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4TuesdayOctober212014TheNorthernJournalisanindependentnewspapercoveringnewsandeventsinthewesternArcticandnorthernAlberta.2013CCNABLUERIBBONCANADIANCOMMUNITYNEWSPAPERAWARD2013CMCAAUDITEDTheNorthernJournalispublishedweeklybyCascadePublishingLtd.PrintedonrecyclednewsprintwithvegetableinkatWainwrightStarChronicle.PublisherManagingEditor........................................DonJaque867-872-3000ext.21donnorj.caEditor.........................................................................MeaganWohlberg867-872-3000ext.24newsnorj.caReporter.......................................................................DaliCarmichael867-872-3000ext.25reporternorj.caComptroller.....................................................DixiePenner867-872-3000ext.23dixnorj.caAdvertising867-872-3000ext.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.EDITORIALLETTERTOTHEEDITORArealeconomyfostersstrongcommunitiesEditorIamabsolutelydisgustedbyMLANormanYakeleyasunfoundedandobviouslybiasedcom-mentthatantifrackinggroupskeeppeopleinastateofpoverty.Itismorethanobviousthatbyhiscommentheendorsesthisnegativeanddangerousattitudethatthisfrackingoldrushisthemeanstoendallpoverty.Whatnonsenseandsmacksofnarcissisticgreed.Rightuptherewithallthoseotherwannabepoliticiansen-trenchedintheirseleprolesofentitlement.Butwhatistrulymoredisturbingthanthisistheapathyofthelocalssurroundingthispro-test....Comeononly25peopleshowedtheirsoli-darityonthisimportantissuePerhapswehavelearnednothingandaremerelycomfortablynumbfromallthisandarecertainlydoomedtosuffocationbyourfalsesenseofprosperityandsecurity.ChrisRobsonHayRiverLastwintermanyCanadianswerecaughtoffguardbyextremecoldweatherpowerout-agesorgasshortages.Asthisyearswintersea-sonapproachesandmanyCanadiansplantospendanincreasedamountoftimeindoorsNAIMACanadawouldliketoremindhome-ownersthatthemosteffectivehomeprotec-tionfromwinterisatightbuildingenvelope.Anunder-performingbuildingenvelopeisthemainreasonwhytheaverageCana-dianspendsunnecessarymoneyonheatingcostsnotesJayNordenstromExecutiveDi-rectorofNAIMACanada.Arobustbuildingenvelopemeanshomeownersdecreasetheirenergyneeds.Thislowersmonthlyheatingbillsalongwiththeassociatedgreenhousegasemissionsandenhancescomfortduringcatastrophicwinterweather.Abuildingenvelopeistechtalktode-scribethebuildingcomponentsthatsepa-ratetheindoorsfromtheoutdoors.Ahomewithamodernbuildingenvelopewell-insu-latedproperlysealedandwell-ventilatedcanprovideshelterduringthemostbrutalweatherconditions.Italsoprovidesinsur-anceintheeventthatthefurnaceisdisabledbyapoweroutage.Aneffectivebuildingenvelopehasaweatherbarrierairbarrierandthermalbarrier.Signsofadecientbuildingenvelopecanincludecondensationaroundwindowsdraftsandcoldoors.Payingapremiumforahousewithin-creasedwallandatticinsulationmakessensesinceawell-sealedbuildingenvelopeprovidesmonth-over-monthpaybackbyloweringheatingandcoolingbills.Savingsvary.FindoutwhyinthesellersfactsheetonR-values.HigherR-valuesmeangreaterinsulatingpower.Whilenewconstructionoffersthebestop-portunityforcreatingahigh-performancebuildingenveloperenovationsalsooffermanyopportunities.Themostbenecialin-cludeinstallingappropriateamountsofinsu-lationandweathersealingwheredraftsandairleakagesareoccurring.Manyoftheseup-gradescanbedoneasdo-it-yourselfprojects.Ensuringthatyourbuildingenvelopehasproperdraftproongandtherightamountofinsulationremainsoneofthebestthingsyoucandotoprotectyourselffromwinterschillandtheaccompanyingincreasedheat-ingbills.Whileoftennottopofmindreno-vatingthebuildingsenvelopecanplayasig-nicantroleinreducingabuildingsenergyconsumption.Formoreinformationonhighperformingbuildingenvelopesandexperttipsonhowtoinsulateyourhomevisitnaimacanada.ca.Ahigh-performingbuildingenvelopecanreduceyourheatingbillThereissomethingintrinsicallywrongwiththeNWTeconomy.Ofits33commu-nitiesonlyYellowknifeandHayRiverhavearobustprivatesectorandsomewhatstableeconomiesalthougheventheyrelyongov-ernmentforaleastathirdofoftheirbase.AllothercommunitiesintheNWTareover-whelminglydependentongovernment.Thatisnothealthy.Thepriorityofboththefederalandter-ritorialgovernmentsistofosteraresource-basedeconomy.TheNorthisseenbysouth-ernleadersasastorehouseofwealthtobedrawnfromtofuelthenationaleconomy.NorthernresidentsareplaceholderswhoaffirmCanadiansovereigntyincidentaltoandattheconvenienceofdevelopment.Theapproachistop-downanddisconnectedfromlocalneeds-aformofneocolonial-ism-andtheNWTgovernmentfollowsalongblindly.Wehaveheardalotofhypeinrecentyearsabouttheneedtoreduceregulationseliminateboardsandstreamlineenviron-mentalassessmentstoattractnewmines.Thewheelshavebeengreasedthedoorsareflungopenwideandlooknominesarecoming.Therealityisthatresourcedevel-opmentisdrivenbythemarket.Ifthevalueofthecommodityishightheminesfindawaytogoin.Ifthepriceofoilishighthedrillinghappens.Asitwaswiththedia-mondminessoshallitbe.Waitingforre-sourcedevelopmenttooccurdoesnotaneconomymake.Whenresourceextractiondoestakeplacetheproblemsaremanyandvaried.Thesearemega-projects.TheimpactsoftenworkagainstthetraditionalAboriginaleconomysubvertingitovertimebyalteringtheland-scapeandimpactingwildlife.Shiftworktypicalinsuchprojectsisoftennotcom-patiblewithNorthernresidentsandsoworkersfromafararebroughtin.Thoselocalssuitedtothelifestyleearnlargein-comesthatcontrastwithothersintheircommunitycreatingdivisiveness.Worstofallmostresourceprojectslastonlyafewdecadesandthevacuumthatremainswhentheydepartafterhavingalteredsomuchleavescommunitiesworseoffthantheywereoriginally.Mostofthoseissuesareavoidable.Re-sourcedevelopmentprojectsshouldbetheicingonthecakeaddingtothelocalecon-omytobringwealthandbenetstoalreadyrobustandhealthycommunitiesinacare-fullyplannedandwell-timedway.Acommu-nitythatisstrongisresilientcanoptimizethebenetsofanearbymajorprojectandweathertheimpactofitsdeparture.FewifanycommunitiesintheNWTareinthatposition.Thatmustchange.Thekeyistofosterthegrowthanddevel-opmentofsmallbusinessesineverycom-munity.Smallbusinessesarethebackboneofeveryeconomyprovidingservicesandcreatingjobs.Theyareinvaluableyetlittleisdonetoencourageorsupportthem.Runningasmallbusinessinagovernment-basedeconomyislikesleepingwithanele-phant-ifitrollsoverandyouknowitwillyougetsquashed.Governmentstendtolookatthebigpictureyetignorewhatishappen-ingatthethecore.Theymustbeconsistentpredictableanduselocalproductsandser-vicesalways.Unfortunatelygovernmentsatalllevelsalsotendtoeitherhavepoorpoliciesortheirwell-thought-outpoliciesgetignoredinthebureaucraticshufe.AcaseinpointistheNWTsBusinessIncentivePolicyBIPwhichhasbeenoverdueforarevampformorethanadecade.WalmartisaneligibleNWTbusinessunderBIP.Enoughsaid.OveradecadeagotheNWTgovernmenthadapolicythatrequiredallofitsstaffeverywheretosupportlocalbusinesses.Ifaservicewasavailablelocallyithadtobeusedwiththecaveatthatithadtobecompetitivelypricedandofdecentqual-ity.Thatnotonlystimulatedthegrowthofservicesincommunitiesforusebygovern-mentofficesbutthoseserviceswerealsoavailableforlocalresidents.Businessesgrewandmultiplied.Entrepreneursflour-ished.Communitiesweremadestronger.Forsomereasonexplainedonlybythosewhounderstandhowgovernmentsworkthatpolicywasabandonedreplacedbycentralizationandexpansionthenatu-ralgrowthcycleofbureaucracy.InsteadofutilizingprivatesectorsolutionstheNWTgovernmentswitchedtocreatingsolutionsinternallyandgrew.Ofcoursethepracticetrickleddowntocommunitygovernments.Nogovernmentshouldevercommit-nancialresourcestoanundertakingwithoutrstndingcreativewaystokeepthemoneywithinlocalcommunities.SpendingmoneyoutsidecommunitiesorworseoutsidetheNWTwhenitcouldhavebeendispersedwithinthelocaleconomyisawedfoolishandcounterproductive.Communitieswithstronglocaleconomiesprovideresidentsahigherqualityoflifeandthriveinmultipleways.Whatshouldbedoneneedstobedoneisaconcertedefforttostrengthencommunityeconomiesbystimulatinglocalbusinessestogrowandprosper.PhotoJulieGreenMembersofAlternativesNorthhandoutChewonThislunchbagstothepublicoutsidetheYellowknifepostofceonFridayOct.17theInternationalDayfortheEradicationofPoverty.EachbagcontainedanapplemagnetandpostcardurgingpeopletoaskthefederalgovernmenttodevelopaplantostophungerandpovertyinCanada.