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PoliticsEnergy7TuesdayMay132014FortSmithMissionHistoricParkCommunityGardenTIndustryourismInvestmentyadminnlmcc.caor867-872-2859ToreservespacepleasecontactDianeSealsatNORTHERNLIFEMUSEUMCULTURALCENTREByMEAGANWOHLBERGResidentsofColvilleLakeregainedpowerTuesdayeve-ningafteralargevehicleacci-dentallypulleddownapowerlineonMondaymorningre-sultinginacompletelossofelectricitytothetown.AccordingtotheNTPowerCorp.NTPCavehiclesnaggedalinetakingdownapowerpoleandrequiringanewpolebeinstalled.Thatvehiclewastransport-ingabackhoeaccordingtothecommunitysassistantSAODavidCodzi.Theyweretransportingabackhoebackintothecom-munity.UsuallywhentheytransportittheyhavethearmextendedbutIguesstheyforgottodothatthisColvilleLakepowerbackonafterlinetakendowntimehetoldTheJournal.Itendeduphittingthewire.AnNTPClinecrewwasdispatchedfromInuviktoColvilleLakeMondayaf-ternoonandbeganworkingnon-stoptoinstallthenewpoleaprocesswhichwashinderedbyhavingtodigintofrozenground.Powerwasrestoredtomorethanhalfthecommu-nitybyaround900p.m.onMondayeveningwithoutin-stallingthenewpoleleavingaremaining15customers-includingthegrocerystory-withoutpower.ThecrewworkedintothenighttogetthepoleinstalledandreturnedtonishthejobTuesdaymorningandafterafulldayofworkerectedthepoleandreconnectedpowertoallbutonecustomerwhorequiredtheworkofanelec-tricianby635p.m.Intotalall52NTPCcus-tomersinthetownwereaf-fectedbytheoutage.Codzisaidpeopleturnedtotheirwoodstovesandgenera-torstocopewiththeoutage.Boththestoreandgasstationwereclosed.Therewerealotofcook-outs.Basicallyeverybodyhaswoodstovesandthosewereusedtocookandstuffhesaid.Alotofpeoplehavegenerators-thoseweregoing.Codzisaiditwaslikeoldtimesbeforethecommunitygotpower.Wedidnthavepowernotthatlongagohesaid.InfrastructureElectricityByMEAGANWOHLBERGInapartofthecountrywherethetermeldersstillmeanssomethingelderJean-PierreIsorishopingtheNWTEldersParliamentsunanimousresolutiontoputafreezeonfrackingintheNWTholdssomecloutwiththeterrito-rialgovernment.MembersofthesymbolicpoliticalassemblymetlastThursdayinlegislaturetodiscussahostofissuesin-cludingthecontroversialoilandgasextractionmethodknownashydraulicfrac-turingorfrackingjustoneweekafterafederalreportcameoutshowingmajorgapsinthescienticandtechni-calknowledgearounditsimpactsontheenvironmentandhumanhealth.Followinganimpassionedspeechontherisksversusthebenetsofallowingfrack-ingintheNWTIsorandthe18otherdelegatesrepre-sentingeveryconstituencyintheterritoryvotedunan-imouslyforamoratoriumontheindustrialpractice-includingrepresentativeMelodyMcLeodPremierBobMcLeodswife.Thetechnicalanalysisshowsthatwhateveryoudotodayintermsoffrackingisrisky.Nowinthemili-tarylifeyoulearntotakerisks-calculatedrisks-andtheremustbeadirectpro-portionbetweentheriskyoutakeandtheresultyouget.Andwedontgetthat.WetakealltherisksandwegetnoresultsaidIsorelderrepresentativeforFrameLake.Isorwhosaidtheeldersmakinguptheparliamentbringatotalof1200yearsofwisdomandhundredsofgrandchildrentotheequa-tionsaidthegovernmentsjobistolisteneveniftheEldersParliament-estab-lishedin2010asawaytogiveeldersspacetovoicetheirconcerns-hasnoof-cialpowers.Werepresentagoodper-centageofthepopulationjustamongus.AndwesayNoway.Noway.Getbacktothedrawingboard.Wedontsaynotooildevelopmentorgasdevelopment.Werenotcrazy.Wewantprosperitybutnotatanycost.Isorwasnotaloneinhiscritiqueoffracking.ElderandformerMLASamGarganoftheDehChoregionsaidthepracticere-quiresgreatquantitiesofwaterthatafterbeingmixedwithchemicalsisnolon-gerusable.YellowknifeCentreelderBeshaBlondincalledforanenvironmentalassessmentoffrackingintheterritory.WhosgoingtoprotectthepeopleWhosgoingtoprotecttheanimalsthewaterandthelandshedemanded.ThemotioncallsforamoratoriumtobeputinplaceuntiltheimpactsontheNortharebetterunder-stoodandthegovernmentcanmanagethistechnologyinawaythatensuresthein-tegrityofourenvironmentandcommunitiesechoingasimilarresolutionpassedbytheDeneNationleader-shipin2011.ThedebateintheEldersParliamentemergedasrep-resentativesoftheGNWTcabinettoldmediatheterri-toryhadnoplansofenforc-ingamoratoriumorchangeofpacewhenitcomestofrackingregardlessoftheprecautionarywarningis-suedbythefederalreport.Todateonlyonecompanyhasconductedhorizontalfrackingintheterritory.Cono-coPhillipswhoseexploratorydrillingprojectbypasseden-vironmentalassessmentlastyeardrilledandfrackedtwowellsoverthewinterandislookingtodrillupto10moreoverthenextveyears.AsecondapplicationbyHuskyEnergycurrentlyawaitingapprovalbytheSahtuLandandWaterBoardislookingtofrackuptofourwellsintheCentralMacken-zieregion.NWTEldersParliamentvotesforfreezeonfrackingPhotoBillBradenDehChoelderSamGargancentrespeaksonthefrackingresolutionputforthbyelderJean-PierreIsorrightwhichcallsforatemporarymoratorium.BeshaBlondinleftsaidfrackingrequiresafullenvironmentalassessment.Theresolutionpassedunanimously.AllresidentsandbusinessesinColvilleLakelostpowerlastweekafteralinewasknockeddown.PhotoGNWTMACA