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3TuesdayJune182013EdmontonMPtablesbilltoprotectSlaveRiverCouncillorlooksforTownofFortSmithsupportforbillEnvironmentWatershedsByMEAGANWOHLBERGAnEdmontonMPtabledabilllastweekthatcouldrein-stateprotectionoftheSlaveRiverundertherecently-amendedNavigableWatersProtectionAct.Edmonton-StrathconaMPLindaDuncansBillC-529in-troducedlastMondaywouldreturntheSlaveRivertothelistofnavigablewaterwaysprotectedundertheactwhichsawmostofCanadaslakesriversandstreamsremovedthroughomnibusBillC-45lastwinter.Currentlytheonlybod-iesofwaterintheNWTthatremainprotectedareGreatSlaveLakeGreatBearLakeandtheMackenzieRiver.TheAthabascaandPeaceRiversarealsoprotected.ItwilladdthemightySlaveRiverowingfromAlbertatotheNWTtothesubstantiallydiminishedlistofriversthisgovernmenthasdeemedwor-thyofprotectionDuncantoldtheHouse.ThedecisiontoremoveanyremainingprotectivemeasuresfortheSlaveRiverwasmadeabsentofanyconsultationwiththeAboriginalpeopleswhohavealong-standingconnectiontotherivershesaid.IndoingsothegovernmentviolateditsoverridingconstitutionaldutyofpriorconsultationwithandaccommodationofAboriginalrightsandtitle.InintroducingthebillwhichwassecondedbyfellowNewDemocratandWesternArcticMPDennisBevingtonDuncanspoketotheriversheritageusebyFirstNationssincetimeimmemorialandthefactthatithousesCana-dasnorthernmostockofpelicans.Theriverhasforcentu-riesprovidedamajortrans-portationroutebetweenFortFitzgeraldintheNWTandFortChipewyaninAlbertashesaid.SupportingthebillisSmithsLandingFirstNationSLFNlocatedjustsouthoftheNWTbordernearFortSmith.SLFNelderFrancoisPaulettespokeofthebillatFortSmithsSlaveRiverDaycelebrationsonJune8askingotherpeopletosupportDuncanseffortsbythetimethepieceoflegislationisdiscussedinthefall.Ithinkthatsveryimportant.WeneedtoprolethisriverweneedtoprolethiswaterthatcomesbesideusthatsofsomethingmuchgreaterthanwhatthetarsandswillevergiveusPaulettesaid.Anditissuchahugestruggle.Itsnotjustherenowitsglobal.Itseverywhere.OneFortSmithtowncoun-cillorisalsohopingtogetback-ingforthebillfromthetownaswellattheJune18councilmeeting.KevinSmithsaidthetownshouldbeconcernedaboutanylegislationthataffectsitsdrinkingwater.IthinkitisverystrangethattheactincludestheAthabascaPeaceandMackenzieRiversalongwithGreatSlaveLakeandGreatBearLakebutdoesnotincludetheSlaveRiverhesaid.TheTownofFortSmithdrawsitsdrinkingwaterfromtheSlaveRiversoanypoten-tialdevelopmentsaffectingtherivershouldconcernthetownanditsresidents.HesaidtheNavigableWatersProtectionActdoesnotstopLeasedebacleembarrassesMACAministerByJACKDANYLCHUKLawyersforAboriginalAf-fairsandNorthernDevelopmentCanadaAANDCareporingoverlawbookstodeterminewhostoblameforrevealingtheidentitiesoffederalleaseholders.TheinformationisintheNorthwestTerritoriesdevo-lutionagreement-partofaninventoryofsitesthatpassedfromAANDCtotheterrito-rialgovernment-approvedrecentlyduringthebriefspringlegislativesession.ProtectedbyfederalprivacylawstheidentitiesofthosewhoacquiredhuntingandshingleasesoncovetedlakefrontpropertynearYellowknifeontheeveofdevolutionarenowpartofthepublicrecordandasourceofembarrassmentfortheterritorialgovernment.Newsthatthoseleasescon-tinuedtobegrantedsurprisedRobertC.McLeodministerofMunicipalandCommunityAffairsMACA.TheMACAministerthoughthehadachievedanagreementlastDecemberwithJohnDuncanthenministerofAANDCtoworktogetheronmanagingtheareaaroundWalshandBantinglakesuntildevolutionwascomplete.McLeodtoldthelegislatureheexpresseddisappointmenttoBernardValcourtDuncanssuccessorandiseagerlywaitingfortheresponsefromthefederalminister.ButemployeesinMcLeodsdepartmentwereamongthesmallarmyofbureaucratswhohadresponsibilityforapprovingorrejectingtheleases.Someacquiredleasesunderthelittle-knownpro-gramforthemselves.UnderthemanagementplandevelopedbyMACAtheleaseswouldhavebeendistributedbylottery.Theplanwastobeintro-ducedduringthelegislativeses-sionbutthatwasshelvedwiththesurprisenewsoftheleases.WeledehMLABobBrom-leysaidasmanyas27ve-yearleaseswereissuedaroundWalshandBantingLakes.Thedocumenttabledinthelegis-latureshowsthattwodozenweregrantedinthepast12monthsseveralthisyearandsomeasrecentlyasJune.Onenewly-mintedlease-holderaterritorialgovern-mentemployeewhospoketoTheJournalonconditionofanonymitysaidthatalthoughfederalhuntingandshingleaseshavebeenavailablefordecadesheonlylearnedoftheprogramlastyear.AllIhadtodowasndaspotIlikedplotitonthemapandllouttheapplicationsaidtheleaseholderwhohappilysharedtheinforma-tionwithfriends.Therewasnoconspiracyitjustspreadbywordofmouth.Itwastheapproachofthetransferofcontroloverlandandresourcestotheterritorialgovernmentandfrustrationwiththeimpunityofsquat-tersthatpromptedhimtoseekaleasehesaid.Theterritorialgovernmenthasfrozencabinleasesyetnewsquattersshacksarepop-pingupeverywherehesaid.IvelivedhereallmylifeandIwantedapieceofgroundtobuildarestareanotacabinandIwantedtobelegalnotasquat.Thehuntingandsh-ingleaseisperfectanditcostsjust160ayear.StephenTraynorspecialadvisortoAANDCtoldTheJournalinanemailthatthePrivacyActrestrictsthedepartmentfromidentifyingtheleaseholderswithouttheirconsent.ShaunDeanpresssecre-taryfortheGNWTsaidthefederalgovernmentwasfullyawarethatweweretablingthedocumentsinthelegisla-ture.Findinganalternativetobreachingprivacylegisla-tionwasuptothem.developmentastheGNWTwasstillabletobuildabridgeovertheMackenzieRiverforexample.InsteadhesaidtheactisimportantfortriggeringafederalreviewprocessthatwouldapplytotheTownofFortSmith.OtherwisemostoftheSlaveRiverisunderthejurisdictionofthegovernmentofAlbertaandIamquiteskepticalabouttheirenvironmentaltrackre-cordandtheirconcernforourwell-being-justlookattheoilsandshesaid.Whetheryousupporthydrodevelop-mentornotontheSlaveRiverifresidentsofFortSmithwanttohaveasayinwhathappenswiththerivertheyshouldsup-portBillC-529.Itswherewegetourdrinkingwater.TheNavigableWatersPro-tectionActhasbeeninplacesincethe1880s.Itfunctionsasatriggertotheenvironmentalassessmentprocessforproj-ectsimpactinglakesriversandcoastlines.ChangesmadetotheactthroughthelatestbudgetbillloweredprotectiontocoveraroundtwopercentofCana-daswaterways.KayakerJenEddiepaddlesontheSlaveRiverrapids.TheSlavewasrecentlyremovedfromthelistofwaterwaysprotectedbytheNavigableWatersProtectionAct.PhotoJohnBlythPoliticsDevolution