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EDITORIALARCHIVES15YearsAgo...GoodbyetotheBoundariesCommissionAfteranextendedandheateddebateintheLegislativeAssemblylastweekthegovern-mentoftheNorthwestTerritoriesdecidedtorejectrecommendationsfromtheElectoralBoundariesCommissionthatYellowknifebegiventwoextraseatsinwhatwillbeanewNorthwestTerritoriesgovernment.IssueNovember17199820YearsAgo...KeepingtheCreelanguagealiveForthesecondyearCreelanguageclassesarebeingheldatUncleGabesFriendshipCentreandthisyearsclassseemsjustasitwaslastyear.HelenTootoosisoriginallyfromSas-katchewanwillbeteachingtheclassinanattempttobringtheCreelanguagebackintoeverydayusagebeforeitsleftandforgottenbyyoungergenerations.IssueNovember17199330YearsAgo...BedrockblastingSurfaceblastingisunderwayontheeastsideoftheSlaveRiveraspartofthepre-liminarystudiesintoahydrodamnearFortSmith.Geo-physi-conLtd.iscarryingoutseis-micoperationstodeterminehowfardownthebedrockgoesneartheriverbank.IssueNovember1719834TheNorthernJournalisanindependentnewspapercoveringnewsandeventsinthewesternArcticandnorthernAlberta.VisittheJournalonlineatwww.norj.caAnzacAtikamegBrownvaleCadotteLakeChardChatehColdLakeConklinDriftpileDufeldEdmontonEnildaEnochFortChipewyanFortMcKayFortMcMurrayFortVermilionFrogLakeGlenevisGoodshLakeGrandePrairieGrouardHighLevelHighPrairieHytheJohndOrPrairieAvailableinAlbertaatAklavikBehchokoColvilleLakeDelineEaglePlainsEkatiDiamondMinesEnterpriseFortGoodHopeFortLiardFortMcPhersonFortProvidenceFortResolutionFortSimpsonFortSmithGametiHayRiverInuvikJeanMarieRiverLutselKeNahanniButteNormanWellsPaulatukTheNorthernJournalisavailableinthefollowingNWTcommunitiesSachsHarbourTroutLakeTsiigehtchicTuktoyaktukTulitaUlukhaktokWekwetiWhaTiWrigleyYellowknifeKehewinKinusoLacLaBicheMorinvillePeaceRiverRedEarthCreekSaddleLakeSlaveLakeSt.PaulValleyviewWabasca2013CCNABLUERIBBONCANADIANCOMMUNITYNEWSPAPERAWARD2013CMCAAUDITEDAdvertisingDeadlinesDisplayaddeadlineisThursdayat400p.m.ClassiedaddeadlineisThursdayat500p.m.Emailadsnorj.caSubscriptionRates867872-3000PricesincludeGST.47.25inFortSmith52.50elsewhereinCanada105intheUSAoverseas164.30.LetterstotheEditorPolicyTheNorthernJournalwelcomesletterstotheeditor.Lettersmustbesignedandincludeaphonenumbersotheauthorcanbeveried.Nameswillbewithheldonrequestinspecialcircumstanceswherethereasonsaredeterminedtobevalid.TheJournalreservestherighttoeditlettersforlengthlibelclarityandtaste.Opinionsexpressedinlettersandcolumnsarenotnecessarilythoseofthepublisheroreditor.PublishedweeklybyCascadePublishingLtd.PrintedonrecyclednewsprintwithvegetableinkatWainwrightStarChronicle.PublisherManagingEditorDonJaque867-872-3000ext.21donnorj.caEditor...........................MeaganWohlberg867-872-3000ext.24newsnorj.caReporter..............................MariaChurch867-872-3000ext.25reporternorj.caComptroller...........................DixiePenner867-872-3000ext.23dixnorj.caAdvertising....................JoshuaJorgensen867-872-3000ext.15salesnorj.caEzraBlack867-872-3000ext.11adsnorj.caAdministration................JeremyTurcotte867-872-3000ext.26adminnorj.caProductionGraphics.......SandraJaque867-872-3000ext.22sandranorj.caPaulBannister867-872-3000ext.27graphicsnorj.caAnnaSierra867-872-3000ext.20designnorj.caTuesdayNovember192013TheDevolutionAgreementbetweentheNWTandfederalgovernmentswilltransfertheadministrationandmanage-mentofpubliclandswaterresourcesmineralresourcesandoilandgasman-agement.Itwillalsoallowroyaltiesow-ingfromthoseprojectstoaccruetotheNWTgovernment.ImplementingandmanagingallthatistheNWTsnumberonepriority.ThosenewpowerswillmeanadramaticchangeinhowtheNWToperates.Ithastopayitsownway.Sinceitseconomyisdependentexclusivelyonexploitingnat-uralresourcestheincentivetoincreasedevelopmentrapidlywillbepowerful.WantmoreroadsandschoolsMoreminesareneeded.Itisbydesign.Newprojectswillmeanmorerevenuefatbud-getsandlooseningthebeltofrestraint.MoredevelopmentwillalsomeanmoreproblemsbutsuchconcernsareforlaterAnewNorthernwayoflifealways.Theneedforcorporateprotgovernmentrevenueandabetterma-teriallifeforallisparamount.Sacricesarenecessaryimpactsareinevitable.Payitforward.Messescanbecleanedupsomeothertimeatgreatexpense-butletsnotmentionthat.Peopleneedthejobsisthemantraandfasttrackingtoexpeditedevelopmentisthepriority.ThemessagehasbeenclearfromthefederalgovernmentthattheregulatorysystemintheNWTisbroken.Toopon-deroustheysayoverandover.Itmustbetrimmedandskinnedandpared.Thatinspiteofthefactthatinthepastitwasalwaysthefedswhoslowedtheregula-toryprocess.DevelopmentdecisionstookforevertobeprocessedbyOttawa-itwasaproblem.Yetthemessagehasbeentwistedmasterfullyandtheprocessisnowcontrolledbythefederalgovern-mentbasedontheirpriorities.IntheSahtutheenvironmentalassess-mentoffrackinghasbeensetasideasunnecessaryatthistimeandCono-coPhillipsthecompanydoingtheinitialdrillingisallowedtokeepsecrettheiden-tityofallthechemicalsitwillbepumpingintotheground.Fasttrackingandexpe-ditingisimportant.Properassessmentandtransparencyisnot.Duediligencewassetasideinordertoreaprewards.FourothermultinationaloilcompaniesarepoisedtodrillintoSahtushaleeagerlyawait-ingtheresultsoftheConocoPhillipsprogram.Indicationsarethatsweetalmostpureoilwillbetheproductwithlessfrackinginfrastruc-turerequiredforextractionthaninothershalegasformations.Thatsgoodnews.Sahtucommunitieswillenjoyaoodofactivitywealthwillow.Lifewillchangedramatically.ThenancialrewardstothegovernmentoftheNWTwillbehuge.ItsallgoodrightAnewNWTenergyregulatorYellowknifeMLADavidRamsaytheNWTsministerofIndustryTourismandInvestmentisresponsibleforoilandgasindustryregulationundertheNWTsnewlyacquiredpowersoverlandresourcesanddevelopment.HewasinCalgarylastweekmeetingwithpetroleumcompaniesactiveintheNWTassuringthemofhisgovern-mentssupportandgettingtheirfeedback.RamsayistakingtheleadincreatinganewenergyregulatorybodyfortheNWTsohewasalsomeetingwithAlbertaregulatoryofcials.HehasindicatedhelikesthemodelofthenewAlbertaEn-ergyRegulatorAERsetupinDecem-ber2012bytheirResponsibleEnergyDevelopmentAct.TheroleoftheAERistomakedecisionsonapplicationsforenergydevelopmentmonitoringforcomplianceassurancedecommissioningofdevelopmentsandallotheraspectsofenergyresourceac-tivitieswww.aer.ca.Itsresponsibilitiesincludealloilandgaswellspipelinescoalminesandoilsandsprojects.TherearealotofallofthoseinAlbertasotheAERhasalotofresponsibilityandpower.TheAERissetuptofacilitatetheoilandgasandoilsandsindustryinAlberta.Itispartandparceloftheirverystreamlinedregulatorysystem.TheAlbertagovern-menthasshownovertimethatthehealthofpeopleimpactonthelandeffectsonanimalsandtherightsofFirstNationspeoplearesecondaryprioritieswhenitcomestoindustrialdevelopment.TheAERispartofthatenvironment.Inarecentcourtdecisionthatwasun-contestedbytheprovincethejudgecalledtheAlbertagovernmentspublicreviewsbiasedandtaintedafteranattempttoexcludeenvironmentalgroupsandagenciescriticalofhowtheoilsandsindustryisallowedtooperate.Muzzlingcriticsisnotsomethingtoas-piretoinwhatissupposedtobeafreeanddemocraticsociety.TheNWTgovernmentunderitsoldcumbersomenon-streamlinedregulatorysystemnegotiatedagreementswiththreehugemulti-nationalcorporationswantingtoopendiamondmines.Theyaremodelagreements-thepeopleoftheNWTwereinvolvedandhadasaythelandandani-malswereproperlylookedafterandtheprocesseventodayistransparentandaccountable-incontrasttothewaythingsaredoneinAlberta.LookingtoAlbertaforguidanceisthewrongthingtodo.TheNWTshouldcreateitsownregulatorymodel-onethatcaresaboutpeopleandistransparentandac-countableonetobeproudof.RoxanePoulinofTaitCommunicationsleadsaconsultationwithresidentsofFortSmithonbehalfoftheNWTFrancophoneFederationandtheterritorialgovernmentonhowtoimproveFrenchlanguageservicesintheNWTonNov.9.PhotoMeaganWohlberg