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4TuesdayFebruary172015TheNorthernJournalisanindependentnewspapercoveringnewsandeventsinthewesternArcticandnorthernAlberta.2013CCNABLUERIBBONCANADIANCOMMUNITYNEWSPAPERAWARD2013CMCAAUDITEDTheNorthernJournalispublishedweeklybyCascadePublishingLtd.PrintedatStarPressInc.WainwrightAB.Publisher.................................................................................DonJaque867-872-3000ext.21donnorj.caEditor.........................................................................MeaganWohlberg867-872-3000ext.24newsnorj.caReporter.......................................................................DaliCarmichael867-872-3000ext.25reporternorj.caComptroller.....................................................DixiePenner867-872-3000ext.23dixnorj.caAdvertising..............................HeatherFoubertHayRiver867-874-4106adsnorj.caAdministration............................................JeremyTurcotte867-872-3000ext.26adminnorj.caProductionManager......................................SandraJaque867-872-3000ext.22sandranorj.caGraphics........................................................PaulBannister867-872-3000ext.27graphicsnorj.caLetterstotheEditorPolicyTheNorthernJournalwelcomesletterstotheeditor.Lettersmustbesignedandincludeaphonenumbersotheauthorcanbeveried.Nameswillbewithheldonrequestinspecialcircumstanceswherethereasonsaredeterminedtobevalid.TheJournalreservestherighttoeditlettersforlengthlibelclarityandtaste.Opinionsexpressedinlettersandcolumnsarenotnecessarilythoseofthepublisheroreditor.AdvertisingDeadlinesDisplayaddeadlineisThursdayat400p.m.ClassiedaddeadlineisThursdayat500p.m.Emailadsnorj.caSubscriptionRatesPricesincludeGST.47.25inFortSmith52.50elsewhereinCanada105intheUSAoverseas164.30.EDITORIALLETTERSTOTHEEDITORWalkingthelineseekingfairnessFebruaryhasbeencoldintheNorthnotthebesttimetobeonstrikeyetthereareworkersinHayRiverandFortSmithwalkingthepicketlinesghtingforfairness.StatisticsCanadaswebsitesaysasofDecem-berthecostoflivinghasgoneup1.5percentacrossCanadain12months.Somethingspar-ticularlyfooditsayswentupbyover4percent.Themainreasontheoverallratewassolowwasthatenergypricesdroppedacrossthecountrybyover6percent.Seenanotherwaythepurchasingpowerofourmoneyhasdecreasedthatmuch.Thatswhyworkerswantwageadjustmentssotheirin-comesdonotlosegroundovertime.Thatisfair.Costoflivinguctuationsvaryacrossdif-ferentregionsofthecountry.AsoflastAprilSaskatchewanhadaninationrateof2.8percentwhileinQuebecpricesescalatedonly1.4percentfor12months.ThereisnospecicdataforNorthernCanadabutitislikelythe1.5percentStatsCanaverageisnotaccurateanywhereNorthof60.Foronewedonotenjoycheapnaturalgasthatheatshousesinmosturbancentresacrossthecountry.Thepriceofnaturalgaswhichwasalreadyverylowdroppedinthelastseveralmonthsalongwithoilreducinghomeheat-ingcostsevenfurtherforsouthernCanadians.IfthatwasamajorfactorinStatsCanscalcu-lationsthenthatgurehasnobearingontheNorth.Dieselfuelthatheatsourhomesanddrivesfreighttrucksincomparisonhasnotdecreasedmuchatall.FoodpricesintheNorthgoupcontinually.Ofcoursefoodcostsaretiedtothecostofdiesel.Ifwedidntbenetasmuchfromthedropinenergypricesandourfoodwentupmorethan4percentthat1.5percentStatsCangureshouldclearlybeseenasouttolunch.ItshouldbedoubleeventriplefortheNorth.TheNWTnanceministerhasboldlytargetedattracting2000newresidentsinthenextfewyears.Wethinkheisunrealisticbutweappreci-atehisintent.HowwehavetoaskisitpossibletoattractnewresidentstotheNWTespeciallyskilledworkerswhoaregoingtohavefamiliesbuildhomesandbecomeapermanentpartofcommunitieswhenwagesgoupmarginallyyeartoyearwhiletherealcostoflivingincreasesmuchhigherandfasterthaninthesouthFewwillwanttomovetoaplacewheretheirwageseroderapidly.AnaccurategurethatreectsthetruerateofincreaseinthecostoflivingintheNortheachyearisneeded-adjustedappropriatelyfortheuniquecostsindifferentregions.Workerswagesshouldbetiedtothat.NotanotherpipelinepipedreampleaseNWTPremierBobMcLeodjustreturnedfromatrademissiontoChinaandJapan.HehasbeenputtingonalotofmilespromotingeconomicdevelopmentintheterritoryandaArcticGatewaypipelinethatwouldbringbi-tumenfromtheAlbertaoilsandstoadeepwa-terportatTuktoyaktukforexporttoChinaorSouthKoreaseemstobeatthetopofhislist.Itiscreativethinking.AdeepwaterportatTukwouldwelcometheowofoceanfreightertrafctakingthenewshortcutthroughtheNorthwestPassageopenedbytheEarthswarm-ing.ItwouldalsofueltheexportofNWToilgasandmineralsplusfacilitateexploitationofoilandnaturalgasrichesundertheArcticOcean.ImportantlyitwouldbeapermanentboosttotheeconomiesofallMackenzieDeltacommunities.Thebigissueistheunpredictablyshortex-portseasonwhentheicepackretreatssotank-erscannavigatesafelythroughtheBeaufortSea.WefearascenariowhereindustrybuysintotheideagetsstartedwiththeplanningforaprojectfacilitatedbyNWTlobbyingthenAlaskaconvincesthosewiththebigbucksthatthepipelineshouldtakeadetouratNormanWellsfollowtheCanolPassandgoeasttoJu-neauwithitsall-weatherport.InthatcasetheNWTwouldendupwithafewhundredkilo-metresofpipelineandnothingelse.TheNWTsexperiencewithoilpipelinesisnotgood.The866-kmpipelinedeliveringoilfromNormanWellstoZamawasbuiltbyInterprovincialPipeLinesnowadivisionofEnbridgeandESSOtogetherwithaprojectedlifeof30yearsormore.Evidenceofpoorconstructionemergedin2013whenitmadenationalnewsforitsincidentsofleakingandseverallargespills.Thereareotherseriousdownsidesthatwouldlikelystymytheproject.ItwouldcrossoverboththeDehchoandSahturegionswheretheFirstNationsguardtheintegrityoftheirlands.Thereisagrowinganti-pipelinemovementespeciallyamongtheyoung.Ofcoursethewholepointofthepipelineistoincreasetheexportcapacityoftheoilsandswhichwouldpromptanexplo-sionofgrowththerealsounpopular.SincetheNWTisdownstreamofthatindustrialactiv-ityandresidentsdrinkthewaterandeattheshthereisconsiderablesolidaritywiththeplightofFirstNationswhoselandsareundersiegefromdevelopment.Awaveofoppositionispredictable.AnoilsandsbitumenpipelinethatwouldtraversetheNWTwouldverylikelybesociallyandpoliticallydivisiveonascalethatwoulddwarftheprotestsofthefamousMackenzieValleypipelinehearingsofthe1970s.Simplyputitisnotanachievablegoal.WhatlowerfuelpricescouldmeanfortheNorthEditorThesepastsixmonthshaveseenarapidreductioninthepriceofabarrelofoildrop-pingbyalmosthalfintheshortperiodoftime.Thisisaremarkableoccurrenceonceagaindemonstratingthevolatilityofthisen-ergysource.Whileinternationalpoliticscanbeblamedforpartofthedeclineonecan-notignorethefactthatworlddemandfortheproducthasfallenbelowthegrowthofthesupplyofconventionalandnon-conven-tionaloil.WearelikelyinaperiodofloweroilpricesonewhichhasgreatbenetstoNorthernconsumers.UnlikesouthernCanadaweuseoilprod-uctsforheatingourbuildingsandproduc-ingsomeofourelectricity.Thatshouldmeanoverthemediumtermanenergydividendofsomerealimportance.Ourdiamondminesutilisinghundredsofmillionsoflitresofdieselwillseeagreatsaving.AswelltheGNWTmunicipalgovern-mentshousingauthoritiesandothersthathavelargexedbudgetsbasedonthecostofdieselandfueloilshouldseeamajorcostsaving.HowshouldthisbenetplayoutShouldwetaxtheminesalittlemorefortheirfueluseandsharetheirdividendwiththerestofNorthernersinbetterpublicservicesShouldweencouragetheGNWTtoredoubleitsef-fortstosaveusfromthisfossilfuelhangupthroughbetterconversionprogramsOrshouldweutilizealittleofthissavingtohelpNWTworkerswhohaveseencostoflivingincreasesbasedonsouthernCanadianina-tionratherthanthehigherconditionsintheNorthWithadecliningpopulationintheNWTweneedtoencouragepeopletoliveandworkhere.IthasbeenadifculttimeforNorthernersoverthelastdecadesome-thingtherecentAuditorGeneralsreportonourfoodcostsbearsout.ButforthosewholiveintheNorthwedontneedanyonetotellusthatourcostoflivinghasgonewayup.DennisBevingtonMPNorthwestTerritoriesPhotosDaliCarmichaelTheladiesofArcticFOXYspentlastweekworkingwithteenagegirlsatPaulWilliamKaeserHighSchoolinFortSmith.AboveagroupofgirlsrangingfromGrade7to9standwiththeirbodymapsawayofvisualizingthemselvesandtheirgoals.BelowthesamegirlsdebriefwithFOXYcoordinatorsCandiceLysandNancyMacNeillafteradayfulloflearningaboutsexualityrelationshipsandmostimportantlythemselves.