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4TuesdayDecember92014TheNorthernJournalisanindependentnewspapercoveringnewsandeventsinthewesternArcticandnorthernAlberta.2013CCNABLUERIBBONCANADIANCOMMUNITYNEWSPAPERAWARD2013CMCAAUDITEDTheNorthernJournalispublishedweeklybyCascadePublishingLtd.PrintedatStarPressInc.WainwrightAB.Publisher.................................................................................DonJaque867-872-3000ext.21donnorj.caEditor.........................................................................MeaganWohlberg867-872-3000ext.24newsnorj.caReporter.......................................................................DaliCarmichael867-872-3000ext.25reporternorj.caComptroller.....................................................DixiePenner867-872-3000ext.23dixnorj.caAdvertising..............................HeatherFoubertHayRiver867-874-4106adsnorj.caAdministration............................................JeremyTurcotte867-872-3000ext.26adminnorj.caProduction......................................................SandraJaque867-872-3000ext.22sandranorj.caGraphics........................................................PaulBannister867-872-3000ext.27graphicsnorj.caLetterstotheEditorPolicyTheNorthernJournalwelcomesletterstotheeditor.Lettersmustbesignedandincludeaphonenumbersotheauthorcanbeveried.Nameswillbewithheldonrequestinspecialcircumstanceswherethereasonsaredeterminedtobevalid.TheJournalreservestherighttoeditlettersforlengthlibelclarityandtaste.Opinionsexpressedinlettersandcolumnsarenotnecessarilythoseofthepublisheroreditor.AdvertisingDeadlinesDisplayaddeadlineisThursdayat400p.m.ClassiedaddeadlineisThursdayat500p.m.Emailadsnorj.caSubscriptionRatesPricesincludeGST.47.25inFortSmith52.50elsewhereinCanada105intheUSAoverseas164.30.EDITORIALCOLUMNNorthernersrippedoffbyfoodchainTheoutrageouslyhighcostoffoodiniso-latedNortherncommunitieshasreceivedalotofcriticalattentionlatelythankstotherecentAuditorGeneralsreportthatcalledthefederalgovernmentsNutritionNorthprogramafailureindicatingitisbrokenandneedstobexed.InthewordsoftheAGNutritionNorthdoesnotmeetitsobjectiveofmakinghealthyfoodsmoreaccessibletoresidentsofisolatedNortherncommunitiesasithasnotiden-tiedeligiblecommunitiesonthebasisofneed.Neitherhasitmanagedtheprogramtomeetitsobjectiveofmakinghealthyfoodsmoreaffordable.TheHarperConservativeshavetakencon-cernsvoicedabouttheprogramascriticismandaremakingapartisanissueoutofitastheytypicallydo.Theyclaimtheprogramisindeedworkingandattackanyonewhosaysotherwisedamagingtheirowncredibilityintheprocess.NunavutMPandfederalEn-vironmentMinisterLeonaAglukkaqwhorepresentstheNorthoncabinetandhastheopportunitytomakethingsrighthasblindlydefendedtheprogram.Herreputationissufferingbecauseofitespeciallygiventhatpovertyisaseriousissueinmanypartsofherriding.Condemnationswillcontinuetogrowandhercredibilityandelectabilitywillcontinuetosufferuntiltheprogramsissuesaredealtwith.AkeyconcernraisedintheAuditorGen-eralsreportisthattheannualfoodsubsidywhichisabouttobeincreasedto65mil-lionishandedouttofoodretailersandsup-plierswithnovericationoraccountabilitymechanisminplacetoassuretheyarepass-ingonthefullsubsidytoresidents.NorthernStoresthemainoutletforfoodsuppliesinmostNorthof60communitieshasofferedassurancesthattheydoindeedpassthesub-sidiesonfairlyhowevermanypeopledoubttheveracityofaprivatesectorcorporationwhosemainmotiveisprot.Theassump-tionistheyareinvolvedinarip-offwhichhurtstheirreputationyetanotherreasonforavericationsystemthatfollowsthemoneytrailandensurestransparency.Self-policingbycorporationsisakeycom-ponentoftheHarperConservativephiloso-phy.Theybelieveregulationandoversightwillhinderthefreemarket.Theyarework-inghardtore-makeCanadawiththesmallestpossiblegovernmentpresenceandminimalinterferenceinprivatesectorpractices.ObviouslyakeycomponentinthehighpriceoffoodintheNorthistransportationthecostofwhichisdirectlyimpactedbythepriceofoil.Freightbybothairandtruckisincludedinthat.FoodthatendsupwithanextrahighpricetaginNortherngrocerystoresishandledmanytimesasitmakesthelongjourneyfromsourceandthatiscostly.Apenaltyisaddedifthepriceofoilishighandthatiscompoundedoverandover.Inad-ditioninthelastveyearswehaveseenfuelsurchargesonairandtruckfreight.Nowthatthepriceofoilhasdroppedthoseshouldberemovedimmediately.HowlongwillittakeforthereliefofloweroilpricestobereectedinthecostofNorthernfoodWhenacommodityusedbyeveryonegoesupinpriceanyoneinbusinessinthesupplychainincreasespricesrightawayortheywillbepenalized.Ifpricesdroptheoppositeistrue.Thelongerabusinesswaitstofollowthetrendandreducetheirpricesthemoremoneytheywillmake.Thegreaterthevol-umethelargerthewindfallofextraprot.Theresultisthatpricesattheendoftheline-foryoutheNorthernconsumer-remainhighermuchlongerthantheyshould.Resi-dentsofNorthernCanadaaretheoneswhopayforallthatextraprotoutoftheirpockets.TheAuditorGeneralsreportwhichcameoutjustbeforethepriceofoiltankeddidnotacknowledgethisproblem.Ifthetimingweredifferentandhisanalysistookplaceafterthedropinoilpriceshevmighthavenotedthenegativeimpactsandpotentialforabuseandpointedouttheneedforasystemoffurthervericationandaccountability.Thatagainwouldhavebeenacallforgovernmentover-sightsomethingthatwillneverhappenundertheHarperConservatives.Itisoftentruethattheprivatesectoristhemostefcientandeffectivemeansofgettingthingsdone.Itisalsotruethatlessgovernmentisgenerallybetter-exceptforwhenitisnt.Therearetimeswhentheprotmotiveofcorporationsdominatesandthepublicinterestistrampled.InthiscaseitisNorthernersneedinghealthyaffordably-pricedfoodandtaxpayermoneythatrightfullyshouldgotowardmakingthathappen-beingtrampledwiththeblessingandsupportofthefederalgovernment.Itistruethattheprivatesectoristhemostefcientandeffectivemeansofgettingthingsdone.Itisalsotruethatlessgovernmentisgenerallybetter-exceptforwhenitisnt.ThesecrettoboostingvitaminDlevelsallwinterVitaminDisawondervitaminthatseemstocureawholehostofailments.Researchhaslinkedthevitaminwhichcomesfromsunlightseafoodandmushroomstolowerratesofcan-cerbonefracturesdiabetesheartdiseaseandevenanxietyanddepression.Howeverwithallthetimewespendindoorsnowadays75percentofusarentgettingenough.SowhatdowedoTurntosupplements.Effectiveyesbutcostlyandpotentiallycon-taminatedwithheavymetals.TheresamuchcheaperandeasierwaythatDutchresearch-ershavejustuncoveredgettingoutsideeveninwinter.Theresearchersexposed55adultsbetweenages18and65toanarticiallightcontain-ingultravioletradiationUVequivalenttowhattheydabsorbin10minutesspentout-sideatnoononasummerday.Eachpersonwasexposedtothelightover88percentofhisorherbodybasicallyeverywherenotcov-eredbyunderweareitheronceaweekonceeverytwoweeksoronceeveryfourweeksoverthecourseof16weeksafterwhichthesubjectsbloodwassampledandvitaminDlevelsmeasured.AsitturnsoutitdidnttakemuchtokeepvitaminDathealthylevels.ThoughthepeoplewhoreceivedtheweeklytreatmentsawtheirvitaminDlevelsincreasethosewhoreceivedthetreatmentonceeverytwoweeksachievedwhatwereconsideredhealthylevelsandtheymaintainedthoselevelsthroughoutthe16-weekstudy.Grantedsurroundingyourselfwitharti-ciallightwhilestandinginyourunderwearisonething.Itstotallydifferenttowalkaroundnearlynakedoutsidewhentemperaturesareverycold.Butyoucanstillbenetfromadailywalkinthewinter.TheUVdoseusedinthisstudyisequaltotwohoursand20minutesoutsideundertheweakwintersun.Thatequals10minutesofsunexposureadayoverthecourseoftwoweeks.TomakethemostofyourwintertimesunexposureLetasmuchofyourskinshowasyoucom-fortablycan.Aimforsolarnoonthetimethesunisatitshighestpointintheskywheneverthatisinyourareathissolarcalculatorwilltellyouwhenthatishttpwww.timeanddate.comworldclocksunrise.html.Useyourskinasacue.Youvehadthenec-essaryamountofUVexposurewhenyourskinstartstoturnpink.Ifsunexposureisjusttoohardtogetwhereyouaresupplementsareagoodbackup.BecauseyourbodydoesntabsorbvitaminDfromsupplementsaswellasfromsunlightyougenerallyneedtotakehigherdosesthanyoumightgetfromsunlight.Aimfora600-IUsupplementofvitaminD3whichisamorebenecialformofthevitaminthanvitaminD2anothersupple-mentyoumightseeatthestore.AndbuysupplementscertiedbyUSPharmacopeiaorConsumerLabs.comtoensureyouarentgettingcontaminatedpills.EmilyMainRodaleNewsSourcetheBritishJournalofDermatologyConcernedresidentsinYellowknifeemergedin-31CtemperaturesonSaturdaytoshowtheirsolidaritywiththeBlackLivesMattermovementtakingplaceintheU.S.overthepastfewweeks.TherallywasspurredbyseveralrecentcourtdecisionsfailingtoindictwhitepoliceofcersinthedeathsofunarmedblackmeninFergusonMissouriandNewYork.OrganizersinYellowknifesaidtheywantedtohighlightthesharedexperiencesofracismfacedbyindigenousandblackpeopleacrossNorthAmerica.PhotoDenezeNakehko