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4TuesdayJanuary132015TheNorthernJournalisanindependentnewspapercoveringnewsandeventsinthewesternArcticandnorthernAlberta.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.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.EDITORIALLETTERTOTHEEDITOREditorDearSecretSantaYoucannotimaginetheexcitementandjoythatyouhavebroughtfortwoyoungboyswholiveinourcommunity.IhaveworkedwiththeseboysforthepastfouryearsonbehalfoftheNWTDisabilitiesCouncilasarespiteworkerandhaveneverseensuchexcitementandrespectforthesespecialgiftsWintercanbetoughonheatersandsome-timesoneheaterisjustnotenoughtoheatanentirehouse.Electricspaceheaterscanbeveryhelpfulhoweveriftheyarenotusedandmonitoredproperlyelectricspaceheat-erscanbedangerous.Mr.Electrichassomeeasytipstofollowtomakesurespaceheatersareusedcorrectly.CheckSafetyfeaturesBeforebuyingaspaceheaterbesureithasbeensafetycertied.Thereshouldbeasafetycerticationmarkonthebox.Manyspaceheatershaveasafetyfeaturethatauto-maticallyturnsthespaceheateroffwhenitistippedtoacertaindegree.GeneralInspectionWhenusingthespaceheaterforthersttimeorthersttimeinawhileinspectfordam-ages.Checkthepowercordforburnmarksorfrays.Theheaterunititselfshouldbeinspectedfordentsandotherdamagesthatmaycauseamalfunction.Turnswitchesonandofftomakesuretheyareinproperworkingorder.ProperHeaterUsePlacetheheateronalevelstablesurfaceatleastthreefeetawayfromanycombustibleitems.Duetotheamountofheatthatcanbegeneratedneverruntheheatercordsundercarpetsorrugsbecausethiscandamagethecordsandpossiblyleadtores.GeneralHeaterSafetyNeverleaveanelectricheaterunattended.Beforemovingtheheateritselfswitchitoffandallowtimeforittocooldown.Besuretokeepchildrenandanimalsawayfromspaceheaters.Theyproducealotofheatandtheunitcanbehottothetouch.MrElectric.comWhattoknowaboutelectricspaceheatersThestoryinourDec.23issueentitledTightbudgetsandnewxesforNWTtownscostcrunchhighlightedthe-nancialandadministrativechallengesfacedbytheNWTssixtax-basedmu-nicipalities.ItpointedouttheSeniorAdministrativeOfcerinInuvikinof-cesince2012isthelongestservinginthatroleintheNWT.Thatdidnotincludeadministratorsofthesmallercommuni-tiessomeofwhomhavebeeninofceforlongerperiods.TheJournalapolo-gizesforanyinconveniencethislackofclaritymayhavecaused.CLARIFICATIONTheparentsKimandChrisareoverjoyedatthechildrensresponsetotheirgiftsandverygrateful.Thankyousomuchforyourgenuinekind-nessandgenerosity.Peoplelikeyoumaketheworldabetterplacetolivein.LyndaThickettFortSmithGovernmentsinCanadaaretoooftenatoddswiththeirpeopleandthatmustchange.Bynatureademocraticsocietyiscomprisedofgroupswithdifferentoftendivergingper-spectivesandmethodologies.Thestrongestdeterminestheoveralldirectiontheneedsandconcernsofminoritiesareacknowledgedandaddressed.ThatisthewayCanadawas.ThealternativeisastiednationlikePu-tinsRussiaorattheextremeKimJongUnsNorthKorea.EventheAmericansaretornapartbypartisanideology.Unfortunatelyweareheadingthatway.Canadaisagreatnationbecausetherightsofeachindividualandeverygroupmatter.Weareacaringpeopleproudandstrongasacountryyetinspiteofourgreatlongtermsuccesstheenvyoftheworldwearemovingawayfromwhoweareandwhatwestandfor.Oureconomicandpoliticalsystemsarenowdrivenbycorporateambitionwhichdeterminesthewaygovernmentsoperate.Prot-drivencorporationstoooftenhavenomorality.Itisnotthattheyaregoodorevilrathertheyareamoralstrivingsingle-mindedlytomakeaprot.Ifnoparametersorrulesareappliedtheydowhatevertheycan.Thesanctityoftheenvironmentqual-ityofwatereventhehealthofpeoplearetoooftendisregardedinthedrivetocreatewealth.Governmentsshouldsetparametersandensurecorporatemorality.Thatisnothappening.Capitalismsucceedssolongasbusinessesdowell.Governmentsarepopularsolongastheeconomyisstrong.Itmakessensethatgovernmentsaresupportiveofcorpo-rationswhichdrivetheeconomyuntilthatispracticesdivergefromwhatisgoodforthepeople.Insteadgovernmentsgetcaughtupintheurgencytodevelopandcreatewealth.Morewealthastrongereconomyandmaterialwellbeingforthemassesiswhatre-electsgovernmentsthusgoalsofcorporationsareadoptedbygovernments.Theytoooverlookanythreattothesanctityoftheenvironmentqualityofwaterandyeseventhehealthoftheircitizens.Theirpriorityroleofservingandprotectingtheneedsofthepeopleissetaside.AcaseinpointistheYukongovernmentsappealoftherulingbyaterritorialSupremeCourtjusticeunderwaynow.Theywereor-deredinDecembertore-commenceapublichearingprocessovertheirplantoindustrializethePeelRiverwatershedavastwildernessinnorthernYukonroughlyoneseventhoftheterritory.ThatplanisopposedbyFirstNa-tionslivingthereaswellasalargeportionoftheterritorialpopulation.Thereispotentialformassiveresourcedevelopmentandsev-erallargecompaniesareeagertodrillandmine.TheYukongovernmentisdeterminedtopushaheaddespitetheSupremeCourtsrulingthatitdidnotfollowtheestablishedlanduseplanningprocesswhenitintroducednewprovisionsatthe11thhourwhichnobodyhadseenbefore-anapproachhesaidthatwasnotconsistentwiththehonourandin-tegrityoftheCrown.Itsverymuchaboutprotectingourde-mocracyaswellastheeconomicfutureoftheterritorysaidtheYukongovernmentenergyministerinjustifyingtheappeal.ThesameattitudecanbefoundintheAlbertagovernmentsseenoevilhearnoevilapproachtooilsandsdevelopment.Commonsenserulesthatwouldensureintelligentmoderately-paceddevelopmenthavebeensetaside.TheNWTwithitsmajorityFirstNa-tionrepresentationandconsensusgovern-menthastheopportunitytoshowtherestofCanadahowdevelopmentcanbecarriedoutwiselyandwealthcreatedwhilestillen-gagingallsegmentsofthepopulationbutevenitsgovernmenthassuccumbed.AfullenvironmentalassessmentoffrackingintheSahtuwasdispensedwithtofacilitatedevel-opment.Carefulstudyofeverychemicalin-jectedundergroundwasanobviousimper-ative.AfewgenerationshencefreshwaterwillbemuchmorevaluablethanoilonthisplanetyetunknownpoisonouschemicalsareinjectedintoaquifersacrossNorthAmerica-short-sightednessdrivenbyarushforim-mediategratication.ItistimeforCanadianstoretakecontroloftheirgovernments.Theonlywaytodoitistobeinvolved.Governmentsonlygetawaywithpoorpracticesiftheyareignored.In2015letitbeyourresolutiontobeawaregetinvolvedandspeakup.Thepeopleshouldbemastersofgovernmentswhichneedtobedirectedandheldaccountable.Allofusneedtomakesurethathappens.MisguidedgovernmentiserodingourdemocracyCOLUMNCOLUMNPhotoJohnMcKinnonBirdwatchersofFortSmithlayeredontheircoziestclothesonJan.2andheadedoutintothefrostyweatherhopingtospotwhichoftheirfeatheredfriendsstuckclosetotownthiswinteraspartoftheChristmasBirdCount.TheannualtraditionwasstartedbyAmericanenvironmentalorganizationAudubon115yearsagoandisthelongest-runningcitizensciencesurveyintheworld.Thisyearsixvolunteersspreadthemselvesthroughoutthetownandtogethercounted298birdsfrom12differentspeciesfromthecommonraventothemoreelusivewoodpecker.