Bad faith move indeedYellowknifer - Wednesday, June 7, 2017
It makes sense Louis Sebert is the transparency minister because everyone can see right through his announcement to sole-source the contract for the men's domestic violence program A New Day.
Late last year, the counselling program was set to expire while waiting for the justice department to compile a report to measure its success. There was a public outcry and Sebert, who is also the justice minister, extended the program's mandate until June 30 of this year.
The justice department released its report, concluding A New Day was seeing success after a rocky start. Despite this, the department drafted a new request for proposals (RFP) that drastically pared it down: it went from full-time to hourly, as needed; abandoned one-on-one counselling sessions; and stated applicants to provide counselling need not have experience.
Another backlash ensued. Nobody bid on the project. Instead, a group of 14 community advocates submitted a letter to the justice department to question the changes.
Then at the eleventh hour, Sebert announced: "We are dealing with an NGO that has expressed interest."
That NGO ended up being John Howard Society, and strangely enough its executive director, former MLA Robert Hawkins, had a different take on what happened.
"We were approached by the GNWT," he told Yellowknifer.
In other words, the Department of Justice magically transformed a one-year request for proposals to run a mutated program nobody wanted to touch "with a 10-foot pole," according to Lydia Bardak, the community advocate Hawkins replaced after she was fired from the John Howard Society, into a four-year, sole-source contract.
Yellowknife Centre MLA Julie Green called this a bad faith move, and she is right.
This entire time, what has the obstacle been to prevent the justice department from re-issuing the A New Day RFP in its original form - the one with a proven track record success? How can Sebert believe A New Day will continue to provide good programming without the ingredients that made it successful in the first place?
On what planet does Sebert believe the public can't see right through what he's doing?
It's about time MLAs and community advocates acknowledge the truth -- Sebert has no interest in a successful A New Day -- and say loudly and clearly this is not an attitude NWT residents want in their leadership.
Cold days ahead; world closes in?Editorial Comment by Darrell Greer
Kivalliq News - Wednesday, June 7, 2017
It can be quite difficult to objectively analyze, challenge, or disagree with the words or practices of someone you have a healthy respect for, consider a friend or, perhaps, both.
That difficulty grows exponentially when you live in a small town or modestly-populated region where people are aware of many relationships that exist, whether they're cloaked in animosity, fuelled by dislike, or kept strong by a mutual interest or genuine respect for one's intellect or life's direction.
Like it or not, the majority of people in today's society accept most forms of conflict as genuine intent, sentiment or emotion.
Conversely, any open show of positive reinforcement, support, or praise for someone viewed as a friend or close acquaintance, is often viewed with doubt as to its sincerity, with suspicion of an agenda being put into play, or as praise made hollow through its expectancy.
The effect this has is to make it far easier (and safer) to be adversarial in public - or through any type of writing, video or audio production meant for public consumption - than risk being accused of simply pumping the tires of someone most people in your orbit know you like, support, respect or admire.
The final irony of the situation is that if you do lend public support and are judged as tire pumping, which is most likely going to be the case, you end up doing considerable damage to the person you were trying to bring positive attention to, as they automatically become guilty by association.
The rules of interaction have changed drastically in the past 15 years. Whether you choose to accept it or not, we've allowed ourselves to be cowered by the use of labels as weaponry by those most judgmental and easily offended among us.
We sat back and allowed the most vocal, most oversensitive, most vindictive, least compromising, least patriotic and least faithful to turn the modern era of the free world into the ultimate mytopia in a devilishly short period of time -and there's no going back now.
Thankfully, we live in a part of the world where we can soldier on trying to focus more on our similarities than our differences.
But, for the outside world; oh, we watch, we read, we listen and we declare ourselves aware and enlightened. Then we voice our opinions, sometimes vehemently and often overbearingly, but, the truth of the matter is, we've had a fairly comfortable ride for a long, long time and our space is shrinking and the world is closing in.
The world is turning colder in spirit and intention by the day, despite what it may, or may not, be doing climate wise.
We can choose to rail against it by reminding ourselves of what it took; how we came to have such a wonderful country to call our own, or, we can continue to pick ourselves apart by drawing more and more attention to the differences between us, and by continuing to try and force our opinions and beliefs upon each other.
However, there can be no denying, getting others to do a little less talking and a lot more walking can be damn hard to do (sigh). Yet we soldier on.
Turning falling oil prices into lemonadeNorthwest Territories/News North - Monday, June 5, 2017
It's been tough going for Inuvik after falling oil prices forced the Mackenzie Valley Pipeline onto the backburner.
The pipeline is supposed to be the town's black golden goose but with oil and gas exploration dwindling to nearly nothing and the pipeline pushed back to a future when higher oil prices would hopefully make a $16-billion dollar-plus pipeline feasible, the town of 3,400 is treading water for now.
One of the casualties was the Inuvik Petroleum Show, an annual gathering of oil and gas industry leaders as well as government and supporting businesses. The town pulled the plug after 2014 as the oil and gas industry in the region faltered.
Inuvik could have turtled right then and there, slashed all of its engagement activities and hoped to at least save a church and a gas station or two, while not turning completely into a ghost town. Creative minds, however, have resisted the urge to cry defeat.
Entering its second year as Arctic Energy and Emerging Technologies Conference and Tradeshow, the town has re-branded the event with a broader focus on energy issues in general and the solutions industry and government are coming up with to address them.
More than 200 people registered for the inaugural event last year and organizers are confident this year's energy show June 13 to 14 will be even more successful. They are banking on the lower Canadian dollar and completion of the Inuvik-to-Tuktoyaktuk highway to draw more interest, not only in the energy show but in bringing more conferences to the town.
The energy show is also presciently timed as plans to introduce a price on carbon by the Liberal government in Ottawa begin rolling out next year. Adjusting to this new reality in the North makes the show all the more relevant.
In these efforts, we salute Inuvik for thinking outside the box and a future entirely dependent on a rise in oil and gas prices.
Red tape gripes don't fly very highNorthwest Territories/News North - Monday, June 5, 2017
We appreciate the Canadian Federation of Independent Business coming up every year to spank our government for choking small business with too much red tape.
Business tourism is good for our economy and having CFIB staff fly up, stay in our hotels and eat in our restaurants contributes to that. That's about all they contribute, however.
Again, the CFIB gave the NWT a failing grade for managing red tape. Let's look at the high priority issues their survey of Northern business uncovered; red tape associated with: Canadian Pension Plan, employment insurance, property tax, health inspections, business registration, permits and licences, etc.
As cumbersome as these requirements are, we challenge the CFIB to point out any Canadian jurisdictions that don't have exactly this kind of red tape businesses must contend with.
What would be more helpful would be for CFIB to provide examples as to how other jurisdictions do it better because there is no doubt some do.
Can you renew your business licence online in the south? We should be able to do that in the North, multi-year. That would save both the government and businesses time and money.
Industry, Tourism and Investment Minister Wally Schumann disputes CFIB's failing grade. Schumann is in a good position to know. He built a successful business in Hay River - Poison Graphics - and has walked the walk in dealing with this same red tape.
If he truly believes CFIB's survey results are not "a fair assessment of what we (GNWT) actually do to help small business," he's in a perfect position to paint a different picture.
Beyond looking for efficiencies when dealing with the necessary paperwork of government, and we know they are there, he can take greater pains to inform businesses of what's available for making their lives easier, especially those businesses in the smaller communities and regional centers.
Perhaps next year, Schumann and his government will be able to brag about climbing up the ranks of CFIB survey results of managing red tape.
Kill the bill, save the cultureNunavut/News North - Monday, June 5, 2017
Education Minister Paul Quassa - a well-respected leader and negotiator of the Nunavut Land Claims Agreement - appears intent on throwing his reputation out the window for all the wrong reasons.
His fight to push through Bill 37, which will cancel any targets to have Nunavut's high school students speaking Inuktitut upon graduation, is opposed in the legislative assembly and in many other quarters.
As of press time, it appeared to be dead legislation walking, as bills need two sittings of the legislature and three readings to pass. The funeral can't come soon enough.
It's hard to understand how the Department of Education let it come this far.
It's even harder to understand why Quassa is staking his career on this bill. As the clock runs down on this legislative assembly, Quassa must be considering his future after the October election.
Even if his constituents support him, it's doubtful that his current stance on Bill 37 will lead him to the premiership - he was up against Premier Peter Taptuna for the job in 2013 - or even to a ministerial appointment under any premier other than perhaps Taptuna, should his premiership survive the election.
We say that because Taptuna is complicit in this debacle, and the worldview of both leaders - who are showing their disdain for language and culture preservation in their support of this bill - may come back to haunt them when voters cast their ballots in October.
Quassa is pushing the passage of the Bill 37, he says, to protect the government from a lawsuit by Nunavut Tunngavik Inc. He says his history shows he is committed to the preservation of Inuktitut but if that's the case, why is he pushing this solely to avoid a lawsuit?
It's a pretty stinky argument. Surely he meant to say, "It's the right plan for our children."
As it is, Bill 37 is just as likely to trigger a lawsuit from NTI, as breaking Inuktitut language commitments to Nunavut's children is already cause for inflamed spirits. This government has had four years to present a serious plan to make Inuktitut the first language of Nunavut's schoolchildren but waited until practically the last minute to present a very flawed bill to the legislative assembly.
Minister Quassa, there's only one path you can take to save yourself.
Withdraw the bill and disavow the idea.
Step back into your negotiator shoes. Bring NTI, MLAs, and educators to the table. Discuss a path forward together. Do it in the open. Invite Nunavummiut and journalists to monitor the proceedings. Broadcast it live across Nunavut.
If there is a viable plan, it will come out.
If not, at least the territory can say its leaders tried to work out a solution together, in the open, instead of besieged behind closed doors.
Visitors centre needs proper funding to succeed Weekend Yellowknifer - Friday, June 2, 2017
A lot more work needs to be done to help people who have experienced sexual assault, especially in the hours and days immediately following an incident.
Sexual assault is traumatic. Seeking help can be difficult. Besides shock, it's normal to feel confused, embarrassed, numb, fearful, anxious and guilty.
So why does the RCMP corral victims to Stanton Territorial Hospital's emergency department to sit among coughing, staring strangers?
Native Women's Association of the NWT victim service worker Marie Speakman says there is no dignity in this process - and she's right. She said she has heard of people leaving the hospital before getting treatment and some who stayed feeling re-victimized.
Other advocates say many people just never report sexual assaults because they are scared off by a lack of dedicated support and co-ordination of services in Yellowknife.
These observations - and their significance - are backed up by disturbing statistics. For example, there were 197 police reported incidents of sexual assault across the NWT in 2015, according to the Canadian Centre for Justice Statistics.
This number is likely much higher given sexual assault is grossly under-reported. In fact, the Canadian Women's Foundation estimates less than 10 per cent of sexual assaults are reported to police. Holly Johnson, a University of Ottawa criminology professor, says that figure could actually be as low as 3.3 per cent.
Last week, Speakman came forward to say she was having positive talks with the RCMP and others about practical ways they could provide better support to those who have been sexually assaulted, including one suggestion for a dedicated, private space away from the hospital.
Other support workers have spoken of similar ideas and concerns over the years - concerns they have voiced repeatedly: people seeking treatment and completion of a sexual assault kit lack adequate privacy.
Having a dedicated, private space away from the emergency room would help. If space can't be found at the new hospital, there is an existing facility right next door that will be looking for new tenants once the new Stanton hospital is complete.
Having sexual assault information on the Stanton Territorial Hospital website explaining who they provide care to, what happens to people when they arrive and the services that are available - even if one chooses not to come to the hospital - would also help. Currently, there's nothing.
Stanton should take a note from the BC Women's Hospital and Health Centre website, where people learn they can: bring a friend or family support person with them, get referrals to health, legal and community-based support services, access pregnancy prevention and expect a victims service group to arrive within 45 minutes.
"There is no right or wrong way to feel or respond," the site says. "You will decide what you would like us to do, and we will respect your decisions."
In trying to make things better, health department officials should be asking the same thing of support workers, advocates and sexual assault survivors: You decide what you would like us to do, and we will respect your decisions.
If victims are telling people that having to go through Stanton emergency is degrading, then the government needs to fix that.
Being North comes with benefitInuvik Drum - Thursday, June 1, 2017
It's a busy month for an economically quiet town.
Everyone sees the satellites around Inuvik but not everyone knows what they're doing.
Next week, the Landsat Technical Working Group will meet for the 26th time, bringing scientists and ground station specialists from more than 30 countries together to discuss satellite imagery data collection.
The program spawned out of the NASA space mission.
With the Mackenzie Valley Fibre Link expected to be up and running by this paper's printing date, that information will make it to the Internet much faster.
Inuvik is situated perfectly for this imagery, and the business of studying changes on the Earth's surface isn't likely to boom and bust like some others.
Globally, the satellite industry is larger than $208 billion, according to 2015 revenues.
The town should be doing just about everything it can to encourage more investment here, though no doubt they're big and expensive projects.
This weekend, the Arctic Image Festival is celebrating Northern photographers.
The group also hopes to revitalize the downtown core in the long run and provide a service for local shutterbugs through professional-quality printing.
Some of the photographers in this town are incredible, and their work deserves to be on display.
Not a lot of media make it out to the North. Southerners may be surprised to learn there's life here.
Archiving the people and places of the Arctic has long-term historic value, in addition to promoting the area as a media destination.
Multicultural event shows pride in diversity
Inuvik just held its third annual multicultural night, complete with dozens of cultures on display and people of all backgrounds mingling and celebrating what makes theirs unique.
Fundamental to the greatness of Canada is the ability to have so many cultures intermix while maintaining a core set of values.
It's a point of national pride that we can eat shawarma for dinner, listen to hip-hop on the way home and go to bed with a dreamcatcher in the window, all without a thought of that being anything but being part of the Canadian identity.
The subject can get a bit touchy these days but no one should stop celebrating and sharing culture.
The Beaufort-Delta is a place that is a generational home to some, and a temporary home to many. It attracts people from around the world.
For a town most people outside the North wouldn't be able to place on a map, it's been touched by an incredible number of people. The sharing of culture only enriches the town and its population.
We can be Gwich'in, Inuvialuit, African, American or whatever else, and we're all still Inuvikian and Canadian.
