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When Henry White felt forced to sell his barbershop last year he pointed the finger squarely at the city as the source of his woes.

The city's lack of support was driving him out of business, he said.

"People, businesspeople, are pissed off. It's too expensive to operate here and they aren't doing anything for us," said White in February 2010.

Fast forward to Nov. 8, 2011 and we are greeted with a picture of success in the same location: Ragged Ass Barbers, owned by James McGaughey, Steve Payne and Craig Zamonsky, was named this year's Business of the Year by the Akaitcho Business Development Corporation earlier this month.

The three partners bought Henry's Barbershop from White last year, and since then have attracted a regular client base of 1,500 customers.

"Good service" is the key to their success, says McGaughey, adding business is so good they're planning to either move to a larger location downtown or ask their landlord to expand their current space.

All the businesses recognized by the Akaitcho Business Development Corporation deserve praise: Didehcho Gas and Diesel Services for the Aboriginal Business Award; Old Town Glassworks, which took the Environmental Business Award; and McKenna Funeral Home, awarded the Business of Excellence Award.

But Ragged Ass Barbers stands out for making a success out of a business its predecessor said was too expensive to operate. Its owners show us that business success doesn't necessarily rest on what's going on at city hall. It's a winning strategy that matters most.

The future of Tin Can Hill, an expansive greenspace and popular dogwalking area, has been "dogging" council for a long time, Coun. David Wind said on Nov. 14.

The two-year-old debate about whether or not to open portions of the area to development essentially lost its bite that day when council passed second reading of a bylaw to rezone a 33-hectare parcel of Tin Can Hill to parks and recreation from growth management. The bylaw now must proceed to third reading and meet ministerial approval before passing into law.

In making this move, council is acting on the repeated expressions of public support for protection of the area.

Yellowknifer has argued for partial development of Tin Can Hill in the past, however, we agree that public opinion should guide council's conscience on this issue. If public consensus shifts in the future, the issue may be revisited by council.

Mayor Gord Van Tighem said there's potential for it to return to the agenda someday. For the time being, council should let sleeping dogs lie and move on to other priorities.

For this year's National Child Day Celebration in Fort Simpson the Open Doors Society decided to follow a theme of celebrating children's talents and abilities.

The door prizes given away at the event and the activities held during it were all based around the theme of supporting children to foster their talents.

Anyone who attended the John Tsetso Memorial Library's annual Christmas bazaar the day before in the village and who took a close look around would realize exceptional talent is expressed through many different media in all age groups in the Deh Cho.

Christmas bazaars are a tradition in many of the communities in the Deh Cho. They are a signal that the holiday season is on its way and offer a chance to indulge in a little retail therapy and pick up some items not otherwise widely available in the communities.

What many people miss, however, as they jump from table to table ensuring they get everything on their list and try all of the food they had been anticipating, is just how talented the people with tables at the bazaars are.

For example, it's easy to spot vendors at the bazaars who are particularly gifted in photography, painting or drawing. Most people have standards they have learned to gauge those artistic endeavors against.

In the Deh Cho it's also easy to pick out people who are skilled in traditional art forms.

One area that doesn't get the due it deserves is talent in the kitchen. There is never a shortage of baked goods and other savory items for sale, although you might have to arrive early to get your favourite treat.

Sometimes by sight, and always by taste, people can identify delicious items. They don't, however, always translate that goodness into a recognition of the talent of the person who made it. Excellence in the culinary arts is a talent just as being able to paint a beautiful picture or turn some hide, beads, fur and stroud into a well-crafted moccasin.

Christmas bazaars in the Deh Cho are so much more than a chance to buy and sell items. They showcase the talents of your neighbours.

So, the next time you're in one of the bazaars, remember to stop in between your purchases and appreciate the talents on display.

If there's one thing I feel deprived of in Inuvik, it's not the lack of shopping malls, anonymity or cheap groceries. It's hearing live music, meeting musicians and listening to something for the first time that cuts right through to the soul.

Musicians have so much courage to just put it all out there – heartbreak, anger, happiness, confusion or even political sentiments -- and that's why I like them so much.

There's a quote by Victor Hugo which I love: "Music expresses that which cannot be said and on which it is impossible to be silent. Music provides a venue, for listeners and creators, to express themself when words alone are not enough; when writing and speaking can not do justice to the feelings bubbling that demand to be shared."

Inuvik was lucky enough last week to have two nights of live music. The French-Canadian traditional folk band De Temps Antan played at the Iglu Church on Nov. 15. The foot-stomping good time was presented by the Northern Arts and Cultural Centre. The church floor was bumping and babies bouncing as the trio took the audience on a trip to old-time Quebec and Louisiana. Despite the hard pews, the evening was almost like a kitchen party with old friends.

On Thursday, Yellowknife's Leela Gilday and Ontario's Rick Fines wowed a crowd at the Cafe Gallery with a free show. The two were in town for the Blues in the Schools program and took the opportunity to sing for a crowd.

These two artists are indescribably good. Gilday's vocals are unbelievable and the truth and passion she displays are the reason she recently won best aboriginal performer at the Aboriginal People's Choice Awards last month. Hearing her in such an intimate setting will be a favourite memory of many people in Invuik for a long time to come.

Fines, too, impressed the crowd with his simple blues songs, which highlighted human truths in a thoughtful and often humorous manner. His rich voice, witty lyrics, quick fingers and introduction to each song gave the audience a personal experience with a national musician.

It all came together when Gilday and Fines played Leonard Cohen's Hallelujah together. Always a beautiful song, it reached another level in the tiny cafe with Gilday's perfect voice and Fines picking on the guitar. It was a perfect moment in time with great musicians when a tiny community on a cold night came together because of music.

So, musicians, thank you for being brave and sharing so much through your music. It inspires.

News that some of the 800 delegates at last week's 39th annual Yellowknife Geoscience Forum had to withdraw because of a lack of accommodation is troubling and symptomatic of a larger problem.

It's not a new issue. The need for a convention bureau in Yellowknife has been identified time and again with presentations made to the legislative assembly and Yellowknife city council in past years.

Although arguments in favour of a convention bureau centre around a desire to attract more visitors through promotions funded by a hotel-room levy, in this case it may have helped with an organizational issue. A GNWT meeting that was held at the same time as the geoscience forum took up about one-sixth of the city's 900 hotel rooms, said Jenni Bruce, president of the Yellowknife Hotel Association.

"This is where a convention bureau would have been helpful because they would have been able to flag that it's not a good time to hold your meeting because the geoscience (forum) has been held on the same week every year," Bruce said.

The need for better co-ordination is further ammunition for the proponents of a convention bureau, which has the unanimous support of all Yellowknife-area hotels.

It's not like the establishment of a hotel room levy - common in other jurisdictions - and convention bureau hasn't been debated before. The concept was introduced in 2000 as Bill 13 in the territorial legislature. At that time, the GNWT seemed willing to match a hotel room levy to the tune of $900,000. In the end, Bill 13 was defeated because MLAs believed the amount of the levy - 5 per cent on each hotel room booked by visitors - was too high. There was another effort to form a convention bureau in 2006-07. However, that effort failed because some believed the proposal relied too heavily on GNWT funding.

The latest initiative, floated to territorial MLA candidates in September, calls for a two per cent "destination market fee," which would add between $2.50 and $4 to the cost of a room and generate up to a half-million dollars annually for tourism promotion and conference co-ordination.

Yellowknife MLAs should champion this cause and introduce legislation to establish a funding formula as soon as possible.

The NWT Coroner's Service released several recommendations last week in relation to the accidental drowning of 49-year-old David Legros. The recommended steps are reasonable and realistic.

On March 1, 2009, Legros, a safety supervisor with Tli Cho Logistics, fell through ice on a pond at Colomac Mine after staying behind after a job to take pictures of caribou. He was alone.

Coroner Garth Eggenberger's report called for fencing and warning signage on site; a process for workers to report in at regular intervals, a rescue team with training in ice and water rescue; and that workers near ice wear a highly visible floater vest and proper waterproof clothing, as well as have a dry change of clothes.

Legros' wife, Shirley, said she considers the recommendations vague, albeit a start to a safer workplace. She brings a safety message of her own: don't put your work ahead of your safety. She also reminds us that David is not just a statistic, but a husband who leaves behind grieving relatives.

Although reports and recommendations put forward for any workplace-related fatality have their limitations, processes that increase safety are worthwhile.

There's been discussion in some corners on moving to a Nunavut-wide trade show instead of holding three distinct regional shows.

But, we side with Kivalliq Trade Show committee chairperson Pujjuut Kusugak on this one.

Kusugak is bang on with his assessment of the regional format being far more beneficial to the Kivalliq than what could be expected from a territorial gathering, at least for the foreseeable future.

Still others, who have watched these events since the first Manitoba trade missions after Nunavut's split from the NWT, who question their effectiveness at all.

But, while it's true one sees many of the same players on the trade show floor today who were meeting in small conference rooms back in the day, there are also a growing number of exciting new ventures sharing the floor.

And a number of other things have changed dramatically during the past decade.

First and foremost atop that list in the Kivalliq is the fact we now have things people from the south want other than our cold cash.

There's gold in the land and uranium, too, if the powers that be ever figure out the benefits far outweigh the risks.

Although there are times our regional Inuit organization comes across as being a bit too concerned about what's in it for the organization, rather than the average beneficiary and the communities involved, outside companies have to employ a good number of local workers if they're ever going to take anything out of the ground.

The benefits of that reach far and wide.

Yes, popular buzz words such as networking are often overused and their importance overstated.

But, never before have partnerships between Kivalliq companies been so important, as we enter into what should be the most profitable era in our region's history.

And we say that with as much emphasis on partnering with each other as with southern firms.

A regional trade show, as Kusugak said, allows the focus to remain entirely on the Kivalliq and its development.

We wish business endeavours in the Baffin and Kitikmeot nothing but success, but the time is now for the Kivalliq and that's where our undivided attention should be.

Opportunities like Meadowbank, Meliadine and others looming on the horizon come once in a generation.

Our window of opportunity for training, employment, community infrastructure and sustainable business ventures is opening, and we have to be positioned to take full advantage of it.

And the Kivalliq Trade Show -- by bringing all the players together in one community for two or three days of face-to-face meetings, negotiations and exchanging of ideas -- is playing an important role in helping the region obtain its goals.

We also have faith in the trade show's committee to work with communities such as Arviat and Baker Lake -- for now -- so we see them share in the show's economic benefits, especially on the hospitality industry and arts and crafts community's side of the ledger, in the near future.

Many things change with time, but, for now, the Kivalliq Trade Show best serves its region by standing alone.

A recent court decision to dismiss a bootlegging charge in Tuktoyaktuk isn't a free ride for would-be liquor smugglers.

On Oct. 28, Judge Garth Malakoe ruled the RCMP's search of a Tuktoyaktuk man's luggage was unlawful and a violation of his Charter rights. Prior to laying the charges, police acted on a tip that an illegal quantity of alcohol was being transported via aircraft to the alcohol-restricted community.

Tuktoyaktuk Sgt. Bill Mooney told News/North the ruling has some hamlet councillors discouraged and fearing more alcohol will slip through the airport as a result. The sergeant, however, said he doesn't see the ruling as something that will hinder officers' ability to intercept alcohol. In fact, he said the ruling was positive.

Mooney said the judge's ruling will help RCMP with future investigations by ensuring officers conduct searches with the proper supporting evidence and do it by the book.

The sergeant also emphasized the ruling will not stop police from acting on information from the public, nor should it discourage residents from calling in tips to help deter the illegal transport of alcohol. Those tips have resulted in the seizure of vast quantities of liquor over the years.

While Malakoe's ruling may well cause the RCMP to tighten up its procedures, the judge also sent a message to bootleggers. His decision to uphold the seizure and disposal of the alcohol reinforces the fact the courts are on side with communities and their desire to curb the negative effects of excessive drinking.

News/North published its annual addictions supplement last week and alcohol was a common theme in its pages. RCMP lamented how alcohol is a factor in an overwhelming majority of calls, ranging from property crime to domestic violence; it was also cited as an addiction common among those in the corrections system.

This case was dismissed based on a technicality and we should not be deterred; it will not undermine the will of communities to regulate quantities of inbound liquor or how the authorities punish those who break the law.

Bootlegging is a plague on NWT residents who are fighting for their right to live in a safe and healthy community.

Bootleggers are despicable in their efforts to prey on the weaknesses of others by selling bottles for hundreds of dollars to capitalize on liquor restrictions. Not only do they make existing alcohol problems worse, they add financial strain to families.

Our battle against alcohol addiction, alcohol-related crime and the subsequent social ills will continue, so bootleggers beware.

Pond Inlet MLA Joe Enook has become the unlikely face of one of Nunavut's most pressing problems: inadequate housing.

The territorial politician and his wife, Mary Kilabuk, have been living in a shack since leaving Iqaluit on Nov. 3. Having been a resident of Iqaluit when he was voted into office, he's determined to live in the community that elected him. The problem is, there are no homes available in Pond Inlet.

The federal government has allotted $300 million since 2007 to help build almost 1,000 new homes in Nunavut. Despite that, the situation remains dire.

The cost of living in Nunavut is high, no question, and housing plays a part of that. The prices we pay for groceries, airfare, rent, power, long-distance calling and Internet are all much higher than most other places in the country. In many cases, the more remote the community, the higher the prices get.

The median family income in Nunavut was $54,300 as of the 2006 census. More census data was collected across the country earlier this year, so a more up-to-date figure will be available next year. Even if that number climbs by a few thousand dollars, Enook, who was elected to the legislative assembly on Sept. 12, outpaces many income earners with his compensation package, which easily exceeds $100,000 per year.

No matter how he tries to explain it and how much support he may have among those wanting him to live in Pond Inlet, the idea of an MLA applying to occupy a social housing unit, even temporarily, when there are people earning much less on a waiting list is a very unwise move politically.

He should find another alternative. Enook has raised the issue of houses designated for GN employees that sit vacant while those government workers are living in social housing units.

If that's true, somebody - and who better than Enook himself -- ought to be relentless in attacking that issue publicly. The Nunavut Housing Needs Survey, which wrapped up in June 2010, identifies as many as 30 Pond Inlet units as unoccupied.

"A private home will become available, it's just a matter of when it will be vacated," Enook said of his own predicament.

Like many Nunavummiut, Enook may have a long wait on his hands, especially since nearly two-thirds of the units in Pond Inlet are considered public.

The GN's housing survey found 1,220 people are homeless - 90 of them in Pond Inlet -- and 3,580 people wish to move when more housing is available. The data also show 23 per cent of Nunavut's homes are in need of repair.

At least Enook is well placed and presumably motivated to help fix an inexcusable situation that cannot be allowed to continue.

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