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
4TuesdaySeptember22014TheNorthernJournalisanindependentnewspapercoveringnewsandeventsinthewesternArcticandnorthernAlberta.2013CCNABLUERIBBONCANADIANCOMMUNITYNEWSPAPERAWARD2013CMCAAUDITEDTheNorthernJournalispublishedweeklybyCascadePublishingLtd.PrintedonrecyclednewsprintwithvegetableinkatWainwrightStarChronicle.PublisherManagingEditor........................................DonJaque867-872-3000ext.21donnorj.caEditor.........................................................................MeaganWohlberg867-872-3000ext.24newsnorj.caReporter.......................................................................DaliCarmichael867-872-3000ext.25reporternorj.caComptroller.....................................................DixiePenner867-872-3000ext.23dixnorj.caAdvertising867-872-3000ext.26salesnorj.caAdministration............................................JeremyTurcotte867-872-3000ext.26adminnorj.caProductionGraphics...................................SandraJaque867-872-3000ext.22sandranorj.caProductionGraphics..................................PaulBannister867-872-3000ext.27graphicsnorj.caLetterstotheEditorPolicyTheNorthernJournalwelcomesletterstotheeditor.Lettersmustbesignedandincludeaphonenumbersotheauthorcanbeveried.Nameswillbewithheldonrequestinspecialcircumstanceswherethereasonsaredeterminedtobevalid.TheJournalreservestherighttoeditlettersforlengthlibelclarityandtaste.Opinionsexpressedinlettersandcolumnsarenotnecessarilythoseofthepublisheroreditor.AdvertisingDeadlinesDisplayaddeadlineisThursdayat400p.m.ClassiedaddeadlineisThursdayat500p.m.Emailadsnorj.caSubscriptionRatesPricesincludeGST.47.25inFortSmith52.50elsewhereinCanada105intheUSAoverseas164.30.EDITORIALCOLUMNWithback-to-schoolseasonuponusParachuteandFedExExpressCanadawanttoremindparentsanddriversaboutroadsafetytoensurekidscanwalksafelytoandfromschool.Thatmeansdriversneedtoslowdowninresidentialareasandstopatallschoolcrossingsandpar-entsneedtoshowtheirchildrensafepe-destrianpractices.Childpedestrianincidentsarealead-ingcauseofdeathforCanadianchildrenunderage14.Morethan30childrenarekilledand2400areseriouslyinjuredinatypicalyear.Mostincidentshappenbetween3and6p.m.whendriversarecominghomefromworkandchildrenarewalkinghomefromschoolorafter-schoolactivities.ThroughtheWalkThisWayprogramParachuteandFedExofferthefollowingtipsforback-to-schoolsafetyTeachyourchildtolookandlisteneverytimetheycrossthestreet.Teachbydoing.Beagoodrolemodelbywalkingwithyourchildrentoschoolanddemonstratingsafepedestrianpracticescrossingonlyatintersec-tionsstopsignsandcrosswalks.Alwayscrosswithyoungerchildren.Childrenundertheageofninelackthedevelopmentalskillstocrossthestreetontheirownandshouldbeac-companiedeitherbyanadultorbyre-sponsibleolderchildren.Reduceyourdrivingspeed.Thehigherthespeedthehighertheriskofinjuryorevendeathtoachildpedestrian.Infactpedestrianshavelessthana50percentchanceofsurvivingacol-lisionifstruckbyacartravelling50kmperhourormorebuta90percentchanceofsurvivalifthecaristravel-ling30kmperhour.Eliminatedistractions.Cellphonesandotherelectronicdevicesshouldnotbeusedwhenwalkingacrossstreetsordriving.Parachuteisanationalcharitydedi-catedtopreventinginjuriesandsavinglives.Forinformationvisitusatpara-chutecanada.orgfollowusonTwitterandjoinusonFacebook.Back-to-SchoolmeanseveryoneseyesneedtobeontheroadIthasbecomeapparentthattheAlbertagovernmentsstrategyindealingwithcomplaintsfromFirstNationsabouttheoilsandsindustryinthenortheastcor-neroftheprovinceistosteerthemintodrawn-outexpensiveandtypicallyun-productivelegalbattles.FirstNationswithtraditionallandswheretheoilsandsindustryisbusilyextractingwealthhavebeenaskingforadecadeinincreasinglyloudervoicesforconsulta-tiononthemethodmeanspaceandim-pactofnewdevelopmentsinaccordancewiththeirconstitutionalright.TheyarecontinuouslytoldbytheAlbertagovern-mentthattheirconcernswillonedaybemetandaplatformforconsultationwillbeprovidedincludingwithintheLowerAthabascaRegionalPlanLARP.RecentlyalawsuitwasbroughtagainsttheAlbertaEnergyRegulatorAERbytheBeaverLakeCreeNationandtheWhiteshLakeFirstNationbothwithtraditionallandsinnortheasternAlbertaafterCana-dianNaturalResourcesLtd.wasallowedtoproceedwiththe85000barrelsperdayexpansionofitsKirbyLakeoilsandsprojectnearConklinAlberta.ChiefJamesJacksonoftheWhiteshLakeFirstNa-tiondenouncedtheAERinanewsreleaseasnothingmorethanarubberstampforresourcecompanies.SeeNJstoryJune162014-httpnorj.ca201406rst-nations-take-alberta-regulator-to-court.TheAthabascaChipewyanFirstNationACFNhasalsobeeninvolvedinanumberofsimilarcourtbattleswiththeAlbertagovernmentanditsagencies.Whenithasraisedquestionsofconstitutional-ityaroundoilsandsprojectsthroughtheregularhearingsprocessACFNhasbeentoldagainthatitistheimproperplacetodiscussAboriginalandtreatyrightswhichbegsthequestiondoessuchaforumexistoutsideoftheSupremeCourtTheAERoperatesatthediscretionoftheministeranditiseasytoconcludethatdirectionforthatagencylikethemarch-ingordersforLARPcomefromcabinet.ThetreatmentofthoseAlbertaFirstNa-tionsishappeningwiththeknowledgeofandverylikelythedirectionoftheAl-bertagovernment.NotethattheHonourtheTreatiesfund-raisingtourfeaturingmusiciansNeilYoungandDianaKrallspecicallytargetedthelegaldefensefundforACFNscourtbattlesoveritstreatyrights.Environmentalgroupshavesimilarlycontributedtimeresourcesandconsiderablemoneytoprovidenan-cialassistanceforFirstNationcourtbattlesoverrights.ForthegovernmentofAlbertawhichsurelyseesenvironmentalgroupsastheenemythestrategyismasterfulhavingthetwo-foldbenetofside-trackingandentanglingtheeffortsofFirstNationswhileitdistractsandbleedsoffresourcesofenvironmentalgroups-allowingtheirplansforfurtherdevelopmenttoproceedunhindered.WhybotherwithtediousandtroublesomeconsultationwithpeopleandgroupswhomightgetinthewayofyourplanswhenyoucansimplyshuttlethemoffintothecourtsystemwheretheywillwastealltheirtimeeffortsandmoneyGovernmentshoweveraresupposedtobeopenandtransparentandworkonbehalfoftheirpeople.ThatisapparentlynotthecaseinAlbertawheretoooftenthegovernmentdoesnotdealingoodfaithwithitsowncitizensoritspart-nersintreaty.TheAlbertagovernmentsmasterstrategyAlbertasregionalplanningprocessdividestheprovinceintosevenregionsbasedonmajorwatersheds.ItisintendedtoengageAlbertacitizensofferingaplatformforinputonthenatureandextentofdevelopmenttodeterminewhattheprovincialgovernmentshouldallowinthewayofindustrializationoneachofthosemajorriversystems.TheAthabascaRiverBasinplanwasthersttobeinvokedandLARPwasapprovedin2012despiteunanimousconcernbyFirstNationsthatitonceagainleftoutconsider-ationoftheirtreatyandAboriginalrights.AreviewofLARPbasedontheFirstNa-tionsconcernsisnallyunderwaybutin-steadofhearingtheirconcernsFirstNa-tionsarendingthatthestallingtacticsofthepastcontinuewithinthisprocess.ThoughLARPwaspromisedtomitigateFirstNationsconcernsaboutboundlessoilsandsdevelopmentontheirtraditionalterritoriestheprovincialgovernmenthasdirectedthereviewpanelnottoaddresstheirconcerns.Theirreasoningconcernsaroundtraditionallanduseareoutsidethepanelsjurisdiction.Itappearsthatyetan-othercourtbattlewillbeonceagaintheonlyrecoursefortheFirstNationstohavetheirconcernsabouttreatyrightsheard.ItappearsthatyetanothercourtbattlewillbeonceagaintheonlyrecoursefortheFirstNationstohavetheirconcernsabouttreatyrightsheard.TeachersfromtheSouthSlaveDivisionalEducationCouncilshowofftheirExcellenceinEducationawardsattheschooldistrictsin-servicemeetingheldinHayRiverlastweek.PicturedfromleftareDeninuSchoolprincipalKatePowellwithwinnersKirstenBoucherEmilyMacLeanandPremLalandtheboardssuperintendentCurtisBrown.PhotoStevenLee