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EDITORIALARCHIVES15YearsAgo...UnionsaysGNWTofferisinsultingJustasthebattlebetweenthegovernmentoftheNorthwestTerritoriesGNWTandtheUnionofNorthernWorkersUNWlookedlikeitwasquietingdowntempershaverisenagainamongtheunionexecutiveoverwhattheycallinterferencebytheGNWT.IssueJanuary26199920YearsAgo...CaribousurveyshowspopulationdropArecentpopulationsurveydoneontheBeverlycaribouherdindicatesthesizeoftheherdisfallingoffrapidly.AccordingtothesurveyconductedbybiologistMarkWilliamsthedeclineinnumbersisincon-sistentwithinformationinyearspast.Thesurveyestimatesthesizeofthecaribouherdat87000.IssueJanuary26199430YearsAgo...NewparksfortheNorthTheremaybethreenewfederalparkssetupintheNorthinthenearfutureiffederalEnvironmentMinisterCharlesCacciahashisway.Cacciaissaidtofavourtheestab-lishmentofparksinnorthernYukonthenortherntipofEllesmereIslandandaroundtheeastarmofGreatSlaveLakebeforethenextfederalelection.IssueJanuary2619844TuesdayJanuary282014TheNorthernJournalisanindependentnewspapercoveringnewsandeventsinthewesternArcticandnorthernAlberta.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.caItwasroughly10yearsagowhenDr.JohnOConnoralocumdoctorservingFortChipewyanrstbroughtforthcon-cernsthattheremightbehigherthannormalcancerratesinthecommunity.ForceswithinthefederalandAlbertagovernmentsquicklymountedacampaignchallengingOConnor.HesubsequentlyfacedanumberofchargesbeforetheAl-bertaCollegeofPhysiciansandSurgeonsACPSincludingcausingunduealarmaswellaswithholdingthecaselesofhispatientswhohadincurredthecancers.Hewasbroughtbeforehearingsfacingthethreatofthelossofhismedicallicense.TheNuneeHealthAuthorityNHAwhichismandatedtorunthehealthde-liverysysteminFortChipewyantoldTheJournalatthetimethatDr.OConnorasavisitingphysiciandidnothavetheau-thoritytoprovideaccesstopatientmedi-calles-nottoanyone.FurthermoretheNHAmanagersaidtheywereconcernedthattheremightbelegalramicationsifeventheyweretoreleasecondentialpatientles.Shesaidtheyhadtwicewrit-tentoAlbertaHealthaskingforalegalopinionontheirposition.Nolegalopionwasforthcomingmuchtothefrustra-tionoftheNHAmanagerwhowantedthewholematterclearedup.AlbertaHealthadmittedin2009thattheirdatashowedahigherthanaveragepresenceofcancerinFortChipewyan.Environmentalstudieshavesubsequentlydeliveredevidencethatthereareindeedcarcinogenictoxinsemanatingfromtheoilsandsandfoundpervasivelyonthelandandintheriver.ThatinspiteofthefactboththefederalandAlbertagovern-mentsareactivelypromotingthegrowthoftheindustrywhilemakingclaimsthatthereisnonegativeimpact.Itisapparentnowmorethaneverthatstudyingtheef-fectsoftheindustryonhumanhealthintheregionshouldbeapriority.Yettherehasneverbeenaproperstudyincludingclinicaltestingontheimpactonhumanhealthfromtheoilsandsindustry.WhatOConnordidinraisinghiscon-cerns10yearsagowasnotonlyrightitwaswhathewassupposedtodoasacommunitydoctor.Hisactionswerecommendable.InspiteofallthatatleasttoourknowledgesincetheACPSisaverydiscreetagencyoneofthechargesagainstOConnorwasheldinobeyenceandhewasneverfullycleared.Heisperpetuallyunderthethreatoflosinghislicensetopracticeasaphysician.Thismatterdeservesofcialinvestiga-tion.AninjusticewasperpetratedagainstDr.OConnorbyagentsactinginappro-priatelywithingovernment.Thoseindi-vidualsshouldbesoughtoutanddis-missedperhapsevenpunished.DrJohnOConnorontheotherhandshouldbeexoneratedevencelebrated.TheOrderofCanadaperhapsGovernmentblackballinglivesonMercurypoisoning-FortChipsnewthreatOnOct.31lastyearatleast670millionlitresofwastewaterspilledfromacon-tainmentpondontheObedMountaincoalminesitenearHintonAlbertareleasingsedimentmadeupofcoalparticlesclayandsand.CanadasNationalPollutionRe-leaseInventoryindicatedtheslurrycon-tainedmercuryalongwithphenathrenearseniccadmiumleadandmanganese-allofwhicharetoxicforanythingliving.Theplumeofcoalminewastegrewto100kilometresinlengthasittravelleddowntheAthabascaRiver.AlbertachiefmedicalofcerDr.JamesTalbotwarnedAlbertansnottodrinkthewaterwhiletheplumepassedtheircommunitiesbecausemercurylevelswereninetimeshigherthannormalandthelevelsofcancer-causinghydrocarbonswerefourtimeshigherthanthatallowedinCanadiandrinkingwater.AlbertaEnvironmentwasnotimmediatelyforthcomingwithinformationregardingthecontaminantsthathadbeeninjectedintotheriverbutdidassureeveryonethattherewasnothreatfromtheplumeonceitpassed.Theyalsosaidthecontaminantswilleven-tuallysettleintotheriverbedsedimentsandsowillceasetobeinthewaterandassuchnothreattohumanhealthexisted.Meanwhilemercuryfromthesmoke-stacksoftheoilsandsindustryisimpact-inga19000square-kilometreareasaidEnvironmentCanadaresearchersinlateDecember.Levelshavebeenfoundtobeupto16timeshigherthanbackgroundlevelsfortheregion.FederalscientistsstressthemercuryloadingaroundtheoilsandsislowbutsaymercuryistheNo.1concernwhenitcomestothemetaltoxinsgeneratedbyoilsandsoperations.Obviouslymercuryandassortedcarcin-ogensfromthetwosourceswillcombineintheAthabascaRiverandbepresentinthesedimentsinquantity.Eachspringandanyothertimetheriverisinoodthosesedimentswillbestirredup.Everythingwillmoveondownstreamovertime.Itislogicaltoconcludethatthehighestcon-centrationswilleventuallyendupinthePeaceAthabascadeltanotfarfromtheFortChipewyanwatersupply.MercurycanbioaccumulateinlivingcreaturesandchronicexposurecancauseMinamatadiseaseadebilitatingneurologicalsyndromeresultingfromseveremercurypoisoning.WewanttoknowifAlbertaEnviron-mentandthefederalgovernmentwiththeirworldclassmonitoringsystemareawareofthiswillacknowledgeitandwillbeactivelysamplingformercurycon-taminationintheAthabascaRiverinthecomingdecadeespeciallyinthevicin-ityofFortChipewyanonthepossibilitythatmercurymayeventuallyconcentratethereathigherthanacceptablelevels.Wedonotmeantocauseunduealarmwiththisquerybutifourgov-ernmentsworldclassstudiesweretransparenttherewouldbenoneedtoaskwouldtherePhotocourtesyofTulitaRCMPTulitaRCMPbustaloadofillegalliquormakingitswayintothecommunityviathewinterroadlastweekthethirdintwoweeks.Thethreeseizurestotalapproximately4500inbootleggedliquorcapturedinthenewyear.TheRCMPcontinuetomonitorcommunityeventsandplantheirmonitoringofthewinterroadduringthosetimestomaximizeseizures.