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10TuesdayNovember52013TheGovernmentoftheNorthwestTerritoriesincooperationwithindustryrecognizestheexceptionalachievementsofapprenticesandoccupationalcertificationcandidatesthroughthegrantingofawards.TopMarkrecipientsarehonourrollstudentswhoachievethetopmarkintheirleveloftechnicaltrainingduringthe2012-2013academicyear.Congratulationstothe2013ApprenticeshipandValeriePlamondonDiavikDiamondMinesInc.HayRiverCraigSayine-CrawfordDiavikDiamondMinesInc.FortSmithMichaelSibbaldDiavikDiamondMinesInc.YellowknifeBradMartaFortSmithHousingAuthorityFortSmithJohn-EarleMacPheeDiavikDiamondMinesInc.YellowknifeAmyWardTDCContractingLtd.FortSmithEvanAldersTraceysPlumbingHeatingHayRiverColinMillerJRMechanicalLtd.YellowknifeTrevorDavidMossJRMechanicalLtd.YellowknifeDanielRichardsNorthlandUtilitiesNWTLtd.HayRiverEnterpriseElectricianConstructionDennisBourkeNWTPowerCorporationFortSmithFortSmithGregoryConnollyPrecisionElectricLtd.YellowknifeJeffreyGoudreauDTElectricYellowknifeRichardNearyGAPElectricYellowknifeJustinGrandjambeDiavikDiamondMinesInc.YellowknifeMichaelYoungStittcoEnergyLimitedHayRiverJuanGuerreroTliChoLogisticsInc.YellowknifeCameronSappGNWTDepartmentofTransportationHayRiverTimothyVyseDiavikDiamondMinesInc.HayRiverScottMetcalfeDiavikDiamondMinesInc.YellowknifeGregoryConnollyElectricianConstructionPrecisionElectricLtd.YellowknifeTravisMercredi-MacDonaldElectricianConstructionRyfanElectricLtd.YellowknifeRichardNearyElectricianConstructionGAPElectricYellowknifeSponsoredbyDominionDiamondCorporationJuanGuerreroHeavyEquipmentTechnicianTliChoLogisticsInc.YellowknifeMathewGauthierKlassicAutobodySpecialistsLtd.EnterpriseAlexanderDebogorskiKinglandFordSalesLtd.YellowknifeShawnKristensenYellowknifeMotorsYellowknifeJean-PaulMichaudNormanWellsTransportationLtd.NormanWellsCarpenterRussellBirdMiramichiBuildersLimitedYellowknifePierreHacheLeggesConstructionLtd.YellowknifeWilliamScottKongeConstructionYellowknifeDaylenWeberYKConstructionManagementYellowknifeCommunicationsElectricianRussellTaylorNorthwestelInc.YellowknifeKassidyBerglundKitikmeotCaterersLtd.YellowknifeCraneandHoistingEquipmentDaleFroeseBHPBillitonDiamondsInc.YellowknifeHayRiverSeanAustman-KunkelGlobalTechnicalSystemsLtd.NormanWellsBenoitBriseboiCommissionairesNorthernAlbertaYellowknifeChrisChaiHamletofTulitaYellowknifeMasayaKoyanagiFirePreventionServicesLtd.YellowknifeWelderJaredBilenkiNextremeYellowknifeNovember4to82013WhatstheSCOOPDoyouhaveanideaforastoryorotherinformationtosharewiththenewspaperCALLUS867872-3000ByMARIACHURCHWinterisfastapproachingandthatmeansWoodBuf-faloNationalParkswhoop-ingcranesareheadingouttotheirseasonalhomeinAran-sasTexas.SightingsrecordedbyEn-vironmentCanadalastweekplacegroupsofcranesallalongthemigrationroutewithsomestragglerssightedinthepark.Thewhoopingcrane-oneoftheworldsrarestbirdsprotectedinCanadaunderSpeciesAtRisklegislation-hasseensteadilyincreas-ingnumbersdueinnosmallparttoeffortstoprotectthemMarkBidwellaspeciesatriskbiologistwithEnvironmentCanadatoldTheJournal.ProtectionofthebreedinghabitatwasamainfactorBidwellsaidnotingthattheparkisremoteandisolatedfrompeoplemeaningminimalsub-jectiontohumandisturbances.Thisyearresearcherscountedaround300whoop-ingcranesinthewildockamuchhighernumberthanhistoricallowsinthe1940swhenlessthan20werefoundbutstilllowenoughtobecon-sideredendangered.Bidwellsaidmigrationisconsideredariskytimeforthewhoopingcraneswithdatasuggestingmortalityratesareattheirhighestasthebirdscomeintocontactwithhighlypopulatedareasalongtheirroutesouth.TheAlbertaoilsandsareoneoftheriskfactorslocatedalongthecranesmigrationroutehesaid.Tailingsponds-areaswheretheoilsandsrefusechemicalsandresidualbitumenaremixedwithwaterandclay-havebeenknowntokillhundredsofmi-gratorybirdsyearlydespiteeffortsfromthecompaniestodeterthem.BidwellsaidthattodateEnvironmentCanadahasnoevidenceofwhoopingcraneslandinginoilsandstailingspondshoweverdatashowstheyareusingnearbywetlandsduringmigration.AspartoftheJointOil-sandsMonitoringProgrambothCanadaandAlbertahaveincreasedtheireffortstomonitorbiodiversityandwildlifeintheoilsandsregionandthatincludeswhoopingcranesBidwellsaid.Otherriskfactorsforthebirdsincludepowerlineswhichthecraneshavebeenknowntocollidewith.BidwellsaidtheCanadianWildlifeServicehasbeenpro-motingtheuseofbirdightdiverters-reectivexturesplacedatintervalsalongpowerlines-todeterbirds.Byworkingwithconser-vationgroupsandworkingwithindustrytocreatesolu-tionsthatpromoteconserva-tionofwhoopingcranessomeofthoseactivitieshavealsohadanimpactonincreasestopopulationhesaid.LocalinputsoughtThisyearresearchersre-cordedeightwhoopingcranenestslocatedoutsideWoodBuffaloparkboundaries-themosteverfound-whichshowstheockisexpanding.Onceoutsidethenationalparkthecranesarestillprotectedasaspeciesatriskbuttheirnestingsiteswouldnolongerbeconsideredapro-tectedareameaningtheyaresusceptibletohumanactivitiessuchashuntingandrecreation.Bidwellsaidhebelieveshunterstrappersandthosewholiveonthelanddonotnecessarilyrepresentathreattothecranesbreedinggrounds.Localhuntersandtrappersareveryawareoftheimpor-tanceofconservingwhoopingcranesandtheyreawareofthefacttheycantbehuntingandmorethanthattheyshouldnotbedisturbedhesaid.InthefutureBidwellsaidhehopeshisresearchonwhoopingcraneswillincludeworkingwithlocallandusersenvironmentalgroupsandAboriginalgroupstoexpandbeyondscience-baseddata.Weunderstandthatthescienticworkthatwedoforexamplethemonitor-ingisreallyonlyonepartoftheequationhesaid.Wethinkthatlocalpeopleandlocallandusershavealotofknowledgeaboutwild-lifeandwereinterestedtoknowwhattheyknowaboutwhoopingcranes.WhoopingcranesheadforwinterhomesinTexasEnvironmentCanadaresearchersaysoilsandsposerisktomigratingockEnvironmentWildlifePhotoJohnMcKinnonAfterasummerofnestinginWoodBuffaloNationalParkthewhoopingcranesaremakingtheirjourneysouthtowinteringgroundsinTexas.