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6TuesdayMarch192013FortSmithFishingDerbyFlightsSPECIALPRICEFORDERBYCONTESTANTSOneWay.....5250Return..........10500Inclusiveoftaxesandfees.DEPARTFortSmith900a.m.ARRIVEatDerby920a.m.DEPARTDerby510p.m.ARRIVEatFortSmith530p.m.March2223and24Inuvik-TukHighwayconstructionagoPoliticsInfrastructureByMEAGANWOHLBERGWithanadditional50mil-liontoppingupthefederalgovernmentscontributionto200millionthe300millionInuviktoTuktoyaktukHigh-wayprojectisofciallyonitswaytobecomingareality.ThePrimeMinisterscon-rmationoffundingsupportprovidesanothersignicantpieceofthetapestrywemustcreateaswemoveforwardwiththisconstructionprojectNWTTransportationMinisterDavidRamsaysaidlastweekinthelegislature.IfapprovedbytheLegis-lativeAssemblyconstruc-tioncanbeginwithindaysheadded.ThedepartmentofTrans-portationplanstobeginthisprojectbyupgradingtheac-cessroadfromTuktoyaktuktoGravelSource177andcon-ductingadditionalgeotechnicalworkRamsaysaid.Muchworkalsoremainstoobtainregulatorypermitsnalizethehighwaydesignanddetermineanapproachtoprocurement.InuvialuitRegionalCorp.IRCchairNellieCournoyeaapplaudedthemovementontheprojectwhichwillrunthroughtheInuvialuitSet-tlementRegionISR.CompletingthehighwaywillfullyrealizeDiefenbak-ersdreamofaroadtore-sourcesandforthersttimeconnecttherestofCanadatoourArcticcoastline-amajorstepinprotectingCanadiansovereigntyinthefarNorthshesaidinapressrelease.Shesaidtheroadwillfacilitateeconomicdevel-opmentintheregionin-cludingshortandlong-termemployment.Ourhopeforthefutureisthateasieraccesswillencour-ageonshoreandoffshoreoilandgasdevelopmentandsetthestageforfurtherinvest-mentsinthefutureshesaid.WesternArcticConserva-tiveAssociationpresidentandmayorofInuvikFloydRo-landalsolaudedthestepfor-wardforthehighwayprojectonaccountoftheeconomicbenetsitwouldgivetotheBeaufort-Deltaregion.Hesaidtheroadwilldra-maticallyreducethecostofshippinggoodsintoTuktoyak-tukwhichcosts3perpoundonaveragethroughairfreight.Truckdeliveriesareexpectedtocost15centsperpound.Healsosaidthehighwayprojectwillcreatemuch-neededworkfortheregionsresidents.MLAquestionsroyaltiestoIRCYellowknifeCentreMLARobertHawkinsisrequestingtheIRCwaivetheroyaltiesongraveltobeusedforthehighwayconstructionstatinggravelshouldbepurchasedatafairpriceandtherestoftaxpayersmoneyputtowardthehighwayitself.IwouldliketheInuvialuittoagreetowaivetheirroyaltyfee.Nowthatdoesntmeantheydontgettochargeforthegravel.Ithinkfairmarketrateisfairinwhatevertheydecidetodobutitistheroyaltyfeetobeveryclearhesaidadd-ingthattheInuvialuithavenotinvestedmoneyintheproject.RoyaltiesontheIRCsPoliticalchoicesloomlargeforformerpremierByJACKDANYLCHUKWhenthenextfederalelec-tionrollsaroundin2015FloydRolandwillhaveachoicetomakestayonasmayorofInu-vikseekthechairoftheInuvi-aluitRegionalCorp.-orjumpintofederalpolitics.ThenextelectionwillbeanimportantoneandIwilllooktoitwithinterestandamcon-sideringwhatisbestforourterritoryRolandsaidinreplytoanemailafterhejoinedthechorusofpraiseforthefederalgovernmentsdecisiontoadd50milliontoitsstakeintheestimated300millionroadtoTuktoyaktuk.ThisisagreatdayfortheentireNWTRolandsaidinapressreleaseaspresidentoftheWesternArcticConser-vativeAssociationWACA.Thepressreleasewasdis-tributedbySandyLeefailedConservativecandidateinthelastelectionandfederalHealthMinisterLeonaAglukkaqsspecialassistantintheWest-ernArcticwhosaidshewasactingasapartyvolunteer.TheroadwillreducethecostofshippinggoodsintoTuktoyaktukwhichreliesheavilyonairplanesandispeggedatabout3perpound.Oncethehighwayiscom-pletetruckeddeliveriesareexpectedtocostjust15centsperpoundRolandsaid.Thehighwaywillalsomeanwork.Wecanexpectmorethan1000jobswillbecreatedduringthefour-yearconstructionperiodandanadditional42permanentcareerswillbeavailableforthosemaintainingtheroadafteritisbuilt.AlthoughthepartyswebsitehasyettoreectthechangeRolandwaselectedWACApresidentinmid-DecemberhesaidandwasamemberoftheConservativepartywhileservingaspremieratermdoggedbycontroversyoverasexualencounterwithaclerkofthelegislatureandanon-condencevote.Iguessyoucansayitisarstpurelypoliticalpost.Ofcourseinlifemostthingsinvolvesomepoliticsrighthesaid.AsIhavegrownwithexperienceIamsee-ingthatmyvaluesalignwiththepartyIhaveselectedtobeapartof.Rolandhasbeenapopu-larpolitician.Herstwonelectionin1995andwasre-electedin1999with83percentofthevote.Hewasac-claimedin2003andagainin2007whenmembersofthelegislaturechosehimastheterritorys11thpremier.WhenRolandretiredfromterritorialpoliticslastyearitwaswidelyspeculatedhewouldchallengeNellieCournoyeafortheleadershipoftheIRCbutheoptedtocontinueinhisnewpostasmayorofInuvik.TakingarunatWesternArcticMPDennisBevingtonwouldbenolesschallenging.BevingtonhasheldtheseatfortheNDPsince2006whenheunseatedLiberalincum-bentEthelBlondinAndrewandhashelditagainstase-riesofformidablecandidatesincludingformerpremierJoeHandley.PastConservativecan-didatesmadestrongshow-ingsinthetraditionalpartystrongholdsofHayRiverandBeaufort-DeltabutnonehavebeenabletobreaktheNDPgriponYellowknife.PoliticsElectionsgravelareguaranteedintheInuvialuitLandClaimAgree-mentbutarenegotiable.HawkinssaidwhateverisnegotiatedfortheInuvik-TukportionoftheMackenzieVal-leyHighwayprojectwillsetprecedentfordealswithotherAboriginalgovernments.IfweacceptabaddealontheInuvik-Tukhighwaywewillbesentencingourselvesandfuturegenerationstobepayingpremiumpricesmul-tipliedbyhundredsandhun-dredsofthousandsofdollarsacrossthousandsofkilome-treshesaid.ThoughHawkinstriedtogetTransportationMinisterDavidRamsaytostatetheestimatedroyaltyrateincludedwithinthe299millionestimatedcostfortheInuvik-Tukhighwaytheministerwouldntbudge.Wedontnegotiateinpub-lichesaid.RamsayaddedthattheIn-uvialuithaveinvestedintheprojectbyallowingittotakeplaceontheirland.Theroadprogramgoesen-tirelyoverISRlands...Theyhaveafutureneedandrequirementforgranularmaterials.Theyhaveeveryrighttochargeroy-altiestopeopleusinggranularmaterialsfromISRlands.ImageJointSecretariatTheInuvialuitRegionalCorp.isentitledtochargeroyaltiesongravelprocuredfromitssettlementregionbutYellowknifeCentreMLARobertHawkinsishopingitwillwaivethechargeinordertohavemoremoneyallocatedtotheroaditself.IwouldliketheInuvialuittoagreetowaivetheirroyaltyfee.Nowthatdoesntmeantheydontgettochargeforthegravel.Ithinkfairmarketrateisfairinwhatevertheydecidetodo.MLARobertHawkins