Page 1
Page 2
Page 3
Page 4
Page 5
Page 6
Page 7
Page 8
Page 9
Page 10
Page 11
Page 12
Page 13
Page 14
Page 15
Page 16
Page 17
Page 18
Page 19
Page 20
Page 21
Page 22
Page 23
Page 24
EDITORIALARCHIVES15YearsAgo...MansbestfriendsbestfriendItwasalmost18yearsagowhenLillianKristensenstartedtheFortSmithAnimalShelterwhenonecoldwinternightshefoundanearfrozentomcatatherdoor.OverthenextyearKristensenbuiltanoutdoorpenfordogsandwasvisitedbyavetwhowaspassingthroughtown.IssueAugust5199820YearsAgo...BandspushforcontrolofhealthcareTreaty8leadersbegannegotiatingthetransferofcontrolofsomemedicalser-vicesoutoffederalhandsandintoAb-originalcommunities.Whatwewanttodoistakeoverrespon-sibilityfromMedicalServicesandgiveittothecommunitiesthemselvessaidMikeBurdettdirectorofhealthfortheGrandCouncilofTreaty8FirstNations.IssueAugust4199330YearsAgo...RainhelpsresTheforestryserviceissendinghomecrewsbroughtinfromtheYukonandYellowknifelastweektohelpght17reswhichareduparoundInuvik.BobBaileychiefrecontrolofcersaidrainallovertheMackenzieValleyhasbroughtmostoftheresintheTerritoriesundercontrol.IssueAugust419834TuesdayAugust62013TheNorthernJournalisanindependentnewspapercoveringnewsandeventsinthewesternArcticandnorthernAlberta.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....................................JessicaIrvingPhotoPaulBannisterNorthernwealthsouthernprosperityWealthisthemainindicatorofprestigeandsocialstanding.Onlyrichpeoplecanaffordpropertywithanoceanvieworhavelovelyhomesoverlookingariverorlake.Eceryoneelsetravelstoseewaterfallsandbeautifulrapids.Thethoughtofun-tamedwildriversresonatesinoursouls.WildernessunspoiledbydevelopmentandindustryisheldinthehighestregardandevendenesusasanationthetrueNorthstrongandfree.Developmentandtheadvancementofin-dustrystrivetotakeallthatawayandwesupportit-progress.Wewantthegoodlifewithalltheconveniences.Ourmodernworldismaterialandwelikethat.Thetwoareinconict.Welovematerialwell-beingbuthatelosingthenaturalbeautyofourworld.Conveniencetrumpswhenitcomestodammingriversandreplacingwondersofnaturewithindustrialsites.Weignorethelistofnegativesimpactstoshandwildlifeandpermanentchangestotheland.Thatsomethingspecialisbeinglostisjustaccepted.ThegovernmentoftheNWThasaHydroStrategyacornerstoneofitseconomicplanning.Itintendstoharnesstheconsid-erablehydroelectricpotentialofNWTriversandsellittothesouth.SeveralsitesontheMackenzieRiverhavebeenselectedforde-velopment.Anyotherriverswithawaterfallordropinelevationthatoffertheopportunityforpowergenerationwillalsobedammed.ThemarketforthepoweristheUnitedStateswestcoastcitiesasfarsouthasCaliforniaandgettingittherewillrequiremajortransmissionlines.TransCanadaoneofAlbertasforemostcorporationscurrentlyinthenewsforitspipelineplansisalsoheavilyinvestedinpowergeneration.ItsproposedNorthernLightsTransmissionLinepostedonlineforadecadewouldrunthelengthofAlbertafromFortMcMurrayacrossseveralAmericanstatesandterminateinPortlandOregonwithfutureexpansionintoCalifornia.TransCanadapartnerswithATCOanothermultinationalAlbertacorporationbasedinCalgarywithaplancurrentlyunderwaytodamtheSlaveRiverrapids.Thistransmis-sionlinewouldgatherpowerfromthere-gionincludingtheSlaveRiverdamasakeycomponentplusmultiplesitesontheTaltsonRiveranydamsfurthernorththeNWTgov-ernmentcanmusterovertimeandunusedpowertheoilsandsplantsgeneratefromoilduringoperations.SuccessiveConservativegovernmentsinAlbertahavealteredlegislationrequiringcon-sultationandimpactanalysisofpowerlinesoverthelastdecadesothatlittleconsultationwithlandownersisallowed.IthasalsobeenestablishedthroughAlbertacourtsthatsim-plypostinginformationontheinternetsatis-estheconstitutionaldutytoconsultwithFirstNations.TheAlbertaEnergyRegula-torwhichoverseestheoilsandsaswellhasbeenreconguredseveraltimesandnowbydesignstrivestooptimizecorporateinitia-tivesthatprovideindustrialgrowth.Itregardscorporationsasresponsibleinmanagingtheirundertakingsincludingcaringfortheenvi-ronmentwildlifeandaffectedpeopleandwhenaprojectisoverreturningthelandtoitsoriginalstate.Albertahaslongrecognizedtherichnorth-easterncorneroftheprovinceaskeytoitseconomicfuture.Aliberalinterpretationofenvironmentalprotectionduringdevelop-mentisinplaythere.Putanotherwaytheregionisconsideredexpendable-afterallitisonlyscrubbushthatislargelyuninhab-itedasacriceforthegreatergoodandAlbertasfutureprosperity.ThefederalgovernmenthasbeenaneagerhelpertoroundthisoutguttingtheFisheriesdepartmentminimizingenviron-mentalprotectionshuttingoffitscivilser-vicetoanycontactwiththepublicorpressandusingbudgetbillsthatarenotscruti-nizedanddebated-theomnibusbillfor-mat-toimplementdramaticchangesthatpavethewayforrapiddevelopment.SeeCanadasEconomicActionPlanwww.actionplan.gc.ca.OneofthosechangeswastoremovetheSlaveRiverfromtheNavigableWatersProtectionAct.Thatactrequiresconsultationwithaffectedcommunitiesifthereisanyproposedbarriertonavigation-likeadam.ForhundredsofyearstheSlaveRiverhasbeenpartoftheriver-basedtransportationsystemthatac-cessedCanadasNorth.ThePeaceAtha-bascaandMackenzieRiversthatitconnectsoddlyremainprotectedbythatact-sofar.ThefederalAlbertaandNWTgovern-mentsareallworkingtogetheronthiswithalongtermplan.DammingtheSlaveRiverisakeypartofit.Manypeoplewillbecomerichfromallthisdevelopmentinthecomingdecades-cer-tainlyinCalgarytherestofAlbertaandfromspin-offindustriesinOntarioandQuebec.LittlewealthandfewjobswillremainintheNorthhowever.NotmanyNorthernerswilleverbeabletoaffordabeautifulhomeonaviewlotover-lookingariverorlake.Theconsiderablewealthgeneratedbyallthiswillallowotherssomewheretohavethatthough.ItisarguedNorthernerswillhavebenetstoo-reser-voirsbehindthedamsforrecreation-andtheremayberoadsacrossthedamsforustoaccessthecountryontheothersideforfuturedevelopment.Wewillbegivingupalottogetthat.RichardDaitchbackleftandJoanBevingtonbackrightoftheFortSmithtennisclubgivelessonstointerestedyoungsterstwiceaweek.Agoodsizedgroupregularlyshowsuptoparticipate.