Consider this scenario if you will. On a warm summer weekend, you are lounging in the shade on your patio sipping on a lemonade, lulled by the calming rustle of leaves and the singsong of kids playing in the yard.

Without warning, as if struck by lightning, your back stiffens as you sit upright with ears scanning the air like radar trying to pick up on an unusual vibration in the ground. This rumble becomes louder and louder until you notice shrubs and trees being pulled down at the edge of your property. No amount of rubbing your eyes will restore your sight back to normal because the earth moving equipment is laying waste to the land directly next to where your kids were just playing.

Why is this happening? It is happening because a Yukon gold miner is exercising his right to work a placer claim even though it is next to some residential properties.

Now, imagine this nightmarish scenario persisting in your back yard year after year for ten more years! Unthinkable in a civilized society.

Where else but in the Yukon and some third world countries would this even be contemplated as a possibility?

The Yukon Environmental and Socioeconomic Assessment Board is receiving comments regarding the proponent’s application to mine in this residential area. They are accepting comments until the end of February. Please send in yours.

Also please petition Dawson Council to take a stand on this issue.

The following is my letter to them.

Dear Mayor and Council,

I understand that there is an application before YESAB from Slinky Mines attempting to clear the way to mine the Dome Road and other claims in the area.

The previous Dawson council was approached by Schmidt Mining to do the same. Even though that company eventually lost interest in the project, Town Council was sympathetic to the project based on a number of factors; Schmidt Mining had a good track record along with the required resources to finish the work promptly with minimal disruption to area residents. Even so, many Dome residents expressed serious concerns about the presence of placer mining activity at their doorstep.

Today, Slinky Mines has come forward with a proposal to do the same, with an important difference; they are applying for a ten year period of uninterrupted industrial activity during the mining season. And the scope of the proposed mining activity will take in much more ground than before. This includes stripping earth directly beside some existing homes.

Frankly, this can only be defined as an unfair and unacceptable disruption to the lives of Dome residents. Especially for property owners living next to ten years of industrial noise, dust and heavy equipment traffic, not to mention unsafe road conditions and destruction of the surrounding environment.

Notwithstanding the apparent lapse in common sense by those who support mining activity directly next to resident families for a span of ten years, council should consider Part 1, Section 6 of the Yukon Human Rights Act – “Every individual has a right to the peaceful enjoyment and free disposition of their property, except to the extent provided by law, and no one shall be deprived of that right except with just compensation.”

No matter how one might interpret the nuances within this Act, clearly the intent of this section is to protect a citizen’s quiet enjoyment of their property. Therefore, City Council should be unambiguous in their resolve to uphold this statute by protecting the rights of their citizens. You have an obligation to do so.

I am asking you to demonstrate this obligation by sending a submission to YESAB on City letterhead expressing the municipality’s concern regarding the proponent’s ambition to mine the Dome Road and other claims in the area in the interests of protecting the citizens you represent.

Furthermore, any development permit applications brought forward to advance mining activity within the boundaries of Dawson should be considered in the context of the health and safety of citizens.

I trust that most councillors will take the correct path and recognize that a Dawson City citizen does have a right to peaceful enjoyment of their home without annual  persistent heavy industrial activity on their doorstep.

Further, I  urge Town Council to encourage Lands Branch to continue moving forward with the proposed new Dome subdivision and do whatever it takes to remove the existing mining claims from the equation.

Sincerely,
John Steins

The obvious solution to this problem? Move back to town, problem solved!

Of course, what they fail to mention is that while they enjoy their country lifestyle far from the maddening crowd, the taxes they save in a rural setting offsets much of what they pay in town for their business. Rural property assessments and tax rates represent a fraction of the burden placed on a comparable property in an urban setting.

Ultimately, it boils down to a personal choice based on evaluating all the pros and cons, recognizing that the right to vote municipally is surrendered by choosing to live outside the boundaries.

If we are going to decide who can vote according to who pays municipal taxes or not, doesn’t this establish a dangerous precedent? Is the corollary to this the withdrawal of voting rights to those within a municipality that don’t directly pay city taxes?

If we are going to advocate for all inclusive community participation in municipal affairs then shouldn’t we consider all citizens and not just a few malcontent business owners?

Perhaps a revision to the Municipal Act could establish something akin to townships within the Yukon.

A township is a district associated with a town or a city that does not necessarily involve expansion of boundaries or change the status quo for rural residents.

Those living within a defined area surrounding a town or city would be allowed to vote and run in municipal elections just as they do in other parts of Canada today. Residency and citizenship requirements would remain the same.

To the Chambers of Commerce advocating for absentee business owner voting privileges I would urge you to also consider the people, both in town and out, that support the businesses you represent and do try to be a little less self serving.

The Yukon Chamber of Commerce would like to change the Yukon Municipal Act to allow voting at a municipal election for those that pay municipal taxes but happen to live outside the boundaries.

What about other people in the satellite communities surrounding the municipality? Like the working stiff  employed by one of these establishments but can’t vote because they live in Rock Creek?

Around Dawson City hundreds of potential voters are shut out just because they live a few steps from the perimeter. Aren’t they a part of the whole community?

They may not pay town taxes directly but they certainly help support the businesses that do. Neighbouring residents contribute to the economic and overall health of a community just as much as those that live within the boundaries. So why should they be penalized?

Sometimes I grow wearisome of those entrepreneurs who present themselves as worthy of special entitlement while those that support businesses with their dollars go unrecognized and undefended.

When the the wastewater treatment plant referendum took place my CAO and I had difficulty interpreting the ambiguous section of the act that defines who can vote. Lawyers advised that we could allow businesses one vote each regardless of where the proprietor lived or not allow them a ballot at all. Either option could be defended according to how the act is written.

I think we did the right thing and opted to give every business one vote at the referendum. Unfortunately, there was no provision for regular citizens living nearby.

If the the Municipal Act is going to be reviewed based on the question – who can cast a municipal vote – then I would strongly suggest that all community members be considered rather than only one special interest group.

Share/Save]]> http://themayorsblog.com/whining_businesses.html/feed 2 http://themayorsblog.com/when-will-we-prorogue-harper.html http://themayorsblog.com/when-will-we-prorogue-harper.html#comments Sat, 23 Jan 2010 20:06:57 +0000 John Steins http://themayorsblog.com/?p=946 I find it difficult to abide cowardice, a characteristic that we all share to one degree or another. I hate it when on occasion it appears in myself and in others.

I can’t think of a more debilitating and demeaning condition than having to cower in the face of a perceived threat, grasping at the straws of avoidance rather than confronting the issue(s) directly, win or lose.

We all understand the motive behind “Those who run away, live to fight another day.” There may be virtue in that strategy under certain conditions but certainly not when it comes to the Prime Minister of our country.

Stephen Harper would rather engage in semantics and hide behind a procedural loophole than confront prickly questions such as the alleged mistreatment of prisoners of war at the hands of our military in Afghanistan.

Apparently not the stuff of national and international leadership.

Instead, he closed Parliament (with pay), freeing him up to eagerly join the ‘behind the scenes’ circle-jerk with the Olympic corporate weenies, politicos and other ‘elite’ during the $6 billion Vancouver winter Olympics.

The infamous sentiment “Let them eat cake” has never resonated as loudly as it does now. Harper and his followers will party and schmooze during an Olympics that has spawned an over the top, draconian security sweep along with intrusive violations of privacy and civil rights for some citizens while the business of delivering what Canadians hired him to do goes unfulfilled and unfinished.

Here’s some information I’ve excerpted from an authority on prorogation.

Prorogation Questions and Answers

1. What is prorogation?

Prorogation is the formal ending of a session of Parliament. The Prime Minister normally asks the Governor General to prorogue Parliament once a session’s business is finished. A date is also set for it to re-open, with a new Speech from the Throne laying out the government’s intentions for the new session. Upon prorogation, any pending legislation dies on the order paper, and all parliamentary committees stop work (to be reconstituted, often with membership changes, at the start of the new session.) Dissolution, on the other hand, actually dissolves the House of Commons and leads to a general election.

2. Is prorogation legitimate?

Normally, yes. Prorogation is usually a routine procedure that takes place when both the House of Commons and the Senate have completed the main business of the session as outlined in the Speech from the Throne. The life of each Parliament – that is, the time between general elections, usually three or four years – normally comprises several sessions, so there are usually several prorogations, often during the summer recess. (At first the session may simply be adjourned, so that Parliament can be readily reconvened if some great new issue or emergency develops while it is not sitting.) In any case, Parliament is prorogued before a new Throne Speech starts a new session.

3. When is prorogation not acceptable?

It is unacceptable for a Prime Minister to seek to have Parliament prorogued before both Houses have completed the bulk of the session’s business. Until December 2008, such a request mid-session was practically unheard-of, as governments generally respected Parliament’s right to conduct its business without the threat of being shut down. A crucial part of that business in the House of Commons is the question of confidence: for a government to stay in office it must have the continuing support of a majority of elected MPs. For a Prime Minister to seek prorogation (or dissolution) in order to forestall a vote of non-confidence is a flagrant abuse of process which attacks the very foundation of representative parliamentary democracy.

4. Does the Governor General have the power to refuse to prorogue?

Yes, but only in very exceptional circumstances, when constitutional priinciples themselves are at stake. The Governor General does not make political decisions about parties or policies; her duty is to uphold the constitution by ensuring that the people’s elected Parliament is allowed to make those decisions. If it is unclear whether the government requesting prorogation (or dissolution) has the confidence of the House of Commons, the Crown has the “reserve power” to refuse that advice and insist that Parliament be given the freedom to decide who will govern.

I think almost everyone would agree that a shiny new recreation centre is something we all deserve. Especially when taxpayers in the rest of Canada are obliged to pay for it, as they do for all other infrastructure in the Territory.

Let’s step back and get a reality check on the Art & Margie Fry Centre in the context of recent Dawson history.

It wasn’t that long ago that our municipality was under the control of an appointed trustee. Eventually a new mayor and council was elected, bolstered by a promise from our Territorial Government – that has since been fulfilled, to pay off Dawson’s crippling debt, inject some stimulus cash into the system and help improve the ailing AMF recreation centre, not to mention other outstanding issues like the pending waste water treatment court order, for example.

In other words, in 2006 our new council inherited a ‘rat’s nest’ of unresolved problems and issues, not the least of which was the recreation centre. For those of us who stepped up to the municipal plate, it was a challenge to successfully thread our way through this maze of seemingly insurmountable obstacles.

With the help of Community Services Minister of the day, Glenn Hart, we undertook engineering studies to obtain a clear picture of the building. It was revealed that the superstructure was ‘sound as a pound’ and apart from a few relatively minor seismic issues, this recreation centre wasn’t going to fall over any time soon, the foundations were not moving one iota.

Of course there’s more to it than just a stable superstructure. The skating rink had problems which we improved upon from year to year, allowing us to improve the facility to a level that was satisfactory to most hockey players and other users.

Mr. Nordick refers to the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the city and the Territorial Government. It set the terms and conditions based on an offer that was made by Minister Hart to address seismic deficiencies as well as open up the vast unused space upstairs.

The last point is important because during the trusteeship period, Dawson’s Youth Centre was shut down and the building liquidated, forcing many directionless teenagers onto the street. Therefore it was always my hope that we could use that dormant area on the second floor for youth activities as well as other community purposes. As far as I know, that work is still being pursued by the oversight committee.

Mr. Nordick’s suggestion that the past council rejected any possibility of artificial ice is not entirely accurate. Even though there was no provision for it in the MOU, the potential for an ice plant was not completely off the radar. Last year, the Territorial Government was increasingly receptive to the idea of providing funding for this enhancement, especially with the knowledge that newer and less costly technologies were being developed.

Ultimately, all parties recognized that making improvements to the partially finished Recreation Centre was not simply a case of ‘throwing good money after bad.’

Even if a new facility was built elsewhere in Dawson, the existing structure could be transformed into badly needed office space, a convention centre or even an addition to Diamond Tooth Gertie’s. It certainly would not be abandoned or condemned.

All of this was in keeping with my view as mayor, that prudence and common sense should prevail when prioritizing costly projects for the citizens of Dawson. A virtually new recreation facility just didn’t make sense within the context of other pressing issues facing us at the time. We needed to show fiscal responsibility and restraint rather than whine about not having the ‘perfect’ recreation complex.

The obvious purpose of Mr. Nordick’s public appeal, trumpeting his ‘personal’ wish for a sparkling new facility is to garner some support in that direction from the electorate.

Like I said, who wouldn’t want a beautiful recreational complex with all the bells and whistles? Mayor Jenkins is rattling the bars, agitating for a new one.

Is it realistic?

Dawson serves approximately 1,800 citizens in and around the town. We are in the process of spending $25 million for a wastewater treatment plant, a new health facility for another $25 million, and the Dawson Yukon College Campus for $5 million plus, and another cool $6 million or so for a new Yukon Housing apartment building. Further, what will a new and improved recreation complex cost, $40 million perhaps?

The golden rule that almost every elected politician understands is; to win the hearts of the electorate, pave their roads.  So we can add another $6 million to the tab for the Front Street resurfacing that was done last summer.

If we tally the total, including the estimate for a new rec centre we are contemplating over $100 million or, roughly $55,000 per citizen. Not bad!

So, next time you are in Toronto, be sure to thank passersby for keeping us in the style to which we have become accustomed.

Grant and Karen's house as it appeared in the early eighties.

Belated congratulations to the 2009 Yukon Farmers of the Year, Grant Dowdell and Karen Digby. Recognition came at the annual North of 60º Agricultural Conference Banquet last November.

They missed the ceremony because the Yukon River gets choked with ice during freeze-up making it impossible to leave their island farm, about 13 kilometers up river from Dawson City.

The YTG press release says, “They are admired by the Yukon agriculture community for their ability to consistently supply local markets, while offering a wide variety of vegetables, herbs, and bedding plants.”

Admired by their colleagues, and non-green-thumb people like myself.

As a friend I’ve enjoyed participating in their life-long adventure both vicariously and in reality, by some measure, while witnessing the evolution of a Yukon homestead literally coaxed from the deep roots of the forest and cultivated into a productive market garden. Grant displayed the same tenaciousness and drive as the early Canadian Pioneer on a Yukon River island with Baker Slough on one side and the main channel on the other.

Dowdell market garden in early stages of development - 1980's

Over the last 35 years Grant and his former spouse (Karen Quinn) raised a wonderful family of two boys and a girl. During this time they engaged in animal husbandry, ran a trap-line, kept chickens and worked tirelessly sowing and reaping a wide variety of market garden produce.

Once in awhile I’ll dip into my bank of Dawson stories and remember when Paula and I got wedged into Grant’s dog sled with fur and blanket chinking in preparation for a Christmas Eve ride to their welcoming oasis – somewhere in the snowy moonlit wilderness.

The crunch of sled runners scraping along the bumps and twists of the frozen trail pulled by panting sled-dogs remains a classic movie soundtrack for many northerners.

Today Grant and Karen come to market every Saturday during the summer. They have to put up with my pacing back and forth, impatient for their first crop of delicious tomatoes.

Daniel Dowdell riding dad's tractor circa 1980.

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A recent effort that seems to have resonated with the art buying public.

I’ve been enjoying my art practice immensely since the election in October. I can’t wait to rise in the morning, usually around 6:00 AM, and get at it. Between maintaining my web hosting/design business, filling orders and learning a new bookkeeping program, the day becomes slammed with tasks.

As the household’s chief cook and bottle washer I plan and execute the daily menu for myself and Paula. My dad, who lives in our in-law suite, also has requirements that I’m more than happy to fulfill.

While focusing on the ‘art biz’ I attempt to nurture an awareness of what it means to provide good customer service. Not that I always succeed, but certainly not for lack of trying.

A recent visit to the USA reminded me that American retailers and service providers are the champs when it comes to their interaction with their customers.

As a rule, the customer is king in America.

Too often, Canadian retailers and service providers have that superior Northern European vibe telegraphed all over their face – “So, what do you want?”, “Umm…I’ll be with you when I’m ready to help you.”, “Sorry for my sour countenance, go elsewhere if it bothers you.”, “I’m a business, and you’re not!”, and so on.

Contrast that arrogance with a sales clerk in San Francisco who greets customers as they walk in the door, eager to chat and interact with you, or the cheerful server in Portland who exudes friendliness. A put-on you say? Then a disproportionate number have really missed their Hollywood casting call.  Many instances arose when an American server or clerk had gone ‘over and above’ to make my problem their problem along with a solution.

It’s called being friendly and helpful, in other words, a genuine appreciation and recognition of the person who contributes to the bottom line.

Regrettably, some – not all – Dawson businesses haven’t escaped that patina of indifference and air of superiority regarding customer relations. There are some places here that I dread supporting but do so out of necessity and lack of choice.

Shouldn’t customer loyalty be encouraged?  Instead, I find myself confronted with reasons not to patronize some businesses in town, including the observation that a few retailers have gone out of their way to target and discredit former customers, rather than woo them into their store with superior attention and service.

Businesses are not above reproach or criticism. Entrepreneurs come and go like the shifting winds that blow across the arctic tundra. Some succeed, others fail.

Like taxpayers, customers are the sacred cow, the goose that laid the golden egg. Abuse the customer and your business will eventually fly away.

Of course that idea applies to an environment that offers healthy competition. Unfortunately, we have very little of this in Dawson, therefore some find it easier to ride on the coattails of no resistance rather than earn the respect of the paying customer.

As much as I love Dawson I was feeling a bit claustrophobic after the big sundown shoot-out on Front Street last October. The glare coming off the shiny new pavement skewed my aim and was only able to graze my opponent.

One thing is for sure, politics is never dull in the Yukon.

Apparently there aren’t enough parties here to represent all 32,000 of us. To address this deficit, old-timer Willard Phelps has emerged from the shadows to form the Unity Party. With an eye to do what? If I were a gambling man I would say that the notion of a no-party system for the Yukon will be promoted by this new group, assuming they gain enough momentum. In these cynical times, it will be surprising if a sustainable head of steam can be maintained.

The jury is definitely out on this question. I’m not entirely convinced that dismantling political party representation in government will enhance efficiency and fairness, although at first blush it seems like a sexy idea.

Perhaps the real question might be – are we over-represented in the legislature? With eighteen MLAs, each has an average of 1,800 constituents. A city councilor in Toronto might have in excess of a 100,000.

I realize that our big chunk of northern real estate comes loaded with resources, an ecosystem that needs to be managed along with the supporting infrastructure. All of which requires good stewardship, that’s why we have a bureaucracy.

Does this administrative arm of government need eighteen politicians for direction on behalf of so few inhabitants? Especially when most of those same people work for government in the first place.

Basia Bulat - photo by Michael Edwards

Dawson seems to rank at the top of the list when considering the uniqueness of  small towns on the planet in terms of flavour and location.

Arguments go back and forth about the attributes or shortcomings of our town.

One thing that can be defended remains the ability of a small community like Dawson to absorb all kinds of people with an incredible diversity of talents and abilities.

This is celebrated by most residents, despite the clannish resistance by some of the old guard whose dimming flame is slowly sputtering out, thankfully.

Guess one of the things that makes a town shine is reference made to it by others in the form of a song, written word or another art form.

Many tunes have been written about Dawson. Issa (Jane Siberry) is among those, she wrote The Very Large Hat after her performance here.

Most recently Basia Bulat has penned a song inspired by her time during the Dawson City Music Festival of 2008 which is included on her new album Heart of My Own, featuring the single Gold Rush.

Excerpted from her press release:

“Perhaps most surprising was the strong influence her short time in the Yukon had on this album. Basia spent five days and nights in Dawson City, where for the first time she experienced true silence. ‘I felt my mind was overwhelmed with ideas. It had been a long-time dream of mine to make it to the Yukon, so to finally accomplish that, and for it to be possible because of my music, was also a very overwhelming thing.’”

Artists and writers in residence leave Dawson kicking and screaming at the end of their residencies. The imprint left on their neuroplastic mind is so strong in some cases that they come back like homing pigeons a year later, just to hang out and enjoy Dawson’s creative vibe.

Share/Save]]> http://themayorsblog.com/who-does-dawson-belong-to.html/feed 4 http://themayorsblog.com/trumped.html http://themayorsblog.com/trumped.html#comments Wed, 28 Oct 2009 16:17:32 +0000 John Steins http://themayorsblog.com/?p=772 The Yukon Municipal Act which serves as the rule book for Municipalities and Territorial Government states the following -

Effect of this Act

5 – The Government of the Yukon is bound by the bylaws of a municipality, except as otherwise established by the Commissioner in Executive Council by regulation.

Because municipalities are a ’statutory creature’ and exist at the pleasure of the Territorial Government it can impose its will on a community like ours with an order in council. Thereby circumventing the need to comply.

Of course the cost associated with a move like that can cause irreparable political damage to the ruling party. Especially in the case of the apparent conflict between the Hospital Corporation’s desire to construct a hospital at Minto Park as soon as possible and the new Heritage Bylaws just passed by the previous Town Council.

The conflict arises because the Hospital Corporation is unable to satisfy the information requirements under Section 8 – Development Permit Applications from the Zoning and Heritage Management Bylaw 09 – 03.

They don’t have plans for the proposed building. Nothing can commence until all of the municipal requirements are satisfied. Otherwise, why bother having bylaws in the first place?

Another unfortunate aspect of the new hospital saga is the lack of consultation with the community at large. At no time did the people have a chance to ask our MLA or the Minister in a public forum to justify the location of proposed facility.

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