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16TuesdayJune242014NorthWordsWritersFestival9thAnnualGenerationNorthFollowusforupdatesThankyouTheNorthWordsWritersFestivalwouldliketothankourFortSmithvolunteersandsponsorsforafabulousone-dayNorthWordsWritersFestivalinFortSmithWecouldnthavedoneitwithoutyouPatti-KayHamiltonJeriMiltenbergerJunevaGreenGeriRuzikaJanineFryerJanieHobartPremierSponsorAURORACOLLEGEAndtheFineArtsCouncilofThebachaEducationCultureEconomicDevelopmentNORTHERNLIFEMUSEUMCULTURALCENTREByMARIACHURCHAlongwiththeir.303LeeEneldrieseightCanadianRangersfromtheNWTarenowequippedwithleader-shiptoolsafteracommand-erstrainingcoursewrappeduplastweekinYellowknifeforthe1CanadianRangerPatrolGroup1CRPG.Atotalof22RangersfromthethreeterritoriestookpartintheeighthbiennialDevel-opmentPhaseTwoDP2PatrolCommandersCourse.FromtheNWTfourRangersfromFortResolutionthreefromLutselKeandonefromFortSmithgraduatedthesix-daycourse.M-Cpl.GordonVilleneuvefromtheFortSmithRangerpatrolgroupgraduatedastheparadecommanderfromthecourse.Hesaidmuchofthetrainingfocusedondevelopinglead-ershipskillsandlearningthemilitarychainofcommand.Itssowecanbeamoreefcientunitthroughorga-nizationhesaid.Thecourseinvolvedfourdaysoftrainingonthelandandtwodaysintheclassroom.OnthelandtheypracticedissuingordersandsettinguparingrangeandradioNWTsCanadianRangersgetcommandertrainingoperationsallwhilerespect-ingthemilitaryhierarchy.Intheclassroomthefocuswasoncultivatingleadership.Everybodylastedevery-bodypulledthroughsono-bodydroppedout.ItsattimeschallengingbuteverybodyhastotoughenupandworkhardVilleneuvesaid.AfterworkingcloselywithRangersfromYukonandNunavutVilleneuvesaidhehascomeawaywitharespectforhiscolleaguesandmanynewfriendships.Atthebeginningwewereallstrangersbutnowthatwevecomethroughthetrainingitgaveusasenseofteamandagoodsenseofac-complishmenthesaid.WhiletheDP2courseisnotmandatoryforRangersitsheldtwiceayearandtypi-callysees20candidatessignupfromthethreeterritories.Thatcourseisopentoallleadershipinthepatrols-someonewithaM-Cpl.orCpl.orwithoneofthoseranksinthenearfutureandwantstotakemoreleadershipresponsi-bilityinthepatrolsaidCapt.SteveWattonpublicaffairsrepresentativefor1CRPG.ThePD2isdesignedtogiveRangersmoreleadershipskillsandknowledgewhendealingwithintheirownpa-trolandwhenassistingwithourmilitaryunitsthatoperateintheNorthWattonsaid.TheCanadianRangerspa-trolgroupinHayRiverisalsocompletingitsannualtrainingthismonthwithaneight-daycourseinnavigationpatrolreconnaissanceweaponshandlingandsafetysettowrapuponJune25.Therearecurrently575CanadianRangersin22pa-trolgroupsintheNWTallofwhomundergoannualtrainingsessions.AccordingtoWattontheCanadianRangersarecon-sideringbumpinguptrain-ingtotwiceannually.PhotosCaptSteveWattonPublicAffairs1CRPGRangerM-Cpl.GordonVilleneuveoftheFortSmithpatrolgivesthegeneralsaluteduringthegraduationparadeofthePatrolCommandersCourseonJune17.Maj.CraigVolstadCommandingOfcerandMasterWarrantOfcerDerrickElsonGroupSergeantMajorforthe1stCRPGpresentRangerM-Cpl.MichaelSandersonfromLutselKewithhiscoursequalicationcerticate.ByMARYWALDENOilandgasexplorerNorth-ernCrossisgearingupforamajordrillingprogramonlandsstraddlingtheDempsterHighwaysouthoftheEaglePlainsHotelinYukon.TheCalgary-basedcompanywantstodrillasmanyas20exploratorywellsonan80000-acreparcelwhereitcarriedoutanintensive3-Dseismicpro-gramthispastwinter.Anywellsturningupoilorgaswouldthenbeow-testedforuptotwoyearsNorthernCrosspresidentRich-ardWymantoldaWhitehorsemeetinglastweek.Thosewellsiteswouldneedyear-roundroadaccess.Theydalsoneedroomnotonlyforthewellheadbutpumpsgenera-torsstoragetanksandfacili-tiestoseparatethewaterfromtheoilandgashesaid.Oilfromthetestwellswouldbetreatedtomakeitsafefortransporttoportbeforebeingshippedtomarket.Thenatu-ralgaswouldbeusedatthecompanysmaincampforheatandpoweroraredoffWymansaid.Upto20gaswellsslatedforDempsterregionIndustryOilGasUsingjustonerigthedrillingwouldbestaggeredoverseveralyearsallowingthecompanytocollectdatatoguideitsdecisionsalongtheway.Thisgo-slowap-proachwouldalsospreadouttheeconomicbenettolocalbusinessesandwork-ershesaid.WedratherhaveamodestlevelofactivityforasustainedperiodoftimesaidWymanspellingoutthebroadstrokesoftheplan.Thenerpointswillbede-tailedinthecompanyssub-missiontotheYukonEnviron-mentalandSocio-economicAssessmentBoardwhenitsledinthenextweekortwo.Thatreviewisexpectedtotakeatleastfourorvemonths.ThecompanyhopestohavepermitsinhandbyDecemberorJanuary.NorthernCrosshasspentabout100milliononitsYukonprojecttodatehesaid.MostofthemoneyhascomefromtheChinesestate-ownedoilgiantCNOOC.Itbought60percentofNorthernCrossseveralyearsagoandcurrentlyhastwoexecutivesonthemanagementteam.Theparceltargetedforthisnextphaseofexplorationandappraisalisjustasmallpartofthe1.3millionacresthecom-panyacquiredrightstoin2007.Thecompanyhasdrilledfourwellsalreadyinthere-gion-twoin2012andanothertwoin2013.TheresultsofthatworkarestillbeinganalyzedWymansaidalongwiththeresultsofits3-DseismicprogramwhichwrappedupattheendofApril.Thatinvolvedcuttinganintri-categridthroughtheforestandthensendingseismicblastingequipmentalongthelinestondoutwhatliesbelow.Theimpactofallthatline-cuttingonlandandwildlifesuchasthePorcupinecaribouherdhasbeenquestioned.ButWymansaidalltheworkdonefellwithinthedevelop-mentthresholdslaidoutintheNorthYukonlanduseplan.NorthernCrossalsoplanstoholdapublicmeetinginFortMcPherson-thenearestcom-munitytotheprojectbutnodatehasyetbeenset.NorthernsRangers