Summer in Yellowknife is so glorious and so fleeting, one could forgive anybody who lets his or herself believe the world actually stops for it.
Unfortunately, that's not the case. The world keeps turning. Residents keep using city facilities and infrastructure. Construction drones on. Businesses keep their doors open.
Speaking of businesses, city council definitely owes an apology to Twist & Shout owner Jason Perrino, who recently showed up to not one SA国际影视传媒� but two SA国际影视传媒� municipal services committee meetings only to find these meetings didn't have quorum, therefore the handful of councillors in attendance couldn't do anything but passively listen to his presentation. Nobody had bothered to contact Perrino beforehand to let him know this.
Municipal services committee sits at noon, which also happens to be the start of any restaurant's lunch rush, so for Perrino to take time out of his day to make his presentation is no small effort.
Yellowknifer isn't suggesting councillors shouldn't be able to take vacations in summer. But becoming a councillor is a commitment, and each person elected does get paid for his or her work. So how hard can it be to organize vacations so there aren't so many councillors away at one time that council ends up hamstringing itself?
Last Monday, it was a personal emergency that lead to a lack of quorum. Personal emergencies happen. But maybe a little more planning could be done to make sure council doesn't grind to a halt over a single councillor's emergency.
As well as better organization, perhaps city council could do a better job at communication. In the event where quorum won't be met, for example, somebody should be contacting those scheduled to make presentations.
In response to the quorum issues, Coun. Adrian Bell suggested perhaps people schedule their presentations in the fall, when there is a higher likelihood all councillors will be available to hear them out. As much as this is a fair and no doubt accurate observation, it's unrealistic. Things are going to happen in summer, people are going to need things from council in summer. The world may slow down but it it isn't going to stop just because the mercury passes 20 C. Maybe not all councillors will be around all summer long but enough of them should be so as to not hobble city business.
Programs stagnate while Aurora College review drags on
Northern News Services
In March, Education Minister Alfred Moses announced a review of Aurora College in the wake of controversy over the cancellation of its bachelor of education and social work programs.
The review was to be finished by fall and implemented in the 2018-19 school year.
Here we are, on the cusp of autumn, and the contract has yet to be awarded. While the public awaits the outcome of this review, the bachelor of education and social work programs remain in limbo.
This may not be the intention of the government, but while the review stalls, these programs are withering on the vine.
Yellowknifer wouldn't blame anybody for their cynicism in thinking this is intentional. Aurora College cut the two programs earlier this year after Cabinet slashed the school's budget by $1.89 million. The public outcry was intense, and rightfully so. The North needs social workers and teachers SA国际影视传媒� especially Northern ones, who understand the specific challenges of this region. By keeping these programs available in the North, not only do Northern students have the opportunity to study close to home, these young professionals have a higher chance of staying up here, where they are so desperately needed.
Letting a review stagnate will lead to more of a likelihood that this is the end of social-work and education studies in the North. Whether or not this is intentional, the territory deserves better leadership than this.
