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Star power NWT News/North - Monday, November 1, 2010
Known as "devolution," this deal has been in the works for more than two decades. It has always been a game of cat (Ottawa) and mouse (GNWT) that ended up accomplishing nothing except pitting aboriginal leaders against territorial government leaders, which allowed the federal government to walk away with the milk bowl of mineral royalties and absolute power. What's different now? Two things. First it seems the federal government is saying the GNWT can sign a final deal with or without aboriginal governments being onside. That's new and indicates more commitment. In the past, the feds have always cited lack of support by those same aboriginal governments as a major reason devolution could not go ahead. The second factor has to do with the personalities involved, mainly the people leading the aboriginal governments. The long-standing leader of the Inuvialuit, Nellie Cournoyea, was previously both an MLA and premier. South of her, leading the Gwich'in is Richard Nerysoo. He too was an MLA and premier. Lead negotiator in the Sahtu is Ethel Blondin-Andrew, formerly a multi-term Member of Parliament and junior federal cabinet minister. In the Tlicho, despite the turmoil over the grand chief, we have John B. Zoe, a principal architect of the Tlicho self-government agreement. In the Deh Cho, former long-time MLA and former Speaker of the legislative assembly Sam Gargan is the grand chief. Close by is Jim Antoine, chief of Liidlii Ku First Nation in Fort Simpson, also a former MLA and premier. While the Akaitcho remain somewhat leaderless, we have among the leadership of the aboriginal governments listed above a team of politicians with deep experience on both sides of the territorial government fence, if not equal experience dealing with the federal government at the highest levels. Who better, we ask, to protect aboriginal government interests in any devolution negotiations with the federal government? In fact, the timing is so good, if aboriginal leaders don't act now, they could be accused of being too comfortable in the fatherly arms of the federal government. What should be the ultimate payoff for partnering with the Government of the Northwest Territories? Seats in the territorial legislative assembly reserved for aboriginal governments. This would include representation on cabinet and full and equal votes in the existing assembly. It's a bold vision that makes sense from every point of view. If aboriginal leaders lock arms with the MLAs and march to one drum in negotiations with the federal government, they will get the best devolution deal possible, one that can evolve with the maturity of a new, truly representative and unified government. Premier Floyd Roland should understand the possibilities. He's not only Inuvialuit, but he could use a good news story that surpasses personal lives and broken bridge budgets. Other members of the assembly know if the growing political power of aboriginal governments is not brought into the process, the GNWT will be nothing more than an organization that delivers services. Are we suggesting peace will prevail in the NWT? No, there will be political conflicts just as there are now in Yellowknife and in every province. But the mistakes will be made in the North and we can learn from them. Now the mistakes are being made in Ottawa and no one is held accountable because we are serfs of a large bureaucracy. This is our way out. If we don't take it now, with the present dream team on the job, it will be many years before we get another chance.
Old world travel meets new world technology Nunavut News/North - Monday, November 1, 2010 What do people around the world know about Nunavut? To be honest, many do not know of our home at all. Some may be familiar with soapstone carvings or Cape Dorset prints, others know this territory as only an icy land mass located near the melting Northwest Passage, an area expected to attract greater shipping traffic. Others still may ignorantly continue to say "Eskimos" in iglus live here. In Clyde River two groups are combining efforts to use high-tech methods to promote a cultural aspect of Nunavut - a dog sled race. Piksuk Media and the Ilisaqsivik Society are in the midst of creating a documentary on the Nunavut Quest mushers race, which runs between Pond Inlet, Clyde River or Arctic Bay each winter. The project will entail documentaries in Inuktitut, French and English. It will also result in a video game, a medium of tremendous interest to the young generation. Both media will incorporate history, information on weather and terrain, and dog team behaviours. There will be an option to consult elders for advice on the video game. Hopefully today's youth find that idea "cool." The documentary series, or at least segments of it, should eventually find its way onto the Internet, a virtual wonderland frequented often by teenagers, but also by people around the world. It's informative, and, in the case of the video game, interactive. This is an approach that should be adopted on a broader scale, not only to engage youth, but to educate the wider, wired world.
Saving lives will require more than words Nunavut News/North - Monday, November 1, 2010 A suicide prevention strategy was officially unveiled in the legislative assembly on Oct. 26. It took two years to get the document to this stage, and we lost dozens of Nunavummiut to suicide during that time. This territory has a suicide rate 11 times higher than the rest of the country, according to Health Canada. So even though we now have a written guide to follow, we cannot breathe a sigh of relief or stop fighting for the tools we need to save lives. The strategy outlines goals such as providing more training for suicide prevention and intervention, improving mental health services, supporting research and helping to spread information. Some of those objectives are going to require money and people devoted to the cause. While addressing the Qikiqtani Inuit Association's annual general meeting in Iqaluit on Oct. 20, Health Minister Tagak Curley was peppered with questions about what's being done to bolster the lack of social services workers in communities. For example, only one social services worker serves the High Arctic communities of Resolute, Grise Fiord and Arctic Bay. A road map set out by any suicide prevention plan is not going to take us very far without people to see it through. Curley's monumental task is to have his department find professionals with the needed expertise to ensure the training and assistance are a reality, not just words on a page.
Sandy Lee's folly Weekend Yellowknifer - Friday, October 29, 2010
She seemed a fitting choice after her eight years of toiling on the opposition benches where she hammered away at everything from government inaction on public housing to boondoggles at Stanton Territorial Hospital. This newspaper declared her as one of 10 Yellowknifers who made a difference in 2003. It was no surprise therefore when a few weeks after her 2007 appointment to cabinet she was on the front page boldly insisting the beleaguered women's shelter, Alison McAteer House, would never close under her watch even as the facility's director warned it might. It was enough for Yellowknifer to applaud her resolve and suggest it wouldn't take long for residents to find out what she is made of. Alas, after three years on the job the perception of her performance has crystallized around an image of aloofness, a politician disinterested in the fears residents have for the future of the NWT's health-care system. Her detractors call her proposed changes to supplementary health benefits "a tax on the sick and the elderly." Other instances, such as her reluctance to help a resident pay for a prosthetic leg to replace a limb lost in a motorcycle accident two years ago lent her an impression as someone cold and indifferent to the needs of Northerners. The opposition to the co-payment scheme for supplementary health care benefits is no doubt wrought with hyperbole. It ought to be easy for her to spell out why it's more important to fund the health needs of the poor over rich retirees. But she can't withstand the barbs and arrows flung at her because she is too often unable to articulate her position and because she has developed some secretive habits - a not at all uncommon problem with this territorial government. Her evasive response to a question in the legislative assembly last week about her department's fight to reduce the mounting debt at Stanton Hospital is case in point. Kam Lake MLA Dave Ramsay demanded to know about her plan to rid the hospital of its $7 million deficit. Where is it, he asked. Out dribbled the usual dissembling non-answer. "Every day on the national media you cannot go a day without somebody talking about the pressure in the health care system," Lee whimpered. No doubt this is true, but she would be able to make a better case for cuts if she were frank and open about where these problems are and what her department is doing about them. Spewing generalities while cutting programs that hurt real people, like to the 29 families about to lose their respite care, makes her look like a vulture. If the government needs to make hard choices about where to cut and spend then show people why this needs to be done and what the numbers are. Make the deficit reduction plan public. By being more open about the financial challenges our city and territory face for health care, Lee would stop being her own worst enemy.
Hurry up on affordable housing Yellowknifer - Wednesday, October 27, 2010
It's been a year since an engineering firm submitted its Housing Affordability Study to council, outlining the scope of the problem in Yellowknife and recommending a number of steps that can be taken. Now, three of the six sites identified in the 2009 report as being ideal for affordable housing are already under development, despite the fact that city hall still has not come up with an affordable housing strategy. Affordability is defined as spending no more than 30 per cent of a household's gross income on shelter. Household incomes may be higher than average here, but our housing prices and rents outpace many salaries. The average value of a house in Yellowknife rose to $326,000 in 2009, up from $177,522 in 2001. The average rent for a two-bedroom apartment rose to $1,402 in April 2009, up from $1,081 in 2001. The 2009 Canadian average rent for a two-bedroom apartment is $801. So it's not surprising that the NWT Housing Corp's 2004 Housing Needs Survey found that 11 per cent of Yellowknife households have issues with affordability. Among the recommendations in the engineers report to council are ways to encourage developers to build more affordable housing in the city such as requiring affordable housing as a condition of rezoning, allowing developers to include more units as long as affordable housing is offered, and an affordable housing fund made possible through money from property taxes or having developers contribute. In addition, the city could consider a tax break for units that fit the definition of affordable housing. Shelagh Montgomery is right to express concern over developments going ahead while the city drags its heels on an affordable housing strategy - the delay in reopening the dump to salvaging showed how the city can lose sight of issues of importance to Yellowknifers. Let's not let affordable housing get lost in the shuffle any longer.
Pay fine with Power Corp bonuses Yellowknifer - Wednesday, October 27, 2010 While it's important to hold the Northwest Territories Power Corporation accountable for the 2006 rupture in a dike at the Snare Forks hydro facility, the fact of the matter is any fine imposed on the corporation will trickle down to ratepayers. On June 15, 2006, a dike burst at the hydro facility, located 140 km northwest of Yellowknife, causing a torrent of water to rush out for 13 days. Some 110,000 cubic metres of sediment flowed into Strutt Lake, destroying fish habitat and vegetation around the facility - destruction caused, as argued by Crown prosecutor John Cliffe, by a corporation engineer who failed to deliver alarming information about water levels at the facility a year prior to the breach. The Crown is asking for a fine in the range of $600,000 to $700,000 - an amount that NWT ratepayers will surely absorb through some sort of increase in rates. To ensure the power corporation feels more of the pinch, it should be forced to apply its bonus money, paid to middle and upper management, towards the fine. Last year the bonuses totalled $96,400 due to missed revenue targets and other elusive goals. However, in 2007 those bonuses rang in at a hefty $600,000. The fine should go toward rectifying the situation at Strutt Lake or toward an initiative to prevent this sort of disaster from occurring again. Either way, ratepayers shouldn't have to pay for the corporation's lack of due diligence.
GN may have put qamutiik ahead of dogs Darrell Greer Kivalliq News - Wednesday, October 27, 2010 Economic Development and Transportation Minister Peter Taptuna may soon find himself in tight quarters over his department's decision to revoke the outfitter's licence of Tom Faess's TT Enterprises. In many ways, this is no longer about if the Government of Nunavut (GN) should have, eventually, revoked Faess's licence. I've worked enough on this story to know Faess does not have a perfect record in the outfitting world. I've also worked long enough on it to know he's had far more supporters come forward than detractors. And something else Faess has are his rights. In this country, in the three main areas of the law, guilt must be proven before action is taken. At least that's the way it's supposed to work. I've long railed about the GN's heavy-handed approach in this space and the difficulty one always encounters in trying to obtain any form of information from it. However, this time around the GN might end up paying for its tendency to body slam people first and ask questions later. Canadians have the right to defend themselves against accusations and, unless the GN knows something we don't, that doesn't appear to be the case when it comes to how Faess's situation was handled. I'm no lawyer, but it's understood in this country that administrative authorities must act within the boundaries of administrative law, which is supposed to ensure the government follows the law of the land when taking action. In short, when a government does something, it should, first and foremost, be legal, and also undertaken in a fair and reasonable manner. Another guideline in play is natural justice, which imposes certain procedures an authority must follow before it decides to take action. It is not unreasonable to assume being given the chance to defend yourself before being found guilty falls under such principles. In Faess's case, it appears the GN decided to take action against TT Enterprises based on the accusations of others, without giving him the chance to defend himself against the allegations. Procedurally speaking, the GN appears to have put the qamutiik well ahead of the dogs. Unless Taptuna comes up with a decision that makes a whole lot of people happy when he rules on Faess's appeal, this situation could get ugly and produce the type of publicity that does nothing to encourage tourism. It can be argued Faess has been hurt in his ability to make a living by the GN's action, numerous would-be tourists have lost their money, and the legality of the way the situation was handled is very much in question. We're still waiting to hear the GN's explanation as to why it granted Faess $10,000 for his operations in Arviat, and then listed his operating there as one of the reasons for revoking his licence. I've extended an invitation to the department for a follow-up interview to offer its explanation, but, as I write this, I have heard nothing back. There are many in the world who associate, or even equate, silence with guilt. But, unlike some government agencies, I prefer to hear the explanation before passing judgment.
A little recognition can go a long way Editorial Comment Kassina Ryder Deh Cho Drum - Thursday, October 21, 2010
Although neither of them cured a disease or jumped in front of a moving vehicle to save a wayward baby carriage, their accomplishments significantly affected the day-to-day lives of people in their communities. When most people are faced with a dangerous situation, they do the right thing. Every day we hear about heroes who have risked their lives to save others. But the people who spend each day doing the little things that make our lives better also deserve recognition. While there is no denying the thought of saving someone from a burning building would be a difficult thing to do, sometimes the thought of giving it your all every day can be just as hard. Sometimes it takes a lot to stay motivated. A fire chief in Fort Liard co-operated with the village to ensure every home in the community had a working smoke detector. He also made sure every household that wanted a fire inspection would receive one. This initiative was his own, he thought it up and made sure it happened. Not only did this program help to ensure his community was well prepared when it came to fire safety, his motivation inspired other firefighters in the region. A fellow firefighter nominated him for a merit award, which he was presented with last week. As fire marshal Steve Moss said, "it's always nice to get recognition for things, and it's pretty special when it comes from your peers." A Fort Simpson resident was also recognized this week for her work at the John Tsetso Memorial Library. She will soon be leaving the village and will reside in another community, so villagers decided to present her with an award to appreciate her 10 years of service with the library. Again, her work and dedication earned her the respect of her community, which they made sure they acknowledged before she left. She didn't receive a million-dollar cheque, but she was all smiles when she received a simple plaque and a handshake from the mayor. Maybe this simple gesture will inspire others to do what they can for their communities and maybe not. But the message is simple. Good works come in all shapes and sizes and all should be appreciated.
Credit where it's due Editorial Comment Andrew Rankin Inuvik Drum - Thursday, October 21, 2010
But to the NWT Power Corp.'s credit, officials seemed to pinpoint the problem to two distribution lines. The company agreed to fix broken electronic devices and pay for the equipment that couldn't be fixed. The following Monday extra staff were brought on board to deal with the claims. That's a reasonable approach to the problem. The all-day blackout on Sept. 28 was a pain for many. For a few hours people had no choice but to interact with each other. To our knowledge nobody died and some people were a little uncomfortable for a while. Stuff like this happens from time to time. To be fair the power corp. does a reasonable job maintaining electricity in this community. Whether its rates are fair or if the company is doing enough to reduce power generation costs or customer costs is another story. One that has been hotly debated. The power corp. has been transparent about what went wrong over those few weeks. Mike Bradshaw, spokesperson for the corporation, came out and said it was a total system failure. You can't get any more blatant than that. Yes, basic questions need to be asked. How could both the primary power producing plant break down and the back up diesel plant collapse at the same time? Shouldn't regular maintenance prevent something like this from happening? But those questions will seemingly be answered by an independent engineering company that the power corp., to its credit, hired to do an investigation to find out what went wrong with the electricity system. Bradshaw will present the report to town council at Wednesday's regular meeting. Residents can attend that meeting or participate in a public meeting the next day, on Thursday at 7 p.m. Bradshaw will attend the meeting with the review in hand so the public can see it and ask questions. Both occasions would be an ideal time to ask town officials about Inuvik's emergency response plan. What plan does the town have if there's is an extended black out in January? What should town residents do if something like this happens again? Where do they go? But it will be interesting to see just how many people show up and what sort of questions they ask. As far as how the power corp. officials have conducted themselves on this one, they've done a pretty good job.
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