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3TuesdayMay14201313052DA3FortSmithcouncildividedonproposedroadsouthContinuedfrompage1.MartselosrequestcametocouncilscorporateservicescommitteemeetingonTues-dayeveningwhereafteraclosevotetherecommenda-tiontosupporttheproposalsqueakeditswaytotheMay14committeeofthewholemeetingbyacountofone.SupportiveoftheproposalwereMayorBradBrakeandcouncillorsDonWebbAlDumontandRonHoltorf.OpposedwereKevinSmithBobMcArthurandLynnNapier-Buckley.OriginallymiscountingthevotetobeatiecommitteechairChrisWestwellalsovotedinoppositiontotheproposal.Themishapwasrecognizedlaterthateve-ningafterthemeetingandthecountwasamended.Martseloswasnotpresentatthemeetingtooffersup-porttotheletter.ThoughnotincludedintheletteradditionaldetailswereprovidedbyBrakefromhisconversationswithMartselosabouttheproposedproject.HesaidbothaffectedAlbertaFirstNations-theMikisewCreeandAthabascaChipewyan-hadbeencon-sultedabouttheprojectandwerenowonboard.Hehaslotsofsupportfromothercommunitiesandtheresbeensomenewinfor-mationinregardstotheMiki-sewCreeandAthabascaFirstNationACFNthattheyreinterestedinseeingthathap-penaswellsoitseemslikethingsaregoingtomovefor-wardonit.IthinkweshouldprovidealetterofsupportBraketoldcouncil.Thelasttimethe118-kmwinterroadwasonitswaytobeingbuiltMikisewcontestedtheprojectandwonaprece-dent-settingcaseagainstthegovernmentofCanadaoverlackofconsultation.BothFirstNationswouldlosepiecesoflandhistorictraplinesandhuntingareasthroughcon-structionoftheroute.Westwellsaidhewascon-cernedthatcouncilinsup-portingthisinitiativewouldbeoperatingsolelyonhear-sayandshouldhavecopiesofsupportlettersfrombothMikisewandACFNbeforeagreeingtosupportit.Thisisoneofthosesitu-ationswherewewouldben-etoffthebacksofsome-bodyelseslosssoIwouldliketoseealetterofsupportofsomesortfromthepeoplewhowouldbeaffectedontheAlbertasideofthingsasthiswouldbebuiltbythemfundedbythemandbethroughtheirlandhesaid.Brakesaidthatthefund-ingfromthepremierwastobeusedtomeetwiththeFirstNations.AttemptstoreacheitherFirstNationforcommentwereunsuccessful.ThefactthattheletterwassignedbyMartselosalonewasalsoofsomeconcerntocouncillors.Brakesaidhewasin-formedbyMartselosthatthedefunctThebachaRoadSocietyisonitswaytose-curingrenewedstatusandthattheneedtousethetownasaflow-throughagency-asstatedintheletter-wouldnolongerberequirednorwouldthemoneybegoingdirectlytoMartselos.Webbsaidhewouldbesupportiveofaroadsouthifthetowndidnothavetobeinvolvedineitherthefund-ingoradministrationoftheproject.PersonallyIminfavourofthisaslongastheTownofFortSmithisnotgoingtobebecomeinvolvedbeyondaletterofsupportthatsitwerenottakingonanynan-cialobligationsordoinganypaperworkhesaid.Smithontheotherhandspokeoutagainsttheprojectcriticizingitsclaimtoeco-nomicprosperityforthetownalongwiththeletterfromMartseloswhichhecalledshyandsuspicious.Hesaidthecommunityal-readyhasawinterroadsouthandthatitisunclearwhetherornotthisroadisintendedtobeall-weather.Healsosaiditcouldseemorepeo-pleleavingthecommunitytodotheirshoppingthusresultingineconomiclossforFortSmith.MayorMartselosin2001afterthescreeningassessmentwasdoneadmittedtherewasnoeconomicbenettothisroad.Theystatedthatpub-licly.Ijustdontseewhywewouldbewillingtobeaow-throughagencywithoutalotmoreinformationonwherethemoneyiscomingfromSmithsaid.Ijustthinkwevespentalotoftimeandmoneyandenergyonthisinthepastandithasntgottenusany-whereandIdratherseeourresourcesdirectedinamoreusefulway.TheissuewillbediscussedatthecommitteeofthewholemeetingonMay14.ThebachaMLAnanceministersaysroadsouthnotapriorityByMEAGANWOHLBERGWithallthetransportationinfrastructureneedsoftheNorthwestTerritoriesunderatightbudgetFinanceMin-isterMichaelMiltenbergersaidhelpingtofinancearoadsouththroughAlbertaisthelastthingtheterrito-rialgovernmentshouldbefocusingon.SpendingmoneyinAl-bertaatthistimewhenwerehardatworktomeetthehundredsofmillionsofdollarsofunmetneedsonthetransportationsidealoneintheNWTisextremelyproblematicitsjustanon-starterhesaid.Wedonthavealotofmoneywerepracticingre-straintwerestillmanagingourmoney.Sonothereisnopotofmoney.TheissueofaroadsouthwasraisedlastweekinameetingofFortSmithstowncouncilafterformermayorPeterMartselosre-questedthetownssupportingettingtalksofthePeacePointtoGardenRiverAlta.routere-started.The118-kmroadwouldrunthroughWoodBuffaloNationalParkandacrossbothMikisewCreeandAthabascaChipewyanFirstNationterritory.MiltenbergeralsotheThe-bachaMLAsaidhisprioritycontinuestobenishingthechipsealingofHwy5toFortSmith-anissuethatwasoneofthemainpointsofcon-tentionraisedbyMartselosandfellowcandidateJeannieMarie-JewellintheirraceagainstMiltenbergerduringthe2011territorialelection.Hesaidifandwhenthereisanyfreemoneythatswhereitshouldgo.Miltenbergersaiditisacommonoccurrenceformin-isterstobeaskedformoneybutthatback-doorpoliticshaventworkedinthe20yearshesbeenintheLegislativeAssembly.Thereisnofreemoneyoatingaroundandthepre-miergetsapproachedeverydaywithrequestsformoney.Hesaveryastutecapablepoliticianwhosbeenaroundalongtimeheknowshowtomanagethosekindofre-quests.TheyrethesamekindofrequestsIgetthenanceministersaid.Butnoministerormem-berofthecabinethasachequebookintheirbackpocketorapotofdiscre-tionaryfundingthattheycanatwilljusttapintoandnotbeaccountablefor...SinceIvebeenhereifyouwanttospendpublicmoneytheresaprocessandlotsofscrutiny.MiltenbergersaidtheTownofFortSmithisfreetocontribute50000insup-portoftheprojectiftheysochoosebutsaiditisimpor-tanttobecertainoftheva-lidityoftheinformationtheyarebeinggivenconsideringtheproposedroadshistorywhichledtoamajorlegaldefeataftercomingintoconictwithFirstNationsinAlberta.AfterthenineyearsandthefailedattemptandtheSu-premeCourtwheretheygottheirluncheatentheyshouldwanttohavebandcouncilresolutions-awholenum-berofveryformalthingsMiltenbergersaid.Theissueoftheroadwillbediscussedattowncoun-cilscommitteeofthewholemeetingonMay14.PoliticsMunicipalPoliticsTerritorialFormerFortSmithmayorPeterMartselosisre-proposingasecondroadsouththroughWoodBuffaloNationalPark.Filephoto