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Medical help wanted NWT News/North - Monday, May 9, 2011
Now that the Conservatives have surged to a decisive 167-seat majority government, the NWT will be looking for Prime Minister Stephen Harper to again include funding to help recruit doctors to the North along with his promise of a six per cent increase to health care transfer payments to the provinces and territories. Before the government was defeated in a vote of non-confidence, the Conservatives budgeted $9 million per year to attract doctors and nurse practitioners to remote and rural regions of Canada. As part of the program, doctors would be eligible to transfer a portion of their student loans into non-repayable grants for up to five years -- $8,000 per year for doctors and $4,000 per year for nurse practitioners. Up to $40,000 in savings on student loans is a huge incentive and would go a long way to attracting practitioners to the North, where 40 of 44 doctors are based in Yellowknife. The Sahtu, Deh Cho, Fort Smith and Hay River are all without a physician. However, cash incentives can only do so much and is far from a long-term solution. The federal government must also help the NWT invest in its communities to improve living conditions, availability of services, reduce the cost of living and create an environment that compels doctors to stay and be part of the community once the cash lure runs out. In the long term, working to train Northerners to fill these positions will reduce our reliance on southerners. Staffing health care centres and hospitals with people invested in our communities will ensure better quality and consistency of care. In conjunction with cash breaks to graduates, funding to reserve seats for Northerners at medical schools should also be considered. Consequently, improvements to our education system are essential if we are to ensure our students are prepared and qualified to fill those seats.
Bevington back in the saddle NWT News/North - Monday, May 9, 2011 It's going to be an interesting four years in Canada. On May 2 the political landscape of our country was reshaped as the NDP 102 earned seats in Parliament and a place as the official opposition. The NWT became the only province or territory without a Conservative representative and it will be interesting to see what that will mean for the territory's relationship with Ottawa. Dennis Bevington, our Western Arctic MP, has proven his commitment to Northern issues in the past and now he will need to draw on his previous two terms of experience to ensure he makes the needs of the territory heard in the House of Commons. The needs of the territory are many. Topping the list are revisions to the failing Nutrition North Canada program; improved housing and roads; the negotiation of a fair devolution agreement that includes the GNWT and aboriginal governments; the expedient and equitable resolution of outstanding land claims agreements; the protection of aboriginal land rights such as the Edehzhie region in the Deh Cho; and a commitment to find efficiencies in the regulatory process to attract investors and development to the North. Diverse economic development is needed in the NWT -- be it more mining or tourism opportunities -- and Bevington must ensure all discussions include aboriginal governments and respect traditional and land claims rights. Fighting to reinstate sub-surface protection in the Edehzhie region will go a long way to rebuilding the trust of the aboriginal community and make future development discussion easier. Although the Conservatives have a strong majority, the NDP must provide vocal opposition. Bevington’s voice, with support from many of the NWT’s aboriginal leaders, needs to be heard.
The people have spoken Nunavut News/North - Monday, May 9, 2011 Last Monday, Leona Aglukkaq was re-elected MP for Nunavut with her winning margin increased to 1,751 from 466 in 2008, a vote of approval of her performance over the past two-and-a-half years. Her increase in the vote share came at a cost to the NDP and the Green Party, which saw their number of votes drop substantially from 2008, while the Liberals' total stayed virtually the same. Paul Okalik earned just 11 votes more than Kirt Ejesiak did in 2008. As federal Health minister, Aglukkaq was the first Inuk to hold a senior cabinet position and this translated into some benefits for Nunavut. The headquarters of CanNor was based in Iqaluit and a High Arctic Research Centre went to Cambridge Bay. Canada is fighting the EU decision to ban seal imports; the minister of INAC made a public apology to High Arctic relocatees. Perhaps these things would have happened without Aglukkaq in cabinet, but her presence there surely made some difference. On the other hand, Food Mail was replaced with Nutrition North Canada, and the public is largely unhappy with the new program. The federal government attempted to proceed with seismic testing in Lancaster Sound, despite Inuit objections, but Inuit won a court injunction to stop it. During the election, the Conservative Party declined to provide responses to questions posed by Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami on issues of concern to Inuit, referring the organization instead to the party's national platform. Aglukkaq is now part of a Conservative majority government, with the certainty of at least four years before another election. Yet she may face an uphill battle to keep Nunavut's needs high on the priority list of Ottawa politicians and bureaucrats. For instance, the federal government has made a dent in the housing crunch by funding new homes, but demand remains high. We wish Aglukkaq luck in keeping Nunavut's issues on the radar in Ottawa, and hope the confidence Nunavummiut have shown in her is rewarded.
Keep contractors happy Nunavut News/North - Monday, May 9, 2011 Contractors working in Nunavut are unhappy with some aspects of the Nunavummi Nangminiqaqtunik Ikajuuti policy, according to the NWT and Nunavut Construction Association. The policy is supposed to provide incentives for business to keep goods and services closer to home. However, contractors say the rules on when they receive final payment for their work have become unclear, and smaller businesses are being hurt by the holdback of payments beyond when they were expecting to get paid. They are also concerned about changes to what constitutes substantial completion of a project, and the issue of damaged or missing materials on labour-only contracts. It's hard enough getting projects done in Nunavut - many tenders don't get any bids at all - that angering contractors by throwing more obstacles in their way is not constructive at all.
NDP not the only player in the NWT Weekend Yellowknifer - Friday, May 6, 2011
Three-time winner Dennis Bevington will head back to Ottawa a veteran member of a much larger NDP caucus, albeit one that will serve as official opposition to a majority Conservative government. The Stephen Harper led party claimed its election victory by winning seats in every province and territory except the NWT. The old adage about being between a rock and a hard place has become reality now that the Yukon has joined Nunavut as Conservative held ground. Nonetheless, NWT voters clearly decided in Monday's election that Bevington, aided no doubt by his sincerity and honourable track record in Parliament, deserved re-election to the House of Commons. His principal challenger in this election, Sandy Lee, accustomed to clobbering her opponents after three successful campaigns for the Range Lake seat in the legislative assembly, faced an uphill battle from the getgo. Lee had little time to convince voters she was the better choice after catching everyone off guard with her switch of party allegiance from the fading Liberals and stepping down as minister of Health and Social Services to run as a Conservative. It didn't help that the Conservative brain trust seemed hellbent on keeping her out of the public eye as much as possible, away from candidates'forums that were hostile ground but also a chance for Lee to show the mettle that brought her support during her early days as an MLA. During his visit to Yellowknife midway through the campaign, Harper strongly hinted it will be hard to get his government's attention as long as there is an MP representing the NWT who's not a Conservative. Harper was more conciliatory during his victory speech Monday night, pledging to reach out to all areas of the country, including those that did not vote for his party, but Bevington and the NDP Ð now dominated by MPs from Quebec Ð will be hard pressed to hold the prime minister to his word over the next four years of majority government. That's why it's critical our territorial government steps in to make sure the NWT isn't an afterthought as the Harper government settles in for a long, comfortable turn at steering the country's course. The natural place to forge alliances strong enough to get the federal government's attention is with our neighbouring territorial governments in Nunavut and the Yukon. This alliance has been exercised with some success before, such as in 2003 when former premier Stephen Kakfwi joined forces with the Yukon's Dennis Fentie and former Nunavut premier Paul Okalik to squeeze the ruling Liberals at the time to deliver an additional $60 million in health care dollars. Now we must ensure that the NWT gets equal treatment. If the Conservative represented Yukon and Nunavut are getting funding, then the NWT cannot be overlooked. Premier Floyd Roland, along Education and Justice Minister Jackson Lafferty, have already expressed their preferences for working with a Conservative government. That will likely be viewed as a plus when dealing with other territories with deeper Conservative connections than ours. Even deputy premier Michael Miltenberger, a supporter of fellow Fort Smith resident Bevington, told reporters Monday that a re-elected Conservative government means "unfinished business" such as devolution and raising the territory's borrowing limit can proceed. The NWT has much to offer the rest of Canada. The North's exploration boom during the 1930s was largely credited for helping to lift the country out of the Great Depression, and it's obvious by Harper's longstanding interest in the North that he sees its potential for helping the country pull out of its current economic doldrums. A strong and united stand by our territorial governments will help ensure Northerners have a say in how that interest is conveyed into action.
Playing politics Editorial Comment Roxanna Thompson Deh Cho Drum - Thursday, May 5, 2011
Canadians voted to boost the Conservatives to a strong majority government on May 2. The NWT, however, bucked the trend and became the only province or territory without a Conservative seat when Western Arctic riding NDP candidate and incumbent Dennis Bevington was reelected. Bevington will join the strongest NDP caucus in history, which will form the official opposition with 102 seats.
Pundits will spend days, even weeks publicly debating what the election results will mean for the country but in the Deh Cho the only question that matters is what will this mean for us. The answer is unclear. The Conservatives have a mixed track record in the region. While commenting on the results Monday night, Grand Chief Samuel Gargan said Dehcho First Nations has been working with the Conservative government for five years on the Dehcho Process and has made relatively good headway. While that is one way to look at it there have also been many criticisms made against the party by other chiefs and Metis presidents in the region; all have become fed up with what they see as Conservative government foot-dragging on the negotiations. And we can't forget the cautionary tale of Edehzhie. Last fall, with no warning or consultation, the Harper government decided not to renew the sub-surface protection for Edehzhie, an area that Dehcho First Nations had been working for more than 10 years to protect. On the flip side, the Conservative government has voiced its support for an all-weather road connecting Inuvik and Tuktoyaktuk and was willing to put money towards the project until the government fell. This raised the possibility that the Mackenzie Valley Highway, with all the benefits it would bring to the Deh Cho, could be next on the Conservatives' Northern to-do list. These three examples show how the Deh Cho has reasons to welcome a Conservative majority but also to watch it warily. In order to make the new political climate work for the region, the Deh Cho will have to use the asset it helped vote back into parliament -- Dennis Bevington. Bevington has proven that he's responsive to the needs of his constituents and is willing to fight in the capital for issues that are important to them. As Fort Simpson Mayor Sean Whelly observed, Bevington's voice should be stronger than ever following this election because he's familiar with parliament and his party is now the official opposition. The Deh Cho and indeed the rest of the NWT will have to skillfully employ Bevington to both curtail the actions of the Conservative government when they are detrimental to the region and the territory and to push them forward when there are gains to be made. The election may be over but the political manoeuvring that will take place within this government is just beginning. Inuvik's generosity inspires Editorial Comment Samantha Stokell Inuvik Drum - Thursday, April 28, 2011
Whether it's for high school or elementary school athletes going to tournaments and competitions, or women travelling to far away countries to do good works or the Relay for Life for cancer research, it seems the people of Inuvik are willing to give. Whether it's for the homeless shelter, like with the Arctic Challenge, or going to Africa to help purchase medical supplies, it seems people are on board. Maybe it's because there's not much else to spend money on up here, but it's kind of incredible when you start adding up the numbers: * $40,000 for Super Soccer * $68,000 for Relay for Life in 2010 * $25,000 for the Homeless Shelter * $16,500 for nurses traveling to Kenya * $6,106 to build homes in the Dominican Republic And those are the few that we know about. And it's not only money. Other people donate their time, energy and skills to the community. Whether it's the volunteer firefighters, girl guide leaders or sports coaches, they are giving of themselves to make this community a better place. It's inspiring because sometimes the number of causes seem overwhelming and it's hard to think people can actually make a difference in the world. With the election ending and the NDP wave taking over Quebec and a Green MP in the House of Commons for the first time, it's possible to see that individuals can effect change even on a large scale. The only way those historic events could have taken place was with people getting out there and choosing to have their say. But really, the people giving their time and money know what it's about. Just do it. Whether you think locally or globally, there is a way to make an impact. It's about choosing any cause or issue and fighting for the one that you care about to make a difference. There are any number of options available for helping out in Inuvik. The new Lights On program, which provides a safe and fun place for teens to hang out, needs volunteers. The Relay for Life is looking for any help it can get in organizing the 12-hour event. There's all these people out there, quietly giving their time and not asking for anything in return, not cash or thanks or a pat on the back. They do it for the purest of motivations, because they want to help. Why not join them? Instead of sitting on the couch during the evening, get out there and volunteer. Help make Inuvik a better place.
Big catches in the NWT Yellowknifer - Wednesday, May 4, 2011
Both communities certainly have good fishing. Lutsel K'e is more remote and has bigger trout, but Ragnar Wesstrom at Trout Rock Lodge would surely point to his world renowned trophy pike fishing just a 10-minute flight outside town as proof of Yellowknife's superiority. In any event, Lutsel K'e's early lead in the contest is holding steady. In fact, at press time the Akaitcho Dene community was well ahead with 854 votes to Yellowknife's 156. In fact, Deline – previously in third place -- has overtaken Yellowknife with 232 votes. The people of Lutsel K'e are surely out to win, and good for them. They deserve the recognition. But let's be clear, the Northwest Territories in general is a fishing mecca. Hopefully this contest brings the North a little more attention and lot more tourists looking to hook a big one, here, Lutsel K'e or anywhere else in the NWT.
No class or tuxedos from these mean-spirited penguins Darrell Greer Kivalliq News - Wednesday, May 4, 2011 I saw nothing but red after reading the feature on Nunavut published in a national newspaper this past month. I couldn't decide which was worse; the picture of Nunavut it painted, the lack of response to it by our leaders, or how utterly hopeless it made us appear to the rest of Canada. How can I be so oblivious to the evil and incompetence the article told me I'm surrounded by? It compared Nunavut to Mexico and South Africa, where racism and violence are rampant and drug lords and tribal warlords have more power than law enforcement. Cops talked about the "great experience" of kicking down more doors a year in Nunavut than most officers do in their entire careers. Our children, it insinuated, are as likely to be sexually abused as cared for, and 70 per cent of our preschool-aged kids go hungry almost every day of their lives. Our Inuit government was labelled as little more than a variety of apartheid, and a mayor was quoted as saying we were not ready for Nunavut while referring to our territory as a chilly banana republic. The article scoffed at Nunavut's education system, pointing to a 75 per cent dropout rate and insinuating we cheat our kids out of a real education. It claimed Nunavut education is driven by an unofficial policy of social promotion, giving kids passing grades even if they don't deserve it. In Nunavut, the article stated, graduates can possess Grade 12 diplomas and be functionally illiterate. The article ridiculed Nunavut education to the point of combining it with a youthful population to create a crush of ignorance and incompetence that could hamstring the territory for decades. On the positive side, it said Nunavut is at least livable if you're lucky enough to be among the small middle-class; the Coral's men's group does some good work, even if not recognized scientifically; and Repulse Bay is a tranquil community. Yet, no damnation of the article by our leaders. Inuit and non-Inuit Nunavummiut who travel for work couldn't escape it. The topic was broached at business and board meetings across the south, usually in condescending expressions of pity and dismissiveness for what they perceive to be Canada's biggest aboriginal reserve, while, here at home, silence. Does that silence equate to agreement on the part of our leaders? Do they remain silent so as not to clue the rest of us in on how hopeless Nunavut truly is, while they go about feathering their own nests? If you were a doctor, nurse, teacher or social worker living in the south, would you have any interest in Nunavut after reading that story? Yes, we have our share of problems in Nunavut, but there's a lot of good too. Maybe it's time our leaders stop pandering to the southern appetite for iglus and seal flippers, and educate them on the countless hours put in by so many to improve the quality of life in Nunavut. The national article was a mean-spirited piece which cast Nunavut in the worst light possible. But, while small consolation, at least we have the knowledge it was produced by a group of people who think penguins also call Nunavut home. And they mock our education system!
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