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17TuesdayNovember52013ByMARIACHURCHTheAlbertagovernmentsplantocreateanewarms-lengthagencytomonitoroil-sandsprojectshastheAtha-bascaChipewyanFirstNationACFNconcerneditsjustanotherefforttosavefacewithoutconsultingthem.DianaMcQueenAlbertasenvironmentministerintro-ducedBill31theProtectingAlbertasEnvironmentActtotheAlbertaLegislaturelastweek.InapressreleaseMcQueenlaudedthemoveasawayforgovernmenttomanagere-sponsibleoilsandsdevelop-mentkeepingprojectsopentransparentandunderpinnedbyscienceandfacts.ACFN-whoseterritoryhasbeentargetedfornewexplor-atorydrillingprograms-isconcernedtheagencyisjustan-otherattempttoplacatecritics.Wedontunderstandwhatthedifferencebetweenthatandthealready-establishedJointOilSandsMonitoringJOSMprojectwhichissup-posedtobeanindependentmonitoringagencyErielDe-rangercommunicationscoor-dinatorwithACFNsaidinaninterviewwithTheJournal.ByMARIACHURCHAfternearly20yearsofdraftsandpubliccon-sultationbyfiveseparategovernmentsanewNWTWildlifeActwaspassedinthelegislaturelastweekbutMLAsarestillcon-cernedaboutitsdivisivepower.EnvironmentMinisterMi-chaelMiltenbergerre-intro-ducedtheactinthelegisla-turelastweekcallingitauniquepieceoflegislationinCanada.Nootherpublicgovern-menthasworkedsocloselywithAboriginalgovern-mentstojointlydraftleg-islationonissuesofdeepandabidinginteresttoallhesaid.FourteenMLAsagreedandvotedinfavourofthelegislationcommendingthegovernmentandstakehold-erswhovehadahandinitscreationovertheyears.ThreeMLAsvotedagainsttheactWeledehMLABobBromleyFrameLakeMLAPhotoBrionEnergyNewAlbertaenviromonitoringagencysameoldACFNItsjustanotherprovin-cialpolicythatsbeencre-atedwithoutanyrealcon-sultationwithFirstNationsinthedevelopmentoftheirplanstogovernthelandsandresourcesintheprovinceshesaid.DerangersaidACFNwasnotawareofthenewactorconsultedonit.Shesaidwhileitspossi-bleotherFirstNationswereconsultedACFNhashadmountingconcernsaboutbeingblacklistedbytheprovincialgovernmentmeaningwerenotgoingtobeprivytoalotofcon-versationsandcorrespon-dencethatwouldotherwisebegiven.ACFNalongwiththeFortMcKayFirstNationiscur-rentlybattlingthegovernmentoverlanduseprovisionssetoutintheLowerAthabascaRegionalPlanLARPwhichcouldpotentiallyallowseveraldrillingprojectstogoaheadontreatylands.Inthedevelopmentofanypoliciesinthisprovincewhetheritbemonitoringorconservationeffortslook-ingatwetlandswaterowsortheAthabascaRiverany-thingthathastodowiththelandsinourtreatyter-ritoryweneedtobeincor-poratedinthatDerangersaid.Weveaskedforco-managementofourtradi-tionalterritory.InOctobertheFortMcKayFirstNationtookitsconcernsastepfurtherandpulledoutoftheJOSMprogramcall-ingitafrustratingandfu-tileprocess.DerangersaidACFNisalsondingtheJOSMpro-cessfrustratingbutsaidthenewmonitoringagencyisnotthesolution.Thispolicyisjustan-otherindicationthattheAl-bertagovernmentisgoingtodowhattheypleasewithoutconsiderationoftherightsofFirstNationsshesaid.ThenewagencycalledtheAlbertaEnvironmen-talMonitoringEvaluationandReportingAgencyAE-MERAisexpectedtostartoperatinginearly2014fol-lowingthegovernmentsap-pointmentofanagencychairandboardmembers.ErinFlanaganananalystwiththePembinaInstitutesaidinanemailthateveniftheagencybeginsoperatingnextyearitwilltakeyearsbeforetheinformationwillaffectpolicydecisionsde-spiteherargumentthatAl-bertaandCanadacontinuetoapprovenewoilsandsprojectsbasedoninsufcientdata.WendyBisaroandRangeLakeMLADarylDolynny.Dolynnycalledtheactfarfromgoodvoicingconcernsthatitdoesnoth-ingtoaddresswhathesaidispreferentialtreatmenttoAboriginalsforhuntingandtrappingrights.ThisbilldoesnotprovidethefairnessthatallNorthern-ershavebeenwaitingforhetoldthelegislature.Thisbillcollidesonthemanytop-icsleftunresolvedanditisperceivedtobeatrainwreckthattramplesontherightsofmanyNortherners.Wehavetodowhatisrightandnotwhatiseasy.BisaroagreedwithDolynnystatingthatwild-lifeasaresourcebelongstoallNWTresidentsequallyandthatwhileAboriginalsshouldhavespecialrightsthatshouldnotmeanexclusiverights.TheacthaspittedNorthernresidentsagainstNorthernresidents.ThatsbeentheunfortunatepartofMLAsstillconcernedafterWildlifeActpassedtheactformesheadded.Bromleyscriticismcen-teredonthecompositionoftheactsayingitwasofunnecessarylengthandatangledforestofdetailthatcouldonlyberemediedbyamassivepublicinforma-tioncampaign.NormanSnowshoeVicePresidentoftheGwichinTribalCouncilapplaudedtheactinapressreleasesayingitupholdsconsti-tutionallyenshrinedAb-originalandtreatyrightsandtheprovisionsinlandclaimagreements.TheActrecognizesourlandresourcesandself-governmentagreementsfunctionasmoderntrea-tiesanditwillensurewesharetheresponsibilityforprotectingthispreciousre-sourceSnowshoesaid.TheWildlifeActwillnotcomeintoeffectforanotheryearuntilregulationsaredetailed.Areviewissched-uledinveyearsthenagaineverysevenyears.RENCONTRECOMMUNAUTAIRELasamedi9novembre2013auMuseNorthernLifeConsultationsurlesservicesenfranaisde17h19hVenezenapprendreplussurleschangementsquisontencourspouramliorerloffredeservicesenfranais.LeGTNOetlaFFTcollaborentdautrescollectivitssurleurspriorits.Unservicedegardeseraoffert.PourplusdinformationcontactezBenotBoutinduSecrtariatauxaffairesfrancophonesduGTNOau867-920-3107ouvisitezlewww.ece.gov.nt.ca.Banquetetsoiresocialede19h21hduDfi35marquantle35eanniversairedelaFdrationfranco-tnoise.PourplusdinformationcontactezLo-PaulProvencherau867-920-2919poste254ouvisitezlewww.federation-franco-tenoise.com.PoliticsFirstNationsPoliticsTerritorialTheAthabascaChipewyanFirstNationsaysthenewoilsandsmonitoringagencyisanothergovernmentpolicymadewithoutconsultingFirstNationswhoselandsarebeingtargetedsuchasBrionEnergysDoverprojectnearFortMcKay.