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Minister's hot air
Yellowknifer - Wednesday, January 20, 2010

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Reducing greenhouse gas emissions is no small task. Our governments must have a sound knowledge of viable alternatives to oil and diesel, and a solid idea of costs, volumes, and other figures needed to come up with realistic targets.

Unfortunately Environment Minister Michael Miltenberger proved to be ignorant of such figures recently, when he told the public that the territory could, and should, reduce carbon emissions by 50 per cent. Such a reduction, he said, would be possible simply by supplying the diamond mines with hydro power from an expanded Taltson hydro power plant. The minister backed away from this target last week.

His words may have excited environmentalists but they weren't based in reality.

It turns out that the proposed expansion of the Taltson power plant, and supply of power to the mines would reduce NWT emissions by 15 per cent, not 50. Moreover, an Environment Canada report released last month showed the territory's industrial emissions increased from 2007 to 2008, unlike the two other territories and all but one province - British Columbia.

Decreasing emissions will be a harder task than the GNWT has let on. It could very well be that, contrary to what Miltenberger has said, the territory may not even be able to follow the federal government's target to reduce emissions to 20 per cent of 2006 levels by 2020. Is even that target feasible for a territory that intends to develop further, with the Mackenzie Valley Pipeline seen as the main avenue of development?

Our MLAs must be more realistic and informed when coming up with targets on greenhouse gas reductions.

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Paying for bags - GNWT program will succeed
Yellowknifer - Wednesday, January 20, 2010

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The GNWT's grocery bag levy, much like the beverage recycling program launched by the territorial government in 2005, will pay immediate dividends.

Fewer plastic bags means fewer unsightly bags blowing into trees and floating in rivers, plus fewer bags taking up space in landfills. Fewer paper bags means fewer trees need to be cut down to make them.

Now that plastic and paper bags at grocery stores cost 25 cents each, it won't be long before people are as accustomed to bringing cloth reusable bags on shopping trips as they are brushing their teeth in the morning.

There is no downside to this program other than people will have to start buying bags, preferably biodegradable ones, to pick up after their dogs. That hardly registers as a great concern.

In fact, we hope the government doesn't waste any more time imposing the bag levy on all retailers. Why, for example, is Wal-Mart still exempt?

Perhaps we should be thankful that this is one environmental program that didn't require spending thousands of dollars to send MLAs to Europe for useless fact-finding missions. But it would make sense to begin full implementation now.

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Modern data for sale
Editorial Comment
Darrell Greer
Kivalliq News - Wednesday, January 20, 2010

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The feelings of many people changed when a number of private emails between prominent scientists at the Climate Research Unit (CRU) at England's University of Angelia were leaked by a whistle blower late in 2009.

The leaked emails became known as Climategate after finding their way onto the Internet, and their contents, once again, cast a dark shadow over modern science and the methods used in the never-ending quest to secure funding dollars.

They've also gone a long way in showing why more and more people have lost faith in science.

It was Canadians Stephen McIntyre (a mining executive) and economist Ross McKitrick who first launched a damning attack on the infamous hockey stick graph, which showed global temperatures rising dramatically in the 20th century, and ignited the global warming panic we've all heard so much about.

The graph, once the primary weapon and chief source of evidence in support of global warming, has since faded into near obscurity.

Adding to the hyperbole is the fact a few lead scientists in support of the drastic effects of climate change/global warming (use the term of your choice) tried to sink a number of studies that contradicted their findings.

They were also a tad, shall we say, elusive in providing the full scope (or lack thereof) of their own datagathering techniques.

Sorry, but I know I put those files somewhere, just doesn't cut it.

That's not to mention the CRU threats, from its since suspended director no less, to delete certain files on raw weather data rather than turn them over to outside scrutiny.

Of course, all this came to light after hundreds of millions of dollars were made off public panic and the birth of the carbon credit industry.

You remember that big Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen?

Well, the Sunday Telegraph reported there were more than 1,200 limousines commissioned for the event and well over 100 private jets flew important people in and out.

And please don't forget the daily flights to deliver fish, fruits and vegetables in the name of maximum freshness.

Suddenly my fancy new light bulb has lost a bit of its glow!

As a global society, we should all do what we can to reduce our overall carbon emissions as a matter of common sense.

But much of what we've heard from experts such as Al Gore, and a relatively small group of powerful scientists who bullied those who opposed their views, was aimed at warming something other than the Earth - their bank accounts.

Really, it's the same type of successful public relations campaign that led to a European ban on seal products and the U.S. wanting to ban polar bear products worldwide.

Whether it's Greenland talking about its incredibly large seal population, or Inuit hunters reporting large numbers of polar bears in their regions - it doesn't matter once the giant PR machine has done its job and convinced the masses who simply don't know any better.

And still they wonder why so many have lost their faith in modern science or, in this day and age, the industry of manipulated data for sale.

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Outfitters must adapt
NWT News/North - Monday, January 18, 2010

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Whether big game hunting outfitters agree with the government's decision to restrict, and in some areas, ban caribou hunting has essentially become a moot point.

A number of aboriginal groups are either solidly behind the move or are not expressing opposition to it. The Dene and Metis who have been challenging the restrictions are fighting for aboriginal harvesting rights, not for commercial hunts.

So for outfitters to dwell on the past will only ensure their businesses' extinction.

It's undeniable that sport hunting for caribou is big money in the NWT -- contributing approximately $4 million to our economy annually and supplies a handful of jobs for local guides. But, as with any natural resource when not managed properly, supplies run dry. When that happens, the financial ramifications should be outweighed by the environmental concerns.

Policy is in place. Although outfitters do have the democratic right to protest or even sue the government if they believe the GNWT's decision-making is flawed and based on inaccurate information, standing on the soapbox in the meantime will not save their businesses.

Programs have been put in place to assist outfitters in marketing themselves for alternative big-game hunts or eco-tourism ventures.

We also encourage the government to maintain its insurance program that offers compensation to clients who pay deposits to outfitting businesses that may go bankrupt.

It could be argued that those programs alone are not enough, do not offer enough money and will never compensate for government policy that takes away a profitable area of business.

But outfitters cannot blame all their financial woes on the government.

Big-game hunting is becoming a risky business. Growing environmental pressure has eliminated a number of markets for various Northern animals.

The U.S. market for polar bear hunts was destroyed when our southern neighbours banned the imports of polar bear parts. Financial gain among seal hunts has diminished since the European Union banned the import of parts harvested by commercial hunters.

The caribou hunting restrictions are the latest blow to outfitters, but no one can say the writing wasn't on the wall.

For nearly five years, report after report has foreshadowed the need to strengthen caribou management policies. Outfitters were not oblivious to this fact and led a campaign to refute many of those reports knowing they threatened their businesses.

Good business sense should have dictated that while the outfitters fought to save their franchises, they should have also begun strategizing alternative business models.

Ecotourism is not a stable industry, especially with environmental crusaders who don't want anyone to tread on preserved lands, but it is still an industry with much potential, especially in North with its vast amount of untouched wilderness.

It's time the government and the outfitters began working together. The NWT needs money generated by tourism and the jobs provided by businesses such as the outfitters. The outfitters need to find ways to survive and need government support to make the transition.

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Follow the rules
Nunavut News/North - Monday, January 18, 2010

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In 2008 Uravan Minerals Inc., a uranium mining company, moved garbage, construction materials and barrels of fuel from its Garry Lake location to a site at Sand Lake for which it had no land-use permit or water licence.

This wasn't discovered by Indian and Northern Affairs Canada (INAC) until August 2009, when an inspector visiting the site found close to 1,000 litres of fuel had leaked onto the tundra from 13 of the barrels. He ordered the company to clean up the site by Sept. 30, 2009, but Uravan has applied for and received an extension to May 2010.

Uravan's CEO Larry Lahusen acknowledged the violation of regulations in an e-mail to INAC but stated it was done without "malicious or flagrant intent." No charges have been laid and no fines have been imposed.

It can be argued that Nunavut's regulatory regime is slow and complex, making it difficult for mining companies to attain all the required paperwork while still developing their projects in a timely and cost-effective manner. Balancing the demands of investors versus the demands of land claim beneficiaries is certainly a tricky magic act.

However, polluting land without even having permission to be there is not the way to foster a good working relationship with Nunavummiut.

Furthermore, the ability of a company to pollute land without having permission to be there and yet not be charged or fined by INAC sends other mining firms the message that this is an acceptable way of doing business in the North, which it is not.

If this business can ignore the rules, and regulatory bodies fail to censure it properly, what confidence can Nunavummiut have that land, water and wildlife will be protected in the face of increased mineral exploration?

It's incumbent on companies keen to harness Nunavut's mineral resources to prove they will respect the land and its people, and that means following the rules.

Careless actions such as Uravan's will make it difficult for other companies to gain the trust of Nunavummiut, but not impossible. We must pay close attention to mining activities and stay informed about potential projects by attending the many public forums companies hold as part of the regulatory process. After all, we have the most at stake in what projects are approved and how they are carried out.

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The 'Mis-Handley Bridge'
Weekend Yellowknifer - Friday, January 15, 2010

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The Deh Cho Bridge is now without a builder and confidence ebbs even further that this project will be completed within its $165 million budget.

Four piers in the Mackenzie River are all that is to be seen of the bridge so far - four of eight pillars upon which to lay the structure. New Brunswick's ATCON Construction, hired to build the 1 km span, was recently removed from the project, unable to complete construction for the agreed upon cost.

The project, run by the Deh Cho Bridge Corporation in Fort Providence, carried a $55 million price tag in 2002. Those days are long gone.

A new contractor must be in place by March 1 if construction is to be finished by fall 2011, which is already a year behind schedule.

Increased costs are a growing concern as the rising expense will surely be absorbed by Yellowknife residents. Commercial trucks transporting goods to our city will undoubtedly face rising tolls and those costs will be passed on to customers.

So those of us who need to drive in and out of the NWT during freeze-up and break-up - representing about a month of every year - will enjoy the luxury of crossing an expensive bridge that is costing all of us more money at the grocery store all year round.

We can thank former premier Joe Handley for signing off on this project, giving amateur bridge builders a chance to learn the craft on our dime. The mis-steps have been painful, especially getting the project underway before even having approval on the design.

Yellowknife city council should step up and make it clear that any additional costs will not be tolerated because we're the ones who will suffer.

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Soldier deaths not just numbers
Weekend Yellowknifer - Friday, January 15, 2010

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Lt. Andrew Richard Nuttall's connection to Yellowknife may be fleeting but his death reminds us nonetheless that there are real people serving in Afghanistan.

These people are not just mere statistics, part of a growing number as it were of unfamiliar faces and names that every so often appear in the evening news and newspapers as our nation pays a brief tribute to sacrifices made and deaths mourned.

These soldiers have roots in many places in Canada, and it's inevitable as the body count in Afghanistan rises that some of these deaths will make an impact, even here in Yellowknife where the war in Afghanistan could not seem any further away.

Nuttall lived in Yellowknife for three years in the early 1990s. He went to St. Patrick High School from grades six through eight, and was a member of the city's local air cadet regiment.

It's safe to say our nation's involvement in Afghanistan is a controversial one. Is it right that Canadian soldiers are fighting there?

The most recent controversy over Afghan detainees, and our military and government's involvement with this issue, has inflamed things even more.

But let us not forget our soldiers because, truly, some of them will now only live in our memories.

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Community spirit needs a boost
Editorial Comment
Roxanna Thompson
Deh Cho Drum - Thursday, January 14, 2010

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Young talents of two very different kinds were on display in Fort Simpson over the weekend.

In the recreation centre and gym at Thomas Simpson School, 11 basketball teams showed off their athletic skills on the court while competing for the division titles in the Wolfpack Invitational.

Next door, Bompas Elementary School was filled to the brim with young fiddlers attending the Kole Crook Fiddle Association's annual fiddle jamboree.

The amount of work that goes into organizing and hosting events like these never fails to impress me. Volunteers put in countless hours for these events to ensure that everything ran smoothly.

During the tournament almost all of the basketball games started on schedule. Teams knew where they had to be and when. They were well fed and housed in the meanwhile. At the jamboree the most was made of every day as 106 fiddlers rotated between lessons, snacks, meals and recreation time.

Such well-run events reflect positively on the village and should increase overall community pride. It's a pity, therefore, that more people didn't witness them.

On Saturday, the main day of the basketball tournament, the crowds in the recreation centre were small. Actually calling them crowds is generous, they were more like small groups.

Athletes from the teams that were waiting for their next game occupied most of the chairs and the stands in the rec centre. The adults who were present were primarily coaches, along with a few teachers and a very small number of parents.

Even during the final game in the senior boys' division when the Fort Simpson Wolfpack was battling the Tulita T-Wolves for their first chance to win the home tournament the hometown crowd was noticeably scarce.

The story was the same over at the fiddle jamboree, where the participants put on a community concert on Saturday night. Again, very few people took in the event.

In both cases residents were missing something worth watching. Basketball isn't soccer, the darling sport of the Deh Cho, but it still provides some fast past action and nail biting endings. There is also only one basketball tournament a year in the village. Hearing more than 106 fiddlers playing together also isn't an opportunity that comes around every day.

These events deserved more community support in the form of fans and audiences. Volunteers put a lot of effort into organizing the events and young athletes and musicians put their skills on the line. Both were events that Fort Simpson can be proud of hosting and more people should have been present to illustrate this.

Luckily there is no shortage of upcoming activities that residents can chose to display their community spirit at. It would be great to see large hometown crowds cheer on the Fort Simpson hockey teams in upcoming tournaments.

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The waiting game
Editorial Comment
Andrew Rankin
Inuvik Drum - Thursday, January 14, 2010

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No one can argue that 2009 was a challenging year economically for Inuvik. Many here having been pinning their hopes and dreams on the Mackenzie Gas project, hoping for reassurance that it might become a reality with a start up construction date coming sooner rather than later.

The joint review panel's long-overdue report on the Mackenzie Gas Project came as welcome news since its members expressed support for the pipeline.

Now the real decisions must be made to determine whether there's a real demand for Arctic natural gas and whether the federal government is willing to shell out mega dollars to make it happen.

In his discussion with council Monday night, Dennis Bevington, Western Arctic MP, said the ultimate decision to go ahead with the project rests with the companies involved. That's true ... to an extent. I bet the stakeholder companies won't budge until they see what the federal government's current position on the project is, especially with recent reports saying that its interest is waning.

How much money is the federal government willing to pour into the project? The people of Inuvik and the rest of the North deserve to know that answer soon. At least we'll know if the government is committed to the project.

Otherwise it's a waste of time talking about infrastructure upgrades and impact funds if the will isn't truly there.

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Travel blues
Editorial Comment
Andrew Rankin
Inuvik Drum - Thursday, January 14, 2010

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This isn't really a rant, rather a complaint, about my experience travelling with Canadian North over the holidays.

I recall my first trip to Inuvik this time last year when I was served a lovely meal of salmon - a little extravagant, I thought, but perhaps not in view of the cost of the ticket.

Fast forward to December 2009 when I flew to Edmonton using the same airline. With a stopover in Yellowknife I travelled from about 2 to 7 p.m. without a meal. Like mice we were served pretzels and cheese and crackers. Is it me, or should an airline be required to serve its customers a complimentary basic meal during meal hours?

I flew back from Edmonton with the same airline at 8 a.m. I was offered cookies instead of a breakfast. This time I showed up with a full stomach. People will argue that that's the sort of treatment you get flying these days. Maybe so. But Canadian North flights are pretty expensive. Fine if the airline is cutting costs, just add a few bucks onto my ticket. Nobody likes to be dumped off at an airport starving.