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It surely must seem odd to some supporters of the Yellowknife Catholic school district that its board of trustees would risk so much to remove two of its most-liked and senior employees during an election year and as ratepayers are deciding which schools to support with their tax dollars.

It's a question we've asked ourselves. As our editorial on Jan. 27 pointed out, the board's penchant for controversy in recent years has hurt both its bottom line and enrolment numbers.

Although chair Mary Vane alluded to the board's dilemma with reporters afterwards, she didn't offer an explanation to the nearly 300 people who filled the St. Joseph School gymnasium Jan. 18. They wanted to know why the trustees intended to dismiss superintendent Claudia Parker and Johnnie Bowden, the Catholic district's assistant superintendent of learning and former long-time principal of St. Patrick High School.

The lack of information explains why even after the board backed down on three motions to terminate Bowden's contract and not renew Parker's, trustees found themselves backed into a corner yet again at last week's board meeting. Some people in attendance Feb. 15, including former Catholic board trustee John Dalton, called on Vane and vice-chair Gerda Hazenberg to resign.

Dalton's indignation has been well-documented but we wonder how much thought he and others who have been voicing their outrage as of late have given as to why the Catholic school board would go through all this grief to wind up in a worse position than it was at the start of this mess?

Although the Catholic school board hasn't been discussing these personnel matters in public, there is no evidence to suggest anything untoward is going on at all. The board may very well have had a good reason to want a change in administrative leadership but privacy rules prevent them from discussing the issue openly.

Board members surely did not run in the last election for great personal benefit. The board chair receives an annual honorarium of close to $10,000 a year; trustees get $7,500. In this city, a trustee is essentially a volunteer position.

The board should have handled this situation better but the fact that none of the seven board members have broken ranks on this issue tells us something about the seriousness of their resolve - albeit they buckled under relentless pressure from the public.

Vane herself said board members knew the issue would cause a "heartfelt impact."

Last week, Vane told Dalton and another protester, Dan Stockton, she would send them letters to answer to some of their questions. These answers may or may not work their way into the public sphere.

One thing is for sure, to have the chair and vice-chair, or the entire board resign as Dalton demanded at the Jan. 18 meeting, won't improve the governance of Yellowknife Catholic Schools from now until October's municipal election.

Perhaps Dalton and others unhappy with the way the board is being run feel they can do a better job. If so, they should allow their names to stand for a school board seat this fall.

The conclusion of a judicial review has added another layer to a complex situation unfolding in the southwestern portion of the Deh Cho.

Those who have been following the developments will be familiar with some of the basic details of the story. Back in July of 2008, Acho Dene Koe First Nation (ADK) in Fort Liard signed a framework agreement with the federal government allowing the First Nation to negotiate its own lands claim apart from the Dehcho Process.

The Nahanni Butte and Sambaa K'e Dene Bands raised concerns because the traditional lands of the three First Nations overlap. The two bands, who joined together to negotiate the issue, said it would be impossible for ADK to receive the settlement area Canada had offered including surface and sub-surface rights to 6,474 square kilometres, without infringing on some of their traditional lands.

Negotiations between the ADK and Trout Lake and Nahanni Butte to settle the issue between themselves soon broke down. Trout Lake and Nahanni Butte maintained that ADK didn't want to negotiate with them, a point that ADK denied.

For its part, ADK said the boundary of the traditional lands it had established couldn't be changed because it was created by community elders. The issue was further complicated by potential future usage of the land in question.

ADK has always been more favourable to oil and gas development, while Nahanni Butte and Trout Lake have sought to have portions of the overlapping land designated as protected areas through the Dehcho Process.

The issue moved into the courts last November when the Nahanni Butte and Sambaa K'e Dene Bands filed an application for judicial review of a decision by the minister of Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada not to consult with them, despite a request for consultation, until after a an-agreement-in-principle was signed with ADK. Now a federal justice has ruled that Canada was indeed in the wrong and that the two bands must be consulted before an agreement is signed.

The ruling will undoubtedly put some of Trout Lake and Nahanni Butte's fears to rest but will do little to improve relations with ADK who will see their negotiations towards an agreement delayed as a result.

In a region where land and culture are intertwined and there is a lot at stake for all of the parties, it's unlikely that there will be a happy ending to this situation. No matter what consultation takes place and what final result emerges, at least one and possibly all of the parties will be upset and dissatisfied at the end.

The conclusion of the judicial review is a step forward but it will be a long, arduous path before the overlap situation is settled.

For an event as big as the Inuvialuit Regional Corporation Cup, it is heartening to hear that the jam-packed hockey weekend went off without a hitch.

There were no brawls off the ice, and none too dirty on it. Security was present to extinguish any scuffles, and, if there were any, they subsided as quickly as they developed.

The RCMP said there were the same amount of incidents as a regular weekend, just with a few more people in town.

The growth in population was noticeable, from the colourful spread of trucks in the Midnight Sun Complex parking lot to tables filled at the Mackenzie Hotel for Sunday brunch.

This tournament was a great example of how successful the region can be when everyone supports their neighbouring towns.

People of all ages could be seen in the stands – older women and men in colourful parkas and little babies miraculously sleeping in their mothers' arms through the din of hundreds of people from all over the Beaufort Delta cheering on their teams.

The interesting circumstance at this particular hockey tournament was the synthesis of all the teams. A father from Tuktoyaktuk watched his son play for Northwind – Inuvik's champions. Family members would be rooting for cousins playing one against the other. The camaraderie and intermingling of all the communities involved was powerfully apparent.

The borders of a community in the Beaufort Delta do not end where the hamlet's or town's boundaries do.

Families spread throughout the region, making a hockey tournament such as the IRC Cup only aggressive when it came to skills on the ice, and the contest of clanging and cheering from the stands.

Tournaments sometimes bring out the worst in players and fans alike – emotions run wild when the stakes are high.

This past weekend, however, was more of a reunion of friends and family, a time for sharp skills to take to the ice and affable competition to spice things up.

This year's IRC Cup proved good, clean fun is possible at a major sporting championship thanks to the athletes, the fans and the organizers.

Outside of one mishap involving a Griffon helicopter clipping high-voltage power lines from the Snare hydro generating station there is a lot to consider regarding the presence of the Armed Forces in the Northwest Territories for Exercise Arctic Ram.

The incident that plunged the city of Yellowknife into darkness for two hours during the evening of Feb. 13 and fortunately did not result in loss of life among the chopper's three occupants, has generated many a conversation around town.

But the exercise entails so much more. Based in a large encampment at the Sand Pits outside of Yellowknife, the 17-day operation which ends Feb. 26 involves about 1,500 personnel operating in a 300-kilometre area that stretches to Gameti.

The Northern deployment has been a long time coming for the Canadian military, whose resources have been stretched thin in recent years with the conflict in Afghanistan, including the deployment of four Canadian ships to the Persian Gulf, plus humanitarian missions in Haiti and other parts of the world.

This is the largest Northern exercise of its type since 1987 and is very important as a demonstration of Canada's Arctic sovereignty.

The Harper government has made the North a priority area and the exercise is vital to ensure troops and equipment can operate in sub-zero temperatures.

Exercise Arctic Ram is essential to test the readiness of Canadian Forces to operate in the North. And, although the military caused an inconvenient power outage, it also demonstrated the vulnerability of Yellowknife's infrastructure.

It is our sincere hope that the objectives of the exercise are realized and that the Armed Forces return to the North again to maintain preparedness and continue to establish Canada's sovereignty.

Women and their children who are homeless or at-risk of being homeless need our support to escape the street and pursue healthy, productive lives.

Thankfully, last week Housing Minister Robert C. McLeod announced $2.3 million in funding for the planned Betty House women's transitional home, a YWCA-run facility being designed to provide refuge, support services and training programs for women and their children who lack stable shelter or who are trying to rebuild their lives after fleeing violence. There are plans for six spots for single women and 18 spaces for women with children.

The GNWT's contribution, along with funds previously committed by the federal government and BHP Billiton, brings the amount raised to almost two-thirds of the estimated price tag, which is upwards of $6 million.

The territorial government was right to commit substantial funding to the project, which will help ease some of the responsibilities borne by Yellowknife. In addition to having the highest population in the territory by a considerable margin, the capital attracts many people from other communities, including some individuals and families who require special resources and support to thrive.

While MLAs celebrated McLeod's funding announcement, Yellowknife Centre MLA Robert Hawkins and Frame Lake MLA Wendy Bisaro identified a lack of consultation between cabinet and regular members on the issue. Projects such as Betty House require co-operation from all levels of our community, and cabinet should heed the call for increased consultation.

Imagine being told a great story of Toronto being burned to the ground, and the glow from the American cities of Washington, D.C., and Buffalo, N.Y., being engulfed in flames bright enough to bathe the horizon in an amber neon of destruction.

Detroit surrenders to an invading force without firing a single shot, and a handful of naval vessels bring a powerful fleet of warships to its knees.

Obviously a work of fiction -- you might think right from the get-go -- and probably the latest Hollywood blockbuster on marauding alien invaders or the ultimate armageddon of the world via nuclear warfare.

And, if the story does have any actual basis in fact, it is, no doubt, loosely interpreted by Tinseltown screenwriters who place far more emphasis on dramatic effect than any historical reference.

If the person then goes on to tell you the story also features Canada kicking military butt and emerging the victor against impossible odds, you'd probably be rolling around on your carpet caught up in fits of uncontrollable laughter.

Imagine, then, the surprise to learn not only is the tale totally based in fact, it actually happened right here in our country 200 years ago.

It is known as the War of 1812.

The federal government is going big on the bicentennial of the War of 1812, which directly led to the birth of our nation and is looked upon by many historians as being just as significant in that birth as our nation's ultimate Confederation in 1867. True, we were still under British rule at the time, Toronto was known as York, and the vast majority of those who defended Upper Canada (Ontario) were recent American immigrants, but it was the 1812-1814 conflict that provided the spark of a true Canadian identity.

The English were at war with Napoleon Bonaparte at the time, and it was their decision to intercept American ships as part of a blockade against Europe that led to the Americans declaring war.

At the time, former U.S. president Thomas Jefferson remarked that the conquest of Canada will be a mere matter of marching.

Long walk!

History is often more dramatic than the work of the world's best fiction writers, which is one reason why a good book will almost always trump a great movie.

It's astounding to realize at the outset of the mostly forgotten war, one of its still recognizable heroes, Maj.-Gen. Sir Isaac Brock, was in command of a mere 1,200 British troops and a handful of Canadian settlers and First Nations combatants.

Standing against them was a nation of more than seven million.

It might also surprise a few people to know one of the true Canadian heroines from the War of 1812 was none other than Laura Secord.

Secord warned the British of a coming American attack that led to their huge victory over the Americans at the Battle of Beaver Dams.

We have the privilege of living in the most wonderful country in the world, and we owe a great deal to a host of long-forgotten names who answered the call to arms 200 years ago.

A riveting tale on the process of a nation's birth that, hopefully, will rise to prominence once again through bicentennial activities.

A sweet story, indeed!

The RCMP announced on Feb. 2 it had taken an estimated $750,000 worth of drugs off Yellowknife streets after a raid on Jan. 20. Strangely missing from the press release were the names of the two individuals charged with crimes ranging from possession to trafficking.

It was later revealed one of the accused is Brittany Beaulieu, the daughter of Health Minister Tom Beaulieu. Sgt. Wes Heron, a spokesperson for the Mounties, initially told News/North the names were withheld so as not to impede the investigation, although charges had already been laid. Several days later, the names of the individuals charged were released to News/North by the prosecutor but the RCMP was still not confirming the identities.

RCMP Insp. David Elliott said the police force's policy is usually to release the names of those accused after formal charges are laid and only if doing so would not interfere with an ongoing investigation. If that were applicable here, why was the Crown providing the information?

We don't know that this was a case of favouritism but when the charges relate to the daughter of a prominent territorial politician, such a perception can easily be created.

To compound the issue, Beaulieu's co-accused, Alexander Mackenzie Smith, was named in an earlier press release after charges were laid in relation to a drug bust in January 2011. In that case, the quantity of drugs seized was actually considerably less. There are other examples where names have been included in public dispatches dealing with a variety of alleged crimes.

If the latest example did follow policy, then the Crown and the RCMP should improve communications so as to not jeopardize future investigations. Otherwise the RCMP should make every effort to ensure those accused of the same types of crimes are treated even-handedly.

Social housing in the NWT is not working, evidenced by more than $13 million in arrears. Much of that money will likely never be recovered, considering the sum includes rent owing by tenants no longer in the system.

The GNWT took steps earlier this year to impose a moratorium on evictions to give tenants who are behind on rent an opportunity to negotiate a repayment plan. However, last week the legislative assembly heard not a single tenant had made any such arrangements.

It is a difficult situation. Close to 65 per cent of those in social housing pay less than $100 a month in rent, according to the NWT Housing Corporation. These are people living off social assistance money. In those cases, the system makes little sense, paying the government with rent money it is collecting with one hand while doling out income support with the other is illogical. For those tenants the government must stop wasting resources chasing after rent and include housing costs in its social welfare program, taking the cost of rent right off of welfare cheques.

In the case of the 35 per cent of tenants who reported income, those arrears must be collected. If the tenants refuse to negotiate a repayment plan, the government should hand the files over to collection agencies to begin recouping losses.

The legislative assembly is reviewing its housing policy and part of the review includes changes to the rent scale. For those who are reporting income, that scale should limit rental rates to 32 per cent of a renters' income, a benchmark the Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation states as the maximum affordable level for housing.

Unemployment rates are high in the communities and social housing is a necessity as we try to combat homelessness and overcrowding, which makes evictions an unrealistic solution.

It is time to write off the losses concerning those who are not making an income, collect what is possible from those who are, and redraft the housing policy to reflect realities in the communities.

No one would be surprised to hear Nunavut's dropout rate is the worst in the country - but take a look at how stark the difference is between here and the rest of the country.

According to Statistics Canada, 50 per cent of 20- to 24-year-old Nunavummiut in 2007-2010 did not have a high school diploma and were not in school. Compare that to 30.1 per cent in the NWT or 15.5 per cent in the Yukon. The highest dropout rates in the provinces over that time period were 11.7 per cent in Quebec and 11.4 per cent in Manitoba; the lowest were 7.4 per cent in Newfoundland and Labrador, and 6.2 per cent in British Columbia.

It is plain to see the decline is sharp once one leaves Nunavut. What isn't so plain is why that is the case. Yes, Nunavut has its social problems which definitely extend to its children - but school can be a safe haven from a troubled home. Education is free and available to all. Many of the North's teachers are diligent and ambitious, and truly care about educating their students.

What these students need to learn, and see proof of, however, is that it's worth it to spend 13 years of their life in school to get a high school diploma, and possibly invest more time to further that education.

It can be tough to find a job, particularly a career-building position, in a remote hamlet of a few thousand people or less, unless there happens to be a mine nearby, but even those jobs aren't for everybody.

As for the opportunities in the south, many Nunavummiut want to stay in the territory to be near friends and family, and with the land they love.

If they want to stay, they look at existing employment opportunities here and realize a good number of them don't require post-secondary education or even a high school diploma. Labour and retail positions can often be had with less than a Grade 12 education.

This is why economic diversification in Nunavut and special training programs, like the Akitsiraq law program - the second round of which was squashed by a lack of government funding - are so essential.

Education is also important for a sense of history. Problem-solving learned in the classroom helps youth function in the world they live in. Literacy and reading helps them understand themselves and others, and how to effectively communicate their feelings.

There are exciting programs starting around the territory aimed at improving attendance - on-the-land courses for those who are drawn more to that skillset, community involvement programs, more opportunities to learn in Inuit languages. We will see how these pan out, but the effort is certainly being made.

Regardless of success on those fronts, the federal government must look at the disparity in dropout rates around the country and pump money into bringing more jobs North; although education is its own greatest reward, the incentive of employment and income is perhaps the greatest way of ensuring it happens.

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