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At the end of last month, residents of the NWT learned how their children were measuring up in terms of classroom achievement.

Students in Yellowknife may have landed among the top communities in the territory when it came to Alberta Achievement Tests, but given the results, that isn't saying much.

For English language skills, by Grade 9, one out of five students in the city is reading below their grade level. The same goes for math skills

Historically, the rate for both has been rising in the territory. But, over the past five years there has only been four per cent increase.

Attendance rates look good on the outside, sitting at an average of 89.1 per cent, until you take into account that this amounts to a half day of classes lost every week, or nearly four weeks of classes each year, according to the Department of Education Culture and Employment. That's a lot of work to be catching up on.

At the end of the day, slowly rising test scores do not matter if a Yellowknife student is looking to go to a post-secondary institute in the south and is stuck needing to take supplemental courses to get their academic levels up to snuff.

Terry Brookes, a Yellowknife Education District No. 1 school board trustee, is right when he says the results of the tests must be used to drive improvement in educational programming. Presently, he is not convinced that is what is happening. Although his idea to tailor learning to each individual student is a noble concept, it is a bit of a pie in the sky. However, we do agree with the sentiment that test scores should improve each year, which should be the ultimate goal of administering the achievement tests.

The curriculum needs to be updated to suit the current educational climate. If students are not learning what they need to be, then change the learning environment so that they do.

Students learn best when they care about what's being taught, so having a curriculum that speaks to the Northern way of life and is relevant to city students, whether they are aboriginal or non-aboriginal, is important.

It is vital that our students achieve at a level that not only demonstrates they are meeting grade level but also that they are prepared for higher learning. If a Yellowknife student chooses to head to university or college, they should have the credentials to be accepted into the program of their choosing. The need for further upgrading is a frustration that has the potential to deter students from pursuing a post-secondary education.

The North is in need of home-grown professionals, tradespeople and other skilled workers. The first step toward that development is education at the kindergarten to Grade 12 level. If achievement testing is not advancing the goal to improve student achievement, then perhaps it is time to do what student Alannis McKee suggests -- find alternate tools for evaluation.

NHL legend Mark Messier's comments on the state of minor hockey in Canada earlier this month show, all too vividly, the mixed messages sent out by the perceived leaders of the sport when they talk about revitalizing the game.

Messier, who's helping Hockey Canada and Bauer Hockey Inc. in their efforts to get more children to play the game, was stunned to learn about 90 per cent of Canadian families don't have their children in hockey.

In an independent survey of 875 such families in Nova Scotia and Ontario, the top reasons given were too time consuming, affordability, the game isn't fun and safe.

In his support of the Grow The Game global initiative -- started in 2012 by Bauer and supported by Hockey Canada in hopes of adding one million new players over the next decade -- Messier advocates the importance of having a place for children who want to play hockey for fun.

Yet, at the same time, he points to Canada as the king of the hill of hockey and says if we want to stay there, we have to continue to develop our talent pool.

Messier doesn't want youths feeling like failures if they can't make AAA teams.

Which is great, except for the fact he also believes if we keep them in the game, maybe some will grow the passion necessary to play at intense levels.

So, which is it?

Are we simply trying to come up with new ways to allow more children to play hockey just for the fun of it, without having to worry about making the big teams in their area?

Or, are we trying to get these children playing so we can cherry pick the ones who develop the skill set and love of the game necessary for elite-level play?

There's more than a few in the hockey world who see the venture as a way of growing registration fees back for Hockey Canada to open yet another centre of excellence, and help cover the high costs of its numerous elite -level training programs for players and coaches.

Bauer, while giving a little back to the game, is the most recognizable name among hockey-equipment companies.

The company lists the targeting of emerging and underdeveloped consumer segments as part of its growth strategy, and sees opportunity for growth in the performance and recreational hockey markets, where its primary focus has been on elite equipment.

So, let's be honest -- spending some money now through its "responsibility to the game" will mean plenty of smiles on the faces of company shareholders if, indeed, one million new players are lacing up by 2022.

If it looks like a duck and skates like a duck...

If Hockey Canada and Bauer have the game's best interests at heart, the key to growth is reduced cost for youth to play, combined with a far less structured, and far less time-demanding, atmosphere.

They might also try some public relations of their own to get the focus back on having fun while playing, and away from the constant barrage of criticism and injury fear mongering they've been reacting to for the past decade with next to no tangible results to show for it.

Well, OK, there has been one result.

We now only have about 10 per cent of our youth playing the coolest game on ice!

Residents across the North received some welcome news last week that the office of the auditor general of Canada will conduct a performance audit on Nutrition North.

We have been hearing rumblings for a while that the announcement was coming after six MPs passed a motion in Parliament last June asking for the federal watchdog to get involved. The pressure was mounting on the issue ever since the legislative assemblies all three territories passed motions asking that an audit be conducted.

While political calls for action are important, we suggest awareness of the issue grew for many people when the lobby group Feeding My Family united with one voice and became vocal about food insecurity and the high cost of groceries in the North.

Its Facebook posts - showing a two-kilogram head of cabbage priced at $28.52, green peppers priced at $10.25 each, 24 500-ml bottles of water for $104.99 and a two-kilogram package of cooked crispy chicken at the store in Arctic Bay for $64.99 - really got some tongues wagging.

Prominent news coverage sparked discussion and people across Canada and around the world expressed outrage about the prices that are being charged for food in the North.

The price of shipping items such as cabbage and other healthy food products is supposed to be subsidized by the Nutrition North program, which came in effect on April 1, 2011. In reality, the program resulted in only a small drop in prices on some items. There was an average drop of eight per cent in the cost of a standard Northern food basket over an 18-month period.

Nutrition North is supposed to be able to lower the price of food by negotiating lower freight rates with transportation companies, primarily airlines, with the savings passed on to consumers. But observers say that somewhere along the line, between the food wholesaler in the south, the retailer in the North and the consumer, the intended result of the program is not being achieved.

We're confident, based on other audits conducted by the auditor general, that the final report will shed some light on the shortcomings of the program as it is currently being operated.

The only problem is the length of time between now and when changes might be realized.

It isn't until the fall of 2014 that the auditor general expects to release its findings.

Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada, which administers the program, is aware of the audit and has stated that there will be no changes planned in the near future.

People in the North, in the meantime, should encourage policy-makers and retailers to find other ways to lower the cost of food.

Hungry families need relief from high grocery prices sooner rather than later. Any measures that can be taken, either at a political level or from the grassroots, will be welcome while the audit is being undertaken.

Ah, Old Town.

In many ways, the neighbourhood is Yellowknife's last gasp at preserving the pioneering spirit that built this city. It is a place where it's still difficult to walk around without running into at least three people you know, where you can haul your own water, chop your own wood and then kick back after a hard day's work and play some tunes with a few good friends.

The pride Old Towners take in their community was on full display last weekend for the 2013 edition of the Ramble and Ride festival. Now in its seventh year, the festival aims to display the unique character and culture that only exists in the oldest part of Yellowknife.

So, what is it exactly that makes Old Town unique? It's the squatter shacks interspersed between the mini-mansions, the picturesque houseboat community, and the high percentage of artists and free thinkers who choose to call the area their home. Above all, it's the freedom to do what you want when you want to do it.

What would Yellowknife be without Old Town? Just another cookie-cutter small city - but one that's farther away and more expensive to live in than most others. Despite all the griping and grumbling about "water squatters" and tax avoiders, any newcomer or tourist who wants to experience the unique culture of the North is inevitably pointed down the hill.

It's a tall order to display all that in a single weekend festival, but this year's organizers and volunteers managed to pull it off.

The weather finally co-operated and the sunny skies and hot days boosted attendance over previous years as hundreds filtered through to take in the live performances and art displays.

Highlights from the weekend included an expanded artists' market, which was particularly well-attended on Saturday, the many musicians and storytellers who put on stellar performances and interactive displays that allowed ramblers to try their hand at crafting. For example, Dene elder Sarah Cleary set up shop in the Gallery of the Midnight Sun both days and invited anyone who looked interested to pull up a chair and start beading while she entertained them with tales of growing up in the bush.

There were a few gaps. After all the consultation and work the city has put into Government Dock in the past year, the area sat inexplicably abandoned for the entire weekend.

On Saturday, there was a distinct lack of food for sale, especially near the artists' market, although the three neighbourhood restaurants were all open. However, people came prepared with barbecues the following day to try and fill the void left behind by the absence of Yellowknife's food trucks.

And that, for us, is what Old Town culture - and Northern culture, really - is all about: people helping each other out, inviting the stranger roaming by to come participate, and simply getting out there and taking in the sights and sounds that make this place unique.

Education – it's a hot-button topic in the territory.

The contentious nature of discussions about education and the education system rise from a number of factors, the first being that education is mostly about youth.

Everyone, especially parents, want to see youth succeed at school. Educational success is seen as an indicator for future career and personal successes.

When students aren't doing well, parents and community members start looking for places to put the blame. This often happens if students have to upgrade before qualifying for a college or university program.

The education system is also a touchy issue because of the history residential schools have left in the territory. While the parents of current students may not have attended residential schools, their parents and grandparents did. The collective memory of how education was addressed in the past can often colour attitudes toward it today.

Education is also a hot topic because in the NWT, there is a lot of talk about bridging the gap between aboriginal and non-aboriginal students. There seems to be divisive lines between the education being received by youth in larger centres and those in the smaller communities where most students are aboriginal.

Although education can be a hard topic to tackle, it is important to keep it in the limelight. Nahendeh MLA Kevin Menicoche is doing this by drawing attention to the lack of upward trajectory in student academic success as seen through the results of the Alberta Achievement Tests and functional grade levels. Menicoche is calling on Jackson Lafferty, the minister of education, to make positive changes that will result in improved student performance.

The reply from the Department of Education, Culture and Employment is that a review of the education system is underway and that Lafferty is well aware of the lack of progress in the test results. The fact that the department is already looking at ways to better support students and their learning, doesn't diminish Menicoche's call for action.

It is only by continually pressing for an improved education system and by keeping parents and community members engaged and informed about the development of that system, that positive changes will be made.

The youth in the Deh Cho and the rest of the territory are, after all, the future of the NWT. It is only right that community leaders should be advocating for the best possible education for them.

Sometimes there is no substitute for traditional knowledge.

I was reminded quite plainly of how we haven't improved on Northern knowledge despite the best efforts of the scientific approach by a couple of recent events.

The first was at the Arctic Market three weeks ago where, totally on impulse, I purchased a lightweight hooded pullover with a pleasing design from Brenda Jerome, one of the venders there.

I mention her not to plug her business or her skills, which are considerable, but instead to praise her astute comment.

I've been complaining about the bugs most of the summer, which many, many people have heard – likely too often. At the time I bought the pullover, I was actually looking for something for my wife, who has a fondness for purple. I was hoping to make arrangements to have something made for her when I spotted the light cotton pullover I would impulsively buy.

Jerome and another vender, Alice Kimiksana, assured me I would find the garment more than useful to keep the sun off and help keep the insects away. I liked the colour, fit and design and decided to give it a try.

I generally use the typical bug jacket and pants to help ward off the insects, with a distinct lack of success I might add. I've been bitten repeatedly right through the jacket, although the pants have been more successful. So I was ready to give the pullover a whirl, but had certain doubts as to its effectiveness.

Much to my surprised delight, the pullover has been wildly successful for me. I haven't been bitten through it, and it's immensely comfortable.

A week later, I was back at the market wearing the pullover, much to Jerome's satisfaction. She smiled when I started raving about how well it worked.

"See," she said without a trace of smugness. "We know something about what works in the North."

That got me thinking about just how right she is.

Another conversation, this time with paddling guru and boat-builder Kevin Floyd, reinforced the point.

He's been busy the last few years recreating the traditional kayak designs used for generations here in the Mackenzie Delta.

Floyd has nothing but high praise for the craft he's painstakingly reconstructed, saying nothing in the mass-produced lines of manufactured boats can compare.

The traditional boats are more agile, more stable and faster, he said, all factors in making them superbly adapted to conditions in the North and the most practical crafts imaginable.

That's something to ponder in a time where less and less emphasis is put on learning from the past.

Sometimes, things really were better in the good old days.

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