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4TuesdayMarch242015TheNorthernJournalisanindependentnewspapercoveringnewsandeventsinthewesternArcticandnorthernAlberta.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.EDITORIALCOLUMNPartneringtoachieveaformidableAWGlegacyCongratulationstotheteamswhoworkedsohardtocreateandpresentthewinningbidforthe2018ArcticWinterGamesAWGsintheSouthSlave.WelldoneTheeffortbyFortSmithandHayRiverhadtobetop-notchtooutstripwhatInuvikhadtooffergiventheirdepthofexperienceinorganizingoutstandingannualeventslikethePetroleumShowtheGreatNorthernArtsFestivalandtheSunriseFestival.TwocommunitieshostingtheAWGstogetherhasthepotentialtoinuencehowfuturevenuesareselected.MostNorthernjurisdictionshavesmallpopulationsandthenormistoawardtheAWGstothesinglelargecapitalcity.ThebidthistimedidnotgotoYellowknifeonlybecausetheyoptedtofocusonabidfortheCanadaWinterGamesin2023.Ifthe2018AWGsarecarriedoffsuccessfullybycommunitiesfarapartitwillpavethewayforsmallercommunitiesinotherterritoriesandcountriestodothesame.ThatwouldalterthecharacteroftheAWGsbring-ingthemclosertocommunityrootssomethingmanypeoplehavelongadvocated.worktogether.Towncouncilsandchambersofcommercearenotincontact.SynergybetweentheirterritorialMLAsshouldbenaturalyetdoesnotexist.Thetwocommunitiesbothsufferfromeconomicmalaiseandareseeminglypowerlesstoevolvewhilemostcommunity-buildingandnancialactivityowstoYellowknife.Theyneedtoworktogethertochangethat.TourismisboominginYellowknifethankstoanindustryfosteredaroundNorthernLightsviewingwiththousandsofvisitorsannually.SouthSlavecommunitiesseelittletourismactiv-ityyettheysharespectacularnaturalphenom-enaincludingwaterfallsworld-classrapidsandtheworldslargestnationalpark.SummertimeviewingofnestingwhoopingcranesthatdrawthousandsofvisitorstotheirwinteringgroundinTexaseachyearisauniqueopportunitythatwouldbenetbothcommunitiesbuttheyseemunawareofit.Thetwosharepowerfromahydrodamthatforover30yearshaswastedhalfoftheenergyitgeneratestensofmillionsofdol-larslost.Yetwhileresidentscomplainbitterlyaboutthehighcostofpowernoattemptismadetoforcetheuseorsaleofthatsquanderedpowerinawaythatwouldlowerrates.SouthSlavecom-munitiescouldhousemanymoremineworkerscurrentlylivinginthesouthbutitiscommonlybelievedthatthecostoflivingistoohighintheNorthwhichdissuadesworkersfromlivingintheNWT.ThatisbecausetheyonlyknowofthecostoflivinginYellowknife.LivinginHayRiverorFortSmithismuchmoreaffordableandthereareothersignicantbenetsofsmalltownliv-ingthatwouldappealtoanyonewithfamiliesorthoselovingoutdooradventure.Thatlineofthinkingneedstobepursuedwithmineman-agementandpromotedwithmineemployeesbytheGNWTbuttheyhavetobepushedtodoitmadetorealizeaprosperousSouthSlavemeansastrongerNWT.Oncebutonlywhenanatmosphereofcertaintyprevailstheprivatesectorwillinvestinhousinginthecommunities-thenalpieceofthepuzzle.Thosearebutafewexampleswhereacooperativeapproachbythetwocommunitiescouldmanifestsignicantlong-termbenetsforboth.LastandcertainlynotleastthegameswillleavealegacyamongyoungNWTandnorth-ernAlbertaathletesparticularlythoseintheSouthSlavethatwillinspireforgenerationstocome.Oftenexcellenceinathleticsisre-ectedinacademics.Thebenetstofuturegenerationswillbeprofound.Buildingtowardandhostingthe2018ArcticWinterGamesplustheamazinglegacythatwillfollowisanexcitingall-encompassingopportunityonsomanylevels.Whatcanbedoneislimitedonlybythecreativevisionandcollaborativeeffortofthepartnercom-munities.Somuchgoodcancomeofthis.ByLAWRENCENAYALLYAttheyoungageof10yearsweweretaughthowtoholdsingandpraywiththeDenedrumandhowtomakesnowshoessetrabbitsnaresandmakelean-tos.By12years-oldwehadthefortunateopportunitytogoonourvisionquestandtobetaughthowtosurviveonthelandbyoureldersofthattime.Bytheageof16yearsIshotmyrstbiggameoutinDeline.Onmyreturntothecommunityablackwolfwasinfrontofmyskidooleadingmetosafetywhentheblizzardcame.Andtomylefthispackcamecharginginastyleofgracewhilethinningoutthecaribouherdthathadjustrunoverourtrail.By17yearsoldIwasbeinggroomedtobethechiefofmycommunitywhenIwouldgetabitolderbutrefusedthisresponsibil-itybecauseIstillhadmuchtolearn.FallinghardtoaddictionsandthenendingupintroublewasnotmyideaoflearningsoIhadtochangemymindmybeing.WithabsolutecondenceIsaythatthedrummycultureandtraditionspulledmefromtheholethatIwasdiggingmyselfinto.Iam31years-oldtodayandhavedonemuchbothinthecommunityonthelandandinthisbigcityonthetraditionallandsoftheAkaitchoTlichopeoplethathasmademyfoundationso.Ihavehadtheprivilegeofbeingraisedbyelderswhodidnotgotoresidentialschooltobetaughtbypowerfulmenandwomenandtobeshelteredbygoodfriendsandfamily.ThispathwasahardandtrickyonebutIbelievethatbeingoutonthelandbeingconnectedtoithavingyourlan-guageidentityandthemoderneducationinhandreallyhelpswithyourpersonaldevel-opmentasahumanbeing.Wehavebeengiftedwithlifeanditmustnotbewastedonmeaninglessthings.Enjoyeachdaygooutonthelandharvestyourmedicinesgatheryourfoodbeselflessinyourwaysandalwayshaveapositiveout-lookonlifenomatterhowharditmightbebecauseyouarenottheonlyone.Bestrongliketwopeoplebewiseliketheeldersandhavefunandalwaysalwaysbecurious.TodayIamproudtobeDeneandIamproudtobelivinginanareaoftheworldwherewecanstillcontinuedoingwhatwehavebeendoingsincetimeimmemorialandbeabletosharethiswithotherswhoareinterested.Bewellbekindandloveoneanother.Mahsicho.ProudDeneLandconnectionandwellbeing-mystoryTheseeminglyobviouspotentialeconomicbenetsfromanalliancebetweenthetwocommunitiesareconsiderableyettheyneverworktogether.AnimperativeintheplanningbyHayRiverandFortSmithiscreatingAWGinfrastruc-turethatlasts.Doingallthatworkforthreeyearsandsimplyhostingforitsownsakewouldbefoolish.Theremustbealegacythatserveslongafter.ThetwocommunitiesshouldworktogethertoleveragepartnershipswiththeGNWTandmajorNWTcorporationsimprovingbothcommunities.BeyondthatthepotentialforbenetstoaccruetoFortSmithandHayRiveroutsidetheeventareconsiderableandmustbetakenadvantageof.Bothcommunitiessufferfrominternaldivi-sionswithintheirpopulationsthatbadlyneedhealing.Thegamesrequirementofasustainedefforttowardpositivelong-termgoalswillfos-tercommunityspiritbringingpeopletogetherineachcommunitytheperfectmedication.PartneringinhostingtheAWGshasthepo-tentialtobeacatalystforpositivegrowthonanotherlevel.TheseeminglyobviouspotentialeconomicbenetsfromanalliancebetweenthetwocommunitiesareconsiderableyettheyneverPhotoTraceyHuttonTheFortSmithHurricaneSwimteamheldawrapupend-of-the-seasonfunmeetontheweekendcompletewithraces.Youngswimmersgotatasteofwhatitistoparticipateinabigmeet.TheseasonisoverforthembutsomeoftheolderswimmerswillcontinuetrainingforeventsinYellowknifeandWhitehorselaterthisSpring.