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3TuesdayJuly162013ASSESSMENTANDTAXATIONNOTICESMAILEDTheImprovementDistrictNo.24WoodBuffaloNationalParkcombinedassessmentandtaxationnoticesweredeliveredtopropertyownersonJune282013.UndertheMunicipalGovernmentActinregardstopropertyassessmentappealspropertyownershave60daystoappealAugust272013.PropertytaxesarestilldueandpayablebyJuly312013.PropertyownershavingquestionsontheassessmentareencouragedtocontacttheImprovementDistrictassessorat780-826-3589.QuestionsonthepropertytaxesshouldbedirectedtoAdministrationat780-422-8876.2013PROPERTYTAXPAYMENTIMPROVEMENTDISTRICTNO.24Continuedfrompage1.TheAthabascaChipewyanFirstNationACFNwhichraisedthealarmoftheoilysubstancesaidtheytoofelttheresponsewasmeasured.Wefeelwetookallap-propriateprecautionsgiventhefactthattherehavebeennumerousoilspillsleaksburstsandbreachesintheprovinceinrecentpastandourpeoplehaveneverseenalgaebloomsintheregionbeforesoitcausedgreatalarmtoourmemberswhorelyonthelandandriversystemsforfoodwaterandsustenancesaidErielDe-rangercommunicationsco-ordinatorforACFN.ShesaidshehopedtheFirstNationsrapidresponsetotheincidentwouldindicatetotheAlbertagovernmentthattheyaremorethanca-pablepartnerstoworkwithandthatnexttimethereac-tionoftheprovincialgov-ernmentwillbetocometothecommunityrstbeforeapproachingindustry.Ifacommunityraisesalarmofasituationontheriveritshouldsendpeopleimmediatelytotherivernotcallindustrytoaskthemwhatsgoingonshesaid.Weaskedforanindepen-dentworld-classmonitor-ingsystemintheAthabascaDeltathatwasntrunbyin-dustryyetinasituationlikethistheylookforanswersdirectlyfromindustry.Thatshouldntbethecase.FirstNationpointstochangingclimateDerangersaideventhoughtheoccurrencewasnaturalitisstillseriousandrequiresactionfromthegovernmentonclimatechangeandothercumulativeimpactsofindus-tryintheregion.Circumstanceswerecre-atedforthesealgaeblooms.Highwatersandrunoffcou-pledwithhightemperaturescreatedbothabreedinggroundandasystemforthealgaebloomsbutthenthehightemperatureskilledthemalmostimmediatelywhichcreatedthisoilysheenshesaid.Youcantignorethefactthatboththerecord-breakingrainfallsandre-cord-breakingtemperaturesarelikelyabyproductofcli-matechange.Shesaidclimatechangecausedprimarilybygreen-housegasemissionsfromindustryaffectsindigenousandland-basedpeoplesrstandthisincidentisaprimeexampleofthat.Soourcallisnowmorethaneverthatitstimeforgovernmenttobegintheprocesstoadequatelyprotectmonitorandmiti-gatethenegativeandad-verseimpactsonecosys-temsthatarenotjustvitaltoindigenouspeoplebuttotheplanetasawholeshesaid.AlgaebloomneverbeforeseensaysACFNFirstNationgoesNorthtogainalliesinbattleagainstCanada-ChinatradedealPoliticsFirstNationsByMEAGANWOHLBERGArepresentativefromaFirstNationoffthecoastofBCattendedlastweeksDeneNationalAssemblymeetingsinInuviktotrytomobilizeNorthernersintotakingactionontheproposedChina-CanadafairtradedealknownasFIPAnowawait-ingratication.BrendaSayersoftheHu-pacasathFirstNationonVancouverIslandpresentedatthemeetingsonThursdayafternooninanattempttogetsupportfortheircourtcaseandpushNorthern-erstobecomeactiveintheghtagainsttheimpendingagreement.Wereallyneedtoletthefederalgovernmentknowthatasawholewereop-posedtowhatsgoingonherebecauseitsnotjusttheconstitutionalrightsofFirstNationsthathavebeenviolateditstheconstitu-tionalrightsofCanadiansthathavebeenviolatedandpeopleshouldbeupsetSay-erstoldTheJournal.Theyhavearighttobemadbe-causeitsgoingtodictatehowourcountryisformedinthenext31years.SayerstinyFirstNationof300memberstookthefederalgovernmenttocourtovertheproposedtradedealwithChinaonJune5-7inVancouverusing185000offundraisedmoneyclaimingtheCrowndidnotconsultwithAboriginalpeoplesontheagreementwhichcouldimpacttheirabilitytoexer-cisetheirtreatyandAborigi-nalrights.OneofthemostimportantissuesthatpeopleshouldbelookingatasFirstNationsisthattheresaninvestor-statearbitrationclausecontainedintheagreement.SoifwedecidedasFirstNationstoprotectourlandsourre-sourcesorthehealthofourpeoplethatcouldtriggeraninvestor-statearbitrationjustbecauseweweretryingtoprotectourrightsshesaid.Whathappensonceitstriggeredisthatathree-personsecrettribunalwillsitdownanddecidewhetherCanadahasviolatedtheagreementandtheycansueCanadaforanylossofprotsevenifitsaslow-downoftheworkbecausewetookthemtocourtoverit.Theycansueforthatpe-riodoftimethattheywouldloseprots.ThoughtheagreementwassignedinRussiaonSept.9oflastyearithasyettoberati-ed.ButtheHupacasathcourtcasecouldtrashthedeal.Theyactuallycantsignituntildueprocesshastakenplacesothatswhyithasntbeenratied...TheCana-diangovernmentcouldhavesigneditattheendofOcto-berbutIthinkatthatpointintimeitwasntsignedbecauseofpublicpressureandthenofcourseourcourtcasecamealongshesaid.SayerssaidFirstNationsarenottheonlyoneswhoshouldbeconcernedaboutFIPA.WereallinthistogethertheFirstNationsandCana-diancitizensbecauseitaf-fectsallofus.Itwillbethetaxpayersthatwillpaypen-altiesthatareimposeduponCanada.Butitsnotjustthetaxpayerswehavetore-membertheprogramslikehealth-willourMSPbillsgouporeachprovinceshealthplanEducationSocialservicesThosekindsofthingswillmorethanlikelybeaffectedandwemaynotknowwhyshesaid.Similarlyshesaidunionsshouldalsobeawareofwhatcouldcomeoverthenext31yearsifthetradedealislockeddown.Chinacouldbringintheirownworkerssothisiswhyunionsshouldbecon-cernedandsomeofthemare-someofthemhavesteppedforwardtosupportusinourlegalaction-butalotofthemhaventyetandweneedthemtobecauseitstheirjobtoprotecttherightsoftheworkers.Sotheyhavetobemorevocalaboutthat.IfChinasallowedtobringintheirownworkerswearentbuildingcapacityinCanada.AnddontforgetthattheywontbegettingpaidthesamerateofpayasCanadiansaregettingpaidshesaid.SayerssaidmoreFirstNationsshouldtakelegalorpoliticalactionagainstthetreatylestCanadabecomearesourcecolonyforChinawhichisthesecondlargesteconomicpowerintheworldandslatedtobecomenum-beroneinthenextdecade.Weneedtogetpeoplemovingbecauseifwedontitwilljustlooklikeatinynationof300istheonlyoneconcernedaboutthisshesaid.PhotoDeneNationBrendaSayersleftoftheHapucasathFirstNationinBCattendstheDeneNationalAssemblymeetingsalongwithtwootherguestpresentersCalebBehncentreananti-frackingactivistfromnorthernBCandDeneelderFrancoisPaulettewhoseactivismfocusesmainlyontheprotectionofwater.