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TuesdayOctober1420143INDUSTRYTRADITIONALECONOMYTheFortSmithDistrictEducationAuthoritywillholditsAnnualGeneralMeetingThurdayNov.202014700PMatJBTRoom102Delegateswishingtoaddresstheauthority72hourspriortothemeetingatP.O.Box131orbyfaxat867-872-2448.Thepubliciswelcometoattend.ChrisMitchellAnyoneknowingthewhereaboutsofpleasecontactLouiseTremblay.Callcollectat613747-7800ext.2057.BushlifeofNWTtrapperscelebratedwithannualawardsByMEAGANWOHLBERGHeadingoutintothebusheveryyearisjustafactoflifefortrapperKarlHoffmanwhosayshecantimaginedoinganythingelseeventhoughhesnearing80yearsold.Ilikethelife.EvenifIdontmakenothingIgoouthesaid.Itslikegoingtochurchformegoingintothebush.TheFortSmithresidentwasnamedthetopseniortrapperfortheSouthSlaveregionlastweekbytheterritorialgovernmentwhoseannualawardsrecognizeeachregionsmostproductiveintermsofsalesandpeltsbothoverallandinelderandyouthcategories.IdontknowaboutatoptrapperHoffmanremarkedontherecognition.Imjustatrapper.Afterover50yearstrappingintheSouthSlaveevenjustatrapperisatitlehesearnedmorethanmost.TheGermancabinetmakercametoFortSmithin1957andeveryyearstillusesthesametraplinehestartedbackin1960.Thoughhellbeturning79thisDecemberHoffmanplanstotakehisusualtwomonthsoutonthemorethan100milesoftraplinelinkinghisfourcabinsintheregion.Ivegotambition-Idontwanttogetoldhesaidlaughing.Idontfeellikeit.Iworkallthetime-thatsthesecret.ImthankfulthatImstillhealthyenoughtodoit.BackwhenhestartedHoffmanusedtobringhiswifeVinaChampagneandchil-drenoutbydogsledforamuchlongersea-son.Nowthathesolderheieshimselfouttohistraplineinhisownbushplane.IusedtogooutaboutthistimeoftheyearbutlatelyIonlygooutaroundChristmashesaid.Theseasonsarealittleshorternowonaccountoftheclimatechangeglobalwarm-ing.Itschangedalittlebitnow.Foryearshesaidhefocusedmainlyonlynxbutsaidforestreshavechangedthelandscape.Nowhemostlytrapsmartenminkandtheoccasionalwolverinemakinganaverageofabout3000ayear.Whilenotathiscabins-orbuildingre-placementsfortheonesthathaveburnedovertheyears-thejack-of-all-tradesspendsaconsiderableamountoftimeinhiswork-shopputtingtogethersomeofthemostsought-aftersnowmobileanddogsledsintheterritorywhichhebuildsweldsandsewsbyhand.Thesedaysthoughfewertrappersmeanstherearentasmanypeoplewantingtobuythesleds-justanotherthinghesseenchangeovertheyears.Whilehesaysheisgoingtokeeptrappingforaslongashecanheknowsitsnotforeverybody.Youvegottolikeit.TrappingisnotaneasylifeHoffmansaid.Itslikeatrade.Youvegottoknowhowtogetaroundinthebushhavethesenseofdirectionandwheretosetthetrapsandallthat.Youvegottobebornforit.Notevery-bodyiscutouttodoit.Itsgottabeintheperson.AwardsrecognizehardworkApartfromHoffmanawardswerehandedouttotrappersfromacrosstheNWT.AmongthemwasaspecialmemorialtoMarkKochonofColvilleLakewhopassedawaythisyearafterproducingthetopsalesandpeltsfortheSahturegionlastseason.AsoneofourcountrysmostproductivemartentrappersheconsistentlydeliveredthehighestvaluedmartenatauctionyearinandyearoutsaidIndustryMinisterDavidRamsay.SheldonBoucherofFortResolutiontookthetopsalesandpeltsawardsfortheSouthSlaveJimmyPierreMantlaofBehchokofortheNorthSlaveandJimEliasofTuktoyak-tukintheBeaufort.IntheDehchoDolphusJumboinTroutLakeachievedhighestsaleswhileAlfredNandeofFortLiardscoredthehighestnumberofpelts.WinnersintheseniorcategoryincludedHenriApplesofBehchokoJohnnyTutchoofDelineAlbertJamesSeyaofFortLiardandDorisItsiofFortMcPherson.FortheyouthToriLaffertyofFortResZhalaaniDrygeese-YelleofYellowknifeJarettLaffertyofColvilleLakeDeloresDeneyouaofFortSimpsonandJimmyElanikofAklavikreceivedawards.ImjustatrappersaysFortSmithsKarlHoffman78onbeingrecognizedasthetopseniortrapperfortheSouthSlaveregionbytheterritorialgovernment.PhotoMeaganWohlbergContinuedfrompage1.AlongwiththeexpansionofNahannicom-munitieswerepromisedanewvisitorcentreinFortSimpsonanofcebuildinginNahanniButteandseveralnewstaffpositions.ChuckBlythwhowassuperintendentofNahannidur-ingtheexpansionandnowworksasnegotia-torfortheDehchoFirstNationsDFNintheirdealingswithParksCanadaconrmedthatnoneofthosecommitmentshavematerialized.Nothingsubstantivehashappenedanditsbeensevenyearshesaid.Itsquiteridiculous.BlythsaidthenewofcebuildinginNah-anniButteisstillinthedesignphaseandac-cordingtotheLiidliiKueFirstNationwhichispartneringwithParksCanadaonthenewbuildinginFortSimpsonthevisitorcentreprojectisstillawaitinga2millioncommit-mentfromParkspromisedin2009beforeitcansecureanadditional1millionfromtheterritorialgovernmenttogetofftheground.AsfornewstaffpositionsBlythsaidsomeofthosewerelledbutonlybeforethelastroundofcutstotheagencycamein2012.Ofthe32positionsaffectedintheNWT24wereinthesouthwesteldunitwithNah-annibearingthebrunt.AwholebunchofnewpositionswereaddedtotheparksorgchartandsomeofthosewerestaffedandthenthatrunofcutbackscameandNobuildingsnoIBAnonewstaffsomeofthemwerecutsomewereneverstaffedandabunchoftheexistingpositionswereshort-enedsubstantiallyBlythsaid.Sowhattheythoughtwasgoingtohappenreallyfellshortofthemark...Overalltheparktookacut.AfterthreeyearsoftalksanImpactBen-etAgreementforNahannihasalsoyettobecompleted.BlythwhoisnegotiatingthedealonbehalfofDFNsaidtheyhaveyettocometoanagreementonanythingincludingnancing.ParksCanadacantpromiseusanymoneytheyhaventcommittedasingledollarandtheycantseemtocommittoanythingBlythsaid.ItsthosekindofdetailsthatmakeBeving-tonpessimisticwhenitcomestoNtsihchohwhereaparkofcevisitorcentregarageforparkoperationsandhousingforparkstaffareplannedtobebuiltinTulita.WearehappyweseeanagreementbetweentheSahtuDeneandMtisandthecurrentgovernmenttocreateanationalparkreserveNtsihchoh.Thisisagoodthing.Howeveritcannotstandbyitself.Effortshavetobemadetocreateasituationwhere...theeconomicop-portunitiesthejobsthelocaleconomythatcancomeoutofanationalparkcanourishandthatislinkedtotourismhesaid.IreallyhopetheConservativesthistimefollowuponthisandhaveanactiveplantogetthefacilitiesinplace.ThebilltocreateNtsihchohNationalParkintheSahtuiscurrentlyunderreviewinOttawa.FilephotoPOLITICSFEDERAL