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Senator blind to Northern social problems NWT News/North - Monday, Monday, November 8, 2010
Last week Sibbeston told News/North he was largely unaware poverty is an issue in Northern communities. This is difficult to understand considering the ample reporting on poor Northern housing conditions, infant mortality, staggering suicide rates, from both Northern and southern media outlets and the host of information available through the GNWT bureau of statistics. Community leaders were frankly flabbergasted by Sibbeston's comments. Responding to the senator's assertion that NWT communities have ample food, Dettah Chief Ed Sangris told News/North the community has special programs to help feed elders and youth. Sangris went on to say homelessness in the communities is, despite Sibbeston's comments to the contrary, a real problem. Sangris said in his community, at times, up to 10 people cram into three-bedroom homes because they are unable to afford rent. Overcrowding in NWT communities has also been attributed to a host of medical problems more prominent in the North than down south. In Tlicho communities -- the worst jurisdiction in terms of overcrowding -- 26 per cent of homes house six or more people, according to the GNWT's 2009 crowding survey. Back in March, Jim Martin, the chief executive office of the Tlicho Community Services Agency, attributed an outbreak of an antibiotic resistant bacteria in Behchoko to overcrowding, water scarcity and low-income situations in the community. Officials dealing with the high rate of tuberculosis in Northern communities cite the same problems as contributors to the prevalence of that disease. "TB is a disease of the marginalized population," Cheryl Case, communicable disease specialist with the Department of Health and Social Services, told News/North in 2008. "In other words, it comes down to persons who don't have optimum nutrition, maybe living in overcrowded housing," she said. In the Beaufort Delta, likely the most expensive region of the territory to reside in, nearly 70 per cent of the employed population earns $50,000 or less a year -- 23 per cent earn under $10,000 annually -- according to GNWT statistics. In the 2008-2009 fiscal year, Sibbeston spent $190,172 on travel. That year he told News/North he flies between Ottawa and the NWT between 30 and 35 times. Unlike an elected politician, Sibbeston obviously doesn't use his time in the North to understand the issues. Why should he? His job doesn't rely on voters and he has no mandate to support the needs of Northerners. Gazing from the swanky glass towers of Ottawa and rolling in his $132,000 annual salary it is no wonder the North's poverty issue is so far from our senator's mind.
A territorial crisis Nunavut News/North - Monday, November 8, 2010 Tagak Curley is in charge of two goliaths - health and housing - two government portfolios that have such a profound impact on Nunavummiut that their everyday lives hinge on his powers of persuasion. Curley is a consummate politician and a very informed one, having served his first term in the legislative assembly in 1979. He knows the issues and has for decades. He now has a territorial housing survey staring him in the face that confirms many people across Nunavut are clustered into homes that are too small, falling apart or lacking proper insulation, electricity or plumbing. Here's the reality:
This affects people's physical and mental well-being - from the spread of disease to the lack of privacy to increased stress from having too little room and decent living conditions. It constitutes a territorial crisis. Curley and Premier Eva Aariak ought to demand senior federal politicians come to Nunavut to see first-hand the troubling issues confronting the territory. If Canada can mobilize its army to help areas devastated by extreme weather, then Ottawa can surely provide an army of workers to construct more homes. Yes, the federal government has provided $300 million over the past few years toward 1,000 new homes. Yes, the Government of Nunavut's Housing Corporation was not a model of efficiency in spending that money but most of it went where it was intended - building new homes. But those facts do not change the reality for the many people left living elbow to elbow in what essentially amount to shacks in some of our communities. This must change. While Curley and Aariak are confronting senior federal officials, they cannot fail to mention Curley's other portfolio, Health and Social Services. In a territory with a suicide rate 11 times the national average - and 28 times higher for 15 to 24-year-old men - the statistics themselves should convince those in power in Ottawa that more has to be done. The Nunavut Suicide Prevention Strategy calls for more resources. The funding for those resources is going to have to come from the federal government. In a territory with a health budget already stretched by medical travel and lacking even a single social worker in numerous communities, help is obviously needed. We're counting on Curley and Aariak to relate those desperate details to their federal counterparts, because it is truly a desperate situation.
Time for geothermal debate is now Weekend Yellowknifer - Friday, November 5, 2010
The deadline to pull out of the project is next November, according to Compass Resource Management, a Vancouver-based firm hired to present options for central district heating and using geothermal heat from deep underground at Con Mine. That's when shovels will hit the ground and physical work on the project will begin, which the city estimates will cost up to $75.5 million to complete. To be sure, the city is correct when it argues oil prices will only continue to rise. And unlike most other communities, this city has an opportunity to take advantage of the naturally heated water 1,900 metres below the surface. But what the city hasn't explained yet is how this project will benefit the city as a whole. Its stated goal is to provide central heating to 39 of the city's largest buildings downtown. Why should residents and businesses in Range Lake, Frame Lake South, Old Town and elsewhere be in support? The city says this will be a revenue-financed not tax-financed project, but the city will require tens of millions of dollars more than the federal grant - no higher than $20 million - promised for the initiative. The geothermal plant won't be fully operational until 2018, but is expected to be at 89 per cent of capacity by 2016. That's still a long time to wait for significant revenue to start pouring in to pay off the debt. In the meantime, ratepayers will be on the hook should this project falter. That council appears to be excitedly rushing toward this project while chasing federal cash that only pays for a small portion of the cost gives pause for thought. Now is the time for residents to express support for what could prove to be an environmental milestone in the city's history, or reservations about a mega-project that may be beyond the city's scope.
Day shelter should be safe workplace Weekend Yellowknifer - Friday, November 5, 2010 The Dene Ko downtown day shelter run by the John Howard Society has been open for almost a year. Whether or not it has reduced the time and money spent on dealing with homeless on the streets through the RCMP and emergency services is difficult to establish, as the numbers can vary due to a variety of factors, including weather. There is no dispute that the facility is definitely well-used, with an average of 50 people dropping in each day, according to staff there. Its policy of tolerance towards the intoxicated helps keep the most vulnerable homeless safe from the effects of the winter's cold. However, this creates challenges for those tasked with overseeing the day shelter and maintaining order. Staff complain there are no clear rules on dealing with clients who step over the line, or even a clear indication of where the line is. Workers also say it's common for their decisions on such matters to be overruled, eroding their authority and affecting their ability to do the job. These problems need to be solved because if the shelter cannot retain staff to run it, it will close, and it's too important a resource to lose. The John Howard Society has promised to draft a manual for shelter workers by Christmas, addressing the issues raised by staff. It also warned staff not to talk again publicly about these issues or face dismissal. We hope the matter is adequately addressed, but since the complainants have now been threatened with the loss of their jobs if they speak out again, we may never know.
Choosing your own direction Editorial Comment Roxanna Thompson Deh Cho Drum - Thursday, November 4, 2010
Hardly a day goes by when a person doesn't either make a complaint themselves or hear someone else make one. In small communities, complaints, which are often followed by a suggestion on how to fix the issue, are heard constantly.
Most complaints and solutions, however, are often muttered between family members or friends and never reach the ears of a person who might be able to do something to fix the issue. In Fort Liard, however, residents are being given this very opportunity. A number of organizations in Fort Liard, including the Acho Dene Koe First Nation, have come together to begin a series of community circle meetings. The meetings are designed to give residents a chance to talk about the problems they see in the hamlet and offer positive ideas on how things could be improved. The organizations are looking for both suggestions on how to adapt their services to better meet the community's needs and also for a cohesive goal, a vision of what the community would like to become. The organizations want people to come forward and provide suggestions and constructive criticism. Although all the groups are, in theory, always open to ideas the path for sharing them usually isn't this easy and well laid out. The trick, however, as it is in many community based initiatives is to get a groundswell of support. Unless enough residents buy into the process it won't work. The organizations can make educated guesses about what some of the residents would like to see happen but it isn't anywhere near the same, or as accurate, as hearing from the people. There are considerable advantages for residents to participate. Fort Liard residents have the chance to clearly spell out what they like about their community and what they'd like to see change. best of all they get to speak to an audience that has the power to help make the changes happen. The changes, of course, won't occur overnight but the residents who share their views can feel good in knowing they've contributed to the well being of their community. Voicing complaints is a part of the human condition but unless they're brought to the right person nothing constructive ever comes of them. If people get behind it Fort Liard has the chance to see what a community that is following its own direction can look like. It may be an inspiring sight.
Passing the buck Editorial Comment Andrew Rankin Inuvik Drum - Thursday, November 4, 2010
Some cabin owners have been applying to the GNWT to purchase the property, which is what they're supposed to do. While the territorial government has dithered on those requests more cabins have gone up. Now there are 41. As you might guess, things are getting a little hairy over there. Cabin owners are getting uncomfortable about the possibility of sharing their backyard and having no say in the matter. Realizing the mounting trouble, MACA representatives visited town council in September looking to pass off its problem. They offered all kinds of Airport Lake property to the town for free, which of course included these 41 cabins ... and all kinds of potential headaches to go with it. The town would be interested in a larger property tax base. But why would it really want to go through the unpleasant effort and expense of forcing residents to pay for their property (and inevitably go through the process of evicting some of them?) It doesn't. None of the land on Airport Lake has even been surveyed. So, as of now, people can't even purchase the land there. You see where this going? At the same council meeting, MACA offered to at least establish some sort of land ownership contracts with the Airport Lake tenants before handing the land to the town. It was discussed a little more and eventually council agreed to strike a committee to deal with the problem, which included council and MACA representation. What else could they do at the time? Councillors have been wasting a lot of time debating the right way to get Airport Lake tenants into land ownership contracts while MACA didn't even come to council with any sort of plan to zero in on this problem. Council has already spent hours discussing the issue. Who knows how much longer both sides will continue working on the file. A date will be set soon, probably mid-November, for a public meeting where the committee will meet with Airport Lake tenants. Should be interesting. This whole mess is a reminder of the way the territorial government dealt with the struggling homeless shelter here this year. The Nihtat Gwich'in Council was charged with the responsibility of looking after the shelter while getting scraps from the GNWT. When Nihtat Gwich'in Council couldn't keep it above water it decide to pull the plug. The shelter came within a hair's breadth of closing. Without a community effort the shelter probably wouldn't be up and running again. Now here we are again. A safety snafu Yellowknifer - Wednesday, November 3, 2010
A seven-member advisory committee, formed in 2008 by the minister responsible for the Workers Safety and Compensation Commission (WSCC), Robert C. McLeod was tasked with drafting new regulations to update the current regulations, which date back to 1990. The result is a daunting 361-page document proposing new rules and guidelines. The draft document was posted on the WSCC website on Sept. 1. The problem is business owners were instructed to submit their comments by Oct. 31. That short timeline was poorly thought out. Members of the construction industry are arguing that the draft document needs clarity, or revisions, relating to protective equipment and the definitions of construction and maintenance. Some business owners are contending that the proposed regulations are unfair, would drive up costs and hinder operations, particularly one change requiring 30-days notice to the chief safety officer for any activity considered "high hazard" - which could mean construction of a new building or even something as simple as a new deck on a home. The date for industry feedback has consequently been pushed back to Jan. 10, but it took a public meeting where disgruntled business owners vented their frustration to help extend the deadline. While the initial approach to gathering industry input on the new regulations was ill-planned, the WSCC must now show that it's not only giving business representatives a chance to speak, but it's actually listening.
Tighter lending rules welcomed Yellowknifer - Wednesday, November 3, 2010 The proliferation of "payday loan" companies underlines a problem that's particularly pertinent to the North. Families with major income recipients under age 35 are three times more likely to take out a payday loan, according to Statistics Canada. They typically have little savings and no credit cards, and have trouble staying ahead of their bills. Four in 10 report spending that exceeds income, and almost half say they would have no one else to turn to if facing financial difficulties. They're startling statistics when juxtaposed with facts specific to the NWT: namely, after Nunavut, our territory boasts the second lowest median age in Canada at 31.5 years, and while Yellowknife may lead the way in wages, it certainly isn't an easy place to live if you're young or broke. MoneySense magazine, which conducts a yearly ranking of the best places to live in Canada, placed Yellowknife second this year in average family income ($127,800 a year). However, the city plummeted to 88th out of 123 communities for the money families have left over for discretionary spending. With the high expenses, it's easy to see how some people may get themselves into financial trouble and turn to payday loan companies to tide them over - even if the interest rates for the short-term loans equate to a burdensome 60 per cent annually. The trouble was even more apparent in territorial court last year when Yellowknife's Diamond Placement and Financial Services was found to have charged additional fees that added up to as high as 1,054 per cent. Robert C. McLeod, the minister of consumer protection, has promised legislation to ensure loan companies fully disclose their interest rates. This is welcome news in a territory where its easy to spend money even if one doesn't have any.
Men's group deserves the chance Darrell Greer Kivalliq News - Wednesday, November 3, 2010 Most people realize when government departments go over budget, the money has to come from somewhere to make up the shortfall. That usually means funds originally slated for other programming gets put towards balancing the books to avoid a deficit, or getting into more red ink if one already exists. With word out of Ottawa indicating federal funding is about to dry up in a number of areas for the North, more of our programming is going to become dependent upon territorial dollars, and that's programming already in place to which people have become accustomed. New initiatives, no matter how deserving, become almost impossible when a government is struggling to keep what it has in place. That's why, as hopeful as we are for the initiative, the construction of a new healing centre in Coral Harbour faces an uphill battle. And, make no mistake about it, it would be a travesty if government blunders prevent the healing facility from becoming a reality. Led by Noel Kaludjak, Jackie Nakoolak and a number of others, Coral's Angutiit Makigiangninga (Men Rising Up) men's group has been making a difference in people's lives. Some may think the group's success is overrated because its members lack diplomas from prestigious post-secondary institutions. And, let's be honest, it's not easy to get someone struggling with an addiction or a behavioural problem to speak about it publicly. Open testimonials are often few and far between when it comes to helping people with such problems. But, from what we hear out of the communities the men's group has visited, the approach is working. It's not easy to fool someone who's gone through the same problems you're dealing with, especially when they're part of your own culture and fully understand the challenges of life in the North. Proper guidance and support from health professionals would be a necessity, of course, if a healing centre ever were to be established in Coral. But one little word sums up why the group's approach in a community such as Coral holds the promise of being so successful. It would be "real!" There would be no pretending from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. and then, out of sight of counsellors in the big city, suffering nightly setbacks. The "you-just-don't-understand" claim would also be removed from the equation, because the group members in Coral do understand. They understand exactly what you're trying to overcome in order to be a better husband, father and member of the community. Precious few southern approaches have produced positive results in the North. The Coral group, with its made-in-Nunavut approach in plain view, has produced results with precious few resources behind it. Yes, the argument can be made it's far too early to know if the good they've managed has staying power. But, if successful, Nunavut takes a giant leap along the path of becoming more functional at its very core, which is the family unit. We'll never know until we try, and the Coral group, and the people it may help, deserve that chance!
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