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14SlaveRiversetssceneforTSNsrstNWTbroadcastByRENEFRANCOEURItwaslightscameraac-tionand25000forFortSmithinAugustasthesmallbutbig-heartedtownsteppeduptohostspecial-itysportschannelTSNsrstSportscentrebroadcastintheNorthwestTerritories.Notbadforalittletownofabout2500whohadtogoupagainstWhitehorsetowinthebroadcastastherststoponthe2013KraftCelebrationTouranannualcampaigntohelpcommunitiesacrossthecountryinneedoffundsforvarioussports-relatedcauses.InanonlinevotingmatchupFortSmithcrushedWhitehorsewithapopula-tionof27000overa24-hourperiod.SomeFortSmithresidentsstayedupallnightclickingforachancetowinthe25000andavisitfromTSN.TheywerejoinedbysupportersfromacrosstheNWTandasfarawayasFinlandandNewZealand.Itpaidoffand253022voteslaterFortSmithbe-camethelittleNortherntownthatcouldwhileWhitehorsecameinwithamere35566votes.ThemoneywasmuchneededafterareravagedtheFortSmithCentennialArenainMayleavingwhatwastobecomeofthe20132014iceseasoninquestion.WecouldnthavedoneitwithoutthecommunitysaidPamWalshwhonominatedthetownaschairpersonoftheFortSmithorganizationcommitteefortheKrafttour.Thisreallybuiltupcom-munityspiritandgaveusasenseofhopeWhenwefoundoutabouttherewewerereallyworriedaboutthewintericeseason.Thedollarswenttowardsthepurchasingofoneoftwoportablechangeroomsandwashroomstosupportgureskatersandhockeyplayersstillusingtheice.Afterarelentlessdown-poursubsidedjustintimetoallowtheshowtogoonalltheglamourofthesmallscreenhitRiversideParkonAug.16withmusicpumpingandamassivestagedwarngtherestofthearea.VariousgamesandKraftboothsweresetuptoprovidetaste-test-ingsamplesofproductslikeCheezWhizandthenewPhiladelphiachocolatecreamcheesespread.SportscentreanchorsDar-renDutchyshenandJenniferHedgerhadthecrowdcheer-inganddancingastheyde-liveredthetopheadlinesinsportsandturnedthespot-lightonthetownnestledbesidetheSlaveRiverRap-idsthepowerfulriveritselfowinginthebackgroundofthelivebroadcast.Itmarkedanunforget-tablerstforthetown-nottomentionahugebonusfortourism-aswellastheanchorswhocouldntgetenoughofkayakingontheamazingrapidswiththelocalpaddlingclub.WewereimmediatelyjackedupforthiswhentheytolduswedbegoingtotheNorthwestTerritoriesbe-causewedneverbeenherebeforeDutchyshentoldTheJournalbackstageaftertheshow.AndyouneverforgetyourrsttimeHedgeraddedwithalaugh.StampofapprovalminingonthemoveinNWTMackenzieValleyReviewBoardgetsgreen-lighthappyinJulyByRENEFRANCOEURAssomeoftheNorthwestTerritorieslargerandolderminesbeginshowingtheirwrinklesandgreyhairsafreshroundofdiggingisgearinguptotakeaimattheresource-abundantNorthernterrainasapprovalsin2013fornewboringprojectswerefarfromscarce.TheGahchoKudia-mondminenorthofLutselKeandFortuneMineralsNICOcobalt-gold-bismuth-coppermineintheheartoftheTlichoregionbothre-ceivedvariousgreenlightssomewithinthesameweekofoneanother.TheMackenzieValleyEnvironmentalImpactRe-viewBoardMVEIRBap-provedDeBeersGahchoKutheNWTsfourthdia-mondmineprojectlocatedatKennadyLakeabout280kmnortheastofYellow-knifeinJulywithanum-berofconditions.TheboardsaidtheminewilllikelycausesignicantnegativeimpactsontheBathurstcaribouherdandrecommendedanumberofmeasuresbetakeninclud-ingimplementingahabitatprotectionandmonitoringplan.Italsocalledforeffortstobeundertakentokeeptheminesfootprintassmallaspossible.TheTlichoGovernmentYellowknivesDeneFirstNa-tionLutselKeDeneFirstNationandDeninuKueFirstNationallrequestedthefedstohaltapprovalofGahchoKuuntilstrongermeasureswereimplementedtomitigateadverseenvironmentalim-pactssuchastheminesim-pactontheBathurstcaribouherdandthefutureofKen-nadyLakewhichwouldbedrainedfortheproject.ThefederalgovernmentignoredthecallsfromFirstNationstodelaytheproj-ectandgaveDeBeersandMountainProvinceDia-mondsthegoaheadinOc-tobertobeginprocessinglicensesforGahchoKu.ApioneerLandUsePermitwasapprovedbytheMack-enzieValleyLandandWaterBoardinDecember.MeanwhileNICOlocated50kmnortheastofWhatire-ceivedtwokeyapprovalsinJulyaswellaswithboththeTlichogovernmentandmin-isterofAboriginalAffairsandNorthernDevelopmentBernardValcourt.Thedeci-siontomoveaheadmarkedthersttimeanAboriginalgovernmenthashadasayalongsideofCanada.NICOsoperatingcom-panyFortuneMineralssaiditestimatesitwilltakefourtosixmonthstogetthewaterlicenseandlandusepermitsasthenextstepsbutthatconstructioncouldbeginin2014.FortuneMineralshaspartneredwithProconamajorityChinese-ownedcompanyraising11.7mil-liontowardsnancingtheproject.AvalonRareMetalsInc.receivedapprovalfortheNechalachoRareEarthEle-mentProjectlaterintheyearwhichincludesaminesiteatThorLakeroughly5kmnorthoftheHearneChannelofGreatSlaveLakeand100kmsoutheastofYellowknife.ThereviewboardgavethecompanythethumbsupinJulythoughits220-pagereportsaidthemineposessignicantbutmanageableriskstowaterwildlifeandthesocialandeconomicenvironment.DespitenumeroussocialandenvironmentalconditionsndingnancingfortheminehasprovedtobethemostdauntingtaskfacingAva-lonwhichisstillsearchingforinvestorsdespitemovingtothepermittingphaseinNovember.ThesamewastrueforTa-merlaneVenturesInc.basedinWashingtonstatewhopur-chasedthecurrentlydefunctPinePointsiteandthesur-roundingareain2004andspent2013lookingfor140milliongiveortaketostartbuildingandminingleadandzincagain.CompanieswerenttheonlyonesthinkingabouttheTerri-torieswaningminesin2013.ThenewNWTMineralDevelopmentStrategysoughttoprovidewaystoattractmorebusinessforamineralboomintheNWTagain.Thestrategyrecommendsgovernmentalactioninanassortmentofwaysinclud-ingengaginginaggressivemarketinginvestinginin-frastructurecreatinganewregulatoryenvironmentac-celeratinglanduseplanningmoreeffectiveconsultationwithAboriginalgovern-mentsandfurthertrainingforemployeesinminesandrelatedsectors.Thatsaidwiththeminingindustrysbiggestroadblockrelatingbacktowildlifeandtheenvironmentwhenitcomestimeforapprovalsthestrategypayslittlenoticetoissuesofagreenernature.2014herecomemoreholesandalltheirimplications.PhotocourtesyofAvalonWinterdrillingisdoneatAvalonRareMetalsNechalachositeatThorLake.TherareearthelementsprojectmovedintothepermittingphaseinNovemberafterministerialapproval.SportscentreanchorsJenniferHedgerandDarrenDutchyshenbroadcastlivefromFortSmithinJulyastheirrststopontheKraftCelebrationTour.PhotoPaulBannister2013THEYEARINREVIEW