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PoliticsInfrastructure2TuesdayJanuary142014NEWSBRIEFSMissingFortSimpsonmanbelievedtobefounddeadRCMPsuspectabodyfoundatagazeboinFortSimp-sonlastweekisthatofBillyCholoalocalmanwhohadbeenmissingsincemid-December.Asearchpartyofmorethan40concernedresidentswasmobilizedandsentoutlastThursdayandabodywasfoundshortlyafterbehindthehealthclinic.Policehavedeterminedthedeathtobesuddenmeaningitwillbeinvestigatedasahomicide.Familyofthemaninquestiontoldreport-ersthe45year-oldCholohadadrinkingproblembuttheydonotbelieveittohavecausedhisdeath.CNRLseesanotherwellborefailureatColdLakeoilsandssiteCanadianNaturalResourcesLtd.CNRLisinvestigatinganotherwellborefailureatitsPrimrosesitenearColdLakeafteremployeesdiscoveredapartedcasinginearlyJanuarythatallowedsteamtobereleasedintoanotherareaofthewellborezone.TheincidentfoundonJan.3didnotcauseaspillorleakofbitumenaccordingtothecompanywhotoldTheJournalthereisnoimpacttotheenvironmentnorandpotentialdangertopeopleandthattheincidentisun-relatedtothefourbitumenleaksfoundontheirpropertyinMayandJuneoflastyearthatimpacted20.7hectaresoflandinthearea.CNRLstatedlatelastyearthatthewell-borefailurescausingtheleakswereasolvablechallenge.ConservativeMPBrianJeanresignsinFortMcMurrayBrianJeanAlbertaConservativeMPforFortMcMurray-Athabascaissteppingdownthisweekforunspeciedrea-sons.Jeantoldthemediainawrittenstatementthatthede-cisionwasdifcultbutthetimewasrighttomoveonef-fectivethisFriday.TheMPwasrstelectedin2004andhasservedasparliamentarysecretarytotheministerofTrans-portInfrastructureandCommunities.Inlate2013Jeanfacedcriticismafteradecisiontoincludeacrosswordabouthimselfinaconstituencynewsletter.JeansdeparturefollowstheresignationofanotherAlbertaMPTedMenzieswhobowedoutoffederalpoliticsinlate2013.Bothresignationswilltriggerby-electionsinAlbertainthecomingmonths.CheckoutNorthernJournals2014Car-TruckBuyersGuideinnextweeksissuefortipsandthelatestline-upofcars.PhotoGNWTHarpertoutsNortherndevelopmentathighwayconstructionlaunchByMARIACHURCHPrimeMinisterStephenHarpermissednooppor-tunitytoconrmCanadascommitmenttotheNorthdur-inghisvisittotheNWTlastweektokickoffconstructionofthehighwaythatwilllinkInuvikandTuktoyaktuk.Forthersttimebyper-manentroadthehighwaywillconnectCanadafromcoasttocoasttocoastHarpertoldthecrowdgatheredataceremonyheldinInuviklastWednesdayofciallylaunchingworkonthe137-kmstretchofhighway.TheprimeministerwasankedattheeventbyNWTPremierBobMcLeodNellieCournoyeachairandCEOofInuvialuitRegionalCorp.IRCandRobertAlexieJr.presidentoftheGwichinTribalCouncil.Thishistoricprojectreal-izesthevisionaryinitiativeofCanadianPrimeMinisterJohnDiefenbakerbackinthe1960sHarpertoldthecrowd.Diefenbakerknewthenwhatourgovernmentisundertakingtodayconstruct-ingahighwaywillimprovethelivesofpeoplelivingintheNorthforgenerationstocomefacilitatingeconomicdevelopmentcreatingjobsandenablingcost-effectivesafeandreliabletranspor-tationofgoodstoandfromNortherncommunities.Theall-weatherhighwaywhichwillextendthecur-rentDempsterHighwaytotheArcticcoastwillincludeeightbridgesoverwaterbod-iesasitmakesitswaytoTuk.Anestimatedcompletiondateissetfor2018.Toutedasaroutetore-sourcesthehighwaywillfacilitateexplorationoftheNWTsnorthernmostre-sourcepoolsfromoilandgasoftheBeaufortandMacken-zieDeltatoshaleoilreservesintheSahtu.Ourresourceshavebeenstrandedfortoolong.Trans-portationroutesinallformsandalldirectionsarekeytogettingourresourcestomarketMcLeodstatedattheceremony.TheGNWTannouncedlatelastweekthatacontractwithEGT-NorthwindLtd.ajointcompanybasedinInu-vikandTukhasbeennal-izedtothetuneof229.3mil-lion.Thefederalgovernmentmaterialitsalmostsandwiththeoddboulderinitsomeoftheworstmate-rialwithwhichtobuildahighlychallengingprojectinthemostchallengingofallenvironmentsandwestilldontknowwhatwerepayingforroyaltiesonthisunder-gradestuffBrom-leysaid.haspledgedatotalof200millionforconstructionandtheterritorialgovernmentwillcovertherest.DespitethemajorityofcostsbeingfrontedbyCan-adaBobBromleyMLAforWeledehvoicedconcernaboutthehighwaylastweekcallingitablackholeproj-ectwhosecostswedonotevenknow.MinisterofTransporta-tionTomBeaulieurespondedbysayingthedepartmentiscondentthehighwaywillbewithinthebudgetofjustunder300millionandac-tualconstructioncostswilllikelybewellunderthat.Bromleyalsoraisedcon-cernsaboutthequalityofgravelbeingusedforthehigh-waywhichwillbesourcedfromInuvialuitlandatayetundeterminedroyaltyrate.IhearthatthegravelbeingusedisprimarilyneExperthappywithpoliticalcooperationInternalterritorialpoliticsasideNortherndevelopmentexpertAnjaJeffreysaidsheispleasedtoseepoliticalco-operationledtothehighwayconstructionlaunchbutcau-tionedagainstlookingattheprojectasatemplateforfutureinvestmentintheNorth.ItsnotsettingaprecedentIdontthinksoJeffreydi-rectoroftheCentrefortheNorthtoldTheJournal.Youcannotfromthisprojectde-rivethatwearenowgoingtohaveroadsacrosstheNorth.Jeffreysaiditsraretoseethefederalgovernmentcoughupthatamountofmoneyorhavetheterritorialgovern-mentinagreementwithlocalandAboriginalgovernmentstowardsthesameend.Thesecircumstanceswereuniqueandthetimingwasopportuneshesaid.Transportationroutesinallformsandalldirectionsarekeytogettingourresourcestomarket.NWTPremierBobMcLeodFromleftNorthwindIndustriesemployeesKevinRinasandDonCampbellexchangegreetingswithNWTPremierBobMcLeodandPrimeMinisterStephenHarperattheconstructionlaunchoftheInuvik-Tukhighwaylastweek.