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COLUMNS5TuesdayJune42013FortSmithHayRiverWednesdayThursdayFridaySaturdayForecastForecastNorms16Cand5CNorms20Cand6C8Low10Low14High14High7Low21High12Low13Low15Low23High19High6Low25High13Low14High19HighYellowknifeInuvikWednesdayThursdayFridaySaturdayNorms15Cand4CNorms21Cand12C2Low-4Low4Low-3Low10Low13Low17High18High8Low21High14Low17High5High13High1High16HighTheGreatSlaveLakeregionofCanadaisalongwaynorthamassivesprawlingmysteri-ousplacethatmanyCanadianswillnevertravelto.ButtotheDenepeopleoftheNorthwestTerritoriesitisahomeinwhichnooneownstheirlandtheirlandownsthem.Itistheirsourceforfoodshel-terandoffersbothasymbolicandliteralalternativevisiontowhatmostofusconjureupasamodernwayoflife.NowthereisamovementtopreserveamassiveparceloflandontheEastArmofGreatSlaveLakeasourcoun-trysnewestandpotentiallyuniquenationalpark.Nego-tiationsbetweenParksCan-adaandtheutselKeDeneFirstNationaimtoestablishasprawlingareaofmorethan33000squarekilometresastheThaideneNeneNationalPark.Thewordspronouncedthigh-denaynenaytranslatefromtheChipewyanlanguageaslandofourancestors.AlthoughtheparkscreationisalluringlyimminentithasbeenaslongajourneytogethereastheDenepeoplethem-selvestraveltondthevitalcar-ibouthatsustainthem.Therewastalkofdesignatingtheareaanationalparkinthe1960sbutconsiderationwaswithdrawnin1970.Theideadidntndlifeagainuntilmorethan30yearslaterwhenanewgenerationofDenebecameconvincedthatsomethinghadtobedonetoprotecttheirancestralhomefromencroachingminingandhydro-electricdevelopment.Designationasanationalparkwouldsavethelandfromalmostcertainenvironmentalexploitation.Itwouldpreventtheexpansionofuraniumanddiamondmineslocatedjustnorthoftheparksboundary.SotheFirstNationspeoplereopenednegotiationsthistimewiththeConservativegovernment.By2006inthetinycommunityofLutselKethen-federalministerofEnvi-ronmentRonaAmbroseandformerChiefAdelineJonassonagreedtoassessthefeasibilityofsuchapark.Importantlythepactalsosetthestagefordis-cussionsonhowtheDenewillparticipateintheparksopera-tionsandmanagement.Astalksprogressedtheareawentunderaninterimlandwithdrawalwhichprohibitsnewminingclaimsandtheissuanceofnewoilandgasrights.Existingindustrialandcommercialactivitieswillbeallowedtocontinueaswilltheconstructionofanyfacilityas-sociatedwithadaminthere-gionknownastheTaltsonDam.Ihaveyettoexperienceitrst-handbutafterlisteningtotheimpassionedvoicesofpeoplefromtheregionwhoareonacross-CanadatoursponsoredbytheCanadianParksandWildernessSocietyIfeelatremendoussenseofurgencytogetthere.Theyspokeofanunspoiledscenicwildernessthatreachesfromtheborealforestonthesouthernarmintotundrainitsupperreachesaccentedbyredgranitecliffspeninsulascan-yonsandwaterfalls.GreatSlaveLakeisthedeepestfreshwaterlakeinNorthAmericaandtheareaalsofeaturestheLock-hartRivercanyonsandTyrrellFalls.Wildlifeincludesbarrengroundcaribouandmuskoxenblackbearsmooselynxwolfredfoxwolverineandmarten.Manyspeciesofmigratorybirdsalsonestinthearea.Althoughthisisapartofthecountrymanyofuswillneverseetherearecompellingmoralandsocialreasonstopreserveitsuniquequalitiesbeforetheyarelosttodevelopment.SeeingthetraditionalhuntinggroundsofFirstNationspeopleinnorth-ernAlbertadisruptedbyoil-sandsdevelopmentisastarkreminderthatrehabilitationisneverasgoodaspreservation.Thelandcanneverreallybeputbacktowhatitoncewas.AttheriskofcomingacrossasasentimentalistIwouldalsoarguetheutselKeDeneareontosomethingtoowiththatwholeconceptoflandowner-ship.AsstewardsweEuropeandescendantshaveoftendoneaprettycrappyjob.Someofthehideousspectacleswehavecre-atedinthenameofprogressbelieourclaimedstatusasanadvancedsociety.Itlooksasthoughthisnew-estnationalparkisgoingtohappen.ForthatallCanadi-ansoweadebtofgratitudetotheFirstNationspeopleoftheNorthfortheirlonganddeter-minedstruggletomakeitso.DougFirbyEditor-in-ChiefandNationalAffairscolumnistforwww.troymedia.comSupportThaideneNeneParkEveryyearinAlberta3000peopledieduetotobaccouseandmanymoresufferfromtobacco-relatedillness.EveryyearWorldNoTo-baccoDayMay31aWorldHealthOrganizationinitiativehighlightsthehealthrisksas-sociatedwithtobaccouse.ThisyearAlbertahighlighteduseofavouredtobaccoproducts.AccordingtotheCanadianCancerSocietytheflavouradditivesmasksmokingsun-pleasantattributesbymakingthesmokefeelmilderandsmellbetter.Theseavouradditivessuchaslicoriceandcocoahavebeenshowntoproducecan-cer-causingsubstanceswhenburned.Thesecarcinogensareadditionaltothosealreadyproducedbytobacco.Sixty-fourpercentofAl-bertaadolescenttobaccousersWorldNoTobaccoDayareusingavouredtobaccoproductswhichincludebothsmokeproductslikecigarillosandwaterpipesandsmokelesstobaccolikespittobacco.ThemostpopularincludeFlavouredlittlecigarsorcigarillos36percentFlavouredcigars30percentMentholcigarettes26percentFlavouredwaterpipeto-bacco17percentFlavouredsmokelessto-bacco14percentTheuseofavouredtobaccoproductsisapublichealthcon-cernduetotheirpotentialtocontributetoincreasedtobaccouseratesespeciallyamongadolescents.Flavouredtobaccoproductstypicallycomeinavoursthatappealtochildrenincludingfruitcandyandicecreamvarieties.Furthermoretheseharmfulproductsarepackagedtoresemblecandylipstickorcrayons.Cigarillosareveryaf-fordableforminorsmostareavailableassinglesforlessthan2atconveniencestoresCa-nadianCancerSociety.ThebenetstostoppingtobaccouseareimmediateWithin20minutesyourbloodpressuredropstonormal.Within24hoursyourchanceofheartattackdecreases.Withintwotothreeweeksofquittingyourcirculationim-provesandlungfunctioncanimproveupto30percent.Afterfiveyearsofquit-tingyourchanceforstrokedecreasestothatofanon-smoker.Weknowthatthemajor-itydotrytoquitmorethanoncebeforebeingsuccessful.Wealsoknowthatquittingismoredifcultwhenitsat-temptedalone.AlbertaHealthServicesoffersvariouspro-gramsandservicestohelpAlbertansquittobaccouseAlbertaQuitsHelpline1-866-710-7848QUITSignuponlineatAlber-taQuits.cathenewAHSwebsitewhichoffersonlinecessationsupportresourcesandeducationforpreventionandreductionoftobaccouse.QuitCoreisafreegroupsup-portprogramthatprovidesindividualswiththetoolsstrategiesandskillstheyneedtoquitsmokingwhileconnectingthemwithotherswhoarealsotryingtoquit.GarettRichardsonAlbertaHealthPromotionFacilitatorNorthernJournal2013JoinusonlineLikeNorthernJournalonFacebookandgettheweeklynewsdeliveredtoyourfeedFACEBOOKFEEDBACKWinterwontbethesameforiceenthusiastsinFortSmiththisyearwithnouseablearenainthecommunity.FortSmithformscommitteetotakeonarenaclosureJayVilleRebuild.Makeitbigger.UpgradeHardyFreund