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
Page 25
Page 26
Page 27
Page 28
3TuesdayDecember172013NUMECHANICALToppurveyorsofheatingandplumbingserviceswouldliketowishyouFortSmithNT.867.872.0835numechanicalhotmail.comHappyHolidaysMiltenbergeroptimisticaboutraiseddebtceilingFinanceministerstalkmoneyatMeechLakeByDONJAQUENWTFinanceMinisterMichaelMiltenbergersaidhehadaveryproductivemeetingwithfederalfi-nanceministerJimFlahertywhileattendingthenationalnanceministersmeetinginOttawaSundayandMondaythisweek.MiltenbergersaidhepressedthefederalministerontheneedfortheNWTtohaveitsborrowinglimitsraisedtoallowmoreroomforinvestmentinmajorin-frastructureprojects.WeneedthatforstrategicinvestmentswithindustryhetoldTheJournal.Speakinginaphoneinter-viewfromOttawaMondayafternoonMiltenbergersaidtherearetwomajorprojectsthegovernmentoftheNWThasinmindcompletingtheMackenzieHighwayfromNormanWellstoWrig-leyaswellasapossiblepowerlineinterlinkwiththeSaskatchewanelectricalgridtoenabletheNWTtosellelectricitytothesouth.Hesaidgiventherapidlyevolv-ingdevelopmentsoftheSahtuoilplayhisgovernmentseesthatroadextensionnorthwardasparticularlyimportant.MiltenbergersaidPre-mierBobMcLeodhadalsoraisedthesameissueswhenhewasinOttawatheweekprevious.MiltenbergerattendedadinnerwithallthenanceministersSundaynightandthentheformalmeetingsatMeechLakeMondaybuthesaidoftenthesidemeetingsliketheonehehadwithFla-hertycanbeveryproductive.Hesaidthefederalministerwaspleasedwiththeperfor-manceoftheNWTcallingitawellrunjurisdictionandthatithasaclearideaofwhatitwantstodo.MiltenbergersaidbecauseofthatpositivereceptionheisveryoptimisticactionwillbetakenonraisingtheNWTborrowinglimits.TheotherbitofgoodnewsthatcameoutofthemeetingisthatthefederalgovernmentwillextendfundingfortheTerritorialHealthInfrastruc-tureSustainabilityInitiativeTHIS.ThatprogramamongotherthingsprovidesthefundingformedicaltravelforNWTresidents.Weneedaraisedborrowinglimitforstrategicinvestmentswithindustry.MichaelMiltenbergerGNWTDepartmentofFinancePoliticsFinanceContinuedfrompage1.TheFirstNationhadan-nouncedplanstoblockan-otheraccessroadontheFirstNationsterritorytheweekpreviousafterhear-ingPennWestwasmovingequipmentintoanotherleasesite2kmsouthoftheexist-ingblockade.WithaperceivedlackofmovementbytheAlbertaEn-ergyRegulatorAERontheissuePennWesttookmattersintoitsownhandslastFridayinaCalgarycourtdemand-inganinjunctionagainsttheblockade.WhilethathearingwasadjourneduntilMondayJusticeTillemanorderedthattheprotesterscouldnoterectanymoreblock-adesintheSawnLakeareaovertheweekend.AERstaffwereattheblockadesitelastThursdayinformingtheprotestersofactionsthatcouldbetakenunderprovinciallegislation.AERstaffmadethepro-testersawareoftheprovi-sionsinthePublicLandsActthatprohibitsanyper-sonfromblockingaccesstoCrownlandandtheremediesavailabletotheagencyadministeringtheActwhichistheAERAERspokespersonBobCurranwroteinanemailtoTheJournal.FirstNationsplitondevelopmentPennWestiscurrentlyindiscussionswiththeLubiconsothergovernmentheadedbyChiefBillyJoeLaboucan-acouncilcriticizedbyOmi-nayaksgroupasbeingpro-industryandputinplacebythefederalgovernment.TheFirstNationformallysplitinthemid-90swithLaboucansbandlookingtosecurealandclaimsettlementwiththefederalgovernmenttoboostlivingconditionsinthecommunityofLittleBuf-falo.ThatbandwasformallyrecognizedbytheprovincialandfederalgovernmentsfollowinganelectioninFeb-ruary2013.ThoughPennWestmetwithOminayaksgovernment-electedseparatelyinMayofthisyear-inlateNovemberthecompanyrefusedtohaltproductionsparkingtherstroadblock.Therehavebeennomeetingssince.GregMoffattmanagerofstakeholderrelationswithPen-nWestsaidthecompanyhasfollowedalltherulesinob-tainingaccesstotheblockedsitewhereithadplannedtobuildaroadandwellpadforadrillingoperation.Wehavetheauthorizationoftherecognizedleadershipfortheworktobeconducted.Wefollowedalloftheappli-cableregulationsandrequire-mentsestablishedbythepro-vincialgovernmenttogetap-provalfortheworkhesaidaddingthatthecompanyalsodialoguedwiththeLubiconLakeNationaboutitsworkplansoverthecourseoftheyearuntiltheblockadebegan.PriortothisyearselectionsintheLubiconcommunitywherebothOminayakandLaboucanwoninseparateelectionsMoffattsaidPennWesthaddrilledandcom-pletedover60wellswithoutenvironmentalincidentandwiththeparticipationoftheLubiconNationwhoseap-provedcontractorsandmem-berswereemployedintheoperations.Thedisputefromourperspectiveisreallyaboutleadershipinthecommu-nityandanunresolvedlandclaimMoffattsaid.BlockadegetsnationwidesupportPriortoMondaysdecisionLubiconcommunicationsco-ordinatorGarrettTomlinsonsaidthoseengagedinthe247blockadewereworkinginshiftstogetabreakfromthecoldandseetheirfamiliesandwerereceivingcaravansofsuppliesfromoutsidethecommunitywhichallowedthemtosetupafull-edgedcampcompletewithtentsalargecanvasshelterandaschoolbusasopposedtoalineoftrucks.Asocialmediacampaignwasaskingforeverythingfromwinterclothingtofuelfoodandwater.Itsturnedintoquitethetrafcjam.EvenifallthepeoplelefttheredbesomeseriousdeconstructionfortheoilcompanytogoinandtrytotakeeverythingoutTomlinsonsaid.SecurityfromPennWesthavebeenparkingtheirve-hiclesattheblockadefrom900a.m.to500p.m.inasilentfaceoffwithprotest-ersholdingtheroadincheckroundtheclock.Therehaventbeenanyconfrontations.Theirsecu-ritypersonnelcomeandsitatoneendoftheroadandourguysobviouslyarentmovingandthatsprettywellwheretheyleaveitTomlinsonsaidaddingthattherehavenotbeenanymoreincidentsoftheblockadebeingrunatbyPennWestequipmentaswasrecordedonvideobyLubiconprotestersinthefirstdaysoftheblockade.MembersofthePeaceRiverRCMPdetachmenthavemadefrequentvisitstotheroadblocksiteoverthelastseveralweekstak-ingphotosandlicenceplatenumbers.AccordingtoTomlinsontheLubiconhavebeenatthereceivingendofnumerousmessagesofsupportfromacrossthecountryinclud-ingfromtheCouncilofCa-nadiansDefendersoftheLandandtheSixNationsHaudenosauneeIroquoisConfederacy.Hesaidthenationisintheprocessoftouchingbasewitholdalliancesfromthe1980swhenblockadesagainstoilandgasdevelopmentwereprominentonLubi-conterritory.CompanynegotiatingwithonechiefofsplitFirstNationAsteadygroupofaround15protestershasbeenblockadinganaccessroadtoPennWestsfrackingsitesinceNov.26butacourthasorderedthemtomove.PoliticsFirstNationsPhotoLubiconLakeNation