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The deaths of 12 people Aug. 20 in a 737 crash in Resolute were met with shock and grief across the North this past week.

But after grounding its planes Saturday, First Air resumed flights Sunday, because communities depend on those flights to move people and supplies where they're needed.

The reality in the North is that every one of us will be getting on a plane or know someone who will be getting on a plane in the days and weeks ahead. Here, air travel is not a choice; it's a necessity.

In July alone the Iqaluit airport logged more than 2,347 takeoffs and landings, and in May Resolute logged more than 200, making both airports very busy for the size of their respective communities.

The good news is that fatal aircraft accidents are rare, though obviously not rare enough.

From 2001 to 2009, the latest year for which annual statistics are available, there were no fatal accidents involving a Canadian passenger airline like Air Canada or WestJet.

What went wrong in Resolute is being investigated by the Transportation Safety Board. Any recommended changes that come out of the investigation should help make flying even safer.

Brad Mapes has a vision - one that would produce up to 60,000 tonnes per year of wood pellets to heat buildings across the NWT.

That may sound like fiction to some, but it's an idea worth considering. Mapes, a Hay River resident, isn't even looking for taxpayers' dollars to get this $8.5-million business venture off the ground. He says he will finance the enterprise himself, with assistance from the banks.

Cutting down trees would employ 40 to 50 people seasonally while 25 to 50 people would work at the mill throughout the year, Mapes told News/North.

Mapes isn't a novice in business circles, which is another plus.

He is the owner of Wesclean Northern Sales, a multi-faceted operation his father, John, started in Hay River in 1975. He also owns Aurora Decorating Sales in Yellowknife.

There's just a matter of permitting to overcome. That will not be easy, unless there's support from the NWT's aboriginal groups.

Mapes said his plan would involve five First Nations and he has approached them, and initial response has been positive.

"They need to play a big part in the operations," he said.

This is essential. Not only must aboriginal groups give their approval for timber to be harvested and ensure replanting doesn't leave the NWT's southern forests too depleted, they must realize the benefits of secure jobs, contracts and profit sharing.

That's the only way a forest industry is going to take root in our territory.

The Qikiqtani Inuit Association's truth commission spent nearly two years listening to the recollections of elders in the Baffin region, including the High Arctic and Sanikiluaq. The commission's report was released almost a year ago and is worth reading, especially for the oral history.

Taken as a whole, the elders' experiences reflect a common theme of families and seasonal communities coerced into leaving their homes for the questionable benefits of living in large, permanent settlements. As their camps and belongings were often burned soon after they left, and sled dogs slaughtered, they went from providing for themselves to being dependent on others and the government for food and shelter.

The QIA should be lauded for documenting these stories while the elders who lived them are still with us, and Qikiqtani schools should make use of them in teaching the 20th century history of Inuit and how the communities we live in today came to be.

The territorial government is extending a helping hand for those who want to quit smoking but don't want to pay for it.

It's the right thing to do, especially with about 36 per cent of people in the NWT being smokers, and no significant change in the quit rate over the past few years.

On Aug 12, the GNWT announced it will cover the cost of up to three months of nicotine replacement therapies or smoking cessation prescription drugs per year for residents through general health-care benefits. Up until now, these specific benefits were only available to those with extended health benefits.

Yet this government assistance for those dependent on tobacco should have been on the radar earlier. The smoking cessation platform could well have been included three years ago when the GNWT proposed a change in supplementary health-care benefits to cover those without supplementary health benefits or third-party coverage.

Cost is a factor in why such anti-smoking methods haven't been more successful, although the cost pales in comparison to $15 daily for a pack-a-day smoker.

Nicotine gum costs close to $13 a pack and it's $36 for a week's worth of the patch. Reducing those prices to nil through NWT health benefits will add an incentive for more Northerns to attempt to kick this nasty and dangerous habit.

The money invested in these therapies and prescription drugs for the masses will pay for itself in time. Illnesses related to cigarette smoking -- like lung, throat and mouth cancers, cardiovascular disease and worsened asthma and bronchitis - drive up costs for the territory's health-care system.

The GNWT is getting more serious about helping smokers quit, wanting to see a healthier population, and stop money from being thrown at illnesses and care that could be avoided.

Anyone who holds an NWT health card and wants to butt out should take full advantage of this offer from the territorial government.

Environment Minister Michael Miltenberger says his government will consider an independent watchdog to oversee the cleanup of Giant Mine.

His pronouncement comes a couple months after Dene National Chief Bill Erasmus called for the creation of an independent body to monitor the cleanup of the mine site, which is stuffed full of deadly arsenic trioxide. The cleanup is under the complete care and control of the federal government, save the GNWT's token $27 million investment toward that goal, which is estimated to require up to $300 million to complete.

Weledeh MLA Bob Bromley, who, like many in this city, questions the federal government's will to lay down the law should it be negligent in its clean-up of Giant Mine.

The Giant Mine cleanup and the monitoring of that cleanup are both being handled by the same department: Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development (AAND).

The absurdity of this situation came to a head in May after Baker Creek, which flows through the mine site, overflowed into a tailings pond.

A cross-looking water resource officer with AAND insisted he'd press charges if it were to happen again. But does anyone really expect a bureaucrat to throw other bureaucrats in jail?

The only people who get punished in these situations are taxpayers after the department hands itself a six-figure fine.

Miltenberger told the legislative assembly that, as minor as its role in the cleanup may be, the GNWT may also be in a conflict of interest. All the more reason why the federal and territorial government departments involved should leave monitoring to someone else - a body that will be less concerned about making a show of affixing blame after something bad happens, and more worried about preventing it before it does.

We previously suggested revamping the somewhat defunct Giant Mine Community Alliance, and having the water resource officer work for it.

An election is coming up so it's doubtful much will come before then. But Yellowknife MLA candidates should be front and centre with this issue so they can hit the ground running once the campaigning is over and the governing begins.

Pehdzeh Ki First Nation recently organized an event that should set an example for other Deh Cho communities.

This year, the Wrigley band combined a culture camp with an early fall hunt. The event was something new. While the band has organized both culture camps and fall hunts in the past, this is the first time the two have been combined. It was really a perfect pairing with multiple benefits.

Culture camps, as anyone who has attended one knows, always involve a lot of teachings about traditional foods and their preparation.

By combining a camp and a hunt, the band created a supply of fresh traditional food.

Even better for the hunters was the fact that the camp participants wanted to help clean and prepare the meat from the five young bull moose that were shot. This sharing of labour freed the hunters from some of the work that they would normally have to do themselves during a hunt.

As a combination of a camp and a hunt, the event was the perfect medium for cultural practices and traditional teachings to be passed through. Both hunters and elders were able to share traditional teachings about the lake, which has long been a favoured area for harvesting, with younger members of the band.

Youth also had the chance to watch and participate in a number of activities including dry fish- and dry meat-making, berry-picking and moose hide preparation. It was an all-inclusive learning experience.

While the dissemination of traditional knowledge was an incredibly important part of the event, so too was the social aspect.

The event brought together the whole spectrum of Wrigley residents, from elders to young parents to children. A total of 36 people participated in the event, a considerable number given the size of the community. The isolated location of the camp, Blackwater Lake, meant that once participants arrived by floatplane or helicopter, they were committed to staying there for at least nine days. This made the event stronger because people were fully involved in the activities during the camp and in sharing them with others.

All of the communities in the Deh Cho have fall hunts but many aren't formalized. In most cases, hunters and sometimes their families go out to their own cabins and do their own things. There is merit to that approach but the fall hunt can become so much more when community members are brought together like in the case of Pehdzeh Ki's event.

Moving the focus of the hunt away from bagging moose and toward sharing traditional knowledge and strengthening community ties will benefit individuals, communities and the region.

If you ever had the pleasure of being outside the Mad Trapper past 2 a.m. this summer, or any other summer for that matter, you will know that a few things are almost guaranteed to happen.

There would be, without a doubt, hoards of patrons at varying stages of intoxication wolfing down smokies and cheeseburgers at Ready Red's. Some would lose ketchup to their shirts, pants and the sidewalk in the process.

There would be, at the very least, a dozen lit cigarettes (plus some other things) filling the air with smoke. Those without cigarettes might be trying in vain to bum one off of someone else.

There would be a fleet of taxis jockeying for prime real estate to nab tipsy clients and, last but not least, there would be, without fail, drunk people heading to their cars with keys in their hands.

Lucky for us, the RCMP has been catching some of them.

In July they laid 13 impaired driving charges. In June they laid another 13 and in May they laid 12. Their total for 2011, not counting August, is 62.

These numbers leave something to be desired, though.

I'm sure everyone, not just the one Inuvik resident who spoke up in this week's paper, has a story about a friend, an acquaintance or stranger who got behind the wheel while intoxicated.

It's common practice here and almost, I would venture to say, an accepted practice.

It's not uncommon to hear the words, "It's not that far of a drive" or "I don't want to have to go back to pick my truck up in the morning," and it's not uncommon for a designated driver to have had one too many.

The question is, will the next story to come out be on what's being done to stop it, or will it be about the tragic death of someone struck and killed by a drunk driver?

It's not fair to just blame the drivers who chose to get behind the wheel drunk, or just the cops whose job it is to catch them once they're on the road. Friends have to start giving their friends grief for driving impaired so the community doesn't have to face the consequences.

It's one thing to indulge in your vices on a Saturday night, and another thing to put the lives of other people in danger just because you don't want to pay for a cab or walk the 15 minutes it takes to get home safely.

The diamond tourism centre set to open in January, announced last week, is a good idea but one that's long overdue.

It will highlight what has become the NWT's biggest industry, provide an additional attraction for Yellowknife's tourists and create two or three jobs - but you can bet the problems plaguing the industry won't be highlighted in the centre's display cases.

The centre is being created by Crossworks Manufacturing Ltd., the only surviving diamond-polishing business in the NWT after the Arslanian Cutting Works and Polar Ice plants shut down more than a year ago as rough diamonds were sent to bidders elsewhere by the NWT's three diamond mines.

The GNWT and cabinet's handling of the of the secondary diamond industry in the North has been rightfully criticized by MLAs and Yellowknife city councillors. While it's nice Bob McLeod, minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment, showed up for the tourism centre photo-op on Aug. 16, Yk's secondary diamond industry has continued to flounder under his watch, as it had under his predecessor, Brendan Bell.

The tourism centre will surely shed light on how the industry works, but McLeod and the other candidates for the upcoming territorial election should be explaining why the secondary diamond industry and mining in general aren't at the level they should be in the North.

Standing out among a myriad of factors are a lack of incentives to keep rough diamonds in the North, lost steam pushing the NWT brand in the global marketplace and a regulatory process that's resulted in only three diamond and one tungsten mine operating in the NWT. That's a total of four mines in a 1.3-million square-km chunk of land that touts natural resources as its main industry.

There's still plenty of metals and minerals in the ground - in other words jobs to be created, and a tax-base to be increased, if only our politicians can start building momentum in a place that bills itself as North America's diamond capital.

One of democracy's strengths is being able to choose the best candidate.

That pillar crumbles when only one person allows his or her name to stand for election.

We're only 39 days away from the Oct. 3 trip to the territorial polls. The nomination period opens on Sept. 5 and closes on Sept. 9 at 2 p.m.

As of press deadline, we have three official candidates: incumbents Glen Abernethy in Great Slave and Bob Bromley in Weledeh as well as Daryl Dolynny, who is seeking Sandy Lee's vacated Range Lake seat.

It would be encouraging to see as healthy a slate of candidates in all Yk ridings as we did in 2007, when we avoided any acclamations.

There's, arguably, an advantage to throwing one's proverbial hat in the ring early, so long as the candidate has a solid platform.

Those aiming to become MLA have to submit a $200 deposit to the returning officer, as well as a list of 15 supporters who are eligible voters in the riding where the candidate is running.

Contenders for public office usually commit a substantial amount of money on campaign signs and advertising. In 2007, Chris Johnston spent the most among Yk candidates at $26,327.53, but did not win a seat.

Dave Ramsay spent the least among those running in this city who did get elected, having spent $13,071.76.

Having a strong financial backing certainly doesn't hurt, but costs can be kept within reason in this age of social media, and with some good old-fashioned door-to-door campaigning.

If you have something to contribute, we strongly encourage you to take the plunge.

With the doors of Kivalliq schools open again and classes back in action, it's time to get kids to bed early. A good sleep is the first step to preparing youth for a day of learning.

In his book Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Children, Marc Weissbluth says sleep is what keeps your mind alert and calm, allowing you to learn.

"Every night and at every nap, sleep recharges the brain's battery. Sleeping well increases brainpower just as weight lifting builds stronger muscles, because sleeping well increases your attention span and allows you to be physically relaxed and mentally alert at the same time. Then you are at your personal best."

And we always want kids to be at their best when they're at school. The fewer obstacles we put in a child's way, the better the learning experience will be for them, for their classmates and their teachers.

It's easy to get caught up in distractions, like extracurricular activities, work and homework, making it difficult to ensure kids are getting the sleep they need. But it's a new school year, which means a new beginning. It's an opportunity to start and stick to a fresh routine - a routine that includes a regular bedtime, a standard wake-up time and a nutritious breakfast.

We need to ensure Kivalliq's kids are being sent to school in tip-top condition, so they can continue to grow into successful young adults.

Of course, some of the responsibility lands on the students. They need to take an interest in their studies and they have to pay attention in class and do their work.

But you can't expect a student to devote their full attention to their studies if they're tired and hungry, so parents need to step up and take an interest in their child's health and education.

They need to make sure their kids are going to bed at a decent hour and they need to make sure their kids are getting up in the morning, eating breakfast and making it to school.

As the principal of Maani Ulujuk Ilinniarvik said, "If we can get them here, we can impact them, and we can encourage them and motivate them and then they're successful."

So, to all the parents out there, help your kids succeed this year and get them to school on time, fed and well-rested.

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