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EDITORIALARCHIVES15YearsAgo...ParksCanadatakentotaskWesternArcticMPEthelBlondin-AndrewandgovernmentoftheNorthwestTerrito-riesMinisterofTransportationFloydRo-landweretoldbyFortSmithandnorthernAlbertarepresentativesthatParksCanadahasbeenalmostimpossibletoworkwithandmustcooperatemorewithFortSmithTownCouncilandAboriginalgroupsintheregion.IssueFebruary23199920YearsAgo...Ministerspushtodeferleg-holdbanSomeprominentpoliticianswereinOt-tawalastweekpushingforaone-yearexten-siontotheproposedbanonleg-holdtraps.TheEuropeancommunityannouncedlastyearitwilldecidethiscomingJulywhetherornottobanallfursharvestedbyleg-holdtrapsfromtheEuropeanfurmarketasofJan.11995.IssueFebruary23199430YearsAgo...MunroannouncesexplorationdealsTheministerforNorthernAffairsJohnMunroannouncedthesigningof16newpetroleumexplorationagreementsinYel-lowknifelastweek.Theagreementswillhaveatotalcostof152millionfordrillingandexplorationactivitiesoverathreetosixyearperiod.Sevencompanieswillbework-ingtodevelop15wellsintheMackenzieValleyandDelta.IssueFebruary2319844TuesdayFebruary252014TheNorthernJournalisanindependentnewspapercoveringnewsandeventsinthewesternArcticandnorthernAlberta.VisittheJournalonlineatwww.norj.caAnzacAtikamegBrownvaleCadotteLakeChardChetehColdLakeConklinDriftpileDufeldEdmontonEnildaEnochFortChipewyanFortMcKayFortMcMurrayFortVermillionFrogLakeGlenevisGoodshLakeGrandePrairieGrouardHighLevelHighPrarieHytheJohnDorPrairieAvailableinAlbertaatAklavikBehchokoColvilleLakeDelineEaglePlainsEkatieDiamondMinesEnterpriseFortGoodHopeFortLiardFortMcPhersonFortProvidenceFortResolutionFortSimpsonFortSmithGametiHayRiverInuvikJeanMarieRiverLutselKeNahanniButteNormanWellsPaulatukTheNorthernJournalisavailableinthefollowingNWTcommunitiesRaeEdzoSachsHarbourTroutLakeTsiigehtchicTuktoyaktukTulitaUlukhaktokWekwetiWhaTiWrigleyYellowknifeKehewinKinusoLacLaBicheMornvillePeaceRiverRedEarthCreekSaddleLakeSlaveLakeSt.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.caPhotobyBillBradenLocalMayanpopulationsinGuatemalaclaimsecurityguardsforHudBayMiner-alsaTorontobasedgoldminingcompanymurderedalocalleaderwhowasleadingprotestsagainsttheirmineshotanotherwhoisnowpermanentlydisabledandgangraped11localwomen.OtherCanadiancompaniesoperatingaroundtheworldhavebeensimilarlyac-cusedofpoorpracticesandsuchcriminalbehaviourintheirpursuitofwealth.TheonemostoftenaccusedisBarrickGoldtheworldslargestgoldcompany.Barrickonitswebsiteclaimsitiscom-mittedtothehigheststandardsofcorporategovernanceandprofessionalintegrityandthatitis...ethicalhonestandaccountable.inaccordancewithallapplicablelawsrulesandregulations.MeanwhileBarrickhasbeenunderreforanumberofyearsforpracticesatitsoperationontheborderofPeruandAr-gentinaincludingcontaminatingnearbywatersources.BarrickisknowntowieldtremendousinuenceinArgentinepoliticsandstoriesaboundofbriberyandcorruptionofhighrankinglocalgovernmentofcials.MultiplecourtcasesarebeingpursuedbylocalAboriginalgroupsinChileArgentinaandPeruaccusingthegiantmultinationalofseriousanddamagingenvironmentalandsocialimpacts.AtitsPorgeraGoldMineinPapuaNewGuineaBarrickisaccusedofdumpingtoxicminetailingsdirectlyintothenearbyriver.ItsBulyanhuluandNorthMaraminesinTanzaniaaresaidtohavebeenbuiltupondeathsdisplacementandhumanrightsabusesbyitsdetractors.SimilarstoriessurroundtheirminingoperationsinthePhilippinesandRussia.HowdoCanadiansfeelaboutthisShouldcompaniesfromthiscountryberequiredtoactinotherlandsastheywouldathomefollowingthesamemoralguide-linesifnotlegalstandardsShouldtheybesubjecttoaccountabilityinCanadaIfwearegoingtoconsidertheprac-ticesofCanadiancorporationsoutsideourborderswillthatdifferfromwhatisallowedbygovernmentsinourowncoun-tryWhatforexampleofthelatitudeandextraordinarylicenseallowedtheoilsandsindustryaroundFortMcMurrayAlbertaFirstNationsintheregionareignoredwhentheysaytheirconstitutionalrightsparticularlythedutytoconsultarebeingabrogatedwheneveranewleaseforanoilsandsplantishandedoutbytheAlbertagovernment.Suchcomplaintsinvariablyendupstalledinlengthyandunproductivecourtbattles.TheAlbertaandfederalgovernmentsintheirrushtofurtherexpandtheoilin-dustrysindustrialfootprintinAlbertasnortheastcontinuetodenytheexistenceofanyharmfulcontaminationfromtheoilsandsindustryeitherairborneorfromtailingspondseepagewithoutsupport-ingstudiesorscienticevidence.Moreandmorestudiesinvokedonlyaftercon-siderablepublicpressurearemountingevidenceofseriouspollutioninvolvingamultitudeofcontaminantsthatpresentarealthreattohumanhealth.Meanwhilenewrarecancerscontinuetobefoundamongthepopulationsofsurroundingcommunities.WhatishappeningwiththeoilsandsissimilartothestoriesofproblemsconnectedtoCanadiancorporationsabroad.Meanwhileinbothcasesweareoodedwithmessagesfromalltheselargecorporationsassuringuseverythingtheydoisbenign.Theyaregenerallysuccessfulinappeasingthecon-cernsofthebroaderpopulation.Allthatmaybecomingtoahead.ArulinginJuly2013byanOntariojudgeallowingHudBayMineralstobesuedinCanadiancourtbyGuatemalanssentashockwavethroughmanyboardsofdi-rectorsofCanadiancorporations.Theprecedent-settingrulingbyJudgeCar-oleBrownoftheSuperiorCourtofOn-tarioallowedtheclaimsof13MayansinthreerelatedlawsuitstoproceedtotrialinCanadiancourts.MembersofHudBayMineralsexecutiveandboardmaybeheldlegallyresponsibleinCan-adafortheallegedsexualassaultsandmurderattheirGuatemalanminesiteifthecaseproceedsandthereisaguiltyverdict.ThecaseisnowinthediscoverystagewhereHudBayMin-eralsisrequiredtodiscloseallcom-municationanddocumentsrelatingtothecaseanditsprincipalsaresubjecttoquestioningunderoath.ObviouslytheimplicationsofthiscasewillbeextremelyimportantforallCanadiancompanieswithforeignop-erations.ThecourtdeliberationswillbeinthepublicspotlightaroundthesametimemoreEnvironmentCanadastudiesrevealthetruenatureandscopeofcon-taminationoflandandwaterbyoilsandsgiantsaroundFortMcMurray.ThatwillalsocoincidewithcourtbattlesbylocalFirstNationsovertheirrighttohaveasayinwhathappensontheirtraditionallandwhereoilsandscompaniesareop-erating.Allthatwillcoalescearoundthetimeofthenextfederalelection18monthsfromnow.Theissuesofcorporatemoralitytheobligationofgovernmentstoholdcompa-niesaccountableparticularlyinthewaylocalAboriginalpopulationsareimpactedacrosstheglobeiscommontoallofthis.Separateunrelatedcontroversiesareonparalleltrajectoriesandmaybycoin-cidencebecomeforemostinCanadianpublicconsciousnesssimultaneously.HowdoCanadiansfeelaboutthewaycorpora-tionsareallowedtopollutethelandandimpactthehealthoflocalpeoplebothinourcountryandinotherlandsThatmaybedemonstratedattheballotbox.IsthereaCanadianconscienceDerekKaemingkandAmandaGrobbeckerspendSaturdayeveningwalkingontheColdestNightoftheYearinYellowknifeafundraisereventfortheSalvationArmy.Thenationalprojecthasraisedaround2.2millionforthehungryhomelessandhurtingwithYellowkniferaisingthesecondhighestamountoutof63locationsinCanadawithatotalof40846from100walkers.Yellowknifestargetwas25000.