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6TuesdayMarch25201414034CF114034CF1FindoutmoreabouthowEconomicActionPlan2014canhelpyouatActionPlan.gc.caECONOMICACTIONPLAN2014worksbycontrollingspendingandputtingCanadaontheroadtobalancedbudgetsin2015.Balancingthebudgetprotectsoureconomyandkeepsitstrong.EconomicActionPlan2014includesproposedinvestmentsinthingsthatmattertoCanadianslikeEnhancedbroadbandinternetserviceforruralandNorthernCanadiansAnewSearchandRescueVolunteersTaxCreditTheNewHorizonsforSeniorsProgramNewmeasurestosupportapprenticesinthetradesImprovedandexpandedsnowmobileandrecreationaltrailsacrossthecountryEnhancedfundingforNutritionNorthCanadatohelpimproveaccesstohealthyfoodsinisolatedNortherncommunitiesSubjecttoParliamentaryapprovalCREATINGJOBSANDOPPORTUNITIESFirstNWT-bornpremierofAlbertaPremierAlisonRedfords12year-olddaughterSarahlooksonashermotherspeakstonewly-choseninterimAlbertaPremierDaveHancockonthePremiersofcebal-conyatthelegislaturebuildingThursdayMar.20.Redfordresignedlastweekfollow-ingspendingcontroversy.PreviouslytheeducationministerHancockoriginallyfromFortResolutionNWTwassworninasthe15thpremierofAlbertaonSunday.HeistherstpremiersinceAlbertaofciallybecameaprovincetobefromtheNorthwestTerritories.HancockwhosefatherwasaHudsonsBayfurtraderspentmuchofhisyouthinnorthernAlbertainFortVermillionandLaCretebeforemovingtoEdmontonforpostsecondaryeducation.SahtustudentsattendedindustryfrackingmeetingByMEAGANWOHLBERGContrarytorecentmessag-ingfromthedepartmentofEducationthatstudentsintheSahtuarenotbeingexposedtooutsidepresentationsonhydraulicfracturingduringschoolhoursreportsemergedlastweekthattheentirehighschoolofTulitaleftclasstoattendanindustry-sponsoredmeetinglastfall.ThetopicofwhatkindofinformationonfrackingisbeingsharedinSahtuschoolsrecentlybecameanissuewhenFirstNationleadersfromFortNelsonweredeniedtheabilitytogivepresentationsontheirexperienceswithfrackingduringschoolhours.Accordingtoemployeeswiththelocalresourcecoun-cilhighschoolstudentsinTulitatooktheentireafter-noonoffofclassinNovembertoattendpresentationsinthecommunityputonbyoilandgascompanyConocoPhillipsandthedepartmentofIndus-tryTourismandInvestment.ThespeakingtourwhichvisitedfourofveSahtucom-munitieswassponsoredbytheoilandgascompanycur-rentlybehindtheNWTsrstandonlyfrackingoperationinresponsetocommunityrequestsformoreinforma-tiononfrackingfrominde-pendentthird-partysources.TheIndianResourcesCouncilanetworkofsouth-ernFirstNationseconomi-callyengagedintheoilandgasindustrywashiredtodothespeaking.TheNationalEnergyBoardSahtuLandandWaterBoardandHuskyEnergywerealsopresentforthemeetings.Atthetimethepresen-tationswerecriticizedbyWeledehMLABobBrom-leywhoquestionedwhathesawasone-sidedinfor-mationbeingpresentedinthecommunitiesfollow-ingwhathesaidwasabi-asedtouroftheBakkenshaleplayinNorthDakotaearlierthatfall.TheIndianResourceCouncilisagroupthatrepresentsoil-producingFirstNations.ItisnotlikelythatwewillgetabalancedviewfromthemBromleysaidatthetime.NormanWellsresidentandcontractorRickMuyresaparticipantinthesessionstoldTheJournalatthetimethatwhileinformativethepresentationswereanobvi-ousinfomercialfortheoilandgasindustry.Muyressaidhewouldratherhavereceivedinfor-mationfrompeopleintheFortNelsonareaofBCthesiteofanongoingshalegasboomandmuchmoresimi-larintermsoflandscapeandFirstNationpolitics.LastmonthleadersfromtheFortNelsonFirstNa-tionwerebroughttotheSahtubythelocalRenew-ableResourcesBoardtodoaspeakingtourofthere-gionwheretheyheldpre-sentationsinNormanWellsTulitaandFortGoodHopetosharetheirexperiences-bothpositiveandnegative-ofdealingwithfrackingontheirterritory.Thoughorganizersat-temptedtoengagetheschoolstheyweretoldtheFortNelsonspeakerswouldnotbeallowedinduringin-structionalhours.InresponsetoqueriesbyTheJournalassistantdeputyministerofEduca-tionRitaMuellersaidtheschooldivisiondecidedtokeepthepresentationsoutsideofschoolhoursinfavourofregularcurricu-lumandinordertoensureabalancedperspectivewastakenontheissue.ShesaidnopresentationsonfrackingeitherfororagainsthadtakenplaceinSahtuschoolsduringinstruc-tionalhourstodate.WhileMuellersaidnodateortimehadbeenscheduledforapresentationatNormanWellssourcestoldTheJour-nalthatapresentationhadbeensetbutthencancelledbasedonanorderfromabove.Thedepartmentdeclinedfurthercommentlastweek.BromleytoldTheJournallastweekthatitwasunfortu-natebutnotsurprisingthatstudentsintheSahtuwerenotgivenequalopportunitytohearfromFirstNationsdirectlyexperiencingtheim-pactsoffracking.Itscertainlyupsettingpar-ticularlygiventheprecedenceoftheministerhavingtheschoolsadjournedsothattheycouldat-tendtheirdogandponyshowhesaid.Herewasanoppor-tunitytospeaktosomeoneinaneighbouringjurisdiction-reallytheirpeers-thathaveextensiveexperiencewiththissoitsverydisappointing.Theschoolsandteachersandthepartofthepublicthattheyrepresentshouldbeinvolvedinthoseregionaldiscussionsobviously.Highschoolstudentsandthegeneralpublicattendanindustry-sponsoredinformationalsessiononhydraulicfracturinginTulitalastfallduringschoolhours.StudentsweredeniedsimilartimewithFirstNationleadersfromBClastmonth.PhotoJeanPolfusPoliticsEnergyPhotoChrisSchwarzGovtofAlberta