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TuesdayJanuary1320153INDUSTRYOILGASSystemNavigatorTracyHoffwillbeavailabletoanswerquestionsandtoassistwithhealthcareformsintheAuroraMeetingRoomofthePelicanRapidsInnFortSmithatthesedatesandtimesTuesdayJanuary20from900a.m.to430p.m.andfrom600p.m.to800p.m.WednesdayJanuary21from900a.m.to430p.m.DoyouhaveanyquestionsaboutyourNTHealthcareorMtisHealthBeneftsPleasecall867872-2770Ore-mailhealth.nwtmnnorthwestel.netHuskyOilappliestodrillforfrackingsandinNWTByMEAGANWOHLBERGHuskyOilhasappliedforave-yearlandusepermittodrill50kmwestofYellow-knifeforthenequartz-richsandneededinhydraulicfracturingorfrackingstart-ingthisspring.TheWekheeziLandandWaterBoardis-suedadraftpermitfortheprojectonJan.6twoweeksafterreceivingtheapplica-tionfromHuskytoconductexploratoryworkintheChedabuctoLakeareaontheNorthArmofGreatSlaveLakelocatedintheTlichoregion.Thecompanyplanstodrill200boreholesinsearchofsilicaoneofthesubstancesusedinfrackingtopropshalebedfracturesopenoncetheyarecreatedbyinjectinghighlypres-surizedwaterandchemicalsundergroundtoreleasegasoroiltothesurface.TheChedabuctoexplorationprogramisjustonesitebeingconsideredbyHuskywhowasintalkswiththeYellowknivesDeneFirstNationlastMayaboutthepossibilityofdrill-ingontheNorthArmofthelake.TheapplicationindicatestherststageofthedrillingprogramwouldtakeplaceinMarchandApril2015runningaboutthreetosixweeks.Subsequentphaseswilldependonthesuccessoftherstdrillandtheap-plicationincludestheoptionofatwo-yearextensiontothepermit.ApartfromdrillingstaffHuskystatesinitsapplicationthatlocalworkerswouldbeemployedwherepossibleincludingasenvironmentalwildlifemonitorsorinpost-drillinginspectionandclean-up.TheeldworkwillbeledbyAuroraGeo-scienceswhoconductedareportonthesitein2012concludingthatthesilicaon-sitewashighenoughgradetobesoldforuseinindustrialprojectsacrossthecountry.Thereportalsoidentiedsimilarsanddepos-itsintheLiardRivervalleyandalongtheMackenzieRiver.HuskywithdrewitsapplicationtodrillandfrackuptofourwellsthiswinteronitsSlaterRiverleasenearNormanWellsbutindicatedapossibilityofbeginningworkonthesiteoverthenextcoupleofyears.PhotoKevinCappisHuskysheadquartersinCalgaryAlta.PremierheadstoChinainsearchofimmigrantsGNWTlookingtodiversifyeconomypopulationwithlatestAsiantourByDALICARMICHAELDiamondsfursoilandgasandmining-alloftheseareregularcommoditieshigh-lightedintradenegotiationsbetweentheNorthwestTerritoriesanditstradingpart-nersinChinaandJapan.ButasPremierBobMcLeodandagroupofNWTdelegatesheadeastfortheirfthtrademissiontoChina-thethirdtoJapan-thisweektheyhaveanotherpreciouscommod-ityintheirsightspeople.TheNorthwestTerritoriesformanyyearshadadubiousdistinctionofbeingtheonlyprovinceorterritorywithapopulationthathasbeendecliningMcLeodsaidinanin-terviewwithTheJournal.Oneofourobjec-tiveshasbeentoincreaseourpopulationby2000peopleoverveyearsandIguessitsnotaseasyasitsounds.Aworkinggrouptaskedwithaddressingthepopulationissuedecidedthemostef-cientwaytobringmorepeopletotheNWTisthroughincreasedimmigrationthepre-miersaid.Weknowtheresanappetiteoutthereandweknowthatthereisinterestininvest-inginCanadaandtheNWTwhetheritsthroughprivateorimmigrantinvestmentMcLeodsaid.McLeodnotedoneofthebiggestob-staclesblockingthewayforimmigrationcomesfromthefederalgovernmentwhichrecentlycreatedpoliciesrestrictingtheamountoftemporaryforeignworkersal-lowedinaregion.Strictquotasexistforareaswithunemploymentratiosabovesixpercentandrightnowtheterritorysitsaroundeightpercent.ThefederalgovernmenthasmadesomemovestoimprovethesituationbyenactinganewExpressEntryprogramforskilledim-migrantworkersthatshouldworknicelywiththeNWTsexistingnomineeprogram-theonlycaveatbeingthatthelatterwhichhasbeenaroundforaboutadecadeappearstobesomewhatnon-operational.PeoplearesayingitsbeenunresponsiveprobablybecauseitsanewprogramthatisjustbeingbroughtoutMcLeodsaid.Cer-tainlywellmakesurethegovernmentismoreresponsiveinthoseareashenotedthoughnospecicsweregiven.TheNWTsimmigrationprocessbreaksdownnewcomersintodifferentstreamsbasedontheirvariousqualicationssomeofwhichhavemorestrenuouscriteriathanothers.Thosewithaninterestinentrepre-neurialpursuitsareexpectedtoinvestamini-mumof300000equitytoopenabusinesswithinYellowknifeandhalfthatamounttooperateoutsideofthecapitalscorporatelim-its.Theyarealsoexpectedtoholdapersonalnetworthof500000toworkinYellowknifeandhalfthatamountforotherpartsoftheterritorytoppedoffwith75000inatrustaccount.Otherstreamsarentasintense-nanciallybutimmigrantsareexpectedtohaveadenedsetofskillsandworklinedupbeforetheyarrive.McLeodsaidtheterritoryalsoinvests900000ayeartorecruitnewresidentsfromwithinCanada.FollowingupwithtradetalksMembersofthedelegationwhichincludesITIministerDavidRamsayandchairoftheStandingCommitteeonEconomicDevelop-mentandInfrastructureRobertHawkinswilltraveltoBeijingandShanghaifromJan.10to17andtoTokyofromJan.17tothe21.Theexpectedcostofthetripisabout300000.Whileontourleaderswillpickuponprevi-ousdiscussionsregardingtourismandtrade.Inadditiontoformalmeetingstheywillat-tendtheCanadaChinaBusinessCounciltheShanghaiDiamondExchangeandtheBeijingFurandLeatherShowahighlightforPremierMcLeod.IntheinterestofbuildingstrongertieswithJapaneseinvestorstheNWTwillalsobehostingagalainTokyoamiddiamondtourismandoilandgastradetalks.POLITICSTRADEMISSIONNWTPremierBobMcLeodspeaksatanengagementinChinaduringthe2012trademissionbyCanadaspremiers.PhotoCounciloftheFederation