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OPINION5TuesdayApril232013FortSmithHayRiverWednesdayThursdayFridaySaturdayForecastForecastNorms6Cand-5CNorms9Cand-3C-10Low-5Low0High-2High-11Low4High-7Low-11Low-5Low3High-1High-12Low7High-6Low-4High0HighYellowknifeInuvikWednesdayThursdayFridaySaturdayNorms-4Cand-14CNorms4Cand-7C-13Low-18Low-17Low-6Low-12Low-7Low0High0High-14Low5High-5Low-4High-10High-10High-2High-8HighHaveyoueverconsideredvolunteeringTherewardsandbenetsmaybesurpris-ingtoyou.Thinkofvolunteeringasawayofhelpingyourselfwhilehelpingothers.Withourbusylivesitcanbedifculttondtimetovolunteerbutknowingthebenetsandpotentialpay-backtoyouyourfamilyandyourcommunitymayenticeyoutotthattimeintobeapartofthevolunteercommunity.Letslearnmoreaboutthepositivebenetsofvol-unteeringandafewtipsongettingstarted.Itconnectsyoutoothers.Animmediatebenetofvolun-teeringisthepositiveimpactithasonourcommunity.Vol-unteersareoftenthegluethatholdsacommunityanditsprogramstogether.Volun-teeringallowsyoutocon-nectwithyourcommunityWhatvolunteeringcandoforyoumakingitabetterplacetoliveworkandplay.Itisalsoasrewardingtoyouasyouaretothecauseyourtimegivenwillhelpyoumakenewfriendsexpandyournetworkandboostyoursocialskills.Includeyourwholefamilysothesebenetshavearip-pleeffectinyourhomeandfamilylife.Itsgoodforyourbodyandmind.Volunteeringcanhelpimprovementalandphysicalwell-beingthroughincreasedself-condencecombatingdepressionandithelpsusstayphysicallyactive.Itcanalsoprovidethathealthyboostyouarelookingforwithyourpersonalself-condenceself-esteemandlifesatisfaction.Researchhasfoundadirectcorrelationtolifelongevityandvolunteerism.Itcanhelpadvanceyourcareer.Whetheryouarecon-sideringanewcareerorget-tingstartedvolunteeringcanhelpyougetexperiencesinyourareaofinterestandmeetpeopleintheeld.Evenifyouarenotplanningacareerchangeitmayofferanoppor-tunitytoworkinaeldyouhaveaninterestin.Volun-teeringprovidesachancetopractiseimportantskillsem-ployedintheworkplacesuchasteamworkcommunicationnegotiatingproblem-solvingproject-planningandorgani-zation.Itmayalsoexposeyoutoajobopportunityyoumaynothaveheardofoutsideofthevolunteerroute.AnotheraddedbonusManyvolunteerpositionsofferfreetrainingandoreducation.Itsfunandfullling.Volun-teeringoffersafunwayforyoutoexploreyourinterestsandpassions.Itoffersawaytondmeaningandpurposeinyourlifeandcanresultinfeelingmorerelaxedener-gizedandprovideanoverallsenseofwell-being.Whilereapingthetruere-wardsandbenetsofvolun-teeringthemostvaluableconsiderationistocometotheexperiencewithcompassionanopenmindawillingnesstolearnandapositiveattitude.Formoreinformationonvolunteeringinyourcom-munityseekoutvolunteerservicesagenciesacommu-nitytheatregroupmuseumslibrariesseniorcentresyourlocalhospitalorcheckinwithyourcityortownofce.Otheropportunitiesmaybeavailablethroughdifferentserviceorga-nizationsyouthorganizationssportsteamsandafter-schoolprograms.MichelleHodderAlbertaHealthServicesBYJOSEPHQUESNELThebest-governedFirstNationsarealwaysthemosttransparent.AccordingtotheFrontierCentreforPublicPolicysan-nualAboriginalGovernanceIndexAGIthehighestrankedFirstNationsarealwaysthecommunitiesthatpostbasic-nancialandelectoralinforma-tionontheirwebsitesorhavegovernmentswithanopenbookspolicytoitsmembers.ThroughsurveystheFron-tierCentresGovernanceIndexgaugestheopinionsofcom-monresidentsonthequalityofgovernanceandservicesbandgovernmentsprovide.Wealsondeveryyearinoursurveythatthereisastatis-ticalconnectionbetweenhightransparencyandgoodadmin-istrationwell-runelectionsandrespectforhumanrights.BernardValcourtfederalMinisterofAboriginalAffairsdiscusseddetailsoftheFirstNationsFinancialTranspar-encyActformerlyBillC-27inWinnipegrecently.Itrequiresbandgovernmentstopostonbandwebsitesauditedcon-solidatednancialstatementsFirstNationsneednewtransparencylaw20percentofrespondentstoannualAboriginalGovernanceIndexsaidtheywereafraidofreprimandfromchiefandcouncilschedulesofremunerationandexpensesauditorswrittenre-portsrespectingconsolidatednancialstatementsandaudi-torsreportsorreviewengage-mentregardingthescheduleofremuneration.Eachbandisrequiredtoprovidesuchinformationtoanymemberuponrequestandwithoutdelaywithin120daysafterthecloseofthenancialyear.Asthenameofthelawsuggeststheobjec-tiveistointroduceagreatermeasureoftransparency.Thelawalsoprovidesrem-ediesagainstblockingsuchinformation.Individualsmayapplytoasuperiorcourttocompelthebandgovernmenttoprovideit.IntheeventofabreachtheministerofAborigi-nalAffairscouldalsoapplyoneofthreeadministrativesteps1.Requireabandcounciltodevelopanactionplantoremedythebreach2.Withholdmoniespayabletoabandasagrantorcon-tributionunderacurrentagreement3.Terminateanycurrentagreementrespectingagrantorcontributionpayabletothebandgovernment.Understandablysteps2and3wouldonlybeusedaslastresorts.Manycriticsquestiontheneedforalegalremedytothelackoftransparency.Theyarguebandsalreadyprovidethisinformationtothegovern-ment.Howeversuchanargu-mentfailstoacknowledgethedifferencebetweenthelawonpaperandthereality.FrontierssurveysrevealatroublingminorityofbandmembersacrossthePrairiesre-mainconcernedaboutalackoftransparencyintheircommu-nities.InourfthannualAGIweaskedmorethan3000bandmembersin32indigenouscom-munitiesinAlbertaManitobaandSaskatchewanwhattheythoughtabouttransparency.Unsurprisinglymorethan80percentofrespondentsbelievebandgovernmentsshouldbeopenabouttheirsalariesandbenets.Oursurveyalsofoundthatthebest-governedbandsdonotneedtobecompelledbylawwhentheyproactivelyestablishwebsitescontainingallrelevantnancialinformation.Thenewlawisaimedattheminorityofcommunitiesfailingtopro-videthisinformation.Typicallyinbandgovern-mentswithnoseparationbe-tweenadministrationandpoli-ticselectedleadershavebeenknowntoostracizememberswhoasktoomanyquestions.OurmostrecentAGIreportedthat20percentofrespondentssaidtheyweredefinitelyafraidchiefandcouncilcouldmakepeopleleavethecom-munitythroughabandcouncilresolutiondeprivingsomeoneofreservemembershipandtheentitlementtoresidethere.Canadianindigenouspeo-plesneedthebasicprotectionsandtransparencythattherestofCanadianstakeforgranted.AllFirstNationscommuni-tiesshouldwelcometheFirstNationsFinancialTranspar-encyAct.JosephQuesnelisapolicyanalystwiththeFrontierCen-treforPublicPolicywherehewritesmainlyaboutAboriginalissues.www.fcpp.org.TroyMediawww.troyme-dia.comNorthernJournal2013JoinusonlineLikeNorthernJournalonFacebookandgettheweeklynewsdeliveredtoyourfeedFACEBOOKFEEDBACKDominionDiamondCorp.isofciallythenewownerotheEKATIdiamondmineintheNorthwestTerritoriesaerclosingthe500-milliondealwithBHPBillitonlastWednesday.DominionsealsdealonEKATIdiamondminenorj.caRyanHeronDoesthatmeandominionsgoingtocleanupthegarbageordoesBHPstillhavetoDuaineRandhileItwouldbenewownersImguessingthatswhysoldsupplygettingtonittygrittyandputtingbacktooldstatearoundthecornerpassthebucksortasay