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It's hard not to miss the irony in David Ramsay's promotion to minister of Transportation in the 17th legislative assembly after October's territorial election.

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The Deh Cho Bridge was, and still is, the department's most controversial project; Ramsay, the MLA for Range Lake, was arguably its biggest detractor.

"I've previously referred to this project as a boondoggle and I may have been too generous," Ramsay remarked bleakly from the regular members' benches last March in response to a damning report by the auditor-general.

A few months later and now on the opposite side of the aisle, Ramsay is talking about "improvements to the design" and construction delays adding another $10 million, which now puts the total projected price tag to $192 million.

Surely an MLA who has viewed himself as the taxpayers' watchdog on the Deh Cho Bridge for seven-and-a-half years knows people will have a difficult time accepting hollow statements about design improvements on this project.

Is it just his turn to sugar-coat and deflect now that he's in cabinet? We say it's not necessary to do so.

We've said before that this bridge could cost residents more than $200 million to build when all is said, up from a modest $55-million estimate in 2002. Yellowknifers will not have to be reminded the cost overruns will be added to the price of our food and fuel etc., in the form of bridge tolls on transport trucks for many years to come.

Public trust in the government's ability to deliver on time and on budget have been seriously hampered as a result, and we've got some fairly scary projects ahead of us -- $200 million for Stanton Territorial Hospital renovations for one - and so little wriggle room on our debt wall.

Ramsay has promised a full audit of the Deh Cho Bridge once complete. That's about the best news he can deliver on the Deh Cho Bridge project until he cuts the ribbon to let the first vehicle across and the first inflated toll is collected.

Two years ago, the board of Yk Education District No. 1 was faced the question of what to do with a $3.5-million surplus.

The answer came in the form of running deficit budgets - spending more money than they bring in - which is not all that easy to do.

This year for example, when the 2011-2012 budget was approved in May, it came with a $427,546 deficit. That deficit wasn't big enough. Since then, the board has added another $405,000 which will pay for, among other things, new band instruments, new kindergarten staff for Mildred Hall School, and new staff for William McDonald in three spending motions put forward last week. This will leave the district with a projected surplus of $1.4 million. The plan is to have a balanced budget next year.

Considering the economic times, the school board is in an enviable position. Still, we would like to echo the voice of trustee Terry Brookes who wisely advocated caution when voting on the new expenditures. "I'm not against the motions, but I think we have to be careful with the public's money," he said.

Indeed, with year over year tax increases placed on the backs of Yellowknifers, we might suggest in the spirit of the season that the school board consider giving some of the money back rather than looking for new ways to spend it.

We realize such a suggestion may be seen by some as naive to the extreme but we expect other people will look up at their Christmas decorations and wonder where common sense has gone.

With this being the last edition of Kivalliq News for 2011, may I take this opportunity to wish everyone a merry Christmas and happy New Year before scaling another topic for this week.

Thanks for your support in 2011, and I look forward to serving you in 2012.

I had an interesting chat recently with a couple of folks who took exception to my repeated contention that many people are losing faith in science, due to its increasing propensity for reporting facts that often favour the agenda of whatever organization happens to be paying the bills.

And there's the ongoing stream of data that constantly predicts doom, gloom and despair, then ends with a footnote of more study being needed in the area.

Can you say scientific grant, boys and girls?

There was an interesting read awhile back from Vivian Krause, who was the corporate development manager for one of the world's largest producers of farmed salmon and fish feed.

Krause's work was yet another illuminating example of today's brand of science and, for those who read up on such things, another reason why the general public can no longer take science at its word. In fact, a growing number of studies are starting to parallel that old saying that it must be true if it's on TV (wink, wink).

Using tax returns from American charitable foundations, Krause traced about $300 million to Canadian environmental groups

during the past decade.

She found, in some cases, environmental activism being funded by U.S. foundations as part of marketing campaigns in favour of American interests.

Krause's research, coupled with her own noted vested interest in fish farming, led her to cross swords with none other than David Suzuki, whose foundation has received millions of dollars from American foundations.

Suzuki had released a damning study on farmed B.C. salmon, saying they are heavily contaminated with PCBs and other toxins.

However, what he failed to report was the wild salmon in his study contained even higher levels and -- if you can believe this -- all of eight fish were used in the study.

But the study did its job, turning consumers away from farmed and back to wild salmon. The big winner in all the kerfuffle, you ask?

Well, that would be those in the Alaskan salmon industry who have seen the exvessel value (value before processing) of Alaskan salmon quadruple since consumers turned away from farmed salmon.

Alaskan and B.C. salmon might be a long way from what concerns us here in Nunavut, but the fish are a prime example of the dangers of taking science at its word.

That's especially true when environmental activism lurks behind the science.

This is not to say there's no good science being done, but to show that things are not always black and white when big money is in play.

Knowing who backs what study is quite useful in helping one cobble together an informed opinion on a myriad of topics, including mining, seal hunting or weather patterns, for example.

There's a lot of good fish in the world of science, but, with some studies, if it looks like a skunk and walks like a skunk, chances are good it's going to smell like one, too.

Whether or not NWT communities impose liquor restrictions or prohibition is a matter of public will.

The plebiscite in Norman Wells last week where the majority of voters ended 30 years of restrictions in the community is causing some concerns that alcohol consumption will increase and some, such as MLA Norman Yakeleya, believe bootlegging to other restricted Sahtu communities will be more difficult to control.

Alcohol abuse is one of the most pervasive social issues in the North. Interviews with the RCMP often reveal most calls stem from alcohol-related incidents.

Communities such as Tuktoyaktuk have seen reductions in alcohol-fuelled crime due to its liquor restrictions and Mayor Merven Gruben raves about results of all-out prohibition during community jamborees.

But, as we pointed out, restrictions are decided by democratic vote and the citizens of Norman Wells have spoken.

Obviously it will be easier and cheaper for those who drink in excess to do so but we all have a responsibility to police our own behaviour or face the consequences.

As for Yakeleya's concerns, bootlegging has always been an issue and community residents must continue to work with the RCMP to prevent the illegal sale of booze.

Tips to the RCMP reporting large quantities of alcohol going into restricted communities have helped prevent those shipments from being sold on the street and that same diligence must continue.

Maintaining a healthy community is in everyone's best interests and a combination of personal and civic responsibility is the best way to achieve that goal.

The decision by the GNWT to place a winter moratorium on evictions for public housing tenants who are in arrears was simply the humane thing to do.

Life is hard enough when struggling to make ends meet without the added stress of worrying about being left homeless in -30 C temperatures.

That being said, more has to be done to ensure people are not falling behind on their payments.

In 2008, Auditor General Sheila Fraser slammed the housing corporation for the fact 81 per cent of its tenants were in arrears, owing millions to the government.

In August, Paulatuk's housing authority was criticized for the fact that 65 per cent of its tenants were in arrears, owing upwards of $500,000.

Considering those on social assistance only pay $32 a month and those who are employed pay up to 30 per cent of their income, the problem is working tenants who are either refusing to or are unable to pay their rent.

The GNWT must review its public housing policies to ensure tenants are earning enough to meet the cost of living included in their mortgages.

Also needed are policies to ensure payments are collected before the arrears pile up to the point of being impossible to manage, which helps create poverty, not reduce it.

Nunavut's justice system is stretched thin - not only is its jail "bursting at the seams," according to its chief justice, but so is its court schedule.

Faced with a request to delay year-old court proceedings by possibly another half-year, Chief Justice Robert Kilpatrick railed against Ed deVries' defence lawyer for wasting the court's time two weeks ago.

It's important to remember the chief justice called on the Government of Nunavut in 2010, without success, to hire two more judges to support the current four, whom he stated were overworked and overwhelmed.

We can only imagine how frustrating it is to see cases move along at a sluggish pace while more and more pile up in the system each year.

According to Statistics Canada, 1,578 criminal cases were dealt with in Nunavut's court, which is a combined territorial and Supreme Court, in 2009-2010. That rounds out to about 200 cases per judge per year, which is made no easier by the travel required to run the court circuit through Nunavut communities.

Compare this to Nunavut's sister territory, the NWT, where 1,817 criminal cases were dealt with, over the same time period, by four territorial court judges and five Supreme Court justices.

It is by no means a secret, either, that Nunavut boasts higher rates of violent crime per capita than the rest of the country.

Both courts bring in deputy judges from time to time to lessen the load, but it's obvious from Kilpatrick's advocacy for more resources that this is not enough.

With a system already under that strain, it is understandable and fully justifiable that judges rap the fingers of lawyers who are sitting on cases or taking too long to even get the most basic steps started.

In the eyes of the public, the profession of law is held in high regard, yet its inner workings are mysterious. People don't often question the methods used in the administration of justice, they just look at the final outcome. We should, however, demand that our justice system be as efficient as possible, and its players bear that responsibility.

It's really judges alone who can publicly admonish a lawyer for disrupting the all-important and strained schedule of court proceedings.

However, Nunavut Justice Minister Daniel Shewchuk and his department should take note that lawyers taking their sweet time is not just a problem on its own, but the salt on the greater wound that is an overwhelmed justice system in need of more resources.

Crimes against humanity - it's hard to think of a more sinister indictment.

According to Weledeh MLA Bob Bromley, the territorial government fits the bill. The government is guilty of "crimes against humanity" because the GNWT's Greenhouse Gas Strategy concedes that carbon emissions will rise 100 per cent from 1990 levels by 2020.

That Bromley is surprised the floor fell out from beneath him as other MLAs around him shuffled in discomfort speaks to the gulf that exists between him and most other people on this issue. He may find broad meaning in the term but for most people crimes against humanity are synonymous with only one thing: being a war criminal.

Yes, people are worried about climate change, but they are also worried about the economy and their ability to cope with rising costs.

The Conference Board of Canada added to the worry this year with its gloomy forecast showing the NWT economy shrinking by 2.3 per cent as our territory's ageing diamond mines begin to wind down. It's a big brush stroke of black paint in the middle of an otherwise rosy picture, with relative boom times ahead for the neighbouring territories of the Yukon and Nunavut. Every worker we lose to them will cost us $27,000 in desperately needed per capita federal grant money.

It was only prudent that Premier Bob McLeod announce his government's intention to focus on the economy at the start of his term. For taking that apparently misguided direction, he and his government are committing "crimes against humanity."

But really, what does Bromley want the territorial government to do? When he states in the legislative assembly: "the actions required of government to reverse this impact (of climate change) are also clear and not debated," they are in fact anything but that.

Will a two cent carbon tax, as proposed by Finance Minister Michael Miltenberger last year, suffice or does the government need to punish energy consumers more? How about limiting medevac flights to reduce our carbon footprint? Or demand diesel communities halve their fuel use?

We're guessing now because while Bromley was quick to accuse the government of atrocities last week, he was a bit more circumspect about what sacrifices are needed to join the law-abiding. If such thoughts follow some of the more radical of the climate action ideas floating around out there - mass sterilizations, restrictions on travel, suspended democracy - he should say so.

Bromley's rash pronouncement will no doubt be viewed as bold and courageous by those committed to the cause of fighting climate change. For everybody else who expect calm and measured statements from our leaders it has diminished his credibility.

That's too bad because until last week Bromley was doing a pretty good job silencing doubts that he might be just a one-dimensional voice for the environment.

In fact, he was one of the most effective MLAs last term. He held the government to account on sole source contracts handed to former cabinet ministers, led the way on legislation to make "payday loan" companies fully disclose their interest rates, and brilliantly penned a critique of the proposed Wildlife Act that went on to defeat, in part, because of the strength of his arguments.

Bromley is passionate about the environment, we know. But he's not going to get a lot of cooperation or much accomplished making accusations best directed elsewhere in the world.

Monday was voting day in many municipalities in the territory as residents made their way to polling stations to help decide who will be at the helm of their hamlet for the next term.

In Fort Providence, however, the turnout for the election was incredibly low. According to the official results from the hamlet's returning officer, only 98 people voted out of the possible 567 residents on the voter list. That means only 17 per cent of voters made it to the polls.

Low voter turnout is not a new issue. It's a problem at many different government levels.

For example, the number of people who cast ballots during the Oct. 3 territorial election decreased by about 1,500 compared to the territorial election four years ago. The turnout was at 48 per cent compared to 67 in 2007.

In Yellowknife, the turnout was particularly low with just 34.2 per cent of voters casting a ballot in six contested districts, compared to 60.6 per cent turnout in the rest of the territory.

However, 34.2 per cent is still considerably better compared to 17 per cent. That percentage should be ringing alarm bells somewhere.

There are a number of reasons to be concerned. Firstly, 98 people chose five members of the hamlet council for the rest of the community. Ninety-eight people out of 567 is hardly enough to form a representative selection. If more people had voted, the outcome of the election could have been much different and, therefore, the council's direction for the next two years.

Another troubling question is why did so few people choose to vote?

If there is any election that people should make an effort to participate in, it's the one for the level of government that is closest to them and, therefore, most likely to have a direct impact on their daily lives. That answer, however, may touch upon the very reason voter turnout was so low.

How many people actually have a clear idea of what their municipal government, whether it is a hamlet or a village, is responsible for? How many people ever take the time to attend a hamlet or village council meeting to find out more about its role?

The answer to both questions is, likely, very few.

The incredibly low voter turnout in Fort Providence could be a sign the hamlet needs to launch an education and awareness campaign about what it does and the plans it has for the future. Increased communication with residents would probably benefit the other municipalities in the Deh Cho as well.

Like so many things in life, people have to be interested to participate. Elections are important, but it takes an effort from both the body that is being elected and the residents to ensure the process is meaningful.

Saturday night in Fort McPherson. Location: Community Hall. Purpose: An old-time dance.

Inuvik's Good Time Band is on the stage, water and pop are for sale and chairs surround the dance floor. Cornmeal is spread on the floor to prevent slipping and as people come in and grab seats, people switch from clunky, -40 C-rated winter boots into beaded slippers all the better to jig in.

The crowd ranges in age from toddlers and babies right up to the oldest and wisest elders in town. Teenagers, young adults, parents and grandparents are there – all ages have come out for this wholesome event. About 100 people prepared to jig, waltz and square-dance – and do they ever.

Newcomers don't feel too embarrassed by their lack of skills, while experienced dancers quickly move their feet and grab their partners' arms, guiding them around the floor in circles and all over. Jigging is a chance to show off, as couples take the floor on their own and girls have a chance to dance with any boy or man they choose.

It's a time to show off skills, to dance past midnight, to listen to music and display beautiful slippers. It's a chance to waltz with your loved one or spin with a friend, work up a sweat and learn something new.

For some reason, though, the old-time dances in Inuvik don't seem to draw the same crowds as in Fort McPherson. Maybe it's the larger population or the different options for what people can do on a Saturday night.

Shouldn't there be more dances, though? Back in the day in Inuvik, maybe 10 years ago, old-time dances were held every weekend, with 100 or more kids, teens and adults having a safe and fun family environment to go to. There's stories of teens who attended the dances and went home tired at the end of the night. When the dances stopped happening every weekend, the drugs and alcohol filled the gap. What else is there to do on a Saturday night? Maybe if there were more old-time dances, everyone could have fun in a good, healthy way.

Sure, some people may have snuck out for a drink or two at the McPherson dance, but they're certainly not getting wasted. Let's take it one step at a time. Bring back weekly dances or even monthly dances and let the community, youth, elders – and all in between – have good, wholesome fun. It's not outdated.

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