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5TuesdayJune24201415YearsAgo...ParkredoublesinsizeoverweekendTheforestreinWoodBuffaloNationalParkhasmorethandoubledinsizesinceFriday.OnMondaymorningthelargestretheparkhasseeninmanyyearshadconsumedmorethan58000hectaresoffor-estswampandmeadowasitcontinuedtopushnorth-wardsfueledbystrongwinds.IssueJune22199920YearsAgo...NewWestChannelBandseekingmorefundingThechiefofthenewlyformedWestChannelDeneBandnearHayRiverhasrequestedthehelpofotherSouthSlavecommunitiestopetitionthegovern-mentformorelandandinfrastructurefundingforhiscommunity.ChiefLeonThomasofWestChan-neltoldthemeetingitsbeenanuphillbattleforthenewbandsincetheysplitfromtheHayRiverRe-serveoverveyearsago.IssueJune22199430YearsAgo...PioneerbishophonouredReligiousleadersacrossWesternCanadaaregath-eredinFortSmithtohonourapioneeroftheCatholicfaithwhosediocesespreadsacrossmorethanamillionsquaremilesofCanadasharshNorthlands.BishopPaulPichecelebrateshissilveranniversarytonightcom-memorating50yearsinthepriesthoodhalfofthemspentastheBishopoftheMackenzie.IssueJune211984ARCHIVESCOLUMNSWhiteGirlTheGiftPart1of3PipelineapprovalignoresdemocracyglobalwarmingByDAVIDSUZUKITherewaslittledoubtthefederalgovernmentwouldap-provetheEnbridgeNorthernGatewaypipelineprojectre-gardlessofpublicoppositionorevidencepresentedagainstit.Theprimeministerindi-catedhewantedthepipelinebuiltbeforetheJointReviewPanelhearingsevenbegan.Adcampaignsopponentsdemonizedasforeign-fundedradicalsguttedenvironmen-tallawsandnewpipelineandtankerregulationsdesignedinparttomollifytheBCgov-ernmentmadethefederalpo-sitionevenmoreclear.Canadianresourcepolicyisbecomingincreasinglydi-vorcedfromdemocracy.Twoinfamousomnibusbillsevis-ceratedhard-wonlegislationprotectingCanadaswaterandwaterwaysandeasedobstaclesforthejointreviewprocesswhichrecommendedapprovalofthe7.9-billionprojectsub-jectto209conditions.Thegovernmenthasnowagreedtothatrecommendation.Thetime-consuminghearingsandnumerousstipulationssurelyinuencedthegovernmentsdecisiontorestrictpublicpar-ticipationinfuturereviewsmakingitdifcultforpeopletovoiceconcernsaboutprojectsFortSmithisinnoimminentdangerromawildfrethatcontinuestoburnoutocontrolinWoodBualoNationalParkaccordingtothetown.OutofcontrolwildrenodangertoFortSmithtownParksCarolCollinsThatscary...lookoutforthekidseldersLotssmokeinFortRes...MargaretNirlungayukInaksajakOhnohopeeverythingsgonnabeneNorthernJournal2014JoinusonlineLikeNorthernJournalonFacebookandgettheweeklynewsdeliveredtoyourfeedFACEBOOKFEEDBACKByDAWNKOSTELNIKWinterisalongdrawnoutaffairintheArctic.Themenstickgambleandplaycardstheylaughateachotheranddrinkthickblacksweetteawellintothedeepdarkofthenight.Everyonehopesthatoldmanwinterleavesbeforetherewoodrunsout.Dogsareusedtohaulwoodandthereisnochainsaw.FirewoodiscutwithanaxeandSwedesawthistakestimeandusesmuscles.Thesnowisstickyandmakesforhardhaulingforthedogs.Wateriscarriedinbucketsfromholeschoppedintheice.Whentheicegetstoothickchunksoffrozenwaterarechoppedandmeltedbythestoveinbuckets.Everythingispeoplepowered.Womenandkidssetsnaresforrabbitsandtrapsaresetforratsmusk-rats.WecrosstheriverthatisaboutahalfamilewideinfrontofFt.Norman.Infreezeupandbreakupwebalancelongpolesacrossthefrontofus.IfwefallthroughtheicewehopethiswillkeepusfromdroppingthroughthefrigidcavernsandintotheragingMackenzieRiverbelow.Ofcoursethebesttrappinggroundsarealwaysontheothersideoftheriver.Bul-letscostmoneyandittakesaskilledhandtoreachinandgrabaliveratthatishurtandnotgetbit.Theratisheldbythescruffoftheneckandthetailwithasuddenjerkthebackboneisbroken.Killingsnaredrabbitsisabitmoregruesomeandpersonal.Youhavetoreachupundertheribcageofthewarmbunnyandsqueezeitsheartuntilitstopsbeating.Foodreallydoesarrivelivethisisreal-ityifyouchoosetoeatmeatsomethinghastodie.InthespringtimeweareallreadyforfreshmeatandsomethinggreenfortheMoo-laswhitemen.Livingfoodisadreamfromthesouth.Thereisnosaladthereisnofreshfruitandnofreshdairy.WhatdoesarealeggtastelikeBargesbringinyourfoodorderinthesum-mer.Shoppingisdoneonceayearyouhavetobeorga-nized.Ifyouforgettheourthisisyourfaultandtherewillbenobreadforyourfamilyfortheyear.Whenyouneedbreadyouhavetobakebread.Formorestoriesvisitwww.whitegirl.casuchasKinderMorgansplantotwinandincreasecapacityofitsTransMountainheavyoilpipelinefromAlbertatoBurnabyfrom300000to900000barrelsadaywithacorrespondingincreaseintankertrafcinandoutofVancouver.Andtokeepdemocracyoutoffossilfuelindustryexpansionthegovernmentswitcheddecision-makingfromtheindependentNa-tionalEnergyBoardtotheprimeministerscabinet.Probablythemostegregiousomissionfromthereviewpro-cessisthedismissalofim-pactssuchasclimatechangeandrapidtarsandsexpansion.HereshowthepaneljustiednottakingtheseintoaccountWedidnotconsiderthattherewasasufcientlydirectcon-nectionbetweentheprojectandanyparticularexistingorpro-posedoilsandsdevelopmentorotheroilproductionactivitiestowarrantconsiderationoftheeffectsoftheseactivities.Asforclimatechangefromburn-ingtheproductTheseeffectswereoutsideourjurisdictionandwedidnotconsiderthem.ApipelinetocarrydiluentfromthecoasttothetarsandstodilutebitumenthatwouldthenbecarriedbacktothecoastinanotherpipelineforexporttoworldmarketsinsupertankersdoesnothaveasufcientlydirectconnectiontothetarsandsAndtheimpactsofthetarsandsanditsproductsonclimatearenotrelevanttotheprojectthatmakestheseim-pactspossibleWhatthehellThisprojectshouldnevergoahead.Andnotjustbe-causenoamountofmoneywillundodamagefrompipe-lineortankerspillsandacci-dentsalongtheroutetheBCcoastortheoceanorthatitisopposedbyFirstNationsandotheraffectedcommuni-tiesandlackssociallicencealthoughthosearestrongenoughreasonstostopit.Themainreasonsitandotherpipelineprojectsshouldntbebuiltaretheverysameonesthegovernmentandjointre-viewpanelrefusedtoconsider.Rapidtarsandsexpansionincreasingrelianceondirtyfossilfuelsandmoreinfra-structurethattiesustothemfordecadescontravenestheneedtoprotecttheenviron-menthumanhealthglobalclimatesystemsandeveneconomicresilience.Ourchoiceisbetweenig-noringoverwhelmingscien-ticevidenceaboutthehumancontributiontoclimatechangeandpollutionorchangingourwaysandreducingcarbonemissionsandfossilfuelde-pendence.Itsaboutwhethertojointhegreeneconomyorpinoureconomichopesonanincreasinglyriskyindustry.Itsaboutthekindofcoun-tryandplanetwewanttoleavetoourchildrenandgrandchildren.Thegovernmenthasirre-sponsiblyweakeneddemoc-racyinitswillfulblindnesstothemostpressingeconomicandenvironmentalissueofourtime.Thespectreofcli-matechangemeansallhu-manityhasastakeinthefu-tureofcoalandoil.Toavoidtheworstimpactswemustshifttoazero-carbon-emis-sionsenergysystemwithinthenextfewdecades.YetCanadadoesntevenhaveanationalenergystrategyAsCanadianswitnesshowvulnerableourcommunitiesaretoclimatechangeim-pactslikeincreasedintenseprecipitationandoodingsea-levelriseandriskstofoodproductiondemandwillgrowforsolutionssuchascleanenergy.NorthernGatewayhasre-ceivedqualiedgovernmentapproval.ThedecisionwillnowfaceFirstNationscourtchallengesandbacklashfromthemajorityofBritishColum-biansandCanadianswhosevoiceshavesofarbeenignored.Forthesakeofourcom-munitiesandthefutureofourchildrenletshopede-mocracyprevails.