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EDITORIALARCHIVES15YearsAgo...DenemeetingtoghtpollutionDelegatesfromtheDeneNationmetwithrepresentativesfrommorethanahundredothercountriestocombatPersistentOrganicPollutantsPOPS.Thistherstofvemeet-ingswiththeUnitedNationsEnvironmentProgramreducedandeventuallyeliminatedtoxinswhichhavebeenshowntobeaseri-oushealthconcerntoArcticresidents.IssueJuly14199820YearsAgo...ForestrydeputyministerssetagendaTheNorthwestTerritoriesrepresentativeatanationalforestrymeetinginFortSmithsaidtheNWTisinapositiontobealeaderinthiseld.TheagendaincludedCanadasinterna-tionalimagetheNorthAmericanFreeTradeAgreementandAboriginalforestry.Thetopicsparkingthemostdiscussionwasforestman-agementagreementsbetweenthefederalgov-ernmenttheprovincesandterritories.IssueJuly14199330YearsAgo...PSAreactstonewbudgetWagerestrictionsannouncedbythefed-eralgovernmentaspartofthenewbudgetwouldnotaffecttheNorthwestTerritoriesPublicServiceAllianceaccordingtoBenMcDonaldexecutivesecretary-treasurerfortheunion.Exceptforwageratesmostexistingtermsandconditionscontinuedtoapplywithoutchangeforthetwo-yearextensionperiod.IssueJuly2219824TuesdayJuly162012TheNorthernJournalisanindependentnewspapercoveringnewsandeventsinthewesternArcticandnorthernAlberta.VisittheJournalonlineatwww.norj.caAnzacAtikamegBrownvaleCadotteLakeChardChetehColdLakeConklinDriftpileDufeldEdmontonEnildaEnochFortChipewyanFortMcKayFortMcMurrayFortVermillionFrogLakeGlenevisGoodshLakeGrandePrairieGrouardHighLevelHighPrarieHytheJohnDorPrairieAvailableinAlbertaatAklavikBehchokoColvilleLakeDelineEaglePlainsEkatieDiamondMinesEnterpriseFortGoodHopeFortLiardFortMcPhersonFortProvidenceFortResolutionFortSimpsonFortSmithGametiHayRiverInuvikJeanMarieRiverLutselKeNahanniButteNormanWellsPaulatukTheNorthernJournalisavailableinthefollowingNWTcommunitiesRaeEdzoSachsHarbourTroutLakeTsiigehtchicTuktoyaktukTulitaUlukhaktokWekwetiWhaTiWrigleyYellowknifeKehewinKinusoLacLaBicheMornvillePeaceRiverRedEarthCreekSaddleLakeSlaveLakeSt.PaulValleyviewWabasca2011CCNACANADIANCOMMUNITYNEWSPAPERAWARD2011CMCAAUDITEDAdvertisingDeadlinesDisplayaddeadlineisThursdayat400p.m.ClassiedaddeadlineisThursdayat500p.m.Emailadsnorj.caSubscriptionRates867872-3000PricesincludeGST.47.25inFortSmith52.50elsewhereinCanada105intheUSAoverseas164.30.LetterstotheEditorPolicyTheNorthernJournalwelcomesletterstotheeditor.Lettersmustbesignedandincludeaphonenumbersotheauthorcanbeveried.Nameswillbewithheldonrequestinspecialcircumstanceswherethereasonsaredeterminedtobevalid.TheJournalreservestherighttoeditlettersforlengthlibelclarityandtaste.Opinionsexpressedinlettersandcolumnsarenotnecessarilythoseofthepublisheroreditor.PublishedweeklybyCascadePublishingLtd.PrintedonrecyclednewsprintwithvegetableinkatWainwrightStarChronicle.PublisherManagingEditorDonJaque867-872-3000ext.21djnorj.caEditor...........................MeaganWohlberg867-872-3000ext.24newsnorj.caReporter.........................ReneFrancoeur867-872-3000ext.25reporternorj.caComptroller...........................DixiePenner867-872-3000ext.23dixnorj.caAdvertising....................JoshuaJorgensen867-872-3000ext.15adsnorj.caAdministration............CarolMacPherson867-872-3000ext.29adminnorj.caProductionGraphics.......SandraJaque867-872-3000ext.22sandranorj.caPaulBannister867-872-3000ext.27graphicsnorj.caIntern....................................JessicaIrvingPhotoLibbyGunnItisagoodbettrainswillneverrunthroughtheheartofLacMganticQue.again.Sec-tionsofthoseribbonsofsteelmayevenbetornupbydeeplyhurtandangrysoulsaftertheterribletragedythere.Thepolicewouldconsidersuchactsvan-dalism.Runningtrainsthroughthecentreoftownsandcitiesishowwedothingswithnoconsiderationofthehazards.ThecostofreroutingthosetracksaroundLacMganticwouldbehuge.Theimplicationsofthesamebeingdemandedbyothercom-munitieswouldbefarreaching.Thewaythingshavebeendoneinthepastandtheneedsofwealthandjobproducingindus-trieswouldlikelywinout.Heightenedconcernwillforcediscus-sionhoweverandchangemayhappenShouldtrainseverbeleftunattendedShouldtrainsbedeployedwithonlyonecrewmemberShouldtrainair-brakesauto-deploywhentheengineisshutoffasontrucksLastweekTheJournalreceivedapro-spectivecolumnabouttherecentAlbertaooding.TheheadlinecriedoutLocat-ingnewsubdivisionsinoodplainsisnothinglessthanacrime.Ifwedontchangethewaywebuildandlocatebusinessesandhomesthenwereabunchofidiotswasthesubhead.TherstlinereadItstimelegislatorsacrossCanadashowedsomecourageandpassedmeaningfullegislationlimitingdevelopmentonoodplains.Thosearetwomessagesspeakingtotwoseparateaudiencesleg-islatorstheyandthepublicwe.LacMganticwithconsiderablepublicsupportwewillwantactionasaresultofthetragedy.Itwillbelegislatorsandbureaucratstheywhodecideiftrainsaretobemadesaferandorthetracksaretoberelocatedawayfromtown.WhosejobisittopreventtragediesTheAlbertagovernmentisnowgoingtoforcechangeinthewaycitizensareal-lowedtobuildinareasatriskofooding.Theyhavewiselyestablishedthatanyoodvictimstayinginalocationpronetooodingwillnotbeeligibleforcompensa-tionifthesamehappensagaininfuture.Communityplanningandmunicipalby-lawswillalsochange.Allofthiswasrec-ommendedinthereportafterthe2005oodsinCalgarybutnotimplemented.Thetragedythistimewasmuchgreaterasaresult.Betterlatethannever.Whatresponsibilitydogovernmentshaveinbeingdiscerningandactingpre-emptivelytopreventtragediesWhatroledowethepublichaveinpromotingorsupportingsuchactionAseconddebateaboutthesafetyoftrainoiltankercarshasemergedfromtheLacMgantictragedy.ExplosiveammableandpoisonousmaterialsareroutinelyshippedthroughCanadiantownsandcitiessomethingvirtuallyignored.Theshipmentoflargequantitiesofoilbeingsenttoreneriesisnewhoweverfromrecentlydiscoveredoileldsstrandedfarfrompipelines.Railtransportofferstheonlyoption.Whyhasthedangerofship-pinghazardousmaterialsbyrailnotbeenrecognizedanddealtwithWhyhasthisnewuseoftrainsformovingoil-increas-ingthedangertocommunitiestheypassthroughdaily-notbeennoticedanddealtwithbygovernmentsInfactthecurrentgovernmentapproachistoreduceregula-tionsandinspections.Atragedyisappar-entlyneededtocompelaction.Thatisaseriousproblemwithoursystem.Thepublicisresponsibletoo.Pressuremustbeappliedtogovernmentstotakeac-tion.Thatdoesnothappeneither.Anyonewhoexpressesconcernisbrandedradicalorenvironmentalist.Thesilentmajorityremainsuninvolvedbychoiceunlesstheyareaffectedpersonallyorifsomethingterribleoccurstoraisepublicire.Thereissomethingdysfunctionalaboutthis.Thesocialcontractbetweencitizenandstateinoursocietyisoutofsync.TheLacMganticdisasterwillalsoim-pactthedebateoverthedevelopmentofnewpipelines-particularlyprojectslikeKeystoneXLandtheNorthernGateway.Messyoilspillsintheenvironmentdonotseemasbadashazardousgoodsposingadangertodenselypopulatedareassopipelinessuddenlyappearthelesserofthetwoevils.Thepipelinerupturethatspilledasmuchas1500barrelsintothewildernessnearWrigleyintheNWTshouldbeconsidered.Enbridgethepipelineowneralsothepro-ponentoftheNorthernGatewayprojecthadrunapigaroboticdeviceruninsidethepipewhichseeksimperfectionstoscopethepipebuttheweakspotthatcausedtheleakwasnotdetected.Aftertheleakthepigwasre-calibratedandrunthroughagainandmultipleweakspotsweredis-covered.Thosearenowbeingdugupandrepaired.Thepointispipelinematerialshavealimitedlifeandwillbreakdownandleakeventually.Humanerrorispossibleduringconstruction.TensofthousandsofkilometresofpipeinNorthAmericaareagingwithanever-increasingprospectofruptures.Thepotentialofcostlyongo-ingenvironmentaltragediesfromthemisveryreal.Bettermaterialsforpipeshigherstandardsduringconstructionandcarefulinspectionareallrequired.Courageousini-tiativesbylegislatorsandtheawarenessandengagementofthepublictopushandsupportthemisneeded-asmuchaswithtrainandtankercarsafety.RenFumoleaucentreisjoinedbyCharlieNeyelleleftandJohnTutchoincelebratingthe50thanniversaryofDelinesGreatBearCo-operativeAssociationattheannualgeneralmeetinglastSaturday.FumoleauwhocametotheNorthwestTerritoriesfromFranceasapriestinthe1950swasinstrumentalinstartingtheco-op.Tutchowastheco-opsrstsecretarywhenhewasjust16years-old.Neyellewasoneoftheoriginalsignatoriesandremainsinvolvedinthebusiness.