Gaping hole in city's recycling strategyYellowknifer - Wednesday, December 2, 2015
There is a huge discrepancy when it comes to recycling in Yellowknife, mainly between those who live in apartments and those who live in detached houses.
Yellowknifers living in houses are restricted to two bags of garbage a week, although they can buy additional tags from city hall for $1.50 each.
For many families to keep to that two-bag limit, they must separate out their plastics, refundable bottles and cardboard and cart it all off to the recycle bins around town regularly.
As the city rolls out its new compost collection in many sections of the city, home dwellers must also separate their food scraps and put them in small compost bins for the city to pick up.
For these folks, there is no limit to the bags they can put in a large green bin supplied by the city, beyond what the ravens would be able to get at should the top not be closed properly. The bins can take more than two bags but a certain amount of recycling with plastics and cardboard, etc. is still necessary to keep the volume of garbage down to allowable limits for delivery to the dump by the city.
Apartment dwellers, 40 percent of households in Yellowknife, don't have to do any of that. They can drop one bag or 50 of totally unseparated garbage into their garbage chutes or dumpsters.
That's a shame because it costs the same to dispose of whether it's coming from an apartment dweller or a homeowner -- historically $150 for every cubic metre -- and takes up precious space in the landfill.
Now the city is trying to get apartment buildings on board with compost collection. With a 2007 landfill audit showing 26 per cent of waste to be compost material, this promises to save a bigger bite of landfill space.
But there's still more to be done to get apartment and condo dwellers on board. Some buildings have recycling bins in the garbage chute rooms. That's a good idea on the part of responsible landlords. The territorial government's bottle deposit program helps as well. The easier it is to do the right thing, the more likely the right thing will be done.
A public relations campaign targeting both apartment dwellers and landlords could encourage more recycling. People generally understand the benefits but may not think of it during their day to day lives without easy options.
Aside from helping to keep the planet cleaner, the costs of not recycling also go the bottom line. Extra space in the landfill is expected to cost the city $3.5 million next year. That money could be used to cut down on taxes, service fees or add to the services available in the city. That's something all Yellowknifers can get behind.
If the stick won't work in this situation, perhaps the carrot will.
It was 55 years ago today...Editorial Comment by Darrell Greer
Kivalliq News - Wednesday, December 2, 2015
Other than anteing-up for a number of hockey pools each year and taking a seat at the odd local poker tournament, I'm not much of a betting man.
And I'm starting to wonder if, just maybe, my lifelong allegiance to Toronto's professional sports teams has disabled my ability to spot a sure thing when it's staring me in the face.
I received, which is always the case when it comes to anything concerning the Fab Four, more than a little correspondence a couple of months back after penning a piece for the birthday of the Beatles' John Lennon (The day the music died, Oct. 14, Kivalliq News).
During one exchange, the subject of the re-release of the Beatles 1 album came up.
My antagonist was certain the issue would flop, given the fact the 1 album had just been remastered as a new release a scant four years ago.
I knew, however, this issue had two things going for it, and I should have jumped at the offer of two-to-one odds on a friendly wager on whether the album would chart or not.
Beatles enthusiasts (present company included) are a loyal bunch who salivate at the idea of "new" material from the Fab Four.
The 1 album was reissued in numerous formats, including the 1+ deluxe edition which included a remixed, not remastered, edition of the compilation album, along with two blu-rays of Beatles videos.
The promotional pieces - music videos decades before the term was even coined - have been painstakingly restored by an 18-person team of film-and-video technicians and restoration artists assembled by Apple Corps.
Many of the videos were released commercially for the first time on the two dics.
The Beatles 1 contains 27 of their greatest hits, and the latest version features new stereo, DTS HD and 5.1 Dolby Digital surround sound mixes of the album.
And, speaking as a proud owner of the deluxe edition, both the video collection and remixed audio tracks are stunning.
Had I taken the proposed bet, I would have taken great glee in sending out an e-mail trumpeting the fact the Beatles 1 re-entered the charts at number one in Japan (weekly chart), number six in the U.S.A. (Billboard 200), number five in the United Kingdom (U.K. Charts Co.), number 18 in Sweden (Topplistan) and number six in Ireland (weekly chart).
Not bad for an album of music originally recorded more than half-a-century ago.
The one silver lining in the dark cloud that was the Beatles breakup - still at the height of their creativity as witnessed by Abby Road - is that the group is forever immortalized as a still young and vibrant collective.
But their legacy as a live band has always been shaded due to the combination of incessant screaming that defined Beatlemania, and the equipment of the day during the decade the group reigned supreme over the world of popular music.
As technology improves, however, that, too, may soon be remedied, as Apple and Universal continue to work on restoring the pinnacle of the group's live performances - The Beatles at Shea!
When the day comes that jewel of all jewels is finally released, I will cover all bets from those who believe the material has become too old to chart across the (musical) universe.
Cabinet's $4.5-million parting giftNorthwest Territories/News North - Monday, November 30, 2015
With all the excitement of the territorial election, it might be easy to forget about the $4.5 million in spending the 17th assembly's cabinet approved in the 11th hour of its own existence.
A mere three days before voters were to cast ballots on a new government, cabinet, which had all but completely dissolved, decided to acquire the mineral rights to an area rich in tungsten called the Mactung property just over the NWT border in the Yukon.
The reason for the purchase is complicated. Essentially, North American Tungsten Corporation Limited (NATCL) is going through the court process of declaring bankruptcy. Part of this process has been the abandonment of its Cantung tungsten mine, located in the Deh Cho. Since nobody wants to buy the mine, it will become a remediation project. Now, it should be the GNWT's responsibility to pay for this remediation after devolution but there is a clause in the devolution agreement which gives the GNWT a five-year transitional period where it can revert this responsibility back to the feds.
To help Ottawa pay for remediation, the territorial government must also hand over any collateral (cash or securities) it has collected from NATCL to ensure proper cleanup of Cantung. Here lies the catch: the GNWT is also mandated to pursue all "reasonable" ways to maximize the value of these securities before handing them over.
So how does the Mactung property fall in to this? It was posted as a security against the Cantung mine's water licence. Because both the federal government and the GNWT were disappointed in the bids received on the property, the GNWT decided a reasonable way to maximize the value of this security was to pay $4.5 million for it now in the hopes the price of tungsten will rebound so it can be sold for more, later.
Of course, the GNWT's definition of reasonable might differ from the public's. Is it reasonable, for example, for cabinet to invoke an emergency tool to approve spending on a mineral stake after the 17th assembly's mandate is over? Is it reasonable for the territorial government to use this emergency tool to do something unprecedented in its own history? Is it reasonable for the territorial government to use taxpayers' money to take a risk on a volatile commodity? Is it reasonable for the government to approve millions in spending without public debate?
We say multi-million-dollar purchases, barring an emergency of life and limb that would require it, are not acceptable at the close of an election campaign.
When voters went to the polls on Nov. 23, they unseated two ministers and six regular members. While they likely didn't have Mactung on their minds when they voted for change, there is no doubt that when the government does things like this it only serves to erode the public's trust.
Now that the 18th assembly has been saddled with a housewarming gift of tungsten, the new members have an opportunity to take this as their first lesson in the value of transparent governance.
Pivotal moment for language in educationNunavut/News North - Monday, November 30, 2015
No one said it was going to be easy.
For the Government of Nunavut to achieve its ambitious goal of delivering bilingual English and Inuktut school education in one of the Inuktut languages requires greater effort than expected.
There are numerous barriers to making that dream a reality. There is a shortage of bilingual teachers who are able to instruct in both English and Inuktut languages. There are some courses which do not lend themselves well to being taught in an Inuktut language. And a majority of school-aged children speak English in the hallways and playgrounds, although many of them speak and respond to an Inuktut language at home.
Now there are recommendations from the Special Committee to Review the Education Act that are suggesting that a single language of instruction model be adopted.
Nunavut Language Commissioner Sandra Inutiq's initial assessment is that a person reading the report is required to interpret its meaning by reading between the lines, so to speak.
On one hand the report quotes the Inuit Language Protection Act, which prescribes that Inuktut-language education is a right in Nunavut.
On the other hand, the report quotes the requirements of the Education Act and Hickes stated that "the special committee wishes to emphasize that the delivery of an education system is too important to be driven primarily by the political idealism."
There are those who see the report as setting the groundwork for further degradation of Inuit culture and language if politicians accept that the education system should move toward English-only instruction.
We see similarities to past struggles by francophones to protect the French language and culture. Of course, the French language is flourishing in Canada and is protected by legislation. Languages are also protected by legislation in Nunavut and the government has a commitment to provide for their ongoing use.
Realistically, students can receive instruction in both languages, particularly if bilingual instruction starts at an early age.
As time goes on, events force the language to evolve, in oral and written form. Through natural progression, one or two dialects within the Inuktut family of languages will become dominant and decisions will be made -- as have already been proposed -- to standardize a written system, which seems to be leaning toward Roman orthography over syllabics.
Ultimately, it is the users of the language who should have the greatest ability to decide its future. That's why we're encouraging all those interested -- not just organizations representing Inuit -- to let their feelings be known before the politicians consider the matter again.
At the end of the day, everyone wants to see school children learn, achieve and advance through the grades until they graduate with the ability to either get a job or further their education at a higher level.
Out of the frying pan and into the Arctic Weekend Yellowknifer - Friday, November 27, 2015
Many prominent figures in Yellowknife, including a number of city councillors, have stood up recently and expressed their support for the Syrian refugee initiative, saying the welcome wagon should not stop at the 60th parallel.
It's not just about having big hearts, so goes the present narrative, but putting together a project that would help boost the territory's stagnant population.
These are laudable gestures. What's lacking to date are concrete plans on how to accommodate them, especially in a place already struggling with housing shortages and homelessness.
For starters, bringing in 2,000 people, as some have suggested as a means of reaching the territorial government's population growth goal by 2019, is simply not realistic. The territory simply doesn't have enough housing - or jobs to support them.
With mines slowing production and the majority of available jobs in government, what opportunities will be available for these newcomers? Funding for English-language classes and workplace training would be required. None of this would be ready to meet the federal government's February deadline.
Typically in instances of humanitarian aid a non-profit organization such as the YMCA or Red Cross, comes forward to provide shelter, food and health-care services to incoming refugee families. As a jurisdiction, Yellowknife is mostly without these type of supports. Would the Salvation Army, Tree of Peace Friendship Centre or Aurora College open their doors to accept newcomers or would our already over-booked hotels provide rooms?
Without a proper plan in place, these refugees will become more of a burden than an asset, even with their $35,000 ticket value toward federal per capita funding to the GNWT. While growing in diversity, Yellowknife lacks the type of cultural variety offered in larger centres such as Vancouver, Edmonton and Toronto. Even if it were to extend an invitation to refugees, how many would accept?
In reality, can Yellowknife absorb more than a couple dozen to start? That's a more realistic figure for a city our size. Given time, as these former refugees become more capable and established, they themselves will be able to support more family members to come, and thus their population will grow over time as other refugee groups have before them.
Much of the talk around the issue has involved security concerns while all other considerations are seemingly forgotten. If Yellowknife wants to position itself as a welcoming spot for refugees, steps need to be taken to ensure there is shelter, jobs and social support for them when they get here.
The last thing the city or the refugees themselves need is 2,000 people standing on the tarmac in February saying, "now what?"
No money to shareDeh Cho Drum - Thursday, November 26, 2015
For quite some time now, Fort Simpson's village council has operated with the stipulation that it only provides gifts to two initiatives per year: Christmas hampers in December and graduation gifts for TSS students in the summer.
There are no line items in place in the budget to provide money to other initiatives, such as requests for donations from nonprofit community groups.
When residents plan sports tournaments or fundraisers, the message the village has sent is loud and clear: 'Don't come to us asking for money.'
On Nov. 16, the tune changed slightly.
A Movember donation request had council considering -- and ultimately agreeing to -- donating a physical item to be auctioned off at an event.
SAO Beth Jumbo said the village has done this before.
But while some may argue there is a fine line between donating an item and donating money, the fact of the matter is that line simply does not exist.
A village asset is still being given away for a good cause.
The item donation came on the heels of councillors refusing a request from former mayor Sean Whelly to have public works staff currently replacing curb stops throughout the village dig a little further and unearth a frozen water line to Allen Bonnetrouge's house.
Over the past month, community members and businesses have rallied together in a mighty effort to fix up Bonnetrouge's house. Bonnetrouge is well-known for providing shelter and hot meal to those who have nowhere else to go. However, his water line has been frozen for years, meaning his house has no running water.
As residents are responsible for assuming costs associated with frozen lines, the village ultimately refused to unearth the line -- stating it would set a precedent.
They then went ahead and set that very precedent by agreeing to donate an item to a fundraiser.
Arguably, Whelly was not asking for a monetary donation but also for a physical item -- that is, a few hours of village workers' time.
Councillors have made it clear they will not allow exceptions to the no-funding rule. Community members in need are on their own.
No consideration is given to the situation of individual residents.
If the village is going to take an all-or-nothing approach, perhaps they should establish a small bit of money to be allocated to funding projects that meet certain criteria.
Or perhaps the village should simply make an exception when extraordinary circumstances call for it -- as they have done in the past with issues such as property tax relief -- and help out a community member in need.
Either way would be better than the arbitrary donation system they currently seem to employ.
Advantages of electing two incumbent MLAsInuvik Drum - Thursday, November 26, 2015
While much of the territory voted for change in the Nov. 23 election, Inuvik voters chose instead to stick with who they know.
Alfred Moses and Robert C. McLeod were both voted back in their electoral districts, beating out challengers Dez Loreen and Jimmy Kalinek, respectively. Neither race was anything that could be termed tight and voter turnout, by early accounts, was abysmal.
Incumbents generally do well when people don't get out to vote, but we suspect something else was at play here in Inuvik. People are clearly happy with their political representatives.
McLeod is a long-time fixture, having already served three terms in the legislative assembly. Moses is known as a popular and active member after his first term in office.
While Inuvik continues to struggle with issues ranging from gas prices to treatment for those suffering from mental health problems, the blame for stagnation doesn't seem to have fallen on the two men representing the community in Yellowknife.
Both say they have worked hard to bring the needs of the community forward and both have committed to putting their names forward to be cabinet ministers.
While of course it would be a coup in some ways for Inuvik to have two sitting cabinet ministers as MLAs, there is also value in having representatives standing outside cabinet, better able to criticize and hold executive council accountable. For instance, outgoing Minister Dave Ramsay served as a popular MLA, known for critiquing cabinet before he joined it, and lost his seat this time around.
It's certainly a tough balance between getting things done and making sure to hold those above them responsible and accountable, but that's exactly what Moses and McLeod were elected to do, once again.
While both Loreen and Kalinek expressed their disappointment in their losses, the parting message from the two challengers was that they hoped their experiences would encourage others to step forward.
That in itself is a happy outcome. All elections should be just that.
Acclamations are in many ways a failure of the democratic process. Kalinek put it best this week when he said everyone deserves a choice, so we thank all the candidates for stepping up to the plate and putting their names forward. The assault of questions and demands from both the media and the public at large that defines campaigning isn't an easy thing to handle.
For those who won, we hope that bombardment doesn't end here. It's so important to stay involved in the process of government when it is actually going about its business and not only when something as exciting and flashy as an election is on.
Power of changeYellowknifer - Wednesday, December 2, 2015
A call to action in ArviatEditorial Comment by Darrell Greer
Kivalliq News - Wednesday, December 2, 2015
