Page 1
Page 2
Page 3
Page 4
Page 5
Page 6
Page 7
Page 8
Page 9
Page 10
Page 11
Page 12
Page 13
Page 14
Page 15
Page 16
Page 17
Page 18
Page 19
Page 20
4TuesdayAugust192014FortSmithHayRiverWEATHERYellowknifeInuvikWeeklyNormsHigh19CLow9CWeeklyNormsHigh17CLow10CWeeklyNormsHigh15CLow6CWeeklyNormsHigh20CLow8CEDITORIALTheNorthernJournalisanindependentnewspapercoveringnewsandeventsinthewesternArcticandnorthernAlberta.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.caPlanningapositiveSahtufutureTheoilplaycommencingintheSahtuhasthepotentialtochangethatregionforever.Thatchangecangotwowaysindiscriminatelywhereindustryisguidedsomewhatbutgenerallyhasitswayorcarefullywheregrowthisbasedonaplanthatdetailswhatisallowedandwhatisnotdeterminesthescaleandpaceofdevelopmentandisrmonexpectedlong-termoutcomes.ToensurebenetsaccruetothemandtopreventdestructionofthelandwaterandwayoflifethepeopleoftheSahtuhavetoadvocateforthemselves.Nooneelsewilldoit-certainlynotthegovern-mentsfocusedonlyonfacilitatingeco-nomicgrowth.Itwillbeachallengingpolarizingtime.Therearethosewhoopposealldevelopmentandwillbenaysayers.Industrialdevelopmentpromisesaneconomyincludingjobsandwealthandthosepoisedtobenetwillbeloudadvocatesthattheprocesspro-ceedunhindered.Peopleinpositionsofpowerwillstandtobenettoothroughenhancedinuenceandwealth.Withsomuchatstakecommunitiesevenfamilieswillbedivided.Mostpeoplearebynaturesome-whatresistanttochangeyetwillfindtheattractionofwealthapreferredoptionforcurrentandfuturegenera-tions.Thechallengewillbeforthemtocometogetherandfindthewisdomtochoosebetweenwhatisacceptableimpactminimizinglosseswhileopti-mizinggainsandsetthatbalanceoutinguidelines.Thathastobedonenow.Therewillbenosecondchance.Oncethejuggernautofindustrygetsrollingitwillpressfor-wardaccordingtoestablishedrules.Iftherearenorulestheonlyprospectwillbeever-expandinggrowthatanever-increasingpace.Thepeoplewillhavenofurthersay.LookattheAlbertaEn-ergyRegulatorsnoticesofapplicationforoilsandsdevelopmentintheregionfromColdLaketoFortChipewyanasanexamplehttpaer.caapplications-and-noticesnotices.Youwillseenewapplicationsforstart-upsorexpansionareleddaily-thatinspiteofmorethanadecadesworthofobjectionstothepaceextentanddestructive-nessofgrowthinthatregion.Notonlyaretheconcernsandrightsofpeoplewhoselandisbeingdevelopedcom-pletelyignoredthesystemprotectsthatgrowth-fromthecourtstopoliceonthefrontlinesofprotests.Ifdevel-opmentisnotcontrolledbynegotiatedrulesinitsearlystagesitisalmostim-possibletoalterthedetailsextentandpaceofitafteritisunderway.Thatisthewayitis.Therearemanysimilarindustrialde-velopmentsacrossCanadaandtheUSanditwouldbefoolishtoallowanymajorSahtudevelopmenttotakeplacewithoutrstlookingatthemindetailtofacilitateabroaddiscussionofwhatisbestforthefuture.TheBakkenshaleplayinsouthSaskatchewanandNorthDakotashowcasingdifferentapproachesbytwojurisdictionsisagoodone.Notethehundredsofwellseachonlyafewkilometresapartblanketingthelandthenumberofroadsconnectingthemandthehundredseventhousandsoftrucksneededtoserveeachwell-site.Thatisagoodstartingpointforaplan-ningprocess.PlanningafuturefortheSahtuthatallowsdevelopmentinacarefullyconsideredwayisahugeundertak-ingmaybeevenmorechallengingthanlandclaimnegotiationsandtheSahtuclaimtookaboutadecadetofinalize.ConocoPhillipsandtheothercompaniesexpectthingsexpeditedsotheycanproceed.Timeismoneyforthemandtheyneedtoknowex-actlywhatwillberequired.Havingsaidthatmostofwhatmustbedonetoestablishaframeworkfordevelop-mentiscommonsense.Apeoplewithatraditionalculturestillfairlyintactwhodwellinapristinewildernesswillsurelywanttoretainasmuchofthataspossible.Ensuringcommunitiesarenotoverrunandthattheforestisnotmangledwithroadsandcutlinesashasbeenthecasesoofteninthesouthareimportantgoals.Negotiat-ingbenefitsincludingjobsandtheuseoflocalindustriesisnowcom-monintheNorthbutwhynotalsode-mandashareofthewealthAllthatispossible.Thealternativeistobelikethepeo-pleofFortChipewyanandFortMcKaywheresomeenjoyhigh-paidjobsand-ifthecommunitymakesenoughnoise-moneyowsforinfrastructurewhilemanycommunitymembersgetnothing.Thelossofthelandwaterwayoflifeandpossiblythehealthofthepeopleistoogreatapricetopay.ItneednotbelikethatintheSahtu.Atthiscriticaltimeaplanningprocessthatengagesallresidentsisessential.PhotoLawrenceNorbertYoungjiggerstakethestageforadancingcompetitionattheMidwayLakeMusicFestivalheld30kmoutofFortMcPhersonalongtheDempsterHighwayfromAug.1through4.Theweekendincludedahostoffestivitiesfromddlersandothermusicalactstodance-offsandcrafters.Despiterainyconditionstherewasagreatturnoutattheannualfamilyevent.