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EDITORIALARCHIVES15YearsAgo...FursalesdownthiswinterNorthAmericanFurAuctionsNAFAopenedits199899sellingseasonwithafreshcollectionofwildfur.AtawildfurauctionheldearlierinDecemberlim-itedbuyerattendanceresultedinlowerpricesandverylowclearancesaccord-ingtoNAFA.IssueJanuary19199920YearsAgo...MLAblastsmayorThebachaMLAJeannieMarie-JewellhasslammedFortSmithmayorDennisBevingtonforusingcommunist-typetacticstostoptheconstructionofaroadlinkbetweenFortSmithandFortVermil-ion.BevingtondismissedMarie-Jewellscommentssayingheisnottryingtode-railanyinitiativetobringaroadlinktoFortSmith.IssueJanuary19199430YearsAgo...CompetingcarnivalcouldkillFrolicsThe1984WoodBuffaloFrolicsmayturnouttobethelastbecauseofrivalryfromthenewlycreatedPioneerDays.TheFortSmithLionsClubwhichsponsorstheannualspringFrolicssaythesched-ulingofthePioneerDayscouldkilltheircelebrations.IssueJanuary1919844TheNorthernJournalisanindependentnewspapercoveringnewsandeventsinthewesternArcticandnorthernAlberta.VisittheJournalonlineatwww.norj.caAnzacAtikamegBrownvaleCadotteLakeChardChatehColdLakeConklinDriftpileDufeldEdmontonEnildaEnochFortChipewyanFortMcKayFortMcMurrayFortVermilionFrogLakeGlenevisGoodshLakeGrandePrairieGrouardHighLevelHighPrairieHytheJohndOrPrairieAvailableinAlbertaatAklavikBehchokoColvilleLakeDelineEaglePlainsEkatiDiamondMinesEnterpriseFortGoodHopeFortLiardFortMcPhersonFortProvidenceFortResolutionFortSimpsonFortSmithGametiHayRiverInuvikJeanMarieRiverLutselKeNahanniButteNormanWellsPaulatukTheNorthernJournalisavailableinthefollowingNWTcommunitiesSachsHarbourTroutLakeTsiigehtchicTuktoyaktukTulitaUlukhaktokWekwetiWhaTiWrigleyYellowknifeKehewinKinusoLacLaBicheMorinvillePeaceRiverRedEarthCreekSaddleLakeSlaveLakeSt.PaulValleyviewWabasca2013CCNABLUERIBBONCANADIANCOMMUNITYNEWSPAPERAWARD2013CMCAAUDITEDAdvertisingDeadlinesDisplayaddeadlineisThursdayat400p.m.ClassiedaddeadlineisThursdayat500p.m.Emailadsnorj.caSubscriptionRates867872-3000PricesincludeGST.47.25inFortSmith52.50elsewhereinCanada105intheUSAoverseas164.30.LetterstotheEditorPolicyTheNorthernJournalwelcomesletterstotheeditor.Lettersmustbesignedandincludeaphonenumbersotheauthorcanbeveried.Nameswillbewithheldonrequestinspecialcircumstanceswherethereasonsaredeterminedtobevalid.TheJournalreservestherighttoeditlettersforlengthlibelclarityandtaste.Opinionsexpressedinlettersandcolumnsarenotnecessarilythoseofthepublisheroreditor.PublishedweeklybyCascadePublishingLtd.PrintedonrecyclednewsprintwithvegetableinkatWainwrightStarChronicle.PublisherManagingEditorDonJaque867-872-3000ext.21donnorj.caEditor...........................MeaganWohlberg867-872-3000ext.24newsnorj.caReporter..............................MariaChurch867-872-3000ext.25reporternorj.caComptroller...........................DixiePenner867-872-3000ext.23dixnorj.caAdvertising....................JoshuaJorgensen867-872-3000ext.15salesnorj.caAdministration................JeremyTurcotte867-872-3000ext.26adminnorj.caProductionGraphics.......SandraJaque867-872-3000ext.22sandranorj.caPaulBannister867-872-3000ext.27graphicsnorj.caAnnaSierra867-872-3000ext.20designnorj.caTuesdayJanuary212014Oilsands-thetruthpleaseNeilYoungisahas-beenmusicianwhodoesnothavehisfactsstraightwhenhecriticizesthewaytheoilsandsarebeingdevelopedthefederalgovernmentwouldhaveusbelieve.MoviedirectorJamesCam-eronwassimilarlyviliedwhenhecreatedthemovieAvatar.Canadianswhomakeitbigontheworldstageareapplaudedbuttheyarediscreditediftheyusetheirfametopursuecausesathome.BothfamousCanadianshavesucceededinfocusingattentionontheproblemsre-sultingfromhowtheoilsandsarebeingdevelopedtothechagrinofourpoliticalleaders.Politiciansareexpectedtoadjustthetruthandspinfactspresentingtheminawaythatachievestheirgoals.Usuallytheydonotstraytoofarfromthetruthbutclaimsthatthecurrentwaytheoilsandsareharvestedisbenigngofarbeyondthattothepointofdeceit.Howthecurrentcropofleadersfeeltheycangetawaywiththatandnotfearaneventualreckoningisunfathomable.Theyseemabletoconvincethemselvesthatwhattheywanttobelieveisactuallythetruthpresentingtherationalizedfa-cadewiththeutmostsincerity.Thereisnorespectabilityinthatmethodology-nohonournomoralitynodecencynodig-nitynovirtue.Weappreciatethepassionofleadersstrivingforarobustprovincialandnationaleconomybutthatdoesnotjustifydishonesty.Thousandsofjobsareindeedbeingcre-atedandthereistremendousbenettotheeconomy.Thatpartistruebuthugecoststhatarecommonknowledgeintheregionarebeingwhitewashed.BoththeAlbertaandfederalgovernmentsaredoingfartoolittletoremedytheproblemsallthewhiletryingtocoverthemup.TailingspondsareleakingintothegroundwaterandtheAthabascaRiver.Thefalloutfromthesmokestackscontainsmetalsandchemi-calsthatcontaminatethelandandushintotheriver.Theharmtohumanhealthalreadyalarminghasthepotentialtobeterribleinthelongterm.Meanwhilefor-estsarebeingstrippedawayandthelandtransformedsonoamountofeffortcouldreturnittoanaturalstate.Allofitistrueyetalldenied.Thestory-linefromtheHarperCon-servativesisthattheyhaveimplementedaworldclassenvironmentalmonitoringsystemtoguardagainstanynegativeimpactfromtheoilsandsindustry.Theirprimeconcerntheysayisthehealthofresidentsaswellasenvironmentalim-pact.Ithasbecomeamantra.Infactthefederalenvironmentalmoni-toringsystemonlygotunderwaytwosum-mersagoisnotyetfullyimplementedandsinceitisinthebeginningphasehasonlynowbeguncollectingbaselinedata.Itwilltakeyearsbeforeitisreallyeffective.Nordoesitadequatelyexaminecontaminationofaquifersfromthemas-sivetailingspondsallofthemperme-able.Itcameaboutafterdecadesofne-glectresultingonlybecauseofpressurefromenvironmentalistsandrevelationsbyrenegadescientistswhoinstitutedtheirownmonitoringsystemsandproveddramaticallythatclaimsbythefederalgovernmentthatnohealth-threateningproblemsexistarepatentlyfalse.Tensofbillionsofdollarswillbein-vestedeachyearoverthecomingde-cadesgeneratingincrediblewealth.Afteralltheoil-bearingsandisstrippedawayandprocessedtheshalebedsthatun-derlieitwillbeexploitedlikelybyfrack-ing.ThenortheastcornerofAlbertaistobetreatedasanindustrialcesspitforthenexthundredyears.Thedevelopmentoftheoilsandshasbeenencouragedthroughtaxbreaksin-vestmentandsubsidiesacrossdecadeswhileincontrasttherehasbeenminimalthoughteffortorinvestmenttoensurethehealthofresidentsintheregionormitigateimpactsontheenvironment.Anychangetothatimbalancehascomeaboutgrudginglyandsparingly.Theproblemisnotwithindustry.Corpo-rationsaretheretodowhattheydoandmakeaprot.Theywillforthemostpartfollowrulesandstandardsdiligently.Theproblemliessquarelyatthefeetofgovern-ment.Theintentisobviouslytoencouragedevelopmentandtheneedforproperrulesandstandardshasbeensetasideinten-tionally.Accountabilityandenforcementareajoke.Industryisgivenavirtualfreepass.Allisshroudedinalackoftranspar-ency.ThenegligenceonthepartofboththefederalandAlbertagovernmentsisheinousandthelackofstandardsandaccountabilitymorallycorrupt.PhotosBillBradenOttawa-basedauthorpublisherHaydenTrenholmleadsacreativewritingworkshopinYellowknifeJan.18-19putonbyNorthWords.Twelvewritersrangingfrompoetstocopywritersprofessionalstohobbyistsshowedupforthemasterclass.TopleftTrenholmwithGillianDawe-TaylorandGerryAntoinerightTrenholmassistsSusanBeaumont.