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3TuesdayJune252013TorontofoundationsetssightsonMackenzieWatershedfocusofdocumentaryfilmcurrentlyinproductionEnvironmentWatershedsByMEAGANWOHLBERGOneoftheforemostphil-anthropicfoundationsinCanadaisfocusingitsen-ergiesontheNorthtohelpprotectoneofthelargest-andleastunderstood-fresh-waterbasinsintheworldtheMackenzie.TheToronto-basedWal-terandDuncanGordonFoundationwhichworkstoencouragepublicdia-logueandshapepolicyacrossthecountryhasbeenworkingonNorth-ern-centeredinitiativesforthreedecadesandre-centlydecidedtocombineitsloveoftheNorthwithaninterestinfreshwaterwaterstewardship.Piggybackingonexist-ingworkbeingdonebytheterritorialgovernmentwithrespecttotheNWTWaterStewardshipStrategyanditscentralcomponentofcom-munity-basedwatermonitor-ingthefoundationisjump-ingonboardtohelpoutwithpromotingtheareaandtheissuesaffectingit.Whatwevedonetodateisreallyfocusedoncommu-nicationsaboutthebasinsaidCarolynDuBoiswaterprogramdirectorwiththefoundation.Itsreallyinterestinges-peciallyworkinghereinthesouththatpeopledontevenknowwhattheMackenzieBasinistheydontknowthebasicslikethefactthatitdrainsNorthtotheArcticOceanandallthatsoforusthethrustsofarhasbeenaroundcommunicationsandtryingtogenerateinterestnotjustfromthepublicbutalsofromresearchersandotherorganizationstogetinvolvedindoingworkinthebasin.PartofthefoundationsMackenzie-centeredcom-municationsstrategyincludesfundinga20-minutedocu-mentaryplannedforreleaseduringCanadaWaterWeeknextMarch.YellowknifelmmakersJayBulckaertandPabloSaravanjaarecur-rentlylmingupanddowntheMackenzieandDuBoissaidthelmwillholdsome-thingforbothasouthernau-dienceandthoseintheNorth.Theshortfilmwillbehousedonadedicateded-ucationalwebsitewithso-cialmediaactivitiesandisdesignedtobeworkedintopublicmeetingstrainingsessionsandthelike.AlreadythelmmakershavecapturedaSlaveRivermuskratcountexcursionandtherecentSlaveRiverDayfestivitiesinFortSmith.ItsjustgoingtofeaturethebeautyofthebasinpeoplesrelationshipstoitandsomeoftheissuesandcomplexitiesaffectingtheareaDuBoissaid.Forsouthernaudiencesthisisgoingtobeformanypeopleprobablyanin-troductionintothebasinjustkindofshowcasingitsbeauty.AndIthinkintheNorth...itwillresonatewithpeopleasafilmthatreallycaptureshowtheyrelatewithfreshwaterinthebasin.Thefoundationisalsolookingatwaysitcansupporttheongoingcom-munity-basedwatermon-itoringworkhappen-ingthroughouttheterri-torybyorganizinganddisseminatingthedatainawaythatpeoplecanuseandunderstand.ImreallyimpressedtoseewhattheyvebeendoingDuBoissaidoftheterritorialgovernment.Itsreallyencouragingtheirwholemodel-tryingtogetcommunitiestodrivewhatquestionsareaskedthroughthemonitoringandresearchdoneisIthinkre-allyimportant.Sothepiecethatwereinterestedinthatwerestillsortoflookingintoishowinformationiscollectedandthenreportedbacktopeople.Shesaidtheendgoalistocreateagreaterunder-standingofthebasinasawholetohelpinuencegoodpolicydecisions.AmongthelargestriversintheworldtheMackenzieisamongtheleaststudied.Itwasjustrealizingthatitsreallyimportanttocol-lectinformationaboutthebasintobeabletomakegoodfreshwatermanage-mentdecisionsandgoodresourcedevelopmentde-cisions-tohavethatgoodbaselinedatashesaid.PhotoMeaganWohlbergGordonFoundationCEOThomasAxworthygivesabooktoDeneelderFrancoisPauletteduringSlaveRiverDaycelebrationsinFortSmithonJune8.MtisNationapprovesdevolutiondealFinaldealtobesignedwithfedsTuesdayinInuvikByMEAGANWOHLBERGTheNWTMtisNationbecametherstAboriginalpartytothedevolutionagree-menttogivenalapprovaltothedeallastweekjustdaysbeforetheterritorialgovern-mentannouncedthefinalagreementwouldbesignedinInuviknextweek.TheMtisNationhasbeeninvolvedindevolutionnego-tiationsformanylongyearsGarryBaileyNWTMNpres-identsaidinapressreleaseissuedlastWednesdayfollow-ingavotebytheNWTMNboardofdirectorsaddingthattheyweresatisedfromthebeginningthatdevolutionwouldnotnegativelyimpacttheMtisongoingnegotia-tionswiththefederalgovern-mentfortheirownlandandresourcesagreement.ThoughhesaidtherearestillissuestoberesolvedwiththeGNWTinregardstotheintergovernmentalresourcerevenuesharing-specifi-callytheproposedformulaforsharing25percentoftheNetFiscalBenetwithAb-originalgovernments-hesaidthereistimetoworkthemoutbeforetheApr.12014imple-mentationdate.NowthatthedevolutionagreementhasbeenapprovedtheMtisNationwillcontinuetoactivelyparticipateinde-volutionimplementationtoensurethatthereisasmoothtransferofresponsibilitiesandmaintainconstructivework-ingrelationships.AtthesametimetheMtisNationwillcontinuetobuild-uponsoundworkingrelationshipswiththeotherAboriginalgovernmentswhoarepartytotheAgree-mentinordertostrengthenourcommoninterests.Baileynotedthatthetrans-ferofsomemanagementofresourcesandenvironmentunderthejurisdictionoftheterritorialgovernmentdidnotchangetheobligationsofthefederalgovernmenttotheNWTMNwithrespecttotheirongoingnegotiations.WeexpectallgovernmentstoadheretothoseobligationsandtoworktoachievefullimplementationoftheMtisNationsgoalsunderthatagreementhesaid.NWTPremierBobMcLeodwillbejoinedbyAboriginalAffairsandNorthernDevel-opmentMinisterBernardVal-courtalongwithAboriginalgovernmentsignatoriesinInuvikonTuesdayJune25tosignthenalagreementattheMidnightSunRecre-ationCentre.NWTMtisNationpresi-dentGarryBaileyFilephotoPoliticsDevolution