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Taxes closing in Yellowknifer - Wednesday, December 15, 2010
Nor should they. Houseboaters have historically prevailed over the city in battles over authority. The city failed when it started trying to impose taxes and building codes on the bay dwellers in 1995, but the court cases dragged on for years. It was obvious these actions were beyond the city's jurisdiction because the water body is a federal responsibility. The municipality event-ually abandoned its legal pursuits. The city later attempted to take control of the lake bed in 2000, but was thwarted by the GNWT and the federal government. Now change is upon us. City hall is forging ahead with the formation of a harbour commission. The harbour planning committee, a precursor to a commission, was formed in January and it includes delegates from the federal and territorial governments, the Yellowknives Dene, the city as well as other groups and residents of the area. This is a joint effort that includes those who have real sway and authority over the bay. At a Dec. 1 public meeting involving consultants hired by the harbour planning commission, houseboater Matthew Grogono, a prominent figure in past legal clashes with the city, referred to a mention of potential property taxes against houseboaters as a "red herring." He's wrong. As a Yellowknifer series focusing on the waterfront informed readers in July, there are already precedents in other Canadian locales for charging houseboaters. In Victoria, B.C., houseboaters answer to the Greater Victoria Port Authority, which was established in 2002. Those who own float homes must pay $1 per square foot per month, a licence fee of $150 per month (plus utilities) and the local improvement portion of municipal property taxes. The CEO of the Greater Victoria Port Authority made this recommendation in regard to the rate charged for moorage: make market value the guiding principle. Some Yellowknife houseboaters have long made the argument they do no use municipal services, so they therefore should not have to pay for them. It's true they don't have piped water and sewage service. It's also a given that the fire department is not going to reach a houseboat if a blaze breaks out in the summer. However, every time houseboaters leave their abode and come into the city, they use city roads or sidewalks. There is an expense to build and maintain those. Some Yellowknife Bay residents also make use of the costly Multiplex and Fieldhouse recreational facilities. How about houseboaters with children? They should be paying taxes to the school boards for their children's education. There are individuals who own multiple houseboats and rent them out to generate income. Of course these people should be shouldering their share of the load. There's no disputing that houseboats, numbering about 20, and their occupants add character to our city, but nobody can expect a free ride. The best float home owners can do is take part in the planning committee meetings and negotiate the most acceptable rate they can.
Time to start thinking hard about speaking up Darrell Greer Kivalliq News - Wednesday, December 15, 2010 While I've railed a number of times in this space about too many Kivalliq residents being scared to state their opinions publicly, I often understand the reasons why. The power base in Nunavut may be relatively small, but its reach makes the long arm of the law look like an inchworm and everyone knows it. Nowhere is that more evident than in Baker Lake right now, when it comes to getting the average person to state their opinion on the Kiggavik uranium project. By average, I mean not linked to Areva on the pro side, or Baker concerned citizens or Nunavummiut Makitagunarningit on the con side. At this early stage, many believe it's a no-win situation no matter which side of the fence you're on. It's tough to speak openly against uranium mining if a number of your family or friends are praying for jobs at the proposed mine. And, Kivalliqmiut are well-known for understanding how the game is played. Many Baker residents know the top businessmen in their community are pulling for the project to go ahead. Businessmen have long memories, and are the only ones who can provide good private-sector jobs in the community apart from the mining industry. The perception is good luck getting hired on by them if you're seen as a voice who helped stop a golden goose from landing on the lake. On the other side of the coin, many believe if they speak out in favour of the project and something bad were to happen, they'd be forever shunned as one responsible for poisoning the land. Still others have no desire for confrontation with those who oppose the project. Yet, sooner or later a decision has to - and will - be made on Kiggavik. At that point, opinions no longer matter and it becomes too late to make a difference. The Kivalliq Inuit Association (KIA) will release the results of a survey it did earlier in the year on the project, and, like all others, it shows strong support for Kiggavik across the region. That's not a Kiggavik endorsement on my part, but a simple statement of fact. A total of 534 people attended the KIA information-gathering sessions, with 188 the high-water mark in Arviat and 25 in Chesterfield Inlet being the lowest turnout. The sessions attracted 124 people in Baker. The percentage of those who gave strong support for the project on the KIA survey was 91 per cent in Coral Harbour, 86 in Chester, 78 in Arviat and Rankin, 76 in Repulse Bay, 70 in Whale Cove and 66 in Baker Lake. Baker was the only community with a disapproval rate above 20 per cent (21), with no other Kivalliq hamlet being higher than 11 per cent. There will be more opportunities for people to speak their minds on the project, as it works its way through the regulatory bodies. No doubt some will, while others will remain silent. Hopefully the final decision will not be totally opposite of what's felt by the silent majority. But, if it is, that majority will only have its silence to blame.
Don't cut our future NWT News/North - Monday, December 13, 2010
Since the 2004-2005 school year ECE's efforts have helped to improve the graduation rates in the territory. According to the 2010 Auditor General's report, aboriginal graduation rates in the NWT have nearly doubled over the years, jumping to a little more than 40 per cent in 2007-2008 school year from a little more than 20 per cent in 2001-2002. Although a notable increase, our territory's overall graduation rates continue to lag behind the rest of the country. For this reason, it is mind-boggling the department would make a funding decision with the potential to jeopardize a successful schooling program that has proven results in graduating aboriginal students. Shifting to a block funding formula from per student funding for Fort Smith's Phoenix School will cut the amount of money the alternative school receives annually by more than $200,000. According to Julie Lys, chairperson of the Fort Smith District Education Authority, the reduced funds might force the school to close, even though it has 57 students enrolled this year. On average since 2007, nearly 10 students a year -- a majority of them aboriginal -- have graduated from the Phoenix School. Part of its success is due to its welcoming students that may not fit in the traditional school model and allowing them to work around family or job commitments. Programs with demonstrated success in helping more students succeed should be at the top of the list for funding and support. On the bright side, Dan Daniels, deputy minister of the Department of Education Culture and Employment, said the funding will be reviewed to ensure the Phoenix School's survival, adding the department sees the value in the alternative school approach. Daniels said the new formula was based on a number of criteria which should be sufficient to cover the costs of the program.
Behchoko priest embraced the Tlicho NWT News/North - Monday, December 13, 2010 Behchoko lost a respected man of faith, a father figure and a devoted friend of the Tlicho people when Father Jean Pochat died on Nov. 28. Pochat was beloved by many in the community. Pochat was a pillar of the community and was an inspiring figure amidst the backdrop of a Catholic Church that had committed many mistakes, particularly with residential schools. He proved he genuinely cared for the people of the North and strove to help them create a better life. Pochat was more than a preacher; he encouraged Northerners to embrace faith and walk their own path. He didn't sit in judgment of the people he served in the name of his religion. Instead he wove himself into the lives and hearts of the Tlicho people. Taking the time to learn the Tlicho language and embrace the culture, Pochat became a friend, confidant and mentor to many people in the region. Former premier Stephen Kakfwi described Pochat as a humble man with a strong presence. We are sure his legacy and memory will live on in Behchoko and around the North for generations.
Learning from others Nunavut News/North - Monday, December 13, 2010 In October, two staff from the Department of Environment and a group of fishers from Pangnirtung visited Greenland to get an idea how its Davis Strait summer fishery works. Pangnirtung's fishery operates mainly in winter, and poor ice has the number of fishers participating declining to about seven from about 100. So there's been a test fishery in Cumberland Sound the past few summers to determine the viability of a summer operation. The Cumberland Sound fishery faces challenges Greenland doesn't when it comes to summer fishing. Greenland's Disko Bay fishery has small boats navigating shallower waters near the community. In Cumberland Sound, smaller boats aren't suitable as the water is deeper, the tides are higher and the fishers have to venture farther from the community to get to the fish. But the difference between turbot quotas - Cumberland Sound's sits at 500 tonnes per year, where Greenland's Disko Bay is at 8,800 tonnes - indicates Nunavut is barely tapping a vast resource just off its shores. Investigating other successful Arctic fisheries is a step towards establishing industry and employment based on a renewable resource. It will also aid the community in making the most of the small craft harbour that should be completed next year, and drive employment at the fish plant. Also in Pangnirtung, artists participated in a series of workshops between September 2009 and March 2010 with a visiting expert from Montreal. They were then asked to create images that "were real to them." The result is a series of innovative and challenging prints in Pangnirtung's 2010 community collection. Though some still feature traditional depictions of wildlife and spirit beings, the resulting artworks also include realistic portraits of the artists, scenes of violence in the community and skyscrapers in Vancouver. The collection also departs from previous ones by having a number of the works printed in Montreal, allowing vibrant colour. New inspiration for artists also fosters industry based on a renewable resource - imagination. As remote as our communities are, it requires special effort, and financial support, to reach beyond our borders and make connections with people who have surmounted similar challenges or have refreshingly different perspectives to offer, be it in printmaking or fisheries. Such connections help artists, and industries, grow.
Supply, supply, supply Weekend Yellowknifer - Friday, December 10, 2010
With sparkling clarity, the first clause of the policy statement defines the core requirement for the success of the battered and bruised diamond cutting and polishing industry in the North.
To achieve its goal, the GNWT will: Endorse the mining of diamonds in the NWT only when agreements are in place so that a portion of the rough diamonds will be made available for manufacturing by Approved NWT Diamond Manufacturers.
The policy could have included assurances that the diamonds would be economically viable but putting the supply of diamonds at the top of the policy priorities shows the GNWT has learnt some hard lessons.
Minister McLeod characterized some of the past efforts to help cutting and polishing diamonds get off the ground as "mom and pop" operations, vowing never to get involved with them again.
Closer to the truth is that even the most efficiently run, experienced business cannot succeed if profit margins are too small. The profit margin of Northern diamond factories is determined by the amount and quality of diamonds they are given by Ekati, Diavik and DeBeers. Government and entrepreneurs have lost millions trying to make it work but to no avail.
As was revealed in Yellowknifer's diamond series (see www.nnsl.com/business), these diamond mines have kept the flow of rough to a minimum, some more than others, essentially foiling all the GNWT's efforts to get the cutting and polishing industry on its feet.
What is the potential of the diamond cutting and polishing industry? From January to December 2009, the total value of NWT diamonds produced was $1,447,940,000. Ten percent of that would bring $140 million in value to the cutting industry. Yellowknifer reported Crossworks Manufacturing, the city's only cutting and polishing factory in operation with 11 employees, did $10 million worth of diamonds in the first quarter of operation. Imagine how many would be employed with $140 million.
To date, the territorial government's hands have been tied by the lack of binding agreements with the mines that ensure a proper supply of rough diamonds. The time to negotiate such a deal was when the mines were going through the approval process. The territorial government of the day saw the potential but the federal government was in charge and couldn't be convinced to act on the behalf of Northerners.
Ontario, learning from our mistakes, has such binding agreements with De Beers and its Victor mine in Northern Ontario. A cutting and polishing factory set up in Sudbury currently employs 34 cutters and polishers.
What can the GNWT do now?
Recognizing supply is the key, it must focus all efforts on convincing the diamond mines that growing the cutting and polishing industry in the North is part of their corporate responsibility.
Doing so will not affect the miners' bottom line because Northern manufacturers will pay market prices for their diamonds. Again, a guaranteed, consistent supply is the key to success.
Considering life of the existing mines along with the expanse and potential of the NWT diamond fields, steps taken now to establish a cutting and polishing industry now will surely pay off in the future.
The Sambaa K'e and Nahanni Butte Dene bands have reached an impasse with Acho Dene Koe First Nation and the federal court system has been called into play.
The disagreement is centered on an area of land where the traditional uses of the three groups overlap.
Through their land claims process, Acho Dene Koe (ADK) could select sections of land that either Nahanni Butte or Trout Lake consider to be their traditional territory.
The two neighbouring First Nations, who have joined together to negotiate as one, strongly object to that idea.
Ideally differences like this should be settled through direct negotiations between the parties. As Chief Steve Kotchea of ADK pointed out, the people in the three communities have close ties including bonds of marriage and friendship. It would be best if these ties could be respected and the matter settled "in house."
Sometimes, however, this proves impossible. The situation in the southwest Deh Cho is ramping up to be such an occasion.
One of the primary problems, and the reason that an agreement cannot be reached at this juncture, is that ADK, Nahanni Butte and Trout Lake are on completely different pages.
ADK refuses to negotiate its asserted boundary on the basis that it was established by its elders and represents Fort Liard's traditional land. Any land claim that is settled will only affect the ownership and management of sub-surface resources, according to
ADK. Traditional uses of the surface of the land, which ADK seems to believe is the primary concern, will remain unchanged for residents of the three communities.
Trout Lake and Nahanni Butte, however, don't even accept that ADK's asserted boundary represents its traditional land use area.
Having ADK claim portions of their land, regardless of whether hunter and trappers can continue their activities, is unacceptable, in Trout Lake and Nahanni Butte's views.
The result of the boundary overlap could very well be a drawn-out court case and a cooling of relations between the three First Nations regardless of interconnecting family ties.
One or more groups will be left feeling that they lost some of their traditional land when the land claims are finally settled.
The legacy of this disagreement will affect Deh Cho politics for years to come. It's an unfortunate interruption of the region's goal to attain a land claim of its own.
Whether we are tourists or professionals, we come and go - while few stay.
Editing a community newspaper is a privilege.
Our stories, other than our children, are our most precious possessions. We create our individual stories with our lives and colour them with our imaginations as they become memories. Those stories are passed down through generations to form our culture and while we are their creators, it is through our stories we see and make sense of the world.
To be entrusted with the telling of a community's tale is no small honour.
Having come from the East Coast, you'll have to be patient with me. I'm here to learn your lives and retell them, but I know little of life in the North. Mine is a fishing and farming culture, not an Arctic one.
As well, I'll need help learning what is happening in your community; what its issues are and what you'd like to know more about. Keep in mind advice or correction is always welcomed at a newspaper. Even a rebuff, whether it be a phone call or a letter to the editor, is a reminder the community takes ownership of the newspaper and considers it a venue for discussion.
In return for your patience, I'll try to be an honest broker of your tales and help your campaigns to get more for your community.
But life isn't only about work - in the meantime I'll be adding your culture's wisdom to what I've taken from the East Coast. I look forward to seeing, whenever the sun returns, the wilds which surround us. Northern Newfoundland, where I spent the last four years, shares a similar terrain, but its animals differ. There are caribou, but no wolves, cod but no pike, moose but no muskox.
What the land shares in both places, so far as I can gather, is a tight-fisted generosity - survival came easy to no one. But cultures, like people, grow from what is expected of them, not what is given to them. So cultures surviving in a rough land create tough and resourceful individuals.
This too is a gift.
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