Actions speak louder than wordsNorthwest Territories/News North - Monday, May 23, 2016
On May 9, the Beaufort Delta Health and Social Services Authority announced staff at Inuvik Regional Hospital breached the privacy of 67 patients by "inappropriately" and "repeatedly" accessing their health information.
During a news conference to discuss the issue with media, hospital CEO Arlene Jorgensen emphasized the importance of "being as transparent as possible" in managing the breach, but wouldn't disclose who the staff were, how many staff were implicated in the breach, how many breaches there were or what disciplinary actions were taken.
It's easy to imagine how upsetting privacy breaches must be for patients involved. A healthy doctor-patient relationship relies on a guarantee of confidentiality so patients feel comfortable discussing their physical, mental and emotional health, thus making it easier for them to get the treatment they need. When health-care workers access information outside their scope of duty, that trust is thrown out the window.
In 2014, the legislative assembly passed a new Health Information Act - and it has teeth. It is an offence to collect, use or disclose patient information in contravention of the Act and any person convicted could face a fine as high as $50,000.
In Ontario earlier this month, two people were the first to be convicted of breaching their province's Personal Health Information Protection Act after accessing former Toronto mayor Rob Ford's medical information when he was undergoing cancer treatment at the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre in 2014. They were each fined $2,505, according to the Toronto Star. Like the cases in Inuvik, there is no evidence Ford's health information was shared outside the hospital. In fact, in one of the cases, a woman went into his health records for a total of two minutes. Yet, investigators took the breach seriously and the woman was fined.
According to Department of Health and Social Services spokesperson Damien Healy, the Beaufort Delta Health and Social Services Authority hired outside investigators to look into the breaches and make recommendations. The health authority opted not to lay charges under the Act because it had already "imposed a range of discipline on the employees."
Discipline the public is not privy to.
Elaine Keenan Bengts, the Northwest Territories Information and Privacy Commissioner, told News/North she is also currently completing her review of the case.
She confirmed either the health authority, Department of Health and Social Services or the information commissioner could refer a case like this for prosecution under the Health Information Act. It is fortunate that Keenan Bengts - a third party outside the health authority and department -- can do this because it can understandably be tough for any organization to find the political will to hold itself accountable when rules are broken.
Jorgensen told News/North her hospital has "no tolerence" for privacy breaches. The authority and department both declined to put actions behind those words but the information commissioner still can. The legislation is there. News/North is curious to see if it's utilized.
Truth comes out in Angry Inuk filmNunavut/News North - Monday, May 23, 2016
Traditionally, the seal hunter's greatest strengths are patience and endurance, staying still in wind, snow and cold to outlast the watchful seal under the ice.
So it's with some pride Nunavummiut should regard the patience and strength of filmmaker Alethea Arnauq-Baril in bringing her documentary Angry Inuk to the world stage.
Eight years in the making, Angry Inuk was shown at Toronto's Hot Docs Film Festival last month. It won the hearts and minds of the audience, high praise accompanied by $25,000 and the most votes of the viewers.
So as an artistic accomplishment, Arnauq-Baril has succeeded. But her film, while artfully done, is also a courageous political statement made both on her behalf and all Inuit.
For every person in the film festival audience shown a powerful truth on the screen before them, there are thousands who have swallowed the lies and guise of anti-seal crusaders as passionate defenders of Mother Earth.
While these people are not evil, they are wrong in failing to understand the life-sustaining and historical relationship between Inuit and seals.
They call it a senseless slaughter while driving in their gas-guzzling SUVs to supermarket meat counters laden with cuts from countless cattle stockyards across North America.
These are the slaughterhouses, the opposite of the pristine seascape of Nunavut.
The towering hypocrisy of the European Union's ban on seal products is baffling until you stop to think of the self-serving mindset behind centuries of barbaric colonialism that still afflicts indigenous peoples around the world.
Make no mistake, Arnauq-Baril has and will pay the price for taking these liars on just as Tanya Tagaq has.
There will be vicious attacks on social media, blogs full of insults and cries for revenge and hateful comments at the end of stories.
Yet her hope that those who view Angry Inuk will emerge wiser and willing to spread the word that the propaganda attacks by anti-sealing groups are unfounded and downright vicious should be shared by us all.
As mentioned, Arnauq-Baril is not alone.
Aside from the majority of her people and many reasonable Canadians, the federal government, both under the last and the present party, have made commitments to turn the tide of poison seal hunting politics.
Last week, Nunavut's own Hunter Tootoo, federal Minister of Fisheries and Oceans, announced calls for proposals for $5.7 million to support sealskin marketing efforts, part of a five-year program, now in its second year.
One concession Inuit sealing supporters have won from the Europeans was an exemption to the sealskin ban for products of indigenous harvesters. The marketing program is designed to take advantage of the exemption but it's an uphill battle considering the widespread misinformation that has torpedoed the commercial sealskin industry as a whole.
While social media is one of the instruments of hate taken up by anti-seal hunting advocates, Nunavummiut and Canadians in general can help by liking, commenting and promoting every mention of Angry Inuk they see.
Truth always wins but, as Arnauq-Baril demonstrates, not without a great hunter's dedication and patience.
Strong medicine required Weekend Yellowknifer - Friday, May 20, 2016
The criminal history of a repeat offender highlights a need to link release to achieving mental health treatment goals.
Territorial court was told Jacob Griep, a man diagnosed with schizophrenia and major depression and has more than 75 convictions on his record, had spent more of 2015 behind bars than outside. Six of those convictions came in the past year for failing to follow conditions of his probation order forbidding him from entering the Black Knight pub.
He was sentenced May 6 to 105 days in jail for once again being in the pub he was barred from entering.
All of this means that whatever treatment he received behind bars does not seem to be taking hold once he rejoins society.
It is not known whether Griep took advantage of mental health services available in the correctional centre. It has been noted in a 2008 court case that he does have issues taking his anti-psychotic medication once he is on the streets.
In any event, there should greater emphasis on treatment and healing programs in the correction service that help mitigate the huge cost of doing nothing.
Statistics Canada pegs the cost of incarcerating an adult in the Northwest Territories at $280.10 a day. Add to that the cost of a judge, two lawyers, police officers, court sheriffs and guards that must be paid every time Griep is accused of a crime, and the cost of providing the mental health care necessary to rehabilitating convicted criminals starts looking like a bargain.
Many convicted criminals require mental health supports but may not always be inclined to accept it when offered to them. The correctional system should be provided the necessary tools to encourage inmates to accept the help being offered to them.
Those convicted of a criminal offence have lost the right to move freely and act destructively. It follows that they also give up the right to refuse necessary mental health interventions that would empower them to act as functioning members of society upon release.
Is there more patronage pork to cut? Weekend Yellowknifer - Friday, May 20, 2016
News that the soon-to-be scrapped board of directors for NWT Power Corporation cost taxpayers $1 million a year in honorariums, travel expenses, and other fees leads one to suspect there are plenty of other flabby pieces of pork within the territorial government that can easily be trimmed.
This is not to cast aspersions on the individual board members themselves, who doubtlessly performed their work diligently but let's be frank, given that power corp. is wholly owned by the GNWT, with the premier and cabinet largely functioning as the de facto board of directors, what is the eight-member board of directors but a parking spot for patronage appointments anyway?
The government's decision to have deputy ministers - who represent cabinet ministers - serve as the board only makes sense, at least for now.
The government is looking at re-organize territorial health boards, and the shake up at the power corporation is exactly the kind of message the GNWT needs to be sending as it searches desperately for a way to climb out of its $150 million budget hole.
Kam Lake MLA Kieron Testart was correct to point out that cost cutting alone will not be enough to make the power corporation "work for Northerners" in terms of developing a long-term energy strategy. But cost cutting is as good a start as any.
Whatever the NWT's future energy strategy looks like, it must rise from a foundation of taxpayer dollars well spent.
Cutting the million dollar board sends the signal that the current cabinet understands the need for public accountability, and is beginning to take it seriously.
Spring cleaningDeh Cho Drum - Thursday, May 19, 2016
As the ground dries up and spring takes hold, one of the uglier aspects of the season is about to be tackled.
Spring cleanups are happening across the Deh Cho, and in some communities they have already begun.
Community members seize the initiative put forth by municipalities and businesses, who often donate to spring cleanups, donning rubber gloves and spend an afternoon beautifying their community.
Trash from the winter is ready to be picked up - but the real problem is that it's there to begin with.
The fact there is trash in the first place means someone discarded their empty packages, bags or bottles on the side of the street.
To be fair, there are those of us who are not completely environmentally conscious. That is one of the reasons why spring cleanups are necessary in the first place.
However, there is a difference between casual and wanton littering - although they should both be frowned upon.
Recently, Fort Simpson's gun range was left a mess by someone or a group of people who did not clean up after themselves.
That included empty cans lying around, targets destroyed and the garbage cans used for target practice.
Luckily for the village's many shooters, Enbridge stepped up to the plate and not only donated new garbage cans but helped to clean up the mess left behind.
It seems slightly ironic that a company that is part of an industry many consider to be dirty and harmful to the Earth should be the one responsible for cleaning up someone else's mess.
That should serve as a reminder to everyone to pick up after themselves, and the culprits responsible should feel duly chagrined.
It is also a reminder of how a lack of personal responsibility can have a great negative impact on the community.
In general, littering affects communities in the same way, if to a lesser degree, than the situation at the gun range. Litter blows onto private property, into yards, down to the shore and even into the river.
It affects wildlife, flora and the ecosystem.
But even though the negative effects of littering are widely known, every time spring rolls around the community seems to have this same discussion, with little changing.
In the end, the people in smaller communities in the Northwest Territories are the most vital stewards of the land. They are the ones who are out on the land every season and whose voices are loudest in favour of preserving the environment.
It would be great if more of us could be more responsible about our littering practices - then, we could hold others to the same standard.
From study to realityInuvik Drum - Thursday, May 19, 2016
There is something sadly amusing about the federal government announcing $100,000 worth of funding for feasibility studies a month after the initial study was authored.
There are a few ways this could be interpreted. There is the possibility CanNor didn't want to throw its support behind the initiative until commercial greenhouses were found to be viable in Inuvik and Norman Wells, as opposed to saying they would fund a study before knowing the outcome. It is also possible the news release was sitting on a bureaucrat's desk for weeks and late getting out. We may never know.
What the timing does point to however, is the preponderance and abject love for government studies in this jurisdiction.
Now, don't get me wrong, studies are important. No one wants to throw taxpayer money at a project not thoroughly vetted and determined to be viable, but there is a way to take this too far.
Studies - and their business-plan cousins - can bog projects down in a big way. They are a relevant part of the process, but far from the most important. There seems to be a lot of money allocated for starting things - or just looking at starting things - but operational support is much more conservative.
Of course, one could argue it's not up to the government to fund and support organizations in all their endeavours. Except they end up doing so anyway through a patchwork of grants and contribution agreements, renewed (or not) on an annual basis.
Also, if the government isn't interested in operating a commercial greenhouse, which it is has given no indication of, what is it doing funding and conducting a $200,000 feasibility study?
Furthermore, a commercial greenhouse - albeit a seasonal one - has been operating successfully in Inuvik for the past 15 years, is this not evidence enough?
There have been numerous studies conducted around the North to study food systems and much hand-wringing and patchwork attempts to make them function in any meaningful way. If this latest study is the thing it takes to propel the project forward and into reality, then we're all for it. However, if it is followed by years of additional plans and studies only to end up on the dusty shelf of some government worker, that is something else.
Accommodate employersYellowknifer - Wednesday, May 18, 2016
The fact that city council is now re-examining the withdrawal of funding that would allow young people with disabilities to attend summer camp just weeks after the city lost a human rights case concerning that is highly coincidental.
The awkward timing will hopefully highlight the difficulties working parents face when trying to find care for their special needs children when school lets out for the summer.
But the problem runs much deeper than not having enough spaces at day camp.
Accommodation in the workplace - be it a public or private entity - has increasingly been promoted through threat of punishment for the past 30 years but with little discussion on the realities employers face when considering potential job candidates who have disabilities or children with special needs.
The treacherous intersection between reality and the law is all too apparent in a recent ruling by the NWT Human Rights Arbitration Panel, which found the city had discriminated against a Yellowknife mother who was forced to quit her job with the city after being unable to find summer care for her son.
Her son is on the autism spectrum and requires a certain level of care that, during the summer months with the existing day camps, wasn't available. After using vacation time, as well as unpaid days off for the summer of 2011, the following year the same option was not available and the employee was told she would have to work evenings and weekends to make up for the time off.
Human rights adjudicator Sheldon Toner agreed that this was not an option for her and is now contemplating a remedy which will presumably include a hefty fine.
The city failed to accommodate the employee, yes but is it reasonable to expect employers alone to bear the extra costs of filling shifts with other staff to alleviate a worker's special scheduling needs? Or for that matter, installing elevators and ramps in order to accommodate an employee?
There must be a recognition that society benefits by having people with disabilities in the workforce but faced with these extra costs and complications, employers - especially those without deep pockets - will simply avoid them.
Just this week, the federal Liberal government announced it is holding consultations on allowing federally regulated employees, such as bank workers and aviation staff, the right to request flexible work arrangements to balance home life through a program called Flex Work. But there is little mention of how the government intends to help these sectors accommodate these new arrangements.
Policies that prevent discrimination are important but without supports to put these policies into action, they risk alienating even more of the workforce because potential employers will simply avoid hiring people they feel will be a headache to accommodate.
Tax breaks and financial support for businesses hiring people in extraordinary situations would help alleviate the burden while closing the window on discrimination. Done right, hiring people with special accommodation needs could be viewed as beneficial to the employer.
The government benefits from productive people. Making it possible for people to work, despite unique requirements, is better for the workplace, the economy and everyone involved.
Policies are a start but policies without remedies are doomed to fail.
The powder kegs of non-existent supportEditorial Comment by Darrell Greer
Kivalliq News - Wednesday, May 18, 2016
It had to happen. A horrible tragedy that, in all probability, could have been prevented.
Our territory has numerous powder kegs that could go off at any time.
Most result from too little money to do anything but make a scratch in Nunavut's mammoth infrastructure needs.
And those needs will continue to grow with our population, as more and more youth turn into adults.
Some wicks burn slowly as the territorial government tries to recruit the needed professionals to fill Nunavut's needs.
As much as some like to complain about too many southerners here now, the fact is not many have any interest in Nunavut at all, let alone commit to living here for any length of time.
For years I truly believed I would wake up one morning, turn on the TV and see images of charred remains being pulled from the Baffin Correction Centre (BCC).
I've felt that way since former Nunavut fire marshal Tony Noakes was let go after refusing to back down from his stance that the BCC was the worst fire-trap he had ever seen back in 2010.
I still have the odd nightmare it could still happen.
Equally disturbing is the almost total lack of mental health professionals in our communities.
And that one caught up to us with the tragedy in Coral Harbour this past week.
For a territory that still talks so much about residential schools and their impact on future generations, not just those who attended them -- and with a suicide rate 10 times the national average -- it's staggering how seemingly little importance is placed on making mental health professionals a top priority.
When one looks at how deprived our communities are just for educators who specialize in students with special needs, one decides not to hold their breath waiting for improvements to non-existent care for people suffering with mental-health issues.
A group from Angutiit Makigiangninga (Men Rising Up) made a trip to meet with men in Baker Lake this past week, and a number of people have completed a Biblical Counselling program in Rankin Inlet during the past year to try and help out.
And bless whatever deity you look to for the efforts of these people, but they need professional help and lots of it.
Trying to help someone who suffered through a deeply troubled childhood, rife with sexual and/or physical abuse, requires long-term commitment.
We have many people among us everyday who struggle with deep-rooted issues.
As hard as they try, they need professional help in order to be able to stay balanced, especially during times when one of life's nastier curve balls comes their way.
Powder kegs burning slowly out of site are often all-too-easy to marginalize.
And, often, those responsible for finally seeing the fuse burn all the way down are victims in their own right.
It is society's obligation to help these people handle the world and be able to live as normal, happy and productive a life as possible.
If we do not produce the resources to help them do so, we let them down and often put themselves and others at risk.
And the community of Coral Harbour was let down in a horrific way this past week.
