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TheNorthernJournalisanindependentnewspapercoveringnewsandeventsinthewesternArcticandnorthernAlberta.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.caEDITORIALARCHIVES15YearsAgo...NunavutvotesNunavutisnowsetfordivisionfollowingtheelectionoftherst19-memberLegislativeAssemblyMondaynightanelectionmarkedbyanumberofsurprisesincludingthede-featofcurrentNorthwestTerritoriesDeputyPremierGooArlooktoo.Arlooktoowhohadpreviouslysaidhewouldbeinterestedinrun-ningforpremierofthenewterritorylosthisSouthBafnseattoOlayukAkesuk.IssueFebruary16199920YearsAgo...RCMPwillformcommunitywatchTherecentrashofbreakandentercrimesacrosstownhasinspiredtheFortSmithRCMPtoformacommunitywatchprogram.Sgt.RodDouthwrightsaidmembersoftheFortSmithdetachmentwillvisithousesinthenearfutureaskingforopinionsoncrimeinFortSmith.IssueFebruary16199430YearsAgo...TrappersfoundsafeandsoundTwotrapperswhofailedtoappearattheirdestinationapparentlytookawrongturnontheirwaytoLargePikeLakebutwerelocatedbyanairsearchlastFriday.ClaytonBurkeandMagulorePaulettewereowntoLargePikeLakeaftertheirsnowmobilewasspot-tedlateFridayonthewrongtrail.IssueFebruary1619844TuesdayFebruary182014AnothergovernmentatoddswithitspeopleThenorthernYukonhasbecomethelat-estbattlegroundinCanadawhereagov-ernmentispittedagainstitsownpeopleoveritsapproachtodevelopment.ThePeelRiverwatershedisavastpristinewildernessandtheancestralhomeoftheGwichinrepletewithwildlifeinclud-ingthePorcupinecaribouherdalandofinnitenaturalbeauty.Itisalsolledwithmineralrichesandthetwoareabouttocollidehead-on.Alanduseplanningcommissionspentveyearsleadinganextensivecommu-nityconsultationprocesswhereafteranoverwhelmingconsensusemergedthatanydevelopmentallowedshouldbesmallonlyincertainareasandwithminimalimpact.Atthecoreofthecommissionsrecommendationswererestrictionstodevelopmenton80percentoftheland.OntheothersideChevrontheworldsfourthlargestoilcompanyhasitssightssetonamassiveironoredepositknownastheCrestDepositlocatedalongtheLowerSnakeRiveralongwithsigni-cantcoalreservesrelativelyclosebythatcouldalloworeprocessingonsite.Explorationisalsoactiveforcopperlead-zincnickelplatinumanduranium.ThisallcametoaheadlastmonthwhentheYukongovernmentignoredthecom-missionsrecommendationsandthema-jorityofcitizenvoicesandwentaheadwithitsownplanwhichprotectsonly29percentofthearea.Itwillallowunrestricteddevelopmenton27percentofthelandarea-predictablythatbeingalltheknownvaluedminerals-andpartiallyprotectabout44percentsuchthatsomeminingwillbeallowedandwithitroadaccess.TheYukongovernmentsrhetorichasalltheall-too-commonphrasingofagovernmenttryingtojustifyitselfargu-ingthatthenewplanoffersbalanceandrespectsallsectorsoftheeconomyin-cludingfuturemineralexploration.Thereare8431activemineralclaimsinthePeelwatershedand6773ofthosewerestakedafterthePeellanduseplan-ningprocessbegan.IndeedthecurrentcultureintheYukonassumesminingisasacrosanctwayoflife-anaturalrightnotunlikethewaymanyAmericansfeelabouttheirguns.ThefutureofthePeelwatershedisattip-pingpointanditisobviousthatiftheYukongovernmenthasitswaydevelopmentwillgetunderwaysoon.Awhoswhoofenvi-ronmentalgroupsarefacingoffagainstthemlinedupshouldertoshoulderwithFirstNationsoftheregion.Lawsuitshavealreadycommenced.Itwillbeyetanotherlengthymake-workprojectforlawyers.ProtectingthePeelanationalstateofmindThebattlefortheprotectionofthePeelwatershedisnotjustabouttheYukongovernmentportioningoffmuchofthenorthernterritoryformininglis-teningtobusinessandcorporateinter-estswhileoverlookingtheconcernsofmostresidentswholiveintheregion.ItisalsoaboutaconictwithintheCana-dianpsyche.ThesamedramaisbeingplayedoutinthemassiveAlbertaoil-sandsdevelopmentandaroundfrack-inginnorthernBritishColumbiaaswellasmanyothermajorresourcedevelop-ments.Canadiansasapeoplelovenat-uralbeautyworshipwildernessandcryfoulanytimetheenvironmentissullied.Atthesametimeweloveourmateriallifeandhappilysuccumbtorationaliza-tionswhenawildriverisdammedabignewmineisallowedtotransformthelandscapeorapristinelakeisturnedintoatailingspond.Theoilsandsaretoughestonourcon-science.Thereisnodoubttheindus-trializationofthenortheasterncornerofAlbertahasonlyjustbegunthatthedamagetothelandwillgetimmeasurablyworseandthatthehealthofthepeopleintheregionwillbeseriouslyimpacted.WeknowtheplatitudesandpromisesoftheAlbertagovernmentareonlymar-ketingspin.Welistentothemessagesabouttheimportanceofjobsbeingcre-atedandyetweknowtherealgoalistoaccumulatewealth-oftenforfarawaycorporatebenefactors.Over50yearsagoinDecember1969awriterhighlightedtheplightofthePeelinaGlobeandMailarticlenotingitsamazingbeautyandthewishesoftheFirstNationsresidentstoprotectwhatcouldbelost.ThewriterBruceKirkbyconcludedThebottomlineisthatnoroadsorindustrialdevelopmentshouldbeallowedinthePeel.Awildanduntamedfrontierre-mainsintrinsictoCanadianidentity.Thatonce-limitlessbountyontheedgeofthemap-andontheedgeofourpsyche-isrunningout.ThedecisionbytheYukongovern-mentinthebestinterestsoftheecon-omyandYukonresidentsmeanstheregionistobeopenedtodevelopmentforalltime.Weallknowthatoncecom-mencedthatprocessisunstoppable.ThevastareathatisthePeelwater-shedwillsoonnolongerbepristinenorawilderness.WhatistobecomeofCanadaandCa-nadiansthenasweletgoofthelandweloveArewewillingtosocasuallygiveupourbirthright-thosetractsofwilder-nessthatwearetaskedtowatchoverAfterthePeelwatershedisgonewhatwillbenextLastFridayonSt.ValentinesDayunderthefullmoonacclaimedNorthernauthorRichardVanCampandKeavyMartincelebratedtheirweddinginEdmontonwithover200guestsfromacrossCanadaandtheUSA.ThenewlywedsmaketheirhomeinEdmontonwhereKeavyisaprofessorattheUniversityofAlberta.PhotoDonJaque