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EDITORIALARCHIVES15YearsAgo...ChildrensbookauthorvisitsFortSmithWriterandillustratorofchildrensbooksJanThornhillwasinFortSmithlastweektoreadfromherbooksandtalkabouttheprocessinvolvedincreat-ingchildrensbooks.Thebestadviceshesaysshecanofferisforyoungpeopletolearnbydoing.IssueOctober14199820YearsAgo...ShippingdelaypostponestheatreopeningTheNWTssecondmovietheatreissched-uledtoopeninjustaboutamonthinFortSmith.DonRumanowneranddeveloperofthenewtheatresaidhewashopingtoopenthisOctoberbutshippingdelayshaveforcedhimtopostponethegrandopeninguntilmidNovember.IssueOctober13199330YearsAgo...NewbiologistforSmithTheterritorialgovernmenthasappointedanewbiologisttolookintothefutureofBuf-falointheFortSmithregion.GateswillbestudyingoneofthelastpurestrainsofWoodBuffalolocatednearFortProvidence.HewillalsobelookingattheimpactofimprovedaccessandindustrialdevelopmentinthewesternmountainousregionsoftheSouthMackenzie.IssueOctober1319834TheNorthernJournalisanindependentnewspapercoveringnewsandeventsinthewesternArcticandnorthernAlberta.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..............................MariaChurch867-872-3000ext.25reporternorj.caComptroller...........................DixiePenner867-872-3000ext.23dixnorj.caAdvertising....................JoshuaJorgensen867-872-3000ext.15salesnorj.caEzraBlack867-872-3000ext20adsnorj.caAdministration............CarolMacPherson867-872-3000ext.20adminnorj.caProductionGraphics.......SandraJaque867-872-3000ext.22sandranorj.caPaulBannister867-872-3000ext.27graphicsnorj.caAnnaSierra867-872-3000ext.26designnorj.caTuesdayOctober152013TheNWTgovernmentsBusinessIncen-tivePolicyBIPwasdesignedtosupportNorthernentrepreneursandgrowlocaleconomieswhileatthesametimeincreas-ingcapacityandexpertise.Itwasagoodideabutithasbecomeawedovertime.BIPhashadmanydetractors.Therewerethosewithingovernmentwhosaiditwasacostlyluxury.Theyweresupportedbypuristsinbusiness-especiallybigwell-establishedNortherncompanieswhosaidnoprotectionisnecessaryandNorthernbusinessesshouldbeabletocompeteontheopenmarketwithsouthernbusinesses.Thosewithingovernmentwhorantheprogramdidnotagree.TheysawitsvalueandknewitbenettedNortherners.Astudywasdoneandthatpositionwasproven.Theprogramdidnotsignicantlyinatethecosttogovernmentofdoingbusiness-showntobelessthan100000annually.Benetstosmallcommunitiesthroughencourag-inglocalbusinesseswereconsiderable.NorthernCanadaisbydesignthestore-houseofnaturalresourcewealthforCan-ada.Thesmallcommunitiesthatpocketthelandscapearebutplaceholdersawaitingthenextbigthingindevelopment.WithnoeconomyuntilamajorprojectcomesalongtheyaresupportedbytheNWTgovern-ment.Thatisthearrangementputinplacebyourfederalgovernment.Northerncommunitiesmaintainasus-tainedpresenceandthussovereigntyacrossavastarea.Infacttheydoagreatservicetothecountryinthatroleatfarlesscostthananymilitaryinfrastureevercould.Assuchtheyhaveintrinsicvalueandwar-rantsupporteveniftheyarenoteconomi-callyviableontheirown.ThefactthatthepeopleinvolvedaremainlyAboriginalandwerethererstisseenasabureaucraticchallengeincreasingtheneedformoregovernment.Thetraditionaleconomyislostanddependencyisthenorm.Perva-sivegovernmentthroughouttheCanadianNorthisaxture.Effectivelytheonlycontinuousecon-omyintheNorthisgovernment.Govern-mentissupposedtobeforthepeople.Bringinginoutsideexpertiseandservicesforthingsthatcouldbedonebylocalsistheopposite.Leveragingtheconsiderablebuyingpowerofgovernmenttostrengthencom-munitiesespeciallywhenitsodominatestheeconomyjustmakessense.Growinglocaleconomiessoservicesareavail-ablelocallyisalsoamoreefcientwaytooperateinthelongterm.SowhyisthatnotdonebetterTherearetwomajorforcesworkingagainstBIPintheNWTrenderingitin-effective.TherstistheinexorablepullofYellowknifetotakeoverallthings.Yel-lowknifebenetsifthecommunitiessur-roundingitarestrengthenedsotheyfeedintoitmore.AlltheNWTincludingYellow-knifethengrowsstronger.Ashortsightedapproachdominateshoweverandthereisaconstantattempttoincreasepoliticalpowertakingovermoreandmore.Thatpullisenhancedbythelargegovernmentheadquarterspresenceinthecapitalwhereseniorbureaucratsbynaturestrivetogrowtheirefdomsandtheirpowerdrawingmoreandmoreintothecentre.Allthatworkstodiminisheconomiesandreducecapacityinthesmallcommunities.Thesecondistheactionsoflargecorpo-rationsoperatingintheNWTtondloop-holesormanipulatethesystemthroughtheirsignicantinuence.Gainingadvan-tageovercompetitorsiswhattheyareallaboutsotheyareonlyactingnaturally.HowcansmallbusinessescompeteinthefaceofsuchoppositionWhenWalmartbe-cameacceptedundertheBIPcriteriaasaNortherncompanysomethingwasobvi-ouslywrong.Thesignswereneverheeded.Thexesarenotatallcomplicated.Therstistore-invoketheGNWTpolicylikelystillonthebooksthatwasinforce20yearsagowhereifabusinessorserviceexistsinacommunityitMUSTbeutilizedforanylocalgovernmentneedssolongasitisreasonablypricedandofgoodqual-ity.Thatpolicyeliminatesthepenchantofgovernmentbuyersforbringinginoutsideexpertstodowork.Thatpolicywasinplacepriortodivi-sionin1999largelyatthebehestoftheInuitMLAs.TheydidnotwanttoseeallthingscentralizedintoIqaluit.Inparticu-lartheywantedstrongregionalcentresinRankinInletandCambridgeBaybuttheyalsowantedtoleveragestronglocaleconomies.Itwasacommendablevision.UnfortunatelyitendedintheNWTwithdivision.AlmostimmediatelyafterthecreationofNunavutthepolicyofsup-portinglocalcommunityeconomiesintheNWTlostforcetothepointwheretodaythewillnolongerexists.Thatneedstobereversed.ThesecondistoxtheBIPbyreden-ingwhatanNWTbusinessis.PickoneofthattheyareownedbyaresidentsoftheNWTthattheyhavetheirheadofceintheNWTorthattheypaytheirtaxesintheNWTasopposedtosomesouthernlocale.HowaboutanytwoofthoseorevenalltheaboveGettingcorporationstopaytaxesintheNWTwouldhavetheaddedbonusofgeneratingrevenue.ThesechangesareobviouslyneededandwouldresultinsubstantialbenetsforalltheNWT.Theyrequirevisionandpoliticalwill.BIPneedsburpingCharlesDesjarlaisofFortSmithskinsoutthebullmooseheshotearlierthismonthnearLaButteCreekatributaryontheSlaveRiver.PhotoLucyBourke