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CanadaskipsArcticCouncilmeetinginRussiaCanadadecidedtotakeaprincipledstandagainstRussiabyboycottingtheArc-ticCouncilmeetingsheldinMoscowlastweek.Seepage2.GeocachinginNWTcelebratesWildlifeWeekEnvironmentandNaturalResourceslauncheditsrstgeocachingeventinsixcom-munitiesintheNWTtomarkWildlifeWeek.Seepage14.StronglikeTwoPeopleTheTlichoImbecampissettorunagainthissummer.Seepage10.FortSmithstoriesgivenlifeinnewcomicseriesNWT-bornauthorRichardVanCampispublishingsto-riesofFortSmithingraphicnovelsillustratedbyindige-nousartists.Seepage9.HealthAccordexpiryraisesconcernsinNWTResidentsspokeoutagainsttheexpirationofthe2004HealthAccordatapublicpresentationinYellowknifelastweek.Seepage6.Visitwww.norj.caAnationalawardwinningindependentnewspaperservingnorthernAlbertaandtheNorthwestTerritoriessince19771.00April222014Vol.37No.49MGMshut-downopensupNWToilleasesPendingsalewillseenewCanolshaleplayownershipByMEAGANWOHLBERGMGMEnergyCorp.willbeclosingitsdoorsforeverwithinthenexttwomonthsbutwhowillbetakingoveritsshares-andleasesintheNorthwestTerritories-hasyettobedetermined.Theoilandgasjuniorishopingtohaveitsremain-ingsharesnotalreadyownedbyformerparentcompanyParamountResourcesLtd.returnedtothemothershipbyJunependingshareholderapproval.MGMpresidentHenrySykessaidthedecisionisinthebestinterestofthecom-panywhichhasstruggledforadecadeattemptingtomakeitsmarkintheterritorysBeaufortandCentralMack-enzieregions.Ourexperiencehasnotbeenapositiveone.Obvi-ouslywevespenthundredsofmillionsofdollarsdrilled11wellsandhavenothingreallytoshowforittodayintermsofanycashow-generatingabilitysaidSykeswhopre-dictedsimilaroutcomesforothercompanies.UntiltheresinfrastructureintheNorthuntilpeoplecanseeaclearpathtoinvestmentandreturnoninvestmentIthinkyouregoingtondac-tivityisgoingtobedelayedifnoteliminatedaltogetherhesaid.MGMhasbeeninactiveintheCanolshaleplaysincedrillingitssingleverticalwellwithRoyalDutchShellinthewinterof2012-13butcontinuestoholdsixleasesintheSahturegionaroundNormanWellsTulitaandColvilleLaketotallingap-proximately318000hectares.TwoofMGMsSahtuleasesareownedinpartnershipwithShellwhileanotherleaseissplit5050withanunnamedprivatecompanysouthofTulita.ApartfromitsstakeintheCanolMGMalsohasastringofpropertiesintheBeaufortDelta.Shellpulledoutofitspart-nershipwithMGMinlate2012aftertheirapplicationtocompleteexploratoryhori-zontalfrackingintheSahtuwasreferredtoenvironmentalassessment.Bothcompaniesdetermineditwastooearlyinthegametonanceafullpublicreview.WeandShellstillownlandtogetherandwellcon-tinuetoworktogetherbutyourenotgoingtoseeanyactivityonthoselandsatleastinthenextyearIwouldsug-gestSykessaid.Shellwillnowhavetheop-tionofadvancingexplorationwithacompanybackedbylargernancesbutwhetherornotthatwillbeParamountisuncertain.The50-milliondealonthetablerightnowforMGM-oneshareofParamountforevery300sharesofMGMEnergy-hasfullboardap-provalthoughMGMhasuntilthreedaysbeforetheJuneshareholdersmeetingtostrikeasuperiordealinwhichcaseitwouldhavetoreimburseParamountupto400000.Paramountwasunavail-abletocommentonfutureplansfortheSahtuifitsbidissuccessful.MGMwascreatedin2007tobringstrandedoilandgasresourcestomarketviatheMackenzieValleypipelinebutwhenthepipelinewasputonholdbecauseofmar-ketconditionsthecompanydecidedtofocusonitsCanolproperties.SeeMGMonpage3.AidenKunnizzi18triesoutarcheryforthersttimelastweekinInuvik.TheinauguraleventofthenewprogramputonbytheInuvikYouthCentreonWednesdayeveningdrewawiderangeofagestocometrythetraditionalsportforthersttime.Seepage8formore.PhotoNathalieHeiberg-Harrisonpri4Vo.7No4