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Bad PR from afar
Weekend Yellowknifer - Friday, May 12, 2017
A young man travels halfway around the world seeking opportunity and adventure but dies tragically in a workplace accident outside Inuvik.

This we do know. We also know 19- year-old David Vinnicombe was killed when a heavy piece of equipment rolled on him.

But the circumstances leading up to his death largely remains a mystery - not only for the public but for his grieving family, two of whom flew to Yellowknife from Australia last week for a National Day of Mourning event hosted by the Northern Territories Federation of Labour and Union of Northern Workers.

There, Vinnicombe's father, Robbie Vinnicombe and aunt, Jacqui Vinnicombe, spoke of their frustration trying to get information from the Workers' Safety and Compensation Commission, which is still investigating nearly a year after their loved one's death.

Robbie Vinnicombe said there is "lots of room for improvement" when it comes to how the safety and compensation commission keeps families in the loop. He told Yellowknifer his family had little information about the investigation, leading them to believe it won't be effective.

The family is encouraging Justice Minister Louis Sebert and Glen Abernethy, the minister responsible for the commission, to appoint a territorial ombudsman. A person in such a position would typically be expected to investigate and report on government agencies to ensure they are following policies and procedures.

Whether the safety and compensation commission is doing a good job investigating the case we cannot say. A spokesperson for the department said the commission has one year to complete its investigation.

This doesn't sound unreasonable considering how long other accident investigations, like those involving airplane crashes for instance, take a similar amount of time to complete.

People expect due diligence when it comes to accident investigations where there are fatalities.

The problem in this case is one of public relations, or lack there of.

More than anything, the Vinnicombes appear to have simply hoped for someone with a sympathetic ear to take their calls. What they got instead was the cold hand of bureaucracy.

Being able to complete investigations unimpeded is important but so is answering questions from loved ones even if they are coming from halfway around the world and the answers are incomplete.


Buying local just got easier
Weekend Yellowknifer - Friday, May 12, 2017

The city is drafting a new 'buy local' policy that lifts the threshold under which the city can freely choose a local or Northern supplier over a southern one.

Purchases of goods or services under $300,000 and construction contracts under $7.5 million may soon be easier to get for Northern businesses, if the city puts this policy in place.

The city is on the right track with this one.

Anything that can help keep the business lights on in the North and locally should be welcomed with open arms.

Good policy requires good watchdogs.

It's human nature to take the path of least resistance and council needs to make sure city administration is doing all it can to ensure city money is flowing to local businesses wherever possible.

The new policy should be written to include a regular and public report to council outlining where money has been spent and who or which businesses it has gone to.

City managers and department heads should expect to be called onto the carpet whenever a dime that could have been spent locally leaves the city.

Policy writers should also ensure the definition of 'local business' is not so broad that it includes anyone with a website and a local post office box.

Perhaps a registry of bona fide local businesses, suppliers and contractors could be set up to ensure proper oversight down the road.


Connecting taxation to services raises serious questions
Inuvik Drum - Thursday, May 11, 2016

Finance Minister Robert McLeod didn't have much to offer on the question of whether the profits from Inuvik liquor sales should go directly to programs that deal with addiction in Inuvik.

The money is funnelled into the GNWT's general revenue fund, from which the government takes and puts to use in ways of its own choosing.

Jonathon Michel hoped just 10 per cent of the Inuvik profits could go to funding the John Wayne Kiktorak Centre, a community resource that aims to combat some of the damaging effects of alcohol addiction.

McLeod has a good point that elected politicians have a greater ability to decide what programs to run, and how, when the money is not tied to any specific use, but what is lost in the general revenue system is transparency and accountability.

Governments always prefer as much latitude as they can get for spending taxpayers' money. Without tying Inuvik liquor profits to any one thing, the government can do whatever it wants with it.

A great example in recent Canadian history on this subject is the introduction of the income tax in 1917.

It was originally envisioned as a temporary wartime effort to help fund the First World War, which unfortunately was not placed with any time limit to end, but merely with the suggestion that it be reviewed a year or two after the war.

Alexander Maclean, finance critic at the time, rightly guessed that it would long outlast that timeframe.

And so still we have it today, no one connects it to war anymore, and its use is up to the whims of the sitting government.

Throwing all the money in a big pile to choose from certainly makes the government's job more fun and makes the government more powerful in what it can do.

That does have benefits, as it means the government can more flexibly adapt to the needs of the day. But people need to see the effect of their taxes to continue believing in the rightness of their collection.

It's hard not to grumble about the bite taken out of each paycheque when it's not clear where that money is going.

Did it go for the road here, or to building a new facility on the other side of the country? What's it matter if it would all be covered by debt anyway?

The government taketh, and the people get a vague idea of what it giveth.

Though it restricts the government's power, tying funding to programs or services certainly improves accountability and transparency.

If profits from Inuvik liquor sales were legislated to go toward funding Inuvik programs, everyone would be able to see that connection.

It would also give people the feeling they are contributing to the good of their own community when they are buying liquor, knowing where the profits are going.

It could well be that Inuvik gets more benefit out of its liquor sales going into general revenue than it would if the sales were tied to being spent in Inuvik. But who would know? That's the public relations problem with general revenue funding.

The government is rarely going to legislate a limit to its own power. But in the name of transparency, such an idea could be considered here.


Tourism is a good investment
Yellowknifer - Wednesday, May 10, 2017

The Northwest Territories is very fortunate to be a subject of fascination around the world.

The Northern lights, Dene and Inuvialuit culture, the unimaginably big fish lurking in some of the world's most remote lakes, big-game hunting, epic kayak and canoe trips, camping, the midnight sun and the prospect of driving to the Arctic Ocean are all intoxicating draws for people south of the 60th parallel and beyond.

This is apparent simply by the fact that more than 50,000 people went to the Northern Frontier Visitors Centre last year, up a whopping 400 per cent from 2007.

This is an incredible opportunity to grow the tourism industry.

With the Northern Frontier Visitors Centre set to close, Yellowknife needs a new pit stop for tourists. Unfortunately, the territorial government has only committed to finding solutions for a temporary location. This level of commitment is unacceptable.

It's high time for the territorial government to partner with the city to finding funding for a big, bright, inviting, informative visitors centre which incorporates a cultural aspect.

According to documents from the Northern Frontier Visitors Centre annual general meeting last week, a 1,000-square-metre building would cost between $3.7 million and $5.25 million. To compare, in January, the federal government announced it would cover 25 per cent of an all-weather road to Whati, which would help support a Fortune Minerals exploration project north of the community. This road is expected to come with an estimated $150-million price tag, which makes the cost of a visitor's centre look like peanuts.

The territorial government needs to look at the potential of the tourism sector through the same lens it looks at diamond mines.

There is potential to draw a lot of money not only into the Yellowknife economy but to the communities. And unlike diamonds, worldwide interest in the great wonders of this territory is a renewable resource.


Don't let sun set on A New Day
Yellowknifer - Wednesday, May 10, 2017

A New Day is a good program. The public, politicians, program participants, facilitators and even a Department of Justice report all attest to this fact.

So why does the Department of Justice seem hell bent on destroying it?

Right now, A New Day is facilitated through the Tree of Peace Friendship Centre as a full-time program with group and one-on-one counselling sessions. The department is currently looking for somebody to take over once the contract is up in June.

But in issuing a new request for proposals earlier this year, it made some curious changes to A New Day.

It would become part-time, as needed, with group sessions only. Even more curious, the department wasn't going to require bidders to have expertise in counselling.

The department has since augmented the request for proposals to require bidders to have counselling experience and the part-time, as needed aspect is now changed to "all-inclusive hourly rates for the facilitators."

Yellowknife Centre Julie Green thinks the department is breaking A New Day.

Yellowknifer agrees.

It's mind-boggling that, considering how much money it costs to send domestic violence offenders through the court system again and again, bureaucrats would think paring down this program is a good use of resources.

At this point if A New Day is going to be saved, there is going to have to be a big, unequivocal push from politicians to force the hand of the Department of Justice, because as it looks right now, department bureaucrats seem to have buried their heads in the sand.


True sense of community is a powerful thing
Editorial Comment by Darrell Greer
Kivalliq News - Wednesday, May 10, 2017

I wasn't able to get around to many Pakallak Tyme events thanks to the same ailment that prematurely ended my hockey officiating career but those I did catch were top-notch all the way and everyone seemed to be having a really good time.

And that's what Pakallak Tyme is all about.

I was still laughing to myself when I returned to my office following a visit to the bouncy castle.

I haven't seen kids having that much fun in a long time.

Some of them rocked so hard, bouncing at full speed during their minute in the castle, I don't know how they could walk, let alone in a fairly straight line, once they were let out.

Did I say walk? Some of those kids went past me, covering the few feet between the bouncy castle and the obstacle course, at speeds I'm sure are illegal in some parts of the world.

I also saw more moms and dads having fun with their kids as a family unit than I've noticed in a while.

That felt very good to see. These years don't last long, folks. Enjoy them!

There seemed to be no shortage of volunteers helping out. No matter how good the games and activities being offered, that can often be the difference between a great community event and a lot of people walking around muttering under their breath.

There was a real sense of community surrounding the Pakallak Tyme activities I was at, and that remains as cool to me today as it did when I was a kid.

I've always felt at home in Rankin and, other than the incredible hockey of course, that sense of community has always been one of the strongest attractions for me here.

And, we get lucky a lot with some of the people who, one way or another, end up calling Rankin home.

I grew up in Cape Breton, in a little fishing village just a 10-minute drive from the rough-and-tumble town of Glace Bay, going through my teenage years in the 1970s.

The Cape in those days was driven by coal mines and steel plants.

People worked hard and played hard, and, believe me, folks, I was no saint in my youth.

That's why I froze, my eyes darting around trying to feed me data, and a blind panic started to slowly rise up inside me when I came around an aisle at the Northern store this past week and came face-to-face with some type of flashback apparition that looked an awful lot like Mr. Terry Kent.

Imagine my relief to find he was, indeed, the real Terry Kent and, seconds later, I was enjoying a handshake and a hug from a good friend of many years who I honestly didn't think I'd see again in this lifetime.

That's the type of thing a town with a real sense of community can create.

I'm going to really enjoy seeing Terry every day, or second day, at the Northern for the next month, and them I'm going to miss the heck out of him when he leaves again.

Another tell-tale sign that a strong sense of community exists is when a town tends to be a bit overly generous when it comes to supporting charitable events and local fundraisers, and the folks of Rankin Inlet have that down in spades!

I'm sure almost everyone in all seven of our Kivalliq communities feels the same way about their community, and with good reason, but I will maintain there's something special at work in Rankin Inlet until the day I'm called home for the final time.

It truly is a wonderful community to call your own.


Road dispute needs a calming solution
Northwest Territories/News North - Monday, May 8, 2017

A Dene band that defied the threat of legal action by the GNWT in order to build a road was hacking through much more than brush and trees.

Nahanni Butte simply got tired of regulatory delay and started slicing through the bureaucratic red tape it believed was holding back its chance for economic development in conjunction with a proposed mine near the community.

On March 28, the Department of Lands filed a notice of injunction with the Supreme Court of the NWT, seeking to stop Nahanni Butte band members and associates from "trespassing" on territorial lands. The department also filed a statement of claim with the courts regarding the road.

The department claims Nahanni Butte is trying to speed up development of Canadian Zinc Corporation's Prairie Creek Mine by getting around an environmental assessment process required for construction of a road to the mine.

Currently, a proposed all-season road to the mine has been languishing before the Mackenzie Valley Review Board for three years.

Although the old logging road Nahanni Butte was clearing – it finished in late April – did not overlap with the proposed all-season road, the GNWT noted it follows "the same general path."

The statement of claim sought unspecified damages, costs, an injunction against the band and possession of the road, arguing the band has "damaged territorial lands." The document claims territorial lands in the Nahanni Butte region are controlled by the commissioner until Nahanni Butte's land claims are settled.

As you'll read in today's News/North, Nahanni Butte is now pulling out of the Dehcho First Nations, the all-season road to the mine again at issue.

But in March, the band was defending allegations of "trespass" levelled against it by the GNWT as a land use permit would be needed to use heavy equipment on the land.

Marcellais said the band had asked for the department's assistance in putting together an application for a land use permit in early February and has been waiting to sign off on the final application.

"After more than 48 days, our operating season is coming to an end and the use of heavy equipment is pointless as we will soon be under spring thaw conditions," Marcellais stated in an e-mail.

"Once again, we are confused by government officials who claim to want to work with us to help us navigate the complex bureaucracy ... and when it's obvious they cannot simplify the process in a logical manner, they resort to calling attention to their self-importance and need to 'protect' the public.

The hearing between the band and the GNWT in front of NWT Supreme Court judge Shannon Smallwood in Yellowknife was adjourned April 7.

The GNWT has held the position that Nahanni Butte is trying to manoeuvre an end-run around the environmental protection process in order to speed up development of Prairie Creek Mine. However, after the band retained a lawyer and vowed to fight the injunction, the GNWT declared it would seek a solution outside of court.

Outspoken NWT Senator Nick Sibbeston, who hails from the Deh Cho region, has even called for an apology from the territorial government for what he termed its " terrible" decision to take legal action against the band.

We're not sure if that's called for but surely cooler heads need to prevail in this dispute.

It's amazing anything except frustration and frost flourish in this territory. With its overlapping jurisdictions and multi-layered approval processes, this is a frustrating place to do business.

The Nahanni Butte Dene Band's frustrating struggle to find a better way of life for its members is just the latest sad example of this.


'Tapped out' city a bad sign
Nunavut/News North - Monday, May 8, 2017

Iqaluit Mayor Madeleine Redfern was the first guest speaker for a breakfast meeting series organized by a reborn Iqaluit Chamber of Commerce last month.

She told attendees about the city's woes finding the money to fund infrastructure repairs, which are such a burden on the city that it has had a hard time considering the creation of new infrastructure. But a growing population demands housing development, which requires sewage and water pipes. Apart from September 2016 funding for much-needed wastewater treatment, it's a cost the city has to bear.

Compared to the other communities, Iqaluit is blessed with a solid base of people with decent incomes. This fact leaves Iqaluit ratepayers holding the bag for infrastructure that supports all Baffin communities. The city, for example, is responsible for the roads that will lead to the airport set to open in August. Washrooms and food beyond security are among the perks of the new airport, but the water and sewer infrastructure for those are paid for by the city. Who decided that was fair?

Anyone in the city knows well the condition of the underground infrastructure, as city workers are always digging somewhere to replace pipes that are long past their expiry date. Redfern said the city would need hundreds of millions of dollars to get out of the business of temporary fixes.

Every hamlet faces similar problems. The federal and territorial governments took an important step this week in announcing $230 million to help ease some of them.

But the infrastructure funding deficit is only a symptom of a bigger problem: the economy on Baffin Island is too dependent on government and one large company, Baffinland. We are told about 100 businesses in Iqaluit - Redfern says the city has 300 licensed businesses in total - are contractors for Baffinland, and the trickle-down from the mine's activity means work for a lot of Baffin Island's workers.

But when Baffinland isn't producing, we also see the lack of trickle-down.

The positive effects of a busy mine are seen in Baker Lake, where Agnico Eagle has taken a depressed community and turned it into a thriving one.

Work begets work begets work.

A mine needs housing, services, groceries, airlines, etc. It's hard to quantify the number of people supported by such a corporation but it's easy to see the quality of life that comes from having it in the community and region.

And mine infrastructure begets other infrastructure. Depending on the mine, the business may need new or upgraded roads, airports and seaports. And those need workers to build and maintain them.

Governments often see infrastructure as the way to stimulate the economy, and it can certainly be an effective approach. Compared to local infrastructure, the feds are spending far more -billions -on Arctic/offshore patrol ships. That no doubt serves a purpose in maintaining Canada's sovereignty over the Arctic, but so does healthy and happy communities.

For years to come, the territory will need massive support to even approach the level of infrastructure wealth enjoyed by southern businesses and communities.

The federal government and southern taxpayers must understand the overwhelming infrastructure needs of the North, and if Canada is truly a nation from coast to coast to coast, it is unacceptable that Northern communities exist in Third World conditions.

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