It takes a lot to get me down, but lately, this damn isolation has been getting me mad, especially in my writing. I only use a special pen, a Sarasa. It is the best pen and made in Mexico.
There are many things you cannot buy in Norman Wells. For example: clothing for women and good pens. The only way to purchase things one wants or needs, is to fly to Yellowknife or Edmonton. You are out of luck if you go out on medical flights to either city and think you can get in some shopping. Since the GNWT changed their system for medical travel, now if you fly to Yellowknife or Edmonton, you go to the medical appointment and must come back home the next day. If you stay an extra day or lose your ticket, you must pay your own way home. The air flight from Edmonton to the Sahtu region is over $1,000 one way.
I think the GNWT employees have so little to do; they must be sitting in their friggin' offices trying to make life miserable for us in small communities.
Talking about stupidity on the part of our governments in Ottawa and the NWT. I was going through some of my old newspapers looking at the big headlines and information about the Rangers; dates July and October 2017, so I read all the information. The Rangers have been in the newspaper off and on for years. They come from all over the Northwest Territories and the Rangers do things in the whole of the territory. In News North, June 30, 2017, the big headline was “Military Training gets underway in Yellowknife”, with a photograph of the Rangers unloading a 30-foot petroleum boat. They have three of those boats.
The more I read about the Rangers, the more I started to think and wonder and tried to visualize their operations out and around Yellowknife and then down the MacKenzie River. It sounds big and important with a Brigadier-General on hand.
I wonder if they come down the MacKenzie River, because they sure didn’t make a splash if they came through Norman Wells. Maybe they cancelled the trip down?
Anyhow, as I was thinking and wondering about the Rangers; they have been around the NWT and the Beafort Sea region for years and years. For What.? Why couldn’t or haven’t they done something constructive and lasting while they are in the NWT? Such as: building our MacKenzie Highway. Our illustrious GNWT is, of course, sleeping on the job. Damn and damn again. There are armies all over the world who do all kinds of work: digging ditches, building roads, building bridges, helping with disasters, etc. It is embarrassing when you visualize our Rangers trying to play soldiers in our huge territory with nothing but bush and more bush. Just think about it.
I understand the Rangers have been using old rifles from one of the World Wars for years. I heard this year the government were going to issue up-to-date rifles. The Rangers are very happy.
The Rangers have been around for years. It is time to question our Federal Government – The Big Boss. Do they have any clue about the Northwest Territories? Maybe they will wake up when the Russians decide to take a look at the NWT?
Anyhow, I’ve said my piece about the highway again. What else is more important for us in the Sahtu?
One good thing we have enjoyed for weeks now is the good weather. Halloween was very quiet. Can you imagine, it is the first week of November and Christmas decorations will be flashing on houses soon.
By the way, if you have a problem with your education and you need help, Call Lynn with the literacy program. Don’t be shy. Education is so important in the world.
Hope I am in a happier mood next week. Till then, love to all.