Silver lining in death of headframe Weekend Yellowknifer - Friday, March 18, 2016
Make not doubt about it, Con Mine's Robertson Headframe is an iconic piece of the Yellowknife skyline. Visible from many kilometres away from all points on the compass the headframe stands as a marker for Yellowknife itself.
Soon boaters, pilots, snowmobilers and snowshoers will have to rely solely on compass and GPS to make their way back into the city from Yellowknife Bay, as most do already. Like most pieces of recently retired industrial infrastructure the headframe, though striking from afar, is essentially industrial scrap metal.
Unless some benevolent millionaire is going to step up to the plate and cover the costs associated with reclaiming and preserving the headframe as an historical artifact -- and none are forthcoming -- people should not bemoan the loss of the headframe too greatly.
Iconic, yes. A work of art? Definitely not. It needs a new paint job, the roof is leaking, and its single-purpose nature limits its usability as something other than an enormous marker in the sky.
Its destruction is part of the land reclamation plan for the mine site and it seems nothing will prevent that plan from being carried through to its completion.
This is, in at least one way, a good thing. That Con Mine would go through its productive life cycle with its owners seeing complete land reclamation through to the end is how mining should be carried out in the North and everywhere.
Its toppling will be a sad reminder that Yellowknife's gold mining roots are fast become a blip in our collective rear view mirror but its razing is a moment to celebrate as well - what the mine didn't become. No monumental environmental and financial disaster that severely impacted the well-being and trust of First Nations in the surrounding area.
Yellowknife was built on mining and it would serve us well to remember that. But Yellowknife's future is not tied to the headframe, and holding on too dearly to what has past no matter the cost was never in anyone's interest.
Police can't build trust by shielding bad apples Weekend Yellowknifer - Friday, March 18, 2016
Justice may be blind but the trust people have in their police force should not be.
That trust appears to have been broken in the case of former Yellowknife RCMP officer Chris Kosmenko, who, according to a report with the Commission for Public Complaints Against the RCMP, lied to gain entry to a family's home he had no legal right to enter.
Kosmenko told social services there were unsupervised children in a home after arguing with the father of a teenage boy he was seeking to arrest. The father wouldn't let the officer into the home, saying the boy was not there, which, according to the report, was true. The officer, acting in disbelief or simply out of spite, called social services to report that children were alone in the home and possibly in danger even though another officer could see an adult was present through a window.
The family sued for the invasion into their privacy, eventually settling for $24,000 in damages.
Whether the officer was ever disciplined for this flagrant abuse of power the public apparently will never know. That's because the RCMP refuse to provide any information on the case of any kind. We do know, from the family's lawyer, that Kosmenko has since been promoted to corporal and is now serving in Calgary.
This is not a mere personnel matter. Police officers are public figures by the simple fact that they have been entrusted with powers ordinary citizens do not enjoy. When that power is abused by individual officers the RCMP has a duty to explain what happened and what steps are being taken to ensure it doesn't happen again.
As city defence lawyer Peter Harte notes, RCMP officers in the North by and large perform their duties admirably well. He was addressing a Statistics Canada survey that found NWT residents are less trustful of police than their southern counterparts.
Alas, the RCMP's choice to close ranks around a few bad apples risks sabotaging its efforts to rebuild that trust.
Home-built solutionDeh Cho Drum - Thursday, March 17, 2016
What's to be done about the Northwest Territories' housing crisis?
Across the territory, there are 800 people on the waitlist for public housing. According to Caroline Cochrane, the minister responsible for the Northwest Territories Housing Corporation, all those people are homeless.
In an effort to curb some of that figure, the NWT Housing Corporation has been hiring companies to import modular homes from elsewhere in Canada.
While those companies doing the importing are from the North, the homes themselves are pre-built elsewhere instead of being constructed in the North.
That, according to Cochrane, is because importing allows the government to save money.
However, some MLAs see modular homes as having an unacceptable impact on the economy.
A lack of consultation with communities has only added fuel to the fire.
Now, Nahendeh MLA Shane Thompson is determined to hear what the region has to say on modular homes.
Thompson pushed the issue in the legislative assembly on March 3, and has since been in contact with some of the leaders in the Nahendeh to get their input on the situation.
He feels importing modular homes undermines local economies. In the legislature, Cochrane said importing modular homes costs the government 30 per cent less than constructing stick-built homes would. It seems clear that when it comes to the North, it is always cheaper to import.
That's because the cost of bringing in materials and hiring builders to construct homes locally will likely always be higher than bringing in pre-built homes.
Additionally, the NWT's current economic situation can lead to short-term thinking. It prompts the government to put on blinders and in that respect short-term cost reductions can look very attractive.
However, Thompson is right that the long-term impacts of importing homes could harm the NWT's economy.
The fact that the North needs homes is indisputable. But alongside that, it needs jobs, some economic presence for workers to take advantage of, some method for the 800 people who are currently homeless to get their feet under them. By allowing construction of stick-built homes at a higher cost, the government would provide a much-needed stimulant to the economy. The effects of that would go far and beyond the current economic slump.
A little extra money toward home-built solutions is not the worst idea. Despite tight economic times, nothing stimulates an economy like an increase in jobs. The effects will not be seen right away but in the end the NWT would emerge stronger, with small communities that are stable.
One can only hope the government will heed that feedback and consider alternative solutions.
Now is the time for assessmentInuvik Drum - Thursday, March 17, 2016
The Inuvialuit Regional Corporation sent a letter to six federal departments last week calling for a Regional Strategic Environmental Assessment, essentially a massive and comprehensive version of what companies have to do before they're granted permits to develop land and water resources.
Now, as a reporter, I'm generally skeptical of buzzwords like capacity building, knowledge-based and strategic.
While bureaucracy is certainly better than utter chaos, the process can be clunky, long and expensive, paying already-overpaid government employers for moving paper around. That being said, despite being replete with its own buzzwords, the assessment proposed by the IRC is a different beast.
The argument presented by the various game councils, community corporations and IRC chair Duane Smith is there are gaps in the current knowledge that need to be filled and that there appears to be an appetite at the federal level to work more closely with indigenous peoples in the Arctic to develop it responsibly. The letter also presents the case for doing it now, while industrial activity is virtually non-existent in the area.
This last bit is perhaps the aspect of this plan that makes the most sense. In Germany's family-owned business system, when times get tough, they don't lay off workers and close up shop. Instead the owners invest their own money -- they keep people on to clean up the factory and they implement training programs. When the economy picks back up again, they are ready to hit the ground running, with happy, better-trained workers who feel some loyalty to the company.
Obviously there is not a perfect correlation here, but the parallels are interesting. A Regional Strategic Environmental Assessment would likely employ a lot of people on many levels -- from government scientists to the people hired to take them out on the land.
It would contribute to the bank of knowledge about the region that could then be accessed by anyone looking to work in the Inuvialuit Settlement Region, which would be valuable to everyone.
Doing it while industrial activity is quiet not only makes practical sense, it makes -- dare I say it -- strategic sense because those doing the studies wouldn't be rushed or directed by any specific oversight.
Bureaucracy may largely be a make-work project, which can be problematic for jurisdictions looking to cut ballooning costs. But this proposal is the best kind of make-work initiative for people on the ground and, in this case, on the water, too.
Avens must be part of bed shortage solutionYellowknifer - Wednesday, March 16, 2016
The territory is facing a shortage of beds for people who require around-the-clock care and the territorial government seems to be throwing its arms up and whispering 'crisis' - but so far, not much else.
This is odd considering Avens - the non-profit organization that houses seniors with a variety of needs - literally has a gaping hole in the ground and is in the market for a partner to create a new building with enough long-term care beds to meet the projected need by half.
While the GNWT has an obligation to consider all options for both taxpayers and the senior citizens and others who will make up this projected 123-bed shortage in the city, Avens is the most logical and viable partner in the equation.
The seniors societies of both the city and the territory presented the case against for-profit care to MLAs earlier this month. This is distinct from Avens, which is a not-for-profit organization. Despite the objections of a for-profit model being put on the table, and the fact the GNWT via Health Minister Glen Abernethy has committed to looking at all options in filling the shortfall, no private operator has expressed interest.
When all options are considered, what will likely emerge on top is Avens. As its CEO Stephen Jackson told Yellowknifer last week, "We have the experience. We have the passion," citing the organization's 30-years of experience operating in the territory.
Plus, it seems, Avens can do it cheaper.
Abernethy told the legislative assembly it costs $130,000 per bed annually to operate a long-term care facility but Gord Van Tighem, chairperson of the Avens board of directors, said the organization operates below what the government or other organizations would in providing a similar service, although he did not offer specific numbers.
It's good the government's antennas have twigged to the projected shortfall in beds, which is expected to happen in 10 years. And it's good an experienced partner with the skills and expertise to fill the shortfall already exists in Avens.
Greatest gender deficit is elected womenYellowknifer - Wednesday, March 16, 2016
There is a fine line between hiring someone based on gender parity and strictly on qualifications.
This debate is being played out as a new commissioner is being sought out for the NWT. George Tuccaro's five-year term ends in May and there has been plenty of discussion over whether the next one should be a woman.
Former Frame Lake MLA Wendy Bisaro's name was mentioned as a replacement but she was quick to say no, insisting she is retired. She added that while she would like to see a female commissioner, one should not be chosen "just because she's a female." We tend to agree. The more the government makes choices based on identity, the fewer choices it is has in staffing positions with strong and able people.
That said there are many women in the NWT who would make great commissioners.
A Facebook post by Yellowknife Centre MLA Julie Green generated the names of 48 women, including well-known figures, such as Gail Cyr, Ethel Blondin-Andrew, Jane Groenewegen, Sharon Firth and Nellie Cournoyea.
Needless to say, there are plenty of good candidates in the territory - both men and women - to fill this mainly ceremonial role.
The greatest gender deficit remains among our elected leaders, including the legislative assembly, where once again only two out of 19 MLAs elected last fall were women. That's something all Northerners should be thinking about next election.
The magic behind the musicEditorial Comment by Darrell Greer
Kivalliq News - Wednesday, March 16, 2016
Regular readers of Kivalliq News realize this old scribe has a tremendous affection for a rock-and-roll band known as the Beatles.
In the Kivalliq, it burns me no end how many dismiss the group these days due solely to Paul McCartney's stance on seal hunting and well, any other form of killing an animal to produce meat for supper.
But that is the personal opinion of Macca (McCartney's nickname), and has nothing to do with the Beatles collective.
First and foremost for me is my love for their music, which changed the popular music scene forever.
And I could fill this edition with stories on the number of firsts the four lads were responsible for.
The stories would range from their dealings with record labels, their techniques in the studio, to George Harrison being the grandfather of "music-cares" fundraisers such as Live Aid and Farm Aid with his Concert for Bangladesh in 1971.
The Beatles were the perfect storm of happenstance, from the musical genius of Macca and John Lennon to the brooding undertones of Harrison and the play-exactly-what-the-song-needs drumming of Ritchie Snare (Ringo Starr).
But, make no mistake about it, the eye of the musical storm was their producer, the late George Martin.
The happenstance of fate that brought The Beatles to Martin and the Parlophone label is music legend, as is his ability to translate what McCartney and Lennon -- who had no formal training to be able to express their ideas in musical terms -- heard in their heads into musical reality.
While McCartney at least, could suggest sounds from numerous sources, Lennon's genius was far more abstract, and he often spoke of the sounds in his head in terms of colours, emotions, sensations and dreamscape-like progressions.
Lennon would tell Martin he wanted a song to sound like an orange or, in the case of Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite, he wanted to be able to "smell the sawdust on the floor" (The Complete Beatles Recording Sessions).
Lennon -- who Martin referred to as an "aural Salvador Dali" -- also held little regard for the "laws" of music and relied on his producer's genius to make the musically impossible, possible.
Arguably, the most well known example of Lennon's technical indifference (some would say insanity) came during the recording of one of his best-loved efforts, Strawberry Fields Forever.
Lennon was torn between two different arrangements of the tune, one being a little too brash for what he heard in his head, and the other a little too lush with its cascading string section.
To Lennon, the answer was obvious. He'd have Martin splice the two versions together and, voila, an instant musical masterpiece!
Of course, it was of no concern to Lennon that the two versions were recorded in different tempos and keys!
With the help of longtime Beatles engineer Geoff Emerick, Martin created his own brand of studio magic and pulled it off.
If you listen to the song closely today, you can still hear the splice at about the one-minute mark of the song.
The music world lost a true legend with the passing of Martin, 90, this past week and, like millions of others, I lost one of the main architects to the soundtrack to my life.
Somehow, "Thank you George," just doesn't cut it.
Unknowns remain in power dealNorthwest Territories/News North - Monday, March 14, 2016
Good for Hay River town council on securing what appears to be a better deal for power distribution in the community.
With residents and businesses screaming about the high cost of power the town's leaders decided they would try cutting power distributor Northland Utilities out of the equation in an effort to lower power bills. Both the town and GNWT-owned NWT Power Corporation, which will now generate and distribute power in Hay River, say customers can expect a 20 per cent reduction on the cost of electricity.
If that actually occurs then that is good news.
But for reasons still not fully understood today, power corp. has been charging Northland Utilities 30 per cent above the cost of providing power in Hay River. News/North asked the Public Utilities Board, which regulates power rates in the territory, for an explanation last year but never received an answer.
Fort Resolution, meanwhile, which is fully serviced by power corp. was only paying 51.7 per cent of what it cost to provide the community with power.
A cynical person might suggest it's easy to promise a 20 per cent reduction in the cost of power when the community is already overcharged by 30 per cent.
These questions deserve answers. Why was Hay River charged so much more for power than neighbouring communities? When Hay River put out a request for proposals for a new power distributor in May of last year, Northland released its proposal publicly so anybody could read it. NTPC did not. Why? How is it that a government-run corporation would be able to provide power at cheaper rate than its private sector counterpart? This question leads quickly to another question: how much will it cost the taxpayer for NTPC to provide power at lower rates in Hay River? Also, how much will it cost the taxpayer to acquire the power infrastructure in Hay River, as it has committed to do in its proposal?
Transparency is key, especially when dealing with a Crown corporation bidding against the private sector. The government-run agency holds all the chips and the government-appointed Public Utilities Board sets the rules. It's only fair then that all the cards are laid out on the table.
While News/North is genuinely happy the residents of Hay River have been promised a reprieve from the inexplicably high rates they've been paying for power, the most important question still unanswered is, at what cost comes this discount?
Mactung discount is not a good dealNorthwest Territories/News North - Monday, March 14, 2016
A final price has come in on the tungsten-rich real estate the territorial government decided to acquire less than a week before last fall's election.
Instead of the $4.5 million it was estimated to cost at the time, the GNWT will pay $2.6 million. While it seems like a bargain, the government actually struck a bad deal years ago, when government leaders were negotiating devolution.
This is what they agreed to, regarding the remediation of mine sites approved by Ottawa pre-devolution: If the territorial government "maximizes the value" of assets corporations have posted in lieu of cash required to pay the remediation of their mines, the federal government will remain responsible to do the job.
Wait a minute. Who accepted collateral instead of cash for remediation of these sites in the first place? It was federal government, via the Mackenzie Valley Land and Water Board. This means the territorial government has put itself in a position where it is responsible to maintain the value of security the federal government accepted from corporations in lieu of cash in the first place.
So this is why cabinet put forward an emergency spending measure days before it was set to dissolve in the wake of an election, to acquire mineral rights to a property in the hopes somebody, someday will eventually pay what the feds deem it must be worth.
The 17th Legislative Assembly did not get a good deal by acquiring Mactung for a discount. Those leaders got the shaft, for having to bid on it in the first place.
Don't be satisfied with small slice of fundingNunavut/News North - Monday, March 14, 2016
With almost half its population under the age of 35, Nunavut communities count on their sports and community facilities to provide opportunities for physical activity, outdoor adventure, organized sports and competition -- all essential ingredients for a healthy lifestyle.
Arenas, gymnasiums, sports fields and properly-equipped playgrounds are all responsibilities of government to build and maintain, ensuring they are kept in good condition and capable of passing safety, cleanliness and occupancy tests.
It has become clear the various levels of government are shirking their responsibilities to provide adequate facilities, not so much because of a lack of will but largely because of a lack of funding amidst the challenges of construction in remote locations and maintenance in the harsh climate of the North.
One case in point is the situation in Hall Beach, where officials are poised to pull out two playground structures after they were deemed to be unsafe. Residents and hamlet administrators are trying to raise about $125,000 for their replacement, launching a GoFundMe page and getting a commitment of $30,000 from the hamlet.
Of the federal infrastructure dollars announced by Nunavut MP Hunter Tootoo for Nunavut Feb. 29, less than $1.3 million will go to playgrounds, plus $425,000 (or 25 per cent) from the Government of Nunavut as a requirement of the Small Community Building Fund. There are 10 other communities besides Hall Beach scheduled to lose their playgrounds because of safety issues and the Government of Nunavut says the highest need playgrounds will get priority for replacement.
That's outrageous when one considers how much money is required for a place that is constantly in use by children who swing, climb and slide outdoors at recess as well as after school with friends, relatives and siblings.
In a look at the bigger picture, it seems obvious Nunavut is being shortchanged because of its small population. Overall, the Small Communities Building Fund, carved from the New Building Canada Fund, has $1 billion available to all communities in Canada with less than 100,000 people. And Nunavut only gets $25 million?
Not to sound too ungrateful but the Iqaluit Aquatic Centre is receiving $4 million toward a $40-million project. The Kenojuak Cultural Centre in Cape Dorset will get $2 million toward a $10-million project to replace a firetrap that has long passed its best-before date. And the Government of Nunavut has to find $6.54 million from its already tight budget to meet the 25 per cent matching funds requirement.
Building communities is about the small things taken for granted in big cities -- proper playgrounds for children, community halls for feasts, safe arenas for sports, an actual swimming pool, and arts and cultural centres for people to create.
Nunavut, and the other territories, deserve a larger slice of the community funding pie and special consideration because of location and conditions.
