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
BuddingecotourismprojectgrowsopportunitiesforFirstNationIndustryTourism2TuesdayMay132014NEWSBRIEFSRCMPrescuemanfromriverWiththespringmeltandriverbreakupunderwayRCMPareadvisingNWTresidentsusecautionaroundwaterwaysandlakesafterpoliceinFortProvidencewerecalledtorescueamanwhowaswalkingontheMackenzieRivericelastweek.PolicewerenotiedbyconcernedresidentsonMondayafternoonthatanun-identiedmalewastraversingthedangerousice.RCMPmemberswereabletodirectthemanofftheicesafelyafterwhichhewastakentothehealthcentreforcare.AccordingtoRCMPtheMackenzieRiverisunpre-dictableatthistimeofyearwiththeiceunstableandmovingrapidly.GNWTlaunchesmentalwellnessawareness-raisingmagazineThegovernmentoftheNorthwestTerritorieshaslaunchedawellnessmagazineaimedatraisingaware-nessofmentalhealthintheNWT.CalledMindSpiritthemagazinelookstoinspirepeopletotalkaboutmen-talhealthandsharesuccessstoriesofdealingwithandovercomingmentalhealthandaddictionissues.Thegovernmentplanstodistributethemagazinethrough-outtheNWTandwillmakeaweb-versionavailableonthedepartmentofHealthandSocialServiceswebsiteatwww.hss.gov.nt.caBearkillsworkeratSuncoroilsandsbaseASuncorEnergyemployeeisdeadfollowingabearattackatthecompanysoilsandsbaseoutsideFortMcMurraylastweek.RCMPandrstresponderswerecalledinjustafter200p.m.onWednesdayafterreportsofalargemaleblackbearattackingafemaleemployee.Thewomanidentiedas36year-oldLornaWeaferwasdeclareddeadonscene.RCMPhaveturnedtheinvestigationovertoAlbertaEnvi-ronmentandSustainableResourceDevelopment.Themaleblackbearwaslatershotandkilled.FortSmithsResidentialSpringClean-upisscheduledfortheperiodofMay20toMay302014Residentsmayhavelargeitemswashersdryersrefrigeratorsetc.andyardworkdebriscollectedbytheTownforacostof40.00fromthecurbsideonly.Smalleritemsmustbeboxedbagged.Brushwillowsmustbebundled.Treesmustbelimbedandcutto4-footlengths.Allitemsmustbeplacedatthepropertyroadside.NOVEHICLESWILLBECOLLECTEDarewaivedforresidentialcustomersforthedurationoftheSpringClean-up.NOHOUSEHOLDHAZARDOUSWASTEsuchaspropanetanksbatteriespaintusedoilsetc.willbecollected.NOCONSTRUCTIONMATERIALSsuchasdemolishedbuildingsorconstructionsitesprojectsatresidentiallocationswillbecollected.TOREGISTERPLEASEVISITORCALLTHETOWNOFFICEAT872-8400WITHTHEFOLLOWINGNameandResidenceAddressMaterialstobepickedupContactphonenumbers40payment.DURINGTHESPRINGCLEANUPDAYSTHELANDFILLWILLBEOPENEVERYDAYFROM1000A.M.TO600P.M.Registrationscloseat500p.m.FridayMay302014.ByMEAGANWOHLBERGAFirstNationsecotourisminitiativeshowcasingindig-enoushistorycultureplacesandtraditionallandusemaybeofferingsightseeingtoursassoonasthissummeralongtheSlaveRiver.SmithsLandingFirstNationSLFNlocatedinnorthernAlbertajustsouthofFortSmithNWTisintheprocessofdevelopingasmallsetoftourpackagestolurevisitorstoexperiencethesacredsitesbreathtak-inglandscapeandstoriesoftheDenesulinepeopleofThebacha.CalledDeneChanieTourswhichroughlytranslatesasDenecultureinEnglishtheinitiativeisbeingworkedonbySLFNelderFrancoisPaulettewhoishopingtohireseveralyouthfromtheFirstNationtoworkwithhimoverthesummerofferingauniquevisitorexperience.Backedbythechiefcouncilandmembershiptheprojectaimstocreatethesustain-ableeconomicdevelopmenttheFirstNationenvisioneduponsigningitsTLElandclaimwithCanadain2000.Weknewthatoneofthebiggesteconomicopportuni-tieswastourismPaulettesaidbecausewehavesuchwonderfulbeautifullandsthatwenotonlypickedasreservelandsbutwithinourtraditionalterritory.Thoughtheprojectisstillintheplanningstagesop-tionsforaoneortwo-daytourpackagehavealreadybeenlaidoutsothattheFirstNationcanstartsmallbe-forerollingoutmoretourismofferingsinthefuture.PaulettesaidatypicaltripwouldtakevisitorstotherapidsatMountainPor-tageknownbytheDeneasahugedamcreatedbygiantbeaverswhichtiesintosimilarstoriesfromacrossDenendeh.TheywouldthentraveltoFitzgeraldtovisittheTreaty8monumentlearnthelocalhistoryandtakeinamealatthelocalorganicgardensandthenontoHayCampbyroadbeforesettingoffbyboatuptheSlaveRiverthefollowingdayeithertoMurdockCreekforsomeshingorberrypickingorthesacredsitelocatedatDemicharge.Thereturntripwouldin-cludearunoftheDogRiver-aSlaveRivertributary-toseethewaterfallsandstopattheyouthculturalcampcurrentlyunderconstructionbytheFirstNation.Eachsitewillbeinfusedwithstorytellingontheplaceshistoryspiritualsignificanceandknowl-edgeaboutthewildlifeandvegetation.Visitorswillbeabletoshcanoehikeandcampthroughout.Traditionalmealsofwildmeatshandindigenousplantswillalsobeincluded.EventuallytheplanistoexpandthebusinesstooffertoursofthePelicanandCassetteRapidsandtoincludebirdwatchingatvariousislandsalongtheSlaveRiverwhicharehometosongbirdspelicansandeaglestonameafew.WewanttohaveasmanypeopleinvolvedinthistourbusinessaspossiblefromourcommunityPaulettesaid.Thatmaybetradi-tionalcooksstorytellerscraftmakers.Inthewintermonthswemayincludedogteamridesforviewingofau-rora-thenagainwewouldaskpeopleintownwhohavedogteams.Wewoulduti-lizetheirexpertise.ButmostimportantlyPau-lettesaidiscreatingoppor-tunitiesforSLFNsyoungpeople.Thebigthingistheyouth.RightnowtheSLFNarelook-ingfortwoyoungpeople-onetoworkwiththeinterpreterprogramatWoodBuffaloNa-tionalParkandtheotheroneiswithmewhenweredoingthetourguidingsotheylearnaboutbushlifehowtomakerehowtodriveaboathowtotalktogueststellstorieshesaid.Alongwiththatwerelookingatpotentiallyaguidetrainingprogram.SLFNschiefandcouncilhavealreadymetwithParksCanadawhichagreedtohelpwithmarketingthetouropera-tionandhavethesupportofNWTTourismandtheTownofFortSmithstourismad-visoryboardPaulettesaid.TheplanistohavethebusinessfullyincorporatedbytheendofJune.PaulettesaidtheinitiativetswithinSLFNsrmcom-mitmenttosustainabledevel-opmentwhichpreventsthemfrominvestingincompaniesandprojectstheydeemtobeharmfultotheenvironmentoroppressivetoindigenouspeoplesaroundtheworld.WhiletheFirstNationhasbeenapproachedbycompa-nieslikeATCOtoparticipateindammingtheSlaveRivertoprovidehydroelectric-ityfortheAlbertagridthechiefsandcouncilstodatehaverefused.IfyouweretoreadthemissionstatementofSmithsLandingyouwouldseeitsveryclearwewanttoenvi-sionsustainabledevelopmentbasedonourvaluesandprin-ciplesofourDeneChaniePaulettesaid.SmithsLandingFirstNationsecotourismcoordinatorFrancoisPauletteshesneartherstsetoffallsontheDogRiverapotentialsiteforfuturevisitorsbookingasightseeingadventurewithDeneChanieTours.PhotoMeaganWohlberg