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One thing is clear after last week's initial and somewhat guarded presentation to the public on the city's vision for the waterfront, there are some ambitious plans afoot.

Boardwalks and marinas, boutiques in the place of shacks, fees and tighter rules for houseboats - the status quo appears destined to disappear as the city aims to improve public access and bring order to a portion of the city that hasn't had much of it since gold was discovered at Burwash Point in 1934, when miners and entrepreneurs quickly gobbled land by the shore and erected ramshackle shacks and shops.

The city has tried to exercise control over the waterfront on two occasions over the past couple of decades, but failed on both counts. First came the city's attempt to make houseboaters pay property taxes in the mid-1990s, which was abandoned in 2000 after it was determined the city had no jurisdiction over waters in Yellowknife Bay. The second attempt came a few years later with the city's waterfront plan that died in council chambers after residents in Old Town and Latham Island expressed outrage over plans to remove long-existing private docks encroaching on public lands to make way for boardwalks and public docks.

By getting all the major players together on the harbour planning committee, including the Yellowknives Dene and all levels of government, the city is on much more solid ground this time around.

Despite that, there doesn't seem to be any pressing need to rush ahead, especially considering the past difficulties. Even if the city has the legal authority to remove docks and raze shacks, it would be wiser to work with property owners along the waterfront and houseboaters instead of stirring up old hostilities. Residents, including those in the Woodyard, should be consulted every step along the way, and accommodated wherever it's possible and reasonable.

As for those living on or using waterfront space right now, it can't be expected that life will carry on unchanged in perpetuity. Change is coming, and people will find it easier to adjust if they take part in the planning and not just reflexively oppose it.

A recently released study shows that the NWT has earned the dubious distinction of being home to the third fattest citizens in Canada, and that we need to do more work to fix the problem.

The Canadian Community Health Survey indicates that 62.8 per cent of NWT residents 18 or older are obese or overweight, compared to the national average of 51.6 per cent.

The health problems associated with obesity have become all too familiar, including high blood pressure, heart disease and diabetes.

There is no one simple cause of obesity, but some of the main ones are well known: the high cost of food in the North, the ongoing debate over wildlife management and availability of country food and the enduring attraction of junk food. While some may argue a lack of recreation programs and facilities are an issue, Yellowknife is well equipped with the Multiplex, the Fieldhouse and numerous athletic groups and associations. We just have to get off our butts more often.

Meanwhile the NWT's chief public health officer reports that, while he continues to see unhealthy snacks served in schools, he is also starting to see the appearance of more fruits and vegetables.

That's encouraging - and should be encouraged further.

With an aging population, and health care costs only continuing to rise, governments have no choice but to do what they can to promote healthy lifestyles. Our obligation is to eat well and get active. Our health depends on it.

It's quite rare I revisit a topic within a few weeks.

But a number of issues to surface from the conversations I've had on the beneficiary-only hirings for students with the Hamlet of Rankin Inlet this summer warrant further discussion.

A number of local residents, as well as Inuit in other communities, told me a beneficiary-only policy aimed at kids is taking things too far.

And I agree.

Unfortunately, they also refused to state their opinions publicly for fear of reprisals from the main players in the policy the Hamlet of Rankin Inlet, Nunavut Tunngavik Inc. (NTI), Kivalliq Partners in Development and the Government of Nunavut.

Fear, it appears, still remains a deterrent to the maturation of this territory.

The need-not-apply message to all non-beneficiary kids was delivered under the guise of summer jobs falling under the Nunavummi Nangminiqaqtunik Ikajuuti (NNI policy), which is almost laughable in its own right.

But even if we were to extend what everyone accepts as mainly a procurement policy aimed at companies and government tenders, two of NNI's own points in relation to its application (Inuit participation and Nunavut education and training) include the words "... reflect the Inuit proportion of the Nunavut population."

I think we can agree 100 per cent is not an accurate reflection.

Uber-dangerous are authorities that bend their own rules when it suits them.

Just as dangerous are the long-term ramifications of being afraid to speak against injustice through fear of reprisal from elected bodies, and being silent when someone close to you benefits from a policy you know to be wrong.

As far as the hamlet itself goes, it is there to serve all residents of Rankin Inlet.

The mayor and council members should leave all their outside influences at the door when they take their seats in the council chamber.

They have been elected to serve the people of Rankin Inlet -- all the people!

Should funding come with strings attached that discriminate against any segment of the population, the hamlet's reply should be thanks, but no thanks.

Some who support the non-Inuit-kids-need-not-apply policy say the funding originated with NTI and, since it's NTI's money, it should be allowed to put whatever stipulations it wants on it.

Now there's a path a territory almost totally dependant on federal dollars wants to take, isn't it?

It's also a wonderful message to send our youth -- it's OK to discriminate against other people as long as you do it with your own money. At the end of the day, who knows how many non-beneficiary kids would have applied for a summer job in their own home community, had they not been forbidden to do so based on their culture?

Would it have been that much of an affront to our governing agencies to have three non-beneficiary students (an accurate reflection of the population-percentage-to-jobs-available ratio) get a few weeks work with their hamlet this summer?

One can't help but wonder if some would like this path to lead from today's need not apply, to tomorrow's not welcome here.

A dangerous path indeed!

The NWT Power Corporation's reputation has been hit hard in Inuvik. Considering the numerous power outages that plagued that community over several months, it's easy to understand why.

However, comments made in Inuvik late last month by power corp. president and CEO David Axford demonstrated a commitment by the utility provider to not only address long-standing issues relating to its generation system but also to be more accountable to its customers.

Axford didn't sugar-coat the power corp.'s responsibility concerning 24 hours worth of power outages - one that lasted for 13 hours - between September and January 2010. He was frank in his criticisms, which spanned the corporation's in-house communications, employee training, equipment, management and staffing.

The CEO's public admonishment of the corporation was supported by more than repeated apologies; in his report to Inuvik town council, Axford detailed recommendations to address the factors that led to the outages.

Among those recommendations was a desire to focus on Northern hiring in co-operation with Aurora College, to avoid the problem of transient staff, while also contributing to Northern employment.

To date, Axford said the corporation is already working on converting the solutions outlined in the report into reality; new skilled tradespeople and technologists have already been hired and improvements to address some of the technical issues have either been made or will be made over the next several months.

Axford admitted the issue of assessing training programs and hiring Northern-trained staff will take more time, but he added it's a commitment the power corp. will keep.

Back when the power failures occurred, the Town of Inuvik demanded an independent audit of the power corporation's generation equipment in the community. According to Axford, his latest report shows that from a mechanical standpoint the Inuvik generation system is sound. Also, he said the power corp. has a detailed 50-year replacement plan and investment schedule to ensure aging equipment is replaced in a timely fashion.

Axford characterized the problems that contributed to the power outages in Inuvik as technical and management related. Perhaps the most impressive of the CEO's comments to follow the Inuvik meeting was in his defence of the power corp.'s staff. When asked if the outages were caused by personnel problems, he was quick to place the responsibility for the utility's failures and successes squarely on the shoulders of its managers.

In the past, the power corp. has been criticized for paying rich bonuses to its corporate managers. While the public will probably never accept such costly perks as acceptable, at least if they are tied to an impeccable track record then they would be easier to justify.

We encourage Axford to continue his accountable and candid approach. His words bring hope that changes will be made for the better, but, ultimately, only improvements in service will be the measuring stick of his leadership.

"You should talk to us here before you start formulating your plans."

Those are golden words of advice from John Amagoalik to the federal government, spoken last year during a dispute over a proposed large-scale seismic program in Lancaster Sound.

It seems Amagoalik's recommendation was not heeded as developments on an unrelated issue would show later in the year. Without consulting Inuit in advance, Ottawa banned the export of narwhal tusks in 17 Nunavut communities in December, citing concerns that some of the mammal's populations may be at risk, and therefore imperilled by hunting.

Cathy Towtongie, president of land claims organization Nunavut Tunngavik Incorporated (NTI), called on the government to reverse its decision. A legal challenge by NTI followed in January.

Going to court is not the ideal route. It's costly and it usually takes years to get a resolution. Yet, it's the strongest counter move Nunavut can make when faced with unacceptable conduct by the federal government.

In the case of narwhal, the two sides recently agreed to start talking again and NTI has withdrawn its court action. Hopefully a compromise will be reached, but, more importantly, Ottawa has to learn that Nunavummiut and their land claim are not to be taken lightly.

Amagoalik's chastising of government officials last June for pushing ahead with a seismic program in Lancaster Sound did not end with further discussion. That issue wound up being settled in a courtroom. Some Nunavummiut were worried that sound from the seismic blasts - intended to determine the mineral and energy potential in the ocean bed below - could do harm to marine animals.

Amagoalik, the Qikiqtani Inuit Association's director of lands and resources, has acquired plenty of experience working with the federal government; he was a key player in the formation of Nunavut as a territory during the 1990s. His fight for Inuit rights is legendary.

But strong words from him or any other leader in Nunavut sometimes have to be heard by a judge instead of a politician, if a meaningful response is needed.

It was Justice Sue Cooper of the Nunavut Court of Justice that granted the Qikiqtani an injunction last Aug. 8 and thereby put a halt to the offshore seismic program.

Nunavut News/North has praised the Conservative government for investing in Nunavut through housing programs, by focusing on sovereignty and by making Nunavut MP Leona Aglukkaq a cabinet minister. Regardless, the government has to stop trying to run roughshod over Nunavut's rights or the courts will be called upon to intervene.

Working together is always preferable to litigation, Aglukkaq said last week regarding the narwhal tusk dispute.

If she could just convince her colleagues in Ottawa to take Amagoalik's words more seriously, then litigation would never have arisen.

The image was captured June 19 as water bombers with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources were scooping water from Back Bay to drop on the fire that erupted at the nearby city landfill, which is not an overly unusual occurrence on hot summer days. The last major dump fire was in 2009, and water bombers were called in to fight that fire too.

Fires draw crowds, and people often rush to get there before the action is over. In June 2007, a four-alarm fire in a duplex on Morrison Drive drew a crush of onlookers - many of them showing up in their cars - that backed up traffic along one-way, fire hydrant-less Otto Drive, and hampered firefighters' efforts to bring in water trucks. The potential for conflicts to arise between emergency crews and "looky-loos" - as they're often called - is great in many areas of the city. Can anyone imagine the chaos that could ensue if a fire broke out at J.H. Sissons School, which is bordered by the narrow and heavily used 51A Avenue, where there is parking on both sides?

The same goes for Back Bay, which has experienced increased boat traffic in recent years with the development of the Giant Mine boat launch. Boater-plane conflicts on Back Bay are not unheard of. It is, after all, a take-off and landing zone for floatplanes.

There have been several serious incidents there over the years, including one fatality when a plane and sailboat collided in 1982. That death led to the installation of a beacon on top Pilot's Monument that pilots can activate when taking off or coming in for a landing.

Still, that won't alleviate the dangerous situation that took place during the June 19 dump fire when several boaters - in canoes and motorized water craft -- were observed getting uncomfortably close to the water bombers swooping in to take water.

If there had been a collision then, who knows what sort of heavy-handed reaction there would be from federal government authorities, such as the Canadian Coast Guard. So far the coast guard has not exercised much jurisdiction over waters in and around Yellowknife Bay. The government would certainly have cause to do something drastic if a water bomber and boat collided.

People ought to be free to enjoy themselves on a nice, summer day, whether it be on land or water. But when an emergency does arise, it's best we get out of the way.

Fort Simpson has been a popular place lately.

On Aboriginal Day six premiers joined in Fort Simpson's celebration as part of the Western Premiers' Conference. A day later the village played host to 18 ambassadors and high commissioners from around the world as part of the Northern tour organized by Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada.

Both groups of officials shared some similar experiences while in the Deh Cho. Both groups saw or visited Virginia Falls on their way to Fort Simpson, and while in the village they sampled traditional food and saw and heard some drum songs.

The visits were well-received. Residents seemed to be eager to meet the premiers and the heads of mission, and the dignitaries in turn seemed interested in all the activities that had been planned for them.

The visits, however, also raise a larger question that deserves attention. What defines the Deh Cho?

The Deh Cho isn't Virginia Falls although that landmark often seems to be what draws dignitaries and visitors to the region. The Deh Cho also isn't traditional food or drum songs, although those two things are a part of the answer.

Aspects of what the Deh Cho is and what defines it can actually be drawn from the recent visitors. A number of the ambassadors and high commissioners on the Northern tour remarked that what they learned over the course of their seven days of travel is that the Arctic, or the North, isn't one homogeneous place, as some who haven't been here imagine it to be. You can't say you've been to the North if you've only been to one community or city in one of the three territories because there are many versions of the North.

In the same way the Deh Cho isn't just one place. Each community in the region is its own unique entity and each brings its own strengths and assets to the Deh Cho.

The dignitaries also noticed the struggle for balance between traditions and modernity in the North. The Deh Cho is not exception to this.

While traditional lifestyles and pursuits, traditional foods, songs and teachings are a core part of what the Deh Cho is, so too are schools, technology and the pursuit of economic development. The Deh Cho is both a region working towards self-reliance and self-government but at the same time a part of the larger North and Canada.

While it would be difficult to encapsulate the Deh Cho and present it to visitors who only have a few hours or days in the region, it's important for residents to consider what the Deh Cho is to them. By looking at what it is and isn't, residents can help shape what the Deh Cho will become.

The biggest surprise at the Truth and Reconciliation Commission northern national event is the laughter and smiles next to the tears.

At an event where the goal is to purge oneself of the demons of the past, tears are expected as survivors of the residential school program recount their stories. But the smiles and joy these survivors are experiencing from seeing old friends is uplifting.

It sort of all makes sense now. Seeing the event in action makes it understandable for how hard it is for officials and organizers to actually explain how the event will work. It's not just the official sharing circles, private statement gatherings and commissioners panels that are helping survivors to deal with the past. It's the other students who also went through the same experiences and the comfort of knowing they're not alone in the pain.

The smiles are signs of resilience, because even though they went through the painful experiences, they are still here, still surviving and their culture is experiencing a resurgence with the help of the current school systems.

The cultural support workers, those caring individuals dressed in green vests, are also doing incredible work, providing a shoulder to lean on or a tissue to cry in. They do their job compassionately for whoever needs help, whether it's a survivor, a volunteer, a translator or simply someone attending the event.

And that is something that needs to be addressed. When this paper comes out on June 30, there will still be one more day of the TRC. If you have not attended a single session or event, you must. As a Canadian, you must attend this event. You have to hear the stories so you can understand what was done to the people who were here when the Europeans colonized this country.

Canada often stands proud for its work in human rights around the world, but what about its own history of human rights abuse? Stealing children from their families, abuse and assimilation?

How does this history fit into the proud history of Canada? Why are these stories not told in Canadian history classes? Why do school programs focus on the glories of Canadians fighting in the Second World War but neglect to mention that residential schools continued until the mid-1990s?

Perhaps its shame, guilt or ignorance. Put aside those feelings and face them head-on to discover the truth of what happened in those schools. Even if you think you've heard the stories before, go and listen to them from the people courageous enough to share their deepest fears and darkest memories.

It's the truth of a country they're sharing and everyone living here should hear it.

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