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2TuesdaySeptember22014POLITICSFIRSTNATIONSNEWSBRIEFSGametiRCMPcrackdownonlocalbootleggerswithseveralbustsRCMPofcersinthedrycommunityofGametihavere-cordedfourincidentsofalcoholseizuressinceJuly31.Fourmalesandonefemaleranginginagefrom25to63werechargedwithunlawfulpossessionofalcoholaslocalpo-licecontinuecrackingdownontheowofboozewithinthehamlet.Mostoftheincidentsoccurredasotherillegalactivitywasongoingincludingresidentialdisturbancesdrinkinginpublictheftandillegalhouseparties.Yellowkniferwins50000fromscratchlottoticketYellowkniferesidentJeanDickauwonagrandprizeof50000aftercompletingher3ticket.Aftersittingathomeandetchingout10wordsonthecardshetriple-checkedtheresultsindisbelief.DikauboughttheticketatExtraFoodslocatedat4910-50thAve.inYellowknife.Icouldntbelieveititwassurrealshesaid.Theluckyladydecidedtoputaportionofherwinningstowardspracticaluseplanningtopayoffsomebillsandallocatesomeofherloottowardshermortgage.AlbertaminimumwageincreasedasofSept.1PerhoursalariesforAlberta-basedminimumwageearnersincreasedasofSept.1.Theprovincesgeneralminimumwageroseto10.20perhourfrom9.95whiletheliquorserverminimumwagewasuppedto9.20perhourfrom9.05.Thedifferenceinpayratesaccountsfortipswhichoftenmakeupalargeportionofserversincomes.Thechangeswillaf-fectapproximately25700peopleinAlbertaandarebasedonaformulathatconnectschangestoincreasesinaverageweeklyearningsandtheprovincesConsumerPriceIndex.OilsandslanduseplancantaddresstreatyconcernsprovinceByMEAGANWOHLBERGTheAlbertagovernmentisattemptingtoblockanotherpossiblerouteforFirstNa-tionstohavetheirconcernsabouttheoilsandsheardwithinthecontextoftreatyandAboriginalrights.Theprovincialgovernmentrecentlytoldapanelrespon-sibleforreviewingtheLowerAthabascaRegionalPlanLARPthatitisnotallowedtoconsiderconcernsabouttreatyrightsraisedbysixnorthernAlbertaFirstNationswhoarecallingforacompleteover-haulofthelanduseplanfortheoilsandsregion.AlbertasubmitsthatthemajorityoftheconcernsraisedbytheapplicantarenotrelatedtothecontentofLARPandarethereforeout-sideofthepanelsjurisdictionandmustnotbeconsideredstatesasubmissionbytheCrowntothepanel.TheAthabascaChipewyanMikisewCreeOnionLakeChipewyanPrairieDeneColdLakeandFortMcKayFirstNationshaveallrequestedreviewsofLARPwhichtheysayhasdirectandadverseimpactsontheirabilitytoex-ercisetheirtraditionallanduserights.LARPisbeingappliedbydecisionmakersandrelieduponbyoilsandscompaniestoprecludetheprotectionofAboriginalandtreatyrightsandtraditionallandusesofAboriginalpeoplesingen-eralreadstherequestforreviewfromtheAthabascaChipewyanFirstNation.Theprovincesaysques-tionsofconstitutionallawconcernsthatrelatetoaninadequacyofconsultationandallegedharmsrelatingtopre-existingandorfutureindustrialactivitiescannotbeconsideredbythepanel.ItarguesthatonlyharmtoincomepropertyhealthorquietenjoymentofpropertycauseddirectlybyLARPcanbeconsidered.ButlawyersfortheMikisewCreeFirstNationsaytheAb-originalperspectiveneedstobeconsideredwhenitcomestodeterminingwhatimpactsarefeltdirectlyandadversely.Ourrighttouseourtra-ditionallandsforourrights-basedactivitiesisanalogoustoourrighttoquietenjoymentofproperty.Ourrighttoearnourlivelihoodandtoobtainsustenancefromourharvest-ingactivitiesisanalogoustoourrighttoearnanincometheircounselwroteaddingthattheplanerroneouslyequatestraditionallandusewithrecreationalactivities.DefendingtheplaninitssubmissionlawyersforAl-bertasaidLARPwouldnotadverselyimpacttheFirstNationsinanywayaddingclaimsthattheplanisbi-asedtowardsindustryareunfounded.LARPdoesnotprioritizedevelopmentfortheLowerAthabascaRegion.Ratheritstrivestostrikeabalancebetweensocialenvironmen-talandeconomicoutcomestakingintoaccountthecur-rentstateoftheregionreadsthesubmission.ThenalversionofLARPwasapprovedinAugust2012andisintendedtobalanceen-vironmentalprotectionwithindustrialdevelopmentintheoilsandsregionoverthenext50years.FirstNationshadprob-lemswiththewaytheplanwasdevelopedandopposeditassoonasitwasreleasedsignallingtheywouldusethereviewpanelroutetogetitchanged.TraditionallanduseplanneededpanelTheFirstNationsarenotaloneintheircritiqueofLARP.Initsnalreportthejointre-viewpanelforShellsJackpineMineexpansionbemoanedthelackofaforumforconcernsaroundAboriginalrightstobeheardintheprovinceinrelationtooilsandsdevelop-mentandrecommendedtheprovinceincludeconsiderationoftraditionallanduseTLUwithinLARP.Theabsenceofamanage-mentframeworkandassoci-atedthresholdsforTLUmakesitverydifcultforAboriginalgroupsindustryandpanelssuchasthisonetoevaluatetheimpactofindividualprojectsonTLU.ThePanelbelievesthattoinformlanduseplanningandallowbetterassessmentofbothprojectandcumulativeeffectsonAboriginalTLUrightsandcultureaTLUmanagementframeworkshouldbedevel-opedfortheLowerAthabascaRegionthepanelwrote.ThePanelrecommendsthatAlbertadevelopandimplementaTLUmanagementframeworkfortheLowerAthabascaregionasacomponentoftheLARP.ThisisnotthersttimeFirstNationsintheoilsandsregionhavebeentoldtheirconcernsaroundtreatyandAboriginalrightscouldnotbeconsidered.AconstitutionalchallengetotheJackpineMineexpansionwastossedoutoftheprovincialtribunalafterthepaneldecideditwasnotequippedtodealwithques-tionsofSection35rights.TheLARPreviewpanelappointedinJunehasuntilJune222015toreviewtheFirstNationsrequestsandissuerecommendationstothegovernment.ThelanduseplanfortheAthabascaoilsandsregiondoesnottaketreatyrightsintoconsiderationFirstNationsargue.Filephoto