It's about time for Fort Simpson residents to head to the polls to decide what councillors they want to represent them, but before voters put pen to paper and check those ballots it’s important to know about the candidates and the issues important to them.

In this election there are 15 people running, each with a varying amount of political experience. Over the past two weeks Deh Cho Drum spoke to the candidates and found out what issues they plan to focus on if they’re given a seat on council.

Some of the topics discussed were a lack of youth activities, more roadwork needed, property taxes, economic development and riverbank erosion. All the issues brought forward are undoubtedly valid but with the GNWT tightening the purse strings to avoid hitting its $800 million debt ceiling and an unemployment rate of 8.6 per cent across the territory according Statistics Canada the new council will have to be smart about what issues they decide to tackle in the upcoming years.

On everybody's radar should be riverbank erosion. If left unchecked, the village could lose important infrastructure -- the Northwest Territories Power Corporation facility, the water treatment plant as well as the village's water intake pipe – to the river. Currently, the village has commissioned an engineering report on the state of the bank to find out how serious the situation is. From there, Fort Simpson will need to appeal to the territorial and federal governments for help financing a solution for this problem. Governments aren't known to move fast on anything and there is no doubt someone will want more reports done on the state of the bank before any work is started. For that reason, it's important that council be on top of this issue and not let it fall to the wayside.

Property taxes are another issue council should be looking at tackling for obvious reasons. No one likes giving their hard-earned money to the government but taxes are needed to help pay for services in the community and it's only fair that everyone contribute. Last year the village decided to get aggressive about recovering the $600,000 it was owed in overdue property taxes and that attitude should continue.

Finally, instead of committing to build new infrastructure, councillors could start by looking at current services and how they can be improved. One suggestion a candidate had was for the village to find ways to improve the rec centre to ensure that the facility is used more. This could be a good place to start.

In any event, there are a number of other items and problems council will have to prioritize. If residents want the issues important to them at the top of the list then they'll have to find the right councillors to represent them.

Checking in with as many municipal candidates as possible was interesting. Even more interesting was the varying responses when asked what the biggest issue facing Inuvik is right now.

I expected the same response from everyone – energy costs. But, while flipping through some of the answers, it seems there are a lot of different things on people's minds.

Sure, the natural gas issue came up often. But there was also vandalism, homelessness, security of the elderly and infrastructure (including the Inuvik-Tuk Highway).

Once you went away from the candidates and spoke to people on the street, the issues became even more varied, including bridging the gap between what Inuvik was and what it is becoming.

I can't talk about what Inuvik was and we can only speculate on what it is becoming, but it was an interesting thought.

Even in the past three months Inuvik has changed. There was an influx of Canadian Forces members who set up for Operation Nanook. They spent money in local businesses, bars and restaurants. They bought souvenirs from local artisans and helped with different projects around town.

Then they left.

But that's OK. As more than one candidate mentioned, Inuvik is a resilient town and filled with people who will survive through hard economic times and good economic times.

Residents need this reassurance. It's easy to think dark thoughts, especially when the days are getting shorter and the snow is piling up.

The community has to know that there can only be so many bad days and uncertainty on the horizon before things do get better.

This is why the all-candidates forum is important. Think of it as less of a debate. There are only two mayoral candidates, which historically get the most attention. But town councillors outnumber the one mayor.

What they have to say is equally important. But what you as a resident have to say is even more important.

It's easy to think about what's going wrong. But think of all the things that go right. Everyone has a wealth of information and different areas of expertise. Look at what the community has done in the face of trouble. Even just recently a citizen patrol group has started and a food drive is around the corner to help the food bank get up and running again.

Think of the candidate's forum as a roundtable discussion. It's another chance, besides casting your ballot, to have your voice heard.

In what's been symptomatic of a larger problem, Yk MLAs postponed the final joint meeting with existing city councillors, scheduled for Oct. 9.

This decision left a couple of city councillors frustrated, citing a delay in progress on issues such as crime, addictions and the need for a treatment centre, as well as eliminating a chance for councillors to communicate issues they want MLAs to raise during the next sitting of the legislative assembly, which starts on Oct. 17.

Our next city council needs to be fully aware that while they work for us, the residents of Yellowknife, Yk MLAs should also be working for residents and for councillors.

We need politicians in the legislative assembly raising important issues such as why the Department of Municipal and Community Affairs has the authority to force the city to spend $22 million to build a water treatment plant.

That project adds to the burden as the city struggles to keep up with costs to replace and repair roads, sidewalks and water and sewage pipes. The city is projecting a deficit of $74 million by 2016 in trying to tackle these items.

The new water treatment plant wouldn't be so difficult to accept if Yellowknife suffered from poor drinking water, but by all accounts our water quality is excellent.

Beyond the water treatment plant issue, the GNWT has not made any commitments to maintain long-term funding for the day shelter, a place for the homeless to go. The territorial government has decreased the yearly amount available to the shelter to $125,000, down from $375,000 - and the Department of Health and Social Services is only making that pledge year to year.

On a related note, GNWT representatives have missed several meetings of the Social Issues Committee, which the city chairs. This results in serious issues being neglected, particularly those relating to downtown drunkenness and homelessness.

It's not acceptable.

There's also been questions over how ferociously city MLAs lobbied the federal government on behalf of mobile home dwellers in Northland, who are absorbing steep costs for water and sewage repairs.

The Oct. 15 election is for mayor and council, but Yk MLAs should be paying close attention because their willingness to go to bat for this city should be a top agenda item for our next council.

There are many low-income families and individuals in need in Yellowknife.

Putting items in good condition and good working order at the dump's salvage site is not going to get such items in the hands of those who need them most.

Yet that is Public Works and Government Services Canada's policy when it comes to household items from military quarters in Yellowknife. Last week, some dump salvagers came across a bunch of goods cast aside by the military: dining room sets, cutlery, a kettle, an iron, a vacuum cleaner, glassware and much more.

Lt. Paul Pendergast, a spokesperson for Joint Task Force North, said the items are handled that way because they're deemed damaged - undamaged items are sold through an auction. He also said dropping them off at the salvage site prevents the perception of the federal government favouring one group over another.

But the salvage area favours those with a vehicle, allowing them to access it and transport the items back home with them. The needy are at a disadvantage.

In addition, the items left at the salvage area are exposed to rain or snow and can easily be damaged by people carelessly dropping off other items.

The federal government should rethink this policy. Public Works and Services Canada could surely find a central facility where these items could be picked up twice a year. The department could also place a "to give away" classified ad right here in Yellowknifer, free of charge.

What took place this past month in Arviat is, unfortunately, the type of scene that plays out all too often in our wonderfully modern and technically advanced world.

Hearing of someone striking a teenage girl with their vehicle, and leaving her badly injured on the side of the road leaves one shaking their head in disgust over the unfeeling barbarism of the act.

It hits even harder when it's a community right here in the Kivalliq.

After all, this isn't Toronto, Vancouver, Montreal or some other large metropolis where the vast majority of its denizens have become totally desensitized to such news.

They hear reports of heinous acts on their home or car radios every day of their city-dwelling lives.

But we're supposed to have a true sense of community here in the North.

We, popular consensus will have you believe, are far more compassionate towards our fellow human beings.

We go out of our way to help people in distress, even if we don't really know them.

In fact, that sense of pride, warmth and caring is one of our calling cards and an integral part of what makes us feel kind of special.

But, as Dylan sang so many years ago, the times they are a changing.

In a world where people text habitually, converse on numerous Internet sites and use computer dating services to find that special someone rather than risk actual human interaction, we risk becoming a perpetual Me Generation.

About half of all marriages end in divorce, and ever increasing numbers put their own wants and needs above all else.

In short, many have become their own biggest fans and nothing is more important than what they want.

Endless books on self-worth and self-image sell by the millions, as do literary masterpieces on how to pick-up women without even trying or how to make the man of your dreams want you madly.

Sadly, when the importance of self rules the thought process, pureness of spirit falls to the wayside.

And that has consequences, even in our wonderful Northern world.

Too many, in our bits-and-bytes-driven society, are out of touch with the one common denominator that binds us all, our humanity.

Better to fear what we don't understand, push our beliefs rather than accept those of others, allow governments to cloak in secrecy, and judge, persecute and reward based on colour rather than substance.

Believe it or not, such disconnect does lead to a young girl lying on the side of the road in someone's doomed attempt at self-protection.

But it's not too late.

Fortunately most of us do believe our communities are special and we still do make the right choices, no matter how difficult they are.

Try as it has, the me-first-at-all-costs mentality has not taken control of our region.

That's why so many Kivalliqmiut truly felt utter disdain upon hearing what happened in Arviat.

But it's an ongoing battle that will only get tougher as, slowly but surely, Northern technology catches up with the rest of the country and tries to eat away at our humanity.

It's a struggle we can't afford to lose because once we decide to put ourselves ahead of all others, only two words remain to text - game over!

Money is coming to the Sahtu, big money.

If predictions about a recent oil and gas find in the region and plenty of related exploration hold true, tens or hundreds of millions could be added to the region's economy - everything from oil and gas wells to new roads, jobs and supporting businesses.

As a result of what Mayor Dudley Johnson describes as a boom, it's likely the Sahtu's population will increase. At the very least, more jobs will be available to Northerners and that means more money being funneled into the local economy.

It's vital people in the Sahtu be prepared for the positives and negatives that come from a booming economy. Training will be key.

Although the GNWT is responsible for ensuring educational opportunities, individuals have a personal responsibility to prepare themselves for employment. Filling a maximum number of jobs locally is necessary to realize the full benefit of the boom, otherwise the money will fly south with import workers.

While more money means families will be better able to make ends meet and possibly add a few luxury items to their lives, it also comes with risk.

Booming economies also tend to attract an increase in social ills, such as more drugs and alcohol. Support programs must be available not just to treat people who lose their way but to educate them before they succumb to addictions and poor choices. Something as simple as financial management courses could go a long way toward curbing potential problems.

Some municipal election candidates in Norman Wells have also suggested the town should reinstate liquor restrictions. Although they say problems in Norman Wells have not increased since the restrictions were lifted on Feb. 1, they are concerned with the effects the increased volume of alcohol is having on neighbouring communities.

If that is the case, more money in the region could further exacerbate the problem. It's definitely an issue to be examined closely.

Despite the potential risks, good things are coming to the Sahtu and a little preparation will help the reduce any potential harm.

Six communities in the NWT will go to the polls on Oct. 15 to select their municipal government for the next five years.

We encourage residents to vote to help choose their next council and mayor.

Municipal government, whether we like it or not, has a considerable impact on our day-to-day lives. Where people might not use hospitals or police services every day, they do use roads, water and, often, recreation facilities.

All of the elections have a mix of incumbents and new challengers running for an opportunity to serve the community. It's your responsibility to select the best person for the job. The more people who vote, the better chance the best council and mayor will be chosen. So know the issues and understand what each candidate is offering.

Then, on Oct. 15, exercise your democratic right and help choose who will decide how your hard-earned tax dollars are spent in your community.

The Iqaluit municipal election is fast-approaching, and Iqalummiut should take this time to think about the direction in which their city going.

The big-ticket issue for the Oct. 15 election is, of course, the proposed aquatic centre. Ratepayers will vote whether to give the city permission to go $40 million into debt to finance the project. The new council will be charged with either beginning construction with permission to borrow or, if ratepayers vote no, trying to find alternate funding for the project, or scrapping it all together.

It's unfortunate that only property-tax payers will be able to cast a vote in the borrowing referendum, as the increases in property taxes the project would cause will undoubtedly affect rental rates around the city; regardless, it is important that everyone eligible casts a vote.

The aquatic centre should not be the only issue on the minds of voters. One only needs to take a drive through the booming plateau subdivision to see Iqaluit is expanding, and if Baffinland's Mary River iron ore project forges ahead, the pace of growth will surely accelerate further. It's up to Iqalummiut to elect the candidates they think are most fitting to manage that growth - keeping an eye on infrastructure needs, services needs and developing land with a keen eye for what the city might look like 10 or 20 years down the line.

Municipal politics can be a boring mess of bureaucracy and formality, and the public certainly doesn't show up in droves at city council meetings, but now is the time to get involved and get educated as to what the issues are.

It's in your hands, Iqalummiut, to choose what kind of city you want to live in.

The departure of Alexina Kublu from the role of languages commissioner leaves a perhaps daunting position for her successor.

Kublu has left on a high note. Legislation was recently enacted requiring municipal governments to provide services and documents in Inuit languages. Though most, if not all, hamlets were already offering services in Inuit languages, putting this law into effect was an important move to make sure things stay that way. She also held the position when the Nunavut Official Languages Act was given Senate approval and came into effect.

Though her tenure has been well-decorated, her successor will be faced with the uphill battle to make Inuit languages the languages of business and governance in the territory.

With mining companies entering the territory from all around the world and many government staff positions being filled by southerners who have moved north to work - most often only temporarily - making Inuktitut or Inuinnaqtun the default tongue is a daunting task. However, it's vital to Nunavut that this becomes the case.

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