Time to kill SenateYellowknifer - Wednesday, June 17, 2015
While the auditor general's report has shed light on the padding of senators' expense accounts, all that pales in comparison to the total cost of the Senate as a whole.
NWT Senator Nick Sibbeston was found to owe taxpayers $50,102, or about half of one per cent of what the senate costs Canadians each and every year.
Specifically, that's $102,717,842 for the year of 2014. If the federal government were to distribute that money equally among all 13 provinces and territories, the NWT's share would be $7,901,372.
That's more than enough to run the Yellowknife Airport for a year.
It's a little bit more than what the latest territorial budget put toward a three-year plan to add 169 public housing units in smaller communities.
Does the Senate offer the same bang for its buck?
It's supposed to be a place for sober second thought but voters already have a venue for second thoughts. Every time an election is called voters are invited to ask themselves if they made the right call in choosing their elected representatives. If not, the representative is sent packing.
Ironically, there's almost no opportunity for the same kind of sober second thought that might lead a senator to be fired.
Under the constitution, senators may only be removed if they fail to attend Senate for two consecutive sessions of Parliament, if they take an oath of allegiance to a foreign power or become a citizen of another country, go bankrupt, are convicted of a felony or lose their residences or properties in the jurisdiction where they were appointed. This fails to take into account a senator's performance, so whether they do their jobs well or not, they're basically guaranteed their seats so long as they show up, keep their noses clean and keep their homes.
But even assessing performance is a challenge. Since the vast majority of senators are political appointees, they don't have to make a mandate for themselves in the same way an MP would need a platform.
The Senate may have seemed like a good idea at the birth of the country in 1867 but 148 years later it's difficult to justify. The federal NDP has taken on senate abolishment as a federal election campaign issue - a tall order as long as the provinces are providing the Senate life support - but it's an idea that is clearly gaining momentum with voters.
In the meantime, it might be worth having the auditor general take a look at MPs' expense reports. As much dirt has been found in the Senate red chamber, there's bound to be more in the House of Commons.
Avens a sound investmentYellowknifer - Wednesday, June 17, 2015
Health Minister Glenn Abernethy ought to rethink his government's decision to turn down a request to support the $28-million long-term care facility expansion proposed by the Avens Community for Seniors.
Construction of Avens' planned 30-bed development stalled after the territorial government balked at the prospect of paying for operational costs, despite the fact such a facility would save taxpayers money in the long term, as pointed out by Frame Lake MLA Wendy Bisaro in Yellowknifer last week.
According to figures from the Department of Health and Social Services, the 20 beds at Stanton Territorial Hospital's medicine unit cost the government $756 per day to fill and the hospital's 12 extended-care beds cost $1,050 per day.
At Avens, the GNWT pays $373 per day to fill each of the 28 beds in the dementia facility and $341 per day for each of the 29 beds in the senior home's long-term care facility. Patients pay $25 per day for the beds at both Avens facilities.
As an increasing number of residents remain in the capital through their senior years, including those coming from elsewhere in the territory to take advantage of better services in Yellowknife, and given that the capital's aging population will demand more services and extended care beds for the elderly in coming decades, now is the time to think ahead by adding costs for a portion of the Avens facility to the GNWT's capital plan.
Abernethy's stated preference to fund further analysis and pay for working groups as a strategy for inching the project along is getting old.
Music not a race issueEditorial Comment by Darrell Greer
Kivalliq News - Wednesday, June 17, 2015
I'd like to thank all those who have taken the time, both in person and online, to discuss their tastes in music with me and offer their take on some of the points I've raised in the past.
Music plays a fairly significant role in the yearly routines of our communities.
And it's a topic I never get tired of discussing and, in some cases, debating rather passionately.
I don't like the term arguing when it comes to music, especially when talking about one's likes or dislikes.
There are no rights or wrongs when it comes to the type of music a person prefers.
People who know me can attest to the fact I listen to a wide range of music.
We're talking the musical equivalent of the Grand Canyon here.
But the truth is, the vast majority of it falls under the categories of rock and roll, rock and hard rock.
In short, I'm a rocker and will be until the day six of my friends carry me out.
I don't "get" classical or jazz, and I have no use for country except for the odd splash of Garth Brooks, Charlie Major or Dwight Yoakam.
And, truth be told with Yoakam, I like his style and storytelling enough to put up with the twangy way they're delivered once in awhile.
What's bothering me lately, however, is the number of people who get personal and make hateful accusations if you don't agree with their opinions or share their taste in music.
And it's so damn maddening because it's so damn symptomatic of the way too many try to steer discussions today.
I don't listen to the songs of Charley Pride because I get absolutely no enjoyment out of country music, especially old-school country.
It has absolutely nothing to do with the fact he's African-American.
Being a Beatles fanatic, I would not hesitate to place a little wager on the fact I know a lot more about Yoko Ono than the average music fan, as she comes with the territory when you're big time into the Beatles.
But I have about as much admiration for her avant-garde stylings as I have understanding of it, which is little and none.
My dislike of her wailing like a banshee over nerve-shredding feedback from a guitar has absolutely nothing to do with the fact Yoko Ono is Japanese.
Yet, I will cease objectively discussing her art when it's insinuated I don't like it for any reason other than the fact she is Japanese.
It's a way to imply I'm a racist without using the word, and an effective means of ending the conversation before I can make a point that may lend some credence to my contention she is not effective as an avant-garde or underground artist.
It is also, unfortunately, a strategy employed all too often today.
I find the arbitrary playing of the race card reprehensible in every application, because it demeans the efforts of those who built their actions and arguments on fact and conviction.
Whether discussing music, the merits of an art form, dividends paid at a local Co-op, or the recommendations put forth in trying to reconcile those affected by a national tragedy, it is a cheap tactic meant to elicit nothing but pain, guilt and anger.
And, as a means of furthering intellectual and productive dialogue, it strikes nothing but sour notes!
Truth, reconciliation and educationNorthwest Territories/News North - Monday, June 15, 2015
There was a nun at the Fort Providence residential school who used give something to children who were caught crying.
It was an empty sardine can, and according to NWT Senator and former residential student Nick Sibbeston in his testimonial to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, it was to be used as a vessel for children to "collect their tears."
The Truth and Reconciliation report is made up of powerful anecdotes like the one above which illustrate what life was like for children in the residential school system.
Florence Horassi remembers a nun giving her a clothespin to plug her nose so she could eat her lunch -- rotten fish -- without throwing up while living at a school in Fort Providence. Wayne Reindeer recalls running away from Grollier Hall to his family home in Inuvik and hiding under his house for two days, his siblings smuggling him food. His father "dragged (him) back, kicking and screaming all the way" after administrators came to inquire about where he was. Nellie Cournoyea remembers how aboriginal families along the Mackenzie River provided her shelter as she fled south from Stringer Hall in Inuvik. Alphonsine McNeely told the commission about the time a nun washed her mouth with soap for speaking her language with a classmate.
Every Canadian should spend some time with the final report.
It is an impressive culmination of eight year's work that tells the comprehensive history of 130 residential schools that ran 150 years with very little in terms of government oversight or funding but one overarching mandate. A mandate so destructive it has left many Canadians struggling with the sobering accusation that through this system our government committed cultural genocide.
"The deputy minister of Indian Affairs predicted in 1920 that in a century, thanks to the work of these schools, aboriginal people would cease to exist as an identifiable cultural group in Canada," states the introduction to the final report, marking possibly the first time in history a bureaucrat has ever written with enthusiasm about the demise of his own department.
Setting aside the individual instances of sexual and physical abuse, the infamous electric chair, nutrition experiments, forced child labour and other indignities, our government's deliberate attempt to eradicate First Nations, Inuit and Metis cultures is the biggest shame of the residential school system. Now, after the Truth and Reconciliation Commission has finished its work, the rest of the country has to do its part.
Canadians have to take the time to understand how our government was able to commit such an injustice so they can safeguard against it ever happening again. To do this, the federal government must make sure residential school history becomes part of the curriculum of every school in Canada. It's the one recommendation of the 94 released last week that stands out as an absolute must do.
The territorial government has shown leadership in this regard by implementing residential school history into curriculum and Alberta announced last week it would follow suit.
We are heading in the right direction but until every single Canadian student is taught what the residential school system was, how it happened and the ways its legacy continues to affect people today, Prime Minister Stephen Harper's 2007 apology to former residential school students on behalf of the federal government will ring as hollow as that Fort Providence nun's empty sardine can.
Invest in alternative energy now or pay the price laterNunavut/News North - Monday, June 15, 2015
The technology that harnesses tidal energy - creating electricity out of the cyclical movement of the ocean - is in its infancy and hydro electricity is a costly venture, especially up north.
But the government's position that effectively shut the door on these alternative power-supply options is short-sighted and to the detriment of the territory.
Whether tidal, hydro, solar or wind-powered generation, the fact is Nunavut must explore technology that alleviates the reliance on costly diesel energy - particularly now when that cost has dropped, freeing up cash to sink into these projects. Yes, these ventures will require more than what is left by the lowered diesel price but in the long run, it means aging diesel generators and fluctuating fuel prices will no longer be the determinant of Nunavut's energy costs.
Sounds pretty freeing, doesn't it?
It's too bad the territory doesn't have a voice in Ottawa that could really use some positive press on the home front and has an interest in sustainable development projects. Oh wait, Nunavut MP Leona Aglukkaq will be seeking re-election this fall, after what could be gently called a tough couple of years with Nutrition North proving a failure within the territory and an audit of CanNor - for which she is the minister responsible - coming back as less than glowing. She also happens to be the Minister of the Environment.
How many calls has the territorial government made to seek some southern support for alternative energy projects?
While the opportunity to make an investment in the future of Nunavut is ripe, the government is arguing that there needs to be "a solid business case and rationale," according to Finance Minister Keith Peterson.
It appears the uncertainty and cost of renewable energy projects has the GN putting on the brakes, yet it will continue to fork out dollar after dollar for non-renewables, the price of which fluctuates completely out of the control of the government.
What's so certain about that?
While it may not be as simple as canvassing Parliament Hill for a few dollars toward an energy project, if the technology is rejected outright there's no doubt Nunavut will remain tied to non-renewables.
The fact is, the GN will have to spend money to save money.
Peterson said, "As a government, we simply can't afford mega projects in Nunavut."
We would argue, as a government, they simply can't afford this inhibited perspective.
Single fathers left out Weekend Yellowknifer - Friday, June 12, 2015
It is the responsibility of society to protect its most vulnerable citizens.
This can range from those in poverty to those with disabilities but perhaps most accurately this means children.
While most have parents to perform this most important of duties, sometimes those parents wind up in difficult situations that erode their ability to be caretakers.
This is where the support of society must come in but as Yellowknifer revealed last week, those supports are not in place, particularly for single fathers in need of housing.
While this is likely a small demographic in Yellowknife, it exists.
Following a brief stint in jail which resulted in Russell Hamilton owing thousands of dollars for his apartment, he attempted to find housing for himself and his 15-month-old daughter.
But Hamilton only found rejections and wait lists and was left with no other option other than to take long walks pushing a stroller and spend nights couch-surfing with friends and family.
Emergency shelter for men is at the Salvation Army where no children are allowed. Then there is Bailey House transitional home for men, which says it's not appropriate to allow children to stay there because tenants are occasionally intoxicated.
Herein lies the gap.
The equivalent emergency shelter for women is at the Centre for Northern Families, where children are allowed. Betty House is the female equivalent to Bailey House and again, children are allowed.
While opening up the men's shelters to children is not necessarily the right solution - statistically men are more prone to violent behaviour than women, creating a potentially unsafe environment - there is a clear gender disparity that cannot be ignored.
There needs to be a place low-income single men with children can go while waiting for the housing option that does accept them, such as public housing and the Rockhill transitional home for families.
Here both men and women are faced with wait lists illustrative of an emergency-housing situation in crisis-mode.
For public housing, wait lists range from eight people to 107, depending on how many rooms they're seeking. Rockhill, described by the YWCA executive director as the last housing option, has a wait list of 100 people, all with children.
"There is no alternate option," Lyda Fuller told Yellowknifer last week.
Although discussions on a lack of public and transitional housing clearly impacts all those in need, Hamilton's case highlights a unique - albeit niche - gap that needs addressing.
Mental health update a good start Weekend Yellowknifer - Friday, June 12, 2015
It will be a great day for society if scientific research finds a magic bullet that cures mental illness.
In the meantime, there remains a war of tiny victories and numerous setbacks, fought on the front lines by social workers, police, courts and health-care professionals.
To these people, the territories' updated Mental Health Act will provide ammunition.
The main gap in the current legislation, says Health Minister Glen Abernethy, is that there is no requirement for people to take their medication.
In the narrowest sense, medical practitioners can order patients be involuntarily detained, if they prove to be a danger to themselves, others or are simply unable to care for themselves - but only with the approval of the health minister himself. They can't require patients to take their meds once they leave the building.
Now patients whose mental illnesses are controlled by medication can return to their communities and be monitored to ensure they are following through and taking their medicine.
If they stop, police may take the patient to a treatment centre.
While this may seem heavy handed, it's really a middle ground. In the case of schizophrenia, patient adherence is fairly poor. One study suggests 80 per cent of patients who leave the hospital don't take their medication as directed, and those who do not follow their medication routine are more likely to wind up back in the hospital.
It's not unreasonable to imagine that there would be considerable disruption to the patients' lives, as well as with their families and employers when they stop taking medication and require hospitalization. This measure has the potential to limit that disruption. That's a step in the right direction for the territory.
Thinking small can mean big thingsDeh Cho Drum - Thursday, June 11, 2015
We live in a wonderful part of Canada.
Everywhere there is room for municipalities to grow, for people to put down roots wherever they like and for businesses to cater to captive communities.
There is so much potential for business and quality of life in the Deh Cho, but we are in danger of letting that potential stagnate or slip away.
Recently, Minister of Finance Michael Miltenberger left the country as part of a delegation promoting the Mackenzie Valley Fibre Link in Europe.
They will be travelling to Norway, Sweden, Italy and Germany to liaise with myriad space agencies and organizations.
But they seem to be putting little effort into selling the fibre link on a local scale.
Jean Marie River and Wrigley are just two examples of local communities affected by the fibre link. Little has been done to allay fears they will not be tied in to the fibre link because of the size of their communities and the fact there is no company in their municipalities to provide service.
It's shameful the GNWT, which is characterized by those small municipalities, would forget its own people.
Dreaming big has its merits and attracting international attention is always a priority. There is no fault in that, until it comes at the expense of the people actually living in the NWT.
Bigger communities along the fibre link will, of course, see benefits. But the government needs to remember that people in smaller communities have livelihoods as well. They need services every bit as much as larger communities; they just have a smaller voice with which to ask for them.
For instance, it is becoming increasingly difficult for businesses based out of small communities to have an online presence. It is equally difficult for the administrators of those municipalities to put their communities on the digital map.
If the government isn't willing to invest locally, it should not be surprised when municipalities fail or when residents begin to move elsewhere.
It shouldn't be a surprise when the Deh Cho's much-lauded tourism industry begins to falter.
Ultimately, by not tying in smaller communities to the fibre link and offering them service, the government is shooting itself in the foot.
Such service can only be a benefit, and when communities thrive, the territory thrives.
Something to keep everyone occupiedInuvik Drum - Thursday, June 11, 2015
There's an old saying about "making hay while the sun shines." That might never be more than true around an Arctic town like Inuvik.
Despite a wealth of activities on tap in town for the summer, I know it's not going to take long for someone to mutter that unfortunate phrase: "There's nothing to do here."
It's enough to make you bang your head softly (or not so softly) on the nearest convenient door or wall.
There's not really a lack of anything to do in most seasons in Inuvik, particularly the summer and winter.
As the Inuvik Slo-pitch Association showed this past weekend, the weather is no particular obstacle to having fun outside.
The tournament was played in some very unpleasant weather for two of the three days, but there wasn't any particular complaints.
Maybe the proximity of the food and beer tents had something to do with that optimistic lookout, and maybe not. I prefer to think it was just the thrill of the game that shone through the gloom.
Then you could take a look at a major town event such as Inuvialuit Day, where it seemed like a good chunk of the town came out.
You could argue that free food was an attraction, and I wouldn't argue the point, but people seemed to be genuinely interested in celebrating the cultural and political significance of the day.
Then there's the East Three Canoe Club, which has started a kid's program for future races in the last week. The club is also organizing an endurance race in August that should appeal to many people to both participate and watch.
While no plans have been formally announced yet, it seems likely the Inuvik Adventure Race will also be on tap for July or August.
The Midnight Sun Fun Run will happen June 20, and there are already people well into training for it, both for competitive and personal reasons.
Repairs will be made to the Ruyant soccer pitch, hopefully allowing for outdoor soccer to finally return to Inuvik.
The tennis courts at East Three are also hopping in good weather, as are the basketball courts.
If the town lacks anything in particular, it might be more walking trails. As a very walkable community with a sizable footprint, there's room for improvement for town officials to consider.
The territorial slo-pitch championships are coming in July, as are at least two more local tournaments.
Then there's the Great Northern Arts Festival and the End of the Road Music festival, two signature events.
Since it seems like few people sleep in Inuvik during the 56 days of perpetual daylight. There just isn't an excuse not to take advantage of any or all of these events and activities.
Other towns don't have a fraction of what Inuvik has to offer.
That's something to keep in mind next time you hear how "bored" someone is.
The grass isn't always greener elsewhere.
