Page 1
Page 2
Page 3
Page 4
Page 5
Page 6
Page 7
Page 8
Page 9
Page 10
Page 11
Page 12
Page 13
Page 14
Page 15
Page 16
Page 17
Page 18
Page 19
Page 20
Page 21
Page 22
Page 23
Page 24
3TuesdayApril82014ENVIRONMENTALWRITINGMeaganWohlberg1stAND2ndplaceallowed3entriesBESTPHOTOESSAYMeaganWohlberg3rdplaceWewereonceagainoneofthemostrecognizednewspapersatthenationalcommunitynewspaperawardsthisyear.HereiswhatwecameoutwithSPORTSCOVERAGE1stplaceOUTSTANDINGREPORTERINITIATIVEMeaganWohlberg2ndplaceBESTWEBSITE2ndplaceBESTFEATUREPHOTOPaulBannister3rdplaceBLUERIBBONAWARDforoverallexcellencePublicfeedbackonbillsalreadysubmittedContinuedfrompage1.AlternativesNorthwhichhasalreadymadeasubmis-sionwantstoseespecicchangesmadetothelegisla-tionnowthatitisunderter-ritorialcontroltoimproveuponpastproblemswithfederallaws.Wevedonealotofcom-plainingabouthowthefedsmanagedourlandsandre-sourcesovertheyearsandnowthatwevegotcontrolofithowarewegoingtodothatanydifferentlyOReillyasked.ForinstancewhenitcomestotheNWTLandsActandPetroleumResourcesActOReillywouldliketoseeseveralchangesmade.Wethinkthereareanum-berofthingsinthelegislationthatwaspassedthatclearlycouldandshouldbeimproveduponthingslikemandatoryrequirementsforfinancialsecuritymandatoryrequire-mentsforclosureplansper-hapsrethinkingthefreeentrysystemwhenitcomestomin-eralstakinghesaid.UndertheLandsActcab-inethasthepowertoallowdeveloperstoavoidputtingupnancialsecuritieswhichOReillysaysisnotinthepublicinterest.ThenewlawsalsomakeacabinetministerresponsibleforoilandgasregulationwhichOReillysaidshouldnothavebeendonewithoutpublicinput.WeareofthermviewthatoilandgasdecisionsandmanagementshouldbetakenoutofthepoliticalrealmandplacedwithanindependentboardAlternativesNorthsuggestsinitssubmission.OReillysaidhewantstheopportunitytobeabletobringthoseconcernstocommitteethroughafullpublichearingprocessandtoalsohavethepublicbein-cludedintheplannedpolicyreviewaimedataligninglandmanagementpoliciestoensuretheyreectNorthernprinciples.Wereworriedthatitmightberatcheteddowntosometypeofinternalreviewandthatsnotap-propriateOReillysaid.Thatsnotwhatthepre-mierhascommittedtointheHousewhenthesebillswerebeingmarchedthrough.WevedonealotofcomplainingabouthowthefedsmanagedourlandsandresourcesovertheyearsandnowthatwevegotcontrolofithowarewegoingtodothatanydifferentlyKevinOReillyAlternativesNorthPoliticsDevolutionGNWTmarksDevolutionDaytransferofpowerByJACKDANYLCHUKDespiterelegatingApr.1tothestatusofjustanotherdayattheofcetheterrito-rialgovernmentfoundwaystomarkthearrivalofdevolu-tionandthetransferofpowerfromOttawatopoliticiansintheNorthwestTerritoriesafterall.Resourceroyaltiesloomlargeinthegovernmentsrea-sonsforpushingdevolutionforwardandDaveRamsayministerofIndustryTour-ismandInvestmentturnedtherstmineralclaimintoamediaevent.TodayisacomingofagefortheterritoryRamsayproclaimedasLouCov-ellopast-presidentoftheNWTandYukonCham-berofMinesturnedoverachequefor937.50forthreemineralclaimson3758hect-aresabout350kmnorthofYellowknife.Wehaveourhandstodayrmlyonthecontrolsofen-vironmentandresourcede-velopmentintheTerritoriessaidRamsaywhowillheadthenewregulatorreplacingthelandandwaterboardsthathaveoverseenresourceextractionprojectsintheNorthwestTerritories.PremierBobMcLeodmarkedApr.1withapressreleaseextollingthevirtuesofdevolutionwhichhesaidmakesNorthernersrespon-siblefordecisionsthatwerepreviouslymadeinOttawa.DespiteexpressionsofdiscontentwithdevolutionamongAboriginalleadersMcLeodsaidthenewInter-governmentalCouncilwillensureourenvironmentisprotectedandoureconomyisstrong.NewterritoriallegislationthatcameintoeffecttodaygivestheGNWTtheauthor-ityforinspectionsenforce-mentandleasingonterrito-riallands.TheGNWTwillnowmanageandregulatethedevelopmentofmineralsoilandgasMcLeodsaiddeclaringWearenowincontrolofourownfuture.LastWednesdayMcLeodwelcomed130newterritorialgovernmentemployeesatabriefceremonyintheGreatHalloftheLegislativeAssembly.YouhaveanopportunitytobecomepartofourcomingsuccesssaidMcLeodwhoservedinthefederalandter-ritorialpublicservicebeforeenteringpoliticallife.Ourgovernmentworkedhardfordevolution.Wewantedtomakesuretherewasaseam-lesstransitionweneededtotransferthecorporateknowl-edgethatmadeprogramswork.Thatmeantmakingsureasmanystaffaspossiblecameovertoourgovernment.Almost100percentofformerAboriginalandNorthernAffairsCanadaemployeeswhoreceivedjoboffersfromtheterrito-rialgovernmentacceptedthemMcLeodsaid.Thisspeakstoourgov-ernmentspreparationandyourcommitmenttoservingthepeopleoftheNorthwestTerritorieshesaidatthewelcomingceremony.PhotoJackDanylchukPremierBobMcLeodwelcomesmorethan100newemployeeswholeftthefederalpublicservicetojointheranksofthegovernmentoftheNorthwestTerritoriesataninformalceremonyintheGreatHalloftheLegislaturelastWednesday.PoliticsDevolution