This isn't about art versus sport.
It's about the territorial government versus basic fairness.
For reasons that very likely made good sense to the government at the time, in 2009 it was decided revenues from the Western Canada Lottery Corporation would be used for sport and recreation within the territory.
In 2014, the Canada Revenue Agency decided those proceeds could be subject to taxation. So a decision was made to bring the lottery under the auspices of the GNWT as soon as possible. Ottawa can't tax it if the lottery belongs to the territorial government.
In the traditional lightning-fast speed we have come to expect from the GNWT, the government has found itself in 2018 scurrying around to get the law changed to protect those proceeds from the greedy hands of the feds.
Whenever a law is open for changes, it is a chance for any and all interested parties to lobby for some new thinking for what often can be outdated ideas.
Such is the case, we submit, with the Western Canada Lottery Act that is now being revised under Bill 1 to bring lottery operations in-house at the GNWT.
This has opened a Pandora's Box for the minister in charge, Caroline Cochrane, who was peppered with demands at a committee hearing last week from regular MLAs and concerned citizens who would like arts groups to at least be considered for a piece of the lottery pie.
The committee room was packed to the rafters with people on both sides of this issue Feb. 7, a date that also saw the return of the legislative assembly after a nearly three-month break.
But it's an issue that just shouldn't be so controversial.
There is no doubt the well-being provided by sports is critical to the health of the community and especially to provide good direction and opportunities for youth.
But as sports groups need money to operate, so so arts groups.
Across Canada lottery proceeds go toward a number of activities run by non-profits that are considered outside of the core funding objectives for government.
These include artists and arts organizations.
Lotteries in the Northwest Territories generate about $4.7 million a year in revenue.
That's a lot of money to go around.
However, Cochrane told the committee she was unwilling to allocate lottery proceeds anywhere other than to the five regional sports and recreation organizations.
Yellowknife Centre MLA Julie Green asked if Cochrane would consider expanding the definition of recreation to include artistic activities.
Instead of making a decision as minister, Cochrane said she would pass on Green's suggestion to the Aboriginal Sports Circle of the Northwest Territories, the Sport North Federation, the NWT Recreation and Parks Association, the Beaufort Delta Sahtu Recreation Association and the Mackenzie Recreation Association.
"They will define recreation and I will stand behind their definition," she said.
It's frankly unfair to place that burden on the sports groups.
Sports organizations form an extremely powerful lobby group in the NWT but artists and arts organizations are starting to flex their muscles.
It's wrong for Cochrane and the GNWT to blithely reject a request from arts groups to simply be considered for funding.
Not every child is good at sports. Some will be better served by arts.
After almost a decade of allowing sports groups exclusively to benefit from lottery proceeds, it's time for some creative thinking from the GNWT.