Energy infrastructure should be a top priority Weekend Yellowknifer - Friday, March 10, 2017
Few things are more important to living in the North than the cost and reliability of power, especially in remote diesel-dependent communities.
The territorial government and NWT Power Corporation are making gains by way of alternate energy installations, such as in Colville Lake where the community is now powered by a hybrid solar and diesel power system.
Further advances in Northern energy infrastructure are crucial in years to come, and should certainly be included in the federal government's stated nation-building mandate.
The prospect of joining the Taltson River hydro-electric power grid to the south has come up again in the context of improving power infrastructure in the North ("Electricity association head calls for fed help with energy infrastructure," Yellowknifer, March 1).
This is a long-standing project that would benefit the North and hopefully, northern power consumers who pay some of the highest power bills in North America.
That is why it is troubling to hear comments from both Liberal MP Michael McLeod and the territorial government that suggest our federal representative in Ottawa and our representatives in the legislative assembly are reading from different playbooks.
In an interview with McLeod about the project, he told Yellowknifer he was unaware whether or not the GNWT has made a formal application to the federal government to fund the Taltson River project.
Yet the Taltson expansion is included in the Pan-Canadian Framework on Climate Change, a document which both the territorial and federal governments have signed. A cabinet spokesperson told Yellowknifer this document, from the GNWT's perspective, represents a formal request for funding.
This confusion suggests the GNWT and federal counterparts need to work together more closely to present a common front when it comes to improving energy infrastructure in the North.
As a point of clarification it is important to note that Taltson already generates excess power. It's not like communities connected to the Taltson grid need more power than the dam already generates.
The real benefit would be the prospect of selling excess power to the south. This would not in itself lower the cost of power generation in the North. The return on power sold, however, should be used to subsidize power bills in the NWT.
Taltson represents a clear starting point for making the territory more energy independent - a project that could eventually connect to the North Slave where most of the territory's population lives.
This is something both levels of government should be striving to complete.
A real made-in-the-North success story Weekend Yellowknifer - Friday, March 10, 2017
Keeping warm isn't just a matter of comfort in the North, it's a matter of survival.
While synthetic materials, such as Gore-Tex, and natural products like wool are common items in winter clothing, there is still plenty of room for fur as more people recognize wild animal skins can be both sustainable and environmentally-friendly.
Brenda Dragon has been taking advantage of the resurgence in real fur and Northern products with a bit of lateral thinking in producing Aurora Heat natural fur hand and foot warmers. She launched the products a year ago with her mother at the Northern Frontier Visitors Centre and now the products are taking off with 38 stores in the NWT, Nunavut and Yukon offering them for sale. They are also available online.
The concept for her warmers are rooted in childhood, she said. Her parents were trappers and there were always scraps of fur, which her mother sewed to make mittens and mukluks for the family.
The fur is great insulator when placed next to the skin, trapping warm air against the body to protect against the cold. Add in that warmers are made with Genuine Mackenzie Valley Fur Products, this is a completely made-in-the-North business success story, incorporating tradition, practicality and locally-sourced materials to inspire future entrepreneurs.
Cold exposes true Northern resilienceDeh Cho Drum - Thursday, March 9, 2016
March 5 was, by any measure, a frigid start to Beavertail Jamboree celebrations in Fort Simpson.
The wind howled and bit. It was one of those cold, blustery winds that numbed any flesh exposed to the elements for more than a few seconds.
And in the midst of it all, Fort Simpson frolicked.
The last two months have been sad ones for many communities in the region, marked by unexpected deaths and subsequent mourning. Adding to that bleakness is the North's long, dark winter nights.
But the days are getting longer now and the region is preparing for spring. That may not heal the hurt many people are feeling right now but it at least gives them something to look forward to.
March 5 was a prime example of the resilience of Northern people.
Youth in Fort Simpson spent the afternoon at a sliding hill and skating rink, sharing hot chocolate over a fire, heedless of the cold and simply enjoying the afternoon.
Later that night, with the wind still roaring and flurries of snow still coming down, a stoic group of volunteers belonging to Fort Simpson's fire department bundled up and headed to the arbour to set off fireworks.
If a subsequent outpouring of gratitude toward those volunteers on social media is any indication, their willingness to push through the cold temperatures in
order to put on a light show warmed the hearts of children and adults alike.
That was the signal, the kick-off point for a week of annual celebrations in Fort Simpson.
People have been playing sports, facing off over crib boards at the recreation centre and getting ready to feast in true Deh Cho fashion.
Elsewhere in the region, other communities are looking forward to their own celebrations. Nahanni Butte, Sambaa K'e and Fort Liard will all be celebrating the coming spring in a week's time while Fort Providence is gearing up for its Bison Jamboree the following week.
This editorial would be remiss if it did not mention the exceptional efforts of the people who organize these events.
In Fort Simpson, the Beavertail committee put a tremendous amount of time this year into festival deliberations.
Years-old traditions - such as that of holding King, Queen, Prince and Princess contests together - have been altered in favour of a strategy that seems designed to encourage people to participate in the week's many events.
The committee also switched up the jamboree's usual event list, inviting comedy-hypnotist Scott Ward for a March 9 appearance and scheduling new events such as a men's beauty contest to lighten the mood.
Thanks to the people who have given their time toward organizing these festivals - not just in Fort Simpson but across the Deh Cho - people are getting ready to give spring a royal welcome.
Hats off to the Northern spirit.
Living the dreamInuvik Drum - Thursday, March 9, 2016
Ryan McLeod went from high school dropout to living his dream and working on the land for the Department of Fisheries and Oceans.
In light of the recent discussion on poor secondary school attendance and performance levels, it's hard to find a more relevant example of someone finding success despite early difficulties.
Teenage years are a weird time. People develop at different rates. Not everyone knows what they want to do or can see the value in the mainstream orthodoxy at that stage in their lives.
Many people don't hit their professional peaks until their 40s, 50s and 60s. J.K. Rowling is often cited as not having published her first novel until she was 32.
Although we harp on the bad numbers coming out of the school system here, none of the students should be written off.
I firmly believe everyone can find a place in the world, provided circumstances and their own will allow them to.
We all want to live meaningful lives. Of course, life isn't as easy as wanting things. What's important is that at some point in their lives, people get an opportunity to pursue their interests.
That's how McLeod got his foot in the door with studying char at Rat River.
I was fortunate to get my start in journalism from someone who knew me in little league and offered me a summer internship.
Adults who are already established have tremendous power to mentor and assist youth.
It can't just be left up to the school system to do everything.
The performance numbers are one issue but not the whole story of child development in this region.
Everyone can and should play a role in nurturing the abilities the next generation has and giving them every opportunity to flourish.
One failure doesn't end the book. If it did, none of us would still be here.
Sex assault unit will lead to better casesYellowknifer - Wednesday, March 8, 2017
Sexual assault is widely regarded in Canadian society as one of the most heinous crimes there is.
It's also one of the hardest crimes to prove. Even if there is physical evidence left behind, it is really, really hard to prove a lack of consent.
When these cases make it to open court, the public has the opportunity to track conviction rates. But if a complaint dies in the police station without charges laid, nobody ever knows about it. That is, until Globe and Mail investigative reporter Robyn Doolittle compiled data from across the country on the rates of sexual assault cases deemed unfounded. This term means the investigating officer does not believe there was a crime committed or attempted.
Across Canada, Doolittle found the average rate of cases deemed unfounded to be 19.39 per cent but that number varies wildly, and randomly, in individual communities. Yellowknife, for example, has an unfounded rate of 36 per cent.
This data certainly suggests police could be a doing better job at investigating sexual assault and it's a positive development to see that the RCMP and Department of Justice seem to agree. Nationally, the RCMP is reviewing the system they used between 2010 and 2014 for determining sex assault cases as unfounded to ensure they actually meet the criteria. As well, Yellowknife RCMP are operating under a new policy that will see every unfounded complaint automatically reviewed by a senior officer.
Women's advocate Lynn Brooks proposed another great suggestion to Yellowknifer last week. She believes Yellowknife RCMP should create a dedicated sexual assault unit. Yellowknife Centre MLA Julie Green agrees with Brooks, and so does Yellowknifer.
RCMP's G Division created a diamond unit in 1998 specifically to combat what was then an anticipated upswing in organized crime and earlier this year created a unit to investigate online child sexual exploitation. If RCMP can launch both of these things, there is no reason why there shouldn't be a specialized unit to deal with sexual assault. As far as crimes go, sex assault is incredibly common, causes lasting -- sometimes debilitating – harm, and much of the time evidence stems from testimony.
As it stands, every person who reports this crime knows the deck is stacked against them when it comes to conviction. Better investigations could lead to better conviction rates, so let's see this happen.
Alcohol program would be useful for YellowknifeYellowknifer - Wednesday, March 8, 2017
Last week, the city saw its federal application to fund a managed alcohol program denied.
This initiative, which is part of the comprehensive action plan to combat homelessness, would see addicted people served small doses of alcohol throughout the day in order to keep people from binging.
The first managed alcohol program in Canada opened in Toronto in 1997. Since then they have mushroomed to communities such as Thunder Bay, Ottawa, Vancouver, Victoria and Sudbury, Ont.
A 2014 Yellowknifer story on Thunder Bay's managed alcohol program, ("I'm lucky this place opened," June 25, 2014), describes the principle of managed alcohol programs as "harm reduction" rather than abstinence.
The Thunder Bay program provides admitted patients two meals per day and six ounces of white wine every 90 minutes.
A doctor also visits residents once per week. Studies show this type of treatment helps stabilize the behaviour of alcoholics, reduces dependence on non-beverage forms of alcohol such as hand-sanitizer and hairspray, and according to participants, creates a sense of community.
Yellowknifer doesn't know why the federal government rejected the city's $500,000 funding request.
But take a walk downtown any day of the week and the bottles of rye and vodka lying everywhere illustrate a real problem that municipal enforcement is not going to fix by simply handing out tickets.
Nobody can force the city's alcohol dependent population into sobriety but the government can give these people a way to manage their addiction.
Hopefully the territorial government will step up, as a managed alcohol program surely is an essential component to alleviating social problems in the city.
Thanks, hockey folksEditorial Comment by Darrell Greer
Kivalliq News - Wednesday, March 8, 2017
By the time you're reading this, I will be about to take to the ice this week to officiate my final senior men's hockey tournament in Rankin Inlet, the inaugural Terence Tootoo Memorial.
At its conclusion, my knees will decide if there's enough left in the tank to help out with a few games in the Powerful Pewees the following week, or if this was the last hurrah.
Either way, it's been one hell of a ride.
I don't mind admitting the eyes were getting a little moist during the presentation made to me by my longtime friend and fellow hockey fanatic, David Clark, prior to the start of the Plate's final game.
When the puck drops for the 2018 Polar Bear Plate, it will be the first one I'm not a part of and I'm still having a little trouble accepting that.
Don't get me wrong, I know it's time to hang them up because my body tells me so. It's the stereotypical situation of the mind is still willing but the body is weak (in this case, knees).
As much as I'm going to miss it, reffing here has provided me with a ton of memories guaranteed to put a smile on my face during my golden years.
I can't say enough about the hockey fans in Rankin Inlet. You folks have made the past 18 years very, very special to me and we've been through a lot together.
I smiled when a couple of people in the crowd started chanting my name in that eerie way fans do, to either show their displeasure or to try and throw an opposing player off his or her game, during David's presentation.
It wasn't that many years ago a Rankin team just wouldn't calm down during a tournament playoff game no matter how many darn penalties I assessed them.
The hometown crowd was getting more and more irate every time I raised my arm to send another Rankin player for a well-deserved timeout.
I knew the Rankin fans know their hockey and were fully aware the penalties were justified, but they just kept coming.
Once it reached the point where there were seven or eight Rankin players in the box, and I had to go over to make sure the timekeeper had everything straight with the expiration of every penalty – slowing the game and bringing a whole lot of unwanted attention to myself – the boos started.
They didn't last all that long. Then, just as I was thinking that wasn't too bad, a handful of fans started that eerie chant using my name.
It quickly spread around the arena until every fan was doing it and every eye in the barn, be it player, fan, coach or fellow zebra, was on me.
It was the weirdest experience of my career and, if I had a highlight reel of said career, you'd appreciate just how impressive that is.
Yet, as weird as it may sound, there was something special about the experience.
It was special in a traditional hockey sense because it was something different, and a whole lot better than having fans throw things at me, including every curse word known to humanity.
It's truly special to be on the ice with the players during big games.
It's a world onto itself, where you had better know what you're talking about when asked a question on the rules or all your hard work building up credibility goes out the window in the wink of an eye.
There are nights you leave the arena wondering what you're doing there in the first place.
And there are other nights when everything goes perfect and you would protect your whistle with your dying breath. Those are ones worth remembering, and the ones that keep bringing you back.
I will never forget the time, in Rankin, when a hockey mom came up to me and said the only time she felt truly comfortable with her son playing was when I was refereeing. I floated home that day.
To all the players who I've had the honour to work with in Rankin and across the Kivalliq, thank you for the excitement and the memories. A special tip of the hat to those who I began officiating when they were in peewee and leave the game with them playing senior men's.
Went by fast, didn't it?
To people like David and Donald Clark, Darrin Nichol, Steve Faulkner, Jim MacDonald, Jim Ramsay, Pujjuut Kusugak (and your dad), Troy Aksalnik, Gleason Uppahuak and so many, many others, thank you for all you do to keep the games going.
Thanks to David Tulugak for all the road trips when we didn't have many refs who would go, and for never taking my meals away from me after we had reffed from 9 a.m. until midnight.
But, especially to the Rankin fans, thank you so very, very much for restoring my faith in the game, and showing me what a true hockey town is all about, tournament after tournament.
You are the best hockey fans in the world and I will miss you almost as much as the game itself.
Almost!
GNWT failing studentsNorthwest Territories/News North - Monday, March 6, 2017
The kids aren't alright when it comes to reading, writing and arithmetic.
An analysis of student achievement presented at the Beaufort Delta Education Council board meeting last month in Inuvik showed poor performance and a stark trend among students entering high school ("Dismal student scores show need for fix," News/North, Feb. 20).
Among Grade 6 students, only 37 per cent read and write at an acceptable level (using Alberta Achievement Tests). The territory as a whole averages 50 per cent.
That number falls to 23 per cent for the Beaufort region at the Grade 9 level, compared to 44 per cent for the territory as a whole.
It gets worse when numbers replace letters.
In math, 34 per cent of Grade 6 students in the Beaufort Delta perform at an acceptable level, compared to 42 per cent for the territory as a whole.
Those numbers drop to 16 per cent and 36 per cent in Grade 9, respectively.
That's simply not acceptable. An entire generation of young people face struggles in life because the education system has failed them. For whatever reasons, the current classroom structure and curriculum isn't being bought into by parents, caregivers and youth.
Robert Charlie, representing the Gwich'in Tribal Council on the board, said the issue can be talked about forever but action needs to happen.
"We need to do something, we have to do something," he said. "How many years we've been talking about it, and what have we done?"
He said it's not just about the council or schools or parents but everyone in a community, and that youth need guidance.
"I have to say enough talk," said Charlie. "Let's put some action behind some of the things we already know and see if we can make some changes because we're not helping our kids by letting them take the easy way out, the easy programming."
But what needs to be done? Perhaps a little more focus on common sense and a bit less on outside experts, baseline data and endless consultations.
And yes, it will all come down to money. As we see it, the only real answer is to have more teachers and educations assistants in each classroom to both provide engaging instruction, smoother integration of special needs children and to make sure the students show up and pay attention.
The latter aspect of education is especially crucial in the Beaufort Delta.
Last spring, as the temperature warmed up outside, attendance inside schools dropped to remarkable lows.
"This time of year is not a good time for study," Denise McDonald, then-superintendent of schools for the Beaufort Delta Education Council, said at the time.
McDonald said while community and aboriginal leadership must step up and help encourage students to stay in school, the schools also have to be more responsive.
"Schools need to be more proactive in contacting families," she said, "They can't be so accepting of the way things are."
Here's another thought: why not just ask the teachers what they believe would work?
Our idea of more staff in the classes was derived from informal talks with educators. Why not ask them - individual teachers - what a better education model would be for the Delta? Then attach a price tag to it and see what can be done.
Sounds a bit unworkable? So does the current system.
Housing unit fire marks six steps backNunavut/News North - Monday, March 6, 2017
After reports from Iqaluit's fire chief of a relatively safe and loss-free 2016, it's difficult to cope with the sight of six housing units going up in smoke.
Our hearts go out to the two families of nine people, and the residents of three single units, who lost their belongings and homes.
As residents of social housing, they likely did not have insurance, so we are thankful the community and the Red Cross are able to provide help. These people did not have to find their own temporary housing thanks to the Red Cross, which provides funding for hotels, clothing, and supplies in the immediate aftermath of such emergencies. Residents also made personal donations to bring back a measure of normalcy.
We are also thankful to hear from the mayor that Iqaluit Housing was able to find new homes for the fire victims within the first week of the incident.
Just days after the fire, we heard from Finance Minister Keith Peterson, whose budget address included a note that the territory will see 90 new units built this year.
"But clearly we need more," he said.
This week's fire just moved the progress marker six steps back.
It's hard to catch up to the growing need for housing in our territory. We have homeless people who live in shelters but an overwhelming number of hidden homeless need new units built en masse to relieve the pressure they feel.
As Peterson said, three in 10 Nunavut housing units are overcrowded. Considering Nunavut has Canada's highest fertility rate, we simply don't have the space to provide proper homes for our people.
It's not clear how to speed up progress in this regard. House construction gets more expensive every year, land is expensive and slow to develop, and the government has limited resources.
From our research, Nunavut Housing is experimenting with new-to-Nunavut technologies, such as space frame foundations. These weight-distributing foundations are far cheaper than piles but remove some of the problems, such as heaving and wall-cracking, associated with piles driven into permafrost. Plus, they can be installed by unskilled local labourers.
Homes that are on piles but not driven into the bedrock are at risk of becoming write-offs as climate change erodes permafrost.
The technology reduces this long-term risk, and saves a lot of money.
The next step for the government is to take a serious look at how it can save money by investing in renewable energy. How much money do we as Nunavummiut consciously burn by powering our homes with diesel-generated electricity. It will take a bold effort to make change in this regard but there are savings to be had there.
Nunavut has 185 housing units coming online by next year. Now imagine saving enough money to build six more.
