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7TuesdayMarch42014QualifyofLifeforOlderAdultsintheNWTStudyAreyouover50andlivingintheNWTIfsotheNWTSeniorsSocietywouldliketohearfromyouCurrentlyresearchersattheAuroraResearchInstitutearegatheringinformationontheQualityofLifeforolderadultsintheNWTandhowthishaschangedoverthelast30years.WewouldliketohearaboutyourexperienceslivingintheNWTasanolderadult.IFYOUAREINTERESTEDINPARTICIPATINGpleasecontactBarbHoodattheNWTSeniorsSociety1-800-661-0878seniorsyk.comorBrianneTimpsonatAuroraCollege867-920-3272btimpsonauroracollege.nt.caIfyouparticipateyournamewillbeputintoadrawforasmallgiftfromNWTSeniorsSociety.ByMEAGANWOHLBERGTheMtisandDeneofFortResolutionputasidetheirdifferencestoestablishanewforestrymanagementagreementFMAwiththeterritorialgovernmentlastweekthatwillbreathenewlifeintowhatwasonceaourishingtimberindustryinthecommunity.LeadersfromtheGNWTFortResolutionMtisCoun-cilandDeninuKueFirstNa-tionmetlastFridayunderthewoodenbeamsoftheAntoineBeaulieuMemo-rialHallinFortResolutiontowitnessthecompletionoftheFMAtherstofitskindintheterritory.KaraKingpresidentoftheMtissaidthesteeringcom-mitteebehindtheagreementiswhatallowednegotiationstobesuccessful.Itwasntpoliticalitwasaboutthebettermentofthecommunityitselfbecausetheresalotofhostilitybe-tweentheMtisandtheAkaitchoKingsaid.Itsahugestepforusbecauseinawaywekindofputthatasideandfocusedonlyonthecommunity.Shesaidthereisastrongpossibilitythetwogovern-mentsmaybeabletocometotermsonotherissuesinthecommunitynow.Wethinkitsarightstepinthefutureofourcommu-nity.Thefactthatwerework-ingtogetherisahugeben-etinitself.Theeconomicsasidethatisahugebenetbecausewehaventworkedtogetherforyears.Thisisagoodthing.EnvironmentandNatu-ralResourcesENRMin-isterMichaelMiltenbergersignedtheagreementalongwithRaymondKingandLeonardBeaulieuboardmembersforTimberworksajointventurebetweentheMtisandFirstNation.AsFMAholderTimber-workswillhaverightstoharvestfromCrownlandsinFortResolutionunitestoreviveforestryindustryForestManagementAgreementfirstofitskindprescribedareasforsustain-ablebusinessdevelopmentforthenext25years.Thedealpromisesgovern-mentsupportforthecommu-nity-ledrenewableresourcedevelopmentinanareaoftheNWTburdenedbyastagnanteconomyandlackofjobsof-feringthenancialandpo-liticalbackingtoensurethejointventurebetweenthetwoAboriginalgovernmentsgetsoffthegroundsuccessfully.WeallhaveaninteresttocreatethatinitialcapacitytogetthemsetuptohelpsortouttheirbusinessplanandharvestingplanMilt-enbergersaidaddingtherewouldbemoneyfortrain-ingandequipment.Pluswewanttomakesureweman-agetheforests.Hesaidthefederalgovern-mentiswatchingcloselyandthattheGNWTisinitforthelonghaulasapart-nerontheproject.JobcreationatthecoreThemostimportantpartofthedealisthejobsitwillcreateechoedallsidesoftheagreement.WhileitsearlytoestimatejobnumbersPremierBobMcLeodsaidtheentireproductionchainfromharvesterstotransport-erspelletproducersandtreeplanterswouldlikelycreatearound600jobsfortheSouthSlaveregion.McLeodsaidformingFMAswithAboriginalgov-ernmentshasbeenaprior-itysincethedevolutionofforestry20yearsagosincetimberissuchareadilyacces-sibleandrenewableresource.Ifyoudoitrightitssustainableandcouldcon-tinueintoperpetuityhetoldTheJournal.Ithinkwhenyoureallylookatthisprojectthebeautyofitisitbringsemploymenttopeopleinthecommuni-tiesinanumberofdiffer-entareas...Ibelieveitwillalsoresultinreducedcostoflivingatsomepoint.Hesaiditscriticaltode-velopanindustryoutsideoftheminingsector.IntheNorthwestTerri-torieswerealwayshostagetoaboomandbusteconomyandthebestwaytodealwiththatistodiversifyourecon-omyMcLeodsaid.Beforethecommunityssawmillshutdownithad35peopleemployednotcount-ingoffshoots.TuNedheMLATomBeaulieusaideven10additionaljobsinFortReso-lutionwouldhaveabigim-pactonhouseholds.Anytimeyougetjobsinasmallcommunityitsim-portant.Itssignicant.Mostpeopleknowthataswelookatthedistributionofemploy-mentintheNorthwestTerri-toriesitsveryconcentratedinYellowknifeandwehavesmallcommunitieslikeFortResolutionwithemploymentratesinthe30s...Sothisisdenitelypositive.NotjustforpelletsWhilethefutureloggingprojectalreadyhasasigni-cantrstcustomeratitsdoorwiththepromiseofamajorwoodpelletplantoperationgoingforwardinHayRiverTimberworksintendstoen-sureitsdemandbaseisasdi-versiedaspossible.GeorgeKurszewskiwhonegotiatedthedealsaidFortResolutionsexperi-encewiththeforestrysectorcoupledwiththehighqualityofspruceintheareameanstimberfelledandprocessedinthecommunitycouldbeusedforloghomescom-mercialbuildingsorsoldtobuildingsupplyouttsalongwiththebiomassindustryallovertheworld.Thecommunityisreallydependentonthesuccessofthisoperationbecauseitsabouttheirresourceshesaid.Weseefromotherbusinessexperiencethatdi-versicationisreallygoodbecauseyouhavedifferentcustomersandthemorecustomersthebetter.Sotomakeitsuccessfulmeansestablishingabroadcus-tomerbase.Theresbeenalotoffocusonthepelletsbutthatsjustoneaspect.BradMapesthemanbe-hindtheproposedpelletmillprojectwasatthesigningtoshowhissupportasamem-beroftheprivatesector.HesaidtheFMAalongwithanotheronethatissoontobesignedwithFortProvi-dencewillsupplyhisplantwiththeresourcesneededtogetgoing.ItskeytoourprojectbecauseweneedtohaveaguaranteedsourceofsupplyMapestoldTheJournal.Itsabigsteppingstoneforus...Withouttheforestmanage-mentagreementswecouldntreallygobeyondthat.Whatskeyaboutourprojectisthatitreallywouldntbegoingifwedidnthavethecommit-mentfromtheFirstNationsandtheMtisgroupsfromourcommunities.TheGNWTalreadyplanstopurchasemanyofthepel-letsproducedbyMapesforitsownbiomassfacilitiesacrosstheNWT.Weconvertedalotofourbuildingstowoodpelletssowebuyalotthepremiersaid.PhotosMeaganWolhbergIndustryForestryPremierBobMcLeodwitnessestheForestryManagementAgreementinFortResolutionankedbyLeonardBeaulieuandRaymondKingofTimberworksandEnvironmentandNaturalResourcesMinisterMichaelMiltenberger.GeorgeKurszewskiwhofacilitatedthecomingtogetherontheagreementspeakstotheimportanceoftheindustryinFortResolution.