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MinisterwantsUKminingcompaniesintheNWTSurveyforecastslowmininginvestmentforterritoryin2014MilitarynishedcleaningupDEWLinestationsFormerDEWLinerreectsontimeinthecoldestpartofColdWarEnvironmentRemediationIndustryMining11TuesdayMarch182014ByMARIACHURCHThefederalgovernmentsaysitisnishedcleaningup21DistantEarlyWarn-ingDEWLinestationsinCanadasArcticthelargestenvironmentalremediationprojecttakenonbythegov-ernmenttodate.TonyClementpresidentoftheTreasuryBoardwasinYellowknifelastweektomaketheannouncementandtoutedtheprojectasCanadasmostextensiveenvironmen-talvictory.Thecompletionofthisprojectwillbethelargestre-mediationprojectintermsofscaleandcosteverunder-takenbythegovernmentofCanadahesaid.Costingatotalof575millionover25yearstheprojectinvolvedremovalofcontaminatedsoilanddebrisfromthedecommissionedradarstationsthatwerebuiltbytheUSinthe1950sasawarningsystemforColdWarenemyaircraft.ExtendingfromAlaskatoIcelandtheDEWLinewasByMARIACHURCHTheGNWTishopingmininginvestorsfromtheUnitedKingdomarepartofthesolutiontoreenergizingtheterritorysbleakmineralinvestmentprojections.IndustryTourismandInvestmentMinisterDavidRamsaywasinLondonlastweekendattendingacon-ferencewithindustryandpoliticianstodiscussthechallengesofminingintheHighArctic.Ramsaywasinvitedtogiveapresentationandan-swerquestionsonbehalfoftheterritorysminingin-dustry.TheministerusedtheopportunitytotouttheNWTsnewmineralstrat-egyandpromotetheterri-torysmininginvestmentopportunities.PhotoDaveBroshaPhotoBrianJeffreyWerecertainlyoneoftheleadingjurisdictionswhenitcomestosheerresourcepotential...Weneedtoat-tractmoreinvestmenttotheterritoryRamsaytoldTheJournallastThursday.SurveypredictslowinvestmentTheNWTisincompetitionwithotherArcticcountriestoattractinvestmentparticu-larlyinmineralexplorationwhichexpertssayhasbeenonthedeclinesince2008becauseofgrowingglobalmarketinstability.ArecentsurveyreleasedbyNaturalResourcesCanadaNRCanforecastscontinuedlowinvestmentinallthreeterritoriesthisyear.Thesurveypredictstotalmineralinvestmentinthehistoricallymadeupof63radarsitesandofthose42werelocatedonCanadiansoil.Inthe1960sthedepart-mentofNationalDefenceDNDtookoverhalfofthesitesandAboriginalAffairsandNorthernDevelopmentCanadadecommissionedandtookonresponsibilityfortheotherhalf.DNDreplaceditsradarsiteswiththeNorthWarn-ingSysteminthelate1980sandlaunchedtheDEWLinecleanupprojectthroughcon-tractswithInuitandInuvial-uitconstructioncompanies.Fourofthe21DEWLinesitesstillrequiresomeworktoremovetemporarystruc-turesusedduringthecleanup.A25-yearmonitoringproj-ectisplannedtokeeptabsontheformersites.StoriesfromaformerDEWLinerFormerDEWLinerBrianJeffreywasamemberoftheteammanningradarsitesfrom1960to1963andtoldTheJournalherecallsthementalityatthetimewasnotaboutreducingwaste.WhenwewereuptherewecreatedallthisgarbageIknowthatbutwegavenothoughttoitatallbutthennordidtherestoftheworldhesaid.Itwasalifestylethingwedidntknow.Nowwealltakemuchbettercareofourgarbage.Twentyyearsoldatthetimeandtrainedinelectron-icsJeffreygotthejobontheDEWLinesitethroughanewspaperadvertisementandwastheyoungestopera-tortobesentup.Thesalarywasgreatbutitwasanintrovertsheavenhesaid.Connectingwithlo-calswasanimportantpartofkeepingsocialandsane.Inuitthatworkedonthesiteweregenerallyheavyequipmentoperatorsweld-ersmechanics.Allwereex-tremelycompetentincred-ibleworkersJeffreysaid.ForsomeoftheInuitfami-liestheDEWLineworkersweretheirrstinteractionwithsouthernersandtheoutsideworld.JefferyonlyworkedontheDEWLineforthreeofhis72yearsbuthesaidhewillneverforgettheexperi-enceorhisencounterwithagirlnamedEmilyNakoolak.EmilyisacharminglittleladyandIhadtheopportu-nitytomeetherandherpar-entsseveraltimesacrosstheLine.TheInuitwouldmovefromstationtostationaswellJefferysaid.OnlyayoungchildEmilyhadgotherngercaughtinadoorasitclosedandherpar-entsbroughthertoJeffreyastheresidentrstresponder.JustbeforehewasabletogiveEmilyashotofpenicillinanRCMPofcerburstintothebuildingandtookovertheoperation.TheseguysaretrainedinrstaidfarbeyondwhatIwassoheactuallygaveEmilytheinjectionwhichprobablycausedheralotlesspainthanifIhaddoneithesaid.JeffreylearnedlaterinlifethatEmilyhaddiedbuthewasabletoshareapictureofherwiththefamily.JeffreynowlivinginOt-tawahadachancetoreturntotheDEWLinesitesin2012andtookmanyphotographsduringhisstrolldownmem-orylane.Hesaidhehopesatleastsomeofthesitesarepreservedtokeeptheheri-tagealive.TheformerDEWLinerhassharedhisstoryofadven-turesfromtheColdestPartoftheColdWarinablogcalledDEWLineAdventuresfoundathttpwww.dewlin-eadventures.comNWTin2014willreachameager71.5milliondownfrom90millionin2013and108.7in2012.Thesecontinuetobechal-lengingtimesintheglobalmarketplacefortheexplo-rationandminingindus-tryandweareseeingevenlowerspendingintentionsthanNRCanprojectedlastfallBrookeClementspresi-dentoftheNWTandNunavutChamberofMinessaidinapressreleaselastweek.DespitethelownumbersClementssaidtheChamberisoptimisticthatspend-ingwillincreaseovertheyearwiththefederalandterritorialgovernmentspromisingregulatoryim-provementsinfrastruc-tureplanninggeoscienceinvestmenttrainingdevel-opmentactivemarketingandtaxincentives.LastfalltheGNWTun-veileditsmineralstrategywhichaimstocapitalizeontheterritorysminingpo-tentialincludinggolddia-mondscopperleadzincandtungsten.WevegotthisgloriouswealthofresourcesandweneedtondawaytoattractthatinvestmentRamsaysaid.Theimplementationplanfortheminingstrategyisex-pectedtobeoutbytheendofMarchandwithdevolu-tiontakingeffectApr.1givingpoweroverresourcedevelopmenttotheterrito-rialgovernmentitsperfecttimingfortheGNWTtobecoaxinginvestmentfromcompaniesabroadRam-saysaid.TheministeraddedhewillbelookingatorganizingaUKbusinessdelegationvisittotheNWTforpotentialin-vestorstoseetheterritorysminingpotentialrsthand.FormerDEWLinerBrianJeffreyvisitsoneofthedecommis-sionedradarsiteswherehespentthreeyearsinthe1960s.MininginvestmentintheNWTisexpectedtotakeanotherhitthisyearwithincreasingglobalinvestorinsecurity.