Hungry, poor not going awayYellowknifer - Wednesday, February 25, 2015
If the homeless and struggling families are to be fed, the YK Food Bank needs to be closer to the downtown core.
For 15 years the food bank operated out of the basement of Overlander Sports on 50th Street rent-free. Overlander deserves a gold medal for that longstanding service but in the end that space was needed for their business. After failing to find another affordable place to distribute food downtown, the volunteer organization had to settle for 6 Coronation Drive in Kam Lake.
The move took place last May and not surprisingly, they've reported a significant drop in users.
According to food bank president Brad Carlson, the group had been hoping to have a downtown location secured by Christmas but is still negotiating. The hope is to keep the current location but have a satellite bank to serve clients in the downtown.
Underneath Overlander, volunteers handed out 150 baskets of food every second Saturday, according to Joanne Teed, vice-president of the food bank. After the move, they average 100 baskets. Teed estimates they have lost at least 30 per cent of their clients.
While Teed said the new location has its supporters and they've picked up some new clients, mounting complaints and falling client numbers tell the story. Several people told Yellowknifer they've had to hitch rides and take cabs to Kam Lake.
People shouldn't have to risk their safety or spend what little cash they have to get a food donation.
Governments often want to see a demonstrated need and some kind of tangible investment before committing funding and assistance to a worthy cause. Well, we have a dedicated group of volunteers donating sweat equity and a well-demonstrated need.
Now we need the city and territorial governments to recognize that investment and find a proper location, either through donation of government-owned floorspace or rent subsidies.
Government agencies have to accept their responsibility to the community they serve. They have two options: they can feed the hungry now by helping the food bank or they can feed them later in the hospitals.
Uninformed perspective offers littleYellowknifer - Wednesday, February 25, 2015
Like clockwork, with each new year comes another baseless report card from the Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB) criticizing the NWT for so-called red tape.
This year the territory got a failing grade. What does the NWT Chamber of Commerce executive director think of that?
"The CFIB doesn't spend enough time, or perhaps any time, in the Northwest Territories, except to complain about things," said Mike Bradshaw.
The report card itself offers little to contradict that position. Only three sentences are devoted to justifying the F grade the territory received.
The document offers what it laughingly calls context, stating in the most perfunctory manner possible: "online application and payment capabilities to BizPal have been discussed."
And that is the whole of its justification for the grade the NWT received.
A letter grade assessing performance is a good start but just as important is a reason for the grade and steps the territory might take to improve. Otherwise, what's the point?
The questions don't end there. In the last report card from 2013, the NWT got a D-. Bradshaw points out the NWT has undergone numerous efforts to make filing forms easier, including through online driver's licensing services introduced last year.
"That affects everyone from businesses to individuals who reside here. It used to be a painful process to go and get your licence renewed," said Bradshaw.
And yet, the most recent grade dropped to an F for 2014.
So what exactly is the business federation after?
Amber Ruddy, senior policy analyst with the federation, suggests having a minister dedicated to cutting red tape.
"Right now, I feel the Northwest Territories government is reluctant to even admit that there is red tape here and frankly they need a reality check because there's a lot," said Ruddy.
Who really needs the reality check?
If the only way to make this organization happy is to follow ill-founded advice that demonstrates little knowledge of actual businesses operating here, the territory should wear that F like a badge of honour.
Pushing for a sequel
Editorial Comment by Darrell Greer
Kivalliq News - Wednesday, February 25, 2015
Thumbs-down to self-serving decisionNorthwest Territories/News North - Monday, February 23, 2015
Getting shafted is a terrible feeling, no matter what avenue of life is being traversed at the time.
We, like most of Canada, often struggle to find people willing to give their time to keep sport programs on solid footing, let alone continuing to develop and trend in an upward direction.
If you're talking volunteers who are passionate about a sport, and have the ability to connect with the kids they coach, the list grows considerably shorter.
To take advantage of people who fit that description for personal gain, or that of a team's, is simply inexcusable.
As a hockey official, I'm only concerned with the action on the ice.
Once the puck is dropped, creating as safe and balanced a playing field as my skill level allows is my total focus.
And I couldn't give two hoots in Halifax who wins any given game.
But off the ice, I'm 110 per cent a hockey guy and have no problem taking heat for pointing out a bad decision.
As much as I love our region, I don't buy into the Kivalliq habit of remaining silent and looking the other way to avoid confrontation when someone's been wronged - never have and never will!
And the guys who went with the Rankin Rock atom teams to the Munn Cup in Thompson, Man., earlier this month were wronged.
Allow me to point out directly, my opinion on this has absolutely nothing to do with the fact I know all of them well, and hold 'A' Division champion head coach David Clark in high regard.
The Rankin Inlet Senior Men's Hockey League (RISMHL) is the best of its kind in Nunavut.
As such, it's a relatively big deal.
Throughout the season, games are periodically rescheduled for various reasons.
Having a bit of wiggle room with ice time is one of the true advantages of Rankin hockey.
The way things worked out earlier this month, regular season champions M&T had a significant portion of their players in Thompson coaching the atoms in Clark, Kyle Tattuinee, Sidney Nichol and Keenan Eetuk.
Star defenceman Seam Smith was also there as a hockey dad supporting his son.
The weekend away meant the M&T players would miss one game on the Sunday of their trip and, unfortunately for them, it was huge.
M&T trailed Eskimo Point Lumber Supply (EPLS) 2-0 in their best-of-five semifinal in league playoffs.
The team asked EPLS to reschedule the game, but were denied.
Without five of their top players, M&T were easily eliminated in game three.
Not only was the decision to deny the request a rotten one in the interests of fair play and sportsmanship, it also sent a terrible message to those willing to give their time to help minor players develop.
An argument could also be made that even though it has little to do with the RISMHL on an ongoing basis, Hockey Nunavut should have intervened to, at least, ask the Eskimo Point team to reconsider based on the value of having a minor coach as dedicated as Clark, and two up-and-coming coaches such as Nichol and Eetuk.
The Eskimo Point team gets a huge thumbs-down for taking advantage of the situation and not putting the best interests of the game ahead of their own!
Photographs show tip of the icebergNunavut/News North - Monday, February 16, 2015
Show, don't tell. That is exactly what Iqaluit councillor Kenny Bell did at a council meeting Feb. 10 when he displayed a collection of photographs which show crumbling infrastructure in city-owned buildings around the territorial capital.
Published along with a news story about Iqaluit's million-dollar illegal deficit, grim predictions of the city's financial future and shortfalls in transfers from other levels of government, Bell's photographs show situations that are potentially life-threatening.
Imagine an emergency at the Arctic Winter Games arena which results in a crowd of people having to evacuate through an emergency exit which is not only barricaded with a broken hockey stick but is buried with snow on the outside. Walls of snow are blocking exits from other city-owned buildings around town, creating an identical situation to what sweat-shop workers have faced in Third World countries when fires hit illegally constructed buildings.
There is potential danger to human life in other locations, most notably the city fire hall where a firewall remains broken. The pictures Bell shared with this newspaper are worth a thousand words and represent a monstrous mess. The deficiencies are outrageous on their own and require immediate attention to avert tragedy.
What is worse is that this is just the tip of the iceberg, where only a small fraction of the ice mass is visible above water while the majority remains under water, invisibly representing the most danger.
That's why Bell's photos serve to illustrate the extreme financial peril the city is in currently.
Despite legislation that makes it illegal, the City of Iqaluit has been in a budget deficit for the past five years. The deficit is forecast to grow to more than $10 million this year, up from an estimated $5.8 million in 2014 after posting an actual deficit of almost $1.5 million in 2013.
How the city could possibly raise taxes or increase its revenue to reverse a $10-million deficit with such a small population base is in itself mind boggling. Add the urgent capital needs to the equation and any right-minded accountant would collapse in despair.
A new fire hall, estimated at $40 million, is urgently needed, a garbage incinerator is a must-have item considering last year's dump fire, which burned from May until September. There is also the urgent need for the city to do the work required to receive a water licence from the territorial government. There is also a majority of funding needed for the $40-million aquatic centre, where $8 million has already been spent and piles are in the ground.
Add a new city hall, an expanded arena and a turf field and the city is looking at a $200-million capital budget wish list.
The only saving grace on the deficit front is that there are no government transfers in the 2014 or 2015 budgets. The financial picture will become clearer by a March 1 budget preparation deadline.
Right now, all we see is an iceberg large enough to sink any ship.
Coming clean Groenewegen-style Weekend Yellowknifer - Friday, February 20, 2015
Hay River South MLA Jane Groenewegen wanted to "come clean" in the legislative assembly earlier this month regarding her fiery interest in the future of Northland Utilities -- Yellowknife's de facto power supply monopoly.
Groenewegen said her interest in the company was motivated by her interest in her constituency which counts the utility company as a major employer and community supporter.
But as Yellowknifer reported last week, "What the Hay River South MLA failed to mention in her statement to the legislative assembly ... is that her long-time constituency assistant, Wendy Morgan, is married to Duane Morgan, the company's Yellowknife manager."
Is this a simple oversight? After all, as well as promoting the company's important role to her constituency's economy, she did not fail to name two company managers who make their homes in Hay River and Fort Providence.
Innocent oversight or not, Yellowknife Centre MLA Robert Hawkins was correct to state the full story of Groenewegen's interests were not laid bare when she supposedly came clean.
This matters because citizens have to believe their elected leaders are acting in the best interest of those who voted them in. While no one can criticize Groenewegen's concern for a major Hay River employer and the company's employees, she is open to criticism for failing to disclose any and all potential personal connections to the company.
Failure to do this casts the suspicion that even her sworn duty to represent the interests of her constituents could be influenced by her personal relationships, whether directly or indirectly, as in this case where a close associate is married to a company manager.
This isn't just ink on a page. The Town of Hay River recently announced its interest in cancelling its contract with Northland Utilities because of skyrocketing power rates.
A reasonable person has to assume Hay River town councillors have not only the cash-in-pocket interests of the town and its citizens at heart, but also the interests of community members who work for Northland Utilities.
If it's clear to Hay River town council there is reason to question the future of the monopoly, why is Groenewegen so fiercely against the same question on a territorial level?
We don't need to belabour that this is not the first time Groenewegen has been caught up in questions surrounding conflict of interest.
It's too bad she didn't take the lesson fully to heart when in 2001, as deputy premier, the NWT conflict-of-interest commissioner ruled her in violation of conflict of interest law.
She may have good reason to defend the monopoly, but when coming clean leaves out a personal connection to company management, we are being asked to drink the bathwater and call it crystal clear spring water.
Mine progress positive signDeh Cho Drum - Thursday, February 19, 2015
It's not the rosiest time to be in the metals mining industry.
Despite a generally favourable outlook, commodity prices for things like lead, zinc and silver have slumped since 2011.
As the value has dropped so have stock prices for the companies trying to extract the metals.
That's the case for Canadian Zinc Corporation which owns the Prairie Creek mine northwest of Nahanni Butte.
The mine has a long history behind it and it hasn't even reached production stage yet.
There have been legal battles and starts and stops on the road to production.
Last year the company, after raising money, announced it would begin its underground program to move the mine closer to production.
In recent weeks, it has pumped the water from a tunnel which will allow more work to begin.
An outdated study is being revised so company executives can go to potential lenders and make a stronger case about the value of the metals underground.
The funds raised are said to be enough to cover the current work and then more will be needed.
Hopefully, Canadian Zinc can use the report results to secure more money to move the project ahead.
With the territorial books near what the finance minister describes as a "fiscal cliff" and production at diamond mines expected to dip over the coming years, there's a lot of potential riding on further development at Prairie Creek.
While careful monitoring of such projects is an absolute must to protect land and water, we hope Prairie Creek can move along toward extracting its resources.
While there are certainly environmental issues to closely examine when it comes to mining, especially in a national park, the business does bring benefits to the North.
Right now, more than a dozen people are working at Prairie Creek and the company has committed to hiring as many people as possible.
Community leaders should ensure that commitment is upheld.
An operational mine would support more jobs which in turn would support communities in the region over the estimated 11-year life span of the mine.
Athletes learned lifelong lessonsInuvik Drum - Thursday, February 19, 2015
Last week some 200 athletes from eight communities in the Beaufort-Delta region kicked, reached, jumped, snaked and jigged for two days of competition at East Three School.
The Northern Games Summit brought together students of all ages to participate in a variety of traditional games. In its third year, the games have become an important event for school-aged children. It's an opportunity for youth to connect with their culture, interact with elders, meet new people, and build a strong sense of community. The spirit of the games centres around friendship, encouragement and a positive space where youth can be themselves, thrive at what they know, and learn more about what they may not. I spoke regularly with lead organizers Sharla Greenland, Colin Phybus and Jill Nugent, students, and the many volunteers who put hundreds of hours into making the event a success.
Volunteers are the backbone of this community. On a regular basis people step up and offer support to help make events like the Northern Games Summit happen. Games officials who spent countless hours judging athletes were always smiling and engaged with the youth. In the kitchen, students and teachers worked almost non-stop to feed the students throughout the three-day event. Even after long hours and nearing the end of the summit, everyone, despite being tired, was happy to be there.
Students showed the utmost respect for those giving their time to the games, shaking hands, offering thanks, and showing they were open to learning from those with knowledge and wisdom. When an athlete was struggling, they clapped and cheered. If they were eliminated, high-fives, hugs and words of encouragement weren't far behind.
Events like the Northern Games Summit are crucial to youth success. By bringing together students from across the region, youth are not only able to learn more about the traditional games and culture that is embedded in their daily lives, but to learn life-long lessons and skills - problem-solving, confidence, determination - that will shape them as they carve their path in the world.
The enthusiasm shown by everyone involved in the event was incredible. If students didn't know the underlying goals of what the summit hoped to instill in them, by the time students got their medals during the closing ceremonies, many understood. It wasn't just about the one-foot high kick, the snow snake, Animal Muk or the bench reach.
It was the intangible growth, the character development that will have a longer-lasting effect on each and every participant. When they reflect on their time at the games in the future, they'll see what they learned and be grateful for the opportunity to have experienced the beauty of the summit.
