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EDITORIALARCHIVES15YearsAgo...EscapefromRiverRidgeTwomaleinmatesfromtheRiverRidgeOffendersCentreescapedfromaworkprojectlastTuesdayJuly7.Thetwoweretakenintocustodythenextdayfollowinganextensivesearchofthesurroundingarea.LeonardArchieBourke18ofFortSmithanda15year-oldyoungoffenderwerebothchargedwithbeingunlawfullyatlargeandwillappearinFortSmithCourtAug.11.IssueJuly14199820YearsAgo...ForestrydeputyministerssetagendaTheNorthwestTerritoriesrepresentativeatanationalforestrymeetinginFortSmithlastweeksaidtheNWTisinapositiontobealeaderintheeld.Thetopicsparkingthemostdiscussionwasforestmanagementagreementsbetweenthefederalgovernmentandtheprovincesandterritories.IssueJuly14199330YearsAgo...FireragesoutofcontrolAnexperimentalburnthatwentoutofcontrolinaremotearea200milesnortheastofFortSmithhasgrownto1300hectares.TheburnwaspartoftheexperimentsbeingconductedbytheNationalForestFireResearchCentreandtheCanadianForestryServiceintheareasinceJune29.Whentherewasignitedjustafter300p.m.WednesdayJuly7itsrateofburnwasrecordedatthreemetresperminute.IssueJuly1519824TuesdayJuly92013TheNorthernJournalisanindependentnewspapercoveringnewsandeventsinthewesternArcticandnorthernAlberta.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....................................JessicaIrvingOnJune25thesameafternoonthecontroversialactconrmingtheLandsandResourcesDevolutionAgreementwaspassedintheNWTlegislaturewithallbutonememberinfavourapri-vatemembersbillwaspresentedthenpassedrstandsecondreadingcaus-inganewdebatetoeruptintheNWT.NormanYakeleyaMLAfortheSahtupresentedamotiontoamendtheNWTLiquorAct.ThebillifitpassesthirdreadingwillenableSahtucommunitiestoholdaplebisciteproposingthebanofthesaleofliquorbyaliquorstoreintheSahtucommunities.Pushbackcameswiftlyfromthebusi-nesscommunityinNormanWellswor-riedthatoneofitsownwouldbeshutdownunjustlysufferingifsuchalawcametopass.Acallwentouttobusi-nessesinallotherNWTcommunitiestoinfluencetheirrespectiveMLAstoopposethebill.Opponentspromiseapublicrelationsbattleinthefallwhenthelegislatureresumes.Yakeleyasbillfollowsanumberofcrime-relatedincidentsintheSahtucommunitiesmostrecentlyTulitawhereinlateApriladoublestabbingtookplaceand180bottlesofvodkaenroutethereviasnowmobilewereseizedintwoseparateincidentsbytheRCMP.YakeleyasaidinaJournalinterviewatthetimethatthesituationwaswors-eningandcommunitymembersweregettingconcernedthatitwasnotnor-malbehaviour.AnRCMPreporttabledintheHousebyYakeleyainMarchshows47percentofallpolicecallsinTulitain2012werealcohol-related.InFortGoodHopethatnumberwas66percentfollowedcloselybyNormanWellstheDealingwiththeboozequestiononlycommunityintheSahtuwithali-quorstoreat52percent.PeopleintheSahtuhavebeentell-ingmethissituationwithalcoholandviolenceisatickingtimebombthatthingsaregettingworsenotbetterYakeleyatoldTheJournal.Weneedtostandupasleadersandlookatso-lutionsfordealingwiththeseissues.AtthatsameJune25sittingofthelegislatureareportwastabledbyMin-isterofHealthTomBeaulieuontheMinistersForumonAddictionsandCommunityWellness.Theforumhadtravelledto21com-munitiesinlate2012tofindoutwhatneedstobedonetocombataddictions.ThereportstatesIts12membershadasinglepurposetolistentoNorthern-ersaboutwhattheyfeelarethebestwaystostopthedestructiveimpactsofalcoholdrugsandotheraddictionsonindividualsfamiliesandcommunities.OneobservationinthereportisAb-originalpeoplearedisproportionatelyrepresentedinNWTcorrectionalcen-tres.Ninety-sevenpercentofinmatesattheNorthSlaveCorrectionalCen-treareincarceratedforcrimesrelat-ingtoalcohol.Amongitsambitious67recommen-dationsthereportrecommendsthegovernment31Developacam-paignthatcelebratessobrietyandad-diction-freeliving34ExpandtheNWTLiquorCommissionsaddictionsawarenessandpreventioninitiativesand63Increaseliquorinspectionsandimprovecommunitycooperationwithpolicetoeliminatebootlegging.Threadedthroughoutthereportisthestrongmessagethataddictionsde-gradeAboriginalculture.Thatcontrastssharplywiththesentimentsofoppo-nentstoYakeleyasbillthatalcoholisalegaldruginoursocietyintrinsictomoderncultureandanyonewhohasaproblemwiththatshouldfigureitoutandgetwiththeprogram.Thereisperhapsanotherwaytoap-proachallthisifliquoristocontinuetobeavailablefreelyincommunities.Thatistothrowatleastsomeoftheresponsibilityfortheproblemsbackonthesource.Ifapersonisallowedtobecomeoverlyintoxicatedinabarandthengoesoutandharmsthem-selvesorothersthebarownercanbedeemedcriminallynegligentandcharged.Thepenaltiesaresevere.Whynotholdthoselicensedtooper-ateliquorstoressimilarlyresponsibleObviouslyifacustomercomesinandbuysdozensofbottlesofvodkaitisnotforpersonaluse.Suchsalesshouldbebanned-everywhere.Oftenboot-leggersareknowntothepolicehavearecordandcouldbeinadatabaselikechildsexoffendersbannedfromeverbuyingliquor.Similarlyindividu-alswithrecordsofviolenceassociatedwithalcoholcouldbeonabannedlist.Asfortheliquorstoreoperatoriftheywerefoundtobeguiltyofsellinginap-propriateamountsofalcoholobviouslyintendedforbootleggingorbreakingtherulesastowhotheyshouldselltotheytoowouldbecriminallynegligent.Thisisnotjustaboutanentrepreneurrunningabusinesstomakemoney.Boozeacceptedornotdoesverybadthings.Alcoholabusedevastatesindi-vidualsfamiliesandwholecommuni-ties.Thereisnoeasysolutiontothat.Itisaspecialsituationthatrequiresspecialrulesandstridentmeasures.PhotoPaulBannisterJunevaGreenofFortSmithspiritedlytellstheoriginalteddybearpicnicstorytoagroupofalmost70childreninthechurchatMissionParkinFortSmithonJune29duringtheNorthernLifeMuseumsTeddyBearPicnic.Ascavengerhuntfacepaintingsing-alongsandsweettreatswerealsopartofthepicnic.