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2TuesdayFebruary182014NEWSBRIEFSDelinelaunchesnewwebsitetopromoteculturaltourismThecommunityofDelinehaslauncheditsowntourismwebsiteandsocialmediachannelstoattractculturaltour-iststotheremotey-incommunityintheSahturegion.CalledDestinationDelinedestinationdeline.comthecampaign-createdbyatourismconsultancycompanybasedinBC-shareslocaleventsstoriesandphotosfromtheregionallthewhileenticingfuturevisitorswiththepromiseofexperiencinguniqueDeneculturalpractices.SummeractivitiessuchasshingNorth-WrightAirwaysightseeingtoursandATVtoursarepromoted.ShellputsPierreRiveroilsandsminedevelopmentonholdOilsandsgiantRoyalDutchShellhasannouncedaninde-nitehalttodevelopmentofitsPierreRiveroilsandsmineinnorthernAlbertatellingregulatorstheextentofthedelayisnotyetknown.Shellsaiddevelopmentofthe200000barrel-per-dayminewillbepushedbackinorderforthecompanytore-evaluatewithafocusonmaintainingacompetitivebusi-nessandsuccessfuldeliveryofnear-termgrowthprojects.Untilthencompanyexecutivessaidtheyarenotpreparedtoproceedtoahearingontheproject.ThisyearShellalsocancelleddevelopmentplansfordrillinginAlaskasArcticandpostponedaliquiednaturalgasprojectinAustralia.UniversityofAlbertatostudycancerscreeningaccessinNWTAteamofresearchersfromtheUniversityofAlbertaisplanningtostudyaccesstocancerscreeningintheNWTafterrecentreportsfromtheterritorialgovernmentshowsomecommunitiesareutilizingcancerscreeningservicesfarbelowthenationalaverage.Researchersarelookingtounderstandwhyresidentsarelesslikelytobetestedforcan-cerapotentiallylife-savingprocessdespitetheNWThav-ingthehighestincidenceofcancerinthecountry.There-searchteamwillconductsurveysintheNWTwithafocusontheremotecommunitieswherethereisahighAboriginalpopulation.Resultsareexpectedin2015andwillbesharedwiththefederalandterritorialgovernmentswiththegoalofndingsolutionstobetteraccessforcancerscreening.YoucanpickupyourticketsfromanyminorhockeyplayeroratanyoftheseFortSmithbusinessesFortSmithMinorHockeyNeedsYouWINBIGBYPARTICIPATINGINOURBI-MONTHLY5050DRAW.AllfundsgotosupportFortSmithminorhockeyplayerdevelopmentandyouthathletics.TICKETSAREONLY2.TouchofHeavenNWALLousSmallEnginesGiGisBakeryRustyRavenTDCPhoenixAutoNorthernJournalPelicanRapidsInnDrawdatesareFebruary23March29and23.PetitioncallsforgovernmentpromiseonfutureNWTfrackingGroupswantallfrackingapplicationstogothroughfullassessmentByMEAGANWOHLBERGAcoalitioncallingitselfFrackingActionNorthlaunchedapetitionlastweekcallingfortheterritorialgov-ernmenttouseitsregulatoryauthoritytoreferallfuturefrackingapplicationstoafullenvironmentalassessmentincludingpublichearings.TheNWTchapteroftheCouncilofCanadiansAl-ternativesNorthandEcol-ogyNorthpostedtheiron-linepetitiononFeb.7ask-ingallconcernedresidentsoftheNWTtosignthere-questtohavetheGNWTinvokeitsauthorityundertheMackenzieValleyRe-sourceManagementActMVRMA.ThepetitionwillcollectsignaturesuntilMar.7.OncecloseditwillbepresentedtotheLegislativeAssemblyinhopesthatgovernmentwillcommittoreferringallfu-turefrackingapplicationstotheassessmentstage.Suchhugedecisionsofthisnatureshouldneverhappenwithoutafullcomprehensivepublicen-vironmentalassessmentsaidLoisLittleco-chairoftheNWTCouncilofCa-nadians.Thatisthepro-cessthatwehavetotablealloftheinformationandtoallowpeopletohaveavoiceandquestionvariouspractices.Inonewaythatsreallyavalidationthatpeo-plesconcernsareimpor-tantpeoplewhohavetolivewiththeconsequencesofthisshouldneverhavedecisionsmadewithoutthembeinginvolvedinit.Thepetitionwascreatedinresponsetotheapprovaloftheterritorysrstandonlyexistinghorizontalhy-draulicfracturingprojectintheSahtu.LastsummertheSahtuLandandWaterBoardallowedtheapplicationbyoilcompanyConocoPhil-lipstobypasstheenviron-mentalassessmentprocessandgostraighttotheper-mittingphase.DespitepublicoutcryintheregionandelsewhereacrosstheterritoryCon-ocoPhillipsiscurrentlyfrackingitsrstexploratoryshaleoilwellsthiswinternearNormanWells.Thefactthattheprevi-ousonewentaheadwith-outenvironmentalassess-mentleftpeoplewithalotofquestionssaidChris-tineWenmanofEcologyNorth.Andthereseemstobealotofpotentialintheareasowereanticipatingacouplemoreapplicationssoonandperhapsmoreafterthat.Sothoseissuesshouldhavebeenlookedatpreviouslybutitscer-tainlynottoolatetolookatthemnow.HuskyOilwhichholdsleasesintheSahturegionisrumouredtobebringingforthafrackingapplicationwithinthenextmonth.Wenmansaidafullenvi-ronmentalassessmentisim-portantnotjustforallowingpeopletovoiceconcernsandhavequestionsansweredbuttoopenupadialogueonthecumulativeeffectsofindustry.Unlesstheresabroaderenvironmentalreviewthentheopportunitytoreallylookatcumulativeim-pactsisntthere.Becausethepotentialinthisoneregionissohighandsomanyleasesareoutthereweexpectthecumulativeimpactstobesignificant.SothatIwouldsayisoneofthemorepressingcon-cernsshesaid.BothWenmanandLittlebelievesupportforthepe-titionisgoingtobehugetakingintoconsiderationlocalpetitionsintheSahturequestingabanonfrackingreceived200signaturesinTulitaand900moreinFortGoodHopealone.Thepetitionhadjustover200signaturesasofMondayafternoon.PeopleintheSahture-gionandthroughouttheNorthwestTerritoriesseemtohavealotofquestionsandtheyretryingtogureouttherightavenuestohavethosequestionsanswered.Sothisjustseemslikeagoodnextstepbecausetheregulatorysystemistheretomakesurepublicconcernisaddressedandenvironmen-talconcernsaremitigatedWenmansaid.ThoughthefocusisonthenextmoveoftheLeg-islativeAssemblyLittlesaidthepetitionwillalsogiveaheads-uptoregula-torsandotherpublicbod-iescapableoftriggeringanenvironmentalassessmentthatdoingsoisinthepub-licswill.Thereobviouslywillbehundredsifnotthousandsofnamesonthispetitionandthatsgoingtocauseallor-dersofgovernmentstore-allytakealookatwhattheirauthorityiswithrespecttothisshesaid.Thepetitionisavail-ableonlineathttpepe-tition.lant.public-i.tvepe-tition_corecommunitypetition2614Anti-frackingprotestersvoicetheiroppositionoutsideoftheYellowknifeCourtHouselastfallduringaglobaldayofactionagainsthydraulicfracturing.ConocoPhillipsbegantheterritorysrstfrackingprojectthiswinter.PhotoJackDanylchukEnvironmentFracking