When the United States and Canada announced a joint, five-year moratorium on off-shore oil and gas drilling in Arctic waters last December, the countries' leaders hailed it as a move toward a "strong," "viable" Arctic economy and ecosystem.
Their aim was to meet global climate goals while protecting Arctic life from environmental hazards such as oil spills.
Yet, in one of those Arctic communities – Inuvik – the economy was showing signs of stagnation, with some homes and a former hotel boarded up, and empty shop windows lining parts of the main strip.
While the town may not sit on the edge of the Arctic Ocean where this off-shore drilling is banned, the Inuvialuit Regional Corporation (IRC) decried what they called a lack of consultation over a policy that would affect them and which they have a right to be consulted about under their land claim agreement.
At the time, IRC president Duane Smith stated the corporation had been dealing with both on-shore and off-shore drilling in the region for five decades, but the federal government had not asked his opinion on the decision.
Luckily, the IRC hasn't given up hope of tapping into on-shore resources and, with that, boosting the local economy.
Last week, the Inuvik Drum reported the IRC is gathering proposals for a study that would look at the feasibility of harvesting and distributing gas along the nearly-complete Inuvik-Tuktoyaktuk highway.
This research is a good thing. Not only is the new highway expected to draw more tourists (and their wallets) to the region, the study may also show it brings the prospect of homegrown jobs, cheaper energy and a chance to breathe more life into the local economy.
A 2015 report from the Town of Inuvik showed high utility costs and unemployment were some of the biggest challenges facing the community. According to the report, 17 businesses had disappeared from Inuvik within a five-year period from 2008 to 2013.
The effect on local organizations is evident, too. Earlier this year, the Inuvik Food Bank began charging clients a small fee for food, citing increasing costs.
At the time, Heather Wheating, chair of the Inuvik Food Bank, stated the organization was handing out an average of 100 flats of food per distribution, compared to just 30 flats five years ago.
According to Kate Darling, general counsel for the IRC, the corporation's study would look at the possibility of supplying gas from the region to residents of the region, which could limit Inuvik's reliance on southern fuel producers and create new jobs.
The study would first explore gas supplies in Aklavik, Fort McPherson, Inuvik, Tsiigehtchic and Tuktoyaktuk, and then some coastal communities, she said.
It would also be important to examine how the environment can be managed at the same time.
Although the possibility of harvesting gas along the highway isn't yet a sure thing, it's good to see the IRC exploring an opportunity that could make Inuvik more self-reliant when it comes to fuel and that could give the economy a push forward.
GNWT has created a monster
Yellowknifer - Wednesday, August 30, 2017
Laws and regulations should serve a good purpose and normally, they do.
Roads have speed limits to save lives. There are laws against drinking and driving for the same reason. Regulations that stipulate food safety standards for restaurants exist so people don't get sick. Cities have noise bylaws to insulate those who need a good night's sleep from those who party into the morning.
But Yellowknifer is at a loss as to why the NWT's Liquor Licensing Board has barred NWT Brewing from distributing its own beer.
Legally, all beer made by NWT Brewing must be sold to the NWT Liquor Commission and then sold to customers through the commission. One exception to this rule is that beer sold at the Woodyard restaurant, which is attached to the brewery, is sold directly to customers. This is because NWT liquor regulations allow for a way to circumvent the rule so as to allow the brewpub to function efficiently.
For distribution, however, liquor regulations require the brewery to sell its beer to the liquor commission, which then trucks it to its warehouse, slaps some fees on top of what is already one of the highest beer taxes in Canada, and then makes that keg available for restaurants and bars to purchase. What NWT Brewing owners Fletcher and Miranda Stevens would like to do instead is put that keg in the back of their truck and drive it right over to whoever orders it.
The liquor board can permit this form of distribution if it likes. The brewery has asked for this to happen and the Department of Finance, which administers the commission, has endorsed the request. But the Liquor Licensing Board says no. Why? We may never know.
Finance department spokesperson Todd Sasaki explained the decision is outside of the Liquor Commission's purview, as the Liquor Licensing Board operates at "arm's length" from the GNWT.
So what does the board have to say about its decision?
"The board does not discuss specific cases that may be brought before it," stated board manager Jaimie Graham in an email to Yellowknifer.
The NWT Liquor Licensing Board's decision forces NWT Brewing - a local business - into a situation where it will have to charge approximately $100 more per keg than what a major brewery charges to have the same amount of beer shipped up from the south. And the board doesn't even have to explain why.
If Yellowknifer didn't know better, it would almost seem as though the territorial government has created a monster. Some of the biggest challenges territorial leaders face are economic - diversification, growth and the task of earning the NWT a reputation for being a great place to do business. If the 18th Legislative Assembly is going to do these things, it must hold its regulatory boards accountable.
The NWT Liquor Licensing Board may operate at "arm's length" from the government but it is still, by definition, within reach. Unless there is a very, very good reason for it, the board is abusing its power by overriding a recommendation made by the Department of Finance, which created the board in the first place.
Down the home stretch of 2017
Editorial Comment by Darrell Greer
Kivalliq News - Wednesday, August 30, 2017
Well, valued readers, I'm back in Rankin Inlet and only a stone's throw away from starting my 20th year at the helm of Kivalliq News.
I would never have believed almost two decades could go by that fast. I don't mind admitting I'm more than a little terrified at the prospect of not donning the zebra's stripes for the upcoming hockey season.
Once the puck drops to begin the new hockey season in Rankin, it's going to be a completely alien feeling to only watch from the stands and not get involved on the ice.
I have a personal note I'd like to pass along to you readers. To everyone across the Kivalliq who kept my mom in their thoughts and prayers while she was in a Cape Breton hospital, thank you from the bottom of my heart.
Mom was well on her way to mending when I returned to work and I'm already looking forward to spending the summer of 2018 with her.
I may even risk a trip to the East Coast this holiday season to spend Christmas tied to her apron strings.
Your prayers were heard, thank you.
It promises to be a race to the 2017 finishing line over the next four months. Tensions are building over Agnico Eagle Mines' performance in Baker Lake and the impact its latest endeavour, the Whale Tail gold project, may or may not have on the environment, wildlife and the community.
Nunavut is also starting to have a little extra trouble attracting teachers and our territorial teaching programs are not meeting the demand.
A number of Kivalliq schools are down in staff numbers as the new school year begins. It promises to be a challenging year, indeed, if those numbers aren't pumped up during the coming weeks.
There are also rumours swirling around that a number of our top teachers are considering making this their final year in the Kivalliq.
Our region cannot afford to lose any more of our top professionals, especially teachers who are effective, loved and heavily involved in our communities.
It will be a dark, dark day for extracurricular programming across the Kivalliq should our best teachers leave.
Let's all do our part to let all our teachers know how much we appreciate their efforts.
It's a good feeling to be back in the saddle again and I look forward to watching the rest of 2017 unfold with you.
Finding the right balance
Northwest Territories/News North - Monday, August 28, 2017, 2017
When the rest of Canada – in fact, the world – thinks of the NWT, what comes to mind?
Natural resources and mining are likely top of the list. First gold and now diamond exploration and mining have been crucial elements of the territory's economy. And a major component to this place's allure and mystique.
The mining industry, according a news release from Wally Schumann, minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment, "directly or indirectly employs nearly one-in-10 NWT residents and generates nearly a billion in annual economic activity."
The GNWT is in the process of developing mineral legislation – the Mineral Resources Act – that has begun "public stakeholder engagements." That means online information and a series of public meetings, which start today, Aug. 28, in Yellowknife and continue to Behchoko, Fort Simpson, Norman Wells, Inuvik, Hay River, before ending Sept. 12 in Fort Smith.
The federal government was responsible for fully regulating mining in the NWT until devolution in 2013, when the GNWT became responsible for public land management but the mining regulations remain unchanged. The new resources act will replace the old mining regulations from Ottawa.
The GNWT has been accused for years of not doing enough to carry the torch alight for the mining sector.
For example, NWT and Nunavut Chamber of Mines president president Gary Vivian and executive director Tom Hoefer appealed to members of the 18th Legislative Assembly in December 2015 to improve the territory's investment climate.
"There are some things the government can do to the inherent problems that are keeping people away from here," said Vivian at the organization's AGM ("Chamber urges focus on mining," News/North, Dec. 21, 2015), while pointing to the closures of the Cantung and Snap Lake mines and a seven-year decline in mineral exploration investment as examples of government ineptitude.
Funny enough, not everyone in the business feels that way.
Vancouver-based mining exploration company Silver Range Resources sang the territory's praises while announcing Aug. 2 that it had signed a letter of intent with GGL Resources, giving the company the right to explore for metals and minerals in its Slave Geological Province greenstone belt property, 250 kilometres northeast of Yellowknife.
"With the increased investment by a number of majors in Canada's North, it's encouraging that people are realizing, 'Hey this is a politically stable environment that has a wealth of resources, it's time to start taking it more seriously,'" said Richard Drechsler, of Silver Range Resources.
For all the bluster from the chamber of mines about the territory being a poor place to invest, the NWT can at least say it's no Venezuela or Kazakhstan. Regulations may be cumbersome but it's becoming clear the mining industry prefers political stability over shaky regimes with loose rules but uncertain futures.
A new Mineral Resources Act must strike a balance between making mining companies happy and respecting Indigenous communities and protecting the environment. This may seem difficult but really, it's the only thing that makes sense in a territory rich in land, resources and responsible government.
Be an advocate for the vulnerable
Nunavut/News North - Monday, August 28, 2017
It would take a great deal of effort to tally the number of pages this newspaper has dedicated over the years to reports of people in positions of trust who have abused that trust.
There is a special place in hell for those who prey on children in a sexual manner, and too many children here have been the victim of such an abuser.
For those who choose to read the court documents, or sit through testimony from victims, the experience hardens a person's resolve to be the voice for those who can't speak out.
In recent memory, we recall the case of Belgian Oblate priest Eric Dejaeger, who was convicted of abusing boys in Baker Lake, Iglulik and Alberta. At his sentencing, Justice Robert Kilpatrick said Dejaeger's abuse left a "dark legacy," leaving his victims struggling with substance abuse, depression, suicidal thoughts, suicide attempts and difficulties with relationships.
This time, we are talking of a dental therapist – Daniel Nahogaloak, who died last year –– who abused, in his words, every female patient who sat in his chair. A dozen have come forward. Who can say how many people are struggling to cope in the aftermath of such a predator?
Compounding this scandal is the allegation coming forward that other dental therapists in Nunavut communities were perpetrating similar abuses.
Many kids are taught about "stranger danger" but far more victims are put in abusers' hands by unwitting parents.
There was a time when society trusted its children with doctors, dentists, teachers, priests, hockey coaches and others in power. Today, criminal records checks provide us with some protections. But when is the last time you asked your dentist for a records check?
In 2014, a dental office in Winnipeg was surprised to discover the Manitoba Dental Association failed to tell it that one of its dentists was operating under a restricted licence that forbade him from interacting with children unless supervised by a parent or MDA-approved staff. Imagine how surprised patients must have been to see that in the news.
In Nunavut, there an abundance of vulnerable people, and young people make up almost half the population. The number of children who experience sexual abuse is 4.5 times the national average. Many incidents go unreported.
The vulnerable – children, elderly, those with disabilities – must be protected from predators.
If you are in such a position of trust, the people place the burden of responsibility in your hands. Protect those who were put into your trust. Always have a second adult in the room. Put systems in place to ensure your colleagues follow similar protocols.
Parents, build your trust through facts, not assumptions. Ask to see criminal records checks, stay with your child for medical appointments, teach your child about boundaries, check up on your elders. Know the signs of abuse, speak up if something is wrong, and follow up to make sure changes are made. Become a person your loved ones trust, and teach them not to keep secrets from you.
Inevitably, there is a first time for every abuser. If you are thinking about abusing your position, don't. Get help.
