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EDITORIALARCHIVES15YearsAgo...SnowshelteraidssurvivalAslongastemperaturesremainbelowzerodegreesCelsiusbuildingasnowshelterisoneofthemostimportantwintersurvivaltechniquestoknowforanyonewhohastospendanightinthewilderness.Quinzheesareapopularoptionforpeoplelivingbelowthetundrabecausetheyprotectcampersfromtheelementssuchaswindandcoldjustlikeanigloo.IssueMarch10199820YearsAgo...SmithersrakeinskimedalsFortSmithskiersskiedtogoldsilverandbronzemedalsattheTerritorialSkiCham-pionshipsinFortSmith.CompetingagainstlocalathleteswereskiersfromInuvikKakisaYellowknifeandHayRiver.Therewere54skierscompetingfortheclassicracesandfreestyleevents.IssueMarch13199330YearsAgo...CableTVontheairThe21stcenturyhasnallyreachedFortSmithintheformofcableTV.Localbusi-nessmenParkAngeandSteveBennetthavenallybeguntransmittingcabletelevisiontotheresidentsofFortSmith.Currentlysubscriberswillhavetwochan-nelswhichareCBCNorthanda24-hournon-commercialall-moviechannel.IssueMarch1219834TuesdayMarch122013TheNorthernJournalisanindependentnewspapercoveringnewsandeventsinthewesternArcticandnorthernAlberta.VisittheJournalonlineatwww.norj.caAnzacAtikamegBrownvaleCadotteLakeChardChetehColdLakeConklinDriftpileDufeldEdmontonEnildaEnochFortChipewyanFortMcKayFortMcMurrayFortVermillionFrogLakeGlenevisGoodshLakeGrandePrairieGrouardHighLevelHighPrarieHytheJohnDorPrairieAvailableinAlbertaatAklavikBehchokoColvilleLakeDelineEaglePlainsEkatieDiamondMinesEnterpriseFortGoodHopeFortLiardFortMcPhersonFortProvidenceFortResolutionFortSimpsonFortSmithGametiHayRiverInuvikJeanMarieRiverLutselKeNahanniButteNormanWellsPaulatukTheNorthernJournalisavailableinthefollowingNWTcommunitiesRaeEdzoSachsHarbourTroutLakeTsiigehtchicTuktoyaktukTulitaUlukhaktokWekwetiWhaTiWrigleyYellowknifeKehewinKinusoLacLaBicheMornvillePeaceRiverRedEarthCreekSaddleLakeSlaveLakeSt.PaulValleyviewWabasca2011CCNACANADIANCOMMUNITYNEWSPAPERAWARD2011CMCAAUDITEDAdvertisingDeadlinesDisplayaddeadlineisThursdayat400p.m.ClassiedaddeadlineisThursdayat500p.m.Emailadsnorj.caSubscriptionRates867872-3000PricesincludeGST.47.25inFortSmith52.50elsewhereinCanada105intheUSAoverseas164.30.LetterstotheEditorPolicyTheNorthernJournalwelcomesletterstotheeditor.Lettersmustbesignedandincludeaphonenumbersotheauthorcanbeveried.Nameswillbewithheldonrequestinspecialcircumstanceswherethereasonsaredeterminedtobevalid.TheJournalreservestherighttoeditlettersforlengthlibelclarityandtaste.Opinionsexpressedinlettersandcolumnsarenotnecessarilythoseofthepublisheroreditor.PublishedweeklybyCascadePublishingLtd.PrintedonrecyclednewsprintwithvegetableinkatWainwrightStarChronicle.PublisherManagingEditorDonJaque867-872-3000ext.21djnorj.caEditor...........................MeaganWohlberg867-872-3000ext.24newsnorj.caReporter.........................ReneFrancoeur867-872-3000ext.25reporternorj.caComptroller...........................DixiePenner867-872-3000ext.23dixnorj.caAdvertising....................JoshuaJorgensen867-872-3000ext.28adsnorj.caAdministration...............AldoLandaverde867-872-3000ext.29adminnorj.caProductionGraphics.......SandraJaque867-872-3000ext.22sandranorj.caPaulBannister867-872-3000ext.27graphicsnorj.caIntern.........................GeorginaSkippingsWorldproblemsrequirediplomacyPrimeMinisterStephenHarperdidntofferanysympathytothefamilyofHugoChavezorhisfollowersinVenezuelafol-lowingthedeathofthecolourfulleader.Harpersremarksofferedthat....thepeopleofVenezuelacannowbuildforthemselvesabetterbrighterfuturebasedontheprinciplesoffreedomdemocracytheruleoflawandrespectforhumanrights.OfcoursetheimplicationwasthatnoneofthatwashappeningunderChavez.TheofcialresponsefromVen-ezuelawasthatHarperwasinsensi-tiveandimpertinentatatimewhenthecountryismourningthelossofitsleader.MeanwhileformerprimeministerJeanChretienewtoCaracasandattendedthefuneral.ThetwoapproachesfromCanadaseemincongruous.Howisittwocontradictorypositionswithtwoverydifferentmes-sagescamefromourcountyItwasnotlikelybydesign.Accidentornotitcouldbeseenasbrilliant.Whenitcomestodi-plomacyinacomplexworldthatisoftenhowitshouldbedone.Iftwostatesdonotgetalongthereshouldalwaysbeasecondlevelofdiplo-macysidedoorsofferingmechanismsthatcanpossiblyfosterimprovedre-lations.USPresidentBarackObamashouldtakealessonfromthat.TheVenezuelansgenerallyhaveasoftspotfortheUnitedStates.MostofthemlikemanyAmericanslovecarsandbaseball.Anaturalsynergyexists.Ifitweretoberecognizedandappreci-ateditcouldbedeveloped.Infactinbaseballs2012WorldSeriestherewereVenezuelanplayersonboththeDetroitTigersandSanFranciscoGiants.YoucanbetVenezuelansalongwithmostofAmericawerehappilygluedtotheirTVswatchingasportthatbothconsidertobeintegraltotheirnationalidentity.Thatisalotofcommongroundtoworkwith.InsteadofjustshuttingoutVene-zuelatheAmericanswouldbewisetoofferupways-evenunofcialavenueslikeJeanChretienattendingtheChavezfuneral-forthetwotoconnect.Chavezalbeitcharismaticandlovedbyhalfthepopulacewasabitofathug.Hiseconomicpolicieswerenoteffective.Thecountryunderhisdirectionhasbecomelawless.Extraordinarypovertyexistsinarichland.Itisthemurdercapitaloftheworldandkidnappingsarecommonplace.ButtheAmericanshistoricallyhavedonesomebullyingoftheirowninLatinAmericaincludingwhatsomeconsidertobecriminalactsagainstothermuchsmallercountries.Chavezfeltithisroletocallthemonit.Thatisnotenoughreasontoisolateawholecountry.Theirpoliticsmayhavebeenonoppositeendsofthespectrumbutthatdoesnotmeanthetwocountriescouldnotndwaystogetalong.Creatingasituationthatispolarizedwithnoroomtomoveisthewrongthingtodo.Thingswillonlygetworse.ThesameistrueofNorthKoreawhichrecentlythreatenedanuclearstrikeagainsttheUnitedStates.Regardedasaroguestateitisbeingpunishedwithsanctionsthathaveincreaseditsisolationfromtherestoftheworld.Thatwholethingisheadedinabaddirec-tion.Somethinglikecreativediplomacymustbeevokedtoreducethepressurebeforetheunthinkablehappens.In1994NorthKoreawasmakingthreateningnoisesandtheAmericansmassedtroopsinSouthKoreagettingreadyforwar.AtthesametimeundertheguisethatitwasaprivatemissionUSPresidentBillClintonsentformerpresidentJimmyCartertovisitpresidentKimIl-sunginPyongyangtheNorthKoreancapital.ThroughthatprocessawaywasfoundtoallowNorthKoreatobackdownwithoutlosingface.Thecrisiswasaverted.Somethingsimilarneedstobedonetoday.WithKimIl-sungsgrandsoncurrentNorthKoreanleaderKimJong-uninchargewearebacktoaverysimilarsituation.Hefeelspushedandispushingback.Histhreatsaredan-geroustheconsequencesterrible.Heobviouslylackswisdom.Heisapoliti-calneophyte-only30yearsoldandpresidentforjusttwoyearssincehisfatherdied.Heverylikelyknowsnobetter.Hemightprefertobeonmorefriendlytermswithothercountriesbutnooptionlikethatispresented.Somethingneedstobedonebeforethatmessgetsoutofhand.Ifthreatsandsanctionsarenotworkingevenmakingthingsworseperhapsthereisacarrotthatwillgarnerhisattentionevenwinhimover.Canadausedtobeknownforitscre-ativeabilitytobethego-betweeninsuchmatters-atatimewhenwedidnotblindlyfollowtheAmericansinev-erythingtheysaidanddid.Thatabilitytoremainobjectiveestablishourownpositionandactasafacilitatorgreatlyenhancedthestatureofourcountryintheeyesoftheworld.Perhapsitistimewere-establishedamoreindependentpositionandtookupthatimportantroleagain.Theworldcouldusemoreofit.TheFortSmithHawksinitiationteamcheersbeforeoneoftheirvegamesintheHayRivertournamentthisweekend.Alltournamentparticipantsreceivedmedals.TeamsfromYellowknifeHayRiverHighLevelandFortSmithplayedinthetournament.PhotoKeithBarton