Where is our commissioner? Weekend Yellowknifer - Friday, March 24, 2017
When George Tuccaro retired as the 16th Commissioner of the Northwest Territories last March, it was expected his replacement would be named within about two months, at least in time for the next sitting of legislative assembly the following May.
Almost a full year later, no appointment has been made.
It is no surprise that finding a replacement for Mr. Tuccaro would turn out to be a difficult task. He was an exemplary ambassador for the North who has left a very large pair of shoes to fill.
But fill those shoes someone must.
In many respects, the commissioner plays a largely ceremonial role, but the fact remains he or she is the federal government's representative in the North.
The delay on the part of the federal Liberals to appoint a new commissioner suggests they do not take the role seriously and perhaps do not take the North seriously.
About why it's taking so long, the Department of Indigenous and Northern Affairs will only say officials are reviewing the process for appointments. There wasn't even a token nod to the importance of finalizing the appointment.
Yellowknife Centre MLA Julie Green was right to raise the matter with Premier Bob McLeod.
The territorial government has, as Green pointed out, put forward a list of very qualified candidates for the position.
It remains for the feds to simply select one and move on.
Although the functions of government are now performed without issue under deputy commissioner Gerald Kisoun, it would be appropriate for the NWT to have a new representative in that position sooner than later.
The commissioner of the NWT is symbolic of the North's relation to federal power in Ottawa.
If the federal government is dragging its heels on such a straightforward appointment, it's natural to wonder how well it prioritizes Northern matters of more significance.
The commissioner's role may ultimately be symbolic but the symbolism of the feds ignoring the appointment speaks loudly by not saying anything at all.
Don't wait to put program on the road Weekend Yellowknifer - Friday, March 24, 2017
Good things don't always come to those who wait. In the case of the safe ride program, waiting may mean its demise before it can even hit the road.
The city has been planning a street outreach service, which will patrol the streets in a van and pick up people who need to be taken to shelters or a sobering centre. This service, Mayor Mark Heyck said, is "about building relationships" with the city's vulnerable people.
There are two things delaying the program. First, a sobering centre has yet to open. Second, the van, expected to come from the RCMP, has yet to arrive.
Waiting for too long on these loose threads could threaten to shut down the program before it starts. If the city stagnates on this, there is a chance it could lose $100,000 in federal funding it was given to run it.
According to the city's director of community services Grant White, the service can start up very quickly once the RCMP provides a van. Therefore, there is no reason for the city to wait for a sobering centre to start up. People who would be bound for the sobering centre can be taken to shelters instead.
Once that van is here, it's time to put the pedal to the metal and start helping people.
Power of positivity spreads lots of joyDeh Cho Drum - Thursday, March 23, 2016
There are few things more positive than a community coming together to celebrate.
In Nahanni Butte, a dance put on by North Country Rock on the evening of March 17 may very well go down in history as one of the community's most memorable, as people danced the night away.
Some danced until they had blisters on their feet - and then showed up the next day to organize or help out with the second day of the community's Luk'eh Carnival.
North Country Rock, who drove all the way from Fort Smith, played for two nights during the festival.
During the daytime, events focused on cook-outs, traditional games and sports.
Despite the unfortunate timing with it co-inciding with Fort Liard's Cabin Fever Days, the carnival drew a core group of friends and volunteers as well as a small but a steady stream of people over the course of the weekend.
Youth and elders trickled in to the recreation centre to help out, visit and participate in activities.
Meanwhile, the Deh Cho was in the midst of the biggest snowfall of the year. Few vehicles were on the road at all, let alone travelling the hours needed to reach the carnival.
But even though less people visited than compared to the community's 2016 festival, the spirit of those who attended was big enough to make up for it - and more.
Band employees, including senior administrative officer Mark Pocklington, devoted their time to making sure everything ran smoothly.
Roxanne Konisenta and Jayne Konisenta were two of the lynchpin volunteers who made this year's festival happen.
The two spent their time cooking, organizing and completing whatever other tasks needed to be done.
Both of these women told me on March 18 how grateful they were to see community members volunteer to help out with various events such as the 9 a.m. breakfast the morning after North Country Rock's first show.
They admitted it can be hard to take on the burden of planning and organizing an event like the carnival, especially when only a few people can help out.
But they are also adamant that this makes the effort each person puts in even more valuable.
And it was certainly clear from the laughter, smiles and warm conversation that took place over the course of March 18 that the effort put in was appreciated by all.
Whether two people or 20 people volunteer, each one is sacrificing their time and effort to the cause of making the community a more positive place.
That positivity is one of the goals Jayne and Roxanne are aiming for - not just during the carnival, but a lasting positivity that stretches forward into the coming months as well.
They are well on their way to accomplishing that.
Youth can forge their own pathInuvik Drum - Thursday, March 23, 2016
Skilled trades competitions are one of the best things public schools do.
Hands-on education in real jobs goes a long way to readying youth for the working world.
The classroom is rather abstract and few workplaces operate like one. Working with small engines is not abstract, and is exactly what the real job is about.
Another thing the school system and all of us should do is encourage entrepreneurship.
There's a lot of talk about jobs when you're growing up. It always seems to be centered on who you want to work for. But why work for someone else?
Entrepreneurs are vital to society. They are the job creators. They're the ones who take the biggest risks to drive progress forward.
The media is inundated with "job-killing automation" stories these days. This reflects a fear that has existed for as long as humans have been creating labour-saving devices, and it's been a misplaced worry for just as long.
Automation and technological progress decentralize power and make humans more efficient and productive.
Was it job-killing automation when refrigerators destroyed the milkman's role in society? What about electricity, rendering the lamplighters useless?
Jobs are always coming and going and the world's landscape is constantly changing. What is lost in one area is gained in another.
The rise of the Internet has put incredible power in the average person's hand to pursue their own education and start their own business right from their bedroom. This is not job-killing. This is power-giving.
The rise in new entrepreneurial jobs is seen in profitable blogs, YouTube stars or online retail stores run out of someone's own home.
In this age, entrepreneurship is more possible than ever. The tools at our disposal have never been so extensive or easy to acquire. What can be done with a computer today, people of old couldn't do with a factory.
High school youth often have some fantastically inspired ideas. They can have dreams other than being a cog in someone else's machine. They can think of a new machine.
The mantra of working for someone else is so ingrained in youth that it's almost a foreign concept for them to realize they don't have to do that.
All types of people make the world go round.
There's nothing wrong with working for someone else. Most do.
But there's great potential in carving your own path.
Those are the pioneers, the space explorers, the visionaries who seem to see the future and bring society forward.
At East Three School right now, there are no doubt some youth with amazing ideas and the passion to pursue them.
The more that spark is nurtured, the better off society will be.
A different approach Yellowknifer - Wednesday, March 22, 2017
Family violence is a rampant problem in the territory. In fact, this jurisdiction is well known to have the second highest rates in all of Canada, behind Nunavut.
It's an especially pernicious type of crime, as it has the potential to tear families apart and expose young children to violence. Because of the fact it happens within relationships, and because alcohol and drug abuse is usually involved, there tends to be a high rate of re-offending.
The Department of Justice's Domestic Violence Treatment Option Program offers some domestic violence offenders the option of taking counselling as a way to avoid traditional court punishment. In order to complete the program, offenders must take part in eight counselling sessions that address the emotional and psychological causes of domestic violence, according to the department's website.
While it is relatively new in the territory - having only been around for about five years - this type of program is fairly common around North America.
The Yukon Government, for example, has been doing this since 2001. In 2005, the Yukon Government released a report on the effectiveness of this sort of court diversion. Its authors found rates of re-assaults were "amazingly low." The study found that a year after completing the program, nine per cent of graduates had re-offended. Offenders who didn't go through the treatment program re-offended at a rate of 31 per cent.
The Department of Justice hasn't embarked on a study like this to examine the effectiveness of its own program but hopefully the approximately 80 men and women who have graduated are taking the experience to heart and making changes to improve their lives.
This batch of graduates seem to indicate this, as Judge Robert Gorin noted in court how each person participated in the program enthusiastically.
What's exponentially more important than seeing offenders be punished for the destruction they cause is to make sure it happens less often. If NWT's success rates are anywhere near the Yukon's, perhaps that is something to look forward to.
Minister must deliver on big promisesYellowknifer - Wednesday, March 22, 2017
Plane ticket prices are going up this summer, thanks to new airport fees from the Department of Transportation. The fees, which will add between $19 and $29 to the price of a ticket, is meant to make the Yellowknife Airport economically self sustaining.
The department is promising not only will the extra money fund other government initiatives but radically transform the building. In fact, Transportation Minister Wally Schumann promises a year or two from now, people are going to see a "totally different airport."
The Yellowknife Airport could definitely use improvements. For example, how is it that there is no water fountain beyond security? And of course, there is the constantly malfunctioning parking gate.
Faster security lines, better amenities and improvements to runways and baggage handling no doubt would be effective at making the airport better as well. Yellowknifer will remember Schumann's promise, and is looking forward to checking on the airport in a couple years to see what improvements have been made.
Junior 'C': a made-in-Nunavut successEditorial Comment by Darrell Greer
Kivalliq News - Wednesday, March 22, 2017
Whoa! Hold on there, folks. What happened in Iqaluit, with Baffin sweeping the Kivalliq Canucks to take the Challenge Cup junior 'C' championship, was exactly what should have happened.
Folks ragging on the Canucks, and putting our junior 'C' team in the same pot with the local teams who haven't won Rankin's biggest senior men's championship in an ever-growing number of years, are not the most knowledgeable of fans.
That's a bit of a surprise in our hockey-crazy Kivalliq communities, but there are all levels of fans when it comes to understanding the game at every level and being able to see the big picture.
Hockey brackets tend to be quite circular in nature in any region where drafting doesn't occur.
The Canucks were facing a highly-skilled and mature Baffin team, with a good number of their top players knowing what it takes to win and playing in their final year of junior hockey.
They are an experienced group of players who have a very strong sense of team identity from playing together for such a long period of time.
The players know their roles and what's expected of them.
There's no arguing Baffin coach Todd Gardner is one of the North's best, but, barring unforeseen circumstances with this group, he can call the line, open the gate, and let his players do their thing.
The rebuilding Canucks have a solid young core of players just starting out on the same length of ice Baffin has been skating on for almost five years.
If Sport Nunavut and Hockey Nunavut do, in fact, let the funding die next year that helps the Challenge Cup winner go to the Maritime junior 'C' championship representing Nunavut and the Hockey North Branch, it sends a terrible message to the youth across Kivalliq and Baffin who work their butts off every day to make their region's top team.
Yes, there is an argument to be made the cost of the Challenge Cup and sending our players to the Maritimes every year comes with a rather high price tag for a relatively small, if elite, group of players, which is basically the same argument that could be used against the athletes of many team and individual sports we send to the Arctic Winter Games every second year.
It's the wrong argument!
The junior 'C' program is successful in a number of different areas and was made instantly credible with Baffin's 2015 championship run in the Maritimes.
And extremely high credit in hockey circles at that.
Our junior 'C' teams are competitive every year in the Maritimes and that's no small feat.
When you take into consideration the populations the Maritime teams draw from, and their advantage in cost, arenas and training facilities, it's valid to compare Nunavut being competitive there every year to a team from Chesterfield Inlet playing Rankin and Iqaluit and having similar success.
The competitiveness in the Maritimes is a testimony to the strength of the program.
I, myself, can bear testament to many occasions of having bantam- and midget-aged players in various communities tell me how much they want to make the Kivalliq Canucks
And I've seen many players walk quickly out of the Rankin arena with tears in their eyes after their names were not on the final roster posted for the team.
While it cannot be compared to the vast majority of southern programs, the junior program is a big deal here and if the sport's governing bodies want to get more involved, maybe instead of ending funding, they could start lobbying the Hockey North Branch to start sending teams from the NWT to compete annually in the tournament that flies its banner in the Maritimes.
What an awesome way to christen Rankin's new arena, by sending a positive message to hundreds of hockey-playing youths in the Kivalliq and Baffin, supporting a successful made-in-Nunavut program, and helping to boost the event's stature and competitiveness factor.
They could start lobbying the Maritimes hard to have Nunavut host the championship, just as soon as they took care of things in their own backyard.
Oh to have forward-thinking leaders in this part of the country.
And, finally, to those posting on Facebook and other platforms that the level of competitiveness that now exists between Rankin and Iqaluit is upsetting them, please!
This is junior hockey between two teams that are one-or-two-goals apart most years, with a chance to compete in the Maritimes on the line. The fact they have played each other for that right for the past 15 years has (gasp) created a hockey rivalry.
As far as the players might be learning to want nothing to do with anyone from the other region, the Challenge Cup winner always picks up players from the other team for the Maritime tourney and a number of Baffin and Kivalliq players have become fast friends over the years and still do today.
Knowing you were all upset by the intensity of the hockey, I hope I haven't written anything to offend you.
Will revitalized fishery net profits?Northwest Territories/News North - Monday, March 20, 2017
At first, we weren't going to bite at the release of another GNWT strategy. Even if it was about revitalizing the NWT's commercial fishery, which isn't a natural resource that receives a lot of attention.
The territorial government has issued far too many reports, frameworks and strategies over the years that simply end up collecting dust.
Consider the NWT Agriculture Strategy, released shortly after the fisheries document. Frame Lake MLA Kevin O'Reilly told the legislative assembly March 9, the strategy - the territory's first, in the works since 2015 - lacks "any specific targets or goals, or actual resources to carry out any of this work."
O'Reilly said he had "hoped to see something like 'increase the value of agricultural production by 50 per cent in five years.'"
Now quantified goals such as that is something the smartly named Strategy for Revitalizing the Great Slave Lake Commercial Fishery certainly does contain. It aims to triple lake production and infuse $1.4 million to revitalize the fishery.
While it's exciting to hear in the agriculture strategy that there are approximately two million hectares of potential land that could be used for agriculture in the territory - especially in the floodplains of the Hay River, Liard and Mackenzie rivers - it's really more of a report than a plan.
Or as Industry, Tourism and Investment Minister Wally Schumann said, "We see it as an economic development agenda."
Now there is much more meat on the bone with the fishery strategy, also under Schumnann's purview.
"Now it's not talk," an excited Schumann told News/North's sister paper, The Hay River Hub ("High ambitions for fishery," March 1).
"Now we have something. We have an actual document that shows what we need to do. There's been a lot of work put into it."
The GNWT has committed $1.4 million to help revitalize the fishery, including the NWT Fishermen's Federation's Tu Cho Co-operative's plan to own and manage a new or rebuilt processing plant in Hay River.
The strategy, tabled in the assembly in late February, was developed by the GNWT in partnership with the NWT Fishermen's Federation. It aims to bring production back to historical levels by increasing production to 1.3 million unprocessed kilograms annually by 2021 from the 420,000 kilograms recorded in the summer of 2013.
The strategy envisions that 40 per cent of Great Slave Lake production will be targeted to the NWT market, either frozen or fresh fillets. And we applaud that goal, as the sharp increase in tourists to the North will have them looking for local delicacies on restaurant menus.
As the GNWT looks to support new types of businesses to cushion the economy from the boom and bust mining cycles, a modest fishery could certainly be a regional hit.
But the work isn't easy and attracting local people to the lake will be hard - especially since one of the strategy's goals is to revitalize the winter fishery.
It also hasn't helped that First Nations surrounding Great Slave Lake are angry as they claim the strategy was developed without "meaningful" prior consultation with them.
"This strategy was developed without meaningful prior consultation with the First Nations that are the rights holders with respect to the Great Slave Lake fisheries and therefore does not reflect First Nations' rights or interests," reads a statement signed by the chiefs of five First Nations and Dene National Chief Bill Erasmus.
We're not sure what "meaningful" consultation means but for some reason the GNWT failed to get the First Nations on side at the start.
Now it's time to mend some nets with them and get on with what could be a promising fisheries revival strategy.
Poor health care a fatal fact in NunavutNunavut/News North - Monday, March 20, 2017
Last week, the auditor general's office presented a damning report on Nunavut's health department, citing problems ranging from insufficient training to failures to protect staff from abusive workplaces.
For Health Minister George Hickes, "the report's recommendations did not come as a surprise."
While this may be true for Hickes and other department officials, we still have reason to be concerned about the problems in the system.
In the corrections system, complaints usually centre around inhumane conditions for inmates and staff. In other words, problems that can be fixed by throwing money at the situation to rebuild decrepit buildings, such as Baffin Correctional Centre. That money came through last month.
But Nunavut's health facilities themselves were not flagged as a concern - other than a shortage of office space and staff housing. Rather, the auditor's concerns almost exclusively focused on training, quality assurance, staff safety, human resource management and recruitment.
These are not easy fixes, although Hickes suggests the department has a plan.
That plan will need to include improving the way positions are filled. The process to fill a position in the department takes on average 18 months - starting with 222 days to decide the position needs to be filled, then 160 days to advertise the position, 21 days to process the request at Finance, and then 20 days to evaluate candidates. Imagine the number of bright minds who wanted to work on improving health for Nunavummiut but took other employment due to the long wait.
Perhaps the department is slow because it can't find housing. Or perhaps the staff have concerns about the safety of working at community health centres. There's no way for the department to know how safe they are, as it doesn't keep track of workplace safety incident reports, even when a patient assaults a nurse.
Pity those in important support positions in communities - X-ray technicians and clerk interpreters - for whom the department provides no base funding for orientation and training. We can't be surprised that X-rays taken don't help doctors outside the community to make a diagnosis, or that healthy people think they are going to die because an interpreter hasn't been told the correct word for a benign form of tumor.
And then there are the problem employees. Nunavut is an attractive place to work for those whose quality of care would not pass muster elsewhere in Canada. This problem penetrates deeper into the bureaucracy though, with officials accepting incompetency and unethical behaviour within their ranks.
The patient is not priority one, and outcomes prove this point. Compared to the rest of Canada, life expectancy is 10 years shorter, infant mortality is four times as high, smoking rates are three times as high, and there are six times as many suicides.
Regular MLAs have to start demanding action. Front-line workers need real supports and those who are complacent in their acceptance of these failures need to go. Nurses need their association to demand proper security and support staff training.
The department could empty its pockets throwing money at this problem. That's why Nunavut needs the federal government to recognize that Northern health care as it is presently funded and administered is an embarrassment for the country and a fatal fact for too many Nunavummiut.
