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FortSmithHayRiverWEATHERYellowknifeInuvik4TuesdayJuly152014WeeklyNormsHigh21CLow11CWeeklyNormsHigh21CLow13CWeeklyNormsHigh20CLow9CWeeklyNormsHigh23CLow10CEDITORIALTheNorthernJournalisanindependentnewspapercoveringnewsandeventsinthewesternArcticandnorthernAlberta.VisittheJournalonlineatwww.norj.caAnzacAtikamegBrownvaleCadotteLakeChardChatehColdLakeConklinDriftpileDufeldEdmontonEnildaEnochFortChipewyanFortMacKayFortMcMurrayFortVermilionFrogLakeGlenevisGoodshLakeGrandePrairieGrouardHighLevelHighPrairieHytheJohndOrPrairieAvailableinAlbertaatAklavikBehchokoColvilleLakeDelineEaglePlainsEkatiDiamondMinesEnterpriseFortGoodHopeFortLiardFortMcPhersonFortProvidenceFortResolutionFortSimpsonFortSmithGametiHayRiverInuvikJeanMarieRiverKakisaLutselKeNahanniButteNormanWellsTheNorthernJournalisavailableinthefollowingNWTcommunitiesPaulatukSachsHarbourTroutLakeTsiigehtchicTuktoyaktukTulitaUlukhaktokWekweetiWhatiWrigleyYellowknifeKehewinKinusoLacLaBicheManningMorinvillePeaceRiverRainbowLakeRedEarthCreekSaddleLakeSlaveLakeSt.PaulValleyviewWabasca2013CCNABLUERIBBONCANADIANCOMMUNITYNEWSPAPERAWARD2013CMCAAUDITEDAdvertisingDeadlinesDisplayaddeadlineisThursdayat400p.m.ClassiedaddeadlineisThursdayat500p.m.Emailadsnorj.caSubscriptionRates867872-3000PricesincludeGST.47.25inFortSmith52.50elsewhereinCanada105intheUSAoverseas164.30.LetterstotheEditorPolicyTheNorthernJournalwelcomesletterstotheeditor.Lettersmustbesignedandincludeaphonenumbersotheauthorcanbeveried.Nameswillbewithheldonrequestinspecialcircumstanceswherethereasonsaredeterminedtobevalid.TheJournalreservestherighttoeditlettersforlengthlibelclarityandtaste.Opinionsexpressedinlettersandcolumnsarenotnecessarilythoseofthepublisheroreditor.PublishedweeklybyCascadePublishingLtd.PrintedonrecyclednewsprintwithvegetableinkatWainwrightStarChronicle.PublisherManagingEditorDonJaque867-872-3000ext.21donnorj.caEditor...........................MeaganWohlberg867-872-3000ext.24newsnorj.caReporter..........................DaliCarmichael867-872-3000ext.25reporternorj.caComptroller...........................DixiePenner867-872-3000ext.23dixnorj.caAdvertising.................867-872-3000ext.26salesnorj.caAdministration................JeremyTurcotte867-872-3000ext.26adminnorj.caProductionGraphics.......SandraJaque867-872-3000ext.22sandranorj.caPaulBannister867-872-3000ext.27graphicsnorj.caAnnaSierra867-872-3000ext.20designnorj.caOnewouldthinkitshouldbecommonsensethatwhenamassiveindustrialdevelopmentinvolvingchemicalsandpollutantscommonlyknowntobedele-terioustohumanhealthissetupthatamonitoringprocesswouldbeautomatictoassurepeoplelivingnearbyarenotnegativelyaffected.ThisisCanadain2014afterallandweshouldbeintel-ligentandeducatedenoughtotakeactiononsuchthingsasanaturalpartofdevelopmentandindustrialgrowth.Inparticularwhenbillionsofdollarsinwealtharebeingcreatedspend-ingsomeofthatmoneytoensurethehealthoflocalsshouldbeano-brainerrightYetthatisnotthecasewiththegovernmentofAlbertaandindustrialdevelopmentoftheoilsands.Afterthelatestroundofstudiesonthehealthofpeoplelivingincommu-nitiesdownstreamoftheoilsandsre-leasedinthelastmonthwetookalookbackatsomeofourolderstoriesoverthepastveyearsaboutothersimilarhealthstudiesofthepeoplewhoaremostlikelyatriskintheoilsandsregionthosedrinkingthewaterandeatingthefoodthatcontaminantsarebeingintroducedinto.Thereisacommontheme.TheAlbertagovernmentpromisesacomprehensivestudy.Thestudydoesnotmeettheex-pectationsoflocalpeopleintheaffectedcommunities.TheAlbertagovernmentclaimstheirstudiesshowtherearenohealthproblems.Outsideexpertsorotherstudiesndshockingcontradictionstothegovernmentsclaims.ThepeopleofFortChipewyanareoutraged.Thiskeepshappeningoverandover.Itisasicksituation.WhatiswrongwithAlbertaHealththatitcannotmeetwithFortChipewyanleadersandfosterastudythatmeetstheirneedsandexpectationsAseriouslysickapproachtohealthstudiesMay282008ProvincetolookatFortChipcancerratesByGABRIELZARATEFortChipewyanwillreceiveacomprehen-sivestudyintoitsratesofcanceraccordingtoaspokespersonfortheAlbertaCancerBoard.LeeElliotsaidthestudywillbeaco-operativeeffortspearheadedbytheboardandbackedbyNuneeHealththeNorthernLightsHealthRegionandHealthCanada.ElliotexplainedtheCancerBoardbeganinvestigatingFortChipewyanin2006inre-sponsetotheconcernsraisedbyDoctorJohnOConnorwhoclaimedFortChipewyanwassufferingahigherincidenceofrareformsofcancerthanacommunityitssizeshould.AtthetimetheCancerBoardconcludedFortChipewyandidnotsufferfromel-evatedcancerratesbasedonavailablemedicalrecords.October122010NewFortChiphealthstudyreadyAlbertasaysBySHAWNBELLTheAlbertagovernmentsaysthatacomprehensivehealthstudyofFortChipewyanisreadytogoahead.April142012NofollowuptoChipcancerstudyBySHAWNBELLFortChipewyansleadershavebeenleftinthedarkaboutthegovern-mentofAlbertasplansforfollowuptothecancerstudyreleasedFebru-ary62009.NeithertheAlbertaCancerBoardnortheAlbertadepartmentofHealthandWellnesshavecontactedNuneeHealthAuthorityoranyFirstNationleadersinthecommunitysincethereleaseofthestudythatconrmedhigherthannormallevelsofcancerareindeedoccurringinFortChipewyan.June92012ChipcancerstudyreviewercallsforfollowupstudiesBySHAWNBELLAUSscientisttaskedwithreviewingtheAlbertaCancerBoardstudyonFortChipewyanwasshockedtodis-coverthedisparitybetweenwhatthestudyfoundandwhattheAlbertagov-ernmentissayingaboutcancerratesinFortChipewyan.April12014CancerreportreleasefrustratesFortChipewyanleadersReportsayscancerratesoverallnotmoreelevatedthanrestofprovinceByMEAGANWOHLBERGAreportreleasedlastweekbyAlber-tastopdoctoronincidencesofcancerinthecommunityhascausedangerdoubtandfrustrationinthecommunityofFortChipewyanwhoseleadersareupsetthedatawasnotsharedwiththemrstbeforebeingmadepublic.ThereportshowsthreetypesofcancerareoccurringmorefrequentlyinFortChipewyanthantherestoftheprovincethoughratesofmostcancersarenormaloverall.July82014ReportlinksoilsandstocancerinFortChipewyanByMEAGANWOHLBERGAreportreleasedMondaybyUniversityofManitobaresearchersandFirstNationsinnorthernAlbertasaysupstreamoilsandsindustrycoupledwithinadequatehealthcareiscreatingaperfectstormforadeclineinhealthinthecommunityofFortChipewyan.FromleftOutgoingcommandingofcerCaptainSuperintendentWadeBlakeRCMPcommissionerBobPaulsonandincomingcom-mandingofcerSuperintendentRonSmithsigntheofcialparchmentchangingthecommandofGDivisionNorthwestTerritoriesRCMPfromCaptainSupt.BlaketoSupt.SmithattheLegislativeAssemblyoftheNorthwestTerritorieslastweek.PhotocourtesyofRCMPNTHavealookatthistimelineofJournalstorieswiththeirheadlineandopeningparagraph