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7TuesdayMay212013toallwhohelpedorganizeandcontributedtothelovelycommunityfarewellespeciallyJessicaCox.WewouldliketothankthecommunityofFortSmithandallthepeoplewhohavesupportedusovertheyears.WewillmissyouAspecialthankyoutoLesleyPaulette.GiselaBeckerandJohnPlowmanAheartfeltthankyouListentoExperiencerightfromthestart.caLearnmoreaboutEarlyChildhoodDevelopmentandwhatyoucandotogiveyourbabythebestchanceatsuccessinlifeatBeproudtobewhoyouareinallaspectsoflifeanddontforgettopray.Thedifferencebetweenrightandwrongandthechoicesyoumakewillalwayshaveconsequences.-EileenBeaver.Proudmotherof5.Proudgrandmotherof7.Ages0to3arethemostcriticalagesinachildslife.Beinginvolvedinyourchildsdevelopmentrightfromthestartcreatesabrightfutureforthem.ByRENEFRANCOEURWithtalkofadamontheSlaveRiverresurfacingthisyearagainfromenergycompaniesTransCanadaandATCOmembersoftheRec-reationAdvisoryBoardoftheTownofFortSmithwantitknownthattherewillbenosuchdevelopmentwithoutaght.ChairoftheboardJes-sicaCoxandfellowmemberMikeVassalpresentedtheSlaveRiverRapidsDeclara-tionopposinganyindustrialdevelopmentontherivertoFortSmithtowncouncillastTuesday.WhenATCOwasherelasttimeacoupleyearsagotheywentawaywiththefeelingthattherewasstrongsupportfromFortSmithfordevelopmentontheSlave.Theboardfeelsthatsituationneedstoberectied.ThereisalotofoppositiontooVassaltoldcouncil.IveactuallyhadafewpeopleapproachmeandtellmetheywouldmoveifthedamproposalwentthroughhelatertoldTheJournal.WewouldloseallthreerapidsupstreamoftheRapidsoftheDrowned.TheboardrecognizestheissuefallsoutsideofthetownsjurisdictionasproposedplansforadamlocateitjustsouthoftheNWTsborderinAlberta.Howevertheboardisseek-ingrecognitionfrommayorandcouncilthatnotallsup-porttheproject.WewantitknownthatoppositiongoesbeyondSmithsLandingCoxsaid.TheproposedfloodareacoversaportionofSmithsLandingFirstNationreservelandlocatedwithinTreaty8territoryapproximately1sq-kmovera20kmsectionoftheriver.WemaynotbeinAl-bertabutwereastakeholderanditwouldaffectthequal-ityoflifehereCoxsaid.Itisadivisiveissueinthecommunitybutitsimpor-tanttohaveahealthydis-cussionaboutwhatisinthecommunitysbestinterestlongtermnotjustthinkingshortterm.Thedeclarationoutlinestheexceptionalopportu-nitiestheSlaveRiveranditsrapidsprovideforrecre-ationtourismandculturalactivitiesincludingsandybeachesswiftwaterrescuetrainingandidealpaddlingconditionsforworldclasscanoeingkayakingandrafting.Itgoesontostatetheareashouldbeprotectedinitsnaturalstatehighlightinghowitisanintegralpartofthedailylivesofthepeopleandcommunitiesbothup-streamanddownstreamoftherapids.CoxandVassalpresentedthedeclarationasaninfor-mationalitemchoosingnottopursueavoteatthetime.Thedeclarationcamewithanaccompanyingpetition.CallingfortheprotectionoftheSlavethepetitionhas127signaturesgatheredfromtwopublicappearances-attheEarthWeekfairandtheFortSmithtradeshowlastmonth.AccordingtotheNWTsCitiesTownsandVillagesActtheboardspetitiondoesnotmeettheparametersofsubmittingpetitionstomu-nicipalgovernments.Welaterfoundoutpe-titionsmusthaveabylawmadeorabylawrepealedand25percentofthemu-nicipalitysvotersneedtosignthepetitionforcounciltoconsideritlegitimateCoxsaid.Butthenumberstillsayssomething.Councilremainedonthefenceabouttheissueoffuturehydrodevelopment.TherearemanypeopleintradeswhowouldbenethugelyfromsomethinglikethissoIwouldliketohearfromthemtooDeputyMayorLouSebertsaid.Iamoftwomindsaboutit.CouncillorDonWebbsaidhetypicallysupportsdevelopment.Wevegottobeverycarefulwhatwedoascoun-cilhearingfromallsidesbeforewemakeastatement.Icanunderstandandap-preciatetheintentbehindthishesaid.IvealwaysstatedthatanydevelopmentontheSlaveisnotgoingtohappenbecausethetownofFortSmithisinfavourofitanditsnotgoingtobestoppedifthetownofFortSmithisagainstit...Wevegottohandleittothebestofourabilityforeveryone.Thenextstepfortherec-reationboardistomakeATCOandTransCanadaawareofthedeclarationVassalsaid.IdliketomaketheAl-bertaLegislatureawareofthedeclarationaswell.HowwedothatImnotsureyet.Itwillbedis-cussedfurtheralongwithothermeansofgarneringsupportfortheriverwiththeboardhesaid.SmithboardopposesindustrialdevelopmentonSlaveAdvisoryBoardpresentsdeclarationagainsthydroprojecttocouncilByMEAGANWOHLBERGFireghtersinFortSmithrushedtothearenaearlyMon-daymorningtoputoutarejustweeksaftergettingcalledtoareatthetownsreccentre.ThereatthearenaburnedforacouplehoursonMondaybeforeanyonenoticed.FortSmithsvolunteerredepartmentwasonsitearound730andhaditputoutbeforenoon.Noonewasinjuredorkilledintherethecauseofwhichisstillunderinvestigationbytheofceoftheremarshall.Thecostofthedamagehasnotyetbeendetermined.Duetotheprocessofin-spectionanddeterminationoflossandrepaircoststhearenaiscloseduntilfurthernoticeandwilllikelynotbeusableforthe20132014iceseasonstatedapressre-leasefromthetown.TheFortSmithTownCouncilrecognizestheintegralrolethatthearenaplayswithinitscommunityandwillworkdiligentlyforitscommunitymembersduringthisdif-culttime.Theincidentatthearenacamejustweeksafterreght-erswerecalledtothereccentreafteralightinthemaingymeffectivelyexplodeddroppingburningmaterialsontotheoor.Therewasputoutbutrepairshavetobemadetothegymoorthecostofwhichisstillunknown.Thetownislookingintoreplacingalltheoldlightswithnewermoreefcientonesinordertopreventtheincidentfromrecurring.Peoplearestillabletousethegymatthistime.FirehitsFortSmithArenaSportsRecreationArenaFirePhotoReneFrancoeurJessicaCoxunveilstheRecreationAdvisoryBoardspetitiontoprotecttheSlaveRiverattheFortSmithenvironmentalfairinApril.EnvironmentHydro