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No one can say relations between the GNWT and aboriginal groups have been stagnant since Bob McLeod was voted in as premier in October 2011. The most recent in a string of mended ties comes in the form of an agreement signed between the Akaitcho Territory Dene First Nations chiefs and the GNWT two weeks ago.

The intergovernmental agreement outlines a working relationship between the two governments into the future. McLeod said the memorandum of understanding is a "new approach to building partnerships ... with a spirit of respect, recognition and responsibility."

It is not the first outstretched hand McLeod has extended. He has also assuaged concerns about the devolution process with the Gwich'in Tribal Council (GTC), which could have boiled over into the courts. The council launched a court case against the GNWT last year over what members called a lack of consultation on the issue. But the situation calmed in September of last year when the GTC signed the Devolution Agreement-in-Principle. In December, McLeod met with the council to discuss issues affecting its people - a result of an intergovernmental agreement between the GTC and the GNWT.

McLeod has done more than any premier has to strengthen ties with the aboriginal governments in the territory and inform the public about his magnum opus known as devolution.

While these new relationships should be expanded to include legislative components, the partnership between the GNWT and aboriginal governments are growing relationships that can only help to strengthen the territory for all who live here. It should also be noted that any sort of negotiations travel along a two-way street and one entity cannot be expected to carry the responsibility alone.

The GNWT's efforts to engage aboriginal groups is commendable and is obviously being received well.

At the beginning of this current government's sitting in 2011, aboriginal leaders expressed relations with the GNWT were strained. The tides are turning and where this newly-fostered relationship will go, we will have to wait and see.

From the sound of concerns coming from Ulukhaktok's health centre, one could be led to believe residents were requesting translator services in Mandarin.

Currently, there are elders who are being left in the dark when it comes to their medical care, due to the fact they speak Inuinnaqtun. The health centre's interpreter retired about two years ago after 30 years of service and now no one on staff is able to properly communicate important health information to unilingual elders.

Inuinnaqtun is an official language of the NWT. One of 11, actually, including English and French. According to the Official Languages Act, the public has a right to communicate and receive services in an official language spoken in that region of the territory if there is a "significant demand" for it. It also points to situations involving health care as reasonable circumstances to provide service in an official language outside of English or French.

If there was a lack of translator services in French throughout Canada, the government would be taken to court. It is the people's legal right to acquire information in a location's official languages.

The GNWT touts the importance of invigorating aboriginal languages in the territory, by providing programs in schools and developing apps for smartphones, meanwhile elders in a small community are so stressed that they are avoiding going to the health centre at all.

The Ulukhaktok Community Corporation has sent multiple letters pleading for support to the Beaufort Delta Health and Social Services Authority, the territorial health minister and the region's elected official, and the responses the corporation receives are in the form of empty promises.

The issue at hand has been mulling around reports for years, with no progress made. How many more letters crying for help must the community write before the elders feel they can explain their health concerns and get the help they need?

It has been a long time in coming, five years to be exact, but a master plan for Nunavummiut to make the most of the tourist market is finally ready.

Tunngasaiji: A Tourism Strategy for Nunavummiut was tabled in the legislative assembly last month after extensive work by at least six organizations, including the territorial and federal governments, representatives of Inuit beneficiaries and special interest groups, including Nunavut Tourism.

Besides improved communication between the six primary organizations involved in the tourism industry, the strategy calls for legislative and regulatory renewal, including creating a tourism act for Nunavut.

However, of more importance is the realization that, in the five years the strategy was being developed, there has been a marked increase in the number of cruise ships and privately owned yachts visiting coastal communities.

The large boats are coming North because there is more open water, the ice breaks up earlier and more people have an interest in seeing the Northwest Passage, once beyond the reach of ordinary people.

We see a huge potential for communities along the Nunavut coast to take advantage of opportunities presented by these visitors.

Tourists not only want to view the rich scenery and experience the long hours of daylight, they also want exposure to the culture and traditional lifestyle of Inuit.

That's why the fourth pillar of the strategy is so important. It calls for education and training initiatives.

Part of the reason for the success of the Arviat Community Ecotourism Initiative to date has been a result of the advance effort to organize cultural performers and train people in the community to create a program for tourists.

Make no mistake, providing a happy experience for tourists takes special training and special people. It's not something everyone can do. It requires a firm grasp of both human nature and Inuit culture, along with patience and diplomacy.

Many Nunavummiut have such traits but they also need to be educated about what tourists expect and how the Nunavut experience should be delivered for maximum profit.

As the five-year Nunavut tourism plan moves forward, we see rich rewards, particularly through the growth and development of attractions, products and services, to improve the quality and quantity of the Nunavut experience.

The well-travelled myth that gas prices in Yellowknife are largely determined by the suppliers down south was firmly put to rest last Friday.

Jeff Kincaid, business development manager for the Yellowknife Co-op, was crystal clear in his explanation as to why his store's gas prices suddenly spiked to $1.469 a litre for regular gas Friday morning before quickly dropping back down to $1.389 later that afternoon.

Gas prices were raised then lowered because that's what the other guy did, he told Yellowknifer, adding, "Our mandate is that we're competitively priced on the market."

The co-op endured much of the blame earlier this year when gas stations south of the Mackenzie River and in Fort Providence followed national trends and lowered their prices while the cost of gas at the pump in Yellowknife remained unchanged, as it has been for the better part of two years, at $1.389.

The logic follows that since the co-op gas bar is owned by its customer membership then it should be setting its gas prices as low as possible for the benefit of its members. This in turn would force other gas stations to follow its lead.

But as co-op general manager Ben Walker said in March, even with a nine cent per litre discount for members, 60 to 65 per cent of Yellowknife motorists still get there gas somewhere else. And Walker quite rightly points out, being a co-op doesn't mean it should not seek to maximize profits for its members.

The opening of the Deh Cho Bridge adds a new wrinkle to this tale, however. The timing of last week's momentary gas hike and the Department of Transportation-instituted weight restrictions on commercial traffic seems more than coincidental. One can only hope this isn't a harbinger of seasonal price hikes much like what occurred when the first load of gas crossed over on the Merv Hardie ferry following spring breakup.

One of the selling points of the Deh Cho Bridge, after all, was the price stability it was supposed to bring with seasonal shortages supposedly now a thing of the past. Alas, that apparently is not the case now that shipments on transport trucks crossing the bridge are to be reduced - by 75 per cent last week - because of softer road conditions on Highway 3 in the springtime. The same day gas stations were toying with higher gas prices the Extra Foods stores were running out of milk.

This latest scenario comes as shocking news to Yellowknifers. Indeed, it was even a surprise to bureaucrats within the Department of Transportation itself, including its spokesperson who had only found out the day before he announced the road ban. It's really unacceptable residents were not informed this would happen prior to this spring after all the years of controversy surrounding the bridge. Certainly, it erodes the bridge's appeal among Yellowknifers already leery of rising prices due to the tolls charged to commercial traffic to pay for its construction.

On Wednesday, Yellowknife Centre MLA Robert Hawkins was back in the legislative assembly demanding that GNWT regulate the price of gas, such as what occurs in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick.

However, Jason Parent, with petroleum industry consulting company The Kent Group, said earlier this year that overhead and administrative costs needed to regulate gas prices and expenses would be costly to the point of providing no benefit at all.

Yellowknifer has another suggestion, at least as it relates to the soft condition of Highway 3 in spring and the need for road bans: give stores and gas stations more advanced warning to prepare for the spring melt so they are not caught off guard and can stock up ahead of time.

That way gas stations won't be able to use the road ban as an excuse to raise prices at the pumps, and residents won't be wondering what the point of building the bridge was in the first place.

Lakes and rivers abound in the Deh Cho. The Liard River and the Mackenzie River are iconic parts of the region and almost every Deh Cho community is located beside them or another waterway. With so many bodies of water, it is only natural that lakes and rivers play important roles in the lives of many Deh Cho residents.

The waterways are a means of transportation between communities and outlying cabins and a source of food including fish and waterfowl. Waterways also serve as a site for recreation. Many Deh Cho residents like taking boating trips for fun either alone or with their families.

While waterways can bring enjoyment and convenience to life in the Deh Cho, they can also bring death and mourning. In the past few years, there have been a number of fatal accidents on rivers around the region.

On July 13, 2008, Jim Paul Klondike was operating the outboard motor on a homemade skiff on the Liard River travelling towards Nahanni Butte. He presumably fell overboard at some point and his body was later

found in 2009 on the banks of the Mackenzie River near Tulita.

On May 30, 2010, Isidore Lomen fell into the water of the Liard River south of the confluence with Beaver River while hunting a moose. His body was later found near Fort Liard.

On May 27, 2011, elder William Betthale fell out of his canoe into the Petitot River while setting fishing nets. Betthale wasn't wearing a life-jacket and was soon presumed drowned.

Most recently, a boating accident on May 22 near Trout Lake led to the death of a 77-year-old woman.

There are slight difference between all of these cases, but the similarities they share are deaths on the region's waterways and families that are left mourning a loss of loved ones taken too soon. As people begin taking their boats out for the season, it's a time to remember that even people who have spent all their lives on or near the Deh Cho's waterways need to follow proper boat safety rules and regulations.

It's easy to become complacent about boat safety if you are just going for a little trip or have been on the river or lake so many times before you can't even count them.

All of these accidents, however, show things can quickly go wrong even for experienced boaters.

Although the cause of this most recent accident is not yet known, it is important for everyone to stay safe on the water by wearing life-jackets and adhering to other boat safety practices. This can help ensure that other Deh Cho communities won't have to face similar losses because of accidents on the region's waterways.

A few weeks ago I spent some time discussing the dismal state of communication between various quasi-government organizations, the media and the public. At that time, I was critical of how public servants have been muzzled by control-freak policies.

Last week I encountered another absurd example while attempting to clarify the details of an order to clean up a derelict property that's been a public eyesore for years.

I had contacted Rick Lindsay of the fire marshal's office to track down some of the information on the order that was based on an inspection he had carried out.

Lindsay was co-operative during a conversation over the telephone, even saying he didn't believe there was any problem with providing a copy of the order.

He suggested I walk over to his office in the new GNWT building to talk about it further. In the 10 minutes or less it took me to wander over, Lindsay had talked to his superiors in Yellowknife, who told him that he wasn't allowed to provide any information or comment.

Lindsay, who has been in the position only since January and said "he didn't know any better," was abjectly apologetic about the situation, which clearly didn't sit comfortably with him. However, the matter was out of his hands.

He provided me with the contact information for the communications director with the fire marshal, who then arranged an interview with spokesperson Stephen Moss.

Moss would speak only in nebulous generalities about the orders from the fire marshal's office, and cited department policy that forbade any details being given out. He then said that a copy of the order could be obtained through a freedom of information request. He didn't respond to my comment that this didn't represent "transparent government."

The situation grew even more absurd when the Town of Inuvik, which has a copy of the order, also wouldn't release it. That's in spite of the fact that it was Inuvik senior administrative officer Grant Hood who informed the Drum the order had been issued.

So, due to a secretive government department or two, and policies which compel public servants to shut up whenever they're asked a question about a public matter, we're left in a bureaucratic limbo.

This is a matter of public safety in relation to an abandoned building which could potentially go up in flames. The public has a right to know that this danger exists.

Simply put, this is unacceptable.

Yellowknife's two school boards are considering an increase to the education mill rate on property taxes next year.

Such a change could raise the mill rate to 4.87 from 4.64 mills, representing an average property tax increase of $47 a year.

Yellowknife Catholic Schools and Yellowknife Education District No. 1 (Yk1) had planned to increase it this year. However, Yk1 did not schedule a meeting with ratepayers to discuss the issue before the deadline stipulated by the NWT Education Act.

Catholic board chair Simon Taylor characterizes a mill rate increase as a necessary evil as his district anticipates a deficit this year. Yk1 has recorded a deficit for the past two years.

The rationale for the increase is fluctuating enrolment, according to Taylor and Yk1 board chair Allan Shortt. While tax revenues have been steadily rising for most of this decade, the number of students in Yellowknife has been slowly decreasing.

The GNWT contributes 75 per cent of the districts' budgets. That figure is tied to student enrolment which was on the decline between 2006 and 2011. The Catholic district's share of property taxes has also fallen during this time.

The drop in Catholic school enrolment tax share in recent years possibly corresponds with a hardline taken by former Catholic boards, during which vaccinations for the human papillomavirus (HPV), a sexually transmitted disease that can lead to cervical cancer, was banned in 2009 and internal board controversies abounded, including a brief push to ban non-Catholics from running for board positions.

The present Catholic board has begun to resurrect its reputation. It approved HPV vaccines for its schools earlier this year and has seemingly put staffing disputes in the past.

If the Catholic board can attract a greater share of students and entice ratepayers to send their money its way, it will stem the trend of dropping revenue due to fluctuations in enrolment.

The buck stops with the school boards. If a mill rate increase is approved for next year, trustees will have to be accountable to the families and business owners.

If an increase is not essential, it is not necessary.

It is beyond time Yellowknifers had 9-1-1 emergency phone services available to them.

After 11 years of feasibility studies and political pandering, it is unclear why the essential service has yet to become reality. Meanwhile, residents are losing out.

Implementing 9-1-1 services was first explored by the City of Yellowknife in 1992, and then again in 1998. Both initiatives failed for financial and technical reasons.

The idea was resurrected in 2000, when a fatal snowmobile accident prompted the chief coroner of the NWT to ask city council to re-consider the three-digit dialing service.

What did that push result in? Yet another study, this time titled the Final Report of the City of Yellowknife 9-1-1 Feasibility Study and Implementation Analysis, which was released in 2004. Once again, this $47,500 study - paid for by the city and the GNWT - was shelved. This time because the RCMP declined to take responsibility for setting up public service access point services.

However, the idea has refused to die and, in 2007, the City of Yellowknife contracted yet another study, which cost $125,000 and was released in 2009. At that time, establishing 9-1-1 services in Yellowknife and six other communities - reaching 77 per cent of the territory's population - was expected to cost $1.29 million annually after an initial start-up cost of $1.02 million.

In May 2009, then-city-councillor Mark Heyck told Yellowknifer he was hopeful there would finally be closure on this issue. The city would apply to the GNWT for funding, he said, which would finally resolve the dispute one way or the other.

Fast forward three years and what has happened? Absolutely nothing.

At the last sitting of the legislative Assembly, MLA Wendy Bisaro inquired about 9-1-1 services and was told the city's application was never received.

Without the political will, there is little to no chance emergency phone services will ever become available.

Last week, James Anderson, the plaintiff in a $6 million class-action lawsuit against Bell Mobility for collecting 9-1-1 charges even though residents do not receive the service, told us he is "ashamed" that our politicians are not fighting for the people on this issue.

We agree.

It's time for politicians to stop studying the issue to death and start doing something about it.

Whether it's the literary domain of fiction or nonfiction, or the world of daily news, the printed word to this humble scribe remains the most informative, illuminating, adventurous and sometimes seductive means of accumulating knowledge.

Those who spend free time scouring the Internet to keep up with current affairs, often raise their eyebrows for a multitude of reasons.

Wellwritten and informative articles can release a cascade of emotions within the reader, from jubilation and sadness to outright disbelief.

We can revel in triumph, rejoice in victory or share in sorrow and loss.

We can be angered or placated, excited or calmed, made curious or educated by the words before us.

And, we can agree, disagree, or be made to change our opinions on the strength of the argument put forward by the writer or journalist.

Of course, there are also times when something meant to be newsworthy is laughingly redundant.

This past week, University of Toronto professor Richard Powers claimed the Government of Nunavut (GN), seemingly, took a step backwards with its transparency and accountability.

Seemingly? Please!

For those who care about such things and everyone should this is not news.

If a line graph was used to track the GN's move towards being less transparent and accountable during the past five years, every line would point straight up, ever higher, from the baseline.

Powers voiced his concern over changes the GN recently made to the Integrity Act, removing an independent party from the process of deciding what actions should be investigated by the integrity commissioner.

The good professor suggests that maybe, just maybe, rewording the act so now only a minister or the premier are allowed to decide what is a valid enough complaint to be taken forward to the integrity commissioner for a review, could be an attempt by the GN to minimize or limit the number of investigations that actually go to the commissioner.

Either that, he implied, or the integrity commissioner simply doesn't know what he's doing.

Considering we have a government bleeding money from a steady stream of bad decisions, ill-conceived and/or unrealistic policies, and self-serving back-room deals brought to you by consensus governance, and we'll go with the former explanation for the change to the act.

The cone-of-silence approach to governance has become rampant in Canada, and it has brought this nation nothing but scandal.

And, the GN seems to be following Prime Minister Stephen Harper's three-page playbook of gouge (see Sen. Mike Duffy), try to fix behind closed doors (see changes to tabled report on Duffy's expense claims) and deny (see Harper's denial of any knowledge of a $90,000 cheque given to Duffy by his chief of staff to repay improperly claimed expenses) to the letter.

Given the GN's fixation with Ottawa's way of doing business, and the track record of a number of MLAs during Nunavut's brief history, and it's no mystery why our MLAs would vote in favour of closing the shutters ever further from prying eyes. You simply can't read anything good into that!

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