they need out of the program, with advice tailored for their homes.
That amounts to less carbon in the atmosphere and more money for homeowners to use elsewhere.
The fact plans are in the works that could see the cadet program return to Arviat and Baker Lake is great news.
Very few programs can lay claim to offering youth the same number, and calibre, of opportunities the cadets bring to the parade square.
From leadership, marksmanship and land skills, to discipline, camaraderie, responsibility and self-respect, cadets offer a wide range of ways to help youth mature and become more valuable members of their community.
Hopefully this initiative will come to fruition and prove itself successful, as those who stand to gain the most from that success are the youth of the communities.
Magic beans, however, only exist in fairy tales, and these programs will not prove successful unless they're firmly supported by adults in Baker and Arviat.
The cadets have been in the two communities before.
Both the 2992 Royal Canadian Army Cadet Corps (RCACC) in Arviat and the 3032 RCACC in Baker enjoyed some success before collapsing due to the lack of volunteers willing to put the necessary time in to run the programs.
And there's the rub!
For all the success we've seen during the past few years in the Kivalliq, the fact remains too few people are keeping these programs going with burnout as a constant companion.
And, we don't have to look too far to see what happens when these people relocate or simply need a chance to catch their breath.
The programs die.
It happened with the cadet corps in Arviat and Baker in the past, and it happened with Little League Baseball and what appeared to be a very strong Girl Guides program in Rankin Inlet.
In the cases of the baseball and Girl Guides programs, the end came after the individual leading each program moved to the south.
I was once told programs like these are southern initiatives that spark little interest in the North.
Strange, then, how I always saw so many smiling young faces when I covered the ball games or Guides meetings.
They certainly seemed interested enough.
One of the weakest links in the chain of Northern program development, especially for youth, continues to be the low number of local adults willing to give freely of their time to support the initiatives.
I also find that quite strange, considering it's their kids, relatives and communities the programs benefit.
Equally puzzling, is the fact the lack of volunteers falls outside the spirit of co-operation for the good of the whole, which is supposed to be a staple of Northern culture.
Many hands make light work and help communities survive, grow and prosper.
With our populations continuing to grow in every Kivalliq community, more and more programs are going to be needed to help our youth become everything they can be.
And that means more adults are going to have to start giving back to their community and helping out.
Hopefully, we'll see that start in Arviat and Baker, and many of the youth in those two communities will, once again, have successful cadet programs to participate in.
If so, we'll be the first to salute the effort!
Now, 15 years later, there's promise of $100,000 in funding from Health and Social Services and assistance from the Inuvialuit Regional Corporation to convert a donated NWT Housing Corp. building into a new addictions centre.
The House of Hope had a rather informal feel. People gathered to offer each other support and keep their minds off their vices. Elders would drop-in to share stories.
There is real value in this. Although it is not a rehabilitation program or a detox centre, such a place gives alcoholics and drug abusers a healthy environment to temporarily "dry out." It won't provide answers for some troubled souls, but it may help a few find the will to take the next step and seek counselling.
In Inuvik, the Gwich'in Tribal Council has established a wellness camp on the outskirts of town. With money from the GNWT's Health department, addictions programs are becoming a reality there.
These sort of initiatives are needed in as many communities as we can possibly manage.
The federal government has short-sightedly cut Aboriginal Healing Foundation Funding. However, Ottawa has set aside $65.9 million for ongoing residential school mental and emotional trauma programs over the next two years.
These addictions programs are a good fit for that money. Let's make a strong case for federal funding and keep pressing for the healing we deserve.
Northerners are tiring of the territorial government's lack of will when it comes to protecting the NWT's most valuable resource: water.
For years the GNWT has been saying it has plans to negotiate transboundary water agreements with neighbouring provinces and territories. Yet we're still waiting for more than lip service.
In the meantime, elders along the Mackenzie River have been warning us for years about effects from downstream Alberta oil sands projects on Northern river levels, fish and wildlife.
Now, a major dam project in British Columbia could have impacts stretching as far as the Beaufort Delta but once again the GNWT is not racing to our defence.
The GNWT's water stewardship strategy, expected to be released this month in the legislative assembly, has been in the works for three years. Expected to outline the government's goals and vision for water management, it still isn't more than a list of wants.
The GNWT continues to drag its feet on protecting NWT waterways. Three years without a finalized strategy - and more time needed to hammer out the final details - shows a lack of commitment and priorities.
Until the GNWT starts protesting massive downstream developments and pressuring neighbouring governments for firm transboundary water agreements, it has failed in its responsibility to protect a resource that people rely on for food, drinking water and travel.
Outside CFS Alert a few weeks ago, while the Canadian Forces and the federal government were patting themselves on the back for another successful sovereignty operation, Premier Eva Aariak pointed out to the assembled that Inuit were inhabiting the Arctic long before the existence of Canada.
Back then, establishing "sovereignty" was not about twice-annual fly-in military exercises, but was a matter of walking these islands and shores year-round, and depending on them for sustenance.
"Our hunters and their families marked them with Inuit place names only now being recognized on maps of Canada," she said.
She went on to take the federal dignitaries to task for talking and spending freely on military operations to back up Canada's claims to the High Arctic while Nunavut goes without basic infrastructure such as sufficient housing, or roads; a lack of infrastructure she said southern jurisdictions would not tolerate.
That's because the resources buried under the Arctic seabed are behind this government's emphasis on Northern sovereignty, not concern for the Canadians who call this region home.
That's not to say there aren't benefits to Nunavut from large military exercises in the Arctic.
Operation Nunalivut had a number of firsts this year, including the participation of a Danish Sirius dog sled patrol team, the landing of a C-17 at the Alert airstrip, the longest sustained dive in Arctic waters, the use of a portable fibreglass iglu and real-time GPS tracking of Ranger patrols.
These operations allow the military to test its abilities in the Arctic, along with the equipment, procedures and communications required in the event of an emergency, such as a search and rescue or environmental accident. These exercises also spend a great deal of cash on charter aircraft, fuel, food and lodging in the territory.
Most notably, search and rescue technicians on the exercise saved a life, picking up polar adventurer Tom Smitheringale. He was rescued within six hours of activating his emergency locator beacon after falling into the icy sea 500 km north of Alert.
He was damn lucky, because usually the closest search and rescue plane dispatch centre is at CFB Trenton in southern Ontario.
A lack of roads, an abundance of overcrowded houses and lengthy waits for help from the south are things Nunavut communities cope with year-in and year-out. Ranger, Junior Ranger and cadet troops made up of residents from these communities are the most permanent and widespread presence of the Canadian Forces in the North.
We agree with Aariak that the best way to preserve Canadian sovereignty in the Arctic is to support those Canadians who live here and to invest in the communities in which they live. Organizers of Operation Nanook this August in Resolute plan to train the community, along with soldiers, in cleaning up oil spills - a possibility that increases with the influx of shipping and tourist vessels in the Northwest Passage and drilling for oil in the Davis Strait off Greenland.
It's a small step in the right direction to including Inuit in sovereignty.
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