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FortChipchiefscancelhealthmeetingwithAlbertaEnvironmentOilsands11TuesdayMarch42014ByMEAGANWOHLBERGWithtestimoniesofoilsands-relatedillnessechoingoffUSSenatechamberwallslastweekinWashingtonDCameetingbetweenFirstNationsandtheAlbertagovernmentintendedtodiscussnewstatisticsoncancerratesinthecommunityofFortChipewyanwascancelledduetofurtherconict.TheMikisewCreeFirstNa-tionAthabascaChipewyanFirstNationACFNandtheNuneeHealthAuthoritycan-celledtheirmeetingwithAl-bertaChiefMedicalOfcerDr.JamesTalbotscheduledforlastThursdayeveningaftertheprovincerefusedtoprovideitsnewreportaheadoftime.Thehighlyanticipatednd-ingswhichthecommunityhasbeenwaitingforsince2009weresupposedtoprovideup-datedstatisticsoncancerratesinthecommunity.Previousdatacompiledin2009bytheAlbertaCancerBoardindicatedratesofcer-tainraretypesofcancerswere30percentabovenormalintheprimarilyAboriginalcom-munitylocateddownstreamfromtheoilsandsindustryonLakeAthabasca.ACFNChiefAllanAdamexpressedhisfrustrationwithAlbertasunwillingnesstopro-videthedataaheadoftime.IbasicallyjusttoldthemIdontwanttheirreportAdamtoldTheJournalonThursday.IftheyrenotgoingtogiveusthereportIsaidjustkeepit.TalbotcancelledhisplanstovisitthecommunityandAlbertaHealthhasnotcon-rmedwhetherornotitistoberescheduledbutAdamsaidhewouldnotbeattend-ingregardless.Imnotevengoingtobothergoingtothemeetingwhentheyhaveithesaid.Whatgoodistheirinforma-tiongoingtodouswhenweknowforafactwhatshap-peninginourcommunityItdoesntchangemyopinioninregardstowhatsgoingon.AdamsaidACFNwouldbediscussingasdidMiki-sewpreviouslylaunchingitsownhealthstudynextweek.Thechiefshadwantedaccesstotheinformationaheadoftimesoitcouldbereviewedandpreparepeo-pletoaskquestionsduringthesneakpeekpresentationplannedforThursdayeveningbeforetheofcialreportismadepublicinMarch.IftherewasanythingwewantedtoclarifywedbepreparedAdamsaid.Hesaidthegovernmentwouldnotbudge.Theysaidtheywantedtomeetwithusinpersontogiveusthereportandaddresssomeoftheanswerstherehesaid.AlbertaHealthdidnotre-spondtorequestsforcomment.DoctortestiesbeforeUSSenateTheconictbackinFortChipewyanaroseasdoctorsandotherwitnessesgavetes-timonybeforetheUSSenateinWashingtonlastweekclaimingtheoilsandsin-dustryismakingpeoplesickandtheAlbertagovernmentisdoingnothingtostopit.Dr.JohnOConnorfor-merlyaphysicianinFortChipewyantoldsenatorsthattheCanadianandAlbertagovernmentsarecomplicitinhealthimpactsbeingfacedbyresidentswhichincludestatisticsofrarecancers400timesabovewhatwouldbeconsiderednormalforsuchasmallcommunity.Hesaidtherehavebeenseveralcasesofbileductcanceroverthelastdecadeinthetownof1100thoughthediseaseusuallyimpactsfewerthanonein200000people.Healsocitedanewstudythatshowsleukemiaandnon-Hodgkinslym-phomahaveskyrocketedinthepastdecadeespeciallyamongmendownwindofoilandgasfacilities.TheAlbertagovernmenthasdeniedthelinkstoin-dustryclaimingthatthereisinsufcientevidencetodrawtiesbetweencancerinFortChipewyanandoilsandsoperations.AlbertaHealthswebsitestatesratesofcan-cerarewithintheexpectedrange.Thesearepublishedpeer-reviewedstudiesthatindicatethegovernmentofAlbertaandCanadahavebeenlyingmisrepresentingtheimpactofindustryontheenviron-mentOConnorsaid.ThedoctorwasinvitedtospeaktotheSenateasitcon-sidersTransCanadasKey-stoneXLpipelinewhichwouldtransportbitumenfromtheoilsandstoTexas.Thetestimonyfollowsre-centhearingsinthePeaceRiverareawhichheardfromnumerousresidentsthatemis-sionscomingfrominsituoil-sandsproductionwerethebe-lievedcauseofhealthissuesthatforcedseveralfamiliesfromthearea.Duringthosehearingspatientssaidtheirdoctorsrefusedtopointngersatindustrywithonephysi-ciantellingmotherKarlaLabrecquewhosefamilyisengagedinalawsuitagainstBaytexEnergybecauseoftheemissionstojustmoveratherthantakeontheindustry.Thisisanongoingtrag-edyOConnorsaid.AthabascaChipewyanFirstNationChiefAllanAdamspeaksabouttheimpactsofoilsandsdevelopmentonhiscommunityduringlastyearsTarSandsHealingWalk.PhotoMeaganWohlbergDIGGERZADHARDESTWORKINGSMOOTHESTRIDINGFEATURESChoosefromgasenginesupto60HPa30HPACelectricmotordiesel.Choosefrom2-and4-passengermid-sizedmodelsor3-and6-passengerfull-sizedmodels.AllmodelsfeatureOn-DemandTrueAll-WheelDriveAWDtomaximizetraction.Detailedcustomizationwithhundredsofruggedandreliableaccessories.FINDYOURSTODAYATVisitDiggerzPowersportsonlineatwww.diggerz.ca2AspenRoadHayRiverNTX0E0R6867874-3224