RCMP secrecy harms public trust Weekend Yellowknifer - Friday, June 17, 2016
"To serve and protect" may be one of the most well-known colloquialisms in North America.
Although that fact is thanks largely to American television programming and not because the phrase figures large in how the RCMP brands itself here, it is still an apt and succinct description of the primary purpose and mandate of any and all police forces.
Police officers, and the RCMP in particular, are given extraordinary authority and power over citizens to carry out their purpose.
They gain this authority not through divine mandate but at the behest of the government that pays handsomely with taxpayer dollars for their service. The RCMP, like all police forces, is ultimately accountable to the people it serves.
The police do not have an easy job, and mistakes are bound to be made in the course of their duties but this does not excuse the gross lack of accountability shown by Yellowknife RCMP in two recent cases.
The results of two external reviews of alleged excessive force used by local RCMP remain secret. The most galling instance involves a woman whose lawyer filed a complaint of police misconduct on her behalf more than a year ago.
The complaint involved a police video that showed, we are told, a detained woman being physically mistreated while in police custody. Whether or not a Crown prosecutor's decision to drop charges against the woman was the result of the video's possibly disturbing content remains unknown, as does the conclusion of an external review of the incident.
This isn't a witch hunt. Most people consider the RCMP to be an effective and humane police force, and rightly so. But hiding the results of an external review from the people the RCMP is hired to serve and protect sullies public perception and taxes the public's good will.
Even if the officer involved was found to be at fault, the misconduct of one member will not seriously damage the reputation of the whole as long as the RCMP is seen to be transparent and accountable.
If the RCMP remains secretive in this case and future cases the great risk is that the force will be seen to put the protection of its own over and above its duty to the public.
Government losing credibility on 911 Weekend Yellowknifer - Friday, June 17, 2016
The lack of 911 emergency phone service in territory has been a long-standing issue.
One would think, knowing everything the government knows now, that it would be relatively simple to launch, would only cost $600,000 to implement and $266,000 a year to operate, that MLAs would at last want to do something about it.
Alas, at least collectively, they will not, as Municipal and Community Affairs Minister Robert C. McLeod confirmed to Yellowknife North MLA Cory Vanthuyne June 1 in the legislative assembly.
Every few weeks another example is offered to demonstrated why 911 is vital to the territory. Last month, Fitzgerald Carpeting, a storied business that had stood for 35 years, burned to the ground after a person trying to call the fire department realized too late that there is no 911 service in the NWT. This week, Audrey Henderson, a nurse at Stanton Territorial Hospital, launched her own personal information campaign, having come to the conclusion that many of her patients don't have a clue of what the local emergency numbers are.
She has designed magnets to put on vehicles with the three emergency numbers printed on them: 1111 for police, 2222 for fire or ambulance and 4111 for the hospital.
It's a noble effort but with the rest of North America using 911 there will always be a sizable number of people who won't know the numbers when an emergency arises.
The government's refusal to standardize its emergency phone service after decades of reports and pleas for change has reached the point of absurdity. One can only imagine now that the reason the GNWT won't do anything is that it has become accustomed to its obstinacy.
This is no way to treat the citizens and visitors to the territory who rely on government when there is an emergency.
Opportunity knocksDeh Cho Drum - Thursday, June 16, 2016
Much has been said over the years about the disadvantages Northern residents face, especially where young people are concerned.
The nature of living in small communities normally means fewer opportunities, activities and even limits on schooling. However, you wouldn't guess that from looking at the Deh Cho this summer.
Whether talking about sports, arts, culture or advocacy, the summer promises to be an exciting one.
As graduates in the region look forward to post-secondary or to getting involved in their respective communities, many groups and leaders are looking for young people who want to make a difference.
This week, renowned Tlicho author and filmmaker Richard Van Camp spent time in Fort Providence. Van Camp, who has at least two film projects on the go this summer, is eager to promote the talent of the North.
He remembers how lead actor Joel Nathan Evans in the film adaptation of his novel, The Lesser Blessed, came seemingly out of nowhere - and he is convinced that can happen a second time around.
Van Camp told the Deh Cho Drum that now is the time, if there are any aspiring actors or actresses in the Deh Cho, for said artists to get serious about their craft.
Such opportunities do not come around every day.
At the same time as Van Camp scouts for local talent, sports-minded residents have a wealth of recreational opportunities this summer, from a 16-and-up baseball league in Fort Providence to two full weeks of activities in Fort Simpson celebrating the tail end of recreation and parks month.
That's on top of the looming 2018 Arctic Winter Games, which table tennis enthusiasts will have the benefit of participating in now that their sport has been added to the roster.
Soccer is also ongoing in many communities.
If that weren't enough, Dehcho First Nations, Liidlii Kue First Nation and the University of Alberta collaborated on a five-day canoe trip for Fort Simpson and Fort Providence youth.
For the less-sportsminded among us, there are also advocacy opportunities. In particular, proponents of Nahanni Butte's proposed wellness camp hope youth will spearhead that project at the upcoming Dehcho Assembly.
It is certainly heartwarming to see the sheer amount of activities happening this summer. The possibilities afforded to our youth rival even those in large urban centres. In fact, one would be hard-pressed to find communities elsewhere in Canada that are offering such a range of programming.
To steal a line from Nahendeh MLA Shane Thompson, the youth of the Deh Cho are the region's most valuable natural resource.
Positive outlook at energy conferenceInuvik Drum - Thursday, June 16, 2016
Twenty-eight years ago today, the Drum ran a story on the front page about Esso and Shell applying for licences that would allow them to export natural gas to the United States.
The spokesperson for Esso at the time was very clear that was only the very first step in a long regulatory process and that development was not remotely guaranteed. He did say, however, that should the project move forward, economic development, business opportunities, and social benefits would surely follow.
Fast forward to today, and Inuvik's first conference focused on alternative energy is wrapping up. It's no secret that the event is the much smaller descendent of the former Inuvik Petroleum Show and that this is the result of a dearth of resource extraction activity in the region. There is no point hosting a conference for oil companies when they don't work here anymore.
Some people look back on the heady days of rampant resource development with nostalgia, wishing the town and the Beaufort Delta region could be great like that once again. There was plenty of work, money flowed, and everyone bought a truck.
But looking at the article from around that time, the picture is hardly so rosy.
The spokesperson carefully told those at the press conference that no development was likely to happen for at least several years, if at all. He said it all depended on market conditions, but that the nearest thing to development in the reasonably close future was work outlining the extent of the Taglu field in 1989. He said that would likely mean between 15 and 20 local jobs per well, of which "up to two" were planned at the time. While 30 to 40 (possible) jobs are certainly nothing to sneeze at, we are all very much aware of the disparities between what companies promise in terms of employment for locals and what is actually the case. Furthermore, the decisions about those jobs and that development were certainly not made anywhere remotely close to Inuvik.
Now, we have a keynote speaker at a major conference talking about aboriginal ownership in clean energy technology. We have Duane Smith, the chairperson of the Inuvialuit Regional Corporation, telling the audience that there have been enough studies and that what we need now is action for these new technologies to be built and tested.
It's scary, and it's expensive, taking a step forward into the relative unknown, but at this point, there really isn't much left to lose. Oil and gas, whether they come back into play or not, are very much fair-weather friends. Something locally owned and operated, even if it seems risky up front, is a far safer bet.
Housing first, then comes everything elseYellowknifer - Wednesday, June 15, 2016
The road to hell is paved with good intentions.
The person who came up with this proverb was surely inspired by the clash between Kam Lake MLA Kieron Testart and Caroline Cochrane, the minister responsible for homelessness, in the legislative assembly last week.
The good news is, finally there seems to be substantial political will to combat homelessness in Yellowknife. The bad news is, everybody has their own ideas about how to tackle it.
On the regular MLA side of legislative assembly, members advocate for the Housing First model, which will see approximately 20 people put up in subsidized public housing with access to social programming, such as addictions and mental health. On the cabinet side of legislative assembly, Cochrane would like to see the services provided by the city's shelter network expand.
Cochrane is now facing heavy criticism for her critique of Housing First as being expensive and not comprehensive enough. While Cochrane did misspeak on details of the program in her criticism of it, it's important to remember she has built her career on helping Yellowknife's homeless. She is an expert in the field and her presence at the table is valuable. And what's more is that fundamentally, she is right. Housing First alone is definitely not going to solve homelessness.
The city's point-in-time homelessness count from last year identified 139 people but of course that number is probably higher. Of these people, there are some who would benefit from Housing First, which requires clients with enough life skills to manage a home to themselves and perhaps hold a job with the help of the support services that will be available to them.
But Yellowknife also has a substantial population of people who need more intensive help than just a roof over their heads. There are people in Yellowknife who are so afflicted by any combination of mental-health issues, addictions issues, post traumatic stress syndrome and fetal alcohol syndrome that they will need daily care and guidance for the rest of their lives. There are people in Yellowknife whom legislators and the public will never reasonably be able to expect to hold a job. There are people in Yellowknife who need help getting to something as simple as a doctor's appointment. Everybody at the table right now discussing homelessness needs to understand this and understand why Cochrane's plan to expand shelter services is such a vital component to the way forward.
But even then, Yellowknife Centre MLA Julie Green had wise words for the legislative assembly last Wednesday when she told her fellow lawmakers not to expect two programs to solve homelessness.
"It's not going to go away," she said. "This new investment will give people who are now homeless options to obtain housing. This is strictly voluntary."
The best thing Yellowknifers can hope for coming out of this is boots on the ground instead of political infighting. Yellowknife needs a fully funded Housing First program coupled with a fully funded expansion of the shelter system.
Then, legislators and the public need to recognize these initiatives will not solve the problem - only mitigate it - and be thankful for any tiny bit of headway they are able to make.
Top students leading the wayEditorial Comment by Darrell Greer
Kivalliq News - Wednesday, June 15, 2016
The annual student awards and Grade 12 graduation ceremony at Maani Ulujuk Ilinniarvik (MUI) in Rankin Inlet have become two of my favourite events to cover since arriving in the Kivalliq in December of 1998.
When I first started covering the student awards, half the gym at MUI -- then Simon Alaittuq High School, then back to MUI -- were about half empty.
That's a far cry from the full house of parents, friends, presenters, fellow students and family members who attend today's ceremony.
It's nice to hear the squeals of delight, the odd "I love you, panik" being hollered out, and the rounds of applause that mark every award called.
Likewise, the parents, friends and siblings jockeying for position with cellphones, cameras and iPads to freeze the moment for posterity.
During my first few years in Rankin, principals didn't need to block-off all that much room for the honour roll students to gather for family and school photos to be taken.
This year saw MUI principal Jesse Payne call the names of 45 students to the second semester honour role.
I have to smile as those taking photos back off a considerable distance to fit all the students into their shot.
When graduation rolls around, I spend a few evenings of grad week taking head-and-shoulder photos of each student as they gather to decorate the gym for the big day.
To keep myself from picking ringers (students I know going to post secondary), I ask the first six what they plan to do now that they've graduated.
I use the responses for our weekly Street Talk.
My first few years in Rankin, a good percentage of the answers revolved around working for the hamlet (usually driving the water or the sewer truck), Northern store or Co-op.
Then, during the first few years after Nunavut was born, a number of students expanded their hopes of employment to include the Government of Nunavut.
Fast forward to the past few years, and a rapidly growing number of students list post-secondary studies as their next stop, whether it be the Nunavut Sivuniksavut Program in Ottawa, colleges and universities from British Columbia to Quebec, or our very own trade school and college right here in Rankin.
Yes, if one wants to depress oneself, there are all sorts of statistics and figures floating around -- more often than not in southern media -- that depict Nunavut's education system as being, well, shall we say, somewhat lacking.
And, yes, as pointed out by principal Payne in this very edition, attendance is still a concern for every caring educator in the region.
But the system is improving and, when one factors in the trades success of the past five years, it's improving significantly.
Yes, an argument can be made that the biggest improvements come from the top tiers of students, but, really, that's to be expected.
And the higher they set their goals -- and the more success stories we hear about, such as Shelby Angalik in Arviat -- the more those students lagging behind will be encouraged to raise their own personal bar.
Yes, we still have a long way to go.
But, as depicted by the name of one MUI award, a growing number of Kivalliq students are beginning to reach for the sky with their goals.
May the stars shine brightly to light their way!
Government wise not to raise taxes in 2016-17 budgetNorthwest Territories/News North - Monday, June 13, 2016
It's not the time to panic, folks.
We're pleased to see the Government of the Northwest Territories has chosen to weather the lingering effects of the 2008 financial storm and a prolonged slump in global commodity prices with what is essentially a stay-the-course budget.
The Conference Board of Canada reports all three territories faced difficult economic conditions in 2015. And it says the struggles are not over, as the mining sector will continue to face headwinds over the near term.
So we grudgingly accept the fact the GNWT plans to run a deficit in the tens of millions in its budget for the 2016-17 fiscal year. This even after cuts of $53 million from programs and services.
But it is also not the time for massive layoffs of government workers, as that would shoot an arrow into local economies, putting these skilled workers in need of public assistance, or leaving the NWT altogether. In the long term, the territory needs these folks around as the economy recovers. In the short term, the NWT also needs them to be consumers and renters or landowners. And, hopefully, happy citizens.
It wasn't the time for Finance Minister Robert C. McLeod to issue an austerity budget. And on June 1, he didn't.
"I looked it up this morning. An austerity measures budget is one where there (is) a lot of job loss and raising taxes to try to offset some of your expenditures," he told the media on June 1.
His budget does call for some layoffs, likely less than 20, a number whittled down from an estimated 58 job losses indicated by the government last week, and in fact, the government plans to hire another 28 people for other positions.
The budget calls for the removal of millions of dollars in funding for various programs and services. We hope there is meaningful consultation between the GNWT and those affected groups before the budget is voted on in a month.
But cuts surely have to be made, as revenues remain flat for the GNWT, which are actually forecast to decline by 0.1 per cent over the next four years.
While there are no new taxes in the budget, there is an increase in some user fees. That is a form of taxation but a targeted one.
It's not all doom and gloom. There are signs the sluggish economy is perking up.
The Conference Board predicts in the medium and long terms, resource development in the North is expected to pick up, as additional mines come online at the end of this decade and in the 2020s.
Moreover, the National Energy Board recently granted a conditional seven-year extension to Imperial Oil Resources Ventures Ltd. for its multi-billion dollar Mackenzie Gas Project.
"I think it's a good move," said Premier Bob McLeod, who is also minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment, about the gas plant and pipeline project. "This is something that the people of the Northwest Territories have wanted for a long time.
"We all expect (the price of natural gas) will come back before 2022."
So while that might seem to be a long way off, the worst thing the territorial government could do at this point is panic. It needs to continue to encourage private development. It also needs to show the federal government it is a fiscally responsible constituency worth investing in when infrastructure money is doled out, which could help the territory immensely in the short to medium term as the NWT waits for the early 2020s to arrive.
So while we strongly encourage the GNWT to continue to look for ways to trim the fat now, and over the next few years but we don't need to panic and slice down to the bone.
High profile put on struggle with addictionNunavut/News North - Monday, June 13, 2016
Although the specific circumstances that prompted Nunavut MP Hunter Tootoo to resign from cabinet and caucus to seek treatment for addiction issues hasn't been made public, there has been an outpouring of support.
It seems that Tootoo was doing a good job as minister of Fisheries and Oceans and minister responsible for the Canadian Coast Guard prior to the startling announcement. Funding has been restored for important fisheries research projects cut by the previous Conservative government, there has been progress on shipbuilding contracts to replace Canada's aging Coast Guard fleet and Tootoo appeared to be a popular senior Liberal politician, making headlines for wearing a sealskin tie to a dinner at the White House with U.S. President Barack Obama.
That he suddenly resigned May 31, and the terse statement by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau that followed, came as a big surprise to many people inside the Liberal party, observers, media and his constituents in Nunavut.
However, despite all the probing, questions and speculation, Tootoo issued a simple and short statement -- "I have decided to seek treatment for addiction issues and ask for privacy at this time."
His request for privacy has been respected and many prominent people have gone one step further by offering words of encouragement. Tootoo's cousin, New Jersey Devils hockey player Jordin Tootoo, tweeted that it takes a real man to stand up and ask for help.
Jordin knows first hand what it takes to successfully battle addiction issues, having checked into an alcohol addiction rehabilitation program in 2010 and outlining his personal struggles in his book All the Way: My Life On Ice.
Nunavut Premier Peter Taptuna issued a statement in support of Tootoo's decision and called on MLAs to "extend your support to Mr. Tootoo and his family, as he takes this time to heal."
Tootoo is not the first MP to seek treatment for personal issues, and likely won't be the last. Most recently, Newfoundland MP Seamus O'Regan attended a 45-day wellness program to deal with problems with alcohol over this past Christmas season.
We wish Tootoo well in his efforts to receive treatment for addictions and suggest that others can use his actions as incentive to deal with their own addiction issues.
Perhaps a high-profile person going public with his battle against his demons will encourage others to address their addictions, seek treatment and embrace a life of sobriety.
Meanwhile, his constituents are counting on him to come back sober and continue the hard work that he left. It is encouraging that Trudeau added Tootoo's ministerial duties to another cabinet minister's portfolio, rather than appointing a new minister, potentially paving the way for Tootoo to regain the important post he previously filled.
Cousin Jordin successfully regained his status in the NHL after being sent down to the minor leagues after treatment. Hopefully Hunter will come back stronger than ever to represent Nunavummiut in the House of Commons and Inuit on national and international stages.
