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EDITORIALARCHIVES15YearsAgo...ConfusionfollowsstormtwisterorjustwindThePelicanRapidsGolfandCountryClubinFortSmithwasthesiteofamajorclean-uponthemorningofAug61998afterthepreviousnightsextremelyhighwindsandthunderstormblewdownanumberoftreesontoandaroundthecourse.ButdidatornadodoitornotThatisthequestion.IssueAugust11199820YearsAgo...AnthraxkillssanctuarybisonAnthraxwasconrmedasthecauseofdeathfor105bisonintheMackenzieBisonSanctuarynearFortProvidence.OnJuly31andAug.11993thirteendeadbisonwerediscoveredbyrenewableresourcesstaffatFalaiseLakeinthesanctuary.IssueAugust11199330YearsAgo...FireseasonoverThereseasonwrappedupearlyaswetweatherandcoolnightscombinedtoquellalmostalloftheresintheterritories.Onespotreabout80milesnorthofFortSmithwasquicklyputoutbyrecrewslastweekend.IssueAugust1119834TuesdayAugust132013TheNorthernJournalisanindependentnewspapercoveringnewsandeventsinthewesternArcticandnorthernAlberta.VisittheJournalonlineatwww.norj.caAnzacAtikamegBrownvaleCadotteLakeChardChetehColdLakeConklinDriftpileDufeldEdmontonEnildaEnochFortChipewyanFortMcKayFortMcMurrayFortVermillionFrogLakeGlenevisGoodshLakeGrandePrairieGrouardHighLevelHighPrarieHytheJohnDorPrairieAvailableinAlbertaatAklavikBehchokoColvilleLakeDelineEaglePlainsEkatieDiamondMinesEnterpriseFortGoodHopeFortLiardFortMcPhersonFortProvidenceFortResolutionFortSimpsonFortSmithGametiHayRiverInuvikJeanMarieRiverLutselKeNahanniButteNormanWellsPaulatukTheNorthernJournalisavailableinthefollowingNWTcommunitiesRaeEdzoSachsHarbourTroutLakeTsiigehtchicTuktoyaktukTulitaUlukhaktokWekwetiWhaTiWrigleyYellowknifeKehewinKinusoLacLaBicheMornvillePeaceRiverRedEarthCreekSaddleLakeSlaveLakeSt.PaulValleyviewWabasca2013CCNABLUERIBBONCANADIANCOMMUNITYNEWSPAPERAWARD2013CMCAAUDITEDAdvertisingDeadlinesDisplayaddeadlineisThursdayat400p.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.15adsnorj.caAdministration............CarolMacPherson867-872-3000ext.29adminnorj.caProductionGraphics.......SandraJaque867-872-3000ext.22sandranorj.caPaulBannister867-872-3000ext.27graphicsnorj.caAnnaSierra867-872-3000ext.26designnorj.caPhotoMitchellRolandDriversgetaglimpseofallthatremainsofagraveltruckthatcaughtonrealongHighway3Saturdayafternoonaround300p.m.FortProvi-denceRCMPandmembersoftheredepartmentwereonthesceneandtemporarilyclosedthehighway.Theincidentisunderinvestigation.TheAlbertaSeriousIncidentResponseTeamASIRTwasbusyinrecentweeks-toobusy.Threeincidentsofpoliceshootingandta-seringlefttwomandeadandtwoothersshot.TherstincidentoccurredlastThursdaynightnearGrandeCachewhentwoofcerstriedtostopavehicledrivenbya38year-oldlocal.Theofcersthoughtthedrivermightbeimpaired.RCMPsaytherewasaconfrontationthatendedwiththesuspectbeingshotapparentlythroughthetruckdoorintheshoulderasheedthescene.OnFridayaLeducRCMPofcertasereda27-year-oldmanduringanarrestatagasstationwhodiedtwodayslater.Thevictimwassuspectedinassaultsandautothefts.ThethirdoccurredlastSaturdaynightwhenanRCMPofcerfatallyshotLanceCutarm30nearPigeonLakeandinjuredhisbrother41year-oldLarronCutarm.Thetwowereinacarbeingdrivenbytheirfa-therLarryCutarmnearMa-Me-OBeachsouthofEdmontonwhenthepolicemansuspectinganimpaireddriverpulledthemover.Duringthearrestpolicesayaconfron-tationbrokeoutwiththeotherfourmeninthevehicle.Thefatherclaimedthepolice-manwasintheprocessofarrestinghim-cufnghimontheground-whenhissonsgotoutofthecartocometohisrescue.Theofcerdischargedseveralshots.LanceCutarmdiedofchestwoundssoonafter.Thefatherclaimedinatelevisioninterviewthatthepolicemantaseredthedeadbodyofhissonasitlayontheground.ThosethreeincidentshappenedjustaftertheshockingdeathofSammyYatim18atthehandsofpoliceindowntownTorontoonJuly27.Yatimwasbrandishingwhatisbelievedtobeaknifeonanemptystatio-nerystreetcaronDundasStreetWest.Hewasshotninetimesandthenhisbodywastasered.Thepolicemanwhodidtheshoot-inghasbeensuspended.ItissafetosaymanyCanadianshavebeenconcernedthatourpoliceuseextraordinaryandsometimesdeadlyforcetoomuchandtoooften.ThecriticismofbrutalityduringarrestswaslevelledattheOntarioProvin-cialPoliceOPPfollowingtheriotsrelatedtotheG20conferenceinTorontoin2010.WhathappenedtoRobertDziekanskithePolishimmigranttoCanadawhodiedwhenhewastaseredmultipletimesbyfourRCMPofcersintheVancouverairportinOctober2007remainsindeliblyimprintedonthemindsofmostCanadians.WhatwasparticularlygallingaboutthatincidentwasthattheRCMPimpoundedthevideoaby-standerhadtakenonhiscellphone-anat-temptedcover-up.TheRCMPhasbeenseeminglyundersiegeforsometime-rstthecontroversyinvolvingtopleadershipthatunfoldedin2008andmorerecentlyaccusationsofacultureofsexismwithintheRCMP-thatsexualabuseagainstfemalemembersisalltoocommonincludingveryseriousal-legationsbyanumberoffemaleofcers.Therearetwosidestoeverystoryanditmustberecognizedthatbeingacopisaboutthetoughestjobthereis.Youhavetobenicetogoodpeopleandbeonguardatalltimesincasesomeoneisaverybadperson.Thatbeingsaidwhatmustbeeventougherthanbeingacopisrunningapo-liceforce-onethatiseffectivebutatthesametimerespectstherightsandcivillib-ertiesofallcitizens.InthecaseoftheG20riots40busi-nesseswerevandalizedandallthehavoccausednearlyamilliondollarsinpropertydamage.Yettherewasfaultfoundinhowsomeofcershandledthesituation.Onehastowonderatthetrainingandselectionprocesswithallthoseofcers-didtheyknowenoughandhavetheappropriateskills-includingemotionaltraining-tobeinacircumstancelikethatWasLanceCutarmshotandkilledbytheloneofcerbecausehewasathreatHehadacriminalrecordasdidhisbrotherLar-ronbothinvolvingviolence.DidtheofcerknowthatordoeshehaveabiasagainstanyoneofAboriginaldecentTherecentkill-ingof18-year-oldTrayvonMartininFloridathatmanysaywasacaseofracialprolingagainstblackAmericanshascreatedase-riousriftinAmericansociety.AnyredaglikethatinCanadaneedstobeaddressed.TothecreditoftheOPPanypolicein-cidentsresultingintheseriousinjuryordeathofacivilianareinvestigatedbyaci-viliancriminalinvestigativeagencySpecialInvestigationsUnitorSIU-notthepolicethemselves.ASIRTalsohasastrongcivil-ianpresence.ObjectiveoversightofpoliceisneededbutwhatismostimportantandatriskhereisthetrustandpubliccondenceCanadianshaveintheirpolice.Nogoodhonestcitizennomatterwhattheylooklikeshouldeverfeelfearfromthepolice.Similarlynopoliceshouldeveractinappropriatelytowardanygoodhonestcitizen.Nopersonoragencyshouldwanttoensurethattrustmorethanthepolicethemselves.TheRCMPisoneofthemostrespectedpoliceforcesontheplanet.OurMountiesareoneofthefundamentalsinthefabricthatmakesCanadaagreatnation.AllotherpoliceforcesinCanadaandmanyinterna-tionallyaremodeledafterorstronglyin-uencedbythem.Thatintegrityandtrustshouldneverbetarnished.Goodcopbadcop