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Give mother answers Weekend Yellowknifer - Friday, March 18, 2011
The 37-year-old man suffered brain damage and is unable to speak or eat. It's a tragic situation caused by his own hand. Plagued by a mental disturbance, he was admitted to Stanton Territorial Hospital as a patient on Nov. 4, 2009. At one point he was left unsupervised and fled the hospital. He returned but later ran into the kitchen, where he found a knife and plunged it into his chest two times, damaging his heart and blood flow to his brain. His mother, Margaret, still has many questions about how such a thing could have happened to her son, a helicopter engineer, while he was in the hospital. In her attempt to find out more about the incident, Margaret has encountered a brick wall. While Stanton did carry out its own internal investigation, it is not sharing any details with this brokenhearted mother, other than to tell her no aspects of existing protocol are being changed. Surely staff at the hospital sympathize with her, but their hands would be tied by directives from their superiors to remain silent and follow policy. However, Margaret is also tenacious. Refusing to take no for an answer, she took her case to elected members of the territorial government. Great Slave MLA Glen Abernethy and Yellowknife Centre MLA Robert Hawkins took up her cause with fervour in the legislative assembly. What happened on Nov. 4, 2009 is proof that gaps exist in procedures and protocols at the hospital, Abernethy said. "Transparency, openness and honesty are required in this situation," he said. Abernethy said it's imperative that "the system" has learned something from this terrible sequence of events. We most definitely agree. Until we know what steps will be taken to help prevent a similar occurrence in the future, we shouldn't rest easy, and neither should Health officials. It's up to our MLAs to keep pushing for those answers.
One per cent won't break the bank Weekend Yellowknifer - Friday, March 18, 2011 A group of hotel owners and managers in our city have been lobbying for a one per cent room tax that will help them generate money to benefit the promotion of their industry. There is a dissenting voice coming from the Explorer Hotel, but it's a based on a weak argument. The chief operating officer for the parent company of The Explorer Hotel says the tax would primarily hit NWT residents as tourist from outside the territory only make up a fraction of overall clientele. In addition, Bruce Alton said travellers should not be burdened with extra expenses after an already costly trip to get here. But it's a one per cent difference! Is that really going to be the difference for anyone who has already planned a trip that costing them thousands of dollars? Not likely. On the other hand, it would represent $200,000 to $250,000 in revenue that could be used to market NWT communities, according to the Yellowknife Hotel Association's calculations. To cast aside the needed promotion would be shortsighted. After the reams of unpopular tax ideas that Finance Minister Michael Miltenberger has mused about publicly, he should not be turning his nose up at one that is a good investment.
A future with moosehide Editorial Comment Roxanna Thompson Deh Cho Drum - Thursday, March 17, 2011
If the concerns voiced by artists at a recent conference come true, however, that smell along with the hide itself will become rarer and rarer. The future of traditional crafts in the territory was raised during the Dehcho Artists' Conference held in Fort Simpson from March 9 to 11. D'Arcy J. Moses, an artist and designer from Wrigley, said he's afraid that with every elder who passes, knowledge about traditional crafts is being lost. For those involved in the crafts, Moses' concerns undoubtedly ring true. People who want to make anything with hide already know that it is becoming increasingly difficult to find and purchase. Some sewers are turning to commercially tanned hide to fill the gap but it's just not the same. The shortage of tanned hides will only get worse. Those with the skills to tan are few, and getting older. The larger problem is that few people in the younger generations are learning how to tan. While some workshops have been held in the Deh Cho to teach the process instructors often report having low turnouts. The response isn't surprising considering, as a lot of time, patience and muscle is needed to finish a hide. Other skills are also being lost. Traditional crafts such as porcupine quilling are seen less frequently and even moosehair tufting seems to be practised by only a small group. So what is the solution? A number of ideas were raised at the conference and they need to be combined together in a multi-pronged approach. Funding tops the list. If artisans could access micro-loans to purchase supplies like hide they would create a demand which might lead to more people tanning hides. Education is also a key point. Consumers need to learn more about what goes into making a traditional moccasin and other crafts so they don't question the sometimes-high prices. Students need to begin learning the traditional skills at an early age. Many schools and organizations already promote this process and should be encouraged to continue. Students need to be excited by the crafts, which could be achieved by drawing aspects of modern culture into projects such as non-traditional bead designs on moccasins. A future without the smell of traditionally-tanned moosehide would be a dull one, and while it won't happen soon steps need to be taken to ensure it can't happen at all.
Abundant frozen land Editorial Comment Kira Curtis Inuvik Drum - Thursday, March 17, 2011
Last week I went on my first Arctic hunt - for rabbits that is. Now this story starts off plain enough, but ends up like an awkward "I Love Lucy" episode starring me. I have never hunted hare and jumped at the opportunity when a friend invited me out. I grew up on the land and have shot rifles and whatnot, so an air rifle was no big deal. The week before, I proudly pranced to the Environment and Natural Resources office to get my small games licence and when I passed a rabbit pelt in the craft section of NorthMart I thought to myself, I will have my own soon - first mistake. The second mistake came shortly after, but since I was still oblivious to the first mistake, no intuitive alarm bells rang when I borrowed a pair of snowshoes approximately the size of a men's size 11 boot. This, I have discovered, though gargantuan compared to my men's size 4, is wee in the world of snowshoes. Regardless, I set off with craft ideals of mitten-making and wee little snowshoes strapped to my feet. We drove quite a ways out of town, parked and geared up as I blissfully made my third mistake. Note: When snowshoeing with wee snowshoes, do not attempt to bring along a roughly 20-pound backpack of camera gear. About three or four metres from the road I could feel the snow getting softer, and then I went through. Still hopeful that it was only a soft drift I carried on but after about 20 minutes (and only four feet) later, I realized bunny hunting for me was now a cardio struggle, consisting of loud trudging and having to take photos from well out of range. After sinking through what felt like the 6,452,004 time, I retired to observer status. "Oh, there's one." I would whisper to my friend knowing full well I could not get close enough in time. Then I'd watch his big shoes dance across the surface and "thwack!" The comical nature of the evening and the much needed workout kept me in good spirits still. As we drove home, I was kindly offered a bunny all for myself. This made my night, now I could still make rabbit adobo, a favourite Filipino stew I know and, of course, a pair of fancy, furry mittens. This was a lovely ending to a funny day until I unlocked the door to my apartment, walked in, looked around and realized I was holding a hare in a bag and missing an entire chapter of how one ends up with rabbit hide and bunny stew. A plan not quite thought through, yet again. Well I'll leave the rest of this story up to the imagination, mostly not to horrify readers with the uncouth carving techniques I posses. The happy ending is that I have a lovely adobo in my fridge. Now, if anyone knows how to turn a frozen hide into mittens, please give me a call.
No vote not a done deal Yellowknifer - Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Despite assurances from many councillors, the Yes We Con lawn signs, and the propaganda machine from city hall, voters rejected the city's proposal Monday to borrow up to $49 million to fund a district energy plan to heat 39 buildings downtown.
Why, council may ask. It's because what voters wanted was leadership, solid research and ready answers. What they got instead were pom-pom waving cheerleaders trying to achieve green energy glory with a "trust us" attitude.
Indeed, when Yellowknifer asked Mayor Gord Van Tighem and council to identify the risks and benefits of the project - posted on our district energy web page at www.nnsl.com/ykdistrictenergy.html - only Couns. Amanda Mallon and David Wind spent much time identifying any risks. Meanwhile Couns. Mark Heyck, Shelagh Montgomery, Bob Brooks, argued the main risk would be if the city did not proceed with the project.
No matter how much proponents insisted the public was amply informed, there was an awful lot of blind faith behind this project.
Council could have stopped this vote from taking place. They should have recognized the dubiousness of the proposal they were asking residents to vote on, that by asking the city be allowed to borrow such an enormous amount of money while insisting on keeping potential partners a secret was perceived as arrogant by many residents. Imagine the difference it may have made if the private partners had been at the town hall table proclaiming their confidence and commitment.
Tying the referendum to the federal government's promise of $14.1 million to fund geothermal energy from Con Mine while the viability of that plan remains an uncertainty was also a mistake. The geothermal stage would only come, if at all, after the wood-pellet based district energy system is in place. That muddied the waters.
But council and city administration should not lose heart. One thing seems clear, most people like the idea, especially if it involves obtaining geothermal energy from Con Mine to heat the downtown core. Many also recognize that Yellowknife is vulnerable to fluctuating fuel prices that are bound to threaten the city's future prosperity should they rise with no alternative source of energy in sight.
Now that the city knows what residents expect before they are willing to fully support this project, it shouldn't be an overwhelming task to begin anew. Much of the groundwork has already been laid, and it should not be allowed to go to waste.
The city has made mistakes with this proposal but there is no denying it is a grand vision with great potential. Even if geothermal proves unworkable, a district heating system using a combination of wood pellets and oil still has potential.
If the business case is as solid as the city claims, there should be little problem finding a private firm to help make it a reality under terms that Yellowknifers can accept.
As for the federal government's carrot-on-a-stick, it's unimaginable that it would take the $14.1 million grant off the table for geothermal if there was a district heating system to plug it into - even if it comes a little further down the road.
Monday's no vote may be disheartening to some but by no means should it signal the death of the idea, just a change in plans.
Maybe it's only members of the Government of Nunavut who don't realize the vast majority of things run downhill.
And, just maybe, an ever-growing number of people in this exclusive group during the past 12 years have simply never been told it's a good idea to practice what you preach, if you want to be taken seriously.
It's reached the point where you accept one of these improbable explanations, or you start asking tough questions on just how shallow our leadership pool truly is in Nunavut.
Let's be brutally honest about this.
The behaviour of a staggering number of our politicians and territorial leaders since the creation of Nunavut has transcended embarrassing into the world of dark and disturbing.
What are we to take from the language directed at a female by our former premier, to the growing number of sexual and physical assault charges and convictions levied against a GN Speaker of the House, minister or MLA during the past 12 years?
Do the actions of these politicians reflect how the majority of Nunavut males view their female counterparts?
And what do we make of the seemingly endless headlines concerning another of our leaders in trouble with alcohol?
Throw in the leaders and politicians who left their positions under a shroud of financial scrutiny, and you have an ominous picture on Nunavut's canvas.
What message is this behaviour sending our impressionable youth?
How can parents, educators and front-line workers convince youth to abstain from alcohol and not commit violent acts, when so many of those entrusted with drafting the policies that will shape their future engage in the exact behaviour and lifestyle they're being told to avoid?
We spend hundreds of thousands of dollars a year in this territory to bring people together to discuss and analyze issues to death.
We have education authorities, a liquor review task force, alcohol awareness and education committees, wellness committees, elders' committees, youth committees, justice committees, drum-dance committees -- you name the committee and chances are good Nunavut has it.
In fact if there's one thing in Nunavut we're darn good at, it's discussing things.
It's when the talk is done and it's time for action to replace words that the runners fall off the qamutiik.
Maybe too many of our committees, commissions, task forces and whatever other fancy names we can think of to give them are aimed in the wrong direction.
And, maybe, when it comes to theories on good governance, too many of our leaders mistakenly view "do as I say, not as I do" as an acceptable approach.
When it comes right down to it, talk is cheap!
It's time for everyone elected to the GN to spend a lot less time talking and a whole lot more time leading by example.
Nobody's perfect, but, then again, the record of many of our politicians and territorial leaders since April 1, 1999, is far from that lofty standard.
We've reached the point where simply acceptable would be embraced with open arms.
At best, our premier and cabinet seem unable or unwilling to be upfront and honest with the public. At worst, our territorial leaders are misinformed to the point of incompetence.
Our previous government, led by Joe Handley, has been the Deh Cho Bridge's go-to scape goat. However, as dubious as the last-minute approval of the multi-million dollar structure was, Roland's government bears full responsibility for the project's gross mismanagement.
In 2008, Roland told the legislative assembly the previous government -- in which he served as finance minister -- committed the GNWT to the bridge project.
Yes, backing out of the bridge project would have opened the GNWT up to potential and costly law suits, but it didn't commit the GNWT to rushing ahead blindly, skipping steps and putting NWT taxpayers at risk.
Roland, on more than one occasion, assured the legislative assembly and the public the GNWT would assume the bridge's debt load only in the "worst case scenario." Thanks to our government's poor planning, that worst case scenario has become reality.
Our cabinet can't even be up front about who decided to proceed with construction without the finalized design. Members of cabinet have tried to cast the blame on Handley, but government bureaucrats say otherwise.
Handley's government may have signed the concession agreement but it was Roland's government who chose to move forward with construction without the final design in place. Auditor General Sheila Fraser called the move risky and costly. We call it reckless.
Originally pegged at $165 million, the cost for building the superstructure has ballooned to $185 million and Fraser predicts that price tag to exceed $200 million.
This isn't the only project the government has not been totally upfront about. The Taltson Hydroelectric expansion project -- with a current investment of $13 million -- has been a financial shell game.
Deze Power Corporation, the investment arm of GNWT's NT Energy, has been planning to finance an investment of $700-million based upon on the sale of power to the diamond mines in the NWT.
From the outset, the project's business model seemed pie-in-the-sky, banking on diamond mines, in the middle of their operating life, to switch from millions worth of generation infrastructure for an untested power line crossing hundreds of kilometres of isolated wilderness.
Back in November, Minister Michael Miltenberger hinted at the project's inevitable failure. It was then he told the media only one mine was interested in the project and it would take all three buying power at a predetermined rate to make it feasible.
Roland came out shortly after with a damage-control statement telling reporters that discussions are still ongoing with the mines.
Fast forward four months and Roland's message was "clearly, the plan to initially go strictly to the diamond mines is not going to work." We expect Miltenberger gave away the truth months earlier.
Our premier's inability to be upfront is starting to catch up with him and he can no longer keep his stories straight.
It's time to demand accountability and the regular MLAs need to champion the cause. They could start with nailing down why cabinet approved construction without a design finalized, against the advice of the Department of Transportation, and how much the mistake cost.
Last week in the legislative assembly, MLA Louis Tapardjuk asked the health minister to order an inquiry into the deaths of two babies that died with flu-like symptoms in Iglulik. He also stated Iglulik's hamlet council had sent a letter to the Department of Health and Social Services requesting a coroner's inquest be held.
Time and time again, MLAs have raised concerns from constituents about what they see as inadequate care from community health centres. Being sent home with Tylenol occurs so often and for such a wide range of ailments, patients wonder if nurses are being provided with the ability, or the permission, to offer any other treatment.
Among respiratory diseases, influenza and RSV, a respiratory infection, are the biggest killers of Nunavummiut infants. In 2009, the Canadian Pediatric Society recommended all Inuit babies receive a series of shots during flu season to help their immune systems fight off RSV, but the cost of the series of five monthly shots would be about $7,000 per child.
When MLA Ron Elliott asked the health minister last week why this recommendation had not been followed, considering not only the health of the children but the cost of medevacs and hospitalizations that would be saved, Tagak Curley responded that recommendations change year by year and the government was going by the advice of its own medical staff.
Nunavut's flu prevention campaigns emphasize flu shots and good hand-washing techniques, advising those who are sick to stay at home.
But all the hand sanitizer in the world can't overcome the perfect storm of risk factors in Nunavut like inadequate nutrition, exposure to tobacco smoke, and overcrowded housing. Flu spreads through our communities like a wildfire through parched forests.
So far this season there have been reports of flu outbreaks in Iglulik, Sanikiluaq and Arviat.
With a population of around 750, Sanikiluaq logged 52 medevacs during its December-January flu outbreak. And in the midst of Sanikiluaq's flu crisis, its health centre was closed due to a fuel leak, forcing nurses to work in a makeshift location.
However, the community's senior administrative officer said he was kept in the dark during the outbreak and only learned the details months later when Hudson Bay MLA Allan Rumbolt pressed for answers in the legislative assembly.
This is reminiscent of the department's policy during the H1N1 pandemic of not identifying communities stricken by swine flu. Then, at least one SAO only learned the virus was spreading in his community when he got sick himself.
Questions arise as to whether Nunavummiut have access to the best health care possible, and whether information on community outbreaks is being communicated in a complete and timely fashion to the people who ought to know.
An inquest is the best way to get to the bottom of what, if anything, went wrong in the delivery of health care in Iglulik that may have contributed to the deaths of the two infants. And if the coroner finds problems with services provided by the Department of Health and Social Services, an inquiry should be ordered.
The public has a right to know. Either people's confidence in Nunavut's health care will gradually be restored, or they should be made aware of how the system is being improved.
Corrections Wrong information appeared in Wednesday's edition of Yellowknifer ("Outfitters sue GNWT.") The outfitting industry injected in $16.1 million into the NWT economy in 2006-07. Also, in the same edition, Lena Pedersen's name was misspelled ("Women celebrated.") Yellowknifer apologizes for any confusion these errors may have caused.
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