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Pick Corridor 1 Weekend Yellowknifer - Friday, September 3, 2010
At $14 million, Corridor 1, as its called by the Department of Transportation, is the longest and most expensive of the three options put forward by the government, but it also presents the greatest opportunity for freeing up land for development and expanding Fred Henne Territorial Park. The projected cost for Corridor 2 is $11 million but the four-km route would push the highway close to the dump and negate any development possibilities. The same goes for the $8 million and three-km Corridor 3, which climb a steep hill following the shore of Yellowknife and through an area that awaits years of Giant Mine clean-up work. Anyone who has bought a pair of winter boots knows that the cheapest pair is not always the best buy, and the same goes for re-routing Highway 4. Corridors 2 and 3 could never be anything more than a detour through a rock-rubble and tree-blasted industrial zone on the way to the Ingraham Trail and cottage country. The seven-km Corridor 1 would begin near the entrance of Fred Henne Park and avoid the remediation work needed at Giant Mine - the primary reason the road needs to be re-routed in the first place. Most importantly, it would provide access for campground expansion at Fred Henne, which issued 2,387 permits for camping last year - 28 per cent of all NWT campground permits issued in 2009. The GWNT has been looking long and hard for a place to put an RV site. This under-utilized section of shoreline along Long Lake would be the place to put it. The new stretch of road could also provide residential and commercial development opportunities for the city and even the Yellowknives Dene. A few extra million dollars seems a small price to pay to open up some prime real estate a stone's throw from the city.
Clean-up credit well deserved Weekend Yellowknifer - Friday, September 3, 2010 If it wasn't for groups like the Midnight Sun Wheelers, the city would be crawling with filth. The 4 X 4 club spent the day of Aug. 22 cleaning up the garbage, including nine abandoned cars, from the Sand Pits area, the popular recreational area just off Highway 3 near the airport. The area is frequented by dog walkers, runners, cyclists and other 4 x 4 users in the city. The clean-up is an excellent representation of how much some residents care about the city and how it looks. Initiatives like this one, along with the Yellowknife Trash Pick-up Artists, who rid the downtown of litter during warmer months, are prime examples of the type of people we have in the city - caring and willing to go the extra mile to make sure the town they live in looks good. It's easy for people to hide their junk around the city, rather than disposing of it properly at the dump. The Midnight Sun Wheelers are setting an example for all residents that your junk isn't wanted at the Sand Pits - or anywhere but the dump for that matter.
Strength through handgames Editorial Comment Roxanna Thompson Deh Cho Drum - Thursday, September 2, 2010
While other Deh Cho communities have youths who play handgames when the opportunity arises the male youths in Wrigley make the opportunities happen. According to Pehdzeh Ki First Nation Chief Tim Lennie the youths can be found almost nightly conducting their own handgames in the youth centre. Whenever Deh Cho leaders meet the conversation inevitably turns to the younger generations and the need to pass on knowledge, language and tradition. In Wrigley this has happen with resounding success. Support from adults has allowed the youths to pick-up a wide repertoire of the hand signals that are used during the game. In addition to support from adult males the community has also encouraged the handgames tradition by organizing a dedicated youth handgames tournament. The tournament, the first of its kind in the 18 years of the Wrigley Annual Gathering, took place on Aug. 28. Two Wrigley teams tested their skills against a team from Tulita. While watching it becomes apparent how many skills are passed on through handgames. When they were on the mats the players' attention was solely on the game. Even during the longer games when sticks traded back and forth the attention of even the youngest players never wavered. Handgames also address the importance of teamwork. Players win and lose as a team. While one player may be missed through a number of calls either by luck or skill in the end it takes a whole team to win a tournament. If one caller is having trouble getting players on the opposing team out they willingly hand over their duties to someone else who may have better luck. Support of teammates is also encouraged in the game. Players who have been caught and put out for the remainder of the round often pick up a drum and encourage their remaining teammates. Good sportsmanship is also valued as seen by the fact that teams shake hands after each game. By supporting handgames Wrigley is not only passing traditions on to its youth but also providing the foundations for useful life skills. It would be a boon to the region if other Deh Cho communities were able to copy Wrigley's success. The ultimate goal should be to have enough teams to organize a Deh Cho Youth Handgames Tournament. The event would both support youth and ensure the continuation of one part of the Deh Cho's culture. Why Harper's visit matters Editorial Comment Katie May Inuvik Drum - Thursday, September 2, 2010
But that doesn't mean his Arctic tour should be forgotten. Some aspects of Harper's visit, like his now infamous impromptu drum dance, may be more YouTube-friendly and therefore more memorable than, say, his funding announcements. Or lack of them, as was the case in Inuvik that night. But, as town councillor Vince Sharpe said after presenting Harper with a carving by Tuk artist Joe Nasogaluak, "He didn't make an announcement here, but that doesn't matter - as long as he's shining some light on Inuvik." More than 350 residents - some standing on chairs for a better view - packed the Midnight Sun Recreation Complex to get a glimpse of the prime minister, to shake his hand and get their picture taken with him. But the other 90 per cent of Inuvik residents didn't make it out. Some because they didn't care, and a great deal more because they didn't know. While government leaders are trying to assert Canada's claims to Arctic land and water over international parties, and while federal policy makers are pushing a new "Northern Strategy," many of the people who live here seem too cynical about the federal government's objectives to pay attention to its leader's trek up North. And after decades of political abuses and continual southern attitudes of ignorance towards the North, it's not hard to see why. But whether you're delighted, dissatisfied or disillusioned with politics, more federal leaders venturing up North means more chances for citizens to have their voices heard. Harper's interest in the North thus far has been primarily about sovereignty and protecting Canada's borders from coast to coast to coast. Yet Northerners have long been calling for improved infrastructure, to the point that while he was in Inuvik, Harper listed off a few recent federal funding projects in the region, acknowledging that the all-weather road from Inuvik to Tuk is "a big priority, I know, that you will continue to urge both us and the territorial government to pursue." This suggests that the federal government knows infrastructure is a priority for Northerners, but it doesn't make clear how much of a priority installing proper infrastructure in the North actually is for it. A report released Aug. 31 from the Federation of Canadian Municipalities, an organization representing about 2,000 municipal leaders across the country, scrutinizes the federal Northern Strategy. It calls on the government to fix shoddy roads, provide sufficient housing and install more reliable information technology services to link the North to the rest of the country in order to go ahead with its loftier, foreign policy-related goals. This is not the first research report urging the government to invest in Northern infrastructure before all else, and it probably won't be the last. But Inuvik residents have an advantage: we know what kinds of improvements are necessary in our region to make the western Arctic a more sustainable place to live. And we have the power to share this ground-floor knowledge with our elected officials - an opportunity made all the more convenient when those officials join us for a feast and a dance. Katie May is interim editor of Inuvik Drum. Andrew Rankin will return in September. What happened to curbside recycling? Yellowknifer - Wednesday, September 1, 2010
It was all the rage in 2005 when the city first asked residents in a citizens survey whether they would be willing to pay for it. Fifty-seven per cent said yes then, and 52 per cent said yes the following year when the city attached a dollar amount to it - an extra $6 on the $11 a month solid waste levy paid by homeowners. Greg Kehoe, the city's public works director at the time, told city council that curbside recycling could come into effect as early as 2007. Well, it's 2010, and the drive to implement curbside recycling has been effectively halted. There's barely a mention of it in any of the citizens surveys from 2007 onward. What would the editors of Corporate Knights, the "clean capitalism" magazine that deemed Yellowknife the most sustainable small city in Canada for the third year in a row earlier this year, think if they knew our municipal leaders have buried curbside recycling under a host of other greener-than-thou programs like composting at the dump and geothermal energy from Con mine? It is a bit surprising considering most cities in North America have some sort of curbside recycling plan, or soon will, and even if it were to cost residents an extra $6 or even $10 a month to implement it, most people would likely find it well worth the extra expense to not have to fill their cupboards with enough cardboard, glass jars, and plastic containers to make a trip to the blue bins around the city worthwhile. It's not to say that there hasn't been any progress. The city's composting program appears to be successful and its decision to add plastics to the accepted list of recyclables is welcome. But the current system is simply not convenient. It's also prone to abuse when lazy or less-than-scrupulous recyclees dump unsorted trash into the blue bins. Curbside recycling would not only make life easier for residents, it would extend the life of our dump and reduce the costs associated with it. It would also make Falvo's desire to reduce the garbage bag limit to two from three a whole lot more palatable.
The year of liquor Editorial Comment Erika Sherk Kivalliq News - Wednesday, August 25, 2010 About 90 to 95 per cent of all violent crime in Nunavut is fuelled by alcohol, Rankin Inlet residents heard last week at the first community meeting of the Nunavut Liquor Act Review Task Force. "It has a huge impact on what we do here in Nunavut. If you got rid of alcohol you could probably lay off half the cops in the world," said Supt. Howard Eaton, one of the task force members. With the national violent crime rate at about 74 incidents per 100,000 people per year and the Nunavut rate a staggering ten times that at 744 per 100,000 people, there is a lot of bloodshed and pain caused by liquor in the communities. Many people are tired of seeing their communities battle the ugly effects of alcoholism and its ugly partners, drugs and crime. The mandate of the Liquor Act is only to control the lawful use of alcohol and yet many of the community members speaking at the meeting voiced their concerns and grief over bootlegging, illegal narcotics, violent crime and depression - topics the task force can't directly tackle. There are so many problems stemming from excessive drinking and a new liquor act will not be a cure-all. As one task force member said, "We cannot save the world." But even the act of holding the meetings is a step that will give hope to Nunavummiut trying to save their communities. They finally have a place to be heard, an official venue where they can voice their worries and fears about what alcohol is doing to their loved ones. They know it is being recorded and considered and that alone makes it a worthwhile endeavour. The cost of the review will not be cheap but the collection of the opinions and ideas from across the territory on a topic that directly harms so many lives is surely priceless. A new law can't fix everything, it comes down to attitude as much as anything, said several meeting attendees. Prohibition will not work; it never has. Alcohol will make it into the territory and into people's hands, regardless of what changes the new act holds. Even if it costs $300 a bottle and it's difficult to procure, an alcoholic is going to find a way to do it. People need to start vilifying alcohol abuse more. People need to take a stand against bootleggers. There needs to be healing of the emotional wounds that lead to alcoholism and there needs to be treatment centres for the people caught in the throes of it. These ideas all came forward, with vehemence, at the meeting. If nothing else, this review is going to make liquor in the territory the mental focus for the next year and only good things can come of that. - Erika Sherk is the interim editor of Kivallliq News. Darrell Greer will return in October.
North needs investment NWT News/North - Monday, August 30, 2010 We're not going to turn down more government funding and there are areas, such as healthcare and education, where more federal funds are required. However, we must remember Northern investment is more than a government responsibility. Rich in precious, base and rare earth metals, oil and natural gas, and fresh water, there are ample opportunities for development and more importantly employment for Northerners. In that vein, it is our government's responsibility to make such investments attractive. Simplifying the regulatory system without sacrificing environmental and social safeguards is key. Spending $22 million on researching oil reservoirs and eco-systems in the Beaufort Sea might pave the way for significant development in the Beaufort Delta region. Jobs, supply chains and the host of resulting economic spin-offs will be welcome in a region rife with unemployment. For those with fears of environmental disasters similar to the massive oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico it is your job to help ensure safe development while not standing in the way of Northern prosperity. A column in this newspaper by Jim Guthrie speaks to the level of pride Northerners felt while working on the Kulluk oil platform. Many Canadians take for granted what it means to have the power to provide financially for their families. It is a feeling everyone in our territory should have the opportunity to experience, and that will be made possible through increased industry training. For many Canadians our three Northern territories are out of sight, out of mind. But the Arctic is an abundant economic gold mine for those willing to spend the money and develop in a responsible and environmentally friendly manner.
Tuk liquor restrictions working NWT News/North - Monday, August 30, 2010 Mayor Merven Gruben says alcohol restrictions in Tuktoyaktuk are working. Statistics outlining a significant drop in calls to police for liquor-related offences support his claim. Although we have seen how banning booze completely fails, restricting the amount of alcohol coming into a community has demonstrated positive results, especially if supported by residents. So far the RCMP has laid two charges under Tuk's liquor bylaw, which was enacted earlier this year. Both charges were the result of tips to the RCMP from the public. Those tips are evidence of public support and hopefully the bootleggers will learn most of the community has taken a stand and are saying loudly they will no longer tolerate alcohol ruining their town. Props to the people of Tuktoyaktuk who are the ones truly making the alcohol restrictions possible. Keep up the good work.
The North gets noticed Nunavut News/North - Monday, August 30, 2010 "We intend to carry out the legislative programme of Arctic research, to develop Arctic routes, to develop those vast hidden resources the last few years have revealed." Sound familiar? These are the words of a Conservative prime minister of a minority government aiming to impress the nation by establishing sovereignty over the Northern regions and their extensive resources. Only, the prime minister was John Diefenbaker and the year was 1958. Since the current Conservative government was elected, Northerners have had more visits from politicians and more announcements of Arctic-related programs, policies and infrastructure than we've seen in a very long time. Not since Diefenbaker was touting railways, roads and military installations for the North has the Canadian government shown this much interest in the Arctic. In reality this interest is more about the Arctic's land, water and its resources than about its people. Even the part of the new Arctic Foreign Policy statement that deals with people and communities refers mostly to resource development. The prime minister's quick trip through the North last week, visiting military operations and announcing satellite surveillance upgrades, marine mammal protection areas and Arctic research stations was mostly about political posturing and associating the party with feelings of nationalism in the minds of southern voters. There were photo opportunities on ice floes and speeches full of talk of the "true north strong and free." Canada's greatest claim to sovereignty over its Arctic territory is actually the Canadians who live here - some, as in the case of the High Arctic relocatees, at the behest of the federal government. Ottawa still seems to have a colonial attitude when it comes to the North. To the federal government, Northern residents, much like Victorian children, are to be seen at photo ops but not heard, as evidenced by how much fighting it took to have Inuit voices listened to over plans to use seismic testing to map the seabeds of Lancaster Sound, Jones Sound and northern Baffin Bay. Nevertheless, Ottawa is beginning to recognize some of the needs of Northerners, and that may have something to do with Nunavut's MP being appointed the federal minister of health - the first Inuk to hold a senior cabinet post. Leona Aglukkaq was by the prime minister's side throughout his visit and presumably she has had influence on the decisions most affecting Nunavummiut. Iqaluit has been made the headquarters of the new federal economic development program - CanNor. The Food Mail program is being revamped. A number of Senate committees have recommended docks, harbours and fish processing infrastructure be built in communities to develop jobs in fisheries. It's progress, but it's a long way from finished.
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