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
Page 21
Page 22
Page 23
Page 24
10TuesdayNovember112014hasbeenatimeforCanadianstopaytributetoourwarveteransandtorespectfullyrememberwhodiedinthelineofduty.EveryyearNovember11thOnRemembranceDayOnRemembranceDayDavidYurdigaMPFortMcMurrayAthabascaFortMcMurray780743-2201Athabasca780675-8100Emaildavid.yurdigaparl.gc.caDavidYurdigaMPFortMcMurrayAthabascaFortMcMurray780743-2201Athabasca780675-8100Emaildavid.yurdigaparl.gc.caIencourageeveryonetotakethetimetorememberthosewhohavefallenintheserviceofourcountryandthosewhocontinuetoserveCanadawithcourageandcompassion.IencourageeveryonetotakethetimetorememberthosewhohavefallenintheserviceofourcountryandthosewhocontinuetoserveCanadawithcourageandcompassion.LTD.November11isadayonwhichthepoppyisproudlywornoverourhearts.Rememberandpaytributetoourfellowcitizenswhohavelosttheirlives.ByMEAGANWOHLBERGAsplummetingpricesatfuelpumpsacrosssouthernCanadacontinuetogiftdriverswithanearlyChristmaspresenttheresnosuchluckforresidentsintheNWTwherepriceshaveactuallyrisenoverthepastfewweeksinsomecommunities.Gasolinewaspricedat98.9centsperlitreinEdmontononFridayandprojectedtodropanothertwocentsbeforetheweek-endwhilepeopleinplaceslikeWekweetiandColvilleLakecontinuedtopaycloseto2.00perlitreforgasolineandheatingfuelandevenmorefordiesel-bothupfromlastyear.CustomersandtrappersintheSahtucannotaffordanymorespillageatthepumps.TheyaregettinggougedvoicedSahtuMLANormanYakeleyalastweekdemandinganswersfromtheministerofPublicWorksonwhetherornotsubsidiza-tioncouldbeanoption.WiththehighcostoflivingYakeleyasaidcustomersdeserveasubsidythatwouldallowthemtopaythecustomerratetheGNWTpayswhenitbuysthefuel.ButwiththewaythepetroleumproductsdivisionPPDoftheGNWTissetupoffi-cialssaythatkindofsubsidyisnotpossible.PublicWorkssuppliesbulkfuelto16iso-latedcommunitiesintheNWTincludingColvilleLakeandWekweetieitherbytugandbargeorbytruckoverwinterroads.DivisiondirectorJohnVandenbergsaiddeliveryoffueltakesplaceduringatightwindowandthequantityisenoughtolastmorethanayearmeaningwhateverpricethefuelwaspurchasedatisthepriceitsellsfor.Ontopofthepriceoftheproductcustom-ersarealsoforcedtopaythecostoftrans-portingthefuelthesalescommissionthatpaysthelocalsuppliersinthecommunitiesalevyfortherepairandmaintenanceoftheGNWTstrucksandfacilitiesadministra-tiveandinsurancefeespaidforbythede-partmentandofcoursetaxes.Vandenbergsaidthegovernmentisnotmakingaprot.Attheendoftheyearwebreakeven.Wereverylimitedwerenotpilingupcashhere.WeactuallyoperateundertheauthorityofanactofthegovernmentoftheNorthwestTerritoriesthePetroleumProductsRevolv-ingFundActwhichmeansthegovernmentallowsustoaccessafundwithwhichwebuyallourfuelwepayforallourservicesandthenattheendoftheyearwehavetoputthemoneyback.Sowereacompletelyself-fundingorganizationhesaid.Sowedonthavethemeansofsubsidiz-ingoranyothermethodofbringingthepriceoffueldown...PPDrunslikeabreak-evenbusiness.WhilethedepartmentisconcernedaboutcostsVandenbergsaidtheirbeliefisthatex-pensivefuelisstillbetterthannofuel.Fur-thermorehesaidresidentsareunawarethattheyhaveoftenpaidlessthanthemarketpricebecauseofthewaythebulksystemworks.Thisworksverywellwhilethemarketisrisinghesaid.Mostofthetimepeopleareactuallypayingapricebasedonlastyearscostofthefuelandasthemarketisrising-andithastraditionallysince2009beengoingup-itsveryadvantageous.Ontheoc-casionwhenthemarketfallssuchasnowpeopleareawarebecausetheyseepeopleinEdmontonwithproductfor99cents.Becauseofthesmallerpopulationsandiso-lationofmanyoftheNWTscommunitiesVandenbergsaidthereisnowayNorthernerscouldexperienceamarketdropinthesamewayasthoseinsoutherncentres.WhenyouhaveaservicestationoragasdispensingfacilityinEdmontonyoucanbesensitivetothepricesbecauseyoureget-tinginatruckeverycoupleofdays.YoureabletoturnyourinventoryoveronaweeklybasisVandenbergsaid.Sowhenpricesdofallattherenerendandyougetanewloadofgasolineinyourealmostoutoffuelandsothenewgasolineatasignicantlylowercostcanaffectyouimmediately.NopricedropatthepumpforNorthernersSmallcommunitiespaylastyearscostdespitemarketdownslideINDUSTRYFUELAbargetransportsfueluptheMackenzieRiver.SixteencommunitiesintheNWTareprovidedfuelbytheterritorialgovernmentbytugandbargeorbytruck.PhotoAlasdairVeitch