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82013THEYEARINREVIEWMARCH5MARCH12MARCH19MARCH26ThorLakehearingshighlightAkaitchodivisionsAvalonRareMetalsInc.receivessupportfortheThorLakeMinefromtheDeninuKueFirstNationwhiletheYellowknivesDeneFirstNationandLutselKeDeneFirstNationannouncetheiropposition.AuroraENRTprogramwintercampSecond-yearstudentsoftheAuroraCollegeEnvi-ronmentandNaturalRe-sourcesTechnologyProgramgethandsonexperienceinthefrigidwildernessoftheSouthSlaveduringaninten-sive10-daytrip.NorthlandreviewsmethodstoboostAboriginallanguagesTheNorthlandSchoolDistrictlaunchesareviewoftheiractionplanthathasseenanimprovementintheuseofAboriginallanguagesinschoolsthroughprogramsandprojects.EdehzhieprotectedwithDehchowinagainstfedsThefederalgovernmentagreestocompletethenalsteptopermanentlyprotecttheEdehzhienationalwild-lifeareaintheDehchoafteracourtdecisionconcludedtheydidnotconsultwiththeDehchoFirstNations.Inuvik-TukHwy.constructiongetsgo-aheadThefederalgovernmentpledgesanadditional50milliontowardsthe300-mil-lionhighwayprojectthatwillseeapermanentroadbuiltbetweenInuvikandTuktoyaktuk.NWThassomeofthecleanestwaterintheworldNWTwaterwaysarefoundtohaveextremelylowlevelsofhydrocarbonsmakingitsomeofthecleanestdrink-ingwaterintheworldac-cordingtoresultsfromthecommunity-basedwatermonitoringprogram.TheHonourableJacksonLaertyMinisterofEducationCultureandEmploymentispleasedtoociallyannouncethenewgeographicalnameMountFredAndrewmadeocialonDecember6th2013undertheNWTGeographicalandCommunityNamesPolicy.TheGovernmentoftheNorthwestTerritoriesworkstopromotegeographicalnamesthatformanintegralpartofthecultureandhistoryofthepeopleoftheNorthwestTerritories.NWTArchivesRichardFinnieN-1979-0630160MountFredAndrewThenamecommemoratesMr.FredAndrewSr.ofTulitawhoguidedDominionLandsurveyorsthroughtheMackenzieMountainstochoosetheroutefortheSecondWorldWareraCANOLPipelinenowtheCanolHeritageTrail.Mr.AndrewspentmuchofhislifelivingintheMackenzieMountainsandwasawell-respectedShhtagotineMountainDeneelder.631257.6N1295345.6WT.AndrewsGNWTwww.ece.gov.nt.caByMARIACHURCHSlicksplumesandsheensrepeatedlydiscoveredinnorthernAlbertawaterwayswerethecentreofamediastormthisyearwithseveralmassivepipelineleaksandtailingsspillscausinguproarandpanicfromthepublic.OneoftherstleaksoftheyearcamefromaSun-corplantnorthofFortMc-MurrayinApril.Thepipe-linebreachallowed2200barrelsofprocess-affectedwatertocontaminatetheAthabascaRiver.OvertheyearApacheCan-adaannouncedthreepipelineleaksonitspropertynearZamaCityinnorthwesternAlbertastartinginthespringwithoneoftheworstspillsinNorthAmericanhistory.TherstspillfoundinJunebutbelievedtohavestartedinearlyMaysaw15.4millionlitresofwastewatercontaminatea42-hectareareawhileanotherspillinAterribleyearforspillsandleaksinnorthernAlbertabeforethewinterseason.Thecompanyhasstatedtheleaksarecausedbywell-borefailures.InSeptemberthefederalgovernmentbe-cameinvolvedwithEnvi-ronmentCanadalaunchinganinvestigation.Novembersawoneofthelargestcoalspillsinhis-torywhenadykefailureatthedefunctObedMountaincoalmineownedbySher-rittInternationalandlocatednearHintonAlta.released670000cubicmetresoftail-ingsintotheAthabascaRiveronOct.31.Astheplumeoftailingscontainingmercuryandothercontaminantstookitsunitedfrontsayingtheywillnotallowpipelinesthroughtheirterritoriesunderanycircumstances.ChiefAllanAdamoftheAthabascaChipewyanFirstNationACFNwhosetra-ditionalterritoryhassev-eraloilsandsoperationsinnorthernAlbertapledgedinMarchthatACFNwouldcontinuetochallengefuturepipelinesonitsterritory.Thatsentimentwasen-forcedinJulywhenamys-teriousoilysheenover100kmlongmadeitswaydowntheAthabascaRiverbegin-ningneartheoilsandsandeventuallywashingupinFortChipewyan.ThoughtheeventwasneverformallylinkedtoindustrytestsconrmeditwaspetrochemicalinnatureleadingdownstreamFirstNationstocondemnthegov-ernmentslackofimmediateresponsetowhatappearedtobeaspill.ACFNrepresentativescalled2013aterribleyearforoilspillswhoseincidentstheysaidshouldserveasawakeupcall.WithoilandgaspipelinesstillriddlingnorthernAlbertaandfuturepipelinesslatedtojointhemitisnexttoguaran-teedthattheissueoffailureswillspilloverinto2014butwithFirstNationsunitingandpublicsupportfromnotablessuchasmusicianNeilYoungitappearscriticismandthepub-licwillforchangemayfollow.Inthenewyearwecanexpectmorepipelineopposi-tiontobeledbyFirstNationsgroupsasindustrycontinuestodefendthesafetyofitsop-erationsandrighttoresourcedevelopment.Over15millionlitresoftoxicwastewaterfromoilproductioncoatsthewetlandsnearZamaCityinnorthernAlbertathetraditionalterritoryoftheDeneThaFirstNationinJune.Novemberreportedlyun-connectedsaw1.8millionlitresaffect3.8hectaresoflandinthesamevicinity.Athirdleakwastoosmalltorequirethecompanytore-leaseavolume.CanadianNaturalRe-sourcesLtd.CNRLwasresponsibleforfourbitumenleaksfoundontheColdLakeAirWeaponsRangeinJunethathaveyettobestoppedcompletely.CNRLwasorderedbytheAlbertagovernmenttodrainanunnamedlakeinSeptem-beraspartofitscleanupofthebitumenaffectedareasunstoppablecoursedown-streamcommunitiesalongitsbanksshutofftheirwaterintakesandthepublicwaswarnednottodrawwaterdirectlyfromtheriver.Ineachcaseofapipelineleakortailingsspillwhilegovernmentandindustryscrambledtoeaseinitialpanicthepublic-inpartic-ularFirstNationsgroupsintheaffectedareas-barragedthoseresponsiblewithcriti-cismabouttheirresponseandremediationefforts.Lastwinter10FirstNationswithtraditionalterritoriesinoilsandsareasformedaPhotocourtesyofApacheCorp.2013THEYEARINREVIEWWithoilandgaspipelinesstillriddlingnorthernAlbertaandfuturepipelinesslatedtojointhemitisnexttoguaranteedthattheissueoffailureswillspilloverinto2014.