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4TuesdayOctober72014TheNorthernJournalisanindependentnewspapercoveringnewsandeventsinthewesternArcticandnorthernAlberta.2013CCNABLUERIBBONCANADIANCOMMUNITYNEWSPAPERAWARD2013CMCAAUDITEDTheNorthernJournalispublishedweeklybyCascadePublishingLtd.PrintedonrecyclednewsprintwithvegetableinkatWainwrightStarChronicle.PublisherManagingEditor........................................DonJaque867-872-3000ext.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.caProductionGraphics..................................PaulBannister867-872-3000ext.27graphicsnorj.caLetterstotheEditorPolicyTheNorthernJournalwelcomesletterstotheeditor.Lettersmustbesignedandincludeaphonenumbersotheauthorcanbeveried.Nameswillbewithheldonrequestinspecialcircumstanceswherethereasonsaredeterminedtobevalid.TheJournalreservestherighttoeditlettersforlengthlibelclarityandtaste.Opinionsexpressedinlettersandcolumnsarenotnecessarilythoseofthepublisheroreditor.AdvertisingDeadlinesDisplayaddeadlineisThursdayat400p.m.ClassiedaddeadlineisThursdayat500p.m.Emailadsnorj.caSubscriptionRatesPricesincludeGST.47.25inFortSmith52.50elsewhereinCanada105intheUSAoverseas164.30.EDITORIALCOLUMNTheNWTgovernmentsapproachtopowergenerationismuddled.InadditiontheNWTPowerCorp.NTPCisnotwellrun.Ifadoctorwaslookingatthispatienttheprognosiswouldbeterrible.AsearchofJournalstoriesandeditorialsofthelasteightyearsshowsadisturbingtrendofcostlyineffectivenessdespiteanendlessseriesofconsultationandreviews2008ApublicdiscussionpaperElectricityReviewportendsaprocessthatwillReducecostswherepossibledistributethecostsequitablyandensureaffordability.2009Athree-persontravelingElectricityReviewteamvisitscommunitiesforinputandthenrecommendsanewsimpliedlevelizedratestructure.Oureditorialchastisedtheprocessasridiculousforaskingthepublicwhattodowhengovernmentexpertsshouldhavebroughtoptionstothepublicforconsideration.2009TheElectricityReviewreportentitledCreatingaBrighterFutureacknowledgedtheelectricitysystemisnotaswellsuitedasitshouldbeinmeetingtheneedsofNortherners.Thickanddetaileditspeakstothecriticalneedforaffordableelectricityandoffersafourpointactionplanthatoffersverylittleaction.Itdetailsthepowerrateincreasescurrentlybeingimplementeditstruepurpose.2012YetanothertravelingpanelthethreepersonEconomicOpportunitiesStrategyAdvisoryGroupwastoldbycommunitiesthataffordableelectricityisessentialtoarobusteconomyandqualityoflife.2012TherstEnergyCharettegatheredpeopleinYellowknifeOureditorialsimilartotheonethreeyearspriornotedRatherthanaskordinarypeopletocomeupwiththeanswerstheexpertsaresupposedtocomeupwithinspiredsolutionsandpracticalplanstobringbeforethepublicforconsideration.Thatpartismissing.2013Thethree-yearEnergyActionPlanresultedfromthecharetteyetanotherextensivedocument.Itfocusesonstabilizingthehighcostofenergyandtheimpactofourenergyuseontheenvironment.2013AsecondextensivereportfromthecharetteaPowerSystemPlanfromtheinnovativeformofpublicengagementthroughcollaborativepolicy.ItnotesgreatstridesinreducingtheNWTscarbonfootprintsince2007andtalksofanenergyfuturethatincludesbiomasswindsolarandliquidnaturalgasLNG.NotethatinadditiontoallofthisplanningwasbeingcarriedoutinparallelinsideofNTPC.Dozensofstaffatpremiumsalarieshavebeendedicatedtoorganizingthesegatheringspanelsandcreatingthereportswithconsultantstosupportthemcostingmillionsofdollarsannually.Todayallthesameproblemsexistandweareabouttohaveanotherenergycharetteinordertogeneratemoreextensiveandcostlyreports.Droughtsoftenlastthreetoveyears-atleastbeforeglobalwarming.The20millionsubsidyGNWTmuststepasidetondanenergysolutionforpowerannouncedlastweekisonlypartofanequationthatmustincludethe55millioncostofghtingwildres.ThedroughtcosttotheNWTgovernmentthisyearisreally75million-andthatannualexpensemayextendforthreeyearsperhapslonger.WilltheydigdeeperintodebtsubsidizingpowerrateseachnewdroughtyearThatissimplynotaffordable.WillasolutionforcheaperpowerbefoundinanothercharettewithanotherextensiveandexpensivereportHighlyunlikely.Agovernment-createdcheaperpowersolutionisnotgoingtoemerge.NTPCisbrokenandhastobexed.Drasticactionisrequiredonbothcounts.RatherthanwritinganotherreporttocollectdustonashelfwerecommendthefollowingactionitemsUnderstandingyourchildschallengingbehaviourTheresnodenyingthatparentingcanbeachallengefromtimetotime.Childrenfrombirththroughtotheteenageyearswillgothroughphasesinwhichdifcultbehavioursseemtobethenorm.Regardlessofyourchildsageiftheyhavedevelopmentaldelaysoraretypicallydevelopingitisimportanttounder-standthosechallengingbehaviours.Everybehaviourhasapurpose.Thisshortsentenceshouldashthrougheveryparentorcaregiversmindwhenevertheirchildisdisplayingbehaviourstheyviewasnegative.Learningtotakethetimetounderstandthebehaviorwillhelpparentsgiveappropriateconsequencesandinthelongrunshouldde-creasefurtherchallengingbehaviours.Forexampleifyour4year-oldhasbeentoilet-trainedforthepastyearandhesud-denlystartshavingaccidentseverydaywhatwouldyourreactionbePerhapsonemightshoutatorshamethechildormaybeatime-outwouldbegiven.Inthissituationitisimportanttoreallythinkaboutwhathaschangedinthechildslifearoundthesametimeastheaccidentsbegantooccur.Perhapsanewsiblingwasbornandhavingaccidentsisawaytogetmoreparentalattentionormaybethefamilyismovingandthechildisanxious.Ormaybethereisanunderlyingmedicalconcern.Thesameconceptappliesifyouhaveachildwithadisabilityorspecialneeds.Ifyouhavea3year-oldchildwhohasautismandshebitesandhitswheneveryougotothegrocerystorewhatwouldyoudoOfcourseifyourchildhasautismoranyotherspecialneedyouwouldcatertothesituationaccordingly.Inthissit-uationunderstandingthebehaviourwouldbeallthemoreimportantasthischildswayofunderstandingtheworldwouldlikelylookdifferentthanatypicallydevelopingchild.WhatmightbecausingthebehaviourMaybethegrocerystoreisloudortheneonlightsarebothersomethechildssensorysys-temmaynotbeabletocopewiththestimulus.Perhapssheisovertiredorhungry.Maybesheisstrugglingwiththetransitionbetweenthecarrideandtheshoppingexcursion.Thepo-tentialpurposeofthebehaviourisvastjustasitwouldbeifatypicallydevelopingchildweredisplayingthesamebehaviours.Ifwetakethetimetoconsiderwhyabehav-iourthatweviewasnegativeisoccurringwecandealwithiteffectivelywhichwillcauselessstressonboththechildandtheparent.Weneedtorememberthatchildrencannotalwaystellyouwhytheyarebehavinginachallengingway.Weneedtotakethetimetounderstanditandhelpthemthroughit.AlbertaHealthServicesFormoreinformationcallHealthLinkat1-866-408-5465LINKorvisitwww.alber-tahealthservices.ca.Agovernment-createdcheaperpowersolutionisnotgoingtoemerge.NTPCisbrokenandhastobexed.PhotoLawrenceNorbertTheNWTgovernmentmustimposeperformanced-basedincentivesandpenaltiesonNTPCasAlbertahasdoneonitsutilitiesforcingittobecomeefcienteffectiveandaccountableTheNWTgovernmentmustswitchtoenergyefcientproductslightsappliancesetc.throughoutitssystemTheNWTgovernmentmustusethewastedpoweratTaltsonDamandconvertallofitsbuildingsinSouthSlavecommunitiestoelectricheatTheNWTgovernmentmustinstitutebetterincentivestohomeownerstoinstallalternateenergysolutionswindsolaretc.andenergysavingsmeasureslightsappliancesetc.MostimportantlytheNWTgovernmentshouldprovideincentivesforprivatesectornew-energysolutions.Picturemoney-savingsolarpanelsonhomessmallwindfarmsandsolararrayssellingpowerlocaldrillrigsinstallingground-sourceheatpumpsandsmallcommunitiessuppliedwithbiomasstoruntheirgenerators.InadditiontosolvingthepowerproblemsthoseinitiativeswillcreatecommunityjobsanddrawmorepeopletotheNWT.TheNWTgovernmenthasdemonstrateditcannotmanagethesituation.Itmuststopwastingtimeandmoneywithreviewsreportsconsultantsandexperimentingwiththingsithasnoexpertisein.Itshouldcreateanenvironmentthroughincentivesthatunleashtheingenuityofindividualsandentrepreneurs.Dothatandtheproblemswillbesolvedwithinadecade.KnockknockAwhiskey-jacktapsatthedoorofabeaverlodgenearTsiigehtchic.