Page 1
Page 2
Page 3
Page 4
Page 5
Page 6
Page 7
Page 8
Page 9
Page 10
Page 11
Page 12
Page 13
Page 14
Page 15
Page 16
Page 17
Page 18
Page 19
Page 20
3TuesdayOctober12013YellowknifecouncilurgedtolobbyformoreassemblyseatsByJACKDANYLCHUKYellowknifecitycouncilisbeingurgedtopresslocalMLAstoargueformorerep-resentationintheLegislativeAssemblythanwasrecom-mendedinthenalreportoftheNWTElectoralBoundar-iesCommission.Thereportisontheagendaforthelegislativesessionopen-ingOct.16anditsrecommen-dationswilldeneelectoralboundariesforthe2015territo-rialelection.ItgivesnineseatstoYellowknifeonelessthanproposedinthecommissionsinterimreport.WeareconcernedthatthecityhasnotreactedtotheseverewateringdownoftheoriginalproposalfortwoadditionalseatssaidBillAhowholedadelegationthatincludedfor-mermayorDaveLovellandretiredcouncillorDavidWind.CallingthemselvesFriendsofDemocracytheyaskedcounciltoadoptaresolutionurgingthecitysMLAstopressforfairerrepresentationandtwoconstituencies.Thereareseriousconse-quencesforchronicunder-representationYellowknifeneedssupportindealingwithhomelessnesssubstanceabuseandothersocialproblemsAhosaid.Thecommissionsaidinitsnalreportthatwhilethesta-tusquowasnotacceptableitfavouredoverrepresentationofvotersinsmallcommunitieswhichwouldhave13seatstounderrepresentationofYel-lowknifevotersandlimitedthecitysgaintoasingleseatgivingiteightMLAs.AnadditionalseatassignedtoYellowknifeintheinterimreportwhichwouldhaveraisedthecapitalstotaltoninefromsevenwasinsteadassignedtotheTlichocommunityofBeh-chokointhenalreport.Inmakingtherecommen-dationthecommissionsaidvoterparitywasoutweighedbycommunityofinterestconsid-erationssuchaspopulationinsmallercommunitiesandthePoliticsTerritorialContinuedfrompage1.Thesurvivorsthepeoplethathavetocarrythisburdenofwhathappenedinthepast-theyrestrongtheyrebrave.Comingforwardwiththosekindofstoriesandstartingtoopenupandtryingtondawaytohealthemselvesyouvegottoappreciatethatkindofcouragehesaid.RecentlyNayallysaidhewasinspiredbytheactionsofsurvivorCharlieDelormeahomelessmaninYellowknifewhodonated2000ofhisres-identialschoolcompensationmoneytotheSideDooryouthcentreratherthankeepitforhimself.Theacthassincein-spiredaCharliesAngelsmovementinthecity.WhentheresinspirationalstorieslikethatcomingfromsurvivorsyouvegottosaymahsichoabigthankyouforgoingthroughthemosttraumaticexperiencesinCa-nadianhistoryandstillbeinggeneroussmilingbearingchil-drenandmakingsurethatitdoesnthappenagainandthatourgenerationandthegenera-tionaheadofushasitgoodNayallysaid.Thisisjustsay-ingmahsichothankyouwehonouryouwesupportyouyourenotforgotten.MarchersmetatSombaKeparkatnoonbeforeheadingtoSirJohnFranklinHighSchoolforafeedingthereceremonyattheentrancetowhatwasoncetheAkaitchoHallresidentialschool.Nayallysaidhehopestheyouthwhoattendedtheeventgoawaywithsomeinspira-tiontokeepthehealingpro-cessmovingespeciallywiththenewmandatoryresiden-tialschoolscurriculumbeingtaughtinNWThighschools.Weresocapableofdoingsomanygreatthingsandallittakesisjustasmallgroup.Thisonlytookahandfulofus.Imagineifawholecom-munitygetstogetherhesaid.Over100studentsfromSirJohnFranklinattendedtheeventalongwithEdu-cationCultureandEmploy-mentMinisterJacksonLaf-fertyandNDiloChiefErnestBetsinawhosecommunityisstrugglingwiththerecentmurderofayoungman.IthoughtitwouldbegoodtoshowhimwerehereforyourcommunityaswellNayallysaid.ParticipantswereaskedtowearanorangeshirttomatchthosebeingsportedacrossCanadaonSept.30tohon-ourthechildrenwhosurvivedresidentialschoolsandre-memberthosewhodidnot.TherstresidentialschoolintheNWTwasopenedin1867inFortProvidence.Theterritoryslastschoolshutdownin1996-thelastoneinCanada-foratotaloper-atingtimeof129years.SurvivorsnotforgottensayswalkorganizerPoliticsAboriginalFrankHopeLawrenceNayallyHaroldCookandSandraLockhartleadaround250peoplethroughdowntownYellowknifeatnoonMondayfromSombaKePlazatoarefeedingceremonyattheformerAkaitchoHallresidentialschoolsiteatSirJohnFranklinHighSchool.PhotoJackDanylchukcommonbondsoflanguagecul-tureandhistorylandclaimandself-governmentagreements.Thecommissionheardfromjust149peopleatsparselyat-tendedhearingsheldthroughouttheterritory.Therewasnosup-portoutsidethecapitalformoreseatsinYellowknifewhichhas47percentofthepopulationand36percentoftheseatsinthepresentlegislature.Wedonotthinkthateffec-tiverepresentationrequiresthatthenumberofelectoraldistrictsinYellowknifebeinperfectac-cordwithYellowknifespropor-tionoftheterritorialpopula-tionthecommissionerswrote.Atthesametimethesitua-tioninYellowknifecannotbeignoredandifadditionalelec-toraldistrictsaretobeconsid-eredoneshouldbeallocatedtoYellowknifetheystatedintheirnalreport.WeareconcernedthatthecityhasnotreactedtotheseverewateringdownoftheoriginalproposalfortwoadditionalseatsBillAhoFriendsofDemocracy