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EnvironmentWatersheds7TuesdayFebruary192013McPhersonralliestoprotectthePeelwatershedByMARYWALDENFortMcPhersonresidentsturnedoutinforceforaYukongovernmentmeetingTuesdayonthePeelRiverwa-tershedlanduseplan.Morethan200peoplecrammedintotheJohnnyD.Charliecommunityhallfromschoolchildrentoel-derlygranniestodiscusstheriverthatowspasttheirfrontdoor.EventhoughmostofthewatershedliesintheYukonMcPhersonsTetlitGwichinhavestronghistoricaltiestotheentireregion.Theystillrelyoncariboufromthatlandandtheshfromtheriver.Andtheyknowthatwhateverhappensup-streamcouldeventuallycomedowntherivertohauntthem.Wearetherstcommu-nitythatwillbeaffectedbyanysortofdevelopmentTetlitGwichinofcialDianeKoetoldthesix-memberYukoncontingentthatewinfromWhitehorseforthefour-hourmeeting.Theworldischangingdrasticallyanditsbecauseofdevelopmentanditsbecauseofindustriesthatruinlandandwateralloverthisworldshesaid.AsGwichinpeoplewewanttokeepthePeelwater-shedfreefromdevelopment.TheTetlitGwichinRenew-ableResourceCouncilsaidtheonlyplanitsupportsistheoneithelpedtocreate.ItworkedwiththePeelcommissionforyearssharingitsknowledgeandprovidinginputateverystageintheplanningprocess.Itisdisappointingandalarmingtoseethatworkpushedasideforthegovern-mentsnewplanwhichclearlyignorestheyearsofconsul-tationwithusandeveryoneelsewhowasconsultedsaidthecouncilsWilbertFirthinawrittenstatement.Thegovernmentsnewpro-posalsdonotreectanyofthefeedbackthatwehavegivenafterallthoseyearsofconsulta-tionhesaid.Thisisnotpro-tectionthisisdevelopment.ForAbeStewartJr.cleanwateriskey.Ifwelookafterourlandandourwatertheyinturnwilllookafterus.Thatsthewayitsbeenforgenerationsandgenerationsandthatsstillthewayitistodayhesaid.Anditwontbeanydif-ferentforfuturegenerationshesaid.Theyllcarrythisghtonforaslongastheriverowstheyllcarryitonhesaid.Itsnevertheend.Itsnevertheendforus.ElderEileenKoesaidthePeelswildernesshelpedherheal.Shecreditsafour-monthstayintheSnakeRiverareainthe1970saschangingherunbalancedlife.GrapplingwiththeimpactofyearsspentatresidentialschoolcoupledwiththelossoftwopeopleshelovedherfathersentheruprivertotheSnaketogetheroutofthecommunity.Theharshbutbeauti-fullandscapehelpedherdealwithheroverwhelminggriefshesaid.IcameoutoftherewithabetterunderstandingofwhoIwasandwhatIneededtodosaidKoewhonowhelpsotherswhoaregrieving.TheMcPhersonmeetingwasthelastonetheYukongovernmentisholdinginthecommunities.Itsacceptingpublicsub-missionsonthePeelplanuntilFeb.25.Allthatinputwillbepostedonitswebsiteshortlyafterward.Itthenplanstostartnego-tiationswiththefouraffectedFirstNationsMayosNa-ChoNyakDunDawsonsTrondekHwechinOldCrowsVuntutGwitchinandtheGwichinTribalCouncil.TheFirstNationshaveal-readysaidtheysupportthePeelcommissionslanduseplan.TheyvethreatenedtotaketheYukongovernmenttocourtifittriestopushthroughitsnewproposal.Itwasstanding-room-onlyfortheYukongovernmentsPeelRiverwatershedlanduseplanmeetinginFortMcPhersonFeb.12.PhotoMaryWaldenMLAsquestionlayoffstoMackenzieReviewBoardFiredstaffcouldbehiredonbyGNWTpremiersaysByMEAGANWOHLBERGMembersoftheterritorialgovernmentexpressedcon-cernoverfundingcutsthatledtotheterminationofsixemployeesoftheMackenzieValleyEnvironmentalImpactReviewBoardMVEIRBlastweekwithoneaskingtheterritorialgovernmenttondnewjobsfortheaf-fectedworkers.YellowknifeCentreMLARobertHawkinssaidtheGNWTshouldndawaytoofferjobstothesixwhore-ceivednoticeonFridayFeb.8thattheirjobsweretermi-natedeffectiveimmediately.Thoseemployeesincludedtwoenvironmentalassess-mentofcersacommunica-tionspersonandothercor-poratestaff.Thesearerealpeoplenotjuststatisticshesaid.Theyrepeoplewithmort-gagestheyhavebillstopaytheyhavechildrentotakecareof.Itsacryingshamewhathappenedtothem.Imtoldthattwoofthemwereletgobeforetheirmaternityleaveevenbegan.Anotheraconstituentofmineisasingleparentwhodoesnothaveenoughtimeinthere-viewboardtoqualifyforEI.Thisaffectsreallives.Letsnotabandonthesepeoplethewaytheywereabandonedlastweekheadded.Hawkinsaskedthepre-mierwhetherhewouldbewillingtolookatassistingthoseemployeesbyputtingthemonaprioritystafnglistwiththeGNWT.RightnowtheNorth-westTerritoriesistheonlyjurisdictioninCanadathathasseenadecreaseinpop-ulation.Soofcoursewedbeinterestedintryingtondwaystohavethesesixpeoplendgainfulemploy-mentPremierBobMcLeodrespondednotingthatthereareover100vacantpositionsinYellowkniferightnowthatcouldbelled.TheMVEIRBisacrea-turefromthefederalgovern-mentandwedohaveapro-cessfortheorderlytransferofemployeesthatwillbedevolvedfromthefederalgovernmenttothegovern-mentofCanadaMcLeodsaid.Idbeveryinterestedincontactingthesesixin-dividualsandtryingtondemploymentforthemwithinthegovernmentoftheNorth-westTerritories.Thelayoffsweretheresultoffundingcutstothereviewboardfromthefederalgov-ernmentthroughthedepart-mentofAboriginalAffairsandNorthernDevelopmentCanadaAANDC.Accordingtothedepart-mentthefederalgovernmentisunabletocontinueprovid-ingextrafundingtocoverun-expectedcostscomingoutofenvironmentalassessments.Abusyyearofreviewsin2012apparentlylefttheboardintheredinitsthirdquarter.Hawkinswasnotaloneinhisconcernoverthecuts.WeledehMLABobBromleyknownasanenvironmentaladvocatechimedinonthemattercallingthecutstothereviewboardthelatestrampagebythefederalgovernmentagainstenvi-ronmentalprotection.Sevennewminesareintheofceandtheseplusotherlargeprojectsbeingproposedrequiremean-ingfulreviewtobedoneresponsiblyhesaid.Wearegoingtoseeincompletereviewsincreasedenviron-mentalimpactsandthede-pletedabilityofourlandtomeetpeoplesneedsandIsuspectavulnerabilitytosection35courtactionsthatwillfreezedevelopment.Hawkinsagreed.ThisisnotacaseofdoingmorewithlesshesaidThurs-day.Thisisclearlyacaseofdoinglesswithless.Ionlywonderwhenindustryisallofasuddengoingtocatchupandrealizewhatishappeningbe-causethiswillaffectthecriti-calworkthattheyneeddone.PoliticsRegulatoryWESCLEANNORTHERNSALESLTD.Valentineisalovelyyoungfemalecat.Sheisalwaysplayfulandhertastefulgreywhitecoatisenoughtokeepyouwarmduringthelongwinterseason.Pleaseleaveamessageat872-5543fordetails.