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A loophole in the parking ticket system was illustrated last week by the man who jumped through it. The case is somewhat unique - Yellowknife lawyer Serge Petitpas invoked his charter right to a French-language trial for a $50 parking ticket - and it took a week shy of a year for the case to make it to trial.

Petitpas alleges the city took too long to accommodate his French-language need, but the city maintains the bulk of the time it took had more to do with cumbersome territorial government legislation and less to do with his special request.

In the end, Petitpas did not have to pay the $50 - but not as a decision against the parking ticket itself. The judge said the case was not tried in a reasonable amount of time, citing how long it took to get him to first appearance plus the city's difficulties in accommodating the French language trial.

The city said just seven of the 51 weeks it took to bring the matter to trial could be attributed to the language issue.

What could be a streamlined process is a tangled bureaucracy. If Petitpas' case had been heard in a "reasonable amount of time," the parking ticket itself could become the focus, rather than the process.

In most jurisdictions in Canada, Yellowknifer reported last week, a parking ticket - similar to a speeding ticket - becomes an automatic court summons should one opt not to pay it by its specified date. Here, after a ticket has been handed out, documents have to be sworn before a Justice of the Peace in court and then hand-delivered by bylaw officers to the ticketed person.

The city says it has been advocating the GNWT for changes to the status quo for years, but to no avail.

If this is the case, the city needs to be louder in its objections and the territorial government more responsive.

Eliminating the current bogged-down system and bringing it up to date with the rest of the country is a necessary move that will streamline resources, processes and ensure what gets heard in court is the actual issue at hand, rather than a symptom of a system that doesn't work.

Although the territorial government's focus on so-called "beach attendants" rather than lifeguards falls short of public expectations, its insistence on age restrictions on certain activities does have merit.

The Department of Industry, Tourism and Investment is currently seeking beach attendants for Fred Henne Territorial Park this summer who will be certified in CPR, but mandated to perform water rescues in depths of no more than 1.2 metres.

This leads to one obvious and troubling question - what happens when beach attendants spot a distressed swimmer in water more than 1.2 metres deep? As Yellowknifer has reported repeatedly over the past year, several holes much deeper than that can be found well inside the designated swimming area. Will beach attendants be forbidden from rescuing a swimmer who strays into one of these holes and finds themselves in trouble? The obvious conclusion to be drawn from this, considering that fire rescue personal are at least 10 minutes away, is that rescuing swimmers in over their heads will be left to beach goers.

The constantly multiplying caveats of government is an unwelcome development in an increasingly risk adverse world. It handcuffs, in red tape, the human impulse to help when help is needed.

That aside, a complaint from the old days, back when Long Lake had lifeguards prior to 2003, was that parents were treating the beach as a daycare centre - leaving the lifeguards to look after their kids after dropping them off for the day.

New rules will require parents or their children's guardians to be in the water with them if under 10 years of age, and children under 13 won't be allowed at the beach unsupervised.

This might make a few people hoping to stay dry unhappy, but it will certainly make the beach safer.

The situation is getting a little scary in Fort Simpson.

When three garbage bins around the centre of the community and a storage shed behind the Northern were lit on fire April 27, residents were maybe a bit rattled but could chalk the grouping of suspicious fires down to a one-time thing. The fire at the Lynx River Craft Shop on May 24 that is being investigated as an arson has shattered that hope of security.

Two fires, if you count the first grouping as one, in less than a month both taking place in the early morning hours is more than a coincidence. To be clear, the RCMP has not said if the fires are linked or if the same person or people are involved, but that is little comfort.

If all of the fires are arson, which is also a point under investigation, then there is either one person or a group of people responsible or, more terrifyingly, copycat arsonists. At this point, the village's residents must be looking at each other trying to figure out whether someone they know is behind the fires.

People are also probably looking at the buildings around the community and wondering which one will be next and how long it will be before that blaze is started. There is also the question of whether any future fires will do more than just damage property, possibly injuring a firefighter or someone in a building. None of those lines of inquiry make for comforting feelings.

In the end, as was discussed by local leaders at a village council committee meeting May 26, it is going to take a community effort to put an end to this rash of fires. Residents will have to be vigilant and keep a particularly close eye out for any suspicious behaviour.

People also have to be willing to bring their observations to the RCMP or Crime Stoppers. Fort Simpson RCMP Sgt. Rob Gallant shared at the council meeting just how difficult it can be to solve a case even when there is some evidence.

Gallant showed council a photo of a shadowy figure running away from the scene of the garbage bin fire at Bompas Elementary School April 27. Due to the lack of light and the quality of the image it's impossible to say who the person is.

Gallant also played a video clip captured the same morning of two people quickly sprinting past the Northern's gas pumps. The few seconds of black and white action only reveal that the two people have slight builds and can run quickly when necessary.

No one wants to feel afraid in their own community and worry about people setting fires. By working together with the appropriate authorities, Fort Simpson residents can help reclaim the safety of their community.

It was as if Inuvikmiuts knew they were a party to history on May 24 when Alforno's Restaurant burned.

A remarkable sense of community was on display as dozens, if not hundreds, of people gathered to watch as one of the last original or almost-original buildings in town came to its end.

The building with the plaque reading "Alexander Block" was consumed by a fire authorities are calling suspicious and then razed by heavy equipment to stamp out the smouldering rubble.

Many of the people who came to watch were solemn. There weren't any cheers heard as the building with a recent controversial history came tumbling down. It's hard to say whether the odd whistle was driven by elation over the fire or in appreciation of the dangerous work being undertaken by firefighters.

Instead, there was a poignant sense of loss, particularly among the elders of the community who remembered using the building in younger days.

Many of those people stood around, softly swapping the stories of their memories. The "do-you-remember-whens" were bittersweet to listen to, even to the ears of newcomers who listened attentively.

Some of the tales, particularly from Vince Sharpe, were at least slightly off-colour but still noteworthy, even if they can't be repeated here.

It's as if the residents of Inuvik recognized the history of the town is being slowly whittled away and they want to mark the occasion.

It's only about a month ago that Sir Alexander Mackenzie School was torn down, to much angst amongst residents, particularly younger people who had fond memories of the school.

This time it was the older generation's turn, especially those who have much better memories of the building than their younger counterparts.

They're the ones who remember best when the bowling alley and the movie theatre made it a central part of the town's life.

They also remember, somewhat better at least, the many other activities and business operated out of the building over the years.

With the destruction of the Alforno's building, there are fewer than a handful of the first generation of buildings in Inuvik left.

History is slowly marching on the town, and it's obvious people recognize that nothing lasts forever.

That's why records of these buildings, on whatever media, should be a key project for someone to take on before they're all gone. Capturing what remains of Inuvik history before it is lost, too, would be a noble pursuit.

The sad irony now that the Dene K'o Day Shelter is in its final week of operation is that it has finally been proven the shelter can be run in an orderly, efficient manner providing it has proper funding and trained staff.

The day shelter has been running for the past two months on a temporary contract with the NWT Disabilities Council, who took over from the John Howard Society after the Yellowknife Health and Social Services Authority announced last March that it was closing the shelter.

An access to information request reveals that funding nearly doubled to $45,000 a month for the past two months from $25,000 a month under the John Howard Society. According to the society's executive director, Lydia Bardak, the shelter was operating with only $15,333 a month during its first four years of existence.

The health authority's decision to beef up funding in its final months - $15,000 of it is going toward an increased rent, but $30,000 a month is being allocated for staff salaries, supplies, and importantly, a full-time security guard - shows that the health authority itself believed the previous funding was too low.

It's hard to make a day shelter for some of the city's most shattered citizens work if there is not enough money to hire professional staff and security to keep people safe.

Many of the previous staff at the day shelter had suffered from addictions and homelessness themselves. Shelter clients have reported in recent days that conditions have improved since the disabilities council took over.

Now that we know what an appropriate dollar amount is to keep the shelter running smoothly, the trick will be ensuring the territorial government follows through on its pledge to re-open the shelter come fall.

The GNWT has been a lukewarm supporter of the shelter at best, having refused last year to provide it with permanent funding. With the cash tap finally opened these last several weeks, and security issues seemingly resolved, poor management can no longer be used as an excuse to get rid of it.

Most people remember what downtown was like before the shelter existed - back alleys as open latrines, bank entrances and alcoves as warming stations for the intoxicated and homeless.

This is a territorial issue and Yellowknifers should let their MLAs know that a return to those days is not acceptable.

Now let me say right up front, as most regular readers of Kivalliq News are aware, I'm a hockey guy.

But that only marginally increases the respect and gratitude I have for Calm Air really stepping up to help grow our region's annual hockey tournaments.

Kivalliq winters are tough and, when properly supported, these events are a welcome distraction that bring a good segment of the host community together for a rousing weekend of fun and entertainment.

A tip of the helmet must also be given to Sakku First Aviation for its ongoing support of the Sakku First Avataq Cup, which remains one of the most prestigious tournaments in the North.

But, as awesome and unpredictable as the Avataq has remained during its existence, it's still one event that traditionally covers a five-day period from Wednesday to Sunday.

Calm Air has picked up the puck and is skating across the Kivalliq to help promote the game and, far more importantly, help other communities grow their marquee event.

In addition to taking the lead role in the Polar Bear Plate junior-juvenile event in Rankin, Calm will soon be officially raising the bar at the Jon Lindell Memorial (JLM) in Arviat, and is rumoured to also be in negotiations with Repulse Bay to associate itself with the annual Arctic Circle Cup (ACC).

Arviat's JLM has the potential to become an elite event with eight competitive teams, and the community has the ability to accommodate the many players and fans who would arrive for the tourney.

Naujaat has the potential to host an uber-competitive six-team event, which recreation co-ordinator Rodney Taparti noted as the perfect number of teams for the ACC in a previous interview with Kivalliq News.

And the scheduling of the JLM and ACC is sweet.

Traditionally, the JLM is the first Kivalliq tourney of the year, while the ACC has the potential to be the perfect ending to an exciting season of regional hockey.

And neither interfere with other hockey events being held at the same time.

Should Calm Air, indeed, become the official sponsor of the two events and help attract more teams and fans, the Kivalliq will truly boast an impressive lineup of puck action.

There are a few other senior events in the region, but they remain unsanctioned with Hockey Nunavut.

An airline would be taking a big risk publicly endorsing an outlaw tournament that always carries the risk of going out of control, with no insurance coverage for its players or officials.

Hopefully, the organizers in Arviat and Naujaat will take full advantage of the opportunity to grow their tournaments to the point where they electrify their home communities for a weekend and spark heightened interest across the region.

Should the Arviat situation pan out, I would be remiss if I did not also tip my helmet to the Lindell family for consenting to the name change and allowing Calm Air to place its name next to their own namesake, to whose memory the tournament is dedicated.

Kudos to our regional airlines and, should all go according to plan, hockey lovers in the Kivalliq -- of whom there are many -- are in for even more memorable and exciting times ahead.

A three-year study into the health of fish in the Slave River will hopefully help put some minds at ease about whether contaminants from the oil sands operation in Alberta are polluting our waterways and rendering fish unsafe for consumption.

That study found that cancer-causing chemicals associated with various sources of pollution are "almost absent" in the Slave River fish populations.

Dr. Paul Jones from the University of Saskatchewan conducted the study, sampling more than 800 fish from the Slave and Athabasca rivers between Fort McMurray and Fort Resolution.

Effects on water quality in the Slave River from downstream resource development has been a controversial issue for years. Upstream pollution has been blamed for cancer rates in Fort Resolution. Lesions found on some fish have also raised fears about the future of water quality.

While protecting the integrity of our waterways and water habitat is vital to everyone, we must be careful to ensure concerns about development are evidenced-based and not fear-based.

That is not to say that the level of contamination in waterways closer to the oil sands is not a problem. Jones described the levels of hydrocarbons in the fish in that region as dramatically higher and other studies have shown a sharp increase in pollutant levels in nearby waters, which pose a risk to us upstream, although the levels are still considered to be within safe levels.

However, future expansion of the oil sands could easily tilt those levels into the danger zone and that is why the GNWT must finish its seemingly never-ending negotiations for a transboundary water agreement with Alberta to help protect us from the side effects of unsustainable growth south of the border.

The study. which Dr. Jones was part of, is a two-year project called Slave Watershed Environmental Effects Program, which is looking for impacts from climate change, pesticides of farming, hydrological changes and industrial pollution on Athabasca and Slave rivers from Fort McMurray to Fort Resolution.

The study involves federal and territorial government agencies, a number of universities, First Nations, Metis councils, the Hamlet of Fort Resolution and the Town of Fort Smith.

With that quality of representation, Northerners can be confident in the results. At the same time, the good news of minimal to no contamination should not be taken as an end of the environmental debate and discussion. Far from it. Instead, this is the beginning.

Establishing a baseline is only valuable if regular and rigorous water testing is ongoing. Beyond that, regulatory authority must be put in place to ensure the testing continues. Should action be necessary, governments or their designated agencies must have the power to act.

All this study is really telling us is that we have some breathing room to ensure the next study reveals far uglier results.

In light of complaints raised about medical travel, including the condition of a boarding home used by Kitikmeot medical patients when they are in Yellowknife for treatment, comes the question of who is responsible for checks and balances on services contracted by the territorial government.

A Cambridge Bay man described his difficulties in arranging a trip to Yellowknife for hip replacement surgery. It is distressing that he was told he did not qualify for a medical escort, funded by the government, when a doctor scheduled him his first surgery back in 2009. Unable to change the decision by Kitikmeot Medical Travel, the man paid out of pocket for his wife and two young children to accompany him. Since the family was not covered by medical travel benefits, he also paid out of pocket for a place to stay.

The struggle for comprehensive medical care continued last February when he needed a second hip replaced. This time, thankfully, he qualified for a medical escort to Stanton Territorial Hospital in Yellowknife, where patients from Nunavut's Kitikmeot region usually go for medical treatment. Along with the medical travel benefits came accommodation at the Larga Kitikmeot Boarding Home, a modern facility with rooms for dozens of patients.

There is no question that boarding homes are a vital component of the medical travel system, with facilities in several cities in the south, including Winnipeg, Ottawa, Yellowknife and Edmonton. They are supposed to be a quiet place for people requiring medical treatment to stay, prepare for treatment and recover following treatment until they are able to return to their home communities.

There are rules in place so that people who stay at the boarding home are comfortable and so that patients receive the services required, which include a clean bed, transportation to and from medical appointments, meals and transportation to the airport. Signs are posted that say there is a zero-tolerance policy toward drinking alcohol on the premises.

The hip replacement patient, who is a recovering alcoholic, said he and his wife were woken up at 6 a.m. one morning by an intoxicated person barging into their room. He said the boarding home was overcrowded, was "really filthy and dirty," that people were seen drinking and intoxicated and that, in general, the rules were not enforced.

To add insult to injury, questions about the state of the boarding home to the Government of Nunavut were referred to the contractor that operates the boarding home. The patient raised the alarm about the condition of the accommodations because, in his experience, "it's not a place for healing."

Since the Government of Nunavut pays the contractor to provide a service to patients who qualify for medical travel, he is quite correct to speak up about its condition.

We are concerned that a government spokesperson dismissed his complaints, saying it is the responsibility of the contractor to ensure proper standards are met.

Ultimately, it is the government's responsibility to ensure that contractors meet the standards set out in the agreements and maintain an environment that promotes healing - not one that supports binge drinking.

We urge the government to take that responsibility seriously and not hesitate to inspect services provided by its contractors.

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