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It's no secret that the wheels of government can, at times, move slowly. That statement is especially true in the NWT where government decisions must take into account different realities than in the south, especially when considering unsettled land claims and relations with First Nations.

Premier Bob McLeod started the 17th assembly on the right foot when he and other territorial legislators joined aboriginal leaders at a meeting in Dettah in late October. His attempt to mend the strained relations between First Nations groups and territorial leaders was a good first step to achieving goals that stalled during the previous assembly due to heated impasses between the parties.

Earlier this month, the 17th assembly announced its primary goals for the next four-year term. Those priorities include devolution, improving community employment rates, housing costs and infrastructure initiatives -- the Inuvik-to-Tuktoyaktuk highway and the Mackenzie Valley fibre optic line would be examples.

A less vague description of the government's plans to achieve its goals is expected once it completes its comprehensive business plan. However, McLeod's comment that substantial change, in areas such as social programs, can take 10 to 15 years is concerning.

Unemployment in the communities, devolution and housing costs have been on the government agenda for decades already. There are many long-standing issues in the NWT that must be addressed soon, and addressed effectively.

Creating jobs -- assisted by working towards a revamp of the territory's regulatory system -- creating more affordable housing and forging a deal for devolution with the help of First Nation governments can't be volleyed about for years to come.

Our MLAs might have the luxury to discuss these issues for months and even years but community members without a good home, those without a stable job and the youth of the territory need more than reassuring words.

When the new Nutrition North program was rolled out on April 1 it was received with a storm of criticism. Many said the program failed to improve upon the old Food Mail program, the savings were negligible, the program was harder to access and the eligible items on the subsidy list did not reflect Northern needs.

In response, the federal government increased the subsidy levels and expanded the item list. The system still isn't perfect but reports of a 15.5 per cent reduction in costs and more nutritious foods being purchased in the communities is encouraging.

As the program continues to evolve over the coming months, we must remain vigilant and ensure the subsidy continues to help consumers, as it is intended. Reviewing the food list and pushing the government to include more staple products, such as rice, and essential non-food products such as diapers, would also help lessen the burden on Northern families.

It's essential that Northerners continue to pressure the government and the stores to ensure the subsidy is used to its full potential and savings are applied to products needed most by Northern families.

Businesses are supposed to make money -- ones with losses are failures.

That's a basic premise that does not always hold true.

The Nunavut Development Corporation would be a prime example of the exception to the rule. Seven of the corporation's nine subsidiaries wound up in the red during the 2010-2011 fiscal year. Overall, they were short $3.2 million, which was covered by a subsidy paid for by the Government of Nunavut.

The development corporation backs companies involved in producing and marketing arts and crafts as well as meat and fish. It provided $4.6 million in employment and income to Nunavummiut during the past fiscal year, creating 126 jobs.

It also pumped a considerable amount of money into other established territorial businesses like airlines, utilities and other merchants and service providers.

When one factors in the $3.2 million subsidy, each job the corporation created cost taxpayers a little over $25,000.

Is that too much money to provide 126 people with work in traditional industries? Would we be better off if the money-losing corporations were just shut down and the products weren't sold commercially at all, or only sold in the south? No.

As Darrin Nicol, the corporation's president, pointed out, there are added expenses for operating in remote Nunavut communities, but that's the cost of developing a homegrown workforce.

We need the development corporation's training of skilled administrative workers, just like we needed the 11 lawyers produced through the Akitsiraq law program at a cost of nearly $5 million.

It is a price worth paying.

When the federal government announced its intentions on May 21, 2010, to replace Food Mail with a program called Nutrition North Canada, there was a mix of skepticism and relief.

Costs of products, primarily produce, had escalated substantially under Food Mail and deliveries often took longer than acceptable, resulting in wilted lettuce and soft tomatoes.

Some people insisted there wasn't enough accountability or transparency by the parties involved - stores, Canada Post and the airlines.

So Ottawa decided to phase in Nutrition North starting on April 1 of this year. Initially, there were few people who were happy. However, the government responded to concerns by expanding the list of items eligible through Nutrition North, higher subsidies were placed on fruits, vegetables, milk, meat and eggs. Traditional foods such as caribou, char and muskoxen are included.

Last week, shoppers in Iglulik, Clyde River and Cambridge Bay told Nunavut News/North they have noticed cheaper prices. Tony Jenkins of Clyde River said milk is now around $5 to $6 for two litres compared to $10 in the past.

It appears the kinks are being worked out. However, Nunavummiut should be on guard for any remaining glitches and prepare to protest loudly if the federal government begins to reduce the number of items covered by Nutrition North.

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.

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