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PoliticsRegulatory2TuesdayMay72013NEWSBRIEFSRedfordgovernmentannouncesnewschoolsfornorthernAlbertaSevennewschoolsareslatedtobebuiltinnorthernAlbertaaspartofPremierAlisonRedfordspromisedinvestmentineducationinfrastructuretheprovincialgovernmentan-nouncedlastMonday.NewandreplacementschoolswillbeaddedinBeaverlodgeFortMcMurrayGrandePrairieGrimshawJoussardNeerlandiaandSexsmith.Theywillprovideasmanyas3100studentspacesacrossallgradesandfeatureadvancedsystemssuchaslargewindowsthatprovidenaturallightingandventilationsystemsthatim-proveairqualityandcirculation.Theprojectsarerstintheseriesofnewschoolannouncements.Therstbundleareexpectedtobecompletedby2016.NorthwestelwinsinternationalawardNorthwestelCommunityTVtookhometheawardforTopInstructionalTrainingprogramfromtheAllianceforCommunityMediaaspartofits2013HometownMediaAwards.ThenetworkwonforitsprogramFamilyFish-ingConnection.TheprogramishostedbyWhitehorseshingenthusiastDennisZimmermannandproducedbyCommunityCable9inWhitehorse.TwolocationstoserveyouinHighLevelandLaCretewww.northstarchrysler.caWHEREPEOPLEBECOMECUSTOMERSFORLIFEITSFINALLYSUMMERSALEGREATREBATESONALLNEWRAMTRUCKSLETSMAKEITACOMBOFREETVorBBQor500instorecreditwitheveryRVpurchaseSALESTARTSMAY11THANDRUNSTHROUGHMAY18THGETGEAREDUPATNORTHSTARCHRYSLERHideoutsCougarsMontanasBulletPremierTorquesCyclonesandRoadWarriorsFREENightStayinHighLevelwitheverypurchaseOver30groupscallforremovalofnewAlbertaregulatorchairByMEAGANWOHLBERGMorethan30landownerlabourenvironmentalandFirstNationgroupsinAlbertaarecallingonPremierAlisonRedfordtoremovetherecentlyappointedheadoftheprov-incesnewenergyregulatorbeforeheevenstartshisjob.GerryProttiaformeroilcompanyexecutiveandpre-viouschairoftheCanadianAssociationofPetroleumProducersCAPPwashiredseveralweeksagoaschairofthesingle-windowregulatorybodythatwillreplacetheEn-ergyResourcesConservationBoardandfunctionwithinthedepartmentofEnvironmentandSustainableResourcesDevelopmentnextmonth.Groupsfromacrossthepo-liticalspectrumarecriticizingtheappointmentasanaffronttotheenvironmentalassess-mentandregulatoryprocess.HowcananyonehavefaiththattheyllgetafairunbiasedshakewhenthenewchaircouldntbemoreofanoilindustryinsidersaidDonBesteroftheAlbertaSurfaceRightsGroupanorganiza-tionrepresentingmostlyrurallandowners.Oilandgasal-readyrunstheshowandtheprovincejustappointedthepresidentofCAPPtobethejudgeandjury.ItsatrociousandIdontthinkanyland-ownershouldstandforit.Prottiservedasanexecu-tivewithEncanafor14yearsandwasfoundingpresidentofCAPP.Hewasalsoconsultedasanindustryrepresentativebytheprovinceduringthecreationofthenewregulator.ChiefAllanAdamoftheAthabascaChipewyanFirstNationACFNinnortheast-ernAlbertaoneofthegroupsthatsignedthelettertoRed-fordcalledtheappointmentofProttiinsulting.Ourcommunityhasbeenraisingseriousquestionsabouttheprovincesenvironmentalstandardsandmonitoring.Wehaverepeatedlydemandedmoremeaningfulparticipa-tioninthedevelopmentoftheprovincesnewenvironmentalmonitoringprojects.InsteadofbetterengagementtheyappointtheformerfounderofCAPPasthechairofthenewAlbertaEnergyregula-torThisisunacceptableandinsultinghesaid.ThelettertoRedfordde-mandssheremoveProttifromthepositionandcriticizesthepowerstructureofthenewregulatorybody.Heunderstandstheroleofthepublicinteresttheeconomicfundamentalsoftheindustrytheimportanceofhavingasociallicencetooperateandtheenviron-mentalconsiderationsthatareimportanttoAlbertans.InhisroleMr.ProttiwillbeAlbertaEnergyMinisterKenHughesisstandingbyhisdecisiontoappointformeroilsandsexecutiveGerryProttiasrstchairofthenewAlbertaEnergyRegulatordespitepublicoutcrycallingthemovebiasedinfavourofindustry.PhotoGovernmentofAlbertaHowcananyonehavefaiththattheyllgetafairunbiasedshakewhenthenewchaircouldntbemoreofanoilindus-tryinsiderDonBesterAlbertaSurfaceRightsGroupThemovetoasingleregulatormeansfewereyeswillassesstheenvironmen-talandsocialimpactsofen-ergyprojects.FewerpeoplewillregulateandenforceAl-bertasenvironmentalregu-lations.ItalsoconcentratespowerinfewerhandssothatlandownerrightsandTreatyimpactsmaynotbeproperlyaddressed.Thisnewapproachappearstofavourproponentsandlimitstheopportunityofintervenerstoraisevalidconcerns.Thefactthesede-cisionswillnowbeoverseenbysomeonelikeGerryProttiwhohassuchareasonableper-ceptionofbiasunderminesthecredibilityofthewholeAlbertaregulatoryprocesstheletterstates.Theregulatorwillberunbycabinetappointeeswillreporttotheministerofen-ergyandbepaidformostlybyindustry.AlbertaEnergyMinisterKenHugheswasunavail-ableforcommentbuttoldTheJournalinarecentin-terviewthatProttibringsawell-roundedperspectivetotheposition.workingcloselywiththereg-ulatorsnewCEOandboardthatwillrepresentadiversityofviewsandbackgroundsHughessaid.AlongwiththeSurfaceRightsGroupandACFNsomeoftheundersignedincludetheAlbertaFederationofLabourGreenpeacetheKeepersoftheAthabascatheAlbertaUnionofProvincialEmploy-eesTreaty8FirstNationsofAlbertaandtheCouncilofCanadians.ThelettercomesdaysafterJimElliswasnamedCEOofthenewenergyregulator.Theformerdeputyministerofen-ergyandenvironmentwasin-volvedinregionallandplan-ningcumulativeeffectsman-agementregulatorychangesanddevelopmentpolicyac-cordingtotheAlbertagovern-ment.MostrecentlyhewastheAlbertaleadontheproposednationalenergystrategy.WhileProttiwillberespon-sibleforsettingthegeneraldirectionoftheregulatorsbusinessandaffairsElliswillhandletheday-to-dayopera-tionsofthe1000staffand200-millionbudget.TwochargedinBehchokobeatingTwoBehchokomalesaged19and16havebeenchargedinrelationtoabrutalattackonamandeliveringparcelstotheNorthernStoreinBehchokoearlyinthemorningofApr.21.LawrenceJuniorDrygeesehasbeenchargedwithassaultcausingbodilyharmandfailingtocomplywithanundertakinginrelationtothisassault.Theyouthwhocan-notbenamedundertheYouthCriminalJusticeActwasalsochargedwithassault.BothhavebeenreleasedandareexpectedtoattendcourtonJuly9.AccordingtoRCMPthevictimwasseverelybeatenbythreemen.ThemansufferedseriousinjuriesandwastakentoStantonTerritorialHospitalinYellowknife.Heisnowrecoveringathome.