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EDITORIALARCHIVES15YearsAgo...GNWTbeginsprocesstonamenewterritoryTheGNWTisgoingtothepublicforassis-tanceonndinganewnameagandcrestdesignforayet-unnamedwesternterritoryinpreparationfordivisionThebachaMLAMichaelMiltenbergersaid.Miltenbergersaidtheworkwouldbedoneonashoestringbudgetconsideringthe-nancialatmosphereintheNWTbutitstillhadtobedone.IssueFebruary13199820YearsAgo...TourismprogramlaunchedAnew13-weekprogramtotrainemploy-eesfortheNWTtourismindustrystartedatThebachaCampus.Theprogramisdesignedtoprovidepre-employmenttrainingforpeoplewhoareinterestedintourismortourismre-latedjobs.Thesejobsmightincludehotelsairlinestravelagenciesortouroperators.IssueFebruary13199330YearsAgo...NojobstoleaveFortSmithregionItssafetosayatthispointtherelookslikenojobsorpositionswillbelostintheFortSmithregionwhentheCentralArcticRegiongetsunderwayFortSmithregionaldirectorLarryGilbergsaid.RumorsinFortSmithhavecirculatedaboutlossesofjobsintheTowncausedbythees-tablishmentofthenewregion.IssueFebruary1219834TuesdayFebruary122013TheNorthernJournalisanindependentnewspapercoveringnewsandeventsinthewesternArcticandnorthernAlberta.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.........................GeorginaSkippingsHowdowestoptheforcesofnaturewhentheyamassseeminglytoconspireagainstusWhenMotherNatureauntsherpowersweareathermercy.ThesnowstormthatinundatedthenortheastcoastofNorthAmericalastweeklaidyetanotherbeat-ingonthosewhosufferedfromHurricaneSandyshortmonthsago.Thedecade-longBigDryinAustraliawasdeclaredovernallyinMay2012whenrainscame.Thatoptimismwasquicklyre-assessedwhenallthiswintermuchofthatcountryhasbakedinswelteringheatanddrycondi-tions.Morethanextremeweathereventsextremepatternsoverthelongtermseemtobebecomingthenorm.Whatwemustdoindealingwithsevereweatheristrytopreparefortheworst.ThelessonsofKelownaBCin2009andSlaveLakeAlbertain2011seemtobequicklyforgotten.YetthesamecouldeasilyhappentoanyNortherncommunity-inanormalhotdrysummer.Insuchasituationofvulnerabilitytheonlyprotectionistominimizetheriskofresstartingandbeaspreparedaspos-sible.Thatisnothappeninginthecurrentcircumstances.NowimaginewhatNorth-erncommunitieswouldfaceiftheytooex-perienceda10yeardroughtwithexces-sivelyhotweather.Andlightning.Andwind.MuchofNorthernCanadaisswathedinborealforest.ConifersdominateandwhendryspellsintensifythealreadyaridclimatethetreesbecometinderforwildrestheNortherndisaster-in-wait-ing.Tinyisolatedcommunitiesdotthelandscapeintrudersinaseaofgreen.Nearlyallcommunitiessystematicallyprotecttheforestfringearoundthemandeachareringedbyover-maturefor-estthataccordingtonaturalcyclesdes-peratelywantstoburn.Thosecommunitiesarerunbycitizencouncilsmanyofthemlackingexperience.Knowledgeofwhattodowhenacommu-nityisthreatenedbywildreistypicallynon-existent.Thefaultcannotfallonlytocommunityleadershiphowever.Mayorsandchiefsareofteninexperiencedstrug-glingwiththedemandsofrunningacom-munity.Senioradministratorsmayexcelatinterpretingbylawsbutthatdoesnotmeantheycanprovidetheleadershipneededinthefaceofacalamity.Ifthereareleadersinacommunitywithabilityandknowledgeinhowtodealwithacrisesitislikelyanaccident.Notrainingexistsnocarefullythought-outevacuationplansnostockofwatersorprovisionsforshelterandfewcommunitiesifanyhavewell-runemer-gencymeasuresorganizations.Onaveryrareoccasionamockdisasterisheld-atleastthatissomething.Theknowledgeskillsandimportantlytheleadershipabilityrequiredtohandleamajoremergencyrequiresongoingtrainingandpractice.Theresponsibilityforthatfallstoseniorgovernments.Territorialandpro-vincialadministrationsneedtodedicateresourcesandworkwithcommunitiestodevelopthatexpertiseandfosterprepared-ness.Thatistheirjob.Theirfailuretodothisisanabdicationofresponsibility.Thetypicalapproachtodealingwithwild-reisreactiveratherthanpreventative.FireSmartprogramsaretoutedbuttoo-busycommunitiespayonlylipservicetothem.Thereislittlesupportandtrainingfromseniorgovernmentstofosteraware-nessamongcommunitycouncils.Thereshouldbeprogramseducationandreadilyavailableexpertise-refreshedwitheachelectioncyclethatproducesanewcouncil.Seniorgovernmentsshouldtaketheleadinshowinghowtoevacuateacommunitydemonstratingsafeoptionstochoosefromwhenthingsaredireandhowtoaccessfoodwaterandshelterforallcommunityresidentsfordaysatatime.Thisshouldbeseenbyallasanimperativenotanoptionwithminimalpriority.Wehaveoneofthebestreghtingforcesintheworldwithtremendousre-sourcesexperiencedgroundcrewsandexcellentcommandandcontrol.Butourcommunitiesareneglectedwhenitcomestopreparednessespeciallyforwildreemergencies.Somethinghastobedoneaboutthat.Summeriscomingfast.Nowisthetime.TheNortherndisaster-in-waitingPhotoDonJaqueFollowingtheresignationofSaltRiverFirstNationChiefDavePoitraslatelastmonththemembersoftheSRFNcouncilsuddenlyfoundthemselveswithenhancedroles.TheyarelefttorightRonSchaeferJudithGaleacting-chiefConnieBenwellandJolineBeavermissingfromthephotoisthefthcouncillorGeorgeCummingSr..BenwelltoldTheJournalthatPoitrasresignationonJan.26wasunfortunate.TheelectionofanewchiefalongwithonecouncillorwillbeheldApril2.