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4TuesdayJuly222014FortSmithHayRiverWEATHERYellowknifeInuvikWeeklyNormsHigh21CLow11CWeeklyNormsHigh21CLow13CWeeklyNormsHigh20CLow9CWeeklyNormsHigh23CLow10CEDITORIALTheNorthernJournalisanindependentnewspapercoveringnewsandeventsinthewesternArcticandnorthernAlberta.VisittheJournalonlineatwww.norj.caAnzacAtikamegBrownvaleCadotteLakeChardChatehColdLakeConklinDriftpileDufeldEdmontonEnildaEnochFortChipewyanFortMacKayFortMcMurrayFortVermilionFrogLakeGlenevisGoodshLakeGrandePrairieGrouardHighLevelHighPrairieHytheJohndOrPrairieAvailableinAlbertaatAklavikBehchokoColvilleLakeDelineEaglePlainsEkatiDiamondMinesEnterpriseFortGoodHopeFortLiardFortMcPhersonFortProvidenceFortResolutionFortSimpsonFortSmithGametiHayRiverInuvikJeanMarieRiverKakisaLutselKeNahanniButteNormanWellsTheNorthernJournalisavailableinthefollowingNWTcommunitiesPaulatukSachsHarbourTroutLakeTsiigehtchicTuktoyaktukTulitaUlukhaktokWekweetiWhatiWrigleyYellowknifeKehewinKinusoLacLaBicheManningMorinvillePeaceRiverRainbowLakeRedEarthCreekSaddleLakeSlaveLakeSt.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..........................DaliCarmichael867-872-3000ext.25reporternorj.caComptroller...........................DixiePenner867-872-3000ext.23dixnorj.caAdvertising.................867-872-3000ext.26salesnorj.caAdministration................JeremyTurcotte867-872-3000ext.26adminnorj.caProductionGraphics.......SandraJaque867-872-3000ext.22sandranorj.caPaulBannister867-872-3000ext.27graphicsnorj.caAnnaSierra867-872-3000ext.20designnorj.caDidyounoticethattheCityofYellow-knifeisdoinganokayjoboftellingcitizensthesituationwiththewildresthatareabittoocloseforcomfortWhenwesayokayjobitisnotacompliment.IftheresgetclosewearegoingtobulldozeareguardaroundthetownandgathereveryoneintowncentresodontworrymeanwhilegolookatthefederalgovernmentwebsiteforanemergencychecklistcheckoutthisFacebookpagedailyandbesidesthatthereisnorealdangeratthistime.WesaythatgetsCforeffortbutishardlyinformingandeducatingproperly.WeguessleadersinmostNortherncom-munitieswherethereisathreatofwildrequiteafewatthemomentwhiletherestarevulnerablearedoinglittleifanythingtotelltheirresidentswhatisgoingon.WesuggestthisisbecausethedepartmentofMunicipalandCommunityAffairswhichshouldbesettingthestandardcreatingtemplatesandtrainingcommunitiesonemergencypreparednessannually-likewhattodointhecaseofawildrethreatoranyotherkindofemergency-isnotseeingtothat.Justasonasmallscaleweallneedsimpleeffectiveemergencyplansforourhomesthatincludethought-outproceduresareevacuationrouteandsomekindofmentalexercisebythoseinchargeeverycommunitylead-ershipshouldbeguidedthroughthatsamekindofcommonsenseplanningeveryspring.Threethingsareaccomplishedwithstraightforwardcommuniquestothepublic1.Awarecitizensdonotfeartheun-knownwhichreducespanic2.Therumourmillscrazyabilitytotwistthetruthintosomethingalarmingisnotafactor3.Thosedoingthejobareseentobewelldoingtheirjobandgetcreditwhileinspiringcondence.Herearesomethingswethinkalllev-elsofgovernmentandalldepartmentsshouldbeawareofPeoplearenotstupid.Somearealit-tlemoreexcitablethanothersyesbutgenerallythebestapproachindealingwithapendingemergencyistokeepthepublicasinformedaspossible.Asidefromtheobviousneedsfororderandsafetydecisionsmayneedtobemadebyindividualsontheirown-sometimeslifeordeathdecisions-andtodothatbesttheyneedtoknowwhatisgoingon.Anyoneingovernmentwhokeepsin-formationfromthepublicontheas-sumptionthatpeopleneedtobetoldwhattodoorthatitisbesttosparethemfromalarminginformationisbothignorantandarrogant.Yourcommunicationstaffisnottheretocontrolthemessageandpresentin-formationthathasbeenmassagedtomakeyourdepartmentlookwonderful.Infactgovernmentinformationbelongstothepublicandinformationofcersshouldbegettingthatoutroutinelyinanhonesttransparentnon-partisanway.Thethingispeoplewantgoodlead-erstobeinchargeandtheywanttobeassuredthingsarebeinghandledwell.Itiswhencondencewanesthatpeoplegetuptight.Ifthewaythingsarebeinghandledlooksinanywaysuspectrumoursyandthingsstarttounravel.Keeppeopleinformedandmuchofthatangstgoesaway.KeepthemintheloopcommunicatewellusingmultiplemeansFacebookandtheinternetonlyreachsomepeopleandkeepitsimpleandlocal.Itisallaboutcommonsense.PleasenotethisWearefortunatetohaveacompe-tentprofessionalwell-ledreghtingforcebuttheycanonlydosomuch.Wildresarenottypicallycontrollable.Atbesttheycanbemanaged.Donotbecomplacentandthinkthatthereisnodanger.WildrespushedbywindsareaseriousandunpredictablethreatBadreseasonsarerarelyone-offs.Theyaretypicallytheresultofregionaldroughtcyclesoverseveralyears.Theverybadwildreseasonof2014actuallygotitsstartwithdroughtintheSahtulastyearandnowthedroughthasspreadthroughallofthesouthernNWT.Thisislikelyonlythebeginningofseveralbadyears.Com-munitiesandindividualsalikeneedtoberesmart.Makeaplandothework.Givereghterssomethingtoworkwithincasethereisawildrethreat.Beawareprepare.IncaseofemergencyuhwhatdowedoPhotoDaliCarmichaelMinSunleftandtheDesrochersfamilyfromGatineauQue.getalessoninmakingicecreamtheold-fashionedwayonSaturdayatMissionParkinFortSmithduringNationalParksDaywhereNorthernLifeMuseumstaffalsotaughttheartofcandle-makingtovisitors.