Highway needs amnesty from illegal dumpersYellowknifer - Wednesday, July 13, 2016
People are generally always going to follow the path of least resistance, and this principle extends to the way they manage their garbage.
This is why illegal dumping is a never-ending problem in and around Yellowknife. Most recently, a group of residents who live along Prelude Lake talked to Yellowknifer because they were fed up with fuel drums, chimney parts and other exotic waste piling up along the Ingraham Trail.
It's safe to assume most of those dumping their waste are trying to evade costly tipping fees at the city dump. In the short span of 10 years, the city has seen a lot of changes when it comes to these fees. They were implemented in 2005 - prior to this date, dumping a fridge, scrap wood or old washing machine cost nothing.
Obviously, a crystal ball wasn't needed to predict what would come next. The almost instant response to this 'rate shock' were piles of refrigerators and washing machines discarded on side roads and clearings along the Ingraham Trail.
High dumping fees at the dump is no excuse to litter but the city's only real response to date has been to increase the fees.
In 2005, refrigerators required a $35 tipping fee, all other appliances cost $10. Fast forward to 2015 and the tipping fees are much, much higher. The 2015 to 2018 prices are set at $70 for appliances with Freon and $50 for appliances without.
While the dump does have two amnesty weeks per year, they only cover the $10 vehicle charge to dump residential waste, such as yard waste, animal carcasses, computers, monitors, scrap wood and construction waste.
The city does pick up large household items during these same amnesty periods -- by request only -- but white appliances are not allowed, only items such as couches, tables and television sets.
The question is, now that the city and surrounding area has endured more than 10 years of unsightly and environmentally destructive illegal dumping at the side of the road, what can be done to stop it?
The city will argue it cannot afford to revert to the pre-2005 era of free dumping for white appliances. Sorting and processing these items costs money.
But clearly the "user-pay" principle is having a tremendously negative effect on the environment, and is essentially counter-productive. It goes without saying, unless one is living in a cave with no electricity, practically everybody in the city uses appliances in their homes that periodically must be replaced.
It would seem to make more sense, considering the more dishonest among us who will simply toss their trash in the bush instead of paying the fee, that paying for the disposal of these items should be covered under general taxation.
Many other communities in Canada offer free pick-up of items, such as washing machines and hot water tanks, providing they are properly dismantled and cleaned. The City of Toronto will take away both. If one has an old fridge in British Columbia, BC Hydro will swing by and pick it up -- pay you $30 for it!
Yellowknife has a much smaller population base, of course, and is far away from the kind of facilities that recycle these items. Here, they typically get crushed and baled.
But surely, perhaps with some assistance from the territorial government, which has a stake in this issue as owner and keeper of the highway system where people are dumping their trash, a program can be implemented that emulates at least some portions of the free pick-up programs that already exist elsewhere in Canada.
That is the only thing that will stop people from polluting the outdoors with their junk.
Like a rock: celebrating Canada's historyEditorial Comment by Cody Punter
Kivalliq News - Wednesday, July 13, 2016
Last week communities across the Kivalliq gathered together to celebrate Canada's 149th birthday. There were barbecues, bike races and parades. Rankin Inlet even hosted snowmobile races on a small lake outside of town.
But no one celebrated quite like Hugh Ikoe and his sister Joan Scottie. The two siblings were raised on the land approximately 180 kilometres south west of Baker Lake until they were taken away from their homes and sent to residential school. Ikoe had returned to the area a few times by snowmobile over the years but it wasn't until a reporter from Maclean's came up to the community in search of the precise geographical centre of Canada that he realized what the place truly meant.
Ikoe and his sister were part of a team of five people who made the journey.
With more than 75 per cent of Canada's population living within 161 kilometres of the American border, according to National Geographic, it's easy to see how people often turn a blind eye to the North, thinking that the centre of the country is somewhere in downtown Toronto. But the true centre of Canada is right here in the Kivalliq, just a short plane or snowmobile ride from Baker Lake.
For Ikoe and his sister, it was an personal journey full of personal and national meaning. Ikoe said getting to visit the centre of the country made him proud to be Canadian. But it also left him with a sense of loss that has come with the gradual integration of Canada's Inuit into modern society.
"It's kind of heartbreaking as well thinking about what you used to be," he told Kivalliq News.
His reflections beg the question: what does it mean to be Canadian? For starters, Canada has been evolving from its very inception. When Canada celebrated its first ever birthday in 1867 there were only four provinces invited to the party. Three years later the Northwest Territories joined Manitoba in signing up for confederation.
But it wasn't until 1999 when Nunavut separated from the Northwest Territories that Canada became the country we know today.
As the rock taken from the geographical centre of Canada by a reporter from Maclean's and gifted to pilot Boris Kotelewetz shows, it would be foolish to pretend that Canada was somehow magically born 149 years ago. The rock is between 1.85 billion and 1.7 billion years old. As Kotelewetz put it, it's "mind boggling" to try and even understand how old that is. And for thousands of years before we flew a red and white flag and drank Tim Hortons, there were people living off the very land that gave birth to that rock.
Ever since Canada became a country there has been a deliberate attempt to erase that part of the country's history, through residential schools and assimilation.
Thankfully, over the years we have come to accept the mistakes of the past and move forward toward a stronger, more inclusive, version of what it means to be Canadian.
As we get ready to celebrate the milestone that is the country's 150th birthday next year, we should honour that tradition of inclusiveness and remember that the heart of Canada is not in Toronto, or Manitoba or even Ottawa, but right here in the Kivalliq where it all began.
Wanted: a full-time MLA for NunakputNorthwest Territories/News North - Monday, July 11, 2016
Herbert Nakimayak, the rookie MLA for the far north constituency of Nunakput, is on the defensive after it came to light that he had missed several key meetings and was forced to resign as chair of the standing committee on economic development and environment.
So what was the resident of Paulatuk up to when he wasn't chairing five meetings with his committee? Where was he when he wasn't at nine meetings of the priorities and planning standing committee, six meetings of the standing committee on government operations, one meeting of the standing committee on social development and one legislative assembly sitting?
Well, a lot of Nakimayak's attention is diverted to his job as vice-president for international affairs of the Inuit Circumpolar Council (ICC).
Founded in 1977, the Inuit Circumpolar Council (ICC) is now a major international non-government organization representing approximately 160,000 Inuit of Alaska, Canada, Greenland and Russia.
The ICC works to help Inuit speak with a united voice on issues of common concern and "combine their energies and talents toward protecting and promoting their way of life," states the group's website.
Clearly, this is a very important organization that does some very good work.
But the legislative assembly is also a very important organization. And it's also one that does some very good work - with your money.
When one enters public life, some sacrifices have to be made. Those include spending less time with family (especially if one represents a rural constituency), being in the public and media spotlight and having to give 100 per cent of your time to serving the people who elected you.
Being an MLA in the NWT is a full-time job. Regular MLAs earn a base salary of $103,851. There are also honorariums for serving as chair of standing committees and allowances for travel and accommodation.
Nakimayak told News/North he's "not concerned" with the suggestion he's shortchanging his constituents by apparently splitting his time between the two jobs.
Nakimayak said about 75 per cent of the committee meetings he missed were due to his work with the ICC. He seemed to be blaming the media somehow for turning his absenteeism into a news story.
Nakimayak needs to recognize that being forced out from chairing a committee in the legislative assembly is no small thing. What would he say if he had been selected to cabinet?
Nakimayak must choose which career he wishes to pursue. He can't be an MLA and hold a senior position with the ICC.
Program should focus on putting people back to workNunavut/News North - Monday, July 11, 2016
The Government of Nunavut's numbers on recipients of income assistance are startling.
The statistics show that, at 74 per cent of the hamlet's population, Gjoa Haven has the highest number of people in the territory receiving income assistance. Other communities also have a high percentage of recipients. Taloyoak, Sanikiluaq, Clyde River, Qikiqtarjuaq and Cape Dorset are all above 60 per cent.
Two of the largest communities have the lowest rate -- Rankin Inlet at 18 per cent and Iqaluit at 15 per cent.
The numbers certainly are high. However, keep in mind that the overall numbers don't represent only able-bodied adults who choose not to work or those who are unable to work. Lumped into the income assistance program are five main categories of the government's welfare spending -- the Nunavut child benefit, daycare subsidy, senior citizen's supplementary benefit, senior fuel subsidy and the income assistance program. Of the 14,428 people who received a cheque from the government in 2015, many of them got the money to help with the cost of raising a child or to support seniors who are living on a fixed income.
Although it is unclear how much of the $44.7 million budgeted for the 2016-17 fiscal year will go to people who are capable of working, changes to the system being considered are designed to encourage more people to get jobs without being penalized. There is little incentive for someone to work and save money if their benefits are reduced by the amount of wages they earn or if they do not qualify for income assistance because they have money in the bank.
The greatest improvements in the program can be made in the area of income assistance recipients who are capable of working, have a desire to find gainful employment and are able to leave their communities for training and education.
Many recipients want to reduce their dependency on the program but cannot get out of the cycle because they are not allowed to set aside money for emergencies or to purchase tools to find work in the trades. This rule not only traps them into a life that revolves around income assistance payments, it reduces their self esteem and removes the incentive for them to better themselves.
We congratulate the government for consulting with all the communities in Nunavut by having staff from the Department of Family Services and the Department of Economic Development and Transportation talk to the people and realize how vital the program is for the survival of many people.
The report resulting from last fall's process was tabled in the legislative assembly early last month. It will take some time for the government to consider recommended changes and make the legislative amendments for them to happen.
We would like to see most of the emphasis go toward helping find jobs for those who are able to work. Income assistance should be a temporary hand up for people capable of working, a means to a greater end, not a program that keeps people on the couches waiting for the next cheque to arrive.
Union cries wolf on youth jail job cuts Weekend Yellowknifer - Friday, July 8, 2016
The Union of Northern Workers is crying big, bad wolf at the Department of Justice's decision to transfer some staff from the North Slave Young Offenders Facility to the adjacent North Slave Correctional Centre for adults.
The union claims a lack of adequate consultation in the lead up to the decision. Even though it does seem the GNWT included the union in the planning, this is beside the point.
What is at issue is the union's suggestion that the department is making the youth facility less safe by making what appears to be wise and efficient changes in the face of declining youth offender incarceration rates.
In 2005, two years after the youth facility opened, 19 young offenders were being held there.
Since then that number has drastically declined, largely because of changes introduced with the 2012 Youth Criminal Justice Act which brought with it a decrease in youth incarceration rates.
Currently, there are three young offenders housed at the facility. It is not difficult to accept the department's explanation that 25 staff members at the youth facility are not required. Surely the 14 staff who will remain will be plenty when it comes to housing three young offenders. About five vacant positions will be eliminated; the remainder are heading to the much busier adult facility.
The UNW claims the justice department will not be able to run the facility with only 14 staff members, and, aside from increased security concerns, will see the quality of life for inmates decline.
But even Lydia Bardak, NWT executive director for the prisoner advocacy group John Howard Society, calls the move a reasonable one that protects the interests of youth offenders by keeping them in a separate facility and in the North.
It is fiscally unfeasible to maintain a fully staffed facility designed for 25 when only three are being housed there.
The Department of Justice could have recommended closing the facility altogether and sending youth offenders south for incarceration. This would clearly be the poorer option as youth are likely to do better if they are able to stay closer to home.
Such a move would have meant even more lost staff positions.
Instead, the department found a way to keep the youth facility open, while avoiding layoffs by transferring some staff from the youth facility to the adult facility.
Granted, currently vacant positions at the youth facility will not be filled so a net staff loss remains.
Clearly this is what is really bothering the union. Dressing up its complaint as though the department is negligent in its care of young offenders is inappropriate and flies in the face of common sense when one look at the numbers.
The fact is a separate youth facility remains, with 14 staff to accommodate three inmates. If this is good enough for the John Howard Society, then there is little reason for union to cry wolf.
A titanic problem?Deh Cho Drum - Thursday, Jul 7, 2016
At the upcoming July 11 committee of the whole meeting, Fort Simpson's village councillors expect to discuss whether or not to delay a project that will fix drainage issues at the recreation centre in favour of soliciting advice on how to best approach the issue.
It is no secret drainage around the recreation centre is a serious problem that could eventually have catastrophic results for the building unless it is rectified. Already, poor drainage has caused headaches for the curling rink.
However, while time is of the essence and delaying the drainage project an extra year is not ideal, there is no comparison for getting things done right.
At the July 4 regular council meeting, councillors voted to table a decision on delaying the project. That means the decision has been pushed for at least two weeks.
The reasoning behind the decision to table was simple, if slightly contentious: at the upcoming committee of the whole meeting, councillors would be receiving a budget variance report from the village's administration, meaning they would know how much money they have to work with - and, potentially, discuss whether both consultation and the project itself could be done this year, instead of one or the other.
In the words of Mayor Darlene Sibbeston, finding out how much money the village has to work with is just due diligence. It is also a mark of good governance to make decisions when all information is on the table.
Given that the village already has someone in mind to advise them on the project, delaying the decision by two weeks is perfectly acceptable.
Additionally, councillors showed prudence by not rushing the vote.
The reasoning behind that prudence was equally sound: while some councillors felt they could approve the delay and come back to it later if need be, the majority agreed that strategy would send the wrong message to the public.
As one councillor noted, decisions made at the council table are rarely re-visited after a vote is cast.
With the decision delayed, councillors may want to consider another option. At the July 4 regular meeting, Coun. Chuck Blyth asked whether the village had considered postponing another project in the capital plan, in order to ensure both consultation and the drainage project could move forward this year.
That is something that had not previously been considered - but it should be.
While it may be difficult to choose one project over another, it very well could be that there is an aspect of the capital plan that can be delayed without harm.
It is better to do things right than to do them quickly. That holds true for all things, but especially for a project of this magnitude, the ramifications of which may permanently affect the recreation centre.
Non-profit funding dilemmaInuvik Drum - Thursday, July 7, 2016
It is an unfortunate fact of life that non-profits in this territory depend mainly on government funding to deliver the programming they do.
Overall, this is a good system, because there are services and programming essential to the community being offered at far less than a government -- especially the territorial government -- can possibly manage.
Non-profits put in the hours and take all the risk, relying on volunteer boards to handle things ranging from homeless shelters to youth centres, offering succor and support for people almost literally from cradle to grave.
Their executive directors work for pennies on the dollar, compared to government employees, considering the hours for which they actually get paid, and factoring in the fact they do so with nothing in the way of job security from year to year.
Everything depends on contribution agreements that need to be accounted for and re-upped every spring.
This is far from an ideal situation for many people in the system, but still, overall, it works.
Services are delivered, programs are run, children are not out wreaking havoc and elders have somewhere to go to socialize and keep their traditions alive.
The trouble is that the government, at many levels, is not holding up its end of the bargain.
Two organizations last week announced they would be closing their doors while they wait for someone in either Yellowknife or Ottawa to agree to fund their necessary functions.
Ingamo Hall has suspended programming until its federal funding comes through after the government changed the filing requirements.
The Inuvik Emergency Warming Centre was lucky enough to get a reprieve at the last minute when the manager got word that, with support from members of the Legislative Assembly, funding was on its way.
There are very good reasons why non-profits need to adhere to strict reporting practices when it comes to public money.
As taxpayers, no one would be happy with a system that allowed organizations to fritter away precious dollars with little oversight or consequence.
But the flip side of that -- when organizations hold up their end of the deal -- is that someone on the other side has to respond.
Years of working as a reporter in the NWT have proven to me that trying to find a working government employee to speak to in the summer is something akin to a wild goose chase.
It's annoying when they avoid potentially awkward questions from the press but when people are threatened with being turned out of the only place they can find for a roof over their heads, it's nothing short of a dereliction of their duties.
