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2TuesdayDecember32013NEWSBRIEFSGNWTdrowningreductionstrategygetsnationalnoticeTheterritorialgovernmentseffortstoreducedrown-ingsintheNWThasreceivedanawardforcollabora-tionfromtheCanadianCollaborativeCentresforIn-juryPrevention.TheawardrecognizedtheGNWTseffortsbetweendepartmentsandexternalpartnerstoaddresstherateofdrowningsintheterritorywhichhavebeenreducedby50percentinthelastveyears.Between2004and2008therewere36drowningsintheNWTwhilefrom2009todatetherehavebeen16stillvetimeshigherthanthenationalpercapitaaverage.WomanpleadsguiltyofcarelessdrivingindeathofNWTboxerNicoleReidontrialforchargesofstreet-racingthatledtothedeathofJonathanAndreaheavyweightboxerorigi-nallyfromtheNWTpleadedguiltyofcarelessdrivinginanEdmontoncourthouselastweek.Andrediedin2011afterbeinghitbyReidswhiteHondaCivicinEdmon-tonwhereshewasdrivinganestimated70to80kmperhourina50zone.AcarelessdrivingchargewouldseeReidpayamaximumneof2000andavoidjailtime.Andre31yearsoldatthetimeofhisdeathhadmovedtoEdmontonfouryearsearlierfromYellowknifetopursueaboxingcareerafterstrugglingwithaddictions.NegotiatorssigndraftforThaideneNeneNationalParkReserveAdraftoftheThaideneNeneEstablishmentAgree-mentwasinitialledbynegotiatorsinLutselKelastmonthsignallingthatanagreementhasbeenreachedonmostsubjectmattersinestablishingtheThaideneNeneareaasanewNationalParkReserve.TheLutselKeDeneFirstNationandParksCanadaAgencysignedthedraftonNov.13statingthattheyarepreparedtorecommendtheagreementtotheirrespectivepartiesandmoveforwardwiththecreationofaprotectedarea.InapressreleasefromtheFirstNationnegotiatorsex-pressedhopethatamutualunderstandingonthenalboundariescouldbereachedinthenextyear.DoyouknowsomeoneinyourcommunityortheNWTwhohasbeenanoutstandingleaderrolemodelorvolunteerPleasetakethetimetonominatetheminoneofthefollowingfourcategories.NomineesmustbeofFirstNationdescent.2013AboriginalSportsCircleAwardsDinnerJanuary232014NOMINATIONSOPENNOWUNTILDECEMBER132013Formoreinformationpleasevisitwww.ascnwt.cawww.facebookAboriginalSportCircleNWTASCNWTcoachawardsportawardcommunitybuilderculturalawardFirstNationsdemandbetteremergencyspillresponseCommunitymeetingoncoalspillplannedforDec.5inFortChipewyanByMEAGANWOHLBERGDeneleadersinnorthernAlbertaandtheNorthwestTerritoriescontinuetode-mandanswersonwhytheywerenotformallynotiedbygovernmentofamassivecoaltailingsspillheadingtheirwayviatheAthabascaRiver.AthabascaChipewyanFirstNationACFNChiefAllanAdamsaidtheAlbertagov-ernmentsresponsetothere-leaseof670000cubicmetresofcoalslurrycontainingtoxicheavymetalsandhydrocar-bonsintotherivercastsdoubtontheprovincesabilitytoaddressissuesofhealthandenvironmentalprotectioninthewakeofmassiveindus-trialaccidents.Itbecomesalargerissuebecauseitputseverythingintoquestion.Itsnotlikewehaventbeenquestioningany-thingbeforebutnowfromourpointofviewitmakesusquestionhowdevelop-mentisoccurringatarapidrateAdamtoldTheJour-nal.WiththishappeningatthemagnitudethatitdidandwithnoemergencyresponseputinplaceIthinknowitstimetosayletsdosomethingdifferentherebecauseevery-bodywasunpreparedforthissituationwhenitoccurred.ACFNgovernmentleader-shiphelditsrstconferencecallwithAlbertasEnviron-mentandSustainableRe-sourceDevelopmentESRDMinisterDianaMcQueenlastWednesdayafternoononeweekaftertheFirstNationaskedhertostepdownforfailingtodoherjobinre-sponsetoaddressingoneofthelargestcoalslurryspillsinhistory.InthemeetingAdamandcouncillorsScottFlettandAnthonyLadouceursaidtheywerelookingforanswersontheexactnumbersofcontami-nantscomingdownriverinthesedimentsaswellasanexplanationforwhyACFNwasnotnotiedbytheAl-bertagovernment.Werestilllookingforaformalletterfromthemstat-ingthatthisspillhappenedontheAthabascaRiverAdamsaidaddingthattheonlyin-formationtheyreceivedwasaphonecallfromSherrittIn-ternationalthecompanyre-sponsibleforthespill.LadouceursaidtheministerwasunabletoanswerACFNsquestionsaboutwhatwascontainedinthetailingsspillbeyondpreliminarywaterqualityresultsfromESRD.InsteadESRDofcialssaidtheywouldgivemoreinfor-mationwhentheyvisitFortChipewyanonDec.5aspartofaforumbeingorganizedbytheFirstNationwhichwillalsoincludearepresentativefromSherritt.ThechiefsaidACFNisnowconsideringpursuinglegalaction.Therehastobeaquickerresponse-thatstheonecriti-calareathathastobead-dressed-aquickerresponseastowhatsinthesedimentsthatcommunitiesneedtobeawareofAdamsaid.Ithinkbasicallytheyretryingtodownplaythewholesituationandtheydonthavetheproperemergencyre-sponsemechanismsinplaceaswell.DeneNationalChiefBillErasmuswhoheldapublicforuminYellowknifeonMon-dayonthecoalspillagreedwithAdamthatFirstNationsneedtobenotiedsooner.Weneedtobeinformedrightaway.TheGNWTwereinformedonNov.4andwewereinformed10dayslaterthroughthemediahesaidaddingthatthegovernmentsresponsetimeonremediationwasalsoverytroubling.ItwasntuntilNov.19-20dayslater-thatthecompanywastoldtocleanupthespill.Itshouldhavebeenautomatic.WhywaitforsamplingTheyshouldalreadyknowwhatwasinthetailingspond.Clearlytheirresponsealoneiscauseforalarm.Adamsaidthepublichasbeenreceivingmixedmes-sagesfromthegovernmentontheseverityoftheincidenttellingpeoplethewaterissafetodrinkandalsotellingcom-munitiesnottodrinkit.ACFNincoordinationwithMikisewCreeFirstNationhasalreadystartedconduct-ingitsownwatermonitoringnearthecommunityandisdoingtestingdaily.ThatdataisbeingcomparedtodrinkingwaterqualityresultscollectedbytheRegionalMunicipalityofWoodBuffaloRMWB.Adamsaidtheenvironmen-talmonitoringprogramwillnowlikelyberevampedtolookmorecloselyattheveg-etationalongwiththewaterinrelationtoshandwild-lifehealth.Becausethesedimentsaregoingtobesettlinginthedeltawehavetotakeeveryprecautionnecessaryhesaid.Ourmonitoringteamhasbeeninstructedtotestforallthosemetals.Welllikelybedoingsedimentsamplesinthespring.TheRMWBsaidlastFri-daythatdrinkingwaterqual-ityremainedatnormallevelsinbothFortMcMurrayandFortChipewyan.WaterintakeatFortMcMur-raywasclosedbrieytosam-plewaterfromtheAthabascabutwasreopenedwhenlevelswereconrmedasmeetingallqualitystandards.Waterin-takeisbeingleftopeninFortChipewyan.WewillcontinuesamplingattheFortChipewyanintakeforatleast14dayssaidDarcyDragonettiactingdirectorofenvironmentalserviceswiththemunicipality.Ifsamplingindicatesanyimpacttothewatersupplytheintakewillbeclosedasrequired.PhotoDeneNationRepresentativesoftheDeneNationAthabascaChipewyanFirstNationSherrittcoalandtheterritorialandfederalgovernmentsaddresspublicconcernsabouttherecentcoalspillintheAthabascaRiveratacommunityforuminYellowknifelastMonday.PoliticsFirstNations