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The bigger garbage picture
Weekend Yellowknifer - Friday, March 16, 2012

Five years ago, the city unveiled a report on the types of solid waste going into the landfill.

Its findings were revealing, although not particular surprising.

The single-family residential sector only represented 19 per cent of the 9,001 cubic tonnes of waste handled at the city's solid waste facility in 2006, according to the report. The biggest contributor by far was the multi-family and small commercial sector. This group produced 59 per cent of the garbage; the large commercial sector was responsible for 22 per cent.

The report came a year after the city first imposed a limit of three 77-litre curbside bags on Jan. 1, 2006. Council also approved new fees for trash coming from multi-family dwellings and the commercial sector, charging $65 a tonne for waste - which has since been raised to $82.50 - and $30 a tonne for sorted recyclables.

Having a lower rate for recyclables, it was believed, would convince Yellowknife's landlords and businesses to find ways to reduce the amount of trash they were producing.

The city was planning to impose the two-bag curbside limit in 2007 but council begged off until this year, fearing a backlash from families who wouldn't be able to stay under the lowered limit.

People produce too much trash, and as the city's 2007 report demonstrates, not enough of it is being diverted from the waste stream and recycled. At the time of the report's writing, some 31 per cent of the waste heading to dump could be recycled.

Still, many house dwellers - especially those with large families who will need to buy $1 tags to put out extra bags when the three-bag grace period ends in two weeks - feel they've been unfairly targeted.

Lowered rates for sorting recyclables may provide apartment landlords with an incentive to put out recycle bins for their tenants, but what is the incentive for apartment tenants to use them, other than satisfying an environmental conscience?

We know residents in single-family units have a financial incentive to recycle but this is very difficult to quantify for people living in multi-family units.

It would be interesting to see how much the situation has changed among the various garbage-producing sectors since the 2007 study.

The city, meanwhile, has yet to roll out other important planks in its efforts to keep recyclable waste out of the landfill, such as banning cardboard from the garbage stream. The 2007 study found commercial cardboard accounted for 38 per cent of the trash entering the waste stream, and 14.5 per cent of that is corrugated cardboard.

Council talked about imposing a ban last spring but have yet to act on it. Whether council intended this to be the case or not, most of the focus on recycling efforts of late have been directed at single-family units. That's certainly the impression many of these residents have now as the two-bag limit starts on April 1, following a $2.50 a month increase in the solid waste levy on Jan. 1. That fee now stands at $14.50.

That's why it's important now more than ever that council shows it's looking at the bigger garbage reduction picture and not just the easy curbside pickings.


Winter fun
Editorial Comment
Roxanna Thompson
Deh Cho Drum - Thursday, March 15, 2011

It's that time of year again, the season of winter carnivals and jamborees in the Deh Cho.

Carnival season, which begins in March and trails into April, is one of the best parts of the winter. When the carnivals start, they are a concrete sign winter is drawing to a close. Your toes may still go numb while watching the traditional events outside but you can take solace in the fact that the weather has to warm up soon.

The carnivals and jamborees are, however, more than just a milestone on the way to spring. They are also a time-honoured way of drawing people together after a long winter.

The events at the carnivals – such as log tossing, tea boiling or the talent shows – are prime opportunities for people to shake off the winter blues, get out of their houses and visit. Not only do the events provide people with the chance to get together, but they also provide topics of conversation.

At the adult traditional games, whether at the Beavertail Jamboree in Fort Simpson or the Bison Jamboree in Fort Providence or any of the other ones in the Deh Cho, there is always a buzz about who will excel in which event. Neighbours eye each other up and try to determine who can throw a log the farthest or chop a block of wood in the shortest amount of time.

For some, the events offer friendly competition as they try to retain titles they have held in past years. Of course there's always the chance of an upset. An ill-placed blow of an axe or an unseen knot can add extra seconds to the log-splitting competition and change who will come in first, second or third.

Most importantly, the events are a lot of fun. After a long winter people are eager for something that will put a smile on their faces.

For both youth and adults, one of the most enjoyable events is the talent shows. People enjoy seeing their friends get up on stage and share their talents, whether they are singing, jigging or fiddling. A popular country song or a particularly fancy set of footwork is sure to draw cheers. Even those who get nervous and fumble a few lines are encouraged on with clapping.

The carnivals and jamborees are truly some of the best examples of community events that the Deh Cho has to offer. Of course, these events don't organize themselves.

A lot of work goes into each carnival and jamboree well before the events start. Residents of each community should be sure to thank the organizers for putting on their particular event and continuing the tradition of winter carnivals in the Deh Cho.


Generous gesture gives students guaranteed adventure
Editorial Comment
Katherine Hudson
Inuvik Drum - Thursday, March 15, 2011

I wish I'd had a bag of popcorn at council's committee of the whole meeting on Monday, because although Inuvik has no movie theatre, the experience was just as good as sitting in a Hollywood tearjerker.

There was no rich, orchestral crescendo as a soundtrack but the feeling was there as Coun. Vince Sharpe calmly offered to fill the financial gap of close to $5,000 so seven Samuel Hearne Secondary School students could get on a number of planes and travel worlds away to help out at an orphanage in Addis Ababa, in Ethiopia for two weeks.

This caring gesture was preceded by council offering the group $1,000 toward its goal.

The entire scene was played out perfectly, from council trying to remember if they had promised a plane ticket or $1,000 cash, to Zahra Khimji, teacher-adviser of the trip, joking in her timid voice that council could give as much as they liked.

The group only has a little more than two weeks to find the remaining money for the excursion, because they leave the country on March 28. The daunting task of fundraising $60,000 is now closer than ever – through a series of donations and events such as Saturday evening's African dinner and silent auction at the Royal Canadian Legion.

The dinner showcased the trip as a cultural experience – from the African finger food accompanied with a film of instructions on how to eat it, to an African dance by students taking a chance on the challenging but worthwhile experience.

After the $1,000 was decided upon, Sharpe said he'd cover the rest, taking out bills and counting them at the council table.

The collective gasps from Khimji, the students in attendance and parents showed the true surprise at the announcement along with the tears of relief and happiness that came after.

Although it turns out the students still have a little ways to go to reach their goal, a helping hand to bring their goal closer than ever will replenish the energy of that last fundraising push.

Do we need these grand gestures of generosity to remind us that great things can happen? Definitely not.

But the fact that the truly human response of shock, gratitude, and elation can find a home in Inuvik's council chambers and that one action can seal the deal for seven deserving students to go on a life-changing journey in itself deserves a standing ovation.


Exam results don't stand up to scrutiny
Yellowknifer - Wednesday, March 14, 2012

There are a number of ways to interpret standardized test results recently released for students in Yellowknife and other NWT communities.

Administered to Grade 3, 6 and 9 students each year in an effort to gauge how pupils are doing in the classroom, the results are listed in percentages for English and math. Students in the NWT write the same examinations as those given to students in Alberta.

Using a passing grade of 65 per cent, results are tabulated based on the percentage of students who achieve an acceptable standard.

Overall, it seems that students in Yellowknife are not doing too badly. In Grade 3 English, for instance, 80.4 per cent of Yellowknife students achieved the acceptable standard. Grade 6 English was even higher, with 86.7 per cent of students reaching the acceptable standard. In Grade 9, 84.2 per cent of students achieved the acceptable standard in English.

Math scores were lower, with 79.6 per cent of Grade 3 Yellowknife passing, 68.6 per cent of Grade 6 math students reaching the acceptable standard and, in the lowest recorded score, 53 per cent of Grade 9 math students in Yellowknife reached the standard.

Overall, as a result of looking solely at the percentage of students who achieved the acceptable standard, one might conclude that most students are learning English reasonably well and a majority of students are passing their courses in math, although there is room for improvement among Grade 9 students.

That said, we're more concerned with another statistic that was released along with the achievement test scores.

The percentage of students who were excused from writing the provincial examinations is significantly higher in Yellowknife than in Alberta, and even higher yet in NWT communities.

A document from the Department of Education, Culture and Employment states that school superintendents were given the authority in 2007 to excuse students from writing the tests if they are on an individual education plan or if they are working at two or more grades below their grade level.

The result is that student achievement test results are skewed because students who are already failing are not part of the equation. Therefore, achievement test statistics are not an accurate reflection of where the student body is in terms of academic accomplishment.

There seems to be a correlation between the percentage of students excused from writing provincial achievement tests and the number of those who reached an acceptable level. As mentioned previously, the highest percentage of Yellowknife students reaching the acceptable level was 86.7 per cent in Grade 6 English. But the highest percentage of Yellowknife students excused from writing the exams was also in Grade 6 English, at 20.1 per cent.

Obviously, a person who looks at the percentage of students who achieved an acceptable standard in isolation would not get an accurate reflection of how Grade 6 students in Yellowknife are doing in the classroom.

Further, we suggest Yellowknife educators place a high emphasis on giving extra instruction to those students who have been excused from tests. In our view, developing a strategy so that all students are learning at their proper grade level is more important than celebrating the success of those students who are achieving an acceptable standard, especially a standard that doesn't truly reflect our students' standing.


Paying a high cost for victory
Darrell Greer
Kivalliq News - Wednesday, March 14, 2012

One of the biggest discussions making the rounds, as we plow through the month of tournament season and hockey, hockey and more hockey in the Kivalliq, is how great an emphasis should be placed on winning at all costs?

Sounds like a simple enough question on the surface, but it's far more complex.

In no other sport - at least that doesn't involve one human being beating another senseless as its main objective - do emotions run as high as in hockey.

In many areas across hockey-crazed Canada, the need for victory is instilled in players at a very young age.

Stacking teams to win tournaments at every level is almost as much a national sport as hockey itself.

It's tough to argue against it when you're talking AAA minor hockey teams, then up through the university ranks to junior A and above.

A case can even be made for it when you're talking an area's top senior men's event, such as the Avataq Cup here in the Kivalliq, and, of course, when preparing for the Arctic Winter Games (AWG).

But the ice gets a lot choppier when you delve into the lower levels of hockey.

Let's be honest. How many communities would want to keep coming back to, say, an eight-team tournament if one team was continuously far superior to the others?

And how long would even hometown fans stay interested, watching their team win game after game by the 7-0 mercy rule, knowing in their hearts the other teams didn't stand a chance?

The rhetoric of why bother playing if you're not there to win loses all meaning when you stack the deck in your favour to the point where only divine intervention could change the outcome.

The game is far more exciting in lower levels when teams are evenly matched in competitive tournaments and players are coached to win, but not at all costs.

Coaching at higher levels of hockey comes with a lot more responsibility than simply putting another check mark in the win column.

That's especially true in areas such as the North, where the AWG represents the pinnacle of competitive hockey.

The problem with preaching accept nothing less than absolute victory is that the message also implies, by its very nature, that anything less than is absolute failure.

And an unchecked fear of failure (the loser tag) can lead young athletes to very dark places.

Team Nunavut's bantam and midget squads picked up numerous major penalties at this year's AWG, including a major hit to the head late in a game already lost and other actions that cast Nunavut hockey in a negative light.

And this is not the first year it's happened.

Such are the actions of players who are driven to win, but have not been taught how to lose.

Competitive hockey was never meant to be a passive sport, but numbers on a scoreboard should not hold the power to define a young athlete's sense of self-worth, nor undermine their love for the game or desire to compete.

Is the notion of competing hard, doing your best, having fun, accepting the outcome with dignity and taking pride in your effort really so disagreeable?

If, as hockey lovers, we can't find it in us to put character ahead of victory, we've already paid the cost.

A high cost indeed!


Community classrooms
NWT News/North - Monday, March 12, 2012

Numbers are part of math lessons in NWT classrooms, and numbers tell parents and teachers that what's going on in the classrooms isn't good enough.

Close to 65 per cent of students were at or above their grade level in English, while the story was a little better in math, where 69 per cent were equal to or better than grade level.

The figures, released a few weeks ago, were pretty well on par with last year. Smaller communities struggled compared to regional centres and students in senior grades fared worse than their younger counterparts.

As well, aboriginal students are only graduating at a rate of about 44 per cent, according to numbers from a few years ago.

In light of the persistently sluggish statistics, the Department of Education's deputy minister, Dan Daniels, told News/North that there will be greater emphasis on early childhood education and literacy programs.

We've heard those things before, and we understand why those are stated objectives.

Daniels also mentioned poor attendance, a common problem, particularly in the communities. This is undoubtedly a legacy of residential schools, which damaged parenting skills but also turned horrified aboriginal people against a formal learning environment because they were torn away from their mothers and fathers, their culture was degraded, their language was banned, their hair was shaved and many were physically or sexually abused.

That experience was not conducive to building trust, and it's going to take generations to establish a sense of confidence.

Schools have been taking some progressive steps by bringing in community members as classroom assistants and by having teachers from the south go through cultural orientation sessions. This helps them, to a degree, grasp the background of the Dene, Metis or Inuvialuit people, depending on the region. Retaining teachers for several years or more would help matters.

One factor Daniels did not mention is the controversial inclusive schooling policy, which leads to students with failing grades advancing with their peers for social reasons.

While those lagging in academics are not supposed to be recognized as having passed into the next grade level, we all know students who were pushed through the system. They may have come out with a diploma in hand, but they had no chance of being accepted into a university or college program in the south.

They were also ill-prepared to take on even the entry-level jobs they could find in their home communities. This does little good, and surely breeds frustration for the student.

We have stated it before and will make the case again - what the NWT school system needs is to hold tightly to academic standards while adjusting the timeline for a complete education to be accomplished.

If some students need an extra year or two to graduate with adequate comprehension of English, math and other literacy skills, so be it. As well, those students will have been exposed to on-the-land programs, having learned to fish and trap, traditional legends and the significance of plants and animals.

These are the young adults we must aim to produce, and we should not be fixated on doing it in a maximum of 13 years.


Harper should have brought another zero
Nunavut News/North - Monday, March 12, 2012

Every penny counts, and the $11.1 million the federal government recently invested in the Nunavut Arctic College is certainly not chump change, but it's still far from what's truly needed.

Nunavut Arctic College offers basic adult education in addition to its post-secondary and trades courses, and that is where the federal cash injection is aimed. The adult education courses are often referred to as pre-employment training, as it can often lead to first jobs for its participants. This funding, according to college president Mike Shouldice, will help develop and beef up the curriculum as well as expand online and distance education programs.

The investment is a good and necessary one, and Prime Minister Stephen Harper's personal visit to announce it raised the profile of a serious issue - the need for adult Nunavummiut who haven't finished their basic education to have the resources to do so. This ties not only into the economy, but addresses one of the main challenges recently identified with decentralization: a lack of qualified candidates to finish government jobs.

Mining and fisheries are two of Nunavut's biggest industries but government is still the territory's main industry by a long shot. Most jobs, especially at the community level, are in the public sector; while this is the case, decentralization is key to bringing income to Nunavummiut. There's an argument that it's inefficient to try and spread GN employment throughout the territory, but if the jobs are staying in Iqaluit and being filled by qualified southerners, why have government headquartered in the North at all? It could just as easily be based in Ottawa, but that's not what we want.

Nunavummiut need jobs, and need, of course, to be involved in the decision-making and governance of the territory. Obviously, education is essential for this to happen.

Our territory's employment rate for 2011 was close to 55.8 per cent, compared to the NWT's 70.7 per cent and Canada's overall 61.8 per cent. Fifty per cent of 20- to 24-year-old Nunavummiut in 2007-2010 did not have a high school diploma and were not in school. Without question, all available resources and encouragement should be given to them to do so, and it looks like Nunavut Arctic College is dedicated to providing this opportunity. Cultural barriers and the dark cloud of residential schools have historically cast a negative light on schools, but that is gradually changing. Inuit language and cultural courses are being taught across the territory, and there's a big push to increase their prevalence.

Now is the time for adults to go back to school.

Nunavut Arctic College operates on around $30 million a year. This $11.1 million injection - over five years - bolsters the bottom line a bit, but imagine what the college could do with $111 million.

Admittedly, that's just a little less than half of the Department of Education's total budget and definitely a lot of money, but with an investment like that, there could be an adult education centre in every community.

It's an investment that would pay dividends.

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