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6TuesdayMay212013ConstituencyMeetingAllresidentswelcome.Pleasefeelfreetoattendandraiseanyconcernsorissues.ForfurtherinformationcalltheRefreshmentswillbeavailable.Hon.J.MichaelMiltenbergerMLAThebachawillbehostingaConstituencyMeetingonTuesdayMay282013at700p.m.attheNorthernLifeMuseum.ByRENEFRANCOEURTheresurrectedtopicofbuildingaroadsouththroughWoodBuffaloNationalParkfromPeacePointtoGardenRiverAlta.hasstirredthepotatrecenttowncouncilmeetingsinFortSmith.AletterfromformermayorPeterMartseloswasrstputonthetableatthetownscor-porateservicescommitteemeetingMay7askingforsupportintheproposedroadproject.ItwillgobeforeFortSmithtowncouncilforanaldecisiononMay21.Martseloswasthemaindriverofthe118-kmroadwhichrunsacrossbothMiki-sewCreeandAthabascaChipewyanFirstNationlanddecadesagowhenherstpro-poseditaspresidentofthede-functThebachaRoadSociety.Theprojectwasdefeatedin2005whentheSupremeCourtofCanadaruledtheMikisewhadnotbeenprop-erlyconsulted.AccordingtoMayorBradBrakeMartselossaidbothaffectedAlbertaFirstNa-tionshavebeenconsultedCouncilcontinuestodebatesupportforWoodBuffaloparkroadabouttheprojectandarenowonboard.Therecommendationtoapprovetheletterofsup-portwascarriedatthecor-porateservicescommitteemeetingwithatight4-3voteandsubsequentlyslidthroughatthecommitteeofthewholelastTuesdaywithanother4-3voteinfavourofthemotion.CouncillorsLouSebertDonWebbAlDumontandRonHoltorfsupportedthemotionatthecom-mitteeofthewhole.Op-posedwereKevinSmithBobMcArthurandLynnNapier-Buckley.CouncillorChrisWestwellwasabsent.Iurgecouncilextremecautioninsupportingthis.Lettersofsupportcreateex-pectationsSmithsaid.IwouldpreferthatwewaituntiltheThebachaRoadSocietyisactuallyformedwithaboardandwehavesomekindofproofthatbothMikisewCreeandAthabascaChipewyanFirstNationareactuallyinfavourofthis...Ifwecontinuedownthisroadcouncilshouldmakesureithasallitsduckslinedup.Napier-BuckleybroughtupanumberofnegativepointsabouttheroadnotingthatAboriginalhuntinglandsandtraditionaltraplineswouldbeimpacted.ShealsomadereferencetofactthattheNWTpremierde-niedmakinganypromiseofmoneytoMartselostokick-startroadplansasdiscov-eredrecentlybyTheJournal.UnlessIseesomethingfromtheMikisewCreethatsaysYeswereokaywiththisIcantsupportthisNapier-Buckleysaid.Thisissupposedtobeawinterroad.Wealreadyhaveawinterroad.ItwillnotspeedanythingupandIdontseeanyreasonwhyweshouldbesupportingit.Otherswerenotsoquicktodismisstheproposal.Aletterofsupportjustgivestheindividualsinvolvedtheopportunitytotrytopro-ceedDumontsaid.ItsreallyjustaskingcanweopenthisbookagainandtakealookHoltorfadded.PoliticsMunicipalByRENEFRANCOEURAsthegovernmentoftheNorthwestTerritoriesbe-ginssendingmedevacpa-tientstothenewEdmontonairambulancebaseagroupofAlbertadoctorsairam-bulancepilotsandruralad-vocateswarnpatientstheyareindangerifservicesarenotreinstatedattheformercitycentrelocation.AsofMay14thegovern-mentoftheNorthwestTer-ritoriesmedevacprogramisoperatingincollaborationwiththenewairoperationscentreattheEdmontonIn-ternationalAirportEIAbasedinLeducinsteadofitspreviousbaseattheCityCentreAirportinEdmon-tonwhichisclosertothetwodowntowntertiarycarehospitals.Ifwehadachoicephysi-cianswouldnotbeallowingthistohappen.Ifyouhaveachoicedonotusetheinter-nationalairport.ItsatyourperilDr.KerryPawluskitheheadoftheSaveOurMedevacServicesSocietytoldTheJournal.Thegroupallegesthetrans-fertimeittakestoreceiveGNWTbeginssendingmedevacstonewLeducbaseAlbertadoctorscallforreversalofdecisiontomovemedevacservicesurgentcarehasdoubledwiththemove.Alreadywevenoticedourtimesarewellinex-cesscomparedtowhattheyusedtobe...Themoveadds35minutestothebackendandthats35minutesinop-timalconditionsPawluskisaid.Therestwolevelsofmedicineurbanandrural.Unfortunatelyyourruralmedicineisgoingfromsec-ondratetofourthrate.Weregoingfromthebesttransfertimestotheworst.AlbertaHealthServicesairambulancebaseservic-ing12xed-wingairambu-lancesmovedfromthecitycentrelocationtoanew3600square-metrehangaratEIAonMarch15.ThehangarisbesidethenewSTARSemergencyheli-copterfacilities.Theprovin-cialgovernmentmaintainsthisproximitymeansSTARSwillbeabletotransferex-tremeemergencypatientsfromxed-wingightsar-rivinginLeducdirectlytothecityhospitals.AnytruthinthathassofarbeendismalPawluskisaid.Hegaveanexamplefromlastweekofapatientincriti-calconditionwithalaceratedheartfromamotorvehiclecollisioninFortMcMurray.StaffattheNorthernLightsRegionalHealthCentreinFortMcMurraywereabletosavethepatientintheoperat-ingroomthroughopencar-diacmassagebutwhentheytriedtosendhimdowntooneoftheEdmontonhospitalsfromEIAusingSTARStheyweretoldthepatientwasnotacuteenoughPawluskisaid.IfevertherewascasetobemadeforusingSTARStoquicklytransportapatienttoreducethetimeintransfer-ringhimthiswasithesaid.Thisisntanisolatedinci-denteitherPawluskinoted.HesaidSTARShasnotbeenusedoncesincetherelocation.AreportfromtheHealthQualityCouncilofAlbertafoundthatalmost4000pa-tientsarrivedatEdmontonsCityCentreAirportin2010byairambulanceandthat1779ofthosewerecriticalortime-dependent.SaveOurMedevacSer-viceswantstoseethedecisionabouttheairambulancebaserelocatingtoEIAreversedandisurgingthepublictocontacttheirMLAs.TheGNWTdoesntseethemoveinanegativelighthoweversayinginarecentpressreleasethatitworkedcloselywithAlbertaHealthServicesandseestherelo-cationasanimprovementofservicesforNWTpatients.Ourgovernmentiscom-mittedtoensuringthatourpatientsreceivegoodmedicalcarewhilebeingtransportedtoEdmontonhospitalsinasafeandtimelymannerMinisterofHealthandSo-cialServicesTomBeaulieusaidinarecentpressrelease.Wehaveworkedinpart-nershipwithAlbertaHealthServicestodevelopproce-duresandplanssothatourpatientsareabletogettothehospitalsinasafeandtimelywaywhilemaintaininghighstandardsfortheirmedicalcare.Ibelievethatwehaveachievedourgoalandinfacthaveimprovedthequalityoftheircare.BeaulieusstatementswerebackedbyDr.IanPhelpsseniormedicaldirectorforAlbertaHealthServicesEmergencyMedicalServiceswhosaidtheairoperationscentreatEIAoffersagreaterlevelofpatientcareanden-surestimelysafetransportforNorthernpatients.Thenewfacilityoffersmanyadvantagessuchastheabilitytotransferpa-tientsindoorsinacontrolledenvironmentanddedicatedgroundtransportationve-hiclesandcrewstosupportthearrivingairambulancecrewshesaidinthesamerelease.Thefacilityhasasix-bedpatienttransitionroomwithparamedicstafftosup-portinboundandoutboundstablepatientsandhelpco-ordinatedmedevacights.Accordingtothereleaseitalsohasgroundambulanceshuttleswithparamedicstaffthatallowthemedevaccrewtotransfermostpatientsattheairportsothattheycanreturntofullservicemorequickly.ButPawluskiremainsskeptical.Weweretoldthatthetri-agecentreattheEIAwouldbemanned247thenitwasshaveddownto800-600orsomethinglikethatandnowIdontthinktheresanyoneouttherePawluskisaid.Itsstrictlyaholdingarea.Manyofthe18recommen-dationsforthenewmedevacbasemadebytheHealthQualityCouncilofAlbertainits2011studyhavenotbeenfullledPawluskisaidsuchasthesynchronizationoflightsthestandardizationofequipmentinthemedevacplanesgroundambulancesandSTARShelicoptersandconsideringanotherairportinEdmontonasabackupoption.YouhavetoytoCalgaryifEdmontonisdownbecauseofweatherortechnicalprob-lems.SoforsomeonecomingfromtheNorthwestTerrito-riesthatmeansyouregoingtohavetostopsomewhereonrouterefuelandthencontinuetoCalgaryhesaid.Thefacttheserecommendationshavenotbeencompliedwithisjustcriminal.Pawluskiwillbeprovid-ingevidenceasawitnessinexpropriationhearingsbe-ginningthisweekregardingtheissue.HealthWellnessAirAmbulance