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COLUMN5TuesdayFebruary182014FortSmithHayRiverWednesdayThursdayFridaySaturdayForecastForecastNorms-14Cand-25CNorms-13Cand-25C-31Low-25Low-22High-22High-29Low-18High-23Low-29Low-26Low-20High-20High-30Low-15High-22Low-21High-20HighYellowknifeInuvikWednesdayThursdayFridaySaturdayNorms-22Cand-30CNorms-18Cand-28C-35Low-35Low-31Low-34Low-33Low-27Low-22High-24High-33Low-18High-20Low-23High-28High-28High-31High-23HighNorthernJournal2014JoinusonlineLikeNorthernJournalonFacebookandgettheweeklynewsdeliveredtoyourfeedFACEBOOKFEEDBACKNegotiationstoseeatransboundarywateragreementfortheMackenzieRiverBasinwhichbeganwithfederalprovincialandterritorialsignaturesin1997arenowinthehomestretchbetweenAlbertaandtheNorthwestTerritoriesaccordingtotheNWTsEnvironmentminister.NWT-AlbertawateragreementhitshomestretchJackDanylchukOdd.Irecalltheministersayingthesamethinglastyear.Andtheyearbefore.Andtheyearbeforethat.Maybethistimehisdreamwillcometrue.WhiteGirlSpiritofspringPart1of3DoyourememberwhenyouwerealittlekidandanadulttoldyouthatyouhadtodosomethingthatmadeabsolutelynosensetoyouImeanevenatanextremelyyoungageyouknowbetter.ButthiswasanadultandthiswasthaterawhengrownupswereALWAYSright.Iremem-berthinkingthatpossiblywhenIamolderIwouldunderstandthistherewillbeareasonforthis.Iwatchasmyfeetdisappearunderthemudinthebathwaterthatisslowlycover-ingmylegs.Thismudcomesdirectlyfromthetaptheblessinginthisdirtysituationisthatitiswarmmud.IknowIwouldpossiblypayforthebenefitsofthisspatreat-mentnowbutthismakesnosensetoan8-year-oldgirl.Consideringthatwearemilesdownstreamfromcommunitieswholeavetheirgarbageontherivericeoverthewintermaybenot.WheredoesyourspamudcomefromItisshortlyafterthemightyandinthespring-timemuddyMackenzieRiverhasbrokenup.Inthefallthemengodowntotheriverwhenithasfrozenintoicewithadepthoftwofeet.Theytakesawsandhand-cutblocksoficetwofeetsquarethatarehauledtoouricehouse.Insidetheicehouseitiscoolanddampevenintheheatofthesummer.Blocksoficearecoveredwithsawdusttoinsulatethemandkeepthemfrozen.Thiswillbeourdrinkingwateroverbreakup.Mydadwashesthesaw-dustoffandputstheiceinapailtothawadipperhangsinsidesoyoucantakeadrink.Thissitsinthekitchenbesideourwarmdieselcookstove.MuddywaterfromtheMackenzieishauledtollourwatertankinthebasement.Thesearethemuddywatersthatwewashourselvesthedishesandourclothesin.Whenthewatersettlesitlayersoutintogreywaterandmudwithgrit.Sittinginthebathtubisanexfoliatingexperience.PeoplefromtheNorthmayhavethesoftestbuttsinCanada.AmIcleanThetowelcertainlyisnot.Doyousweatwhenyouare8yearsoldIdontremember.MaybeitsloshedthesweatoffofharderworkingpeoplethanmeIneverfeltbetterforitIcantellyouandtoalittlegirlitwasdisgustingbathinginmud.Staytunedforpart2innextweeksNorthernJournal.LETTERSEditorFinanceMinisterFlahertysayshisbudgetwillsupportCanadianfamilies.InJanuary2013theIMFreportedthatCanadasimplicitsubsidiestooilgasandcoalcompaniesamountto1.52percentofGDPorabout787perCa-nadian.Thatsover3000ayearforaCanadianfamilyoffour.Remarkablydespitecuttingspendingelsewherethisbudgetdidnothingtore-ducetheseunnecessarysub-sidiesforoneoftheworldsmostprotableindustries.PerhapsMr.Flahertycon-sidersthefossilfuelsectortobefamilyBlaiseSalmonVictoriaBCBigoilisJimFlahertysfamilyFairElectionsActnotwhatitseemsEditorEarlierthismonththeConservativegovernmentintroducedapieceoflegis-lationcalledtheFairElec-tionsAct.Thelegislationhasalreadymovedpassedsecondreading.Itismorethanpassingreasonablethatthisbillwillbecomelawbeforethemonthisoutandchangethewayelec-tionsareruninthiscountry.IfyouasktheMinisterofStatePierrePoilivrehelltellyouthelawisdesignedtocombatelectionfraud.Thisisasmokescreen.Electionfraudisnotamajorprobleminthiscountryatleastnotbecausethewrongpeoplearevoting.Thefraudthatoccurredinthelastelectionwasper-petratedbypoliticalpar-tieswhooverspentmisdi-rectedandcheatedvoters.ElectionsCanadahasbeenpainstakinglytryingtore-constructwhathappenedoverthelastfewelectionsandhasonlybeguntobringsometosomekindofjus-tice.ButElectionsCanadawasnotonlytoothlessinitspunishmentsbutinitsabilitiestoinvestigate.ThenewlegislationactuallyweakensElectionsCanadaandmovesthepowertoholdpartiesaccountable.OtherbizarrechangeswillmakeitsoElectionsCanadawillmerelyover-seeelectionsandnotevenadvertiseelectionstoCana-dians.Lawswillbetight-enedtomakeitharderforthepoorthetransientstu-dentsandseniorstovote.TheindividualdonationlimitwillberaisedwhichatthecurrenttimeisabenefittotheConservativeParty.Leadingjournalistshaveconcludedthatsomethinguntowardhappenedinthelastelection.RuleswerebentifnotbrokeninsuchcasesastheformerLabra-dorMPandMr.DeanDelMastro.Insteadofimprovingourelectionlawsthisbillispoisedtomakeabuseeasierandconsequenceslesslikely.Itcausesmegreatanxietyandlikemanythingsinthiscountryitwillpassunno-ticedandtherisknotfullyrealizeduntilafter2015.StevenLeeFortSmithNTNumbersjustdontaddup