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OPINIONLETTERSTOTHEEDITOR5TuesdayMay72013FortSmithHayRiverWednesdayThursdayFridaySaturdayForecastForecastNorms10Cand-1CNorms13Cand0C2Low-2Low6High14High1Low9High-2Low-5Low-4Low8High11High0Low7High-7Low9High14HighYellowknifeInuvikWednesdayThursdayFridaySaturdayNorms2Cand-7CNorms9Cand-2C0Low-2Low-4Low-4Low0Low-5Low7High13High-2Low8High-5Low8High5High4High1High4HighEditorREMiningholdsemptypromisesforNorthernersIwouldliketoclearupthefactualerrorspresentedintheinterviewwithLind-sayBellintheApril162013issueoftheNorthernJournal.Ms.Bellisoftheopinionthattrainingforandemploy-mentofAboriginalpeopleintheNorthisnotaneffectiveeconomicstrategy.Thearticleclaimsthatshewasaneduca-torfortheundergroundmin-ingprogramaprogramde-liveredbytheMineTrainingSocietyfornearlynineyears.Howeverherrolewasasatwo-weekinstructordeliveringtheJobReadinessportionoftheprogramwhichmayleadtoenrollmentintotheUnder-groundMinerprogram.Therewere20graduatesoftheprograminHayRivernot90.Herassertionthatonlyoneobtainedemploymentisincorrect.Since2004theMineTrainingSocietyinpartnershipwithitsminingpartnersandAuroraCollegehastrainedover1300Ab-originalpeopleandmorethan800havebeensuccessfullyplacedinhigh-payingjobs.ThisrepresentsasignicantincreaseinemploymentandeconomiccertaintyforthepopulationoftheNorthwestTerritories.Ms.Bellalsoassertsthattheprogramisdesignedtoensurethatpeopletakeper-sonalresponsibilityfortheiractions.Thisiscorrect.Whatisincorrectisthatstudentsarenotgiventheopportunitytocritiquetheprogram-theyaregiventheopportunityandtheevaluationsareprovidedtotheMineTrainingSociety.Weusetheseevaluationstocontinuouslyimprovethede-liveryofourprogramming.Shealsoassertsthatpeopleweredismissedfromthepro-gramfornotconceptualizingtheirfuturesinthesenseofwagework...whateverthatmeansPeoplewereaskedtoleavetheprogramsfornotshowingupforclass.Regularattendanceisarequirementofparticipation.Weteachourstudentsthattheyarerespon-siblefortheirownactionsandfacetheconsequencesoftheirownactions.Ifyoudontshowthenyoudontgoforward.Therearemorethan20newminingprojectsinCanadasthreeterritoriesatvariousstagesoffeasibilityandreg-ulatoryassessment.SevenoftheseprojectsareintheNWT.Ifalloftheseminesprogresstotheoperationsstagetheter-ritorialminingindustryalonewillrequireover10700addi-tionalworkersbytheyear2017morethan1500intheNWT.Thegreatestimpedimenttominingdevelopmentintheter-ritoriesisthesignicantskillsshortage.TheMineTrainingSocietyinassociationwithourminepartnerswillcon-tinuetoplayapivotalroleinrecruitingandtrainingourresidentsforemploymentop-portunities.GivenourrecordtodateandtheworkthatliesaheadIthinkitsfairtosaythatMs.Belldoesnotknowofwhatshespeaks.TheNWTsthreeoperat-ingdiamondminescontinuetodrivetheeconomyrep-resentingmorethan40percentofGDP2.2Bdirectlyemploy3300peopleandpro-videsecondaryemploymentforseveralthousandmore.Imstumped.HowdoesthatequatetoanemptypromiseforNorthernersHilaryJonesGeneralManagerMineTrainingSocietyAccountabilityandtransparencyEditorHellomynameisAl.IamanoffreservememberofSmithsLandingFirstNa-tion.Thisnoteisinregardstothebandsforensicauditthatsurfacedlatelastyearwhereformerbandmemberswereaccusedofembezzlinglargeamountsmoneyfromthefundsgranted.Therearesomeleadersoncouncilthatusetheirstatusorpositionforpersonalinterest.Suretheyhavethebestinterestforthepeoplebutwhenthelustforpowerprestigeand-inthiscase-greedsetsintheylosefocusonwhattheywereelectedforintherstplace.Theygetconsumedbycor-ruptionthereisnoleadership.Sincetheyear2013whenthesigningoftheTreatyLandEn-titlementAgreementbecameofcialandthenewbandbe-camerecognizedrolesandre-sponsibilitiesofthoseinofcewhichincludeschiefcouncilandtrusteesbecameabandwagonfortheculprits.Themoneywasrstdiscoveredmissingin2008.WhatItstheyear2013thesefraudulentschemeswereongoingbefore2008probablyhappeningasIspeak.AretherecurrentlychargesbeinglaidtoallthoseinvolvedHaveyouwatchedtelevisionshowAmericanGreedthisisexactlygoingwhatshappeningatalllevels.Thatssadandashameyes.Tothoseyouknowwhoyouareyoupissedsomepeopleoff.Inordertoxthismessjusticehastobeservedandthenyoumoveon.FormerChiefC.PaulettesaidWithoutstructurethisbandwillnevermoveforward.HeiscorrectIwilladd.FortheSLFNbandssolidarityfuturegetridofthenegativeattitude.Thatmeansnoinghtinggossipandrumoursbehonestandsincereanyonecaughtincorruptionmayneverrunforcouncilagain.Thatisabreachoftrust.Therearetoomanychiefscouncilandtrusteesandnotenoughtrans-parencyandaccountability.Itellitlikeitis-straight-upverystraight.YourfriendAlBenwellMinetrainingdoescreatejobsExpertshavewarnedthatparentswhoallowbabiesandtoddlerstoaccesstabletcomputersforseveralhoursadayareindangerofcaus-ingdangerouslongtermeffects.Theyoungestknownpa-tientbeingtreatedintheUKisafouryear-oldgirlfromtheSouthEast.HerparentsenrolledherforcompulsivebehaviourtherapyaftershebecameToddlersaddictedtoiPadsneedtherapyincreasinglydistressedandinconsolablewhentheiPadwastakenawayfromher.Heruseofthedevicehadescalatedoverthecourseofayearandshehadbecomeaddictedtousingitupfortofourhoursaday.Dr.RichardGrahamwholaunchedtheUKsrsttech-nologyaddictionprogramthreeyearsagosaidhebe-lievestherearemanymoreaddictsofherage.Thechildsmothercalledmeanddescribedhersymp-tomshesaid.Shetoldmeshehadde-velopedanobsessionwiththedeviceandwouldaskforitconstantly.Shewasusingitthreetofourhourseverydayandshowedincreasedagitationifitwasremoved.Dr.Grahamsaidthatyoungtechnologyaddictsexperi-encedthesamewithdrawalsymptomsasalcoholicsorheroinaddictswhenthede-vicesweretakenaway.Hewarnedthatthecondi-tionpreventedyoungpeoplefromformingnormalsocialrelationshipsleavingthemdrainedbytheconstantinteraction.Childrenhaveaccesstotheinternetalmostfrombirthnowhesaid.JeffCrilleyRealNewsPRFromtheTelegraphNorthernJournal2013JoinusonlineLikeNorthernJournalonFacebookandgettheweeklynewsdeliveredtoyourfeedFACEBOOKFEEDBACKOnApr.302013Canadalostoneoitsgreatestcross-countryskilegends.Aferbattlingcancerorthepastyearandahalour-timeOlympianShirleyFirth-LarssonpassedpeaceullyawayatherhomeinYellowkniesurroundedbyriendsandamily.Shewas59.Shewasaone-of-a-kindladyatruerolemodelMurialJeanMercrediCraigverysadtheysurelookalike.wonderfulrolemodelsFrancoisThibaultWonderfulrolemodelindeedmycondolencestoeveryonethathashadtheprivilegeofknowingher.