Fear of home-grown beer Weekend Yellowknifer - Friday, September 15, 2017
The NWT Liquor Licensing Board may very well pride itself in its independence from government or private interference. But it's the lack of transparency that has people upset, compounded by decisions that don't make any sense.
The board recently denied requests from Yellowknife businesses to purchase beer directly from the NWT Brewing Company, a local company that saw immediate success when it opened for business two years ago and now employees dozens of people.
Logic dictates that government, even quasi-judicial government such as the liquor board, would not want to interfere with that success unless there was good reason. The fact is the bars and restaurants wanting to buy beer from the NWT Brewing Company already sell beer so why not beer that's locally produced?
Alas, the brewing company can't compete with major breweries down south, not when it is required to sell its beer through the NWT Liquor Commission which cares not a bit about the unlevel playing field created when charging the same fees for locally-produced beer made by the kegful as it does giant, stadium-sponsoring companies that ship by the truckload.
It doesn't take a rocket scientist to recognize how the current regime creates a system that discourages home-grown ingenuity and enterprise while favouring large corporations down south that can afford the territory's fees and taxes -- and then pass them on to consumers in the form of more expensive beer.
Finance Minister Robert C. McLeod tells Yellowknifer the issue is already on his radar. Last week he said a review of the guidelines and legislation the board functions under has already begun, and something should be in place to address the concerns of restaurateurs and the brewing company by the end of the month.
That would be a surprisingly quick turnaround for the territorial government so we hope that is true. Surely, as finance minister he would support practices and policies that favour business growth in the North over suffocating red tape that smothers them.
To be fair, McLeod is at least indicating there is a problem. Hopefully a review will produce legislative or regulatory changes that allow local businesses such as the NWT Brewing Company to succeed and grow.
As for the liquor board, its cone of silence does it no favours. The liquor board is an arms-length quasi-judicial body, and much like the courts, does not comment on its decisions for fear of showing bias. But if it can't comment on its decisions, it should at least provide them, like any other court or public tribunal would. Not providing reasons suggests it doesn't have any good ones - and hence the review.
Fentanyl is out there; deal with it Weekend Yellowknifer - Friday, September 15, 2017
Two milligrams of fentanyl, the equivalent of two grains of salt, is enough to kill a person. It's hard to think of another drug that can hit this hard - fentanyl is about 40 to 50 times more powerful than pharmaceutical-grade heroin.
Alberta reported 368 fentanyl-specific overdose deaths in 2016 - up from 257 in 2015 and 117 in 2016. In November 2016, Yellowknife saw eight overdoses in just 48 hours. During a search of one of the scenes, an RCMP officer was exposed to the opioid. The officer received medical attention and recovered but the near-miss was a wake-up call for the community.
Last week, the fire department talked to Yellowknifer about updating its fentanyl-specific overdose policy. That includes having first responders don appropriate protective equipment -- coveralls, gloves, safety glasses, respirator -- when fentanyl is suspected.
Given the drug's rise, availability and potency, this is a no-brainer. Organizations should do whatever they can to protect first responders.
The fire department often gets called to overdoses -- more and more they will involve fentanyl. Chief coroner Cathy Menard told Yellowknifer in June opioid deaths were on the rise in the NWT - with five in 2016.
As one of the firefighters Yellowknifer interviewed said, very matter-of-factly: "it's out there."
Fentanyl is just part of the job now for those who risk their lives to help others. It's only right these people should get the education, tools and support they need to do their jobs safely. Good on the department for being proactive about protecting its people.
Let's clear haze around pot talkInuvik Drum - Thursday, September 14, 2017
By July of next year, the federal government will legalize marijuana, making good on a promise that proved popular among many parts of the electorate during the 2015 election campaign.
The Liberal government's aim is to take pressure off the criminal justice system, regulate cannabis sales, restrict access to the substance and tighten laws around impaired driving.
Meanwhile, provinces and territories including the NWT are working to come up with their own laws.
They'll have the power to increase the minimum age of access in their jurisdictions above 18 years old and reduce possession limits.
They'll also be able to restrict where cannabis is used and set rules around growing marijuana at home.
While the debate about whether or not to legalize cannabis is over, Inuvik residents still hold wide-ranging opinions on the pros and cons of that decision.
That much was clear at a public engagement meeting the GNWT hosted at the Mackenzie Hotel on Sept. 11.
While some people worried about the effects of marijuana on young brains, others felt the substance is less harmful than alcohol or cigarettes.
When it comes to law enforcement, some people want to see a zero-tolerance attitude toward impaired driving, while people on the other side of the debate argued marijuana affects everyone differently.
Yet, despite the strong views, many people at the public engagement session were hesitant to speak openly about the subject with media that attended the meeting.
It's clear the subject is still taboo. And their position is understandable.
People are worried about the stigma attached to marijuana or how discussing the issue may affect their jobs.
There's also the fact that recreational cannabis isn't legal just yet.
But with new laws just around the corner, open and frank discussions on the subject are important.
We need strong education and accurate information about marijuana so people can make decisions that are best for their own health and safety, and so policy-makers can make decisions that are best for society.
We need to talk openly with young people about the effects of cannabis so they can make informed choices when they're faced with the opportunity to try it.
Instilling fear will only keep them from asking the questions they need to ask to be informed.
According to information provided by the GNWT, the Government of Canada has already started public education and awareness campaigns on the topic.
In their latest budget, the feds proposed to spend $9.6 million educating the public about cannabis.
Whether people agree or not, marijuana is going to be legal by next summer.
We should continue fostering safe spaces to discuss the issue now, to quell misinformation and stigmatization when it does roll out.
'Perfect southern point of view'Yellowknifer - Wednesday, September 13, 2017
It's good to see Premier Bob McLeod show his teeth a little bit.
On Aug. 31, he teamed up with Yukon Premier Sandy Silver and Nunavut Premier Peter Taptuna to host a news conference at the legislative assembly.
The overarching theme of the conference couldn't be more milquetoast - the first line of the accompanying news release states the leaders met to discuss "how they are working together" to create better opportunities for Northerners.
Luckily, McLeod cut right through the bureaucratic babble to address two sore spots between Ottawa and the North - a ban on Arctic Ocean offshore drilling and the looming carbon tax.
When asked what McLeod would do if Prime Minister Justin Trudeau didn't heed his warning that a carbon tax would be devastating to the North, he said: "We can withdraw from the processes. We can not fly the Canadian flag, like (ex-Newfoundland premier) Danny Williams did. We can take the 'true North, strong and free' out of the Canadian national anthem."
McLeod finished up the thought by backing away from these threats, admitting co-operation is the best way forward.
That said, the frustration palpable in his words billowed up again later in the conference when a southern reporter asked McLeod why he's so upset about Trudeau's unilateral ban on offshore drilling in the Arctic, considering there is no work going on there right now anyway.
"I think you really describe yourself with a perfect southern point of view with that question," he told the reporter.
There was a bit of an elephant in the room, in the form of McLeod's brother, NWT MP Michael McLeod, one of Trudeau's 182 Liberal MPs in the House of Commons. After the November 2015 election, there was a theory that the family ties between the legislative assembly and Ottawa would help with co-operation between the two governments. While the Liberal government has been generous with infrastructure funding, it just doesn't seem like Ottawa is listening on other concerns, including the carbon tax.
The reality is, the North is firmly tied to fossil fuels, whether it be through travel between fly-in communities, diesel energy, propane and oil for heating during long winters, gas for long commutes, or the extraction industry, which drives the economy.
Further raising an already sky-high cost of living through a carbon tax will make life in the North financially untenable for some people.
Trudeau's unilateral offshore drilling ban is equally distressing for the North, for the same reason.
These actions are indicative of Ottawa's "perfect southern point of view" that praises environmental ideals while ignoring realities of life the North. Hopefully Premier McLeod keeps up the assertive attitude because the territorial government will never get through to southern leaders without it.
Diamonds are NWT economy's best friendYellowknifer - Wednesday, September 13, 2017
There is no getting around it, at least for the foreseeable future - the Northwest Territories is primarily a mining economy.
This is why it's such a breath of relief to know Dominion Diamond expects Ekati Mine will continue to produce diamonds until 2042. Thanks to a new mining method, the company expects the mine's Fox Deep pit to increase its lifespan by nine years.
This is great news for Tom Hoefer, executive director of the NWT & Nunavut Chamber of Mines, who explained Ekati's impact on the NWT economy is "hugely" significant.
While there are a number of other mining projects in the works around the territory, such as Fortune Minerals' NICO project outside Whati and the Prairie Creek project in the Deh Cho region, Hoefer said it would take about six of those projects to equal Ekati.
As long as things keep going well for Dominion, it looks like the territorial economy has bought a little more time. Hopefully mining companies keep figuring out ways to get those diamonds out of the ground because they truly are our economy's best friend.
Leafs at pivotal pointEditorial Comment by Darrell Greer
Kivalliq News - Wednesday, September 13, 2017
With the new NHL season just a month away, Kivalliq hockey fans, like fans across the country, are hoping for big things from their favourite teams and predicting gloom, doom and despair for their rivals.
For the first time in many-a-long year, a lot of conversation is revolving around the Toronto Maple Leafs, as pundits, fans and arch rivals try to gauge just how good this young hockey club really is.
The Leafs biggest move of the off-season was to bring in aging star Patrick Marleau, who still has some gas in his tank and game in his abilities. Judging by his first few days at training camp, the longtime sniper is quite happy to be a member of the Maple Leafs.
Marleau will provide experience and, hopefully, leadership to the young Leafs. He also still has the wheels to be an effective scorer, especially if he lands on the team's top unit with Auston Matthews and William Nylander.
Make no mistake, Marleau has done pretty much everything an NHLer can accomplish except see his name engraved on Lord Stanley.
This is, in all likelihood, Marleau's final NHL contract and he wouldn't have signed in Toronto if he didn't believe the Leafs could win the Cup in the next three years, no matter how much money was dangled in front of him.
The Leafs have a number of skilled wingers stuck in the AHL given there's no room at the parent club, so fans have been clamouring for general manager Lou Lamoriello to trade a prized winger and draft picks to land a top-four defenseman for the club.
It makes sense on a number of levels, but this is a pivotal time for the Leafs. They could take advantage of their top three stars still being on entry level contracts and add some top skill at the trade deadline, to go for it all as the Chicago Black Hawks did with young Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane leading the way.
But they could also convince themselves the team is better than it is and then be stuck with the big contracts they brought in along with those of Matthews, Nylander and Mitch Marner, which, in the salary-cap era, could be the kiss of death.
Unless a trade is offered he just can't say no to, Lamoriello is making the right move in waiting to see how the Leafs perform before going all-in on a run to the Cup.
But, rest assured, if Lamoriello and Leafs president Brendan Shanahan like what they see and believe the Leafs are Cup contenders, the money will be spent and the players added to give the young team every chance to bring Stanley back to Toronto.
Who would have thought, just three short years ago, we'd ever be talking about this scenario?
It promises to be one of the most exciting NHL seasons in a long time for all those lovable losers who call themselves Leafs fans.
Rocky democracy better than any dictatorshipNorthwest Territories/News North - Monday, September 11, 2017
Democracy is the best type of government. Period. You disagree? What would you rather have? An absolute monarchy? An oligarchy? Perhaps communism is more your style?
Or how about no government at all in a libertarian state?
Democracy and its variants seem to be the best, as tested over time. It is a natural progression of the human experience. The people, in theory, retain supreme power, but we delegate it to representatives in a central governing body.
Democracy it is not perfect. And it is often not pretty.
Democracy with all of its ugly warts is most alive in smaller NWT communities where voter turnout is typically very high and the politics are local and often personal.
No matter where elections are held, whether in Calgary or Colville Lake, they must be fair and people must believe their vote will be counted. Any whiff of impropriety must be traced to its source and rectified.
It's not unusual to read in the media about allegations of impropriety. A quick search through the News/North files shows several examples of ballot-box brouhahas, from Tsiigehtchic to Fort Liard and from Fort Smith to Behchoko.
As you read in News/North last week, there has been a call to overturn the June 12 election for chief and council due to the irregularities ("Allegations fly over Behchoko election," Sept. 4).
Allegations of drunken voters hardly able to stand, interpreters swaying votes and mismanagement of polling stations initiated a civil lawsuit from runner-up candidate for Behchoko chief Leon Lafferty.
As reported last week, the former Behchoko chief and MLA is asking the NWT Supreme Court to overturn the June 12 election results for chief and council due to the irregularities.
Lafferty was one of five candidates running in election in the community but lost to incumbent Clifford Daniels by a margin of 36 votes, 416 to 380.
Here are some allegations sworn by witnesses: Ballots not being shown to scrutineers; a poll clerk at one polling station left it unattended while helping out at other polling stations; interpreters assisting the elderly and mentally disabled swaying votes by pointing to specific candidate names on the voter card, or assisting with the marking of the voter cards; and that one of the people doing counts was texting during the count.
There has been no response to the suit from the community government of Behchoko. The next court appearance of both parties will take place in the NWT Supreme Court on Sept. 22.
Now that's all pretty spectacular stuff, but also must regarded as allegations until decided on in court. And thankfully, there weren't any complaints of violence or property damage.
The Behchoko, Gameti, Wekweeti and Whati community governments were established in 2005 with the Tlicho Agreement. The composition and role of the community council, eligibility to vote, the duties of the chief, powers of these municipalities are also defined by law. Similar agreements exist for various communities across the NWT.
The good thing is that elections are happening and that people are coming out to vote.
When communities are very small, things can get personal. We would hope people could refrain from attempting to subvert democracy during the campaign, the voting process, or by making false allegations afterward.
After all, money directed to lawyers in fights over election results is money that won't be helping communities.
Change? Or just different letterhead?Nunavut/News North - Monday, September 11, 2017
Last month, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau split the long lamented Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada, or INAC, into two separate departments.
Minister Carolyn Bennett became minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs, while Trudeau shuffled Health Minister Jane Philpott to minister of Indigenous Services.
Inuit leaders, including Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami's Natan Obed and Nunavut Premier Peter Taptuna, welcomed the move, but signalled cautious optimism.
Perhaps this is because Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs sounds awfully close to Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada. Just as that sounded an awful lot like the name before that -- Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada. Or Indian Affairs and Northern Development. Or Indian and Northern Affairs Canada.
The name has changed so many times over the years but the difference this time is that Indigenous Services -health care, water, and other community services - will get special attention. Heaven knows Indigenous communities in Canada need it.
Trudeau promises this move signals not only a rebranding of INAC but its death. He promises his government is making a serious push for decolonization through the pending death of the Indian Act. The act's intention was to assimilate Indigenous people in the land now called Canada.
Seven generations after the implementation of that Act, we can see its effects.
Nunavut remains hampered by household crowding, the country's lowest health outcomes, the lowest percentage of high school graduates, and an infrastructure deficit that would require an impossible investment to match national standards. The Conference Board of Canada has shown Nunavut's social outcomes - Indigenous income distribution, poverty, and employment - to be the worst among Canadian provinces and territories.
Remote Northern Ontario reserves such as Kashechewan continue to come to national attention for their perennial struggles dealing with water and health crises.
And last week, the bus company Greyhound said it can't afford to continue servicing the infamous Highway of Tears in northern B.C. If the company pulls out, the First Nations people will be forced to hitch-hike to travel between communities, and leaders fear the move will leave more of their women at risk from predators who have already taken so many.
Colonialism has a long tail, and it will take a great deal of effort and investment to make life easier for Indigenous people in Canada.
Trudeau's decision to split INAC is inspired by a long-overlooked Royal Commission report from 1996, which laid out a roadmap for decolonization. The Toronto Star notes the Chretien government saw implementation as too expensive. But Trudeau has taken the first steps to follow the guidance of that commission.
The commission's report calls for providing Indigenous nations with the land and resources needed to establish self-government, the right to levy taxes, and control over their own social systems, as well as control over who can do what on their lands.
Sound familiar? Nunavut has shown the way, and yet we have so far to go. The federal government needs to be prepared for devolution, major infrastructure investments, and increased funding for health care and poverty reduction.
Trudeau has a long road to building trust but the first signs are promising.
The government now needs to back up its rebranding with actions that make a measurable difference on the ground here and in southern Indigenous communities.
