Page 1
Page 2
Page 3
Page 4
Page 5
Page 6
Page 7
Page 8
Page 9
Page 10
Page 11
Page 12
Page 13
Page 14
Page 15
Page 16
Page 17
Page 18
Page 19
Page 20
5FortSmithHayRiverWednesdayThursdayFridaySaturdayForecastForecastNorms-16Cand-27CNorms-16Cand-27C-21Low-21Low-17High-15High-15Low-18High-20Low-19Low-19Low-16High-15High-17Low-19High-23Low-6High-9HighYellowknifeInuvikWednesdayThursdayFridaySaturdayNorms-23Cand-31CNorms-20Cand-29C-29Low-28Low-25Low-29Low-23Low-23Low-19High-18High-20Low-22High-26Low-14High-26High-24High-27High-22HighTuesdayFebruary52013EditorAlbertaHealthServicesAHSwouldliketoprovideyourreaderswithsomead-ditionalinformationrelatedtotherelocationofairambu-lanceservicestoEdmontonInternationalAirport.InMarch2013AHSwillmovetoanewhangaratEd-montonInternationalAirportadjacenttotheSTARShe-licopterbase.Withtheclo-sureofthecityairportthisisnowthesafestandmostreliableoptionforpatientsfromtheNorth.Aspartofthismoveandtoaddressconcernsaboutincreasedtransporttimeswearealsoimplementinganumberofpatientcareim-provements.Thisincludesasix-bedpatientcareareaforstablepatientsatthenewbasetoallowEmergencyMedicalServicesstafftocareforpatientsforshortperiodsoftimetoimprovethecoordinationofights.InadditiondedicatedgroundambulanceswillbebasedatEdmontonInternationaltotransportpatientstoandfromhospital.Theseim-provementswillallowair-craftandcrewstoreturntonortherncommunitiesmorequicklythanthecurrentcitycentremodel.AHShasinvestedanaddi-tional6.5milliontoenhancepatientcarewiththegoalofensuringnorthernAlbertanshavethecaretheyneedwhentheyneedit.Withregardstothenum-berofcriticalpatientsthefactsspeakforthemselves80percentoftheroughly3000patientsowntoEd-montonviaairplanearear-rivingforscheduledpro-ceduresappointmentsoradmissiontoahigherlevelofcare.In2012about16percentofallpatientsweredeemedred-ourhighestclinicalurgency.About10percentofthoseredpatientsfewerthanvepatientspermonthweretrulytimesensitive.TheproximitytotheSTARShelicopterbasegivesustheabilitytoythosemosturgentpatientsdirectlytohospital.WeknowthisisapersonalissuetomanylivingintheNorth.Weunderstandhowcriticalthisserviceis.Ourcommitmentissimplepa-tientslivinginnorthernAl-bertawillcontinuetohaveaccesstorapidreliableandsafeemergencycare.Dr.IanPhelpsSeniorMedicalDirectorEmergencyMedicalServicesAlbertaHealthServicesREAlbertadoctorsopposeEdmontonmedevacrelocationLETTERTOTHEEDITORThe2013Parliamentaryseasonstartedonadiffer-entnotewiththetremendousimpactoftheIdleNoMorecampaign.IthasdominatedtheCanadianNewYearpo-liticalagendainawaythatisuniqueinmytimeinParliamentthreetermsinbothminorityandmajoritygovernments.TheFirstNationsmove-mentscontinuedsuccesswillbemeasurednotsimplybythereactionofPrimeMinisterHarperandtheConservativeGovernmentbutbythesup-portandunderstandingofnon-AboriginalCanadians.TheIdlenoMoremovementwasbornoutoffrustrationwiththescopeandsignicanceofthelegislativechangesthathavebeenbroughtinbytheConservativegovernmentthisyear.ThroughtwoomnibusbillsC-38andC-45whichevisceratedmanyoftheen-vironmentalprotectionspro-videdbyfederallawacrossthecountrytheConserva-tiveshavesaidverystronglythatdevelopmentwilltrumpallconcerns.ToFirstNationswiththeirstrongculturalattachmenttothelandandtheircourtes-tablishedrightsforconsul-tationthishasbeenagreatrallyingpoint.FormanyotherCanadi-ansrallyingaroundenviron-mentalprotectioniswellre-ceived.Itcanelicitallkindsofsupport.Acrossthecoun-trythereisnoshortageofalliesforacivilbattleovertheenvironmentSofarthecollectiveleadershipofIdleNoMorehasstrucktherightnoteandmademanypositiveandpeacefulevents.Theresponsefromthegovernmentsidehasbeenclear.Theywillnotbendontheenvironmentallegislationthathasbeenputforward.TheywillcontinuetalkingwithNationalChiefAtleoandtheAFNabouttheen-demicproblemsofFirstNa-tionslifefailededucationmissedeconomicopportu-nitiesandcommunitiesincrisis.ThismayormaynotleadtoimprovementsinthelivesofFirstNationspeople.TheywilldeecttheIdleNoMoremessagetowardsthatofpoornancialmanage-mentthroughleakedauditsandtheirmediacircuswillcontinuetoputtheblameontheFirstNationsleadershipforallandsundry.Thegovernmentwillnotwinwithadiscourseonlandrightsortheenvironment.Thecourtshavealreadyspoken.Withanimpressivestringof30consecutivefa-vourablerulingsonFirstNa-tionlandrightsthemoralhighgroundisclearlywithFirstNations.Thereismuchmoretocomeinthisaffairforthenorth.WithintheNWTwewillfacefurtherchallengestoFirstNationstraditionallandrightsintheConservativeleg-islationthatiseitherontheOrderPaperrightnoworwillbecomingintheupcomingsession.WhetheritisBill47theSurfaceRightsBoardActorthesoon-to-comeamend-mentstotheMackenzieValleyResourceManagementActthetwithIdleNoMoreisveryevident.AcrosstheNWTIbelievethatitissafetosaythatsup-portfortheIdleNoMoremovementisverystrongandacrossallofoursociety.Itisnotunanimousbutinpoliticsalmostnothingis.Somewillhaveadilemmawiththisstrongsupport.ThePremierandCabinetwhohavebeenheldsilentonallthechangestoourenviron-mentallawsbythedanglingcarrotofdevolutioncanex-pecttobefurtherchallengedbythemovement.IndustryintheNorthespeciallyoursignicantresourcesectoriscaughtaswellbetweendesiringregulatorycertaintyandreducedstart-upcostsandfacinggreaterpublicdiscordblockadesandcourtchallenges.ParliamentreactstoIdleNoMoreNorthernJournal2013JoinusonlineLikeNorthernJournalonFacebookandgettheweeklynewsdeliveredtoyourfeedFACEBOOKFEEDBACKDanielTSeleieVeronicaTuccaroSchmooBelangerand6otherslikethisOurlivelihoodwastrappingatonetimebutnowthewaterissolow.IthastobethatBennettdam.Andnowtheyretalkingaboutanotherone.WhatwillwehaveTePeaceRivercouldbejustalittlestreaminthefu-tureifwedonothingaboutit.FortChipresidentssharePeaceRiverhydroconcernsnorj.caTracyFreundWearelosingourwaterandwhatisleftisconami-natedandcancerous.DennisBevingtonMPWesternArcticFromtheHouse