Cantung spill undermines public trustNorthwest Territories/News North - Monday, June 6, 2016
Mining companies are not expected to follow the old camping maxim about 'leaving no trace' but they should at least try to avoid leaking diesel into the ground or allowing tailings ponds to overflow into rivers.
Unfortunately, it doesn't seem like North American Tungsten Corporation got the memo before setting up camp along the shores of the Flat River near the Yukon border and at the threshold of Nahanni National Park.
The company was recently scolded by federal inspectors for a slew of spills, leaking of hazardous waste and improperly stored oil drums at its Cantung mine, which ceased operations last year and is now under care and maintenance.
The most egregious example of neglect noted by inspectors was the erosion of structures around the mine's quarry, which led to overflow pouring directly into the river, creating a "noticeable sediment plume." A report on how much sediment leaked into the river has not yet been made publicly available.
The discovery is all the more disturbing as it occurred less than a year after a burst pipe at the mine resulted in 2,000 litres of water and tailings solids spilling into the ground in August.
The good news is the mine has since carried out orders to bring the site up to snuff. It managed to escape paying $100,000 worth of fines that are liable to anyone convicted of contravening the relevant portions of the Mackenzie Valley Resource Management Act, with federal inspectors instead opting to issue a stern warning to the Vancouver-based company.
In the grand scheme of things Cantung's flaunting of environmental standards may seem like a drop in the bucket when compared to the 237,000 tonnes of arsenic trioxide buried underneath Yellowknife's Giant Mine - left there for the taxpayer to deal with after its owner Royal Oak went bankrupt in 1999.
That Cantung had been allowed to fall into such a sad state, however, doesn't do much to help perceptions that mining companies are indifferent to the environmental damage they cause and will avoid preventing it if it means saving a buck.
Many mining companies that have operated in the Northwest Territories over the years have performed admirably in carrying out their environmental obligations at the end of mine life. Newmont Mining, owner of Giant Mine's gold mining sister site, Con mine, provides a textbook example of how to implement a closure and cleanup plan for a mine site.
Nonetheless, the overall environmental track record for companies setting up shop in the North is less than stellar. After devolution in 2014 the federal government agreed to take responsibility for 96 sites in the NWT which have been designated as waste sites and need to be cleaned up.
Meanwhile the GNWT, is currently responsible for 13 operational sites throughout the territory including Diavik Diamond Mine, the Deh Cho Bridge and Ekati Diamond Mine. That list also includes Snap Lake Diamond Mine, which entered into a care and maintenance phase after halting production last year. The government also purchased Cantung property Mactung in order to prevent it from being liable for its cleanup.
The sad reality is that the Northwest Territories is shrouded in a cruel paradox. On the one hand it markets itself as Spectacular NWT: a vast expanse of natural beauty with pristine land, water, wildlife and the homeland of the Dene and Inuvialuit people.
On the other, is an economy that requires resource extraction to thrive.
Mining is inherently invasive and will always leave some trace of its activity but so long as rigorous environmental standards are properly enforced there is no reason why mining cannot exist inside an otherwise spectacular environment.
Alas, each time a mine fails and is unable to live up to the high standards imposed upon it by regulatory bodies, the credible of the industry as a whole suffers.
Seize opportunity to fight food insecurityNunavut/News North - Monday, June 6, 2016
It is not often that ordinary people are given the opportunity to advise the federal government about how to spend millions of dollars on delivery of such an important part of everyday life.
Most Nunavimmiut have seen sky-high prices on fresh fruits and vegetables, meat products that are less than attractive and essential items such as diapers and toilet paper that easily chew up a large portion of an average consumer's grocery budget.
Nunavut's grocery stores play an essential role in small communities, as sometimes the sole source of food but also as an employer and a supporter and sponsor of many community events. The grocery store also receives subsidies from the federal government's Nutrition North program, money that is supposed to lower the cost of health, nutritious food products for consumers in remote, isolated communities.
The Liberal government is now making good on one of its election promises, to review the Nutrition North program, increase the level of funding, expand it into more communities in Canada and determine how the program can keep pace with the growing and constant need for affordable nutritious food.
Food insecurity is an enormous issue in Nunavut and study after study has documented evidence that adults in crowded living conditions will often skip meals so younger family members can eat. We've seen photographs of prices on grocery store shelves that give new meaning to the term "sticker shock."
We've seen residents and supporters of Leesee Papatsie's Feeding My Family movement holding placards on the street in protest of high food prices.
We've seen residents of southern Canada join the Helping Our Northern Neighbours Facebook page by the hundreds and commit to shipping boxes of groceries and essential items to needy families in Nunavut.
We've read the Household Food Insecurity In Canada report which concluded that an astounding 45.2 per cent of Nunavut households are in a state of food insecurity. And we've reported about the auditor general's report which found that there is no way to accurately determine if the Nutrition North program is lowering the actual cost of nutritious food for consumers.
The high cost of food does not just have a physical impact on Nunavummiut.
There is also an emotional and psychological impact as parents worry about their ability to put food on the table, as children go to bed hungry at night and as consumers are faced with making the difficult choice between paying their bills or purchasing groceries.
There are many reasons why people must make their voices heard during a public engagement process which began last week and is set to continue throughout June and into the summer. The Department of Indigenous and Northern Affairs is gathering input from retailers, suppliers, transportation companies, organizations representing indigenous people, municipal and territorial governments, experts on food security and Northern infrastructure, and residents.
We hope opinions from consumers are among the loudest voices and that the federal government gets the message that the program isn't working and significant changes must be made.
Cabin leases good for territory Weekend Yellowknifer - Friday, June 3, 2016
As early as next spring there could be a new recreation management plan in place designed to guide the GNWT as it considers how best to balance land use issues concerning lands designated as "Yellowknife periphery."
In particular, this includes land accessed off the Ingraham Trail.
Any special interest group, land lease-holder, mineral rights holder, trapper or even just the average outdoor enthusiast has a vested interest in how this plan is developed. This recreation management plan process will be one of the most closely scrutinized undertakings of the GNWT over the next year, and rightfully so.
Of particular interest is the possibility of new cabin leases up for grabs at the end of the consultation period.
There are many reasons why more cabin leases are a good idea.
First, there is incredible demand for recreational property as witnessed last year when 913 people paid $100 to enter a lottery for 22 available cabin leases on the Ingraham Trail.
Being able to get out of the city and onto the land is a big part of the attraction of living in the North. If the GNWT can show there are opportunities to move north and have a city lifestyle with back-country weekends, it just might slow our ebbing population and make Yellowknife a more attractive destination.
Land leases will generate tax revenue for the government at very little if any extra cost, while discouraging squatter settlements at the same time.
On the other hand, expanding cabin leases and etching out land-use plans on the traditional lands of the Akaitcho Dene (and the Yellowknives Dene in particular), Tlicho and Metis people may leave one wondering who the real squatters are if legitimate consultation with aboriginal groups is not the first priority.
This land use plan under development is expected to be completed by spring of 2017. It would be a shame if all the work over the next year were to come to naught thanks to a lack of consultation with First Nations and the subsequent social and legal fallout. It would make sense to make the Yellowknives the beneficiary of GNWT earnings on cabin leases.
The government has said aboriginal governments have been "invited to participate" in the development of this plan.
Every effort must be made to ensure this invitation is more than just lip service.
Wider consultation neededDeh Cho Drum - Thursday, June 2, 2016
Much has been said about the all-season road the GNWT wants to build between Wrigley and Norman Wells.
The expensive project is still on the block for funding from the federal government, although no word is yet forthcoming about whether it will be Infrastructure Canada's project of choice.
The project has been touted as the only shovel-ready project in the territory, which is widely considered to be a point in its favour.
Recently, during a speech at the Fort Simpson Chamber of Commerce's annual general meeting, Transportation Minister Wally Schumann urged community members and proponents of the business community to write to the federal government in support of the project.
Schumann said there are other regions putting intense pressure on the federal government to dip into its pots of infrastructure money.
The idea behind that was, if the Deh Cho makes enough noise, it will set the project apart from countless others that are vying for government dollars.
However, one of the most crucial voices is missing from the discussion: that of Wrigley itself.
One Wrigley woman felt strongly enough about the issue this month that she left a message for the Deh Cho Drum, although she did not leave her name.
That woman said something quite obvious but which has often been forgotten as discussion on the project progresses: the biggest impact of this road will probably be felt in Wrigley itself. She questioned why presentations would be made to the Fort Simpson business community asking for support, instead of being made to Wrigley directly.
To be fair, the business community of Fort Simpson has a lot to gain, potentially, should the road receive funding. All-season access instead of winter-only access could mean new businesses arise and old businesses expand.
But Fort Simpson has no more to gain than any other community affected by the road.
It is members of Pehdzeh Ki First Nation who should be lobbying the government for this road -- if they feel it is worthwhile. That does not mean other communities in the Deh Cho should be silent. However, businesses in Fort Simpson could be supporting voices, instead of being the loudest in the room.
But in order for that to happen, the businesses of Wrigley need to speak for themselves. If they did so, they would give extra punch to the territorial government's case.
In any case, if Schumann is serious about getting people to speak up in favour of the road, and to write their MP about it, he should be telling that to everyone instead of just one community. And Wrigley should be the first one the territory goes to, instead of having to read about the GNWT's wishes in their local paper.
Speaking out about studentsInuvik Drum - Thursday, June 2, 2016
This week's Inuvik Drum has its fair share of education stories. While it may seem overkill to some, they cover a wide range of issues - from the good and uplifting, to the bad and the ugly - that are fundamental to the future of Inuvik's youth and the community at large.
With stories about science projects, graduation and attendance, the Drum spent a lot of time at East Three recently. The subjects were, however, entirely worthy of coverage.
The graduation ceremony May 28 was all about the support of the community and how a strong network helps get students to that stage. In a trick of good timing -- or perhaps poor timing, depending on where you stand -- officials also spoke out about the need to help the students who would not be similarly celebrated.
Small towns in general and the North in particular are rife with underlying problems. Everybody knows about them, everybody talks about them, but they are rarely brought to public discussion and debate. School attendance is one of those issues.
It's nothing new that high school students aren't going to class when the weather warms up and the end of term is in sight. This problem is hardly unique to the Beaufort Delta or even the North, but it does sting more here, where the burden of history and other current challenges are so great.
High school, no matter how much we celebrate its completion, is about learning skills that will be essential later on in life. Of course people can get work and live their lives without completing Grade 12, but for the vast majority of jobs, it's the most basic requirement. Whether further academic pursuit or workplace training is the goal afterward doesn't matter.
So while we may be covering school stories, they are also more broadly community stories. What goes on in that school truly affects the town in so many ways, not least in that the students are hardly a separate segment of the population, whose challenges and achievements are somehow less deserving of attention.
A community is only as strong as its young people, who are so often the focus of speeches and promises on the part of people in leadership positions. Clearly those promises are not being upheld because more than 60 per cent of senior high students are falling through the cracks.
If it takes a village to raise a child, then we have to accept that the failings of these students are the failure of the community.
So as we celebrate the dozen or so graduates -- or rather, those leaving high school with a piece of paper and pride in their accomplishment -- we also need to remember the dozens more who, as a result of their own choices and myriad other factors, weren't there.
Lots of fat in GNWT budgetYellowknifer - Wednesday, June 1, 2016
In the lead-up months to this year's budget debate, there has been a persistent grumbling about the need for budget cuts coupled with speculation as to where they will come from.
What everybody seems to agree on is that the budget needs to shrink. In the past 10 years alone, spending has grown every year, culminating in an increase of a half-billion dollars over this period of time. Earlier this year, Finance Minister Robert C. McLeod announced a goal to cut spending by $150 million - a move in the right direction. Putting mind to practice likely isn't easy for a government accustomed to an ever-growing bureaucracy but ought to come easier once the GNWT actually moves in this direction.
There are definitely redundancies across departments, there are jobs sitting empty that could be removed from the books and, as Yellowknife Centre MLA Julie Green pointed out to Yellowknifer last week, many of the departments are top-heavy, meaning a ton of money is being spent at the senior levels of bureaucracy. Green offers a figure that supports her point - the Department of Education, Culture and Employment's budget is made up of 75-per-cent spending on school board budgets and educational district authorities, while a whopping 25 per cent stays in at the department headquarters in Yellowknife.
The territorial government has already begun slashing from the top of its ranks as cabinet minister Louis Sebert recently announced he was dissolving the Northwest Territories Power Corporation's board of directors and downloading these responsibilities to deputy ministers.
The move is expected to save approximately $1 million in travel expenses and honorariums. This is where leaders should be focused in their quest to identify redundancies and waste.
Yellowknifer also reported last week the government is looking at consolidating departments in order to shrink the budget.
This is a great idea. Taking a fine-tooth comb to the departments and determining opportunities to amalgamate will naturally lead to the elimination of redundancies. Obviously one part of this whole process is the possibility of layoffs, which the government has announced may happen to some extent. Hopefully, those in power will reserve cuts like these to the last resort in order to get to their $150-million goal.
Cutting down a government budget can't be an easy process, especially for MLAs such as Green and Yellowknife North MLA Cory Vanthuyne who want to preserve badly needed government programs and services.
That said, there has got to be a certain amount of satisfaction in trimming the fat from a budget that is definitely bloated and in need of the sort of examination it is getting this year.
Who is going to build the new Stanton Hospital? Yellowknifer - Wednesday, June 1, 2016
A really good question was glossed over in the backlash over a 250-person temporary work camp proposed for Kam Lake last week - who exactly is going to be building the new Stanton Hospital?
No doubt the plan so far is to bring skilled tradespeople up from the south to do this job, but Yellowknifer wonders how much initiative is being put into scouring Yellowknife and NWT communities for people who could fill these positions.
Aurora College offers trades programming so there are people in the North who could do the work. It's just a matter of finding them and making sure the opportunity is extended to them first.
The new hospital, just like any public infrastructure project, should be a community-building initiative. Using local labour whenever possible is part of this ideal. It's probably easy to post job ads to the south, especially Alberta, where there are definitely many people with tons of experience ready to work.
It's probably more difficult to reach people in the communities but these people are the ones who should be given the exclusive opportunity to fill these positions first. Our government had a choice when it awarded this contract: maintain the present status quo, watching as these jobs are given to people who will inject a little bit of money into the economy for the two years it will take to build the hospital while sending the rest of their earnings down south, or insisting they be given to people who live here and will continue to benefit our society and economy as NWT residents for years to come.
Wherever this camp ends up, Yellowknifer hopes there as many jobs going to Northerners as possible.
The lesser of two evilsEditorial Comment by Darrell Greer
Kivalliq News - Wednesday, June 1, 2016
And still the debate rages on when it comes to fundraisers in the Kivalliq.
Let's face it, nothing has changed in the past 18 years and nothing is going to change for the next 18.
We still have hundreds, if not a thousand or more, students and athletes each and every year who need to raise a lot of money in order to travel within the Kivalliq, across Nunavut, to the NWT, and to a number of southern locales in order to take part in any number of tournaments, academic sessions, musical events, traditional activities and competitions of all types and descriptions.
And we still have precious few ways to raise those hundreds of thousands of dollars every year.
At the top of the list in every Kivalliq community is, of course, the ever popular bingo and Nevada games.
Bingo is, in fact, the stereotypical doubled-edged sword in the Kivalliq.
On one edge, there's no way in the world any more than 10 to 20 per cent of the needed funds would be raised annually if not for bingo.
The sharp edge of that sword is, there is no other activity in our region that takes more money out of the pockets of those who can least afford it than our weekly bingo games.
All the Go-Fund-Me accounts folks can come up would have a herculean task to replace the amount raised annually by bingo in the Kivalliq.
So, despite the obvious downside, and for lack of a tangible alternative, bingo gets put in the lesser-of-two-evils category, and will carry forward as the number-one fundraiser in the region for the foreseeable future.
In communities where alcohol is allowed, dance-styled fundraisers involving beer continues to come under close scrutiny by those who would rather have no alcohol in their communities at all.
It's an unfair situation, given the underbelly of bingo to say the least, but those against the beer dances continue to try and have their voices heard against them.
And when you need council approval for every beer dance application, some councillors prefer to listen to the voice of dissent rather than the voice of reason.
An average dance in Rankin Inlet can raise upwards of $10,000 for travelling athletes or students, and that can often be the difference between our youths taking part in the activity or staying home.
And $10,000 equates to a lot of baked goods or penny-sale items having to be sold to reach the same goal.
Like so many things in our region, fundraising is a long way from being a black-and-white issue.
Does the money being raised for those trying to lead healthy-and-active lifestyles outweigh the fact too many who can least afford it are contributing to the pot?
Does having beer attached to a fundraising effort undermine the good being done by the money raised due to the stigma attached to alcohol in the Kivalliq?
Daunting questions, indeed.
However, the fact remains, without the bingo and the dances, many of our youths are going to miss opportunities taken for granted by many of their counterparts in the south.
And, let's be honest, the vast majority of these athletes and students represent the best of our next generation.
When put in that context, grab your dabbers and your dancing shoes and support the kids who are truly deserving of that support!
