Trip down greener road a long oneNorthwest Territories/News North - Monday, December 19, 2016
Premier Bob McLeod has spoken out against a tax on carbon dioxide emissions for years, as recently as last July, stating along with Yukon and Nunavut it would hurt our way of living and wouldn't have the desired effect of reducing pollution.
However, on Dec. 9 in Ottawa he joined with a majority of Canada's premiers and signed the pan-Canadian agreement on climate change.
McLeod has always maintained that any taxation measure - or pricing scheme - on carbon dioxide emissions would have to recognize the unique position faced by the territory. That means the NWT would need some kind of subsidy, exception or waiver. McLeod has also stated "until there are economically viable alternatives," the territory would still be polluting the atmosphere with diesel fuel emissions.
So what has changed? Does this mean he has secured those alternatives? Until they are in place, will consumers and corporations be shielded from new burdensome taxation in this already expensive part of Canada? Especially at a time when the United States, our largest trading partner, appears set to ease regulatory burdens on industry and slash corporate taxes.
And what exactly is a tonne of carbon dioxide? How do you weigh a gas? Well, about one-third of every tonne of carbon dioxide is carbon. Or soot. A tonne is a metric measurement of 1,000 kilos.
Some estimates - and they vary considerably - state the average household's vehicle emissions could fill their average house with solid carbon in one year.
People are seeing the effects that changes to the climate are having first-hand in the NWT. For example, cruise ships are now eager to sail through the Northwest Passage in summer and caribou numbers are in decline. Sure, it would be ideal if the territory could show it is doing its part to stop the air pollution.
Alas, far into the foreseeable future, the NWT will clearly need to continue throwing soot into the atmosphere with its reliance on diesel power plants that provide heat and light in many communities.
The NWT would need millions, if not billions, of dollars from the feds to invest in the infrastructure needed for increased hydro dam production, wind turbines, and solar panel arrays. The territory will need millions more to better insulate buildings and homes. And even then, it is difficult to imagine how the NWT will be able to do anything more than modestly reduce our diesel consumption - and only after many years of planning and construction.
"We can work together with the Government of Canada so that we can have clean growth and also deal with climate change," McLeod told News/North after his return from Ottawa. "The government would work with us to invest in energy or electricity efficiency and heating so that we will have clean growth that creates jobs and enhances our economy."
We certainly hope the premier has enough goodwill and political currency built up with the Trudeau government that he can obtain both financial subsidies for any tax imposed on the NWT and, most importantly, significant capital funding for infrastructure to set us up for that long trip down a greener road.
Give your time and effortNunavut/News North - Monday, December 19, 2016
If you are feeling overwhelmed this Christmas by a multitude of gift suggestions for your loved ones, one only has to look through the pages of recent issues of Nunavut News/North to see what is truly valued in Nunavut.
Last week, we told you about Johnny Mamgark of Arviat, an unemployed hunter who hoped to recoup the costs of a recent and bountiful caribou hunt by selling some of the meat online.
A request by a Baffin Island elder for a donation made Mamgark realize his own fortune.
Despite his financial situation, he honoured the request, and his charity was contagious. Other Arviat hunters and one from Whale Cove followed suit, and that led to offers to pay the freight to give Baffin Island elders, for whom caribou is a rare treat, a Christmas feast.
We are blessed to be able to praise such charity, and there's so much good work to honour in Nunavut.
In her film Angry Inuk, Alethea Arnaquq-Baril shares the story of hunters struggling to make a living by hunting seals, while sharing their harvest with those in their communities who are unable to spare the expense of fuel or bullets. Like Mamgark, these hunters share what they can, even at their own expense.
It's little wonder the film is earning Arnaquq-Baril accolades wherever it goes. She has chosen to tell the story of how the seal ban affects not only the ability of Inuit to survive in the modern world but also to preserve the Inuit way of life, including the ability to share the bounty of nature.
Iqaluit's Elisapi Aningmiuq has spent years working to support the Inuit way of life, viewing culture as a way to save lives. Her team has helped many Iqalungmiut reconnect with traditional skills, often praised as a way to prevent suicide. For her work at the Tukisigiarvik Wellness Centre, she received the Governor General's Polar Medal this month.
At the same ceremony, Niqinik Nuatsivik Nunavut Food Bank founder Jen Hayward was honoured with the Sovereign's Medal for Volunteers for helping others share their blessings.
We can't forget Arviat's Ruth Kaviok, honoured this month for working to show the way climate change will affect the Inuit way of life, or the teams from Pinnguaq and SmartICE, both of which won a share of the Arctic Inspiration Prize. All three should be honoured for sharing their skills to help other Nunavummiut.
You can make Nunavut a better place for those who are struggling. Consider the needs in your community, and ask how you can get involved.
Is there an issue not being addressed? Start a project, and get others on board. Or even stop in and spend time with someone who needs a visit.
This is the time of year to remember that you can make a difference for our territory.
Whether you want to share the results of a hunt or volunteer each week on a project important to you, your time and skills are gifts that will be truly cherished.
Council steps up on social issues Weekend Yellowknifer - Friday, December 16, 2016
Social issues involving addiction and homelessness remain one of the city's most challenging and pressing difficulties.
It is therefore heartening to see the City of Yellowknife taking strides toward improving the living conditions for the city's most vulnerable.
The Housing First project, a city initiative funded through successful federal grant applications, now has at least six people placed in homes. The goal is to have 20 people living in homes by 2019.
This is all part of the city's homelessness action plan, a five-year program of improved services that target Yellowknife's homeless and alcohol and substance-addicted population. The plan includes improved day shelters, a sobering/detox centre, youth outreach programs and the Housing First initiative.
The extent of the city's success with this plan will depend largely on federal and territorial co-operation but the city at least is recognizing it must lead the charge if it hopes to apply some relief on the city social ills.
Scrapping the $1.9 million development of the controversial 50/50 lot purchase shows the city has its priorities straight, at least in this case. Rushing into a multi-million dollar development project without first addressing downtown social realities would have been ill-advised and likely ill-fated.
By placing this large-scale beautification project on the back burner while taking concrete steps toward making Yellowknife a safer place for all, this city council has shown itself to be prudent, wise and compassionate this budget season - much like the Yellowknifers they serve.
The 50/50 lot will remain a parking lot and a revenue generator for the city while city council and administration continue to work with federal, territorial and community counterparts and partners to turn its homelessness action plan into a reality.
This is a win-win for everyone in the city and looks good on council at the same time.
First refugee family opens door for more newcomers Weekend Yellowknifer - Friday, December 16, 2016
The NWT is a vast territory with a tiny population.
With a little less than half the population living in Yellowknife, immigration is the faster way to increase numbers.
The Alhajy family recently arrived in the city, although not under the greatest of circumstances. They fled their native Syria amid growing violence of a years-long civil war. They received a very warm welcome recently, with well-wishers packing Northern United Place to meet the family of six. According to Rami Kassem, who translated for the family's father, Mustafa, the family is settling in nicely, even enjoying the cold and snow of the Northern winter. Well-wishers were told his main priority was to learn English and find a job. He is currently working at Javaroma and his children are attending school.
There is another family on the way, among them is one of Mustafa's sisters.
There is more to this story than welcoming a long-awaited and highly publicized family. It is the latest example of how the city and the territory thrives on immigration.
Starting with the First Nations who settled there, then fur trappers, all the way to the gold and diamond miners and their families. Many of them settled here because they knew someone who was already here and told them what a great place it is to live and raise a family. This city thrives on diversity and there is plenty of room for people from all over the world.
Seasonal spirit spreads aroundDeh Cho Drum - Thursday, December 15, 2016
In Fort Providence, a newly formed student council for Deh Gah School is getting ready to open a Christmas store with presents for children to buy for their parents.
The twist on present-giving - most children receive presents from their parents, not the other way around - aims to bring a smile to the faces of families in the community.
It ties in with the efforts of Beverley Hope-Bagnall, who is helping to co-ordinate the store, to teach traditional parenting methods to some of Fort Providence's families - which in itself is tied to a desire to help youth, in the face of a year frought with break-ins and alleged youth crime.
And as students wait for that store to open, another local woman, Paschalina Nadli, has already sent off a sleigh full of presents to Nahanni Butte.
It's the second year in a row Nadli has blessed a small community with a Christmas surprise - unbidden, expecting nothing in return.
This is, as Nadli calls her gift-giving, the Christmas spirit of the North.
In Fort Simpson, meanwhile, students at Bompas Elementary School recently collaborated to raise money for the Deh Cho Friendship Centre's Christmas hamper program. They took the time out of their schedules to run a cake walk at the school's weekend bazaar.
And in order to give the community its annual Christmas parade, Fort Simpson Metis Nation's Lisa Lafferty took on the burden of organizing the event, to the delight of the numerous clusters of children who spent a cold evening on 100 Street watching brightly-lit vehicles drive by.
That's not to mention the plentiful Christmas open houses that have taken place so far, and the ones yet to come.
These bits of Christmas cheer are more important in the North than anywhere else in Canada, and we are lucky to have people in our midst who go to great lengths to spread that cheer.
When isolation sets in and the long days of winter stretch before us, personal connection can mean the world.
Especially for those of us who may not have a home to call our own, or our own bed to sleep in, the opportunity to share the holiday spirit can itself be a rare gift.
And as the Deh Cho wavers between bone-chilling cold and relative warmth, it is important that we reach out to those people in particular.
Whether you celebrate Christmas or not, this should be a season of hope and renewal as we move into the new year.
It is a season of compassion and giving.
It is a reminder for those of us who are fortunate enough to have loving family members and a safe home that there are plenty of people in our own communities whose day can be brightened by an unexpected gift, a smile or a conversation.
The Christmas spirit of the North is enormous, and it grows every day.
Community spirit is still aliveInuvik Drum - Thursday, December 15, 2016
Inuvikians' engagement level in community events and activities continues to amaze me.
I was glad I didn't drive to the Christmas parade on Sunday, Dec. 11, as it looked tough to find parking. I wasn't expecting the lineup of viewers.
Later, the Midnight Sun Complex was filled to the brim with children, around whom I was carefully attempting to navigate to finish my assignment, and the igloo church had just about no space left after everyone got in for the night of songs.
Whenever I cover community events, whether they're sports-based or otherwise, I always think about the fact these people all have jobs and take part in these activities in their spare time.
I'm there because that is my job, but they're there for fun.
I find it impressive to see how many people with high-powered career lives still find the time to come out on a weekly basis to play squash, practise yoga, sing in a choir or what have you.
Perhaps I haven't hit that stage of adulthood yet.
I often think I'd love to be in some of these groups, but when I'm done work I just want to sink into a never-ending bubble bath. I do have hobbies, but they're not as time-sensitive as many of these activities.
People were all over the place for the events last Sunday, which is typically your top day off in the week, supposedly the primary time to relax.
If I don't have anything to cover, good money says I won't even get out of my pajamas that day. But these people all lead busy lives during the week and come out for community events in their off time.
Many of them don't just come to watch, either, and actually put in a fair amount of work, such as some of the groups who sang at the concert Sunday night.
Behind my camera I often ask myself, "Is this part of the job description or do they really have that much energy and enthusiasm for extra-curricular activities?"
Kudos to the people who make the world go round like that.
We had one of those guys in our friend group in high school. He was the only reason the rest of us got out of the house.
Inuvik seems to be made up of them.
I'm glad work forces me to view and appreciate all your effort. That's something I haven't seen everywhere I've reported.
Jr. kindergarten shell gameYellowknifer - Wednesday, December 14, 2016
Welcome to the junior kindergarten funding fight, part deux. Three years ago, the cabinet of the 17th Legislative Assembly put implementation of the program on pause amid sharp criticism over funding and lack of consultation.
The pause allowed the Department of Education, Culture and Employment to study its implementation plan and determined school boards, communities and early-education providers in fact do need to be better consulted, especially over funding and possible service overlaps.
Fast forward to this summer, when Yellowknifer reported junior kindergarten was ready to begin rolling out once again ("Answers elusive on junior kindergarten," Aug. 31). At the time, Yellowknife Education District No. 1 (Yk1) and Yellowknife Catholic Schools told Yellowknifer they were looking forward to hearing more about how it would be funded and implemented this time around, which begs the question: did the department take its own advice regarding consultation?
We now know the Department of Education, Culture and Employment plans to put up $2 million to fund junior kindergarten with $3.01 million provided by the school boards across the territory. Yk1 chairperson John Stephenson was categorical about what this will mean for his school board.
"The way we understand it, our share of the ($3.01 million) will require us to reduce some staff," he said.
So here we are again, shaking down school boards and Yellowknife taxpayers to implement junior kindergarten across the territory. The territorial government is going to run up against the same problem again and again if it keeps trying to squeeze blood from a turnip.
Nobody - be it the school boards or existing early-education providers - opposes junior kindergarten on principle. Everybody recognizes it's a good thing for the territory's youth, good for parents and good for the communities.
But even after crying poverty earlier this year the GNWT is still stuffed with inefficiencies and redundancies. So why is it so hard for it to come up with its own money rather than insisting on playing this shell game with the school boards?
Maybe cabinet will be successful in steamrolling this junior kindergarten implementation proposal through.
Maybe it won't. It's possible MLA pressure will again be heavy enough to send them back to the drawing board again.
But even if this funding model for junior kindergarten goes through, it's apparent the school boards and existing early-education providers such as Aboriginal Head Start will suffer for it, and that's a shame.
Still grieving loss of LennonEditorial Comment by Darrell Greer
Kivalliq News - Wednesday, December 14, 2016
I'm really not sure if it's a good thing to have heroes or not as we grow up.
But, being the music fanatic I am, and always have been, I suppose it was impossible for me not to look at some of the world's best musicians as my heroes.
Today, that hero worship always casts an early dark shadow over the holiday season, ever since John Lennon was gunned down in front of his Dakota apartment building in New York City on Dec. 8, 1980.
I was 22 years of age when it happened and a badge-carrying Beatlemaniac, which I remain today.
I loved the Beatles growing up and I could never decide who was my favourite Beatle, John Lennon or Paul McCartney.
It remains that way for me today, but, while McCartney is still out there very much doing his thing, Lennon was taken from us far too early by a cowardly madman.
For the first time in, arguably, more than a decade, Lennon was at peace with himself and his status in life and back recording again.
While his music had changed somewhat, it was far removed from his disaster album, Somewhere in New York City, and he was back recording radio-friendly and easily understood tunes, even if they did continue to focus almost entirely on himself and his life with Yoko Ono.
Who knows what work Lennon would have produced, had he been afforded a natural end to his life.
Most people blamed John and Yoko for the demise of the Beatles.
But I had matured enough at the time of Lennon's death to realize it was more a combined case of business entanglements, George Harrison's growth as an artist (and bitterness toward Lennon and McCartney for, apparently, holding back his career), and the ill-fated decision by Lennon, Harrison and Ringo Starr to hire Allen Klein as their manager following the death of Brian Epstein years earlier.
Although Lennon had become somewhat disenchanted by being a Beatle by 1970, he still saw the Beatles as his band and, had things not become so complicated, he probably would have made room in his life for at least one Beatles' album per year.
And, oh, the mental images when one lets their imagination run wild, and dreams of the Beatles being back on tour in the 1970s with the incredible advances in public-address systems that had taken place since their split.
When one looks upon the body of solo work McCartney has produced throughout the years, you cannot help but wonder if Lennon would have eclipsed it, given the chance, despite the fact McCartney had a decided advantage after his work with his second group, Wings.
One of the things that made the Beatles such a musical phenomenon was the rivalry between Lennon and McCartney when they wrote songs together, or as individuals.
In fact, one of McCartney's best loved ditties from the Wings' Band on the Run album is his tribute to Lennon's style of rock and roll with the spine-tingling, Let Me Roll It.
As I do every Dec. 8, I spent the day listening to nothing but the music of Lennon's solo career and the music of the Beatles that he was most responsible for.
I find it somewhat strange that I still grieve his death so much after 36 years have gone by, but such is the esteem I place upon the man and his music in both my heart and soul.
And, like millions of other Lennon fans around the world, come Dec. 9, I am left to wonder about all the things that could have been had he not been robbed of his life.
Rest peacefully, John. Neither you nor your music will ever be forgotten!
