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Silence isn't the answer NWT News/North - Monday, November 26, 2012
These are scenes that have played out many times in NWT communities. Alcohol is commonly behind them. Statistics underscore a cause for concern. Forty-three per cent of NWT residents admit to drinking excessively (five drinks or more on a single occasion) compared to 12.1 per cent nationally. Among 15-to-24-year-olds in the territory, that number climbs to a whopping 64 per cent. Last week marked National Addictions Awareness Week. There were sober walks, traditional ceremonies, community feasts and numerous other events. News/North asked some community leaders for their thoughts on addictions issues. Wrigley Chief Tim Lennie expressed his opposition to having a treatment centre established in Yellowknife, an idea that seems to have political momentum behind it. Lennie is familiar with addictions. Not only does he see the fallout from others' struggles in Wrigley, he resigned from the chief's office in the past, making a public statement that he had lost control to his own inner demons at the time. He wants the GNWT to fund rehabilitation efforts closer to home. This is a stand sure to resonate with people in other communities that want drug and alcohol programming. In Norman Wells the liquor store now sells unrestricted quantities of alcohol after last year's plebiscite in which 53 per cent of residents voted in favour of eliminating limitations on booze sales. Sahtu MLA Norman Yakeleya, who acknowledged bootlegging was a plague in the past, said the increased alcohol flowing from the liquor store now is alarming. He is calling on the community to reconsider the lifting of restrictions, adding that other Sahtu communities are affected as more alcohol is shipped their way. Yakeleya is warning that the money associated with the coming winter oil and gas drilling season could create volatile conditions. Norman Wells Mayor Harold McGregor, on the other hand, didn't want to speak to News/North about the issue. His views would have been helpful. Whether banning alcohol is more effective than opening the taps from a policing perspective is difficult to assess. Crime statistics provided by the RCMP have been scant, other than a 17 per cent decline in crime in Norman Wells over the past year, despite the lifting of alcohol restrictions. That figure encompasses all crimes, but alcohol-related incidents account for a substantial portion. So that decrease is baffling but suggests open access doesn't affect addiction as much as other factors. Southeast of Norman Wells, Behchoko has had a prohibition on liquor since June 15, 2009. That makes Behchoko a dry community - in name only. "Even though there is a liquor ban, there are still lots of people drinking in the community," said one woman, who didn't want to be identified. Despite the extreme approaches - one community will sell as much alcohol as you can afford to buy while the other community has a ban on all alcoholic beverages - alcohol-fuelled social problems persist. Drinking liquor to excess is a problem people in our communities have struggled to overcome for generations. It is not going away anytime soon. But we can't stop fighting, and as part of that battle, we must keep talking openly about what's working and what's not, as we try to lead others to sobriety.
Increase fishery quota Nunavut News/North - Monday, November 26, 2012 With the Arctic Fishery Alliance looking for a bigger share of Nunavut's turbot fish quota, and strict rules on how to distribute that quota across the territory, we really just need a bigger pie. While Nunavut has its full share of Division 0A, basically from just below Qikiqtarjuaq to the northern tip of Baffin island, it has to split the turbot quota of Division 0B - from 0A down to just past the southern tip of Baffin - with the Atlantic provinces to the south. In 2011, Nunavut was allowed to fish 2,850 metric tonnes out of Canada's total quota of 7,000 for Division 0B, the region with a longer and cheaper operating season than the northern 0A region. Nunavut deserves 100 per cent of that quota. Whether it can fully harvest that at this point should not be a factor. By owning the quota, the territory could sell unused portions to the southern provinces on a year-by-year basis. It's ridiculous the Atlantic provinces reap the benefits of Nunavut's waters more than the territory itself. Most of the federal government's Northern economy efforts revolve around mineral resource development. While the financial benefits of mining are nothing to be scoffed at, the fact is it's a boom-bust industry centred around non-renewable resources. Fish are a renewable resource ripe for the picking and require little infrastructure. The fisheries industry only needs small craft harbours instead of roads, railroads and massive excavations. Fisheries professionals can be trained in Nunavut, and in many cases, on the job. They don't require degrees in geology and engineering. Rather than fostering this industry, the federal government has hamstrung it by sharing our quota with the provinces. With less quota to harvest, fisheries cannot get what they need to expand. At the federal level, the 0B quota must be transferred to Nunavut and investment should be made in small craft harbours. At the territorial level, the Nunavut Wildlife Management Board must relax its vague Inuit-ownership rules. Suggesting the Arctic Fishery Alliance isn't sufficiently under Inuit control flies in the face of the organization's all-Inuit board asserting they do, in fact, have a say in every policy and business decision. Even if there was an inordinate amount of non-Inuit control, the NWMB should jump at the chance to invest in a successful Nunavut fishery. Create the jobs now for Inuit to fill as they are trained and as the industry grows. The Arctic Fishery Alliance wants not only to pull in more fish, but to take advantage of tie-in business opportunities, especially in Qikiqtarjuaq, a hamlet it sees potential for as a service centre for the High Arctic turbot fishery. The fish are there, the opportunity is there. Now the feds have to give Nunavut the quota that it should have had since division.
Council rushes to pass budget Weekend Yellowknifer - Friday, November 23, 2012
Well, there is little doubt about that now, even if we take away the accounting trick that adds $9.8 million in amortization - not actual spending - to next year's budget. City councillors, six of whom are new, have three weeks to approve a budget that even the city's director of corporate services calls "unprecedented in Yellowknife." The public, meanwhile, has only this Monday's city council meeting to voice its perspective. Minus the $9.8 million, the city projects overall expenditures in 2013 at $74.6 million. In 2003, the figure was $35 million. Much of the added spending to next year's budget can be attributed to the $20 million loan for capital projects the previous city council approved earlier this year. Regardless of whether the size of this budget is justified, it would be understandable if the new city councillors wanted more time to review it. MLAs did just that after last year's territorial election, pushing the GNWT budget to May from its usual spot in February or early March. Robert C. McLeod, minister of Municipal and Community Affairs, would have been seen as unfair if he were to deny a request from council to extend its Jan. 1 deadline by a month to approve its budget. Alas, council took a pass on a proposal made by councillor Adrian Bell to seek more time. Fellow rookie Coun. Dan Wong insists a number of councillors are not "newbies at financial management," and council should just "get 'er done." Our experience over the past few years is that city politicians have been little better than a rubber stamp at budget time. Council managed to trim a mere $33,000 from this year's budget during deliberations at the end of 2011 but not a dime from the budget before that or the one before that either. During the 2011 budget deliberations, Heyck chastised fellow councillors who complained they didn't have enough time to approve the document, saying they were hypocrites for suggesting it wasn't "council's budget" after voting in favour of projects all year that affect city spending. Certainly an argument can be made that the 2013 budget doesn't belong to this council. Nonetheless, new and old alike, city council is pressing ahead with this one to meet the Jan. 1 deadline. We suspect administration doesn't have any problems with that at all. No one would have thought poorly of our new council for seeking an extension, giving them more time to thoroughly review this huge and very important budget, especially when several of them are doing it for the first time at a municipal level. By not seeking more time, our new council now risks seeming too rash rather than too clever.
Warning bark Editorial Comment Roxanna Thompson Deh Cho Drum - Thursday, November 22, 2012 A recent incident in Fort Liard is a timely wake-up call for all communities in the Deh Cho. On Nov. 10 a woman was attacked by at least two dogs, possibly more, while walking on one of the community's outlying roads. According to the RCMP, the woman suffered extensive injuries to her right forearm, legs and scalp. Dog-related issues are nothing new to most Deh Cho communities. Almost every community has struggled with issues ranging from controlling dog populations to loose dogs to enforcing dog bylaws where they exist. Stray dogs, particularly stray dogs forming into menacing packs, have been an object of concern. The worry, of course, is that a pack could attack and seriously injure a person. That is why the attack in Fort Liard is particularly noteworthy. The dogs in question weren't stray dogs, but rather dogs reportedly walking off-leash with their owner. As the RCMP investigation continues, more information may become available about what caused this attack and what could have been done to prevent it. In the meantime, community governments should be taking a close look at the state of their dog situations. What the Fort Liard incident has shown so far is that dogs need to be addressed in a holistic fashion. It's not enough to crack down on just stray dogs, because clearly they aren't the only source of potential danger. Much of the responsibility begins with owners. Responsible dog ownership is the first step in ensuring dogs and humans can live together harmoniously. It's important for governments, whether they are hamlets, villages or First Nations, to have dog bylaws or rules about dog ownership in place and the means to enforce them. The larger the community, the more extensive the rules can be. The ultimate goals are to prevent dogs from being mistreated and to ensure, as much as possible, that dogs don't pose a danger to residents. These rules and bylaws may, in light of the Fort Liard incident, need to include clauses about larger dogs being walked on leash at all times. It's important that the Fort Liard attack be looked at in perspective. Most dogs are wonderful pets and pose little if any danger. Both dog owners and community governments, however, have a roll to play in ensuring that communities remain safe. Hockey night in Inuvik Editorial Comment Danielle Sachs Inuvik Drum - Thursday, November 22, 2012 Sure the rest of Canada might be suffering because of withdrawal symptoms from the NHL lockout, but in Inuvik and other lucky towns in the North, hockey night is alive and well. The energy at the Midnight Sun Complex was amazing on Nov. 20. The number of people who came out to cheer on both the NHL players and hometown minor hockey heroes was memorable. Sure, the 375 tickets sold out very quickly, but the organizers made every attempt to open up the event for anyone who wanted to come. No ticket? No problem. The community hall was open both before and after the game for a meet-and-greet with the players. There was a community feast and a pre-game show by the Inuvik Drummers and Dancers, which included spirited participation by the NHL players. These world-class athletes weren't in the huge arenas they're accustomed to but it didn't stop them from putting on a great show and having some fun. This might sound crazy, but it seems Inuvik is getting a little bit famous lately, and in a good way. Hockey-starved communities can look to our community for inspiration. The NHL visit helped, but hockey was alive and well here even before that. You could see it reflected in the sharpened skates of all the youth who shared the ice, either during the charity event or during demonstration games in between. One of the players said it meant a lot to him to visit the Northern communities and he couldn't wait to share the experience with his friends and family back home. The game itself offered some of the cleanest hockey ever. There were hardly any penalties called and there was no fighting. It was way better than watching a game on television with countless interruptions including a long drawn-out rant by Don Cherry. As well, even though many fans are holding a grudge against the multi-million-dollar players and their billionaire bosses for destroying this hockey season with their labour dispute, these particular NHL stars have to be given credit for donating their time to a charitable cause – one that aids Inuvik Minor Hockey Association and First Nations children in sports and educational pursuits. Hopefully, for some of the minor hockey players this was only their first taste of skating with professional players, but not their last exposure to a good cause. Feds playing fast and loose with regulations Yellowknifer - Wednesday, November 21, 2012
As Weledeh MLA Bob Bromley said in the legislative assembly Oct. 25, Giant Mine "is probably the most polluted site in Canada," especially considering another severe blight, the Sydney, N.S., tar ponds, has been cleaned up. The federal government and the Giant Mine Remediation Team have been making progress toward a $449-million clean-up plan, which would see 237,000 tonnes of arsenic trioxide in 14 underground chambers frozen in perpetuity. Bromley said the underground poison is "enough to kill all life on Earth." This work has been ongoing for many years, and will continue for more to come. However, now on the front-burner is the 700 tonnes of arsenic trioxide contained in the roaster complex above ground at the former mine site. The Government of Canada now says the perilous condition of the roaster complex, and associated buildings, constitutes an emergency situation that requires immediate action. As a result, the government is seeking contractors and is awaiting detailed deconstruction plans, according to Adrian Paradis, acting manager of the Giant Mine Remediation Team. Public hearings were held in September but the Mackenzie Valley Environmental Impact Review Board has yet to issue its report. We suggest it is foolhardy for the federal government to push forward quickly with plans to demolish the above-ground structures in the absence of the report, even though Paradis has identified safeguards to be taken by the remediation team, including efforts to contain dangerous arsenic dust. It seems the federal government, by seeking out contractors, is playing fast and loose with its own regulations, and using inflammatory language in describing the state of the roaster building, to justify its intentions and hastened timeline. "They haven't even completed the (environmental) review and they're already proposing exceptions to it," Bromley said of the government's actions. Public safety, of course, should be the primary consideration. There will be no second chance if deconstruction of the roaster building, and the buildings attached to it, goes awry and potentially lethal arsenic dust escapes at such a level that residents in the city will be affected. The sudden urgency to dismantle the roaster seems similar to a situation in 2009 when the NWT Power Corporation threatened legal action against the NWT Land and Water Board unless the power corp. was allowed to immediately replace the Bluefish Dam, 20 km from Yellowknife. The NWT utility was warning of the "imminent" collapse of the 60-year-old timber dam if work didn't commence right away. The water board yielded to the power corp's intimidation. Yet replacement work did not get underway until 2011 due to mild weather disrupting winter roads. Environmental board scrutiny was brushed aside for nothing, as it turned out. On the Giant Mine clean-up file, Ottawa needs to follow its own advice and wait for the review board's report and recommendations before proceeding.
Fans turning against the players Darrell Greer Kivalliq News - Wednesday, November 21, 2012 The worm is turning in the ongoing lockout between the NHL and NHLPA, which is now perilously close to cancelling the entire season. For as far back as I can remember since arriving in the Kivalliq in 1998, regional hockey lovers always held the players a lot nearer and dearer to their hearts than NHL commissioner Gary Bettman and his gang of evil owners. But that no longer appears to be the case. Increasing numbers of people are speaking out against the players while talking puck with other hockey lovers, wondering out loud if any of them still care one iota for the fans or the thousands of people having their incomes devastated by the lockout. Some, who still side vehemently with the players, claim too many fans are simply jealous over the amount of money the modern NHLer earns. But I don't perceive that to be the case at all. The average fan doesn't begrudge the players a dime of what they make. What they have grown to dislike, however, is the growing sense of entitlement among the players, and just how many of them don't seem to realize how good they have it. Who cares if you can't sign a contract longer than five years in duration when you're making millions of dollars a year? The players have become so enamoured with themselves and their luxurious lifestyles that they're starting to believe the average hockey fan is not that swift on the uptake. The whole reason behind those silly long-term contracts was to front-load them in order to circumvent the salary cap, so spare us the silly rhetoric about players wanting 10-year contracts in the name of team continuity. In three separate online polls this past week that attracted more than 3,000 fans, the result was more than 85 per cent of the respondents didn't believe the players cared about the fans anymore. That's a big number! I have yet to hear or read any true fan suggest the players should just capitulate to every owner demand. Yet most of the demands the owners have put forward only have a dramatic impact on star players, and it's hard to feel sorry for a guy having to get by on $6 million instead of $7 million a year. The players also keep saying there's no real proof 18 of the league's teams are losing money, yet they offer nothing but weak insinuations of owners hiding money. NHLPA executive director Donald Fehr is also fond of saying the players "lost" the last round of CBA negotiations because of the implementation of the salary cap. But the reality is they've made great gains in salary since then, and the average NHLer has fared better than he would have in an open market. Again, only the star players would have benefitted more from the status quo and they're not exactly eating Kraft Dinner these days. The players also worry if they give into the owners' demands, they'll want even more next time. So, accept the 50-50 revenue split and the league's offer to 'make whole' the majority of their contracts for the next two years and sign a 10-year CBA. That way the game stays on the ice, big bucks stay in their pockets and, just maybe, the fans put them back on their hero-worship pedestals.
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