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EDITORIALARCHIVES15YearsAgo...Cell-ebrationtimeinFortSmithThebachaMLAMichaelMiltenbergerFortSmithMayorPeterMartselosanum-berofgovernmentemployeesandafewlocalcitizensofFortSmithhaveallexpressedaninterestingettingwirelesscommunicationsetupinFortSmith.Usuallyacommunityneedsaboutapopu-lationof35000beforetheutilityboardevenconsidersthepossibilityofacellularsite.IssueMarch24199820YearsAgo...ThewarinformerYugoslaviahitshomeTwomenwhosefamiliesliveinFortSmithareleavingfortheembattledformerYugoslaviaaspartoftheUnitedNationspeacekeepingeffort.ForCpl.PaulCurrieitsthesecondtimeinasmanyyearsthathesgonetoahotspot.Inthespringof1991hewenttotheGulfWar.InfantrymanPaulSoucyisalsoheadedover-seas.SoucyhasbecomepartofafamilytraditionhisfatherAlbanservedintheforcesinthe1950sandyoungerbrotherSergejustsignedupalso.IssueMarch24199330YearsAgo...GrowingsupportforroadFortSmithMayorJohnVogtsaysthereisstrongsupportinAlbertaforaroadfromPeacePointtoFortVermillionandthetownispush-ingtogettheprocessmoving.VogtsayshehascontactedAlbertaTransportationofcialswhotoldhimthepossibilityofaroadtoFortMcMur-raywasdeadasadoornail.TheAlbertaofcialssaytheyarecurrentlylookingintothepossibilityofexpandingHigh-way58toservicetheFoxLakeBand.IssueMarch2419834TuesdayMarch262013TheNorthernJournalisanindependentnewspapercoveringnewsandeventsinthewesternArcticandnorthernAlberta.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.........................GeorginaSkippingsPremierAlisonRedfordisAlbertasgreatestsalespersonthesedaystravellingtheworldandpitchingherprovinceswares-mostofthemblackandliquid.ShehasthetoughjobofpleasingtheconsiderablerightwingsegmentofAlbertavoterswhileremainingprogressiveinherconservativephiloso-phywhichmanyotherAlbertansprefer.LatelyRedfordhasalsobeenchallengedbytheslippingrevenuesfromtheoilpatchwhichusuallyfattenAlbertascoffersandthatmeanscutbacks.Shehasalotonherplateandalotofpleasingeverybodytodo.SmallwonderthatRedfordisworkinghardtopromotethetwoproposedpipelinesthatwouldexportbitumenfromtheoil-richsandspermeatingthenortheastcorneroftheprov-ince.BoththeKeystoneexpansionintheUSandtheNorthernGatewaypipelineconnect-ingAlbertatotheWestCoastwouldspeedoilsandsbitumentooffshoremarketsallow-ingtheindustrytoexpand.AlbertansandtheAlbertagovernmentwouldgrowricher.AlbertaandthefederalgovernmenthaveacombinedstrategytheactivepursuitofAmericansupportfortheKeystoneexpan-sionisspearheadedbyAlbertawhilethefederalgovernmenttriestoallaythefearsoftheBritishColumbiaoppositiontotheNorthernGatewaypipeline-acoalitionofFirstNationsandenvironmentalgroupsplusanunsympatheticBCgovernment.Rememberthattheheadofcesofoilsandsandpipelinecompaniespopulatethehigh-riseofcetowersofCalgaryabackyardtobothRedfordandPrimeMinisterStephenHarper.IfeitheroneofthepipelinesgoesaheadAlbertasoilhasanoutlettooff-shoremarketsandCanadaboomsalongwithit.Ifbotharesecuredallthebetter.PoliticiansthetruthwillsetyoufreeRedfordhasbeendoorknockinginWash-ingtonsendinghercabinetministerstostatecapitalsandusingsuchmeansasahalfpageadvertisementintheNewYorkTimesnewspapercosting30000.MeanwhileHarperhasappointedanewenvoytomeetwithFirstNationleadersinBCandnewfederaloilspillcleanupmeasureswerean-nouncedtoallayfearsonthecoastshouldatankerrunagroundinthenarrowpassagesasitnavigatesthemyriadislands.Thereisalotofsellinggoingon.Thepitchiscompellinghighlightingjobsenergyse-curitynewindustry-nottheleastofwhichisacoastalrenery-arangeofricheco-nomicbenets.Theproblemisitisdoneinacontextthatclaimsnodownside.ToappeaseopponentstheAlbertaandfed-eralgovernmentsaresayingunabashedlythatthenewpipelineswillnotcausetheoil-sandsindustrytoexpand.Thatisnotthecase.Bothgovernmentswantthatexpan-siontocontinueandwilldoeverythingintheirpowertoencourageit.AdditionallyRedfordissayingoverandoverthataworldclassmonitoringsystemisinplacetooverseetheoilsandsindustryandensurenonegativeimpactstotheen-vironmentandnohealthriskstocitizens.Infactthemonitoringisnotworldclass.Thesystemisintheprocessofbeingimple-mentedandthejuryisstilloutonitseffec-tiveness.Furthermoreitcameaboutbe-causethesystemthathadbeeninplace-andwasabsentfordecades-wassoawedandpaltrythatitbecameaninternationalembarrassment.Tocalltheseuntruthsspinorevenexaggerationforthesakeofsellingistookind.Theliesareblatant-amoraluncaringandvoidofdignity.HaveRed-fordandHarperlikesomanypoliticiansoftodaybecomewillingtodoorsayany-thingtogettheirwayRedfordneednotlookfarforanexam-pleofatrueworldclassenvironmentalmonitoringsystem.Onhernorthernbor-derinthesparselypopulatedNorthwestTerritoriesthegovernmentstinybudgethasfoundroomtofundawaterstrategyforoveradecade.ThefactthatmostoftheNWTsriversownorthfromAlbertaandhavebeenadumpinggroundfortheprovincesindustrialefuentfordecadesisnodoubtthecatalyst.OnethingabsentfromthenewAlberta-federalmonitoringprogramisproperinvesti-gationoftheleachingofmetalsandcarcino-gensfromthetailingspondsintotheground-waterthatthenndtheirwayintotherivers.AretheaquifersbeneaththeoilsandsbeingpoisonedpossiblyforeverThosetailingspondsdonothaveimpermeablebarriersonthebottom.Commonsensesaysthatcouldverylikelybeaproblem.Intheirzealtohurryindustrialgrowthcommonsenseseemstobemissingwhenitcomestobothgovernmentsapproaches.Coveringupthetruthjustmakesgovern-mentslookbad.Itharmscredibilityandpop-ularity-andthatcauseselectionstobelost.Theprimaryroleofanygovernmentistoprotectandenhancethelivesofitspeople.Ifthatisnotdonewhatisthepointofhav-inggovernmentGovernmentsmustensuretheenviron-mentisprotectedproperlyandnoharmcomestothehealthorqualityoflifeofthepeople.Thatiswhatdevelopmentandprogressisreallyabout.PhotoGordonRothnieIceshingenthusiastssnowmobiledthetwo-hour80kmtrektoBlackmanLakenortheastofFortSmithontheweekendtotakepartintheannualFortSmithFishingDerbywheremildtemperaturesandtonsofsunshinemadethedayfeellikeadayatthesnowybeach.