Jailhouse shockYellowknifer - Wednesday, March 11, 2015
There is a great injustice taking place in NWT correctional facilities but the perpetrators are not convicted criminals.
The guilty party in this case is an apathetic corrections system tethered to GNWT policies that appear to care little about actually rehabilitating the parade of people who wind up in jail – many of them repeat offenders.
The GNWT's Department of Justice received a drubbing at the hands of the Auditor General of Canada last week when it released a scathing report highlighting the failures of NWT correctional institutions on a wide range of issues.
At the top of the list was the lack of mental health and addictions counselling available to inmates in both the North Slave and Fort Smith correctional facilities.
According to the report, which studied the treatment of 48 inmates over a two-year period, the territory's jails do not have any dedicated resources for rehabilitation programs. The report points out that North Slave Correctional Centre has just one psychologist to tend to the needs of approximately 140 inmates. Even more troubling is the revelation that wait times to see the psychologist were as long 120 days.
In the department's defence, Sylvia Haener, the deputy minister of justice, rightly pointed out that "not everyone is willing to take the programming that is already offered."
While inmates cannot be forced to seek treatment, the fact is 87 per cent of inmates serving sentences longer than 120 days accessed general rehabilitation programs. Meanwhile, only 36 per cent of inmates with sentences less than 120 days sought help.
It seems a little too convenient for the department to suggest the reason inmates are not seeking help is because they lack willpower, instead of acknowledging that unreasonable wait times might have a role to play. Indeed, the report notes the department did not have a a strategy to guide inmates serving sentences of less that 120 days, despite the fact that they make up more than 50 per cent of the inmate population.
If inmates are unable to get the help they need while in jail – however short their stay might be – what hope can there be that they will be able to get it once they are back on the streets?
The report also revealed that the North Slave facility in particular failed to adhere to its own standards when it comes to the practice of segregating inmates. Out of of 38 reported incidences of segregation there were at least eight cases where no justification was provided for the decision. In 20 of those cases, authorization from the warden, which is required as per the department's standards, was not granted.
Monty Bourke, the NWT director of corrections, tried to brush off the findings of the report by explaining that segregation procedures at the territory's jails had already been improved, and the time period highlighted in the report is "now history."
Contrast Bourke's response to Justice Minister David Ramsay who met the findings of the report with an almost baffled sense of concern. Ramsay said he has told staff in his department that "we need to do something about this" on numerous occasions. In light of this most recent report, this can only mean either Ramsay has been giving his bureaucrats poor directions or his concerns have been falling on deaf ears.
One thing for certain is that the department complied with only one recommendation from a 2008 audit outlining a list of concerns that are now repeated in the current report. The enacted recommendation called for the development of inmate profiles.
Like a criminal who has been caught red-handed, the Department of Justice would do well to offer up a mea culpa and accept the charges brought against it by the auditor general so it can get on with helping inmates get the services they need and hopefully not re-offend once out of jail.
A reasonable judge would expect nothing less and there's no reason why government should not be held to the same high standards the criminals are.
Money taking toll on pro gameEditorial Comment by Darrell Greer
Kivalliq News - Wednesday, March 11, 2015
With the Stanley Cup playoffs looming just around the corner, one can't help but notice the sudden silence of all the pundits who were advocating the latest round of changes to the pro game in the interests of increased scoring and player safety.
Player injuries of all sorts, especially concussion-like syndromes, are off the chart and, as for the offence, well, the NHL is currently on pace to equal the scoring of the 1954-55 season.
It should be interesting to see what comes next in the way of changes, driven mostly by pressure from the media, medical profession, and a collective group of bean counters, the vast majority of whom have little experience on the ice in high-level competition.
So why have the rule changes of the past decade done nothing to change the aspects of the game they were intended to?
The answer is one simple word: money!
Today's players are bigger, stronger and faster than they've ever been.
The changes made to "open up the game" have done nothing but increase the number of unguarded hits delivered at a higher rate of speed.
The result has been, of course, more injuries.
Of all the rules removed to open up the game, the most stupid remains the removal of a player's ability to shield his teammate from a blind-side hit by running a pick on an oncoming forechecker.
Almost as damaging has been the removal of a defenceman's ability to slow up forecheckers by briefly taking away their skating lane at the blue line to give their partner more time to ready for the pressure.
They're not about to reverse the rules, and they're not about to put in a bigger ice surface at the cost of revenue-generating seats, so the injuries are here to stay.
Most true hockey fanatics who understand the game will tell you the rules brought in to increase scoring have mostly been a joke.
Scoring is down for one simple reason – the amount of money players earn today and the introduction of the salary cap.
The better teams in the league now have two or three stud players, two or three high-end second-tier players, a solid No. 1 goalie, and a group of various parts to keep them under the salary cap.
No easy task with a minimum league salary of $550,000, and an average salary of more than $2.5 million for a 20-man roster.
Oh, and those studs I mentioned. They come in at $7.53 million to $9.53 million for a forward, $5.8 million to $8.5 million for a top No. 1 goalie and $6.5 million to $9 million for a stud D-man.
Starting to get the picture?
A team like Pittsburgh, with superstar centres such as Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin, continually look for diamond-in-the-rough or entry-level wingers who can play alongside the two.
But, such is the nature of the game that all the playmaking skill in the world can't turn a hockey frog into a prince of scoring.
Money has created its own version of a "dead puck era," and it isn't going to change any time soon.
The days of 200-point and 70-goal scorers are gone forever.
That is, until the day hockey nets more closely resemble those of soccer.
Stay tuned.
Buy a copy of the ConstitutionNorthwest Territories/News North - Monday, March 9, 2015
At some point during the drafting of the Devolution Act, Ottawa lawmakers added a dishonest clause.
The amendment to the Mackenzie Valley Resource Management Act would dissolve the Tlicho, Sahtu and Gwich’in regional land and water boards in favour of one pan-territorial super board.
In the case of Tlicho’s Wek'eezhii Land and Water Board, the super board would replace a 50/50 split between Tlicho and GNWT appointees (and a federally appointed chairperson) with one Tlicho member on an 11-member territorial board. Worse, there would be no guarantee of Tlicho representation on proposed development in the Tlicho Agreement area.
When it became clear this made-in-Ottawa super board idea was tied to devolution, it became a lightning rod for criticism.
Tlicho, Sahtu and Gwich’in leaders all vigorously defended their boards, saying there’s no need to fix something that isn’t broken. NWT MP Dennis Bevington stood up in Parliament more than once to urge AANDC Minister Bernard Valcourt to listen to their concerns.
The Tlicho government warned the federal government it had a constitutional duty to consult with the First Nation, threatening a lawsuit.
Since then, the Tlicho and Sahtu have made good on their threats to challenge the feds in court. One month before the super board would have become a foregone conclusion, NWT Supreme Court Justice Karan Shaner did something she acknowledges should only be done in the "rarest of circumstances"–she granted an order to stop the federal government's legislation until the Tlicho case is tested in court.
In her written judgment, Shaner acknowledged the courts usually don't have jurisdiction to interfere with the responsibilities of Parliament. But because the Tlicho suit brought forward a "serious constitutional question" about whether the federal government can unilaterally change the terms of the Tlicho Agreement, she granted the injunction to the Tlicho.
This is the third time in a year the federal government has lost in court against indigenous people on constitutional grounds.
In April 2014, the Federal Court of Appeal upheld a court challenge which guaranteed Metis and non-status Indians constitutional rights and access to First Nations programs and services provided by the federal government.
A few months later the Supreme Court of Canada sided with the Tsilhqot’in First Nation of British Columbia that Canada has a duty to consult with First Nations before developing on their traditional lands –even if they haven't signed a treaty.
AANDC continues to insist it will "vigorously defend" its super board despite the objections of the people it will affect the most.
According to its own reporting, AANDC spent $106 million on litigation in 2013–the most of any federal department.
Given the its recent track record on defending itself against indigenous constitutional challenges, maybe Minister Valcourt should consider reallocating some of that money to much-needed programs and services, and maybe even set aside a couple bucks to buy a copy of the Constitution.
Most important is why Cape Dorset infant diedNunavut/News North - Monday, March 9, 2015
This is no time to be timid.
There is a woeful lack of specific instructions to a lawyer appointed to reveal why three-month-old Makibi Akesuk Timilak died in Cape Dorset on April 5, 2012.
The terms and conditions of the review call for Yellowknife-based lawyer Katherine Peterson “to determine what steps were taken in the wake of Makibi’s death and whether the steps taken were appropriate in the circumstances,” Health Minister Paul Okalik informed the Nunavut legislature Feb. 24.
“The review will also focus more generally on what procedures are currently in place within Government of Nunavut departments for receiving and responding to complaints regarding nursing care in Nunavut, and whether they were followed in this case.”
That’s not good enough for three MLAs -- Cape Dorset’s David Joanasie, Quttiktuq’s Isaac Shooyook and Baker Lake’s Simeon Mikkungwak -- who are calling for Okalik to do more.
We agree. What is required is an accounting of the circumstances that led to Makibi’s death, including the actions of nursing staff at the Cape Dorset Health Centre at the time and, most importantly, the attitudes held by the nursing staff.
Nunavut News/North has received anecdotal reports that nurses in Cape Dorset at the time complained that “these mothers want us to babysit their kids.” Inuit mothers calling with complaints about sick children were told to give the child a bath, some Tylenol, and call back if the situation does not improve. Suggestions that the workplace culture was seen to be so blatantly unprofessional and unwelcoming are disturbing.
MLAs have brought up numerous complaints by Inuit patients about the response of health-care workers to requests for diagnosis and treatment.
Okalik has answered repeated calls to expand the scope of the review by suggesting, on one hand, that “we don’t have much wiggle room” and, on the other hand, by suggesting lawyer Peterson is free to “look at any particular aspect surrounding the failure of our health system that led to this death,” if she wishes.
At the end of the day, who can people trust? Can they trust the words of the minister in the legislative assembly or will greater authority be given to the terms of reference prepared by the Department of Health, the same department which is the subject of the review?
Okalik has the power to change the terms of reference so they direct Peterson to uncover the circumstances which led to Makibi’s death, including the workplace culture and attitude at the Cape Dorset Health Centre at the time. He cannot worry about ruffling feathers in the Department of Health.
Strong leadership is required now if the government wishes to restore the credibility of its health centres among the people they are obligated to serve.
Let's stop exporting talent Weekend Yellowknifer - Friday, March 6, 2015
Leaving home to pursue higher education is a rite of passage for many students but in the case of the NWT it is often not a choice.
Aurora College is trying to stem the tide with plans to offer a post-secondary Bachelor of Education in the North Slave region.
This would allow Northerners who already have a bachelor degree in arts and science to take a two-year Bachelor of Education course at Aurora College and qualify for a teaching position. Right now, they would have to go south to take such a program or enter a full four-year program in Yellowknife.
The idea is already generating interest. Two dozen people attended an information session earlier this month. Dave Porter, chair of the college's school of education, said staff is researching the viability of the two-year post-secondary program in the North.
Many students, especially those seeking post-degree studies, are older with families and jobs in the North. They face either missing out on their education goals or having to quit their jobs and move south.
Chelsea Mason, 30, born and raised in Yellowknife, is getting her diploma in social work from the college but if she wants to go further she will have to complete her degree online or go the University of Regina, where Aurora College has academic connections. Others simply want to stay near their home, like Kristine Kraft, 19, a nursing student. She is seeking a specialist degree but with few options she may have to leave.
Having more specialist degrees available in Northern schools can be considered part of the GNWT's plan to stop out-migration. Even if students stay for only a few years, they will still be contributing to the local economy and help boost the population, not to mention transfer payments.
We applaud Aurora College for listening to their students and taking steps to expand programming as solution to filling the education gap.
We hope this is the beginning of more post-degree programming, allowing the college to not only retain Northern students, but to attract more from other parts of the nation.
Abernethy comes through at Stanton Weekend Yellowknifer - Friday, March 6, 2015
During the past few months, we expect Health Minister Glen Abernethy has taken heat for a painfully inadequate Stanton hospital policy defining the role of security staff at the hospital.
Last week, he announced in the legislature that hospital security staff can now respond immediately to violent situations.
We have been told that at least one guard with appropriate training has been stationed in the emergency ward, with the intention that all security staff receive the appropriate training in short order. Abernethy has also agreed to MLA Bob Bromley's request that a territory-wide security review be done and reported back on within 120 days.
Bromley has been a leader in the crusade to improve security at the hospital and he should be considered a co-author of any improvements.
As health minister, Abernethy inherited this situation from the previous government which chose not to implement the full range of recommendations contained in the 2011 security review after a patient near-fatally stabbed himself in the hospital cafeteria. At first, despite an outcry from hospital staff and the public, Abernethy was slow to react and may not have acted as quickly as he did without a few stern warnings from Bromley. He should now be commended for moving forward with immediate and concrete action to improve security at the hospital.
Abernethy's recent actions show he meant it when he said: "We want safe, secure (hospital) facilities where a patient can receive the best care and our staff are safe."
We are now on the right track to achieving that safety and security for hospital staff and patients.
Thanks to those who enrich our communitiesDeh Cho Drum - Thursday, March 5, 2015
When reflecting on the news of the week in the region, it can be easy to find fault and point to issues that need to be addressed.
Instead this week I'm going to point out a few examples of what's going well.
As I've written in the past, Fort Simpson has a fairly strong and welcoming sense of community.
Part of that comes from the variety of events and activities available to village residents.
One big annual community organized event is nearly upon us. The Beavertail Jamboree will kick off this weekend in Fort Simpson.
The jamboree is a highly anticipated event based on conversations I've had with community members in the village.
There's an eight-person committee that ensures the event takes place, though many of the numerous activities planned for the week have been held in previous years so there isn't too much new to organize.
But there is fundraising as well as securing venues and performers.
Without people contributing time, the event wouldn't be as highly regarded as it is among residents.
Another example this week comes from those who are in the early stages of restarting a gun club in Fort Simpson. The group plans to formally organize and aims to raise money to improve the rifle range.
Ian Coates also has said he'd like the club to provide a venue for people to learn safe firearms practices.
While not in the village, another example to be applauded comes from Fort Liard.
After funding ran out, the youth centre was expected to close its doors until April.
However, another notice was later posted in the community that said it will stay open on Fridays. Sharon McLeod has volunteered to keep it open.
That deserves praise.
These are the kind of people who strengthen our communities.
So here's to the volunteers that give up some of their time so others can have activities that make this a good community to live in.
For those who coach sports, sit on festival committees, organize club or host community events, thank you.
Great man lostInuvik Drum - Thursday, March 5, 2015
One moment someone is here. The next they are gone.
I sat in town council chambers with councillor Terry Halifax last Wednesday night. The meeting was going to be cancelled because not enough councillors were available to meet quorum. However, they had to wait 15 minutes after the scheduled start time before they could officially cancel it. Halifax, Alana Mero, Jim McDonald and Grant Hood sat around with myself and a few others talking to pass the time. We joked, and laughed and talked about council issues.
I left before the councillors did, as they waited to briefly discuss an in-camera issue. Terry shot me a smile and nodded as I left. I said goodbye and headed to my car.
It was the last time I'd see him alive.
The following day I spent hours on the phone talking to the people who knew the four-term councillor. He had collapsed unexpectedly outside town hall, a building where he spent many days and nights fighting to make Inuvik a better place. He died at the hospital after being rushed for medical attention. He was 54.
A photographer, fearless muckraking journalist, selfless friend, admirable colleague, and firm believer in making Inuvik a great place to life. This was Terry, a man devoted to the people of this town - the ones he knew and the ones he didn't. Regardless of whether you knew him or not, he cared for each person and their well-being.
His partner Elizabeth Fraser told me Terry would give his heart and soul to whatever cause he believed in. He was fiery and outspoken. People didn't always see eye to eye with him. However, his friends and colleagues said he had the utmost respect for their point of view, even if it wasn't the same as his. He respected the people he worked with, a symbol of the type of person Terry was.
He genuinely cared about the future of this town, and dedicated his time to helping make it a better place. He was involved in countless youth workshops on photography, worked with Children's First Society to get the new daycare building finished. He dedicated his time to finding better ways to bring affordable energy to residents being strangled by high rates. He wanted to make a difference because he believed in this town.
Fraser said he wanted to bring the town to the glory it deserved. He worked hard during his four terms on council to achieve that. Sadly, he won't get to see the work he's done in recent years come to fruition.
As a teacher, he saw the struggles youth experienced and wanted to help them find success in their lives. He dedicated his time to making Inuvik a place where youth were happy to live and felt they had options to have a bright future. As former mayor Peter Clarkson said, he fought for the vulnerable, the little guy who didn't have a voice.
Terry embodied what it meant to be a member of a community -- bold, dedicated, and forward-thinking.
You will truly be missed.
