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MineralsearchtobenefitpermafroststudiesNWTGeologicalSurvey12TuesdayApril142015ENVIRONMENTGEOSCIENCESByMEAGANWOHLBERGThehuntformorediamondsandmineralsintheSlaveGeo-logicalProvinceSGPwillalsohavetheaddedimpactofsup-portingregionalresearchonchangestopermafrostandgroundiceconditionsaccord-ingtoterritorialgeologists.TheNWTGeologicalSurveyformerlyknownastheGeo-sciencesOfceiscurrentlyundertakingworkinthegeo-logicalareaoftheNorthSlaveexaminingleftoversfromgla-cialeventsthatcouldpointtomoremineralsandmetalslikediamondsandgold.Accordingtothesurveyun-consolidatedorloosesurfacematerialsdepositedbyglaciersknownastillshavepreviouslybeenusedtodiscoverkimber-litebodiesandconcentrationsofmineralsandmetals.Nowgeologistsarelookingbelowthesurfacetotracebackpreviousglacialeventstondolderde-positsthatmightholdnewndings.TheseolderglacialdepositscontainvaluableinformationthatcanhelpguidecompaniesandprospectorstoexplorationtargetsIndustryTourismandInvestmentMinisterDavidRamsaytoldTheJournalinanemailfollowinghistouroftheSGPlastweek.Thestudywilluseadrilltoboredownthroughtheseglacialdepos-itsandtakesamplesofthesedeposits.Thisknowledgeisexpectedtoenhancetheeffec-tivenessofdiamondandmetalexplorationintheSGP.Thedrillingprogramwontonlyservetoboosttheminingindustryhowever.RamsaysaidtheresearchwillalsosupportaregionalstudyofgeotechnicalandpermafrostcharacteristicsintheSGP.Theglacialdepositswillalsobeexaminedfortheiricecon-tentandotherchangesinper-mafrostandgroundicecondi-tionshesaid.Thisworkwillillustratepotentialrisksandinformmitigationmeasuresassociatedwithinfrastructureplanningdevelopmentandremediation.Thermistorsortempera-turesensitiveresistorswillbeinstalledinapproximately30holesatvariousdepthstopro-videongoingmonitoringofthepermafrostoveramulti-yeartimeframe.Ramsaysaidtheresearchwillbenetregulatorsandotherdecisionmakers.TheregionalscaleofthisworkisunprecedentedfortheNWTandwillgreatlyadvancetheenvironmentalgeoscienceknowledgeoftheSGPhesaid.Thebulkofthedatacollec-tionisexpectedtobecom-pletedbytheendofsummer2015withinitialdatacom-ingavailableinspring2016andmorein-depthanalysesfollowingaspublicationsandscienticstudies.TheprojectisbeingfundedbytheCanadianNorthernEco-nomicDevelopmentAgencyCanNorwithtotalsofover1.5millionfor2014-15andover1.9millionin2015-16.Partnersontheprojectin-cludeDominionDiamondCorp.DiavikDiamondMinesandotherindustrypartnersalongwiththeUniversityofWaterlooSimonFraserUni-versityCarletonUniversityandtheUniversityofBritishColumbia.TheCanadianMin-ingInnovationandResearchOrganizationhasalsobeenengagedtoprovidestrategicplanningandprojectguidanceservices.TaxesinFortSmithseeslightincreasePOLITICSMUNICIPALByDALICARMICHAELFortSmithstowncouncilwasrelievedtofinalizethemunicipalitystaxbylawlastweekataratelowerthanini-tiallyexpected.FollowinganalreadingofthebylawataspecialmeetingofcouncilonApr.10commu-nitymemberscanexpecttoseealessthanonepercentincreaseinthisyearsmillrateafteranassessmentfromMunicipalandCommunityAffairsMACAcamebackwithpropertyvalueshigherthanexpected.Wethoughtourincreaseinrevenuewasgoingtohavetobeaboutthreepercentbasedonlastyearsassessment-thatsthepropertytaxdebatewehadatChristmastime-butitturnsoutitsonlyonepercentbecausetheassessmentvalueshavegoneupsaidcouncillorKevinSmith.Themillratebylawwasap-provedunanimouslybyatowncouncilconsistingofcouncil-lorsSmithLouisSebertLynnNapier-BuckleyandDonWebbwithChrisBirdasactingSAOandmayorBradBrakeovercon-ferencecall.ItwasthensignedintoactionMondayafternoon.Communitytaxnoticesusu-allysentoutaroundtheMar.1weredelayedthisyearasthemunicipalityawaitedMACAsassessment.Withthemillratebylawsettledfortheyearresi-dentscanlookforwardtore-ceivingtheirslipswithinthenextfewweeks.FortSmithmillratesin2014and20152014rates2015ratesResidentialdeveloped............................21.25..................21.23Residentialnon-developed.................21.25..................21.23Commercialdeveloped..........................27.76..................27.84Commercialnondeveloped...............27.76..................27.84Industrialdeveloped...............................27.76..................27.84Industrialnon-developed....................27.76..................27.84Institutionaldeveloped.........................32.04.................32.14Institutionalnon-developed.............32.04.................32.14Recreational...................................................21.25..................21.32Telecommunications...............................32.04.................32.14Countryresidentialdeveloped........17.64...................17.69Countryresidentialnon-developed..17.69...................17.64Countryresidentialmixeduse........21.32..................21.32Schoollevy.......................................................3.83......................3.90