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EDITORIALARCHIVES15YearsAgo...DEAchairresignsAfteroneyearonthejobPaulClarkehasresignedaschairoftheFortSmithDistrictEducationAuthority.Currentvice-chairRobTordiffwillbetheinterimchairuntilanewboardexecutiveiselected.ClarkecitingpersonalreasonsresignedattheendoftheDEAAnnualGeneralMeetinglastThursday.IssueFebruary2199920YearsAgo...TroutLakewatersafeAstudyhasconcludedthatthewaterofTroutLakeisnotpollutedandshtakenfromitaresafetoeat.Thestudyofthelakelocated100kmfromFortLiardbeganin1991whenlocalresidentsnoticedalargenumberofdeadanddisguredshoatinginthelake.IssueFebruary2199430YearsAgo...PolicechargeworkerAnightworkerattheTrailcrosstreatmentcentrehasbeenchargedwithsexualassaultinconnectionwithanincidentinvolvingajuvenileinhiscare.HenryBeaveraFortSmithcouncillorandformerbandchiefwaschargedundersection246.1oftheCriminalCodeearlierthisweek.IssueFebruary219844TuesdayFebruary42013TheNorthernJournalisanindependentnewspapercoveringnewsandeventsinthewesternArcticandnorthernAlberta.VisittheJournalonlineatwww.norj.caAnzacAtikamegBrownvaleCadotteLakeChardChatehColdLakeConklinDriftpileDufeldEdmontonEnildaEnochFortChipewyanFortMcKayFortMcMurrayFortVermilionFrogLakeGlenevisGoodshLakeGrandePrairieGrouardHighLevelHighPrairieHytheJohndOrPrairieAvailableinAlbertaatAklavikBehchokoColvilleLakeDelineEaglePlainsEkatiDiamondMinesEnterpriseFortGoodHopeFortLiardFortMcPhersonFortProvidenceFortResolutionFortSimpsonFortSmithGametiHayRiverInuvikJeanMarieRiverLutselKeNahanniButteNormanWellsPaulatukTheNorthernJournalisavailableinthefollowingNWTcommunitiesSachsHarbourTroutLakeTsiigehtchicTuktoyaktukTulitaUlukhaktokWekwetiWhaTiWrigleyYellowknifeKehewinKinusoLacLaBicheMorinvillePeaceRiverRedEarthCreekSaddleLakeSlaveLakeSt.PaulValleyviewWabasca2013CCNABLUERIBBONCANADIANCOMMUNITYNEWSPAPERAWARD2013CMCAAUDITEDAdvertisingDeadlinesDisplayaddeadlineisThursdayat400p.m.ClassiedaddeadlineisThursdayat500p.m.Emailadsnorj.caSubscriptionRates867872-3000PricesincludeGST.47.25inFortSmith52.50elsewhereinCanada105intheUSAoverseas164.30.LetterstotheEditorPolicyTheNorthernJournalwelcomesletterstotheeditor.Lettersmustbesignedandincludeaphonenumbersotheauthorcanbeveried.Nameswillbewithheldonrequestinspecialcircumstanceswherethereasonsaredeterminedtobevalid.TheJournalreservestherighttoeditlettersforlengthlibelclarityandtaste.Opinionsexpressedinlettersandcolumnsarenotnecessarilythoseofthepublisheroreditor.PublishedweeklybyCascadePublishingLtd.PrintedonrecyclednewsprintwithvegetableinkatWainwrightStarChronicle.PublisherManagingEditorDonJaque867-872-3000ext.21donnorj.caEditor...........................MeaganWohlberg867-872-3000ext.24newsnorj.caReporter..............................MariaChurch867-872-3000ext.25reporternorj.caComptroller...........................DixiePenner867-872-3000ext.23dixnorj.caAdvertising....................JoshuaJorgensen867-872-3000ext.15salesnorj.caAdministration................JeremyTurcotte867-872-3000ext.26adminnorj.caProductionGraphics.......SandraJaque867-872-3000ext.22sandranorj.caPaulBannister867-872-3000ext.27graphicsnorj.caAnnaSierra867-872-3000ext.20designnorj.caHarpersnewCanadaemergesThetriptoIsraelwasrevealing.WeallknewthatStephenHarperhadasoftspotfortheIsraelisbutfewunderstoodhowfarthatwent.Hehasmadethatper-sonalagendaanationalone.WhetherCanadianslikeitornotwewillbeseenastheenemybymanyinthe1.8billionstrongMuslimworld-andinsomecasesitmeanswewillhaveatargetonourcol-lectivebacks.IfIsraelasanallyneedssupportitcouldbeofferedinawaythatdoesnotinsertCanadainthemiddleofitsconicts.Be-sidessomeitsproblemsareofitsownmakingandthatshouldnotbeignored.Ourchoosingasideexacerbatestheal-readypolarizedsituation-onethatwillonlyeverberesolvedthroughdiplomacy.Wearenowallbuteliminatedfromplay-inganyroleinndingasolutionorevenhavinginuence.ItisadramaticshiftinCanadianforeignpolicy.Canadawasoncerespectedasanon-alignedinternationalpeacekeeper.ThatchangedwhenHarperchosetojointheAmericansintheAfghanistanwar.For-tunatelytheirwarinIraqprecededhimorwesurelywouldhavebeeninthatonetoo.HismovetocommitcompletelytoIsraelwillhaveafurthersigfnicantim-pactonCanadasimageandroleabroad.Eightyearsintohisregimeaftersub-stantivetypicallysurreptitiousaltera-tionsStephenHarperisnallystartingtopubliclyunveilhowhisnewCanadawillbereconstituted.MuchofwhattheHarperConservativeshaveachievedsofarhasbeenaboutpar-ingawaythehatedLiberallegacyeithercloakedorramrodedthroughcutsandomnibuslegislation.WeknowtheplanistomakeCanadaamoreconservativeplacebutnotwhyorhownoranydetailsofthatfuturevision.Thereisareasonforthat.Harperlearnedhispoliticalmastery-particularlyhowtosur-viveasagovernment-underthetutelageoflong-servingprimeministerJeanChrtien.ForoveradecadethesavvyHarperab-sorbedChretianssometimesunscrupulousmethodslikeasponge.AsaresultofthatschoolingthealliancehestitchedtogetherontherightmaylastevenlongerunderhiswatchfuleyethantheLiberals40years.TheHarperConservativesmaywellbethenewnaturalgoverningpartyofCanada.PartisanpoliticsastackedSenateworkingthingstotheadvantageofyourfriendswhogetbigpayoffsandmostim-portantlyhowtomanipulatecajolbullybribeandpressuretomaintaincontrol-helearneditallwell.Therearetwodifferenceshowever1.Harperisevenbetteratit2.MorethanjustobsessedwithstayinginpowerHarperisdoingitbecausehewantstochangeCanadainhisimage.Whydidheclosethoseeightveteranser-vicecentresacrossCanadaeventhoughitwouldobviouslybeveryunpopularWasittoprovidemuch-neededimprove-mentstoveteransservicesNo.Wasitforthesakeofefciencyimprov-ingtheirsupportsystemNo.WasittosavemoneyYesinpartbuthehasandevenlargerendgame.ItwasbecauseHarperhatesgovernment.Hehatesitsomuchheispreparedtotakeheatevenfromhiscoresupportersinordertoeliminateasmuchofitashecan.HarperhatesenvironmentaliststhereasonheguttedFisheriesEnvironmentandParksdepartmentsandhehatesunionssothescrewsaretighteningonthePostOfceandpublicserviceem-ployeesbuthishateforbiggovernmentisover-arching.Intimeallthattoowillberevealed-whenheisready.Harperhasonlyjustgottenstarted.HisconservativeagendawillmeantheCanadaofthefuturewillbemuchdifferent.Watchforit.Thecutshaveonlyjustbegun.ConnectingjobsandtheunemployedAnyonewhowatchedtheStateoftheUnionaddressbyUSPresidentBarackObamalastweekheardhimsayoverandoverhowAmericaneedstocon-nectpeopletojobsacrossthecountryiftheAmericanDreamistoberevived.Canadashouldtakeheedofthat.WesternandNorthernCanadaareinadecadeslongboomwithdireshortagesofprofessionalsandskilledlabour.Thevacuumofcapablepersonnelislimit-ingeconomicgrowthandcrampingtheeconomy.Smallbusinessesandcorpo-rationsalikearehurtbyit.CentralandEasternCanadaaretheopposite.Unemploymentisuplayoffsandshutdownsarecommonandtoomanycapableandtrainedpeoplelackjobs-alsoadiresituation.Pastfederalgovernmentsputseriousef-fortsintoconnectingCanadasunemployedtoprovinceswheretherearejobopportuni-ties.ThatisnotbeingdonebytheHarperConservatives.Theemploymentservicesrolewasdownloadedtotheprovincesandnowthereisnocommonnationalprogram.EmployersintheWestwhodesperatelyneedqualityemployeeshavenomeansofconnectingwithunemployedintheEast.ThefederalgovernmentsActionPlanadvertisingclaimstheoppositebutthatisonlysleazymarketingspin.Thatnoeffectivenationalemploymentstrategyexistsisacaseofpoorjudg-mentandlackofforesightbyourfederalgovernmentanditishurtingCanada.PhotoBillBradenYellowknifesrenownedSnowKingFestivalwillstageits19thyearthisMarch.CreatedbyYellowknifeimpresarioanddiehardmonarchistTonyFolioitscentrepieceistheiconicSnowKingCastlebuilteveryyearonYellowknifeBay.Folioandhisteambuildplywoodformsandblowsnowintothemtocreatecastlewallsametrethickwithwindowsandfurnitureformedfromcrystal-cleariceblockscutfromfreshicelastNovember.