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TuesdayJanuary1320159APRIL1APRIL8APRIL15APRIL29APRIL22GNWTwaitstocelebrateDevolutionDayAfteryearsofhardworkandmonthsofpreparationsDe-volutionDaycomesandgoeswithlittlefanfareintheLeg-islativeAssembly.TheGNWTannouncesplanstocelebratetheirmajoraccomplishmentinthecomingmonths.SouthSlaveBeaufortDeltabattleoverAWG2018WithYellowknifeback-ingoutoftherunningtohostthe2018ArcticWinterGamestheSouthSlaveandBeaufortDeltaarelefttogoheadtoheadinthebiddingcontestforthecovetedsport-ingevent.NWTwildfurstaketopdollaratinterna-tionalauctionTopqualitywildmartenpeltssubmittedbytheGen-uineMackenzieValleyFurprogramtothelargestinter-nationalfurauctionofitskindheldinHelsinkiFinlandgar-nerattentionasthetop-priceitemsattheauction.AlbertacommitstoteachingresidentialschoollegacyTodemonstrateacommit-menttothereconciliationpro-cessAlbertaEducationMinis-terJeffJohnsonannouncesaplantohavethehistoryofresi-dentialschoolstaughtineveryAlbertaeducationalinstitutionbythe2016-2017schoolyear.NWTsportsreceivemajorfederalfundingboostThefederalgovernmentpledgesalmost1millioninfundingtowardssportsintheterritoryaftersigningathree-yearbilateralagreementmatch-ingsportdevelopmentfundingandparticipationintheNWTfrom2012through2015.YELLOWKNIFETALKSROLLOUTOFCOMPOSTCARTSINTHEFALL2014THEYEARINREVIEWFortSmithHealthSocialServicesAuthoritySTARTSONJANUARY192015From1000am12NoondailyatCommunityCounsellingServicesattheFortSmithHealthCentreTHEADULTMATRIXOutpatientAddictionsTreatmentProgramThisprogramisofferedtoaccommodatethosewhowishtoreceivelocalsupportwithaddictions.Itisopentoanyonedealingwithanaddictionorwantingtomaintaintheirsobriety.ThisFREEprogramis10weeksinlengthwithdaily2hoursessionsandbi-weeklyone-to-onesessionswithacounsellor.CALL867872-6310tobookanintakeappointmentTroublingrevelationsspuroverhaulofNWTchildandfamilyservicesByMEAGANWOHLBERG2014wasnotakindyeartoofficialsintheNWTsdepartmentofHealthandSo-cialServiceswhocameunderfireafterascathingauditrevealedatroublinglackofaccountabilitywithinthechildandfamilyservicessystemthatallowedchildrentobeputinpositionsofharmandneglect.TheMarchreportbytheAuditorGen-eralofCanadarevealedlongstandinggapsinservicesincludingthealarmingfind-ingthatastartlingtwothirdsor69percentoffosterhomesintheNWThadnotbeenscreenedforsafetyand81percenthadnotbeensubjecttothemandatedan-nualreview.Thereviewconcludedthatchildrenincare-90percentofwhomareAboriginal-wereplacedininappropriateorunsafesituationssomeofwhichhadbeenlinkedtoallegationsofneglectandabusewithlittlefollow-upbychildprotectionwork-ersoncasefiles.Thefindingsonfosterhomesafetywerejustafractionofthepervasiveandcriti-calshortcomingstheAuditorGeneralindicatedhadbeenplaguingtheNWTfordecadesdespitesimilarauditsandrec-ommendationsmadeasfarbackas2000.ThereportsinescapablecriticismslandedwithathudonthedeskofnewlyappointedHealthMinisterGlenAbernethywhointheweeksfollowingwouldbejoinedbyseniorofficialsinthedepartmentinthefulladmissionoffailureonthepartofthegovernmentinaddressingthecriticismsidentifiedinthemostrecentandprevi-ousaudits.Whilesomeoftheinformationshownintheauditwasknownpreviouslyofficialssaidtheseriousnessofotherfindingslikechildprotectionworkersnotfollowingupadequatelyonfosterhomesandplansofcarecameasasurprise.ThedepartmentswiftylaunchedintoanoverhaulstrategyforchildandfamilyservicesthefirstactionofwhichwastodesignateeachhealthauthoritysCEOasassistantdirectorofchildandfamilyser-vicesmakingthemdirectlyresponsibleforensuringnochildwouldfallthroughthecracksagain.Theoverhaulisgroundedinthephi-losophythatchildandfamilyservicesshouldbecenteredonprovidingsupportstofamiliessothatchildrencanremainintheirhomesandcommunitiesratherthanbeingforcedintocare.Beyondshort-termfixeswhichincludeupgradestothesystemtoensurecompli-ancemonitoringatthereportinglevelandupdatedtrainingforworkersthedepart-mentisfocusedonestablishingfamilysup-portorpreservationworkersincommu-nitiestokeepkidsintheirhomes.Homeassessmentsarealsosettochangewithanewapproachthatdifferentiatesbetweenneglectcurrentlythebasisforthevastma-jorityofchildrenincareintheNWTandabuse.Incasesofneglecthomeswillnowbeassessedfortheirstrengthsandweak-nessesratherthaninvestigatedwhichoffi-cialshopewillleadtofewerapprehensions.Butaschildwelfareadvocateshaverightlypointedoutthephilosophyoffam-ilysupportratherthanchildremovalhasbeenpartofthegovernmentsrhetoricforyearswithoutrealresultscastingdoubtongovernmentsabilitytoradicallyreformasystemtaintedbydecadesofbredmis-trustamongcommunitiesprimarilyin-digenouswhohaveseentoomanyoftheirchildrenscoopedupbythestate.Howsuccessfulwillthepromisedre-formsbethistimearoundThecommit-mentandcareoftheministerandhisse-niorofficialstowardNorthernfamiliesandchildreniscertainlystrongtheresnodoubtaboutthat.Itseemsthereisagenu-ineeffortbeingmadebehindthescenestofindawaytokeepkidswiththeirfami-liesbringcommunitiesintothefoldandavoidanotherscathingauditlikethelast.Thequestioniswhetherornotanyre-formswillbegreatenoughtoearnthetrustofNorthernfamiliesandcommunitiestoworkwiththegovernmentorifitistimetomoveawayfromthestate-ledsystemasawholeandworktowardsafamilysupportmodeldevelopedandadministeredbythecommunitiesandFirstNationsthemselves.ThequestioniswhetherornotanyreformswillbegreatenoughtoearnthetrustofNorthernfamiliesandcommunitiestoworkwiththegovernment.PhotoEcologyNorthThegreen-livingadvocatesofYellowknifecelebrateavictoryfortheEarthwhenthemunicipalitysharesitsplanstoenactacompostingprograminthecomingfallthatwillcollectthecitysorganicwasteinasustainablemanner.