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There is little doubt that there is a lot of excitement and energy surrounding Yellowknife's burgeoning farmers market scene.

The first one was held last night at Somba K'e Civic Plaza, and although crops of locally-produced beans and carrots are bound to be sparse this early into our Northern summer, there will surely be some good stuff filling the merchants' stalls as the season progresses.

The excitement, however, appears to have overburdened the good judgement of city administration, which last week recommended city council offer up 720-square metres of public park space in Frame Lake South's Parker Park so a group of hobby farmers could have space to grow herbs and vegetables, which they could then sell to the public.

The proposal included a greatly reduced lease fee of $100 a year for five years - it would be $3,920 a year without the rebate - and a declining property tax abatement over the same period of 20 per cent each year, with the first year's taxation amount of $1,030 a gift. The city also proposed installing additional water lines going to the park at a cost of $7,000.

The idea didn't sit well with at least one city councillor. Niels Konge quite rightly wondered about the wisdom of offering businesses - even co-op businesses - "subsidized land." It's one thing to set aside land for non-profit community garden plots for people without garden space at their homes - as the city is in the process of doing with two additional parcels of land at Moyle Drive and Trails End - but it's quite another to hive off public park space in the heart of suburbia and lease it out for a song - even if the people involved are not likely to get rich from it any time soon.

The sight of unhappy neighbours - most of whom expressed support for this new gardening enterprise, just not next to them - was enough to scare off the rest of city council.

Mayor Mark Heyck vowed the city would help the Yellowknife Commons Collective Ltd., as the group is called, find a new location. In this endeavour, Yellowknifer supports him. But we suggest avoiding the residential areas that are bound to breed conflict.

There is a whole swath of vacant land along the Engle Business District corridor the city has been thus far unable to sell. It would seem much more palatable to offer the garden collective land at a reduced rate there than trying to convince neighbours of the public good such a venture would create within public green space.

A commercial garden in the Engle Business District might actually attract other businesses to set up shop there. Talk about a win-win situation: a greener city and more tax dollar greens in city coffers.

It's amazing to think, at this time of the year, so many folks across the Kivalliq would e-mail or phone me to discuss or ask questions about a hockey-related issue.

Yet, in they came after Hockey Canada announced the ban of bodychecking at the peewee level this past month.

To anyone else wondering if that actually means there can be no hitting at the peewee level in the Kivalliq, especially at the Powerful Peewees event in Rankin Inlet, that's exactly what it means!

The only way you could hold a peewee tourney now with bodychecking would be to go the outlaw route, with no sanction permit issued from Hockey Canada.

And, believe me, you don't want to do that.

The funny thing is, up until about the past five or six years, I would have also been upset by the ban on bodychecking at the peewee level.

But, I have come to change my mind on that for two reasons and now agree, emphatically, with Hockey Canada's decision.

First, as a Level 4 official and Branch Referee-In-Chief for Hockey North, I've really come to notice a big size difference between a lot of kids at the peewee level.

Skilled at the art of bodychecking or not, it's near impossible for a kid giving up six inches and 70 pounds to another player to be able to absorb even a clean hit without being hurt.

Add in the number of players - albeit a small number - at that age who get "hitting fever" and are trying to hurt the players they check, and it's a recipe for disaster.

The second reason is the number of atom players who've been on the ice during peewee tourneys the past few years in Rankin (yes coaches and organizers, we zebras do notice when you do that).

I've often been plagued with guilt during a tournament that allows bodychecking with peewees and atoms both on the ice, and thank the hockey gods no atom player was seriously injured during games I officiated against my better judgment.

I'm glad to be done with the whole situation.

My only reason for pause on the decision comes from the numerous comments left on hockey website chat boards or at the bottom of numerous news stories on the ban.

Many remarks were left by people in the medical profession along the lines of checking isn't safe at any level, it's a start and there's still a ways to go.

The thought of banning bodychecking at every level up to junior is, in my opinion as a guy who's been around hockey for half a century, a ridiculous notion.

It will eliminate the late bloomers from elite play, and further alienate young athletes who are attracted to the physical side of hockey.

I'm still waiting to see this, supposed, huge spike in the number of kids playing minor hockey as a result of lowering the physical aspect of the game and starting streams of no-contact play.

The number of peewee-aged kids who stated on the record the decision "sucks," should be a big red flag for those who think also eliminating it in bantam and midget will get more kids playing this new hybrid version of what used to be hockey.

But, for now, the decision to ban bodychecking from peewee is a good one.

For the sake of the game, let's hope that's where it ends.

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.

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