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EDITORIALARCHIVES15YearsAgo...PreschoolprogrammadeforAboriginalkidsFortSmithsAboriginalHeadStartIni-tiativefocusesondevelopingculturallyap-propriateprogramactivitiesforpreschoolAboriginalchildren.FortSmithisoneofsixNWTcommunitiestogetfundingunderthisproject.TheSaltRiverFirstNationhasreceived304700todevelopapreschoolprogramthatoperatesfromSeptembertoJune.IssueFebruary4199820YearsAgo...CitizenelderoftheyearchosenDorothyCaberttheassistantpastoroftheFortSmithPentecostalChurchwaschosenCitizenoftheYearbecauseofthecharitableworksshedoesforthecom-munitysaidchamberPresidentFriedaMartselos.LeonalMercrediwaschosenElderoftheYearbecauseofthekindnessheshowstootherseniorcitizens.IssueFebruary5199330YearsAgo...DigitalswitchforFortSmithAmoderndigitalswitchsystemwhichwillaugmentthenewtroposcattersystemrecentlyinstalledtoserviceFortSmithwillbeinstalledandoperationalintheareainthethirdquarterof1983.ThiscombinedinstallationwillenableFortSmithtoboastoneofthemostmodernandup-to-datetele-communicationssystemavailable.IssueFebruary419834TheNorthernJournalisanindependentnewspapercoveringnewsandeventsinthewesternArcticandnorthernAlberta.VisittheJournalonlineatwww.srj.caAnzacAtikamegBrownvaleCadotteLakeChardChetehColdLakeConklinDriftpileDufeldEdmontonEnildaEnochFortChipewyanFortMcKayFortMcMurrayFortVermillionFrogLakeGlenevisGoodshLakeGrandePrairieGrouardHighLevelHighPrarieHytheJohnDorPrairieAvailableinAlbertaatAklavikBehchokoColvilleLakeDelineEaglePlainsEkatieDiamondMinesEnterpriseFortGoodHopeFortLiardFortMcPhersonFortProvidenceFortResolutionFortSimpsonFortSmithGametiHayRiverInuvikJeanMarieRiverLutselKeNahanniButteNormanWellsPaulatukTheNorthernJournalisavailableinthefollowingNWTcommunitiesRaeEdzoSachsHarbourTroutLakeTsiigehtchicTuktoyaktukTulitaUlukhaktokWekwetiWhaTiWrigleyYellowknifeKehewinKinusoLacLaBicheMornvillePeaceRiverRedEarthCreekSaddleLakeSlaveLakeSt.PaulValleyviewWabasca2011CCNACANADIANCOMMUNITYNEWSPAPERAWARD2011CMCAAUDITEDAdvertisingDeadlinesDisplayAddeadlineisThursdayat400p.m.ClassiedAddeadlineisThursdayat500p.m.Emailadssrj.caSubscriptionRates867872-3000PricesincludeGST.47.25inFortSmith52.50elsewhereinCanada105intheUSAoverseas164.30.LetterstotheEditorPolicyTheNorthernJournalwelcomesletterstotheeditor.Lettersmustbesignedandincludeaphonenumbersotheauthorcanbeveried.Nameswillbewithheldonrequestinspecialcircumstanceswherethereasonsaredeterminedtobevalid.TheJournalreservestherighttoeditlettersforlengthlibelclarityandtaste.Opinionsexpressedinlet-tersandcolumnsarenotnecessarilythoseofthepublisheroreditor.PublishedweeklybyCascadePublishingLtd.PrintedonrecyclednewsprintwithvegetableinkatWainwrightStarChronicle.PublisherManagingEditorDonJaque867-872-3000ext.21djnorj.caEditor...........................MeaganWohlberg867-872-3000ext.24newsnorj.caReporter.........................ReneFrancoeur867-872-3000ext.25reporternorj.caComptroller...........................DixiePenner867-872-3000ext.23dixnorj.caAdvertising....................JoshuaJorgensen867-872-3000ext.28adsnorj.caAdministration...............AldoLandaverde867-872-3000ext.29adminnorj.caProductionGraphics.......SandraJaque867-872-3000ext.22sandranorj.caPaulBannister867-872-3000ext.27graphicsnorj.caIntern.........................GeorginaSkippingsTuesdayFebruary52013TheDehChoBridgeisaproudachieve-ment.Atestamenttotenacityitisathingofbeautyreachingdramaticallyacrossoneoftheworldsgreatrivers.Visionaryinconceptitwasachallengeinexecution-abigundertakingforasmalljurisdiction.Criticsweremanyduringtheprocessandnowthatithascometofrui-tionasamonumentalachievementtheyareleftwithoneremaininggrumbleWellwehopethegovernmentlearnedsomelessonsfromallthat.Undertakingtheprojectwasabigrisksomethinggovernmentstypicallyavoid.InadditiontoamightyrivertheprojectalsospannedfourNWTassembliesthe14th15th16thandcurrent17thandthetermsofthreepremiersJoeHandleyFloydRolandandBobMcLeod.OfthethreeMcLeodgotthebestofthedeal.Hemissedmostofthecontroversyandledthecelebrationsuponcompletionofthesuccessfulproject.McLeodhasnowcommittedtheNWTtoanewprojectperhapsofgreatermag-nitude-thepursuitofdevolvingpowersfromthefederalgovernment.LiketheDehChoBridgethisisavisionaryundertakingwithlastingimpact.Successivepremierswillinherititandhavetodealwithit.Ittoomaybefraughtwithproblemsperhapsevenhugecontroversialchallenges.Aswiththebridgecriticshavebeenvocal.Itsgoingtobebadprobablyeventerri-bletheysingindistortedharmony.Per-hapstheyareright.Timewilltell.Morelikelydevolutionwillprovidenewopportunitiesbutwillhaveissuesalongthewaythatmustbexedperhapsbychangingtheplayersevendramaticallyal-teringhowitisbeingdone.SoundfamiliarTheworstcasescenarioforthebridgethatconstructioncouldhavebeensomessedupthatanembarrassingboon-doggleresultedwasaprospectatonepointtoocloseforcomfort.Whatthosebehindthesceneshadtodotonavigatethemazeofproblemsndingradicalso-lutionsmid-projectwithsomuchalreadycommittedwillprobablyneverbere-vealed-untilperhapssomedaysome-onescontroversialautobiographywilltellall.Undoubtedlysuchcreativemaneuver-ingwillbeneededfordevolutionaswell.TheNWTpremierisnotelectedbythepeople.McLeodwaschosenfromthe19membersoftheLegislativeAssemblysotheplatformhepresentedtotheothermembersappealedtomostofthemforhimtowintheleadership.Butithadlittleornothingtodowithdevolutionwhichwasnotabigthingatthetime.Itwascertainlynotontheradarforthepublic.Yetforbetterorworseitisthepathheistakingusdown.Sonowhereweare.McLeodmetlastweekwithStephenHarpertoconrmnaldetailstheNWTwascelebratedinOttawawithwhatwastoutedasthebiggesteverregionaldelegationthena-tionalcapitalhadseenandagreattimewashadbyall.Thingsarelookinggoodfordevolution.DevolutionwillimpactthefutureoftheNWTmorethanthenitebridgeprojectevercould.Itishardtoimaginehowitspossibilitiesmightunfold.Justforfunyoutrytowritetheendingtothestory.WhatwillhappenwithdevolutioninfutureWhatwillowfromitandhowwillthathappenForexample-WhatifStephenHarperretiresattheendofthistermorwhatifhisConserva-tivegovernmentisnotre-electedinthenextfederalelectiontentativelysched-uledforautumn2015Bothareplausible.WhatifCanadaisthenledbyTomMulcairandtheNDPorperhapsassomepollsarealreadypredictingaminorityLiberalgovernmentledbyJustinTrudeauAnysuchchangewouldmeanadramaticallydifferentpoliticallandscapeinthecomingdecade.Howwouldthatimpactdevolu-tionofpowerstotheNWT-OrwhatifBobMcLeoddecidesnottoruninthenextNWTelectionslatedforthatsameOctober2015WhatMLAofthattimewouldstepforwardtobepre-mierandhowwouldheshehandlethechallengingandperhapsstillcontrover-sialdevolutionle-OrwhatiftheIdleNoMoremovementgainsstrengthacrossCanadaandtakesatougherstancesupportedbysomeFirstNationleadersintheNWTCouldthedevolutionprocessandwithitopeninguptheNWTtodevelopmentwithminimalFirstNationinputbeopposedthroughcivildisobedience-CouldtherebeahappierendingwherebythroughnegotiationallproblemswithdevolutionareresolvedhurdlesareovercomeinsuchawaythateveryonelearnstogetalongandabrighterNWTfutureunfoldsWhatareyourscenariosforthefutureafterdevolutionDevolutionthenextbigthingPhotoMeaganWohlbergRobertGrandjambegivesadogsledtouracrossLakeAthabascanearFortChipewyanonasunnySaturdayafternoon.