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Sahtufrackingopponentscallingforaregion-widevotePoliticsEnergy2TuesdayJanuary72014NEWSBRIEFSPoweroutagethatfrozeYellowknifeforhoursunderinvestigationTheNorthwestTerritoriesPowerCorp.NTPCisinvesti-gatingatripattheSnarehydrosystemthatturnedtheen-tirecityofYellowknifeslightsoffforhoursonDec.29.WhileNTPCcrewsrespondedimmediatelytothetripat345p.m.acontrolsystemfailureatthedieselpoweredJackshpowerplantthesystemsbackuppowersupplyshortlyafterfurtherdelayedrestorationandkeptYellow-knifeinthedarkforhoursduringextremecoldweatherconditions.TheJackshplantwasbackonlineby500p.m.withfullpowerrestoredtothecityby700p.m.AccordingtotheNTPCafailurewiththeSnaretransmissionsystemissuspectedtobethecauseoftheinitialtrip.DelinetakesmajorsteptowardsselfgovernmentwithnalagreementThecommunityofDelineisonestepclosertoattainingselfgovernmentafterrepresentativessignedtheDelineFinalSelf-GovernmentAgreementonDec.17theterritorysrstselfgovernmentagreementwiththeGNWTtobenegoti-atedalongsideanexistinglandclaim.BernardValcourtCanadasministerofAboriginalAffairsandNorthernDe-velopmentapplaudedthemoveinapressreleasecallingtheagreementamajorsteptowardself-determinationforthecommunity.Theagreementwhichhasbeenintheworksfor18yearswillcreateanewgovernmentfortheDelinedistrictandunitecurrentauthoritiesservicesandprogramsinthecommunity.AraticationvoteisplannedforMar.10to122014.FortProvidencemayorappointedNWTACpresidentFortProvidenceMayorTinaGarganhastakenonpresi-dencyoftheNWTAssociationofCommunitiesNWTACafterformerpresidentandMayorofTuktoyuktukMervenGrubenlostre-electionduringtheterritoryshamletelec-tionslatelastyear.GarganwhohasservedasmayorofFortProvidencefortwotermsistherstfromhercommu-nitytoserveasNWTACpresidentandthesecondwomantoholdtheposition.ByJACKDANYLCHUKOpponentstohydraulicfracturingintheSahtuwantresidentstohavethelastwordonthecontroversialprocessandthefutureoftheCanolshaleplay.IfthepeopleoftheSahtucanholdareferendumonal-coholthenwhynothydraulicfracturingItsevenmoreimportanttothehealthofthecommunitiessaidSahturesidentSheilaKarkagiemakingapointedreferencetoarecentcampaigncham-pionedbySahtuMLANor-manYakeleya.DuringthelastlegislativesessionMLAsgaveSahturesidentsthepowertodic-tatedailyalcoholpurchasesinNormanWellsthecom-munityatthecentreoftheCanolshaleplay.Thegovernmentcanorderavoteonboozesalesifitre-ceivesresolutionswithinasix-monthperiodfromcoun-cilsrepresentingatleastthreeoftheveSahtucommuni-tiesandmorethanhalftheregionspopulation.IfwegetavoteIthinktherewouldbenofrackingatallsaidKarkagiewhoisbehindapetitionintheregioncollectingsignaturesofthoseopposedtofracking.Thereissomuchopposi-tionandonlyalittlehandfulofleadersontheTulitaLandandFinancialCorp.madethedecisionforus.Theyownbusinessesandstandtobenetsotheywereinaconictofinterest.Thisistoobigadecisionforthemtomakeforus.KarkagiewascalledhomefromacampjobinAlbertalastsummerbyhermotherMadelinewhourgedhertospeakoutagainstfracking.WhowouldgiveourlandandwaterformoneyTheoilcompanieswillonlybehereuntiltheyruinthelandthentheywillgo.Thatslikeourbackyard.Wehuntedthereandtrapped.Theybuiltalandingstripinanareawheremoosecalved.Itsourfreezer.YouhavetostarttalkingnowKarka-giesmothertoldher.IntheweeksleadinguptoChristmasKarkagiegath-ered200namesonapetitioninTulitathatwouldsus-pendfrackinguntilthereisaregion-widevote.GeraldManualcirculatedasimilarpetitioninFortGoodHopethatdrew900signatories.ButweweretoldthatitwastoolateKarkagiesaid.Discouragedtheysetthepetitionaside.Sincethedeathofhermotherwhowas97onDec.29KarkagiehaspickedupthethreadandrenewedhereffortstogathernamesinTulitaandDelineaswell.ThepetitionswillarriveonMLAsdesksintimefortheopeningoftheLegislativeAssemblyinFebruarytoolatetostopConocoPhillipsfrommakinghistorywiththerstwellsintheNorthwestTerritoriesemployingthecontroversialprocess.AsafetyinspectiondelayedConocoPhillipsforaweekinearlyDecember.Opera-tionswereshutdownafteraworkerwasinjuredbutthecompanystillexpectstocompleteitstwoexploratorywellsbytheendofJanuary.Karkagiebelievesthetwoexploratorywellsarejusttherstroundinalargerandlongerstruggle.TheactiveleaseholdersintheCanolHuskyMGMEnergyandConocoPhillipshavesaidthathorizontaldrillingusingmultistagehy-draulicfracturingistheonlywaytheshalewillgiveuptheoilandthattheysupportafullreviewatjustnotpriortoexploration.ExploitationoftheCanolShalewhichindustryexpertsestimatecouldsurpasstheBakkeneldthatstraddlesNorthDakotaSaskatch-ewanandAlbertawillbetherstmajordevelopmenttobeconsideredbythenewregulatoryschemetobees-tablishedinthewakeofde-volutioninApril.KarkagiecancountonsupportfromNGOslikeAlternativesNorthandtheCouncilofCanadiansandhasanallyinthelegislaturewithWeledehMLABobBromleyofferingadviceonhowtousethelegislaturesonlinepetitionsystem.BesidesthemanymanypeopleintheSahtuwhoarebecomingupsettherearealsomanyorganizationsandindividualsinYellowknifeandacrosstheNWTwhohavegraveconcernsaboutthedirectionandpacethisexploitationistakingandthepromotionalroleourgovern-mentispursuingBromleysaidinanemail.WhilejurisdictionslikeNewfoundlandanoilandgasstateandDallasintheheartofTexasaremakingdecisionsforamoratoriumorabanonfrackingthisgovernmentisblindlysup-portingitevenwhenthepermitconditionsweseekareignoredhewrote.Bromleysaidhewasab-bergastedwhenConocoPhil-lipsreceiveditspermitsforfrackingwithoutanenviron-mentalassessmentandthatotherswiththepowertore-questareviewdidnotstepintodoso.Whenwerushintothesethingswearesettingour-selvesupforfuturedelaysre-gretsandcoststhatshouldnthappen.WeareseeingthatnowaspeopleintheSahtubegintolearnwhatthissortofexploitationactuallyin-volvesandthethreatsandcostsitdemandstotheirlandwaterairandculturehesaid.Anti-frackingsentimentscouldspelltroubleforSahtuMLANormanYakeleyawhohasinrecentmonthssup-portedexplorationanddevel-opmentoftheCanolShale.ThepetitionerspotentiallyoutnumberalloftheballotscastintheSahtuinthelastterritorialelection.NorthernersopposedtofrackingintheNWTmarchinYellowknifeinOctoberaspartoftheGlobalFrackdownaninternationalprotestagainsttheuseofhydraulicfracturingtoextractoilandgas.PhotoJackDanylchuk