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As the city prepares to welcome the 40th annual Yellowknife Geoscience Forum next week, the GNWT and the feds should be ready to take the opportunity to mine delegates for insight into how the government can facilitate more resource development in the territory.

The sharp drop in mineral exploration spending in the NWT in 2009 that followed the global collapse of commodity prices appears to be rebounding, with an almost 30 per cent increase in spending last year. Natural Resources Canada anticipates a further rise, up to $124 million, by the end of this year.

Governments should encourage this momentum to grow.

Mining means jobs, not only those attached to the industry itself, but also throughout the transportation, hospitality and various service sectors.

The diamond industry alone accounts for a quarter of the territory's GDP.

Government efforts to improve the investment climate in the territory will help determine the scale of the apparent comeback in mineral exploration.

Meanwhile, the forum continues to grow, with more than 800 delegates expected to participate in this week's event. About half of the participants will be visiting from out of town.

All residents should do what they can to help welcome the visitors and make it known that the benefit of mining investment is appreciated and understood in the capital.

High school students and others looking forward to undertaking studies at a post-secondary education institution would be correct to be sorely disappointed with a lack of action by MLAs during last week's session of the legislative assembly.

Yellowknife Centre MLA Robert Hawkins brought the issue to the forefront when he slammed Education Minister Jackson Lafferty and other cabinet ministers for not setting aside one cent to create a stand-alone Yellowknife campus of Aurora College.

Hawkins said that, despite the issue being raised more than 30 times over the last five years, the territorial government has not only not set aside funds but it has not set wheels in motion to plan for a stand-alone campus in Yellowknife.

We recognize there are financial considerations related to creating a stand-alone campus and that there are real limits to the $75 million the GNWT has for capital infrastructure projects. However, it is unacceptable that the notion of a stand-alone Yellowknife campus is not getting any attention whatsoever.

It is all well and good that there is a new three-year rental agreement with Northern United Place so that the Yellowknife campus can continue serving more than 200 full-time students and deliver its successful four-year bachelor of science in nursing program, among its other offerings. However, there is room for expansion of its programs, especially in the areas of Northern studies, research projects and other disciplines that are currently only offered at universities in the south.

Continuing to use the shared space at Northern United Place should be seen as a temporary situation and efforts should be made in earnest to create a space for the hundreds of high-school graduates who would prefer to continue their studies in the North. Because we all know, once students go south to study, not all of them come back to contribute to the economic prosperity of the capital city.

It was interesting to hear social promotion being raised during the annual general meeting of Nunavut's District Education Authorities (DEA) this past month.

The DEAs want the practice stopped.

Much of the talk centred on student preparedness for post-secondary education or the workforce, as well as the "southern equivalency" of Grade 12 Nunavut graduates.

The Government of Nunavut took issue with the terminology, stating it supports continuous progress, not social promotion.

OK, but the problem with that is continuous progress focuses on elementary students. It's an alternative program that attempts to blend innovative new approaches with the best of traditional elementary school practices.

It's built on the cornerstones of continuity over a fiveyear period, multi-aged classrooms and families (two or three teachers and a group of students who stay together during the elementary years), a cooperative educational approach, and processoriented instruction -- some of which applies to current Nunavut elementary instruction, but most of which does not.

But, I digress.

There's been a long ongoing argument over the effectiveness of both social promotion and grade retention (failing students for a year). Retention edges out social promotion in most informed circles, but both are rarely endorsed.

Studies show grade retention provides next to no academic or social advantage.

Similarly, stacks of research also fail to show any evidence that social promotion offers any benefit to students.

Since we're not going to see a reduction in the size of Nunavut classrooms anytime soon, a number of our teachers probably realize the key to raising educational standards is more interaction and extended one-on-one contact with students, but have no idea how to provide that without moving their beds into the classroom.

American studies on countries excelling with their educational programs such as Japan, Sweden, Norway and Denmark -- where retention has become virtually extinct -- noted how teachers stay with the same students for a number of years and teach them multiple subjects.

The approach (known as looping) results in close relationships between teacher and students that result in overall school success.

Studies also show it's far better for educational systems to be proactive than reactive in dealing with underachieving students.

The best tool in that approach is a quality early childhood education program, which produces consistent positive effects on student achievement and grade retention.

The concept of social promotion does little more than retard a student's academic growth and provides nothing in terms of social benefits.

A Canadian study by high school teacher Michael Zwaagstra and University of Manitoba education professor Rodney Clifton concluded social promotion leads to weaker academic standards and unskilled Grade 12 graduates.

Advocates tend to focus too much on students who have academic difficulties, yet all but ignore those who just don't apply themselves. Social promotion sends the message to these kids that just showing up every day will earn them a diploma.

And that's absolutely the wrong message to send!

A new energy plan which would, among other things, seek to increase usage of the Taltson hydro electric power station is being drafted by the Northwest Territories Power Corporation.

Taltson is designed to generate 18 megawatts of electricity, enough to service 6,000 homes. Presently it only supplies power to approximately 2,400 homes, plus businesses and industry, in Hay River, K'atlodeeche First Nation, Fort Smith, Fort Resolution and Enterprise.

Taltson power costs about nine cents per kilowatt hour to produce. That's a base price before transmission costs are added in.

Selling the unused portion of the full 18 megawatts could bring the cost down to five cents per kilowatt hour.

One way of accomplishing this goal would be to connect the NWT power system to the continental grid and export power to the southern market. That would require more than 300 kilometres of powerlines to either Alberta, British Columbia or Saskatchewan. The energy plan will determine the cost of extending the power lines.

If such a plan went ahead, the power corp. believes two things would happen. First, Northern access to the continental power grid would replace costly diesel back-up generation in the larger communities on hydro generation. Second, it would potentially reduce power costs to Taltson customers.

"NTPC could purchase power from Alberta while its power is priced below NTPC's own cost to generate, saving the water for high-cost periods when NTPC would then use its own hydro. Overall, this would allow NTPC to operate like any other utility connected to the grid and operate more efficiently than it can today, ultimately lowering the cost of power to its customers," a statement from the power corp. reads.

So, if it proves to be feasible, such a plan could lead to cheaper energy and more reliability, a very worthwhile goal. We hope, however, the power corporation moves forward more openly and prudently than with the previous proposal to expand the Taltson dam and sell power to the diamond mines.

Former premier Floyd Roland often touted the benefits, but the mines, as everyone suspected and as it was later revealed, had no interest in being customers. A lot of money and even more staff time was wasted, much like Talston's excess power.

If this new energy plan offers significant savings and benefits for NWT customers as promised, then it is worth pursuing. But we hope enthusiasm doesn't cloud unworkable economics.

In the end, federal help may be required for stringing transmission lines south.

Acting naive just doesn't cut it anymore.

South Baffin MLA Fred Schell has attempted to defend a series of serious Integrity Act violations levied against him by saying he wasn't clear on the rules and it's "human nature" to lie. Schell has only proven it's within his nature.

The controversial MLA used his position as minister of Human Resources to single out two government employees, with whom he has historical personal issues, and attempt to affect their livelihoods, according to the integrity commissioner. Schell also lied under oath, and made several other violations of the basic tenets of the Integrity Act, such as failing to conduct his affairs in a manner as to maintain public confidence and trust in his integrity, objectivity and impartiality.

Schell had already been chastised in October 2011 for sending an intimidating e-mail to a bureaucrat in June 2009 while he was a regular MLA, to further his Polar Supplies business activity. Lo and behold, when Schell was given more power and authority, through a cabinet seat and three portfolios, he wasted no time in throwing his weight around.

During his first meeting with his deputy minister of human resources, the same month he was chastised for his previous integrity violation, he asked about an employee whom he had a grudge against. He would also single out another individual with whom he'd had a problematic personal history, and tried to assert that it should be his decision, as minister of human resources, whether that individual, a territorial government staff member, should be able to run for hamlet council. Schell did not express any interest in the 12 other GN employees who had been given blessing to serve on their hamlet councils.

Then, in perhaps the most egregious transgression of them all, he lied under oath when addressing one of those allegations.

There is still one year left before the next territorial election. If Schell doesn't step down, the MLAs can and must make a motion to kick him out. Why they haven't already made a motion to remove him from cabinet is a mystery, as he's been collecting cabinet pay without cabinet responsibilities since March. Integrity commissioner Norman Pickell left his recommended punishment at a $10,000 fine and a forced apology, saying Schell's departure would leave Kimmirut and Cape Dorset without territorial representation. A hastily-arranged byelection would be better than leaving him as a representative in the legislature.

Schell has abused the powers given to him as an elected official, and did so for his own gain. It would be unfair for his constituents to be stuck with an MLA who's proven himself to be corrupt and dishonest, without the chance to elect another.

The public expects elected officials to disclose their salaries but should bureaucrats have to reveal theirs?

That was the question raised by Yellowknife Centre MLA Robert Hawkins in the legislative assembly last week, who suggested if a GNWT worker makes more than $75,000 it should not be kept secret.

In some provinces, such as Ontario, Manitoba, B.C. and Nova Scotia, the discussion has essentially been over for some time. Salaries for senior employees in these provinces have been made publicly available, although in Manitoba legislators are debating whether its disclosure requirements - at $50,000 a year, which encompasses 40 per cent of the government's workforce - are too broad. Manitobans might be interested in how much money the province's comptroller makes but probably not so much her administrative assistant.

The same rationale applies in the NWT. Many of the territorial government's deputy and assistant deputy ministers have been with the government for many years and have filled several different portfolios over that time. Everyone knows the deputy minister's office is where the real seat of power is but compensation for individual deputy ministers - very generous for sure - remains hidden from taxpayers. Most, if not all, deputy ministers make more money than cabinet ministers, and some salaries would certainly be comparable to what territorial court judges make, who must endure a public vetting of their salaries every four years.

Senior management salaries at the GNWT range from $84,708 to $245,486 - that figure is available on the Department of Human Resources website. What we can't tell you is who is earning the maximum rates, or what their bonuses are on top of that.

Salary ranges for entry and mid-level GNWT employees and teachers are also publicly available. That we have an idea of what they earn ought to suffice. Deputy ministers and assistant deputy ministers have more responsibilities - and more perks - and thus their salaries should be made public like many other jurisdictions in Canada are already doing.

Keeping those figures hidden only reinforces they idea that the GNWT prefers to operate in secrecy.

Speaking of the need for transparency (see above editorial), outgoing city councillor Paul Falvo did not win his mayoral bid in last month's municipal election, but by voluntarily disclosing his campaign expenses to the public he has led by example.

Residents deserve to know where campaign money comes from. Such transparency inspires confidence in the system and also lessens perceived opportunities for political favours.

Mayoral and council candidates are not legally compelled to reveal how much their campaigns cost and they do not have to publish the names of those who footed the bill. That can easily change, however, if council has the political will to amend a three-page municipal election bylaw passed in August. The bylaw contains provisions that would allow the incoming council to enact regulations requiring donors to be made public.

Council should embrace the same strict regulations laid out in the Canada Election Act, which requires federal candidates to record the name of anyone who donates $20 or more to a campaign. Donor lists are made public in a timely fashion following the election. MLA candidates should also disclose their donors.

Mayor-elect Mark Heyck said he is prepared to reveal his donor list and campaign expenses at a future date. Because campaign donors in the latest council election did not do so with the full knowledge their names could be made public, it would arguably be unfair to push candidates to reveal donors' names this time around. Nonetheless, councillors and the mayor-elect should reveal their overall campaign expenses in the interest of transparency.

Council should then move quickly to make full disclosure mandatory for all municipal candidates running in 2015.

There is no denying the importance of preserving and revitalizing aboriginal languages in the NWT. There is so much history attached to every word and if languages are lost, then so is that knowledge and unique cultural heritage. More than that, knowing one's own language enhances social cohesion, self-esteem and personal identity.

For these reasons and many more we cannot stand around and let aboriginal languages die. That said, the GNWT has taken great steps to ensure it doesn't happen.

Last year the GNWT brought together leaders, elders, youth and educators from across the Deh Cho region to discuss ways to improve educational achievements among aboriginal youth. Part of the forum addressed aboriginal languages in schools.

Participants suggested that schools need to communicate that it is OK to speak the Dene language, language and culture should be connected through hands-on activities, that community members should be included in the process, and technology should be embraced to improve teaching of the language.

According to the Department of Education, Culture and Employment, the recommendations from that forum helped guide the aboriginal student achievement education plan. Within the plan, 23 action items have been identified and are now being completed, initiated or still require funding.

A number of other initiatives and funding opportunities exist to encourage the revitalization of aboriginal languages in the NWT.

The GNWT is doing enough to keep aboriginal languages alive. I think the government needs to finish carrying out the goals that have been identified and continue the programs already in place. But the rest of the job ultimately falls to the community.

The education system cannot be alone in preserving aboriginal languages.

According to the 2011 Statistics Canada report on aboriginal languages in Canada, 213,500 people reported an aboriginal mother tongue while nearly 213,400 people reported speaking an aboriginal language most often or regularly at home. This indicates the importance of being able to practise speaking a language at home.

As the old adage says, if you don't use it you lose it. This idea was echoed in the suggestions made during the Deh Cho education forum.

Youth said they needed community members to speak to them in Slavey and suggested it would be a good idea for there to be weekly community gatherings with storytelling in Slavey, hand games and opportunities to cook traditional foods. If communities want to see aboriginal languages flourish, they need to do more hands-on work, because currently the GNWT is doing its part.

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Comforting the community
Editorial Comment
Danielle Sachs
Inuvik Drum - Thursday, Nov. 1, 2012

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It's been a few days since the body of the late Paulousie Ittungna was found behind the Midnight Sun Complex.

There has been an outpouring of grief from the community. But with the grief came empathy. The true spirit of a community going through troubled times became apparent.

In a short time, the community mobilized to make sure Ittungna's loved ones know they have the community's support.

A luncheon, pancake breakfast and 50/50 draws are just some of the events being organized to raise money for Ittungna's funeral expenses. One morning of selling 50/50 tickets raised more than $1,000, with a few people saying they wouldn't want to claim their share, they would just donate it back.

Family members need to fly in and funeral arrangements made. And through all these arrangements, people are still grieving.

People may talk about all the problems in the North, but those people have never seen how one person can affect so many people in such a short time.

There aren't enough words to describe who Ittungna was to the people who knew and loved him and how he will be remembered.

A gifted athlete with the best music always ready to go, Kings of Leon and LMFAO being two recent favourites according to one of his friends. After calling shotgun for a car ride, Ittungna would plug in his iPad, always loaded with fresh beats and tunes, his friend recalled earlier this week.

He is being remembered as someone who never judged people and who didn't have a bad bone in his body.

He couldn't say no to any sporting opportunity and came back from the Arctic Winter Games without a single piece of Team NWT gear because he traded NWT garments for souvenirs from other teams.

Losing someone at any age and for any reason is hard. But this community is sharing stories and focusing on good memories together.

Through sharing memories, people support each other and gain strength for the days ahead. It won't be easy, but if anyone can come together, Inuvik can.

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