Jr K gets failing grade - againNorthwest Territories/News North - Monday, December 12, 2016
One thing is clear when it comes to taking care of children in the NWT - there is a dire need for a strong social safety net in many communities, as traditional family models have broken down in some cases.
Many regions of the NWT government supports are needed, from prenatal care to pre-school to grade school, high school and beyond.
So in theory, providing a junior kindergarten - essentially an optional free daycare for four-year-old children run in NWT schools - is a very good idea and one that we support.
However, the implementation of the program across the territory has been hobbled by the complete incompetence of education department officials.
There have been unanswered questions and serious concerns over a lack of answers about implementation and funding, from Inuvik to Fort Providence to the capital of Yellowknife. The lack of information has inflamed emotions and caused riffs in the very communities such a program is designed to help heal.
We find it absurd that the GNWT - having failed once in attempts to implement junior kindergarten territory-wide two years ago - would allow such festering of ill-will simply because it can't be upfront about jobs and potential program cuts, and transparent about funding.
Here's an example of how the GNWT is still refusing to state in clear and direct terms on how its partial funding of the program - $2 million to junior kindergarten expansion to all communities in the territory from the current 19 communities - would impact various school districts.
Over the course of a few days, the district's portion of funding went to $3 million from $2.65 million. Two different documents with the same cover (just different dates) concealed those numbers - the lower cost one for the "technical briefing" Dec. 5 for media in Yellowknife, the higher cost one for district superintendents and MLAs.
The document presented to superintendents and MLAs also states frankly "changes in the education system will be required."
It lists changes as class sizes and make-up, possible reductions to school administration, staffing "adjustments" and changes or limits on non-core courses schools offer students.
Was this an attempt to shield the media - and by extension, the public - from the destructive impact of the current attempts at implementing junior kindergarten?
The GNWT has to fully fund junior kindergarten so it doesn't negatively impact courses and staff in higher grades.
It also has to be very clear in how it plans to work with Aboriginal Head Start programs, now available in just eight communities.
We believe the two can work very nicely together - perhaps with Head Start moving to support mostly three year olds - but there has to be a much better plan than has been presented.
Junior kindergarten is too important a program to be brought forward in such a clumsy and bullish fashion. Time for the education department to take a time out - again - and complete its assignment properly.
Bring back RCMP special constablesNunavut/News North - Monday, December 12, 2016
Last month marked the first time Nunavut's capital was policed by an all-Inuit shift of officers. It's a great milestone for the territory and for the RCMP.
Like every other public service in the territory, this should be the norm. The territorial government, federal government, and, yes, the RCMP in Nunavut should all be representative of the people they serve.
In the communities, all-Inuit RCMP shifts should happen every day.
Currently, all of Nunavut's Inuit RCMP officers are based in Iqaluit. Only two are on the beat.
The RCMP has tried and consistently failed to increase the number of Inuit patrolling our streets. Programs to encourage youth to pursue policing as a career have fallen flat, perhaps for good reason. The recruitment process is tough regardless of who you are, and once accepted, recruits must leave Nunavut to train. Once trained, officers are expected to leave their home community to work. Add in a mistrust of police, as cited in past discussions of this topic in this newspaper, and it's easy to understand why youth might consider other options.
At least one young person who went through the RCMP's summer student program chose to become an Iqaluit bylaw officer. Other promising youth are working in government instead.
Nunavut's last Inuk RCMP recruit joined the force 12 years ago. In that time, two Inuit left the force - Sgt. Jimmy Akavak retired and Sgt. Yvonne Niego left to become Nunavut's assistant deputy minister of justice.
The police working the streets of our communities are often young constables moved from community to community until they have enough experience to move up in the RCMP chain. Their work is important, and they make sacrifices to keep us safe, as do their families. They too will likely agree that local knowledge is key to policing.
The Government of Nunavut funds the RCMP's policing here, and needs to push to find ways to increase the Inuit presence on the force across the territory. To do so, the RCMP should revisit the special constable program.
Deborah Kigjugalik Webster runs a Facebook page called Inuit RCMP Special Constables from Nunavut. The Ottawa-based researcher, originally from Baker Lake, spent years getting recognition for her grandfather's death on duty as a special constable, a role that has virtually disappeared. Her page honours the people who bridged the gap between the police and the people of their communities.
Their role, which included interpreting and providing local knowledge, is still needed in our communities.
Const. Jamie Savikataaq said he was inspired to join the force by a special constable in Arviat, who was respected in and out of uniform. Such role models don't appear out of nowhere.
Make policing an attractive career for Inuit. Create new Inuit positions in each community that will have the authority of a peace officer but provide the comfort of a neighbour. Train them in Nunavut, and give them a reason to stay in their home community. Tie it in with the Canadian Rangers program, if needed, but pay a wage that reflects the value of the role.
It may take generations to build an Inuit force. So be it. If Nunavummiut take community safety seriously, it will be worth it.
Pension privilege Weekend Yellowknifer - Friday, December 9, 2016
The old light bulb joke seems appropriate when pondering how many people it might take to fly down to Vancouver and listen to investment reports on MLA pension funds.
The number is apparently 10. That would be all five members of the legislative assembly's board of management, three legislative assembly staffers, a lawyer, and one former MLA. It was the second time this year MLAs and their entourage felt it necessary to leave the territory to talk about their pensions.
While they were enjoying the sights and sounds of Vancouver and learning first-hand that their pension funds are doing great, Northerners were digesting the news that Diavik Diamond Mine was laying off 51 workers.
This came on the heels of more bad news, that Dominion Diamonds was moving its headquarters to Calgary, taking 100 jobs with it, which follows an all-around uneasy year after the Snap Lake diamond mine closed and put 400 people out of work.
The territorial government's response to the mine closure last December was to issue a dire warning about the need to cut government programs and jobs.
Several people did lose their GNWT jobs and the union representing employees is being told salary increases are out of the question for the next two years.
A crucial element of leadership is showing leadership, to lead by example. Yet, when it comes to enjoying the perks of their jobs MLAs seemingly cannot resist indulging them.
Insisting that taxpayers' money was not used to pay for the Vancouver trip because the return on their investments covered the $14,000 bill simply highlights their arrogance while amplifying their privilege.
Fabulously rich people travel on jets to meet their investment managers. Ordinary people pick up the phone or look at their statements.
Never mind the poor optics of public officials spending three business days out of the territory dealing with what essentially is a personal affair.
That MLAs do not see a disconnect between the financial hardships faced by Northerners and the blatant display of government privilege this trip represents demonstrates a lack of respect for the public they serve.
That this has not been met by howls of outrage shows how Northerners have come to expect nothing better of them.
Nuance needed in budget survey Weekend Yellowknifer - Friday, December 9, 2016
So far the city's 2017 draft budget survey seems to be a moderate success in terms of grabbing the attention of residents.
Two hundred and fifty-eight people took the time to weigh in on the detailed version and 77 voiced their opinion on a short form version. Projects that showed the highest approval included water, sewer and paving work, a job creation program for homeless people, work to reduce forest fire dangers and doubling funds the city gives to the Safe Harbour Day Shelter.
Rejected projects included studies on the possibility of a new library and traffic lights at the intersection of Kam Lake Road and Finlayson Drive.
While the survey is a great way to gauge public opinion over which projects the city should consider, there is a problem with the design. The default answer is always "no."
This approach, without nuance, is bound to generate a lot of false negatives. The question should be by how much and when to start.
The existing approach appears more likely to drive the public to automatically answer no without capturing what may often be complex feelings about the project.
This complexity can be observed every time city council sits down for a budget debate.
The purpose of council budget discussions is to look at what projects are on the docket and go though them line by line to decide what should be cut, deferred or have their funding reduced.
The online survey should be implement the same way, with an adjustable tax rate attached to it that rises or falls depending on the cuts or additions made.
It would likely offer a clearer picture on public attitudes city spending while giving the public a better understanding of council's job at budget time.
Keep kids consultedDeh Cho Drum - Thursday, December 8, 2016
Fort Simpson's curfew bylaw is one step away from being repealed now that councillors have done an about-face on the issue.
After fierce debates on the bylaw - particularly on the subject of handing down fines and potential jail time - council was poised to push an amendment to the bylaw through on Dec. 5 and also make it an active, enforceable bylaw.
The idea was to give the village's bylaw officer - although there currently isn't one - as well as RCMP the authority to send youth ages 16 and under home if they are seen out late at night.
It does not make allowances for unchaperoned youth who may be out late for legitimate reasons, such as returning home from a babysitting job.
Councillors ultimately failed to pass the amendment in question, which would have struck a section allowing children to be returned to Dehcho Health and Social Services, and instead ruled to repeal the bylaw in first and second readings.
Before the bylaw is struck from the village books, its repealing will need to be ruled on a third and final time.
During the Dec. 5 meeting, as councillors discussed the bylaw, a few young faces joined those in the audience.
Although council has, up to this point, not discussed the view of the village's youth, the youth in question have certainly been discussing council's decisions amongst themselves.
Sylvia Pascua-Matte, Katrina Deneron and Elliot Betsaka, accompanied by Val Gendron, all sat through the meeting.
They did not appear as a delegation to present information to councillors, although perhaps they should have, given the reasonable and well-thought-out views they expressed to Deh Cho Drum later that evening.
What these youth felt, after canvassing the opinions of the junior high and some of the senior high students at Thomas Simpson Secondary School, was that repealing the bylaw altogether leaves provlems unsolved.
In the words of Pascua-Matte, "modification would have been more effective."
Realizing the problems faced in the community by break-and-enters and petty thefts, these youth have given this issue a lot of thought, and ought to be heard.
The modifications suggested by Pascua-Matte are not huge, sweeping changes. She says students want a later curfew - the current one begins at 11 p.m. -- and allowances in the summer for activities, such as drum dances, that might keep them out late. They also want the age dropped to 15.
Both are reasonable solutions and - given the amount of time the village has spent on this particular bylaw - ought to have been discussed during the many meetings councillors have had on the subject.
But the actual views of the village's youth are largely unrepresented at the council table, even though they would have been the only group impacted by the bylaw.
That may be due in part to the fact that until recently, council did not have a representative sitting on Fort Simpson's district education authority.
It is truly unfortunate that the council table did not hear from the school or affected youth on how the bylaw could be modified, instead of repealed.
Fascinating biologyInuvik Drum - Thursday, December 8, 2016
I couldn't help but smile while listening to Willy Simon tell me how much he liked whiskey jacks.
They had been his consistent friend during his trapping years and time spent in the bush.
Looking skyward and eyes glinting, this 75-year-old Gwich'in elder talked about the bird with the same expression you see on awe-inspired children portrayed in Disney theme park commercials.
It's nice to have that kind of connection with nature.
Having grown up fishing on the coast of B.C., I have a special place in my heart for the humble rockfish.
A bit of a difference in my experience and Simon's is he fed the whiskey jacks, and I only pretend to feed the rockfish before painful reality hits them.
But that's the life of a fish, and rockfish have been one great constant in my life and, best of all, are an indicator for the bigger fish I'm really after.
During my time in Iqaluit, I tried to make friends with the many ravens.
I never knew they could make such a wide range of sounds, and they clearly played in pairs in the wind.
Like Simon, I acknowledge the more spectacular creatures such as the white owl or polar bear, but I find myself more drawn to the working-man kind of animal, the one you salute on your way to the office and feel a kinship with over the daily grind.
One mammal I will rant about any chance you give me is the whale.
I imagine it's a bit like polar bears: a lot of people love them because they've never been too close to them.
I've had many close encounters with whales, both humpback and orca, during fishing in B.C. and off the coast of Mexico.
One of the most traumatizing moments in my life was leaning over the front of our boat while we were trolling off Puerto Vallarta, watching the water go by, looking for marlin or what have you, when all of a sudden I saw a spotty grey mass.
When I realized it wasn't a rock but a humpback whale directly underneath us, I fell straight backwards, squeezed my eyes shut and screamed at my dad to get us out of there.
He, like my mom and everyone else I've been on the water with, doesn't get too concerned about whales, even though I'm convinced they present a clear danger.
That was years ago and I still have trouble looking into the water, always waiting for some massive shadow to appear.
The more spectacular, zoo-tier animals get most of the media play, something Simon maligned about with the whiskey jack's lack of popularity as well.
But give me the humble, friendly, small, non-dangerous, working-man's animal over the lions and tigers any day.
Can't blame John Howard SocietyYellowknifer - Wednesday, December 7, 2016
The John Howard Society board's decision to fire Lydia Bardak last month unsurprisingly left many in the community a bit confused.
The former executive director is a familiar face at the Yellowknife courthouse and on downtown streets, making and maintaining relationships with some of the city's most vulnerable people. When it comes to the boots-on-the-ground work, she is clearly dedicated.
This is an important part of John Howard Society's mandate -- to work with people who come into conflict with the law and advocate for a fair criminal-justice system.
But beyond this work, nobody but the board and Bardak know much about her effectiveness as an executive director. After her firing, Bardak herself admitted she was lacking in her administrative duties to the point where the society lost its charitable status.
It's really a shame Bardak couldn't keep up with the administrative part of the job because this loss will certainly have a negative affect on the John Howard Society and the community as a whole.
That said, the loss of charitable status is no small thing. According to Revenue Canada, charitable status exempts an organization from paying taxes. With tax season coming up in the new year, this could end up being a huge financial issue for the
John Howard Society. Charitable status comes with other advantages, such as the ability to issue donation receipts - creating an incentive for people to give to the organization. It also exempts an organization from having to charge the goods and services tax and harmonized sales tax.
Bardak's dedication and ability to be out in the community and work with vulnerable people is clearly incredible work but it's all for naught if the work to maintain the organization itself is neglected.
Her work was a blessing to the community and hopefully her energies will be harnessed elsewhere soon.
As for the John Howard Society, it's a shame the organization had to cut off an important limb in order to survive but there is no reason not to believe the board did what it needed to do.
Commerce, tradition boost tourism options Yellowknifer -Wednesday, December 7, 2016
To keep a culture alive it has to be shared with others so they can understand it. So it's a good move by Aurora Village to add a gift shop aptly named The Trading Post.
Manager Jesse Larocque said it allows her to share her Metis culture with visitors that come from all over the world to see the aurora and keep her family ties to trapping alive.
This is also another fine example of the private sector taking initiative in attracting tourists and preserving indigenous culture.
The Trading Post will give traditional artisans another outlet to make a living, which in turn will allow them in the long run to pass on skills, increase demand and spread Northern crafts, such as jewelry, mittens and mukluks around the world.
Demand for full Northern experiences like what Aurora Village is already providing is proving to be on the rise among tourists. The growth of tourist attractions corresponds to an increase in tourists - up 46 per cent from 2014-15 to 2015-16, according to the GNWT.
It's well known they are not just here to look at the Northern lights, they want to do other things for fun and to make the most of their time.
Activities such as ice fishing, dogsledding and day trips on Great Slave Lake are also part of the attraction.
There is plenty of tourism business to go around. It's good to see the private sector again rising to meet the demand - especially if indigenous culture is front and centre.
To stack or not to stackEditorial Comment by Darrell Greer
Kivalliq News - Wednesday, December 7, 2016
It was with a pretty big grin on my face I wrote the Coffee Break feature in this edition on the upcoming JLM Calm Air Cup senior men's hockey championship in Arviat this coming month, Jan. 19 to 22.
I could easily have been wearing the silly grin over the fact the tourney is shaping up to be a barn burner, and this event has provided me with many an awesome hockey memory during years past.
Taking for granted the Karetakers ice relatively the same lineup they captured the 2016 crown with, Rankin Inlet sends two teams, and the two Arviat squads, Kings and Stars, are as closely matched in talent as organizer Gleason Uppahuak seems to think they are, then the tourney is going to be one hotlycontested affair.
Throw in Coral Harbour attending with the same lineup that took this year's Avataq, and a young and fast Whale Cove team arriving with their minds set on playing hockey, and the possibilities for playoff Sunday are endless.
If, in fact, these teams are in Arviat and raring to go, almost every game in the round robin of the tournament will be super important.
Add to that scenario big crowds taking advantage of free admission, especially if they're as loud as they were this past January, and this could be a weekend of hockey one won't soon forget.
Yes, there was plenty to smile about concerning the level of hockey that could be awaiting Arviat, but my silly grin came about as the result of a team stacking its roster.
Whether you're pro or con on the subject, precious little can stoke the fires of emotion with hockey players than team stacking, especially when it's being done with outoftown players.
The island I come from (Cape Breton) is as hockey crazy as the Kivalliq, with the exception of how Rankin supports so many levels of hockey with big crowds during tournament season.
In my hometown area, the only way you get to play with another community in the same tournament is if your presence isn't required on the home side.
To be brutally honest, it's the bottom 10 to 20 per cent (skill-wise) who seek a game elsewhere, never the top tier of players.
Should you be a top player in my hometown who decides to play for another community, winning the game would be secondary for many guys on our team.
I'm not saying it's right. I'm just saying it is.
However, unwritten rules that have governed the game for decades upon decades are changing, slowly but surely, and that includes the Kivalliq.
Having been involved with Kivalliq hockey since my arrival here in 1998, I could not imagine players from some communities being on the same team until it happened.
But there were Naujaat players on Arviat and Rankin teams and, for a few years, Rankin goaltender Josh Tartak seemed like he was trying to make a career out of winning events while playing on teams from other hamlets.
And Rankin's Joe Jr. Kaludjak's performance in goal leading Naujaat past his former team, the Hukka Inuks, and then the Rankin Miners in a 43 overtime final to claim the Avataq in 2015 is the type of feelgood story one has to love.
Then there was the first time I saw an Iqaluit player on a Rankin Inlet team. Well, enough about that.
As a hockey fan, I don't like it unless the community of the player(s) involved have no intention of being in the tournament.
And I despise any time one team is so stacked nobody else has a chance.
But I'm old school, and the times are changing.
As an official, as long as there's no backroom skulduggery going on, I'm all for it when it makes an event more competitive and/or increases the level of play.
It will be more than a little interesting to see how it all plays out in Arviat next month, and who the fans cheer for should the Kings, with their Naujaat players, meet the Stars.
However it plays out, you can bet it will be emotional because, at the end of the day, that's what the game is all about.
