There is nothing offensive about a major corporation holding a private party to celebrate a major milestone.
Nor is it offensive for politicians to attend that party. Where it gets unseemly is when those politicians line up for a private party at a space normally enjoyed by the public and the velvet rope closes behind them as they enter.
This was more or less the situation at Somba K'e Civic Plaza on Aug. 9 where a large portion of space people like to gather over the lunch hour was closed off so Dominion Diamond could hold a party to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Ekati Diamond Mine.
This is indeed a major milestone, not only for Dominion Diamond but the entire territory.
According to last year's socio-economic agreement report with the territorial government, the mine employed 498 NWT residents in 2017, about 54 per cent of its workforce, not including contractors. Mine expenditures totalled $476 million, with $307 million of that going to northern businesses.
The birth of Ekati led an economic renaissance that came just as gold mining in the city was heaving its last gasping breath. Hopefully, Dominion will get back to developing its Jay Pipe so the mine can carry on for another 20 years.
In short, Ekati is a big deal. Its 20 years of operations demand a major celebration.
Too bad the public was not invited, nor the media so it could help document the occasion.
Again, that is the mine's business. If it doesn't want to celebrate with the city as a whole that its prerogative.
But the city should not be giving up the public commons to facilitate such parties and politicians shouldn't be sitting down to a fancy meal while the peasants -- that is, you and everyone else not invited to the party – are forced to watch behind barricades at a public park.
The city routinely rents out public facilities to all sorts of private entities – birthday parties at the Fieldhouse, for example -- but excluding people from Somba K'e Park is a different matter.
Would it be acceptable to exclude the public from the grounds at Parliament Hill to host some private event?
People would naturally be upset.
So, we wish Ekati and Dominion Diamond well on this momentous occasion. We advise that any major milestone for the company is a milestone for the North.
And for the city, Somba K'e Civic Plaza is the people's park. Let's keep it that way.