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4TuesdayJanuary272015TheNorthernJournalisanindependentnewspapercoveringnewsandeventsinthewesternArcticandnorthernAlberta.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.caProductionManager......................................SandraJaque867-872-3000ext.22sandranorj.caGraphics........................................................PaulBannister867-872-3000ext.27graphicsnorj.caLetterstotheEditorPolicyTheNorthernJournalwelcomesletterstotheeditor.Lettersmustbesignedandincludeaphonenumbersotheauthorcanbeveried.Nameswillbewithheldonrequestinspecialcircumstanceswherethereasonsaredeterminedtobevalid.TheJournalreservestherighttoeditlettersforlengthlibelclarityandtaste.Opinionsexpressedinlettersandcolumnsarenotnecessarilythoseofthepublisheroreditor.AdvertisingDeadlinesDisplayaddeadlineisThursdayat400p.m.ClassiedaddeadlineisThursdayat500p.m.Emailadsnorj.caSubscriptionRatesPricesincludeGST.47.25inFortSmith52.50elsewhereinCanada105intheUSAoverseas164.30.EDITORIALCOLUMNNortherncommunityneedsnotbeingmetCommunitiesintheNortharechallengedwithhighoperatingcostsfailinginfrastruc-tureandaneternalstruggletokeepgoodadminstafftorunthings.Itslikebeingstuckinadeepholescramblingtogetoutwhilethesideskeepcavingin.Seniorgovernmentsaresympatheticbutdistant.Communitiesareforcedtostrugglealongndingsolutionsontheirown.ThisiswheremostNorthernerslive-intownsandhamlets-theall-importanthubsofeconomyandcornerstonesofsociety.Whenthingsgowrongwhenthereismismanage-mentbaddecisionsaremadeorimportantmattersofanykindarenotdealtwithweareaffectedwhereitmattersmost-inourhomes.Communitiesthatarerunwellshouldbecelebrated.Cleansafewatertodrinksew-ageandgarbagedisposedofinsmartenvi-ronmentally-friendlywayswellmaintainedstreetsserviceslikerecreationandseniorsfacilitiesallaretoooftentakenforgranted-unlesstheyhaveaproblematwhichtimecitizensbecomeupset.Wellruncommunitiesneedtobeappreciatedandacknowledged.WhathoweveristobedoneabouttheonesthatarentInthetoocommoncircumstancewherecompetentreliableadministratorswillingtostayforanumberofyearsarenotavailablehowwillthingsbemanagedandrunRatherthansimplylettingcommunityoperationsfoundersophisticatedsupportandresourcesmustbeavailable.Thereisanelinebetweenassistingandinterference-perceivedorreal.Communitygovernmentswanttobeandshouldbeasindependentaspossiblesomethingthatshouldbefosteredencouragedandneverdisrupted.Craftingsupportresourcesandnetworkswiththatinmindiscritical.Thereareanumberofmajorchallengesthataresimplytoomuchformostcommu-nityadministrations.Thatiscertainlytrueinmanycasesofemergencypreparednesswherelocalcommitteesneedtobeinitiatedtrainedandthenkeptsharpovertime.Fireabatementprogramsthatwouldgiveacom-munityaghtingchanceagainstwildresofutmostimportanceforallNortherncommu-nitiesduringthecurrentperiodofdroughtarerarelydonewell.SomeadministrativesupportisofferedtocommunitiesbytheNWTgovernmentbutgenerallytheyareontheirownunlesstheyfail.Thentheterritorialgovernmentstepsinandtakesover.Aproactiveapproachisbadlyneeded.Bynaturecommunitycouncilsarere-newedregularly.Unfortunatelytheturnoverofcommunityadministrationstaffisalmostasfrequent.Thatmeanstoooftenthereisnoconsistencyoroverlapofknowledgeandexperience.Notonlyarebigthingslikereabatementneglectedbutregularmainte-nancetoinfrastructureforservicessuchassewerandwatermissoutaswell.Creativeprogramstoalleviatethosetypesofburdensshouldbemadeavailable.InawordNorth-erncommunitiesneedmorehelp.LastmonthmunicipalrepresentativesofCanadasthreeterritoriesservednoticeoftheirneedstothefederalgovernmentget-tingtheirshoppinglistinearlyfortheup-comingfederalelection.WeneedtobuildaCanadawhereourcitiesandtownsaremoreinnovativeourcommunitiesmorelivableourstreetssaferandwherewecontributetoacleanerenvi-ronmentandamoreconnectedworldsaidBradWoodsidepresidentoftheFederationofCanadianMunicipalities.Theprioritiesthethreeterritoriespre-sentedincludedthedevelopmentofavailablehousingdecreasingthecostoflivingabovethe60thparallelincreasingbroadbandcon-nectivityandimprovingairports.Territorialleadersalsomadethecaseforaninfusionof14billionformorecommunityinfrastruc-turethroughtheBuildingCanadaFund.Withuniquelivingconditionsremote-nessandinfrastructurechallengeswemustensurethatourneedsaremetwiththesup-portofalllevelsofgovernmentsaidNWTAssociationofCommunitiesPresidentChar-lieFurlongofAklavik.TheNWTdepartmentofMunicipalAf-fairsworksoff20differentpiecesoflegisla-tionincludingtheTownsandVillagesActandtheHamletsActbothofthemenactedin2003theDogActtheFirePreventionActand16sundryotheractsmostofwhichimpacthowNWTcommunitiesareadminis-tered.Itisafragmentedapproachthatneedstobeupdated.TheAlbertagovernmentisintheprocessofcompletelyrevisingitsMunicipalGovern-mentActincludinganextensiveconsulta-tionprocesswithmunicipalgovernmentsoverthenextyear.Albertasruralmunicipalitiesfaceuniquechallengesandneedastrongpieceoflegisla-tionthatprovidesthenecessarytoolstogrowandshapeourcommunitiescommentedAlKemmerepresidentAlbertaAssociationofMunicipalDistrictsandCounties.Hesaidtheywantlegislationthatpromotessustain-abilityandprosperity.NeedlesstosaythatissomethingthatisneededacrosstheNorthaswell.SeniorgovernmentsneedtodoabetterjobofsupportinglocalgovernmentsinNortherncommunitiesboththroughtheprovisionofadditionalinfrastructurefundingaswellashavingreadyresourcesthatsupportandaddqualitytocommunitygovernanceandadministration.Electroniccigarettesalsoknownase-cigarettesareusedasapopularalterna-tivetoregulartobaccoproductsbuttherearehealthandsafetyconcernsassociatedwiththeiruse.E-cigarettesarebatterypowereddevicesthathaveacartridgewithliquidchemicalsinthem.Thedeviceheatstheliquidchemicalintoavapourwhichistheninhaledbytheuser.Thisiscalledvaping.Thecartridgecanbereplacedorre-lledwithliquidoftencallede-liquidore-juicewhennished.Currentlytherearenostandardsorlabellingrequirementsfore-cigarettesande-liquids.Knowingwhatchemicalyouareinhalingisextremelydifculttodistinguishbecauseofthis.Manye-cigaretteusersclaimthattheyareinhalingwatervapour.Howeverresearchshowsthisisnotthecase.Commoningredientsine-liquidssuchaspropyleneglycolarealsofoundinantifreezeandtheatrefog.Itisnotknownifthevapourofpropyleneglycolandtheotherpotentialchemicalscontainedinthee-liquidaresafetoinhale.Oneofthefewstudiesone-cigarettesfoundsignsofparticipantsairwaysnarrowingafterusinge-cigarettes.Therehavealsobeenre-portsinthemediaofe-cigarettesexplodingcausingsevereburnstotheuser.HealthCanadaadvisesnottousee-ciga-rettesbecausetheirsafetyhasnotbeenfullyevaluated.Theyalsoadvisethattheseproductscanleadtonicotinepoisoningandaddiction.Parentsshouldkeepe-cigarettesande-liquidsawayfromchildrentopreventpoi-soningandchoking.TheCentreforDiseaseControlandPreventionfoundthenumberofcallstopoisoncentresinvolvinge-cigaretteliquidswithnicotineincreasedfromonenico-tinepoisoningpermonthinSeptember2010to215permonthinFebruary2014.Over50percentofthenicotinepoisoningsoccurinchildrenveyearsofageoryounger.CurrentlyHealthCanadahasnotapprovedanye-cigarettesore-liquidscontainingnico-tineorthatclaimtohelppeoplequitsmok-ingforsaleinCanada.AnyproductmakingatherapeutichealthclaimneedHealthCan-adaapprovaltobesoldinCanada.Thereisnoscienticconsensusthate-cigarettesareeffectivetobeusedintobaccocessation.NotonlydoesHealthCanadanotrecommende-cigarettesuseintobaccocessationbutalsotheU.S.FoodandDrugAdministrationandtheWorldHealthOrganization.HealthCanadahasapprovedotherproductstohelppeoplequitusingtobaccoproductscalledNicotineReductionTherapiesNRT.Theseincludethenicotinepatchgumloz-engeandtheinhaler.Prescriptionmedica-tionsarealsoavailable.CombiningaNRTwithnicotineaddictioncounsellingisproventobethemosteffectivewaytoquitsmoking.AlbertaHealthServicesprovidesmanysupportsincludingtheAlbertaQuitswebsitewww.albertaquits.cacallingortextingthetelephonehotline1-866-710-QUIT7848.FormoreinformationonelectroniccigarettespleasevisitHealthCanadaswebsitewww.hc-sc.gc.caorAlbertaQuitswww.albertaquits.ca.GARETTRICHARDSONAlbertaHealthServicesHealthconcernsaboutelectroniccigarettesPhotoBelindaJeromchukYellowkniferstrytheirhandatbuildingaquinzheeaNorthernsnowhouseforWorldSnowDayonJan.18.AlongwithbuildingthetraditionalhutoutdoorsyparticipantscelebratedtheseasonbyspendingthedayskiingridingontheirsnowmobilesrunningwiththeHashHouseHarriersandevencurlingwithafrozenturkey.