Police silence makes us less safeYellowknifer - Wednesday, August 10, 2016
In the fall of 2002, Travis Casaway stalked an 11-year-old girl on a Yellowknife trail just 25 metres from her home and sexually assaulted her with a knife to her throat.
He had attacked a 12-year-old girl in a similar manner nine days prior but the RCMP didn't tell the public about either crime until after the second brutal assault.
Thirteen years later, police admitted they had made a mistake by not informing the public about a man who was breaking into homes and had sexually assaulted a woman two weeks after a similar incident had been reported to RCMP. The perpetrator was Bobby Zoe. Crown prosecutors were attempting to have him designated as a dangerous offender earlier this year.
Zoe committed the first assault on Feb. 1, 2015 but RCMP didn't warn the public until after the second complaint on Feb. 15.
The police reviewed how it handled public communication after this incident and determined officers hadn't adequately released information up the chain of command so it could be released to the public.
In the Travis Casaway and Bobby Zoe cases, police silence put the public at risk, and people got hurt.
Now as of early this summer, the RCMP seems to be aggressively pursuing a new resolution to go silent again.
On June 3, RCMP sent an e-mail requesting media not call them. Instead, media was asked to e-mail all requests for information and that the e-mail account will only be monitored during weekday business hours. On at least one day since then - July 8 - RCMP advised media nobody would be monitoring the account.
On multiple occasions this summer, Yellowknifer reporters have heard of brawls, assaults and a car-on-car hit-and-run that RCMP have refused to provide any information about because the officer monitoring the e-mail account had decided it wasn't worth the time to compile and share the information the newsroom wanted.
No other government organization on the municipal, territorial or federal level is as obstinate as the RCMP on communicating with the public. Yellowknifer knows, as reported in Friday's paper, that the Yellowknife RCMP detachment is not carrying out communications to federal standards.
So if the RCMP isn't holding itself accountable, who is? RCMP provides policing in the Northwest Territories under contract with the territorial Department of Justice, in an agreement where the territorial government pays 70 per cent of the cost of providing policing in the territory.
Justice Minister Louis Sebert must hold the RCMP accountable for operating to standard if GNWT tax money is going to pay for them to be here.
While it's obvious the police haven't been considering communication a high priority, the public interest in police transparency is unwavering.
So please, RCMP - answer Yellowknifer's questions about what you're doing. Because we know through hard-learned experience people get hurt when you keep your cards too close to your chest.
A lesson in patience from Mother NatureEditorial Comment by Cody Punter
Kivalliq News - Wednesday, August 10, 2016
Last week was supposed to be my last editorial for the Kivalliq News. But clearly Mother Nature had something else in my mind.
A couple of days before taking off a dense fog rolled over Rankin Inlet. My first instinct was to go out and shoot some photos in the beautiful light created by the sun trying to pierce through the grey cloud. I went down to the harbour and met a family returning from a hunting and fishing trip. The two young boys were greeted by their mother, who was happy to see them after being gone for a few days. She was also excited to hear that they had brought home two tuktu and lots of fish.
By the time I went home the fog that was crawling up the shoreline had gotten thicker and blanketed the entire town.
At that point it started to sink in: there might be a chance my flight would not leave the following morning. Normally I wouldn't have cared about not being able to leave Rankin but I had to get to my brother's wedding in Toronto.
I knew that if I missed the first of my three brothers' weddings I'd never forgive myself. I went to bed around 4 a.m. hoping for the best but prepared for the worst.
When I woke up the fog situation was still lingering outside my bedroom window. After calling the airport about a dozen times over the course of a few hours I realized I would be spending at least an extra day in Rankin.
Although I had a few days to make it, I started to think of the worst possible case scenario. Looking at the forecast didn't help. It was expected to rain and be foggy until a few days after my brother's wedding.
Having friends tell me about the times they had been stranded due to weather and missed weddings, funerals and business meetings as a result did little to ease my mind.
As the afternoon dragged on I started to think to myself, "Maybe this is a sign that my work here isn't done yet."
After spending three very long days and nights putting together one final newspaper so that I could fly out to my brother's wedding, I was exhausted and ready to go home and see family. But perhaps the fog was a sign that I still had unfinished business in Rankin.
So I grabbed my camera and headed out to the streets, looking for anything that might pique my curiosity. I ended up coming home a few hours later after having taken some of the best pictures I had taken during my entire stay.
Maybe this fog wasn't so bad after all, I though to myself. Try telling that to my brother though.
The next morning I woke up feeling optimistic and made my way to the airport.
It soon became apparent that the fog wasn't going to clear and it was looking less and less likely that I'd make it out of Rankin.
By this point I was really starting to worry that I might actually get stuck. As I considered my fate I overheard a man from Rankin saying that he had been stranded for four days due to the weather.
All of a sudden my own predicament seemed insignificant and selfish.
When I found out he had made a beautiful carving of a narwhal out of a muskox horn, I offered to buy it from him. Moments after the transaction was completed the first plane to land in Rankin in four days touched down.
As I made my way on to the tarmac behind the artist who had just recently buoyed my spirits, I felt a mix of emotions.
On the one hand I was elated to know that I would be able to make my brother's wedding. On the other hand I had been humbled by the weather and taught an important lesson on the virtues of patience.
Obviously extreme and unexpected weather is common in the Kivalliq. I feel lucky to have been able to make it out in time for my brother's wedding and getting to spend more time in Rankin. I hope everyone else who was looking to travel last week was able to find safe passage.
Crystal Serenity: Love Boat or ship of fools?Northwest Territories/News North - Monday, August 8, 2016
The largest-ever luxury liner's voyage through the Northwest Passage is scheduled to begin later this month. It can be viewed as a great opportunity for tourists to learn about the North, meet some of its residents and leave some money behind when the ship weighs anchor.
Or it could be a social nightmare if the people living at the ports of call end up feeling like animals at a zoo, don't make any cash selling crafts, don't realize programs and donations promised by the cruise line and are treated poorly by some of the hundreds of visitors.
The first cruise ship navigated the once impassible passage in 1984. In the 1990s, ships began to pass through every year. Cargo vessels have also routinely taken advantage of the thinner, rotting ice. In fact, for the last few years, the Northwest Passage has been almost free of ice in late summer.
About 10 cruise ships carrying around 2,600 passengers sail through the passage annually. However, the 250-metre long Crystal Serenity, with approximately 1,000 passengers and more than 600 crew, dwarfs those other boats.
Ulukhaktok, on Victoria Island, is just one of the communities passengers will visit. Cambridge Bay and Pond Inlet in Nunavut are also planned ports-of-call for the ship.
The US$350 million Serenity, with hundreds of thousands litres of fuel, will pass through some relatively shallow waters that experts say are unreliably charted. Even though the hull-strengthened ship will be led by an icebreaker and have two helicopters scouting ahead, there is always the chance of mechanical failure or human error that could lead to an ungodly disaster.
Not to mention the irony that the voyage has been made possible through global warming, which the entire spectacle will be contributing to - even if the liner will burn low-sulphur fuel.
Tickets for the cruise - running from $21,000 to $120,000 -- were sold out by April and Crystal Cruises is already planning another voyage next summer. So we're talking about people with some decent amounts of disposable income. Money that hopefully won't have been blown on the ship -- which has a gift shop and casino - and instead be spent on arts, crafts and food in the Northern communities.
Ulukhaktok's 400 residents are preparing to create experiences visitors won't soon forget and is ready to handle the influx of tourists.
"We're really excited," senior administrative officer Judi Wall told News/North. "A little bit nervous but really excited at the same time."
Now credit must be given to Crystal Cruises for having begun consultations with the communities a couple of years ago.
The company states that passengers will be educated in cultural sensitivity and wants to make a positive impact in the communities. A number of programs are being considered, ranging from helping with the construction of new buildings, scholarships for children or bringing additional medical supplies. That is to be commended.
Climate change and associated global warming have created some problems for the people and animals in the North. Arctic tourism could be viewed as a positive byproduct of the evolving climate.
While some might have moral issues with the ships and their rich passengers taking advantage of global warming, the smart thing to do is accept the new reality and work on development initiatives targeted at increasing the direct economic benefits from these cruises.
Tootoo the Independent stings Nunavut the mostNunavut/News North - Monday, August 1, 2016
Support came from numerous corners when Nunavut MP Hunter Tootoo first announced his need to seek treatment for addiction and made a request for privacy.
His sudden resignation on May 31 as a cabinet minister in Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's government was considered by many to be a short-term situation with hopes that he would regain his Fisheries and Oceans and Canadian Coast Guard portfolios when he came back healthy.
There was, however, concerns that Tootoo also left the Liberal caucus, meaning that Nunavut is no longer represented by a member of Parliament in the ruling party. Instead, his seat as an Independent in the House of Commons will be far from the front benches, essentially invisible to the workings of the democratic machine, such as it is in Canada.
Upon his completion of treatment, Tootoo told reporters at his Iqaluit constituency office July 27 that he recognized he had a problem with alcohol and that he needed to get help. Meanwhile, the media was reporting allegations that Tootoo was involved in an inappropriate sexual relationship with a staff member.
In an interview with Nunavut News/North July 28, Tootoo responded to pointed questions about the allegations by repeating his earlier statements regarding treatment for addiction. "I know there are rumours out there but the facts are I recognized I had an alcohol problem and I took steps to deal with it."
At no time did Tootoo deny the allegations but he didn't address them either.
That all changed Aug. 3 when Tootoo took to the airwaves with a prepared statement in which he admitted he "engaged in a consensual but inappropriate relationship and that is why I resigned."
On Aug. 4 he told Nunavut News/North that he has made full disclosure of the reasons for his resignation and said that he plans to tour his riding to reconnect with constituents.
Yet, questions remain.
We have to wonder where the Liberal party is in all of this. The people of Nunavut elected a Liberal, helped the Liberals get elected as the governing party and deserve to have a Liberal represent them in the House of Commons.
Yet, the Prime Minister's Office, in a statement, uses language that leaves doubt about who did what.
"On May 31, Hunter Tootoo acknowledged to the prime minister that he had been engaging in what was an inappropriate relationship in the workplace. He was therefore withdrawing from his ministerial responsibilities and from the Liberal caucus, and taking steps to address his addiction issues," stated press secretary Cameron Ahmad.
"Acknowledged" indicates the PMO was informed of the indiscretions prior to Tootoo's confession. "Therefore withdrawing" leaves doubt regarding whether he was told to resign from caucus or did so under his own volition. Was he kicked out of caucus? And, if so, because of his addiction or the inappropriate relationship?
The bottom line is that Nunavummiut have lost trust in their MP since the saga began at the Liberal convention in Winnipeg May 26 to 29. Dissatisfaction about Tootoo's changing explanations is growing.
Nunavut constituents have a right to know why Tootoo is no longer a Liberal.
Then they can decide the best course of action going forward.
Public intoxication is against the law Weekend Yellowknifer - Friday, August 5, 2016
The RCMP's decision to quietly cease responding to calls about people being drunk in public has ironically led to a cacophony of sirens on city streets.
As of last September, as long as a drunk person isn't a danger to themselves or others, police expect calls for service to be directed to the city's ambulance services. Not only are sirens now wailing nonstop in the city but people are speaking out about it.
In January, Denise McKee, executive director of the Safe Harbour Day Shelter told Yellowknifer the change left her staff in a catch-22 where they can't kick clients out into the cold but can't let them stay because the intoxication often escalates into violence. Now, an emergency room doctor and the city's director of public safety are also saying their resources are being strained by the RCMP's change in policy.
In Friday's Yellowknifer ("Medical services strained as calls for drunks climb," July 29), the city's Dennis Marchiori says medical calls for drunk people have increased threefold over the past year. This means emergency room beds and ambulances are being taken up by people who have nothing wrong with them, other than the fact they are intoxicated.
The thing is, public intoxication is against the law under the NWT Liquor Act. The RCMP is under contract by the territorial government to enforce federal and territorial laws. If the RCMP is not enforcing this law and downloading the burden to other agencies, how can it be said that it is fulfilling its obligations with the Justice Department?
The RCMP has created a mess in unilaterally disavowing its officers from the responsibility to respond to calls for publicly intoxicated people.
The police are not a frontline health agency.
Dealing with public intoxication by leaving people to sober up in cells is admittedly not a good option but neither is choosing not to enforce a law in the hopes other agencies will pick up the slack.
Emergency room doctor David Pontin suggested perhaps what Yellowknife needs is a place where people can sleep it off.
Health and Social Services Minister Glen Abernethy may want to consider adding a wet shelter to next year's budget. Or, simply demand the RCMP resume picking up intoxicated people until a better solution can be found.
As for the RCMP, it's shameful to watch a police organization wash its hands of an obligation to enforce a law simply because it's inconvenient.
The next time the police make a decision like this, they should consult with affected organizations to determine the best outcome for the most vulnerable, marginalized and therefore most important factor in this situation - Yellowknife's homeless population.
Carbon tax raises familiar stink Weekend Yellowknifer - Friday, August 5, 2016
An MLA is angry because cabinet made a decision without consulting with regular members? It must be a Friday.
Last week, Frame Lake MLA Kevin O'Reilly expressed displeasure in seeing Premier Bob McLeod had signed his name to a joint statement with other Northern premiers against a federal carbon tax.
This is because O'Reilly says the premier told him he would consult with regular members before coming forward with a position on this issue.
In response, the premier said cabinet doesn't necessarily oppose the carbon tax in principle but stressed a need for the territory to be allowed some sort of Northern exemption.
Most Northerners would probably agree with McLeod in being wary of a carbon tax, seeing as the cost of living is already so high in the North and many communities rely on diesel. But a relatively uncontroversial stance has been soiled because once again, MLAs are reading about cabinet's plans in the newspaper.
If the last territorial election had a buzzword, it would be transparency - this was a big issue many politicians, including McLeod, campaigned on. Cabinet has a team of well-trained and well-paid communications people. Is it really that hard to keep regular MLAs in the loop?
Accountability needed in Cholo investigationDeh Cho Drum - Thursday, August 4, 2016
At the Dene National Assembly last month, Senator Nick Sibbeston came out with a bombshell: he may know the name of Billy Cholo's murderer, but RCMP haven't followed up.
According to Sibbeston, it has been a full two years since he and a friend of Cholo went to the RCMP station to give a statement about a man who had threatened to kill Cholo just prior to his death.
Since then, there has been only silence from the investigating team, who Sibbeston says failed to contact Cholo's friend about his information - despite Sibbeston calling the RCMP out in public twice now.
If Sibbeston is right, then there is someone in the community with vital information about Cholo's murder. This is information that could result in new leads, could give police an avenue to investigate and for all we know could eventually lead to an arrest.
Of course, the possibility also remains that the information leads to a dead end or cannot be substantiated. But we will never know if the information is valuable unless police follow up on it.
Now, it must be said, a death threat is not a direct link to a murder. However, it could be a clue - and that clue becomes less useful as time goes on.
To be fair, tracking down a killer is not as easy as it sounds.
One can only imagine the difficulty of that job, especially when the investigating officers live an eight-hour drive away from where the murder took place.
But if anything, that should make every lead more valuable.
The community needs to hear from the RCMP on this. It is time for a community update, or another visit from the investigating team. This case is frustrating for the public because they only know three things: Cholo's murder remains unsolved; the officers involved are in Yellowknife; and one person who has information relating to the case has not been contacted by RCMP.
Community members need to be re-assured the investigation is proceeding. They need to know that the case has not fallen between the cracks. If more months and years pass with no word from the police, and no follow-up on relevant information, the community will only lose faith in the RCMP.
That may be unfair to the officers on the case, who may be doing everything in their power to solve the mystery of Cholo's murder.
But the public does not need to know specific details of the case.
What they do need to know is that the case is still ongoing and that RCMP are following up on every possible lead.
Community members will not rest or stop speaking up about the case until an arrest is made.
Hopefully the same thing can be said about the investigating officers.
Community can do better for the animalsInuvik Drum - Thursday, August 4, 2016
The NWT has once again come in second to last when it comes to legislation that protects animals in Canada. The territory came out better than Nunavut.
This is hardly a surprise, especially to anyone working to help improve the treatment of animals in the North. Several organizations -- including the NWTSPCA in Yellowknife, as well as Arctic Paws in Inuvik -- work very hard to get dogs and cats the veterinary care they need, shelter when there are no other options, and transit to their new homes in southern Canada.
They also spend a lot of time trying to educate people about animal welfare and explain to them that they have other options besides letting their beasts reproduce over and over again, perpetuating the cycle.
There are rules in municipalities that limit how many dogs a person can have, with some fines and other consequences imposed when people break those rules. This was the case most recently in Inuvik when bylaw officers obtained a court order to go on to a property and seize the dogs there. We heard this week that they expected between eight and 12 dogs, but have ended up dealing with 29 dogs so far.
This is not the first time the town and wider community have stepped in and taken dogs away from this particular resident. In 1997, they seized 87 dogs from the property, and reports were that he had many more than that. The municipality has tried taking it to the courts, but that effort was unsuccessful when the judge found ownership impossible to prove.
It doesn't matter who is involved or what are the circumstances. The fact that more than a dozen animals have been allowed to exist on one property once -- never mind several times -- is proof that there is a need for stronger legislation to prevent it from happening again.
There are obviously other issues involving humans that have to take precedence over the welfare of animals. Some people may not like to hear that, but at the end of the day, a human life needs to be more important than a dog's life or existence.
That being said, how we treat the most vulnerable creatures, in this case dogs, is a good indicator of where we're at as a community. The fact that this has now happened more than once, despite the very best intentions of all involved, means what we're doing clearly isn't working.
More education is needed, as is more support for organizations set up to help animals in need.
More than that, however, we need to bring the level of legislation up to par with the best in Canada and then actually enforce it.
