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3TuesdayJuly82014cascadegraphicsWemayhavechangedourlookbutwestillofferallthequalityproductsandservicesyouareusedtoplusmore.LodgeburnsatFortRelianceinEastArmblazeGametiKakisaleftthreatenedfearsofgiantreeastofYellowknifeByDONJAQUEThemainbuildingofawil-dernesslodgenearFortReli-anceburnedonFridaybecom-ingtherstvictimofanastyreseasonasmassivewildrescontinuetoragethroughoutthesouthandcentralpartoftheNWT.ThefireatReliancethatburnedtheareaaroundtheOldLadyoftheFallsspiritualsitelastweekwaspushedbyhighwindsrapidlywestwardtowardthelodgeontheHoar-frostRiveronFriday.TherewerehugewindsonFridayafternoon.WegotacallthattherewasapproachingtheHoarfrostFrankLep-ineassociatedirectoroftheForestManagementDivisionattheNWTFireCentretoldTheJournal.ThoughbomberswerecalledinimmediatelyLepinesaidtherewastoomuchsmokeandnovisibilitysotheycouldnottakeaction.FirecrewsweredeployedfromYellowknifetodefendthepropertybutbythetimetheygottherethemainhousewasalreadyburn-ingandtheywereonlyabletosavetheoutbuildings.Thelodgeservedashead-quartersfortheHoarfroastRiverHuskiesdogteamex-peditiontourismoperation.Lepinesaidthewindwithgustsupto90kmperhourthatcreatedtherestormaroundthelodgewasaweatheranom-alycalledalowleveljetthatplaguesreghters.MeanwhiletheTlichocom-munityofGametiisthelatesttoseeahugewildreatitsdoorstepandtheKakisarethatforcedtheevacuationofthatcommunityisstillaseri-ousthreatbeingactionedbyreghters.CrewsarealsobusyonamassiverethatisthreateningPlummersLodgeatTaltheileiNarrowsonthenorthshoreofGreatSlaveLake.ThebigConsolationLakereeastofYellowknifethatthreatenedanumberofcabinshasnowmovedwestasfarasReidLakeandiswithin7kmofIngrahamTrail.Thereisconcernthatitandtheothertwomassivereslinedupbe-hindittotheeastwilljoinupandbecomeonegiantre.FirecrewsaresettingupguardstoblocktheareatothewestthatcontainsoldgrowthforestandabundantfuelsifwindsweretopushtheretowardYellowknifeandthenumerouscabinsandhomesinthatarea.InspiteofthehugenumberofresthroughouttheNWTnootherlossesthantheHoarFrostLodgehavebeenre-portedintheNWTsofarinlargepartduetothefastre-sponseanddecisiveeffortsoftheNWTreghtingscrewsbutLepinesaiditalsohasalottodowithluck.Theseresareoutofcon-trol.Wearelimitedtosteeringactionsandwhattheweatherwilldohesaid.ThedepartmentofEnvironmentandNaturalResourceshasmillionsofdollarsinvestedinresourcestoprotectbuildingsandrou-tinelyrunskilometresoflargevolumehosestothenearestwatersourceinanefforttoprotectbuildingswithsprin-klersystemsbutthatisnotalwaysenough.Lepineurgedpeoplewholiveinthebushtoresmarttheirproper-tiesbyclearingsurroundingbrushandifpossibleset-tinguptheirownsprinklersystems.RainhelpsoutinSouthSlaveRaineventsoverthelastweekprovidedsignicantrain-fallintheSouthSlavearoundFortSmithandFortResolutionallowingrecrewsrespitetomanagesomeoftheresintheareathathadbeenthreateningvaluesatriskincludingonethatencroachedontheTaltsonhydroplantthatsupplieselec-tricitytoSouthSlavecommu-nities.Thatreisnowinthemoppingupphaseandthehydropowerisbackon.TherestoftheNWTonlyre-ceivedenoughtoslowthingsdownsaidLepine.Hesaidconditionsarestillverydryandtheforestsarevulner-abletore.Theentirefuelsourceisdryfromthemineralsoilsbeneathallthewaytothetopsofthetree.Stormscellsthathavebeencomingthroughhavebeengeneratinganamaz-ingquantityoflightningoftenthousandsofstrikesperday.Lepinesaidthosedonotgeneratealotofresbecauseanareablanketedwithlightningusuallyalsogetsalotofrain.Itistheareaswherethereareonlyafewlightningstrikesandlittlerainwhereresareusuallygenerated.Thefewernumberoflightningstrikesthemorereshesaid.Onaverageabout10newresarebeingstartedeverydayintheNWTallofthembylightningLepinesaid.Theforecastforthecomingweekisformorescatteredlightningshowersinsomelocationswindsandinsomecaseshighwinds.Thereare161restodateintheNWTandthemidpointofthereseasonhasnotyetbeenreached.ThisisstillearlyJuly.WecouldhavesixmoreweeksofforestresuntilthingsstarttocooloffinmidAugustobservedLepine.AreneartheTaltsonhydroplantputSouthSlavecommunitiesontodieselpowerforacoupleofdayslastweekasrecrewsfoughttheblazenowbeingheld.PhotoGNWTENREnvironmentWildresFirstNationscallforfullstudyonhealthimpactsContinuedfrompage1.Whileitreleaseddataoncancersearlierthisyeartheprovincialgovernmenthasyettolaunchacomprehensivehealthstudyincommunitiesdownstreamfromtheoilsands.MikisewCreeFirstNationChiefSteveCourtoreillewhowashimselfdiagnosedwithcancersaiditistimeforgov-ernmentaction.Nomorecanwestandhereanddownplaythisissuehesaidatthepressconference.Therealityisthatourpeoplearedying.ForceddietarytransitionfurtheringhealthdeclineApartfrommakingdirectlinksbetweenindustryandcontaminantsinwildfoodsthereportalsolinkedculturalchangescausedbyindustrytoincreasesindiabetesrespi-ratoryandcardiacproblemsreproductiveissuescancerandemotionalwellbeinginthecommunity.Thoughpeoplestillwidelyconsumewildfoodsecosys-temchangescausedbyup-streamhydroandoilsandsdevelopmentandconsumptionlimitsonwildsheggsandmeatfromaroundthecom-munityarepushingresidentstoconsumeamoreexpensiveandnutritionallydecientdietofstore-boughtfoodsac-cordingtoresearchers.Participantswerecon-cernedaboutdeclinesinthequalityofthesefoodsinthegreatestpartbecauseofenvi-ronmentalpollutantsoriginat-ingfromtheOilSands.Itwasnotablehowmanyparticipantsnolongerconsumedlocallycaughtshbecauseofgov-ernment-issuedconsumptionadvisoriesandhumanhealthconcernsthereportstates.ThereportemphasizesthatdeclinesinwellbeinghavebeenaggravatedbypoorcommunicationonthepartofhealthagenciesalongwithinadequatehealthcareinthecommunitiesofFortChipFortMcKayandFortMcMurray.Itrecommendsacompre-hensiveandlong-termbase-linehealthstudytakeplaceinvolvinglocalAboriginalgovernmentsthatincorporatetraditionalknowledgeandpro-videregularupdatesthroughcommunitymeetings.Strengtheningandexpand-inghealthservicesinthecom-munitywillalsoleadtoear-lierdiagnosisofcancerandotherillnessesandimproveoverallwellbeingthereportconcluded.Nomorecanwestandhereanddownplaythisissue.Therealityisthatourpeoplearedying.ChiefSteveCourtoreilleMikisewCreeFirstNationEnvironmentOilsands