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Over the past few weeks, Yellowknifer has been looking at other communities to see how they are combating homelessness.

After seeing how the issue is dealt with by those in Thunder Bay, Ont., Fairbanks, Alaska, and today in Whitehorse, Yukon, it is clear these cities have recognized something Yellowknife has not: that adequate funding in the fight against homelessness and addictions will not only keep more people off the street, it will save money in the long run.

This series brought to light just how backwards the thinking has become in the territory. While these other communities have been moving forward - albeit some faster than others - Yellowknife has been at a standstill. Indeed, with the closure of the downtown day shelter in May some would argue the territory has taken a step back, as occurred when Hay River's Nats'ejee Keh Treatment Centre closed last year and the Somba K'e Healing Lodge shut its doors in 1999.

Meanwhile, non-governmental organizations such as the Centre for Northern Families operate on a shoestring budget with six-figure deficits.

This is what happens when governments think they are being cost-effective.

Shelters close and programs lapse for a lack of will and money while RCMP cells and emergency rooms fill up with the city's mentally ill and downtrodden citizens. Politicians cry for more police to deal with outbreaks of street crime and drunkenness. The courts - serviced by a phalanx of high-priced judges and lawyers - spend their days deliberating over misdemeanors and probation breaches.

What the territorial government doesn't seem to understand is that if it doesn't fund programs to combat homelessness, and give them enough money to survive, it will only cost more in the long run.

Health Minister Glen Abernethy, who bizarrely tried to downplay the significance of a John Howard Society survey which found the vast majority of day shelter users came from outside of Yellowknife, arguing instead that users were all Yellowknifers by virtue of their presence here, insists $250,000 is all the money the government has to give the day shelter if and when it re-opens.

He doesn't seem to realize this tight-fistedness toward the day shelter will have to be paid in areas where it will really cost the government: the hospital, police and the courts.

Nickel and diming the problem, instead of observing and trying to replicate the successes found in other communities - the managed alcohol program in Thunder Bay, retrofits for homeless housing in Alaska, and partnering with landlords in Whitehorse to ensure low-cost housing - will only ensure the government must spend more at the end of the day.

Until the government recognizes its short-sightedness in dealing with homelessness to date, it will continue with its top-heavy response, using the most expensive professionals and services in the North to deal with the territories' poorest and least able.

The fire chief and eight volunteer firefighters who make up the Rankin Inlet Fire Department proved themselves plenty capable of protecting their community last week.

For much of the week, these firefighters who, let's remember, all have jobs outside of defending the people of Rankin from fires and other disasters, were the only force against the flames, unexplained explosions and dense smoke which had residents on edge.

It's remarkable that these volunteers, who aside from their other jobs, also have families they're responsible for, spent many hours at the dump site trying to take care of the problem. The place I'm staying is close to the dump and it seemed that every time I looked out my kitchen window, I would see the fire truck go by, or the dusty red fire department pickup truck driving back to the site.

Sometimes, they would give a smile and nod to people who waved their way and other times I'd see the firefighters in their

yellow equipment slumped against the truck, clearly exhausted.

I spoke with one woman who said her significant other was one of the firefighters and had barely seen him in the days since the fire. I remember her saying that he'd come home after midnight and be up in the morning getting back out onto the site before she got out of bed.

Again, I stress, that these firefighters are volunteers.

They could have turned the other cheek and let someone else deal with the problem but they stood up to the task and got it covered in a little more than a week with the help of Mosher Construction and M&T Enterprises, once the gravel work started in.

A mention should also be given to the bylaw officers in town who did their best to keep curious onlookers a safe distance from the dump, and for taking kids home to their parents after catching them trying to get into the site, but not without letting them know of the dangers of doing so. They were just as diligent in keeping people out of trouble and not letting the situation get out of hand as the firefighters were.

Also, an honourable mention should go to acting mayor Sam Tutanuak, who was on Facebook a couple times a day during the week updating people on the status of the fire, letting residents know where they could go to escape if the smoke got too bad, and keeping everyone abreast of any advancements in fighting the fire, such as when they began smothering it with gravel.

He also went on the community radio station and was very accessible to the newspaper as well.

Finally, kudos to the residents of Rankin Inlet who pulled together and gave words of support in the community, at the coffee shop, on the Facebook groups or who showed their appreciation for the firefighters by bringing refreshments and snacks to the hamlet office for them.

It was remarkable to see how quickly this small community can pull together in a time of need.

A survey conducted to gauge the demographics of people who use Yellowknife's day shelter, which catered to street people for four years before it was closed at the end of May, revealed some interesting statistics.

Of the 365 clients who visited the facility over its lifespan, only 51 identified as being from the capital. The remainder said they had come to the city from outlying communities around the NWT.

The city's contribution of $50,000 annually accounted for one-sixth of the shelter's funding. The remainder, $250,000, came from the GNWT.

In the grand scheme of things, $250,000 is a small price to pay to continue a valuable service. The day shelter gave street people a safe place to go, provided washroom facilities, snacks and a place to stay warm in the winter.

Unfortunately, when the administration of the shelter fell into question it seemed there was a general lack of will from government to keep it open. Allowing the shelter to basically run its course and then fizzle out was a mistake.

The GNWT had months to plan a way to maintain the services offered at day shelter, yet failed to take action.

Yellowknife MLA Daryl Dolynny has taken the GNWT to task for not taking the reins or ponying up more funds to keep the shelter going. He argued that the shelter's demographics make it a territorial issue.

We agree.

We also take issue with Health Minister Glen Abernethy's comments stating that once those people using the shelter came to the city they effectively became Yellowknife residents. The statement is effectively passing the buck based on a tenuous technicality.

Although Abernethy holds to a survey conducted by the NWT Disabilities Council stating out of town users of the day shelter moved to Yellowknife because of family and friends living here and not a lack of services in their home community, it is a shallow interpretation.

Although the issue might not be the services in the communities, those available in Yellowknife are definitely a factor.

One, is the unfortunate reality that it is easier to feed addictions in the city compared to some of the communities. Two, it is easier to avoid the stigma of one's situation and get lost in the anonymity a larger population offers.

With that in mind, the GNWT must look at the homeless problem in Yellowknife as a territorial issue. That being said, it is not solely its responsibility. The City of Yellowknife has contributed its share in the past and perhaps the GNWT can reach out to community governments to help out as well, considering the shelter benefits people from various regions.

Whatever the funding formula, the shelter is a service the city and the territory need and the price tag is nominal in the grand scheme of budgetary items.

Not to mention that small investment will save money in other areas, such as health care and justice, two departments that soak up the lion's share of the GNWT's more than $1 billion budget.

It is easy for people to become impatient in this rapidly changing world in which we live.

There have been many advances in technology in the past 15 years, the length of time Nunavut has existed. Paramount have been changes in information technology. The Internet has become the sole source of information for many people on this planet.

On the occasion of Nunavut Day, celebrated July 9, and the 15th birthday of the territory, Nunavut News/North talked to some of the movers and shakers, the pioneers, elders and ordinary people about their thoughts on how the land of the Inuit has progressed. Observations were mixed. Many people spoke about the need to preserve the Inuktitut language, improve education, encourage traditional activities and respect elders. Others were critical, pointing in particular at the territorial government's failure to fulfill its obligation to have 85 per cent of its jobs filled by beneficiaries and suggesting that some of the bureaucrats in government are paid salaries well above their level of performance.

At this time of reflection, it is important to keep some perspective. After all, at age 15, Nunavut is a teenager, still relatively young, but filled with enthusiasm and exuberance as it looks to its future.

It is not so long ago since its creation that people should forget how amazing the territory is, that the signing of the Nunavut Final Agreement was a majestic achievement and that there is cause for celebration once again that the Inuit have their own land within a great nation that is Canada.

One cannot underplay the importance of the Nunavut Land Claims Agreement, a 300-page document which outlines the rights of the Inuit and is enshrined in the Canadian Constitution since July 9, 1993. Appreciation and recognition is due to those who had the vision and the courage to take the lengthy, difficult and necessary steps to carve the vast land away from the Northwest Territories, negotiate with the federal government and set up a new system of government.

At more than two-million-square-kilometres in size, with three regions, 26 communities and an estimated 36,000 people, Nunavut is indeed unique. There is no shortage of pride among its people as Nunavut has proven itself as a place of opportunity, beauty and innovation.

Certainly there are many challenges ahead, particularly in the areas of education, food security and housing. There is much needed focus on infrastructure, resource development and building relationships. However, all good things come with time.

Much has been accomplished in the past 15 years. July 9 is a time to celebrate and reflect. And, despite the rapid progression of technology, remember to have some patience while charting the future.

Temporary workers from overseas should not be filling low-skilled, low-paid jobs.

In the wake of sweeping, nationwide allegations on the abuse of the Temporary Foreign Worker Program, the federal government suspended the program for restaurants this spring. It recently released a revised program that dictates accommodation, food service or retail businesses in regions with a high unemployment rate - such as the NWT - can no longer apply.

Yellowknifer applauds this move. As Northern Territories Federation of Labour president Mary Lou Cherwaty said in April, having workers essentially indentured to their employers for fear of "being shipped home" creates ripe conditions for human rights abuses.

Last week, the owner of Sushi Cafe bemoaned the federal government's changes, saying he won't be able to afford to hire workers if the program is cancelled.

Northerners do not want to work at a restaurant where wages start at $11 or $12 an hour, said Raymond Li of Sushi Cafe, adding temporary foreign workers are provided with subsidized room and board on top of their wages.

However, the federal government's overhaul of the program was prompted after allegations emerged that an owner of two Tim Hortons franchises in B.C. was clawing back wages from his temporary workers to cover their living subsidies. There is no proof temporary workers in Yellowknife have been treated unjustly, but this is just one example of potential abuses employees face who are fully dependent on their employer to stay in Canada.

Prior to the overhaul, the system seemed grossly unfair to unemployed Canadians, as it allowed employers to pay staff lower wages and - more importantly - to foreign workers who faced, at best, long hours completing menial tasks for little pay.

Perhaps it is true that NWT residents would rather be unemployed than work for less than $15 an hour, especially since the median wage in the territory is $32.53 per hour, or $67,662 annually. Meanwhile, the average industrial wage in the NWT is $28 an hour.

However, if employers are paying decent wages, they should be able to find Canadians to fill the positions.

The federal overhaul is an attempt to return to the original purpose of the Temporary Foreign Worker Program, which is to find staff when no Canadians can be found to fill jobs.

This should not include flipping burgers.

If restaurateurs cannot staff fast-food outlets with the wages they currently offer, maybe it's time to increase them and the prices on their menus.

The recent hubbub over Yellowknife rapper Aaron "Godson" Hernandez's latest music video proves there is no such thing as bad press.

It also shows that while Yellowknife is no easy place to start a music career, it's still small enough that people tend to pull together to help out in times of need.

And with the help of some friends, Hernandez didn't just weather the storm, he prospered.

Joined by Ice Pilots NWT-star Mikey McBryan, Yellowknifer-turned Hollywood actor Dustin Milligan, Wiseguy chef and Top Chef Canada contender Robin Wasicuna in the reshoot, Hernandez himself said the new version of his video Friday Night promises to be an improvement over the music video the territorial government asked him to take down.

"This video will be even more EPIC," Hernandez recently wrote on his Facebook page.

Aside from the celebrity attention, Hernandez may have also made some lesser-known friends who helped pay for the reshoot. They have collectively donated $1,355 of the $4,000 he's asking for on his IndieGoGo crowd-sourcing campaign.

It just goes to show that simply because things don't work out the way you would hope, they can still work out better than you would expect.

The new video is expected to come out July 7. Hopefully, it will continue to contribute to Hernandez's continued success.

Forest fires are a natural phenomenon that the Deh Cho has been getting a lot of exposure to recently.

Last year, the region had 72 fires, not including the area around Fort Providence and Kakisa which are included in the South Slave by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources. That was considerably more than 50, which is about the average number the region is subject to in a year.

The fires drew a lot of attention because they weren't just in remote locations. Last year, forest fires threatened Sambaa K'e Falls Territorial Park and briefly closed Highway 1.

Fires also burned the ferry camp at N'Dulee crossing and led to Jean Marie River being put on an evacuation alert in early July and Wrigley being given a voluntary evacuation order a week later.

This year, it is Kakisa's turn. At just seven kilometres, a large forest fire is uncomfortably close to the small community. Residents chose to leave on June 27 given the risk from the fire itself, smoke and having the access road cut off by the blaze.

Luckily, no Deh Cho communities in recent history have been overrun by forest fires. The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (ENR) is taking significant steps to help ensure that Kakisa won't have the unwelcome honour of being the first.

Forest fires, as many people know, are a natural part of the cycle of forests. They help replenish forests, create new growth and produce morel mushrooms as a short-term added bonus. When fires aren't threatening people or infrastructure, ENR's general policy is to monitor them as they burn.

Forest fires are also the risk that Deh Cho residents accept in return for living in a beautiful, forested area. Residents can, however, take steps to minimize the risks.

It is everyone's responsibility to follow fire bans and use extreme caution when lighting fires in the hot and dry conditions that currently exist across the region. The majority of the fires in the Deh Cho are caused by lightning strikes, but one uncontrolled fire near a community could spell disaster.

Acknowledging that they live in a forested area, Deh Cho residents can also obtain information from ENR on the FireSmart program. The program shows residents steps they can take to reduce the risk of forest fires to their property and home.

Forest fires are nothing new in the Deh Cho and will certainly continue to occur every year. Kakisa, Jean Marie River and Wrigley can all attest to the fact that the fires can threaten any community.

It is up to residents to take precautionary steps and ensure they are not the cause of any additional fires.

For the next month or so, Inuvik is really going to be "the place of man."

The surge of activity began with the Aboriginal Day activities and the Inuvik Petroleum Show, and will continue into the Women's Softball Territorial Championships, the Great Northern Arts Festival, Parks Day, Oceans Day, the Inuvik Adventure Race, the Inuit Circumpolar Council meetings and the Northern Games, concluding with the End of the Road Music Festival and other assorted activities. It will be late August before residents will have a chance to catch their breath.

That means July is going to be insanely busy, particularly in the height of the summer vacation season.

It's good to see the town humming with activity any time of the year, but summer, and especially the Midnight Sun, brings new possibilities for enjoyment – if you can ignore our healthy crop of insects, that is. However, that's another story.

It appears most people are eagerly looking forward to the Inuit Circumpolar Council conference and Northern games in particular. That's understandable, since it's been 1992 since the council visited here, along with the games. That might not quite make it a once-in-a-lifetime event, although for some people it will be, if they are new to Inuvik life.

I'm encouraging everyone who can spare the time to get out and enjoy this rare stretch of event overload.

Inuvik is generally a pretty busy place as it is, so Inuvikmiut should be in good shape to partake in as much as they possibly can.

Everyone's going to have their favourites, and doubtless the actual meetings of the Inuit Circumpolar Council may not top everyone's list. Few people enjoy meetings, but this is a case where they should make an exception.

All the activity is even prompting discussion that some protests might come to town. If that is indeed the case, that's fine too, so long as it's kept within the bounds of civility.

So we say, bring this burst of activity on. We can handle it ... and we're going to enjoy every moment.

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