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With the planet's seemingly endless appetite for TV shows and films about and based in the Northwest Territories, it's puzzling how little regard there is from the territorial government toward the NWT's burgeoning film industry.

How many reality TV shows and prime-time dramas does the GNWT need to see before it realizes that this is big business, and that there is much potential for the homegrown talent who live here?

This year the Department of Industry, Tourism and Investment set aside $100,000 in SEED money dedicated solely to producing NWT-made films. While any new money is welcome, it's really just a drop in the bucket. It wouldn't have been enough nor could it have been used to spare the NWT the indignity of watching the film adaption of Richard Van Camp's critically acclaimed novel the Lesser Blessed move to Ontario. The project was short $250,000 needed to keep the filming here.

Despite the lack of GNWT support, producers keep coming here to film TV shows, movies and commercials.

They hire Northern filmmakers, recruit local acting talent and spend lots of money -- $9 million worth, according to a recent GNWT commissioned report.

Just this year alone in Yellowknife we had the filming of Arctic Air, a new TV drama coming to CBC, which booked 80 rooms out of the Explorer Hotel during their last visit; an appearance by the Duchess of York Sarah Ferguson and her crew, who were filming a new reality TV show for the Oprah Winfrey Network; and the premiere of a feature-length film, Love/Hate, by Yellowknife filmmaker Andrew Silke.

That's on top of the ongoing success of NWT Ice Pilots - filmed largely in Yellowknife and employing or featuring dozens of Yellowknifers; the continuing artistic pursuits of the now internationally famous ice road trucker Alex Debogorski, and the worldwide media feeding frenzy of last summer's royal visit from Prince William and his bride Catherine Middleton.

With so much interest in our territory and Yellowknife as a base of operations, it would seem logical that a well-financed film or TV project created here in Yellowknife would be well-received down south. But looking at how the Yukon and Nunavut governments outspend us seven to one on their film industries, there doesn't seem much chance of that.

There is so much interest and opportunity out there in spite of our reluctance to help our filmmakers and show the welcome mat to others.

Diavik Diamond Mines Inc. announced earlier this month it will develop the first large-scale wind farm at an operating mine globally. In doing so, it will help reveal whether wind power has a future in the North.

The project, which is expected to cost up to $30 million, consists of four 2.3-megawatt wind turbines, and it should be ready to roll by this time next year.

The mining company conducted a three-year wind resource study before deciding to proceed. The aim is to reduce the mine's diesel consumption by 10 per cent and lower greenhouse gases by about 12,000 tonnes.

There have been past studies in the North to pursue wind energy by both the GNWT and organizations such as Arctic Energy Alliance which have generally led to unfavourable results due to the turbines providing less electricity than expected, being costly to maintain and requiring technicians and parts to be flown in.

Diavik's use of wind-generated power is environmentally responsible, the question is whether it will prove to be economically feasible.

The diamond mining company, which has been generous to this city in terms of donations, is focused on profits.

If Diavik cannot make wind power cost effective, we'll know the city and the rest of the territory may as well look to other alternatives.

Moose are a very important animal in the Deh Cho.

Moose traditionally were, and continue to be, an important food source. Even though people can buy commercially raised meat such as beef at the Northern Store, harvesting moose is a way to stay connected with their culture.

In addition to being a healthy and tasty food source, moose also provide the hides for traditional crafts such as moccasins and the materials for moose hair tufting.

That's why it's encouraging to see Deh Cho leaders and residents promoting and demanding research on moose in the region. The Department of Environment and Natural Resources is currently conducting its annual moose survey.

Over the course of two weeks, weather permitting, the department's staff and community observers will spend 100 hours in the air crisscrossing the region in an airplane looking for moose. The department conducted its first survey in 2003-2004 in response to input from communities, which identified moose as an area of interest.

The department is conducting a large-scale survey this year to check the baseline density set in the first survey and subsequent data gathered every November in smaller surveys.

While the survey is a good start, there may be more work and harder work to come if the Deh Cho wants to maintain its current population of moose.

Some residents have been informing the department that they're concerned the limited access to barren ground caribou is putting added pressure on the moose population.

In Jean Marie River, Chief Stan Sanguez said residents are already seeing changes. In the past three to four years people from elsewhere in the territory and Alberta have been hunting in the community's traditional area.

Jean Marie River is already taking action.

Community members are being encouraged to avoid harvesting cows between the fall hunt and the spring so they have time to birth calves.

Jean Marie River has also requested two bison tags from Fort Providence in order to supplement moose with another wild meat source.

Regardless of the survey results, Deh Cho residents will need to start considering what measures they'd be willing to take to ensure the region's moose population is sustained for future generations. Curtailing hunting rights is an incredibly sensitive topic, especially when related to a way of life that has been followed for countless generations, but there may come a time when traditions will have to be changed to preserve what is important to the region's moose.

Everyone in the North is familiar with scientists coming to the communities, doing studies and then leaving, taking the research with them.

At Aurora College last week, a three-day course was held to teach Northerners how to research, where to get funding for research and what could be a great idea to research. Local residents could improve the work done simply because of their greater awareness of the issues in their community.

Many studies are being done in the Arctic right now and few are done by people from the Arctic. Why not take advantage of your location and the international interest in your community by completing a study yourself? That information can be used to lobby for a change in policy and maybe make a difference where you live.

Participants at Aurora College came up with ideas for possible research studies, including how much physical activity do people undertake, how many people have left the community in the past three years, how many people have been to the dentist in the last three years, at what age do people start drinking, and why are people now getting sunburned, when they didn't 10 years ago?

It's kind of funny, in terms of media, too. Where are the Northern reporters? As you may have noticed, a lot of people from all over the country come and go at Northern News Services and the Inuvik Drum. Although the editors tend to be long-term residents, there's not really any reporters from the North and there are no aboriginal reporters.

I've heard comments that the Inuvik Drum editor is a "typing tourist," and in some cases that's true. In some cases that's even great. People new to communities see the place in a different way, can question things and ask why things are the way they are.

But, other times it seems a lot of work is done researching topics that we're hearing about for the first time. It takes a while to get up to speed.

That's where having a reporter from the community could be a benefit. Like local researchers, people from the North should have a role in telling their stories and have a chance to ask questions of leaders and the public alike. A Northerner's perspective will differ from someone who grew up in suburban southern Ontario when it comes to certain issues. Shouldn't Northerners - aboriginal and non-aboriginal alike - step up and tell those stories?

There are lots of issues and concerns related to health and climate change in Inuvik right now and local people have the answers, if only because they have the questions. They see what's going on every day. Shouldn't they be the ones doing the research, alongside the southerners coming up for a month or two?

Get inspired. Find a question that you're fascinated with and do some research. Find out why this town is the way it is, and maybe you could change it for the better.

It's all about keeping the momentum going.

Last week's $5.2 million geoscience research funding announcement by Leona Aglukkaq, federal minister of the Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency (CanNor), along with territorial Industry, Tourism and Investment (ITI) Minister Dave Ramsay, means that there is a brighter future ahead for mineral exploration in the North.

When one considers that Ekati diamond mine is expected to be shut down for good in 2018 while Diavik has roughly 10 years of production left, it becomes apparent that eyes must be turned toward the future to ensure continued opportunities for the mining industry, outside of De Beer's Gahcho Kue diamond project.

The Canadian Federation of Earth Sciences is one organization to laud the announcement of new funding, noting that Canada is lagging behind other countries in its dedication to basic geologic mapping. The Geological Survey of Canada employs about 500 people and has a budget of about $80 million for geologic information management and acquisition. Australia, meanwhile, also rich in mineral resources, has a landmass and population about two-thirds the size of Canada but has a budget of about $147 million.

Given that perspective, $3.275 million from CanNor, $1.1 million from ITI and $900,000 from the private sector, for a total of $5.275 million over three years, is not much money. Yet it is encouraging that steps are being taken to find out what is in the ground in targeted areas where there has been little exploration in the past.

Of course, finding areas of high potential for minerals and petroleum is only one step. We must simplify the NWT's regulatory regime, without compromising environmental standards, to get those resources to market.

Last week's announcement sets the stage for new mining activity in the North and will hopefully reduce the risk for mining companies, result in future prosperity and create new jobs and opportunities for Northerners.

Yellowknife-born singer/songwriter Leela Gilday deserves our applause after being named Entertainer of the Year at the Aboriginal Peoples Choice Music Awards on Nov. 4.

The honour is just the latest in a long list of prestigious national and regional industry accolades bestowed on the Juno-winning recording artist.

While Gilday's growing trophy collection speaks to her talents and achievements as a professional musician, last spring she received a plaque that reminds us of the other important qualities that make this creative and successful Dene woman so special and so deserving of our collective praise. Mildred Hall School, where Gilday attended Grades 2 to 6, inducted the former student into its Hall of Fame in May.

"Leela continues to inspire, mentor, and actively promote artists in the music industry," reads the plaque.

Gilday last returned to Mildred Hall earlier this year to lead workshops and motivate students to follow their dreams. Last week she visited students in Hay River to lead a Blues in the Schools program to encourage aspiring young musicians in that community.

Gilday grew up in the North and chooses to live in the North, despite various career opportunities throughout the country. Thus, we should not only congratulate this nationally-acclaimed artist on her most recent award, but also thank her for devoting her time, energy, and commitment to Northern children and youth.

There may be winners in the Government of Nunavut's decision to add three MLAs in 2013. However we fail to see how any of the smaller Kivalliq communities affected by the move will benefit.

The new alignment involving the Kivalliq will see Chesterfield Inlet paired with Rankin North, Whale Cove teamed with Arviat (North) and Repulse Bay joined with Coral Harbour.

Who knows what will unfold by 2013 and what political personalities will be holding what positions.

But, should all things remain the same as far as the elected MLAs in each riding are concerned, unless the good folks of Chesterfield Inlet have a lot more faith in Tagak Curley than Lorne Kusugak, we fail to see how Chester will escape the same small community conundrum while paired with Rankin North that Whale Cove claims to be caught in while joined with Rankin South.

On the same side of the coin -- taking for granted simple mathematics will prevail and the 2013 representative of Arviat North will hail from that community -- if Whale truly believes Rankin cares too little about its concerns, wait until it's dealing with a personality from one of Nunavut's fastest-growing communities which is still firmly entrenched in the have-not side of the ledger when it comes to badly needed infrastructure.

For many years, both Chester and Whale have been suffering from a bad case of small community syndrome at best, or a persecution complex at worst, and we can't see how this slight-of-hand switch will help either rise above that.

This is not anything unique to Nunavut by any stretch of the imagination.

Travel to just about any part of Canada and one will hear the same song being sung.

Small communities everywhere often feel they only get the leftovers from the bigger centres in their areas.

Add consensus government to the mix, where MLA decision-making is often a parody of the best Monty Hall episodes of Let's Make A Deal, and it becomes pretty obvious the bigger slice of bread is going to get the butter.

On the surface, with populations hovering around 800 (give or take a few) in both communities, it would appear Repulse Bay and Coral Harbour are a good match

for creating one riding.

And, with populations that close, maybe the thinking behind the move is that over time each community will have its fair share of elected representatives for the riding.

We certainly hope that proves to be the case, because population is where the similarities between the two communities begins and ends.

Whether anyone wants to say it publicly is one thing, but just about everyone in the Kivalliq knows Repulse and Coral aren't exactly two cubs in the same den.

Perhaps, in a parallel universe, teaming people from Rankin and Iqaluit in the same riding would hold more promise for entertainment, but none comes to mind in this dimension.

When all is said and done, precious little, if anything, will change in the Kivalliq's political landscape with the changes announced.

When the new shell game begins in 2013, Whale and Chester will still be trying to find small peas under a pair of very big shells, while Repulse and Coral won't believe there were any peas under the other's shell to begin with.

The Department of Industry, Tourism and Investment has established a goal of growing the NWT tourism market by more than $20 million by 2015.

It's an ambitious objective considering tourism spending peaked at $140 million in 2006 and declined to $111 million last year. Although 2011 saw a $4 million increase from 2010 -- creating a glimmer of hope that more tourists will begin to look North again -- a lot of work needs to be done if we are to see continued growth.

An area of emphasis in the GNWT's 2015 tourism strategy, titled New Directions for a Spectacular Future, is aboriginal tourism. The department plans to invest $200,000 to increase aboriginal participation in the tourism industry. The funds will also develop an aboriginal tourism strategy to determine how to best market eco- and cultural-based tourism opportunities. Enhancing that goal would be an additional investment in training opportunities, creating jobs for NWT youth and enhancing skills of those already working in tourism.

Aboriginal tourism may well be the solution to replacing the all-but-dead sport hunting sector. More restrictions on game and the transport of animal parts, not to mention the increased desire for sustainable and green tourism, means the decline in sports hunts will continue. However, a focus on aboriginal tourism could include wildlife viewing with trained aboriginal guides.

A lot has changed since the NWT hit a record in 2007-2008 when more than 79,500 visitors came North. People have become more prudent with their money, the Canadian dollar is stronger -- which deters American travellers -- and the tourism atmosphere in the NWT has changed dramatically.

Aurora viewing, once the backbone of the NWT tourism market, has been steadily sliding since 2005. Nearly 50 per cent fewer people - 5,400 in 2009-2010 compared to 10,200 in 2005-2006 -- came in search of the aurora borealis; and it's going to take more than marketing to make aurora tourism stronger than ever.

ITI's strategy recognizes accessing the NWT by air is a challenge, not only in terms of cost but due to the fact direct flights to our territory from European and Asian markets do not exist. Alaska, on the other hand, does offer direct flights and has since 2004.

From a tourism readiness point of view, the strategy, if enacted, will go a long way to enhance tourist options in the territory, as well as the tourism experience. However, what it doesn't address as well is how do we physically get more visitors to the territory?

Only $100,000 has been identified in the strategy for infrastructure. Although that money is, in part, allocated to help identify infrastructure needs and find large pots of seed money to fund them, there are longstanding needs that have previously been identified.

Expanding the runway in Yellowknife to allow for larger aircraft to land would help us compete with Alaska. Japan Airlines is offering 18 flights to Fairbanks this winter, a 50 per cent increase from last winter. Improving the road system, especially around Fort Liard where declining tourism numbers have been blamed, in part, on poor road conditions, will go a long way to bringing people back to the region. More ambitiously, extending the road link into the Sahtu and then to Inuvik is a long-term project that would provide tourists with more options when deciding to visit the North.

The GN agreed to add three more seats to its legislative assembly last week, and the only people who will really benefit are the three lucky Nunavummiut who get those jobs.

The rest of the territory will be paying approximately $300,000 per new MLA, on top of $1 million to renovate the legislative assembly in order to accommodate these additional politicians.

Really, what are the people of Nunavut paying for? This move won't result in more schools, more nutritious food, more housing and infrastructure, just more voices in the legislature to bemoan the poor state of all those things.

Twenty-two MLAs nears a ratio of one MLA for each of Nunavut's 25 communities, though Rankin Inlet and Iqaluit each have extra MLAs, arguably justified by their larger populations.

Iqaluit, the largest city in the territory, had a population of 6,184 as of 2006. It now has one MLA for every 2,000 of its citizens. Nunavut, on average, has one MLA for every 1,514 residents. By comparison, Ontario has one MPP for every 123,464 of its citizens - and its taxpayers, 8.1 per cent of which are unemployed, are better equipped to pay for those positions than Nunavut, where the unemployment rate stands at 16.6 per cent.

Last year, MLAs sat for a mere 33 days out of the entire year. Is it necessary for Nunavummiut to pay approximately $6.6 million for 22 MLAs to vie with each other for the little funding available for Nunavut each year?

Why not let Nunavut's mayors steer the territory?

They mayors are elected by the people, just like MLAs.

They meet through the Nunavut Association of Municipalities to discuss issues specific to their hamlets as well as common concerns that burden communities across the territory.

Most mayors do not work full time in their mayoral capacity but they do earn a salary. So we should simply do away with the mayors' pay and just put them in the legislative assembly instead.

We can save money that way and we can also make territorial elections a thing of the past, saving even more money.

It may sound like a radical idea, and one that surely won't come as a welcome concept to our existing MLAs. They would rather not ponder such a thing as they grow in number and millions of dollars that could be used for urgent needs are instead lost on their compensation.

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