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EDITORIALARCHIVES15YearsAgo...AyenfortheNorthernLightsMoreandmoreJapanesetouristsaretravelingtonorthernCanadatoseetheauroraborealis.WhilemostJapanesetouristsmaketheirwaytoYellowknifeforauroratoursMichaelSalvisbergofKanaKesAuroraToursinFortSmithhadaspecialgroupof12intownforoneofhistours.YoucantcomparetheaurorathereinYel-lowknifetotheaurorahere.TheaurorawesawherewasamazingsaidHirokoToshizawatravelwriterforthemagazineBlanca.IssueMarch17199820YearsAgo...Sundayisworldanti-racismdayThisSundayMarch21peopleacrossthecountrywillbestandingupandspeakingoutagainstracismasapartoftheUnitedNa-tionsInternationalDayfortheEliminationofRacialDiscrimination.Since1989MulticulturalismandCitizen-shipCanadahaspusheditsanti-racismcam-paigntohelpbuildawarenessandstimulateideastocombatracismandracialdiscrimi-nationinCanada.IssueMarch17199330YearsAgo...RiverRidgeforkidsTheReceivingHomeinFortSmithisnomore.InitsplaceisRiverRidgeafacilitypro-vidingsupportivecareforolderchildrenandadolescents.AccordingtoSocialServicesareasuperin-tendentSteveONiellthenewnameanddirec-tionfortheformerReceivingHomehavebeenintheworksforthepastyear.Theprogramsarenowgearedforolderkidsundergoingemotionalorotherconictshesaid.IssueMarch1719834TuesdayMarch192013TheNorthernJournalisanindependentnewspapercoveringnewsandeventsinthewesternArcticandnorthernAlberta.VisittheJournalonlineatwww.norj.caAnzacAtikamegBrownvaleCadotteLakeChardChetehColdLakeConklinDriftpileDufeldEdmontonEnildaEnochFortChipewyanFortMcKayFortMcMurrayFortVermillionFrogLakeGlenevisGoodshLakeGrandePrairieGrouardHighLevelHighPrarieHytheJohnDorPrairieAvailableinAlbertaatAklavikBehchokoColvilleLakeDelineEaglePlainsEkatieDiamondMinesEnterpriseFortGoodHopeFortLiardFortMcPhersonFortProvidenceFortResolutionFortSimpsonFortSmithGametiHayRiverInuvikJeanMarieRiverLutselKeNahanniButteNormanWellsPaulatukTheNorthernJournalisavailableinthefollowingNWTcommunitiesRaeEdzoSachsHarbourTroutLakeTsiigehtchicTuktoyaktukTulitaUlukhaktokWekwetiWhaTiWrigleyYellowknifeKehewinKinusoLacLaBicheMornvillePeaceRiverRedEarthCreekSaddleLakeSlaveLakeSt.PaulValleyviewWabasca2011CCNACANADIANCOMMUNITYNEWSPAPERAWARD2011CMCAAUDITEDAdvertisingDeadlinesDisplayaddeadlineisThursdayat400p.m.ClassiedaddeadlineisThursdayat500p.m.Emailadsnorj.caSubscriptionRates867872-3000PricesincludeGST.47.25inFortSmith52.50elsewhereinCanada105intheUSAoverseas164.30.LetterstotheEditorPolicyTheNorthernJournalwelcomesletterstotheeditor.Lettersmustbesignedandincludeaphonenumbersotheauthorcanbeveried.Nameswillbewithheldonrequestinspecialcircumstanceswherethereasonsaredeterminedtobevalid.TheJournalreservestherighttoeditlettersforlengthlibelclarityandtaste.Opinionsexpressedinlettersandcolumnsarenotnecessarilythoseofthepublisheroreditor.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.........................GeorginaSkippingsTheagreementnownalizedthatwilldevolverolesfromthefederaltotheNWTgovernmenthasyettobepassedbytheNWTlegislatureandmuststillbenallyapprovedbythefederalgovernment.ThatallshouldtakeplacebyMayandthenalsigningtobringitintolawshouldhappennolaterthanJune.Itisoncoursetocom-pletionandnothingforeseeablewillstopit.IsdevolutiongoodfortheNWTYescer-tainlyitis.ThelessNorthernerslivesarecontrolledbybureaucratsandpoliticiansinOttawathebetter.Wewanttobemastersofourowndestiny.Weknowbetterthananyonewhathastobedonetomakethathappen.Theagreementisabigstepinthatdirection.Wewillbegiventheresponsibilitytolookafterourownaffairsalongwiththeresourcesandmeanstomakethathappen.ArethetermsoftheagreementthebesttheycouldbeforthebenetofthepeopleoftheNWTNotheycouldbemuchbetter.WehavebeengivenresponsibilitybuttheNWTstilllackspowerandauthority.Tosaythatprovince-likepowersarebeinghandedoverisinaccurate.ThefederalministerofAboriginalAffairsandNorthernDevelop-mentstillholdsthepower.Appointmentstokeydecision-makingboardswillbeatthebehestofthefederalgovernmentandpartisanpoliticswillstillaffectthatprocess.Finalapprovalofprojectswillstillrestwiththefederalgovernmentincludingdamsminesandothermajorindustrialundertak-ings.TheNWTgovernmentwillbeabletogatherdataanalyzeandmakerecommen-dationsbutbeyondthatthefederalgovern-mentwillhavethenalsayevenwhentheNWTgovernmentdisagrees.Devolution-astepintherightdirectionHavingsaidallthatweseriouslydoubtanyoneelsecouldhavepulledoffabetterdeal.TheNWTgovernmenthasbeenfo-cusedintentlyonthisleforoverthreeyearswithaverycompetentnegotiatingteam.Theyhavebeenupagainstafederalgov-ernmentequallyfocusedandpassionateNWTthatpromotesthegoalsobjectivesandmethodologyoftheHarperConservatives.Atthecoreisahugecarrottopromoteindus-trialdevelopmentintheNWT-becausethefundingfortheNWTgovernmentwillnowowfromresourcerevenue.ThatiswhatwasaskedforbytheNWTanditwashap-pilyobliged.BeyondthatitisclearbywhatishappeningwiththedevelopmentoftheoilsandsinAlbertathateverythingwillbedonebythefederalgovernmenttofacilitateindustrialdevelopmentintheNWTasfastasishumanlypossible.Jobsandmaterialwell-beingwillowtoNorthernersbecauseofitCanadaseconomywillenjoythefruitsofitandhugewealthwillbegeneratedforthoseattheheartofit.Thisdevolutiondealisnotforever.Itisonlyanextstep.Itcanberevisitedinthefutureparticularlyifthereareaspectsofituntenabletoeitherparty.Howitwillbeim-plementedwilldifferdramaticallydependingonthepartyinpowerinOttawainparticu-larwhowinsthenextelectionandcontrolsParliament.ThatmeansifyouliketheplanandwanttoseeasmuchexploitationofresourcesandhydropotentialintheNWTaspossiblethereisanewConservativecaucusinCanadasNorthledbybusinessleadersandMembersofParliamentinNunavutandYukonwhoareeagerforyoursupport.Oryoumayfeelthepaceofdevelopmentshouldbemea-suredandcarefullyplannedsoitbettersuitstheneedsandgoalsofNortherners.What-everthecaseyouwillhaveanopportunitytodosomethingaboutit.ThenextfederalandNWTelectionsarejustover900daysaway.Startplanningnow.PhotoPaulBannisterTheformerchiefoftheFortSmithVolunteerFireDepartmentDarrenLinakerreceivesaQueensDiamondJubileemedallastWednesdayMar.13attheFireHallinrecognitionofhis21yearsofservice.withseriousplansfortheNorthsvitalcon-tributiontotheeconomicfutureofCanada.WeatTheJournalhavewrittenatleast40newsstoriesandruntwoguestcolumnsandseveraleditorialscountingthisonewithaspecicfocusondevolutionsinceearly2010.Ithasbeenaforemostagendaitemforourleadersthroughoutthatperiod.Imaginetheincredibleamountofworkcar-riedoutbehindthescenesbyworkersfrombothgovernments.Theagreementstillneedstobestudiedandanalyzedandallthedetailsbroughttolight.Itmaybeayearbeforethereisanunderstandingofitsrealimplicationsandresults.Thatprocessofndingoutisofcriti-calimportancetoNortherners.Thebottomlineisthatthefederalgov-ernmenthasforgedanagreementwiththeThebottomlineisthatthefederalgovernmenthasforgedanagreementwiththeNWTthatpromotesthegoalsobjectivesandmethodologyoftheHarperConservatives.