Blind criticismNorthwest Territories/News North - Monday, March 2, 2015
Last month, Frame Lake MLA Wendy Bisaro stood up in legislative assembly to criticize the relocation of government positions out of Yellowknife.
Since embarking on decentralization, the government has moved a total of 150 positions.
Bisaro, speaking for constituents in her Yellowknife riding, used words of doom and gloom, claiming the GNWT is uprooting and sending families into turmoil. She also raised the risk of losing talented employees if they opt out of moving with their positions.
Her statement caused Inuvik Boot Lake MLA Alfred Moses to abandon his planned member's statement to defend decentralization. "I honestly couldn't bite my tongue on this one," he said.
"I do have to speak up for the people in the regions, speak up for the people in the small communities and speak up for people that need the programs, need the services, need the jobs so they too can have a lifestyle."
There is no question the NWT economy is driven by its own public sector. Twenty-two per cent of NWT's workforce is employed by the GNWT. Unemployment rates in the communities hover at 50 per cent. Decentralization brings more jobs - and services - to these communities.
Bisaro's statement is interesting because it seems as though she is ringing an alarm without first checking to see if there is a fire. Instead of providing evidence to support her criticism of the GNWT's implementation of the policy, she asked Premier Bob McLeod to explain how it works.
McLeod touted the government's "measured and conservative approach" and added "we're not moving entire departments holus-bolus from Yellowknife to small, isolated communities."
He said the GNWT's decentralization policy is coupled with a retention policy that gives priority hiring status to people who choose not to follow their position if it is decentralized.
The NWT has a unique set of demographics - 43,641 people live spread out over a 1.18 million square km area - and this reality creates problems calling for creative solutions.
While the GNWT does have to consider the good of its own employees, it and those employees must work for the good of the territory's population at large and this policy helps do that.
The next time Bisaro stands up to criticize a policy that improves services in remote and isolated communities, we hope she will keep in mind the greater good.
Victims of sexual abuse desperately need helpNunavut/News North - Monday, March 2, 2015
The prevalence of sexual abuse in Nunavut has been troubling for years, no matter who the perpetrator, and there are many.
High-profile cases involving dozens of victims, such as what was chronicled in the drawn-out court process for former Oblate priest Eric Dejaeger, left hundreds of people in an altered state. His evil actions didn't affect just the person whose personal rights were violated in some of the most degrading actions known to mankind
Time and again we have heard about victims robbed of the ability to be a good parent for their own children, who are fearful of leaving their child alone with an adult male, even someone they know and trust, as a result of Dejaeger's crimes.
As society is unable to prevent the abuse in the first place, more must be done to ease the minds of victims right after the abuse occurs. To regain life in a meaningful and productive way, they need counselling to help them process their feelings, assuring them it is not their fault.
The issue has caught the attention of people at the highest level of authority in Nunavut. Justice Robert Kilpatrick at the Nunavut Court of Justice made note of statistics which "starkly demonstrate the alarming incidence of sexual violence generally and sexual violence against children in Nunavut" during his sentencing of Dejaeger.
RCMP V Division Chief Supt. Mike Jeffrey wants to use the Dejaeger case as an opportunity to prevent sexual abuse and educate Nunavummiut about the need to speak out if they are a victim or know of others who are being victimized. He observed that speaking up takes a lot of courage because, in many cases, there is a lot of guilt and shame attached. It is made more difficult too because, as statistics suggest, a vast majority of sexual abuse crimes are committed by people known by the victim.
The key is finding the right people to talk to — elders, school teachers, guidance counsellors, police officers, nurses, social workers, parents and the parents of friends.
A child abuse investigations program has prepared more than 100 people to handle cases and is expanding as more people are trained in three communities per year.
Establishment of the Umingmak Child and Youth Protection Centre is in its early stages but will specialize in easing the trauma for victims of physical or sexual abuse.
As it stands, many victims of abuse do not tell anyone and live with the consequences for years.
A victim needs support to realize they have value as an individual, that their intellect, physical abilities, opinions, desires and dreams are important and deserve protection.
It is encouraging that people in high places are identifying a greater need for attention to the issue of sexual abuse against children. Meaningful action cannot come soon enough.
All talk, no action Weekend Yellowknifer - Friday, February 27, 2015
Imagine going into work this morning to your private sector job and finding every sixth chair empty. That's how badly the GNWT is failing in its recruitment efforts.
Despite a competition naming the territorial government one of the top 100 employers in Canada, offering highly competitive pay and benefits, the GNWT is unable to fill more than 1,000 jobs.
In the legislative assembly, Yellowknife Centre MLA Robert Hawkins said that amounts to 20 per cent of the total GNWT workforce.
Just how, exactly, is the territory trying to fill those jobs?
In response to Hawkins' questions, Human Resources Minister Tom Beaulieu said they're using job sites, regional recruiting and looking internally to fill the positions.
According to discussions Hawkins says he's had with Beaulieu, the GNWT is prioritizing 466 vacancies. And yet, a cursory glance at the GNWT website shows fewer than 70 open positions.
It seems the very least someone could do to fill a job is post it online in hopes of attracting an interested party. Yet the territory posts only seven per cent of the positions it's actively looking to fill.
This is an embarrassment. How can those in human resources seriously be said to be doing their jobs?
A year since Finance Minister Michael Miltenberger announced a goal to draw 2,000 people to the territory to raise revenue, the math remains just as simple: 1,038 job vacancies filled with southerners would take us more than halfway there.
Certainly, most Northerners would prefer those jobs be filled by Northerners but even if every single vacancy were filled by someone from down south, the benefits would be shared among those who live here. More new people brings more money to the economy through federal transfer payments -- Miltenberger pegs that value at $30,000 a person -- not to mention that every additional Northerner needs groceries, a home and various other expenditures that lead to more jobs in the private sector.
In a July interview, some of the ideas Miltenberger floated to fill the jobs included student loan debt relief for returning graduates and giving campus recruiters the authority to interview and hire on the spot.
These are good ideas, but ideas can't accomplish anything without action. If the people currently charged with filling those jobs at the Department of Human Resources aren't getting it done, perhaps a few more vacancies should be created and quickly filled by people who can do the job of building the territory.
Give Ramsay's idea room to breathe Weekend Yellowknifer - Friday, February 27, 2015
Hot on the heels of Industry, Tourism and Investment Minister David Ramsay's recent announcement of a new mining advisory board, some MLAs and environmental groups sounded the alarm over an apparent lack of balance.
But this board is not intended to make recommendations on a project's merits relative to its environmental impact. The people of the NWT are exceptionally well-represented on that front via the Mackenzie Valley Land and Water Board, as well as by three regional land and water boards.
Instead, the mining advisory board is intended to provide counsel from industry and investor perspectives to those whose job it is to ensure the NWT attracts the attention of those with the means to develop our natural resources.
With approximately half our GDP entirely resource dependent, this is a vital concern. Investment in the North can't be taken for granted. Most of the greatly anticipated mine projects in the NWT languish in economic doldrums awaiting the warm breeze of renewed investor confidence.
No environmental voice is needed because this board will have no binding authority nor in any way short-circuit our standing environmental review regime.
If Ramsay believes the GWNT could benefit from the volunteer effort of a board of industry and investment leaders, not only do we have reason to doubt him, we have important reasons to let him play this out.
Without future investment in long-term projects, there will be a decline in our GDP followed by a decline in our standard of living and the exodus of our young as they leave the North for better opportunities, somewhere and anywhere but here.
Action needed to address homelessnessDeh Cho Drum - Thursday, February 26, 2015
The efforts of two Fort Simpson residents to provide shelter to those who don't have a bed to call their own deserves both praise and scorn.
The praise goes to Alan Bonnetrouge and Victoria Gargan, who have for the past 10 years allowed those in need to stay in their home overnight.
Not only do they give people a place to sleep when needed, they help feed the people who stay with them from their own pockets.
That shows a community spirit and willingness to help people that goes above and beyond what could reasonably be expected.
The scorn is directed to those in power who have let the housing and homelessness situation deteriorate to this point.
In the village of 1,200 there are an estimated 30 single people who are without a home. That's far too high.
Although some are lucky enough to stay with Bonnetrouge and Gargan in their home, others are left to sleep on the couches of family and friends, or worse yet, on the street.
While the territorial government is in a tight budget situation, surely enough money can be found to provide additional support in this community. We can't argue that to simply open a shelter will eliminate the problem. Homelessness is rooted in other societal factors, including mental health, education, the availability of jobs and treatment for drug and alcohol abuse.
However, the ability of a temporary shelter to bridge the gap between being homeless and a homeowner cannot be understated.
It shouldn't be up to people like Bonnetrouge and Gargan to open their homes to those who have nowhere else to go at night.
Those who have the ability to make a difference- government and service groups - should step up to the plate and start working together immediately to find a solution to help these people.
The region's MLA has rightly raised the issue in the legislative assembly. But words aren't enough.
This problem calls out for action. In an election year will more politicians listen?
Vaccinations protect entire communityInuvik Drum - Thursday, February 26, 2015
Inuvik is safe from a measles outbreak - for now. While other areas of Canada deal with the return of the virus essentially eradicated from North America for a decade, the territory's chief medical officer said the Department of Health and Social Services has an action plan in place to aggressively handle measles if it were to arrive here.
While the North is an isolated region, it's not immune to outbreak. When swine flu hit the North in 2009, hundreds of cases were reported across the territory and Nunavut. However, what was concerning about the H1N1 outbreak in the North was that poor response to the virus likely left many cases unreported.
What's different about this outbreak and a potential measles return is that the NWT is prepared for measles. Swine flu was a new virus that forced the health community to act swiftly in order to prevent a more widespread problem. Canadians have been getting immunized against measles for decades and in the NWT more than 90 per cent of residents are protected from contracting the virus.
However, what about the other 10 per cent? Dr. Andre Corriveau said the most vulnerable people are those too young to get the measles vaccination (under 12 months), and adults who may have missed the booster shot offered in the early-2000s when measles was making a comeback in North America.
If a young child is surrounded by people who are immunized, it greatly reduces the risk of a child contracting the virus that could cause serious health issues if left untreated.
It's also important to point out that the vaccine doesn't cause autism, despite what people who don't vaccinate their children say. The study that hinges on this dangerous and irresponsible line of thinking has been discredited. The shot is safe.
It's important for parents to recognize symptoms. The issue is, however, symptoms mimic other viruses like the flu and the common cold, particularly high fever and respiratory issues. It's important parents and guardians pay close attention to their children when they're sick and be diligent about getting treatment sooner rather than later.
What is challenging for health care workers in the North is that many have only learned about measles in textbooks and hospital manuals. They haven't actually seen patients with the virus. While they may be prepared for cases of the virus, they have to be extra diligent and aggressive when dealing with patients who are sick, and to not look over the possibility of a measles case.
If you are travelling, especially overseas to Europe, Asia or Africa, it's critical you make sure your shots are up to date, said Corriveau. Measles, among other viruses, are rampant - measles has recently made a huge comeback in Europe - and if you aren't immunized you are at serious risk of contracting viruses and bringing them back home.
Check your immunization records and get the shots you need to protect your loved ones and the greater community.
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.
Thumbs-down to self-serving decision
Editorial Comment by Darrell Greer
Kivalliq News - Wednesday, February 25, 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!
