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COLUMNS5TuesdayDecember32013FortSmithHayRiverWednesdayThursdayFridaySaturdayForecastForecastNorms-14Cand-22CNorms-14Cand-23C-22Low-24Low-21High-16High-22Low-20High-21Low-29Low-27Low-23High-23High-25Low-19High-22Low-17High-20HighYellowknifeInuvikWednesdayThursdayFridaySaturdayNorms-20Cand-28CNorms-17Cand-25C-16Low-12Low-17Low-17Low-23Low-22Low-15High-16High-25Low-23High-24Low-20High-11High-15High-7High-15HighTHENORTHERNJOURNALSUnansweredQuestionoftheWeekTHETOPICBeginningofBettyHouseconstructionTHEJOURNALSQUESTIONposedtoReviLau-aNTHousingCorp.HowmanywomenwouldpotentiallybeusingtheBettyHouseTHEANSWERIdonthavethatinformation.NorthernJournal2013JoinusonlineLikeNorthernJournalonFacebookandgettheweeklynewsdeliveredtoyourfeedFACEBOOKFEEDBACKArecentcoaltailingsspillmakingitswaypastFortMcMurraytotheNWTthroughtheAthabascaRiversystemposesnothreattotheRegionalMunicipalityoWoodBufaloRMWBorFortSmithsdrinkingwaterbothmunicipalitiesassuredresidentslastweek.WoodBuffalocloseswaterintakeasspillpassesSandraMcLeanItstillposesathreattothelandshandanimalsthatdontdrinktreatedwaterRebeccaBeckWHOSGOINGTOTRUSTWHATTHEYSAYISUREDONTWANTTOTAKETHECHANCE.WhiteGirlByDAWNKOSTELNIKItis1966inFortNormanTulita.OnehundredandtwentysixdogsstretchoutacrossthefrozenMackenzieRiver.Eigh-teenteamsofdogsbecomethinlinesofbrokenblackthreadthatsewtheirwaytowardtheevenblackerridgeofpeckerpolepineandsprucethatframeoutthewesternshoreofthemightyMackenzie.ThisisthewesternsideoftheNWTthatborderswiththeYukonTerritory.Itistimefortheearlyspringhunt.ThemenwillbegoneuntiltheyhavekilledenoughcariboutofeedusthroughtothelastpartofMarchanduntiltheicebreaksup.Theneveryoneheadsoutforshcampandratcamp.Aragtaggroupofkidswatchesinsilenceasourfathersunclesandbrothersheadouttohuntfoodforus.Westandsilentonthebankeyesstrainingforthelastglimpseofmenanddogsasourvillageisemptied.Lit-tlearmswavejustonemoretimeOurdadsdisappearintothedistanceanddarkofthetrees.Coldforcesustonallyleavetheriverbank.Womenandchildrenandoldmenarelefttomanageuntilthefoodcomeshomeagainwiththemenanddogs.TheEhteegrandfathershavetokeepussafefromthewolves.Mydadhashisownteamofdogshisboys.Theyareendoftheirdaydogsthatweregoingtobeshotattheendoftheirworkingdays.Mydadbroughtthemhometousinstead.Foodisusedforusefulnessthereisnofreerideandtherearenopetdogs.Theseareex-freighterdogsfromWoodBuffaloNationalParkinFortSmithNWT.TheyhavebeentheSuperintendentsdogsandheishappynottohavetoshootthem.Mydadishappytohavehisownteam.Thefreighterdogsaregentlegiants.DogswithheadslikegrizzlybearsespeciallySmi-ley.ScarscoverSmileysheadfromdogghtsearsbittenoffwhite-facedoldmanhealwayssmilesatuskidsloweringhisheadinsubmissionforanearscratch.Whitieismydogheisourleaddog.Hehasthepres-enceofawiseoldmancalmandalwayswatching.SamandRoyconcludetheteamofim-portedfour.Awheeldoghasthetoughestjobtheyarethedogsharnessedclosesttothesleighandtheyhavetopullhardest.Tippyourwheeldogisofadifferentancestraldestinationheislocaltalent.Heisablackandwhiteblue-eyedSi-berianhuskysmarterthanmostwithahatredforotherdogsthatbecomeslegend.Physicallythesefreighterdogsarealmosttwicethesizeofthelocaldogsweighinginat125lbs.Thesedogsaretwiceasslowasthelocalteamsmydadalwayscomeshomelast.Theycanpulldoubletheweightoftheotherdogsbuttheyareoldguysandsocompensationhastobemadeforthem.Theyaretheperfectstarterteam.Whitiewillstopifdadfallsoffthesleighmostdogsjustkeepongoinglookingovertheirshoulderslaughingastheyrunoffdownthetrail.Ourdogssitpatientlyandwaitfordadtoputontheirtrac-ersandstandwhenheneedstosecurestrapsandbuckles.Theyteachmydadlotsaboutrunningdogs.IneverheardthetermmushinguntilwemovedsouthtoWhitehorse.Readpart2ofHuntingre-alityinnextweeksNorthernJournal.Gettingcheckedsaveslivesinformationandtestsattherighttime.Therearescreeningtestsavailableforcolorectalcervi-calandbreastcancersintheNWT.Somepeoplearehesi-tantorafraidtogetcheckedforcancer.Theydonothaveanysymptomsandfeelhealthy.Buteveryoneisatriskofcan-cerevenifyoufeelneorarehealthy.Youshouldntwaitforsymptomstogetchecked.Manycancershavenowarningsigns.Goingforregularscreen-ingcouldmeanadifferencebetweenlifeanddeath.Itisrecommendedyoutalktoyourdoctororotherhealthcarepro-videraboutwhatscreeningoptionsareavailabletoyouparticularlyifyouareovertheageof50orsoonerifyouhaveafamilyhistoryofcan-cer.Routinecancerscreeningtestsaretoberepeatedeveryonetotwoyears.Imsorryitscancer.MorethanonethirdofallCanadianswillhearthesewordsatsomepointintheirlives.Theeffectisfar-reachingcancerhasamajorimpactonthelivesofpeoplebeingdiagnosedaswellasontheirfamiliesandfriends.Canceriscomplex.Itisasin-glewordusedtodescribeover200typesofdiseases.Canceristheuncontrolledrapidgrowthofcellsinthebody.Cancersareusuallynamedafterthepartofthebodywheretheystart.Forexamplecancerthatstartsinthecolonorrectumiscolorectalcanceroneofthemostcom-moncancersintheNWT.Themostcommoncan-cersintheNWTarebreastcolorectallungandprostatecancers.ThesearecommoncancersacrossCanada.How-evercolorectalandlungcancerratesintheNWTaresigni-cantlyhigherthaninCanadaasawhole.Colorectalandlungcancersarelargelypreventable.Manycolorectalcancerscouldbepreventedthroughahealthydietandactivelivingwhilesmokingisthesinglegreat-estcontributortolungcancer.Theincreasingnumberofpeoplediagnosedwithcan-cerisagreatconcernforallresidentsoftheNorthwestTerritories.Thismeansmoreofourpeoplearelivingwithchronicconditionsbutmostimportantlythehumanandemotionalcosttothoselivingwithcancerandtheirfamiliesisimmeasurable.Whensomeoneisdiagnosedwithcanceritisahighlyvis-ibleandtraumaticeventintheirlivesparticularlyinsmalltight-knitcommunitieswhereevery-oneknowseveryone.Manyresidentswanttondoutmoreaboutwhatiscausingcancerhowwecanpreventcancerhowwecanidentifyandtreatcancerandhowwecansup-portpatientsandtheirfamilies.Thegoodnewsisthatmoreofusaresurvivingcancer.Can-cerisnolongerthedeathsen-tenceitusedtobe.Treatmentsaremoreeffectiveandareoftenlessinvasivelesspainfulandlesslife-altering.Wecanndsomecancersearly.Thecan-cerjourneywhichisoftenacomplexanddifcultroadisalsoimproving.Buttherearenewchallengesahead.TheaverageageofNWTresidentsisrisingandcancerriskalsoincreaseswithage.Anolderpopulationthereforemeansmorecancer.AndwhileitstruethatpeoplearelivinglongerwithcancerandaftertreatmentitisnowtheleadingcauseofdeathintheNWT.ToomanycancersintheNWTarebeingdiscoveredintheirlaterstageswhenitishardtotreat.Gettingcheckedforcer-taincancersbeforeanyonesuspectsthereisaproblemsaveslives.Detectingcancerearlyisvitalforourresidents.ThechallengeistomakesuretherightpeoplegettherightDR.ANDRCORRIVEAUChiefMedicalOfcerGNWT