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NDP government to review Alberta Energy Regulator AlbertaPremierRachelNotley wants to address the conict- ing mandate of the provinces oil and gas regulator in an up- coming energy policy review. See page 6. Hay River hospital celebrates 50th anniversary Hay River celebrated the legacy of health care in the community on the 50th anni- versary of the H.H. Williams Hospital on Saturday. See page 14. FUEL STOLEN Fireghting in the South Slave was stalled after a fuel cache was raided. See page 2. Fort Smith rocker up for Indigenous Music Award Geronimo Paulette and Wil- liam Greenland are two mu- sicians from the NWT who have been nominated for In- digenous Music Awards. See page 13. Drought impacting Wood Buffalos whooping cranes Endangered whooping cranes have changed their nesting patterns due to drought and re in and around Wood Buf- falo National Park. See page 9. V IS IT W W W .N O R J.C A A national award winning independent newspaper serving northern Alberta and the Northwest Territories since 1977 1.00 June 30 2015 Vol. 39 No. 9 PhotoMeaganWohlberg Hay River Jean Marie River put on alert for possible evacuation due to res Number of res in NWT has doubled in one week By MEAGAN WOHLBERG The communities of Hay River and Jean Marie River have been advised to enact their emergency measures plan in preparation for possible evacuation due to nearby forest res. Lightning last week and over the weekend saw 75 new res in the ter- ritory doubling the total number of res that have burned since the beginning of the season. Of those 129 are still burning and a total of 182000 hectares have burned. Pervasive drought conditions across the southern half of the NWT have resulted in extreme re behav- iour that has thwarted initial attack measures by helicopters bombers and ground crews. In a normal situation because of the fire intensity crews can only withstand fires that have flames that go up to their eyes but in these cases here they were ex- periencing fires with flames that would get up into the trees and undertake crowning moving at a greater rate than the resources can slow the fire down said Richard Olsen fire operations manager with Environment and Natural Resources ENR. Extreme behaviour is moving at a faster rate than the resources you have available to calm the re. Re- ally the resources prove ineffective at that point and we have to pretty much pull off and reassess and look at other options. Hay River emergency measures enacted Such was the case south of Hay River where two res have grown together to become the Paradise Complex. That re escaped initial attack attempts on Saturday and is now in excess of 5000 hectares lo- cated just 10 km from the nearest town infrastructure. While an incident management team is doing work to create a bar- rier between the town and the fire - primarily cat guards and ignition operations to stall the growth of the fire - officials say an expected change in wind direction is likely to push the flames towards Hay River. We are looking at experienc- ing weather conditions that might change the direction of the fire and the wind Olsen said.The fire and the smoke will move to- wards the community and we have made recommendations to emergency measures that all their emergency processes in advis- ing the community and prepar- ing for risk to the community be put in place. Jean Marie River put on alert As of Monday afternoon a re 3 km northwest of Jean Marie River was also being pushed by winds to- wards the community. There was a recommendation that they be put on alert because of re risk Olsen said. Were up- dating emergency measures but any change in re behaviour may affect the community at this time. Seven tankers were deployed to the re on Sunday night and con- tinued work on it on Monday. Another series of res 20-30 km south of Fort Simpson known as the AntoineComplexarealsobeingpri- oritized by ENR crews. Two of the res have grown to 5000 hectares and have the potential to impact the community though Fort Simpson is currently not at risk. See Fire resources on page 3. Justin Lalonde of Yellowknife competes in the mens singles nal at the Fort Smith Open tennis tournament on Sunday afternoon. Lalonde came in second against Fort Smiths Bernie Bennett who has taken the title over Lalonde for the last three years. See more on page 19. 2 Tuesday June 30 2015 ENVIRONMENT WILDFIRES NEWS BRIEFS RCMP prepare for marine exercise Operation Gateway 2015 PoliceintheNWTaregettingreadyforOperationGateway 2015 an annual maritime patrol of the Mackenzie River River Delta and the coastal waters of the Beaufort Sea. The RCMP patrol is scheduled to last 17 days launching from Hay River on July 7 and concluding in Tuktoyaktuk on July 24. The operation will run concurrently with Op- eration Nunakput a Canadian Armed Forces maritime patrol. The exercise is conducted to enhance RCMP and military capacity to respond to emergencies and provide comprehensive policing services. Roy Fabian retains position as Katlodeeche chief Incumbent Roy Fabian has retained his position as chief of the Katlodeeche First Nation in Hay River following an election which took place on June 24. Fabian ran against first-time candidate April Mar- tel for the position. Official results show a tight race with Fabian receiving 91 votes and Martel receiving 81. Joining Fabian are councillors Jeanna Graham Robert Lamalice Fred Martel Jr. and Pat Martel. Charges laid in Fort McPherson over nancial irregularities The RCMPs federal investigations unit has laid charges in regardstoaninvestigationofnancialirregularitieswithin FortMcPhersonscommunitynances.Thehamletsformer director of nance Ina Koe 44 has been charged with two countsoffraudover5000andonecountofbreachoftrust by a public ofcer. The investigation launched following a forensicnancialauditin2013foundKoeguiltyofabusing herpositionandmisappropriatingover400000inhamlet funds for personal use and gain. Fire operations grind to halt after helicopter fuel stolen Crews were grounded and unable to ght Fire SS-027 near Sandy Lake last Wednesday after someone stole their helicopter fuel. The re has since combined with two others in the region to form the large Swampy Lakes Complex that closed Highway 6 to Fort Resolution on the weekend. By MEAGAN WOHLBERG Firefighting operations near Sandy Lake in the South Slave were brought to a halt last week after crews and he- licopters showed up to a fuel cache to nd all four drums of Jet-A fuel had been stolen. Firefighters were dis- patched to two res in the Sandy Lake area between Hay River and Fort Smith last Wednesday including two ground crews and two helicoptersintendedtobucket water onto the ames. But when they showed up there was not a drop of fuel to be found meaning Jet-A had to be trucked in from Hay River. The helicopter had to land and could not y until we got some fuel to him from Hay River so there was a delay of about three hours. We just had to stand by until we could get some fuel said Daniel Al- laire manager of forests for the South Slave with the de- partmentofEnvironmentand Natural Resources ENR. It was quite serious for us. It just put our operation at a standstill. Allaire said the fuel drums had been seen there less than a week before meaning they were probably stolen early last week. Each drum contains 205 litres of fuel weighing about 400 lbs meaning the thief would have needed a trailer or a large truck with ramps to steal all four of the drums. Based on the current cost of Jet-A fuel Allaire esti- mated each drum was worth more than 300 not count- ing the cost of the barrel and the transportation to get it there. Third theft this year This is the third cache where ENR has had fuel stolen since the beginning of the fire season. Earlier this year several drums were stolen from a cache at Polar Lake near Hay River and fuel was also taken out of a site north of Fort Providence. our fuel caches are because except for maybe one or two whereyoucanactuallyseethe fuelfromtheroad...mostofthe caches are tucked away. You cant see them as you drive. You would have to go in. Fortunately neither in- cident occurred during a re operation like the one last week. This last one was quite a big concern because we were right in the middle of the re operation Allaire said. Helicopters need at least 20 minutesoffueltheycantjust y until they run out. Also they have to keep in mind if someone were to get hurt they need to have enough fuel to get the nearest com- munity to get medical atten- tion. They were counting on that fuel to be there. The department has re- ported the incidents to the RCMP who are now investigating. Allaire believes its the work of one individual with knowledgeofENRsfuelcache network. I suspect theres an indi- vidual there doing this and using the fuel for his diesel truck he said. Somebody whos quite aware of where The fuel caches are lo- cated along the highway in order for ENRs trucks to be able to easily drop drums off. But due to the string of thefts Allaire said the department is considering moving them by helicopter away from road access de- spite it being costly and in- convenient or locking them up in a sea-can. The fuel was never previ- ously locked up because theft wasnt a huge problem Al- laire said. This year is the worst Ive seen. Its pretty rare that weve had fuel stolen be- fore. It happens sometimes maybe a drum or someone takes some of the fuel out of one drum but to take it all at once and clean out the fuel cache thats quite unusual he said. According to the depart- ment there have been no reports of stolen fuel in any of the other re management regions. If someone were to get hurt they need to have enough fuel to get the nearest community to get medical attention. They were counting on that fuel to be there. Daniel Allaire Environment Natural ResourcesPhotocourtesyofENRGNWT Tuesday June 30 2015 3 ENVIRONMENT WILDFIRES Appraised at 515000 asking 499000 Centrally located 6 car parking 3 complete private suites double lot Brand new furnace plumbing and electrical all new windows totally renovated hardwood throughout main floor All appliances and furniture are negotiable. Turn-key operation live in one suite and rent the others or operate a bed and breakfast. TRIPLEX FOR SALE 28 Cumming Avenue Fort Smith NT Email ruth_ rolfehotmail.com for enquiries or to set up a viewing. Congratulations Dr. James Jamie you have achieved your childhood goal to be a physician in the NWT. You are the first of the Tlicho people to do this. Your hard work dedication and successful completion of your studies has made your family friends and community of Tlicho people very proud indeed You will bring your traditional Tlicho knowledge your skills as a medical practitioner your warmth your strong sense of community and environmental responsibility and your creativity and resourcefulness to meet the needs of your patients over the coming years. Jamie and the family thank the Tlicho Government and the GNWT Departments of Health and Social Services Education Culture and Employment and Environment and Natural Resources for their support. With best wishes for your future from your mother Rosa Wah-Shee father Jack Van Camp brothers Richard Roger and John and all your friends. Dr. James Joseph Van Camp MD CCFP Continued from page 1. The NWT is just one of many jurisdictions burningacrosstheNorthandwesternCanada where communities are being evacuated in Saskatchewan and likely soon in Manitoba. Over 600 new res exploded across western Canada over the weekend. The extreme re season to the south has meant national resources are stretched thin and res everywhere need to be prioritized. Within Canada resources are very tight. Most people are actively working res and so available resources to be shared within mu- tual aid agreements across Canada things are becoming quite difcult Olsen said. So we really are tasked with making sure we pri- oritize our res and make really good use of the resources we have in place. Currently 28 ve-person crews are working throughout the territory along with an addi- tional 70 emergency reghters from within the NWT. Forty more reghters have been imported from Ontario along with a re be- haviour specialist. We are looking at other specialized re- sources to bring in specically people that can help with the risk to communities and who are experts in structure protection and have equipment for structure protection Olsen said. Fires being actioned across territory Outside of those priority areas other res are being initial attacked in the South Slave. One northeast of Fort Providence also escaped initial attack and will be actioned further once more resources become avail- able. Two other res near Fort Providence were brought under control while others are being monitored including two near the turnoff to Kakisa on the north side of the highway. Those are currently limited by last years burns but with the potential to impact travel due to smoke. An incident management team has also been placed on a series of res in the Pine Point area called the Swampy Lakes Com- plex. One of those res jumped Highway 6 on the weekend closing the roadway. North- westel and NT Power Corp. infrastructure are at risk of burning and crews are expected to be working on that re for seven to 10 days minimum but the highway remains open. Work is also being down on another re 60 km south of Behchoko along Highway 3. Crews were prepared for an ignition opera- tion but weather conditions that brought erratic winds stalled those plans. A burn- out is planned for when conditions become adequate. Fire resources stretched across western Canada Over 600 new fires start over weekend from Yukon to Manitoba As well ve new res northeast of Fort Smith are threatening numerous values south of the Taltson dam an area of high use by local land-users. Work is being done on three of those to protect values and limit growth. Two existing res - one west of the Taltson River and the other south of Tsu Lake - con- tinue to burn with the former having grow- ing to well over 30000 hectares in size due to extreme re behaviour. Its now mainly being monitored as is the large re along Highway 3 south of Behchoko where crews have been working for over a month. Both those res are contributing quite a bit to smoke that people are experiencing in the Fort Smith area Olsen said. A new re that was just being assessed Monday was located 10-12 km southeast of Wekweeti but a response had yet to be de- termined as of press time. Based on the 20-year average for this time of year the NWT would normally see around 66 fires and 223000 hectares burned. Wood Buffalo Park res close Highway 5 to Fort Smith Fires burning within Wood Buffalo Na- tional Park along Highway 5 closed the sole roadway into Fort Smith on Sunday night. A total of 45 res were burning in the park as of the latest update on Monday. With lightning strikes throughout the park crews have been dispatched to protect not only the highway but values at Sweetgrass Station Garden River and Peace Point over the last week and crews have been imported from across the country. The largest re continues to burn near Garden River in Alberta totalling close to 200000 hectares in size. In Alberta Highway 35 towards the NWT was also closed at points over the weekend. It opened again Monday afternoon but was at risk for closing again on short notice due to smoke from a re near High Level. Another 75 res started in the NWT over the last week bringing the total to date to 158 with 129 still burning. ImageNWTre.com 4 Tuesday June 30 2015 The Northern Journal is an independent newspaper covering news and events in the western Arctic and northern Alberta. 2013 CCNA BLUE RIBBON CANADIAN COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER AWARD 2013 C M C A AUDITED The Northern Journal is published weekly by Cascade Publishing Ltd. Printed at Star Press Inc. Wainwright AB. Publisher................................................................................. Don Jaque 867-872-3000 ext.21 donnorj.ca Editor.........................................................................Meagan Wohlberg 867-872-3000 ext.24 newsnorj.ca Reporter....................................................................... Dali Carmichael 867-872-3000 ext.25 reporternorj.ca Comptroller ..................................................... Dixie Penner 867-872-3000 ext.23 dixnorj.ca Advertising.............................. Heather Foubert Hay River 867-874-4106 adsnorj.ca Administration............................................Jeremy Turcotte 867-872-3000 ext.26 adminnorj.ca Production Manager ......................................Sandra Jaque 867-872-3000 ext.22 sandranorj.ca Graphics........................................................Paul Bannister 867-872-3000 ext.27 graphicsnorj.ca Letters to the Editor Policy The Northern Journal welcomes letters to the editor. Letters must be signed and include a phone number so the author can be veried. Names will be withheld on request in special circumstances where the reasons are determined to be valid. The Journal reserves the right to edit letters for length libel clarity and taste. Opinions expressed in letters and columns are not necessarily those of the publisher or editor. Advertising Deadlines Display ad deadline is Thursday at 400 p.m. Classied ad deadline is Thursday at 500 p.m. Email adsnorj.ca Subscription Rates Prices include GST. 47.25 in Fort Smith 52.50 elsewhere in Canada 105 in the USA overseas 164.30. EDITORIAL COLUMN Fostering an innovative energy future For the past four decades the NWT govern- menthasborrowedpoliciespracticesandpro- gramsfromConservative-runAlberta.Nowthat a fresh wind has blown through the Alberta legislature will the new populist ideas of the NotleyNDPgovernmentbesimilarlyadopted The 60th parallel is but a geographers sym- bol when it comes to economy. What happens with industry in the NWT is an extension of Alberta. The NWT only recently began stray- ing from the Alberta education curriculum with a few additions of homegrown texts with Aboriginal content. Albertas social services programs approaches and attitudes have been emulated over the years. Theapproachtotaxingcorporationshasbeen routinelycopiedaswell.Highlyprotablemul- tinational resource extraction companies have been allowed to accrue fortunes yet pay mini- malfeesandtaxesintheNWTasinAlberta.For example natural gas that has owed from the Liard basin for decades has been given away at headinHayRiver.TheSenatereporthighlights the bleak situation caused by the high cost of energygenerationacrossCanadasNorthhow it is a key contributor to the unaffordable cost oflivinginNortherncommunities.Thereport says the federal government must step up and nance more efcient power generation infra- structure including grid lines that connect to cheap power in the south plus new innova- tive technologies. The Harper Conservatives have been AWOL on this. It is particularly bad in Nunavut where 14 of 25 communities have powerplantsthatarewellbeyondprojectedlife - unreliable inefcient and ready to fail. One ofthosecommunitiesisCambridgeBaywhere the new High Arctic Research Station one of thefewNorthernaccomplishmentsbythefed- eral Conservatives placed additional demand on the power plant ignoring the plight of the communitys future power needs. The NWT faces similar problems of aging inefcient diesel power plants but is also saddled with two power providers the Northwest Territories Power Corp. NTPC a crown corporation and Northland Utili- ties NUL a private sector corporation. As a result many NWT communities are stuck paying both for power. One of those is Hay River where town council bravely said the price of power is too high and they are not going to take it anymore refusing to re-sign the contract with NUL which buys its power from NTPC. In doing so they have forced the NWT government to take action. The current thinking in government is that one of the two providers has to be eliminated. Cabinetledbyseveralformercivilservantsis leaningtowardkeepingthecrowncorporation and excising the private company but NUL is ghtingback.TheElectricityReviewPanelthat touredtheNWTin2009heardmanycriticisms of the crown corporations lack of efciency poor reliability and high costs. Of particular note though was the frustration that was ex- pressed regarding the GNWTs seeming lack of overall direction to NTPC and the failure of the GNWT to articulate how the corporation ts into its plans for ensuring affordable reli- able electricity in the future states its report. Alternatively if the crown corporation were to be sold off there is a pitfall in setting up a monopoly as has been fostered by the NWT government the single largest user with Northwestel in telephone and internet com- munications. The smart approach to a private sector solution to the NWTs energy supply problemswouldbetoopenupthemarkettoall energy providers and let competition thrive. A competitive environment would also moti- vate the development and implementation of new sources of energy generation. That takes us back to how Premier Rachel Notley and her new government brimming with big ideas will infuse Alberta with in- novation. A similar wave of fresh thinking is badly needed in the NWT. The smart approach to a private sector solution to the NWTs energy supply problems would be to open up the market to all energy providers and let competition thrive. Dene Honi A truly Canadian government By DNEZE NAKEHKO How Canadian is this countrys government system The United States of American formed their governmentbasedofftheirDeclarationofInde- pendence borrowed heavily from the Iroquois Confederacytocomeupwithasystemthatmade sensetothepeoplelivinginthatgeographicloca- tion.Canadahasandcontinuestobeacolonyof BritishRuleofLaw.Asacountryweneverhad theopportunitytocomeupwithourownsystem of government that makes sense for the people wholiveinthispartoftheworld.Eitherbyforce oracquiescenceweveinheritedtheWestminster Parliamentary system from another people in another part of the world and established it as the rule of law over here on Indigenous lands. Thishasbleddowntotheprovincialterritorial andmunicipallevelssomuchsothatwhenthe VillageofFortSimpsonelectsaMayorheorshe has to pledge allegiance to the Queen. I believe the most recent example of a truly Canadian government is the Tlicho Govern- ment. Whether it is working or not is up to the peopleelectingtheofcialswhoarerunningthe government but the Tlicho Government was created by Indigenous people the Tlicho and Canadians representatives of the Federal and Territorialgovernments.Theycametotogether andmeldedtraditionalTlichogovernancewith thestandardBritishRuleofLawbuiltfromthe Treatyrelationshiptocomeupwithasystemthat makes sense for a particular group of people in aspecicgeographiclocation.Bymydenition that makes the Tlicho Government the most CanadianGovernmentwehaveinthiscountry. We could now add Deline to that list as well. Wearelivingduringatimeandinaplacewhere governmentsarebeingcreatedallthetime.This is not an example of devolution but the evolu- tion of this place we call home. Next up on the docket is the Dehcho. Last week the leaders elders and community peo- ple gathered in Liidlii Kue for the 23rd Annual Dehcho Assembly. With no Acho Dene Koe or Katlodeeche the assembly was not as full as previousones.Buttheresolvewasthesameas theAssemblystronglyreafrmedtheirstanceon theDehchoProcess.Fromtheverybeginningof negotiationsDehchoElderswerestronginnot going the comprehensive claims process route which was usually reserved for areas without a Treaty.TheElderswantedtobuildofftheTreaty 11relationshipandcomeupwithamodelabout sharedstewardshipandmanagementsotheDe- hchoandpeopleofCanadacanliveandprosper in peace and friendship. Thereareanumberofphasestonegotiations. The Dehcho are nearly done the Agreement in Principal AiP phase one step away from a nal agreement. AiPs usually outline the gen- eral areas that will be whittled down into more detail for the nal agreement. The Dehcho AiP is the most detailed and comprehensive ever created. The Dehcho have also put in the work coming up with a Land Use Plan LUP before anagreement.TheworkonaLUPusuallytakes placeafteranagreement.Thiswouldbetherst time ever that a plan for the land is completed before an agreement. The Dehcho LUP is 95 percentdone.Themainissueislandquantum. Sincedevolutiontheterritorialgovernmenthas made an offer on land selection to the Dehcho. For the people at the assembly it was an insult. ThebasisofthesetalksisTreaty11aninterna- tionalagreementbetweentwosovereignnations. Technically it should be the Queen at the nego- tiatingtableorattheveryleastCanada.Butto have the territorial arm of the Crown making offers to the people that come from that land is presumptuous and out of line. As Pehdzeh Ki ChiefTimLenniesaidattheAssemblyItsnot theGNWTwhoshouldbemakingtheoffersits us who makes the offers. With federal and territorial elections loom- ing it will be up to the incoming governments todecidethecourseofactionorinactionwhenit comestotheDehcho.TheDehchoisthegateway totheNorthandmaintransportationarteryto the resources beyond. Its one of the largest re- gions with the most communities. The Dehcho has put the work in and is primed and ready to continue on our growing tradition of creating governments. Dneze Nakehko is Denesuline and Dehcho Dene from Denendeh. resaleprices.Theapproachtoenvironmental protectionhasbeenlesscavalierintheNWTthan Alberta but disturbingly similar nonetheless. The same type of thinking permeates how the NWT government operates in the contro- versialenergysectorandintheextractionuse and regulation of fossil fuels. Such things as the approach to fracking will be re-evaluated in Alberta but will that happen in the NWT The NWT government has said it will model thewayitpursuestheregulationofenergyproj- ectspipelinespowerlinesandutilitiesatleast somewhat on the setup of the Alberta Energy Regulator AER but the AERs corporate- friendly approach to regulation is surely going tobescrutinizedundertheNotleygovernment. Will the NWT stay the course and sustain the relic Alberta Conservative way of thinking in spiteofthatkeepingtheMcCrankReportThe roadtoImprovementtheroadmaptotheen- ergy regulation future North of 60 Hopefully not. ThereleaselastweekoftheSenatereporton the dire situation of energy generation in the threeNorthernterritoriesistimelycoinciding withthecontroversyintheNWToverthefuture of its two power companies that has come to a PhotoDenezeNakehko Delegates gather at the Dehcho Assembly in Liidlii Kue Fort Simpson last week. Tuesday June 30 2015 5 LETTER TO THE EDITOR 15 Years Ago... Staking a claim Band members negotiators and concerned residents of Fort Smith lled Roaring Rapids Hall on June 20 for a public information meeting on the Salt River First Na- tions treaty land entitlement negotiations. On hand for the meeting were SRFN Chief Jim Schaefer chief federal negotiator Tim Christian chief NWT negotiator Hugh Richardson SRFN chief negotiator Henry Beaver and SRFN consultant Jerome Slavik. Issue June 27 2000 20 Years Ago... Fort Chip comes out in force for grad Congratulations and recognition for a job well done are a given in Fort Chipewyan. Two students gradu- ated from Grade 12 at the Athabasca Delta Community School on June 23 and over 200 people showed up to help celebrate. The ceremony supper and dance were an impressive show of community spirit. Issue June 28 1995 30 Years Ago... Beaver enters third term Raymond Beaver has entered his third term as chief of the FitzSmith Native Band beating his only rival for- mer sub-chief Danny MacDonald in the election Mon- day. At present the future is on Beavers mind. His aim is to prepare his people for the land claims settlement. Issue June 27 1985 ARCHIVES Northern Journal 2015 Join us online LikeNorthernJournalonFacebookand gettheweeklynewsdeliveredtoyourfeed FACEBOOK FEEDBACK After almost four decades of teaching students at Keyano Colleges Fort Chipewyan campus the institu- tions rst-ever instructor Maureen Clarke has decided to graduate into retirement. Fort Chipewyans original college instructor retires Stella Wasylyshyn Congrats look too young to retire Traditions take centre stage at Fort Smith Aboriginal Day celebrations Patricia Sepp Looks like a great time By DAWN KOSTELNIK Seals live under this mas- sive expanse of ice in front of us are miles of white. The edges of the world drop off with the curve of the earth and the blue sky reaches up to God. There is a small black line way off to the right on the far horizon. Sunshine and millions of snow diamonds glint back in radiant light. We are very very little out here. It is a strange feeling being the only visible creatures in thisexpanseoftotalwhite.The small black line is growing it appears to be oating above the sea ice. Droning engines onthe skidoos bring us closer to the line. We sit high on the Komatik perched on caribou hidesforwarmthwithourmit- ted hands tucked under the ropes that tie the load down and keep us onboard. Some- times the skidoo disappears from sight and sound and we swish through the sugar snow. Slowly up the ice packs we climb and then crash the front of the sled slams down hardontheiceaswebeginour descent down the backside. TravellingbyKomatikstarts offasfunbutafterafewhours wearegrowingtiredofthecon- tinualbangofthesled.Lookin theskywhatisitLooklook Holy what is that The black linehasbecomeaoatingisland withamirroredimageofland thrownhighupwardsintothe heavensanhourglassconnec- tiontotheearth.TheHallelujah MountainsinthemovieAvatar mayhavebeenconceivedfrom the visuals of mirages on the sea ice but somehow I doubt it. There are no waterfalls and absolutelynothinggreentobe seenanywhereonthisoating mountain.Toseeislandsoat- ing in the sky is mostly unbe- lievable. The concept for the Hallelujah Mountains must have come from an ocean in a much warmer place. Campispositionedjustbelow the oating islands on the ice whitetentsonwhitersnowwith awallofsoaringblackstoneas abackdrop.Theislandsfadeas the sunlight changes. Our 50- footwalldropsandbecomesa 20-footbumpontheforeverice. Thereisanexpandablepoleto hold up the centre of the tent and the sides are restrained by tying them to the Koma- tik. With the skidoos freed to go and hunt we remain in camp to set up I will have to wait to see how they sneak up on the seals. Inthespringtheseaicethins asthesunwarmsthesolidfrigid surface.Sealshaveairholesin theiceandasthesunmeltsthe surfaceicetheholesgetbigger. Seals come up on the ice sur- face to bask in the sun laying besidetheirlifelinetheholesin thesurfacethataretheirescape routes back into the liquid ice oftheArcticSea.Huntershide behind a kite made of white material usually a bed sheet andstealthilygetcloseenough to the seal to get a head shot. If they hit the seal inthe body thesealwilldropbackintothe holeanddisappearintothesea. In order to have fresh food for thespringbreakupheadshots are necessary. To be continued www.thewhitegirl.ca White Girl Easter in the Arctic Betty Gunn Congrats Maureen on your retirement... Finding My Great-Grandfather Editor I never knew family his- tory meant so much to me till now. When I was younger I was told I had a great grand- father by the name of Alfred and that he owned a little barber shop in Brandon Manitoba. We didnt know very much about him just that he was a barber lived in Brandon and passed away in his early years. A couple of months ago I was searching online for my great grandfather and I just happened to spot his adver- tisement on the Brandon Uni- versity website. The Brandon newspaper I found back then was called The Sickle not the Brandon Sun. At the time my great grandfather would place his little business ad in each newspaper. He called his business Alf The Barber and he just wrote he was near the M.M.T. bus depot. Thats all I found at the time those were my only clues. One day we headed to the Manitoba Legislative Li- brary and thats when every- thing started coming in. The researchers started helping us and right away we found that my great grandfathers namewasAlfredGeorgeTin- nings. The people helping us even found the events Alfred attended and where he was born. It took a few hours but we found his and his wifes obituaries.Atthattimewhen wejustfoundoutwhohewas readingtheobituariesjustfelt like we had lost two family members dear to our heart. At the end of the day we had been given so much in- formation that our hearts felt full of love. With all the infor- mation I started going back online to nd more. I typed in his whole name and I spotted somehintsrightinfrontofme. With a glance I saw the name MoosoAlfredGeorgeIknew by instinct that had to be him. I found when he was young his name was Alfred George Mooso.HelivedontheKeyFirst NationinSaskatchewanwhen hewasyoung.Istartednding hiswholefamilybythistime.I foundmygreatgrandfatheras wellasmygreatgrandmother.I foundoutthatAlfredlivedwith hisgrandmotherwhenhewas a young boy. With nding all this infor- mation about my family his- toryIfeelIhavelearnedeven more about myself. Through nding my great grandfather andlearninghisfamilywasfull FirstNationsIhavefoundout I am Mtis and I have never been so proud. Knowing I am Mtis I feel I am much closer tonatureagain.WhenIgofor hikes I now feel the trees are telling me a story with the wind blowing through them. When seeing a wild animal heisactuallytellingmesome- thing. I see water running through the creeks I know it is Mother Earths blood ow therocksbeingherbonesand the drums are her heartbeat. Theimportanceofnaturehas come back to me. Slowly I am learning about myAboriginalcultureandtry- ing to pick up on every little thing I can. I have also joined agroupwheresoonwewillbe given our spiritual name and I cant wait. I have to say I re- ally believe nding my great grandfather was my lifelong gift to me and I will never forget that. IseriouslybelieveIfoundmy great grandfather for a pretty bigreasonbecauserightafter IfoundhimtheTruthandRec- onciliationCommissionpapers came out. I feel I have been given the strength to help my people and thats what I am going to do. I am going to help the First Nations in any way I can and this will be for my great grandfather Alfred. We are all there for each other Carly McIntosh Calgary Alta. COLUMN 6 Tuesday June 30 2015 POLITICS REGULATORY Everyone has a responsibility to protect their property from wildfire. Environment and Natural Resources ENR invites people who have or are taking steps to protect their valuable assets on the land to enter the FireSmart Starts in Your Backyard contest. FireSmart Starts in Your Backyard Contest To enter the contest you must Make sure you have registered your property as a Value at Risk with ENR. Provide photos of your cabin or home before using FireSmart treatments. FireSmart your property. Provide photos of your property after using FireSmart treatments. Email all information to ENR_firesmart_contestgov.nt.ca. You could win a pump hoses and sprinklers to help protect your property from wildfire. The FireSmart Starts in Your Backyard Contest runs until September 1 2015. Draw for the winner will be done September 4 2015. For more information contact your local or regional ENR office or check out the FireSmart Program section on the www.nwtfire.com. 128-368 NNSL NJ imagesarenotexactreplicaof equipmentthatwillbeprovided. Please leave a message at 872-5543 for details. WESCLEAN NORTHERN SALES LTD. Ph 867 875-5100 Fax 867 875-5155 Avalon Cat Hair - long Size - medium Gender - female Avalon is a very loving and beautiful cat. She is spayed and is up-to-date with all her shots.If you think you have a home for a Avalon please call the shelter at 872-5543. Please leave a message at 872-5543 for details. WESCLEAN NORTHERN SALES LTD. Ph 867 875-5100 Fax 867 875-5155 E-mail infowescleannwt.com web www.wescleannwt.com Avalon Cat Hair - long Size - medium Gender - female Avalon is a very loving and beautiful cat. She is spayed and is up-to-date with all her shots.If you think you have a home for a Avalon please call the shelter at 872-5543. Avalon Fawn domestic long hair Looking for a new home SpayedNeutered Up-to-date with routine shots House trained Avalon is a lovely girl who is just a princess. She loves being brushed and just about any attention. Avalon will make a great addition to any family. Please leave a message at 872-5543 for details. WESCLEAN NORTHERN SALES LTD. Ph 867 875-5100 Fax 867 875-5155 Avalon Cat Hair - long Size - medium Gender - female Avalon is a very loving and beautiful cat. She is spayed and is up-to-date with all her shots.If you think you have a home for a Avalon please call the shelter at 872-5543. Please leave a message at 872-5543 for details. WESCLEAN NORTHERN SALES LTD. Ph 867 875-5100 Fax 867 875-5155 E-mail infowescleannwt.com web www.wescleannwt.com Avalon Cat Hair - long Size - medium Gender - female Avalon is a very loving and beautiful cat. She is spayed and is up-to-date with all her shots.If you think you have a home for a Avalon please call the shelter at 872-5543. Please leave a message at 872-5543 for details. WESCLEAN NORTHERN SALES LTD. Ph 867 875-5100 Fax 867 875-5155 E-mail infowescleannwt.com web www.wescleannwt.com Avalon Cat Hair - long Size - medium Gender - female Avalon is a very loving and beautiful cat. She is spayed and is up-to-date with all her shots.If you think you have a home for a Avalon please call the shelter at 872-5543. AvalonFawn domestic long hair Looking for a new home SpayedNeutered Up-to-date with routine shots House trained Avalon is a lovely girl who is just a princess. She loves being brushed and just about any attention. Avalon will make a great addition to any family. Please leave a message at 872-5543 for details. WESCLEAN NORTHERN SALES LTD. Ph 867 875-5100 Fax 867 875-5155 E-mail infowescleannwt.com web www.wescleannwt.com Avalon Cat Hair - long Size - medium Gender - female Avalon is a very loving and beautiful cat. She is spayed and is up-to-date with all her shots.If you think you have a home for a Avalon please call the shelter at 872-5543. Miss Stache is a sophisticated and cute little lady. Isnt she just precious If you brought her home shed be so happy and give you cuddles. SpayedNeutered Up-to-date with routine shots House trained Please leave a message at 872-5543 for details. Miss Stache Black and white Looking for a new home Alberta NDP to review mandate of energy regulator By MEAGAN WOHLBERG Just three years after Al- bertasregulatorybodieswere combined to create a singular energy regulator the prov- inces new NDP leadership is proposing to re-divide re- sponsibilitiestoensureaclear division between energy and the environment. Premier Rachel Notley ex- pressed concern last week over what she called the conicting mandate of the Alberta Energy Regulator AER which she said is re- sponsible for protecting the environment while at the same time promoting oil and gas development. Whats troubling about the AER is it has actually taken over responsibility for most of the environmental protection and monitoring part and standards devel- opment within the energy sector the recently-elected premier said in an interview with the Calgary Herald last week. You cant do that job when your overarching man- date is to promote energy development. The proposed split comes as part of a wider review of theprovincesenergypolicies which includes royalty rates and corporate taxes along with the provinces climate change strategy. Notleys spokesperson Cheryl Oates told the Journal that the review of AER will be included in the governments overall review of agencies boards and commissions likely to commence this summer. There isnt a date set yet but it is one of the things we said would be a priority so we expect to be able to an- nounce the details about it in the coming weeks Oates said. Though Notley has been critical of the appointment of former oil executive Gerry Protti to the helm of the AER Oates said its too early to say how the government foresees the split taking place or what changeswouldbemadetothe regulators mandate struc- ture or stafng. The AER came into effect in June 2013 after the then- ruling Progressive Conser- vatives decided to combine the former Energy Resources Conservation Board ERCB with the regulatory duties within their departments of Sustainable Resource Devel- opment SRD and Environ- ment and Water. That decision which came out of a competitiveness re- view launched by former pre- mierEdStelmachwasmeant to streamline the regulatory system in response to com- plaintsoftoomuchregulatory red tape by industry. Based on the recommendations of a resulting task force the province established a sin- gle regulator for upstream oil gas oilsands and coal in the province. At the time environmen- tal groups criticized the amalgamation saying it would remove an important set of checks and balances and force a conict between energy and environmental interests. Lawyers also expressed concern that public partici- pation in the review process would be limited after the government removed pub- lic interest from the AERs mandate and made changes to which groups were consid- ered affected by proposed projects. Along with the cre- ation of the AER new rules were developed forcing the regulator to follow govern- ment policy like regional land use plans in making its decisions and to block Aboriginal rights challenges from being made through the hearings process. Since then the AER has been criticized largely by First Nations and landown- ers who feel the hearings process does not provide adequate opportunity for participation or accommo- dation. Despite numerous interventions by First Na- tions complaining of treaty rights infringement and lack of consultation on projects in the oilsands region First Nations have seen AER deci- sions defer to policies within the Lower Athabasca Re- gional Plan LARP a con- troversial land use plan op- posed by all affected First Nations. First Nations lead- ers and legal counsel say their only recourse is now the courts system. Though Oates said land use plans are not included in the ongoing review she said it is possible the gov- ernment will look at them in time. Its not one of our earliest priorities and it wouldnt be part of the agencies boards and commissions review she said. Its possible we just havent had time to re- view those plans yet. PhotoChrisSchwarzGovtofAlberta Alberta Premier Rachel Notley is planning to undertake a review of the Alberta Energy Regulator potentially breaking up the organization that was created as a one-window regulator by the former government in 2013. Tuesday June 30 2015 7 ENVIRONMENT CLIMATE CHANGE The deadline for fall applications is July 15th Late applications are accepted but payment is not guaranteed for the start date of fall classes. www.nwtsfa.gov.nt.ca Student Financial Assistance NOW ONLINE www.facebook.comnwtsfa Like us on Facebook for updates reminders tips and to APPLY ONLINE APPLY ONLINE Alberta raises carbon taxes for big emitters By MEAGAN WOHLBERG Albertas heaviest green- house gas emitters will be forced to reduce their emis- sions or pay the price thanks to new stricter policies on climate change announced last week. The recently-elected NDP government announced Thursday it is clamping down on the amount of emissions companies can release before being taxed and doubling the cost of the levy. Businesses producing more than 100000 tonnes of carbon dioxide CO2 a year will be forced to reduce their emissions intensity by 15 per cent in 2016 and 20 per cent by 2017. Those companies will also have to pay double the current carbon tax rate on every tonne of CO2 pro- duced beyond those levels now up from 15 to 30 ef- fectively raising the cost of carbon from 2 per tonne to 6 by 2017. Some will argue we are moving too far and too fast. I say to them that more of the same would be the worst thing we could do for our energy economy and for the future of our province Al- berta Environment Minister Shannon Phillips said during a press conference Thursday. We are serious about mak- ing progress. The new limits replace regulations that were introduced in 2007 and expired this month. The changes come as the NDP announced it will be renewing and updating the provinces current climate change strategy ahead of the UN climate change con- vention in Paris this Decem- ber. The province has hired Andrew Leach an associ- ate professor and academic director of energy programs attheUniversityofAlbertato chair an advisory panel that will comprehensively review the province of Albertas cli- mate change policy consult stakeholders and provide ad- vice on a permanent set of measures over the next three months. Other members of the panel will be added in the coming weeks. The panel will report back to government in the fall on what it heard from Alber- tans about actions that can be taken to reduce emissions across the province. That ad- vice will inform the devel- opment of a new provincial strategy and will be consid- ered alongside advice from a separate panel to be estab- lished on resource royalties. InherannouncementPhil- lips was critical of the previ- ous PC governments inaction on climate change. For years the previous government failed to de- velop a meaningful strategy to deal with the important issue of climate change and we are going to do things differently she said. Con- versations with industry and climate change experts are already underway and I look forward to engaging with Albertans as we work together with the intention of creating an effective cli- mate change action plan that helps us achieve real demonstrable reductions in greenhouse gas emissions. Mackenzie Basin Board ministers meet for rst time in 18 years By MEAGAN WOHLBERG Signatories to the Macken- zieRiverBasinAgreementmet forthersttimesince1997last week to review next steps as transboundary water agree- ments are being nalized by the various jurisdictions. The ministers of the Mack- enzie River Basin Board met in Winnipeg last week while there for their annual meet- ing of Canadas environment ministers. Itwasthersttimetheyhad metcollectivelyontheissueof sharedjurisdictionoverwater inalmosttwodecadesandac- cordingtoNWTEnvironment andNaturalResourcesMinis- terMichaelMiltenbergeralot hashappenedinthemeantime. Itwasafairlyhistoricmeet- inghesaid.Theresbeensub- stantiveprogressonthebilat- eral agreements...and theres been an exponential increase ininterestinwhatshappening withwatergiventheresource developmentclimatechange global warming issues that are happening around us as we speak with our drought water levels at all time lows. Theres a huge increase in in- terest at the political level at thepubliclevelatthebusiness level with all the Aboriginal governments about water. So I think that has sparked the interest to have people come to the table. Therstinterjurisdictional agreementonwaterwassigned in March by the government ofAlbertaandtheNWT.Now Miltenbergersaidagreements are imminent with B.C. and Saskatchewan likely to be signed before this falls terri- torial election. AtthesametimeAlbertais nalizingagreementswithB.C. andSaskatchewantheYukon is completing one with B.C. and the NWT and Yukon are likely to revisit their historic agreementtorevisetheterms. MinistersfromB.C.Yukon Saskatchewan Nunavut and Yukon attended the meeting. Albertahadplannedtoattend butwasunabletolastminute as was the federal minister. Miltenbergersaidtheminis- tersplantomeetyearlyalong- sidetheirannualmeetingand to include one or two confer- encecallsthroughouttheyear to stay on top of progress. Itwasaninterestingmeet- ing and one where there was anacknowledgementthatwe onago-forward basisshould be meeting annually Milt- enberger said. The biggest piece is the efcient effective implementationofthebilater- als. Getting them signed is of course an important rst step but theres going to be timeandeffortandresources neededtoimplementthemand makesurethatwhathasbeen agreed to is followed up on. Partofthatgreaterconversa- tionwilllookatthereviewing themandateofthebasinboard itselfwhichMiltenbergersaid willbeinstrumentalinlinking the various agreements to- getherinonecohesivenetwork. ENVIRONMENT WATERSHEDS PhotoChrisSchwarzGovtofAlberta Albertas Environment Minister Shannon Phillips announces new stricter rules for the provinces heaviest greenhouse gas emitters including tighter limits on emissions and increased carbon taxes. 8 Tuesday June 30 2015 POLITICS FIRST NATIONS Town of Fort Smith spring cleanup program will be finished at the end of June. It is FREE so please take advantage Take your refuse to the curb call Town Hall 872-8400 and municipal crews will come to take it away for you. If you want to haul loads of refuse or garbage to the dump all tipping fees have been waived. In addition to cleaning up our community this spe- cial program is offered to encourage fire abatement. Fire season is upon us and we all have to do our part. This is your chance to Fire Smart your yard. Remove any flammable debris Take away any brush and small trees if you are close to the forest edge If you want to burn Be aware of fire hazard levels. Contact Town Hall to see if burning is allowed. Be careful with cigarette butts. Help make our community safer Find details on evacuation routes procedures directions check lists and preparedness on the first page of the Town of Fort Smith website under Emergency Info. www.fortsmith.ca For advice on how to Fire Smart your yard so your home is safer call Daniel Allaire Manager of Forests for the South Slave Region at 872-6425. THE END IS NEAR By MEAGAN WOHLBERG In a unanimous vote last Friday members of the annual Dehcho Assembly in Fort Simp- son decided to reject the GNWTs unchang- ing land claim offer and sit tight for what they hope will be a new federal and territo- rial government this fall. We had a lot of people comment on where do we go from here and people just outrightly rejected the territorial governments most recent offer because there hasnt been any movement on that said Herb Norwegian grandchiefoftheDehchoFirstNationsDFN. Members of DFN met in Fort Simpson last week for three days to discuss the status of Dehcho Assembly rejects government land offer their land claim negotiations with Canada and the GNWT which have been plagued by a lack of movement since January when the territorial government presented its rst and nal offer from which it has not budged. Theres been quite a bit of talk about get- ting the territorial government back at the negotiating table and now again theyre tell- ing us that we should be telling them what is our position Norwegian told the Journal on Friday afternoon. So the assembly just went out and basically said to reject that offer. That offer would give DFN either own- ership of 33488 square-km of land with both surface and subsurface title or 37500 square-km of land with only surface title plus 17.78 per cent generalized interest in all subsurface oil gas and minerals or a mix of the two based on a split of estate where the quantum of surface title land is greater than the quantum of land with subsurface title. The Dehcho are looking for more land. Based on comparisons to the Tlicho which was offered 39000 square-km of surface title Norwegian said an equal deal for DFN based on their higher population count should amount to around 50000 square-km. Earlier this month Norwegian and DFNs negotiating team headed to Ottawa to restart talksattendedwithsomeoptimismafterDFN and the GNWT nalized an agreement on conduct throughout the negotiations prom- ising talks would be in good faith. But Norwegian said there was zero move- ment again from the government on its one and only offer. They never did respond to what we pre- sented he said. Its an ongoing thing. Its not any different that what we have on record for the last couple of years. The GNWTs offer continues to be based on the regional breakdown within the origi- nal Dene-Mtis claim discussed in the 1980s in which the Dehcho is allotted a 24.5 per cent stake of the land quantum based on population. Adjustments were made to re- ect the departure of the Katlodeeche and Acho Dene Koe First Nations from the pro- cess. According to the GNWT the offer is bigger than the Dehchos expected share of the Dene-Mtis claim. With little indication that the Crowns offer will change Norwegian said DFN plans to hold out until the upcoming federal and ter- ritorial elections scheduled for this fall to see if a change in leadership might lead to a more amenable negotiating position. We have to sort of anticipate what kind of government is going to surface at the end of October and then decide on how were going to deal with it he said. If its going to be a Mulcair NDP or another crew within the territorial government that comes up with a totally new thing theres a whole series of things like that that come into play. By MEAGAN WOHLBERG After years of frustration as an opposition MP a chance at an NDP win has reinvigo- rated NWT MP Dennis Bevington to throw his hat in the ring one more time in this falls federal election. ImadeadecisiontorunandImveryhappy about it looking forward to the election and to bringing something different to this coun- try Bevington told the Journal. Ive got lots of experience in Parliament. If we are going to change the government if theres a change in government I think its good to have someone there whos very ex- perienced with how Parliament works and how to put forward Northern issues to a new government especially a government that in- cludes my party - or is my party. The MP had been on the fence about run- ning again this time around but the federal New Democrats who have stood apart from the Liberals and Conservatives on a num- ber of contentious issues over the past few NWT MP will run again as NDP surge in the polls months have seen a surge in the polls since an orange wave toppled the 47-year conser- vative dynasty in Alberta earlier this year. Projectionstakenfromanaggregateofrecent opinion polls suggest the NDP could win 130 seats in the House of Commons - 11 more than theConservativesand44morethantheLiberals. Ivebeennineandahalfyearsinopposition toaConservativegovernmentandIvebeensup- portedbypeopleformanyyearstodojustthat but now it looks like we have a good chance to haveachangeandtoseesomethingdifferentin Ottawa Bevington said. Its a three-way race andIthinkwehaveagoodchanceofbeingpart ofthenextgovernmentsothatswhatImlooking atreallywhenIcametoadecisiontorunagain. If re-elected Bevington said his focus will remain on the cost of living for Northerners as well as climate change renewable energy and the environment. The conditions of living in the North are still so difcult he said. Thats where any politician has to put a lot of their focus. Its one thing to talk about natural resource de- velopment but weve had that in the North- west Territories for the past decade and we still see our population declining our health conditions are very serious we see greater in- equity in the population in terms of income and prosperity we still need massive invest- ments in human and physical infrastructure. Natural resource development is very im- portant but its not a panacea for all the is- sues we have. Those are issues that govern- ments have to tackle. CurrentmayorofInuvikandformerNWTpre- mier Floyd Roland has already announced his candidacyfortheConservativePartyintheNWT. TheLiberalshaveyettoselectacandidate.So farWesternArcticLiberalsAssociationpresident Kieron Testart is a nominee and former NWT MLA Michael McLeod is considering running. Yellowknife Centre MLA Robert Hawkins had intended to run but withdrew his nomination earlier this year. POLITICS FEDERAL PhotocourtesyofDennisBevington NWT MP Dennis Bevington will seek re- election in this falls federal election. Tuesday June 30 2015 9 ENVIRONMENT WILDLIFE The South Slave Divisional Education Council would like to extend our sincere congratulations to the 2015 graduates of Diamond Jenness SecondarySchoolinHayRiver andLutselKeDeneSchoolinLutselKe. Best wishes as you begin to create your own future. Remember graduation is not the end its a new beginning. South Slave Divisional Education Council www.ssdec.nt.ca STITTCO UTILITIES NWT Ltd. Hay River NT 867 874-2432 Congratulations Wishing you all the very best on your graduation day and beyond. Diamond JennessDiamond JennessDiamond Jenness Congratulations Diamond Jenness Congratulations Diamond Jenness Congratulations Diamond Jenness Congratulations GraduatesGraduatesGraduates By DALI CARMICHAEL This time last year biologists at Wood Buffalo National Park were elated to count a record-breaking number of whooping crane nests in the park but recent counts indicate that trend has not continued into 2015. In this years annual nest count survey Parks staff found only 68 nests compared to 82 last year. Though not an ofcial part of the study they also counted six chicks dur- ing the assessment period from May 25 to 29. To complete the annual research conser- vation ofcers y in a grid over last years nest locations. If the nests are not found they y in ever-widening circles around old nest sites in hopes of nding the birds new mating grounds nearby. They can also track cranes that have been tted with satellite location bands. Parks staff believe the low nest count means the cranes have moved outside of this research grid the result of drought in the region. The habitat conditions are dry said Tim Gauthier spokesperson for Wood Buffalo Na- tional Park. The water levels in the ponds were lower than normal for this time of year. In other dry years we have seen that this can force the cranes to travel further to forage for food and can make it easier for predators to access the nesting area. Long-time whooping crane enthusiast Ron- nie Schaefer has also noticed the great birds building their summer homes in new loca- tions. For years Schaefer has watched two pairs of whooping cranes raise their chicks in the same spot outside of Fort Smith in an area known as the Foxholes on Salt River First Nation land. Drought conditions have moved them far- ther into the wetlands and the Foxhole quar- ries so its hard to get in there now Schae- fer said. Both nests were seen by Canadian Wildlife Service. They went to the west but theyre still in Salt River Reserve lands. Heavyonslaughtsofwildreactivityinthearea haveexacerbatedthemigrationSchaefernoted. The res dont help very much either. On the east side of Wood Buffalo there was a re by Little Buffalo Falls last year that probably pushed them a little further to the west and to the north. This year we have that re again by Little Buffalo so there is concern. There is an upside to the cranes change in locations however both Schaefer and Parks scientists noted a new nest this year at the Salt Plains in the park where they can be viewed by telescope from a lookout. We have never had a nest in this area be- fore Gauthier said. The Salt Plains is not a Zone 1 Special Preservation Area like the core whooping crane nesting area is. Although the pair could be seen at a distance by the public at the Salt Plains access is limited by a creek and wet muddy ground that discourages people from going too close to the nest site. Whooping cranes the tallest of the North Americanbirdsareanendangeredspeciesthat summerinthemuskegofWoodBuffaloandwin- teratacoastalwildlifereserveinAransasTexas. Decadesofconservationeffortshavehelpedthe wildpopulationgrowfromabout15birdsinthe 1940s to over 308 as of last year. By MEAGAN WOHLBERG Imperial Oil and its joint venture partners BP and ExxonMobil are delaying their plans to drill for offshore oil in the Beaufort Sea off the coast of the NWT. The companies notied the Inuvialuit Re- gional Corp.s Environmental Impact Review Board in a letter last Friday that they would be suspending all regulatory work and planned submissions for the proposed Beaufort Sea Joint Venture Exploration Drilling Program citing time restrictions as their reason. Imperial is committed to pursuing explo- ration activities in a technically sound envi- ronmentallyresponsibleandeconomicallyef- cientmanner.Imperialwillconductadditional technical studies and research specic to the unique operating conditions for drilling in the deepwaterBeaufortSeawithitslimiteddrilling season to ensure a viable program. However under the current licence term there is insuf- cienttimetoconductthenecessarytechnical work and complete the regulatory process states the letter from Imperials exploration operations manager Lee Willis. The application was to drill a test well ap- proximately 175 km northwest of Tuktoyaktuk atdepthsofupto1500metresbelowthewater. The companies had hoped to begin drill- ing by summer 2020 when one of their two exploration licences expires. On behalf of the joint venture partners Im- perial is now undertaking discussions with the federal government to have the current licence term retroactively extended to 16 years up to 2028. If approved the extension would provide sufcient time to undertake the necessary technical studies and develop the technology and processes to support responsible devel- opment in the Beaufort Sea Willis wrote. The companies secured the exploration rights from the federal government for a combined 1.8 billion in work commitments. Prior to the delay Imperial was expected to provide its oil spill response plan to the review board and the National Energy Board NEB by the fall. Despite the announcement Imperial said it plans to keep its Inuvik ofce continue to collect data on sea ice and to work with communities to dene business employment and training opportunities for Northerners in the project. Imperial remains committed to the Arc- tic as an important future source of energy Willis concluded. Last December Chevron also put its 100-million Arctic drilling plans on hold indenitely citing economic uncertainty in the industry. Recent resource estimates by the NEB peg the conventional petroleum resources in the Beaufort Sea at as much as 9.6 trillion cubic feet of natural gas and up to 9.5 billion bar- rels of oil. Beaufort Sea offshore oil drilling plans delayed indenitely INDUSTRY OFFSHORE OIL Drought impacting whooping cranes of Wood Buffalo PhotoKlausNigge Some nesting whooping cranes of Wood Buffalo have been forced to relocate their summer homes this year as a result of low water levels and nearby forest res. 10 Tuesday June 30 2015 By DALI CARMICHAEL Behchokos community culture centre was turned into a house of fashion on Sunday as young Tlicho models strutted their stuff in original designs at a regional Aboriginal Day fashion show. The fun event was the result of months of hard work by youth and elders alike eager to carry on the traditions of their grandmoth- ers while learning new skills and expressing their creativity. We thought it would be nice to do sewing classes with the young people and have the elders involved as teachers teaching bead- ing and embroidery work said organizer Cecilia Zoe Martin a research coordinator with the Tlicho government. The sewing program is only the most re- cent in a series of cultural revitalization ef- forts initiated by the government. Weve been talking a lot about how we need to continue hanging on to some of the cultural and traditional ways of life Martin said.Ouryoungpeopleneedtobeencouraged Tlicho designers celebrate Aboriginal Day with fashion show to continue with it and one of the most im- portant things is teaching our young people about crafts and arts especially for special occasions. When we see our young men play in hand game tournaments we see all this colourful beaded art on their vests. We said we also needed to bring out the womens tal- ent and skills to help recognize the females of the communities. When the group started gathering in May Martin only expected a small number of par- ticipants to attend the sessions which were held several times a week in a room above the Tlicho Hotel. She was happily surprised when a total of 64 girls came out to learn traditional arts. When the ladies came in we just asked them what they would like to work on Mar- tin said. They came up with vests mocca- sins vamps purses hand bags baby belts headbands necklaces earrings all kinds of stuff. Its been really exciting. Georgina Franki - a member of the Tlicho government with a background in fashion - helped the women add a modern flair to their traditional designs opening the door for a wider group of participants. We encouraged ladies to create their own ideasMartinsaid.Iwastellingthemcreate whateveryouwantinyourownwaytoexpress yourself. Its been really interesting to watch these youngs ladies. Many of them did not know how to do embroidery. Through sitting with the elders and the instructors theyve learned how to do embroidery work and they are doing amazing work. Its just fantastic. Wendy Mantla another Tlicho research coordinator wanted to give the women a platform to display their hard work. She sug- gested the idea of an Aboriginal Day fashion show where women participating in sewing programs from across the Tlicho region could show off their skills. Once the wheels were set in motion they decided to go all out. We brought people up from the south to do a modeling workshop Mantla said. Its a self-esteem workshop mostly for the mod- els to gain more confidence in themselves in doing the catwalk like the professionals do. They had their own hair stylists coming out their own makeup people and all kinds of stuff. They had photographers as well so theycanhavetheirownportfoliosafterward. Young estheticians from the communities were also incorporated into the event where they had the opportunity to learn styling techniques from the pros. The show was not exclusive to partici- pants of the sewing program as all Tlicho artists were invited to submit their pieces to be worn on the runway. I really wanted to do this because I work with a lot of history Martin said. George Mackenzie who was the grand chief years ago said that as the Tlicho Nation we need to show the skills and the talent of what our women are creating in our Dene clothes. This was around the holidays and he said when the holidays come I want to see all the Tli- cho people put on their traditional clothing and show off and be proud of what our Tlicho women create. I think thats very beautiful. ARTS CULTURE FASHION PhotosCandiceWard Lorna Mae Mantla of Behchoko wears a dress made and designed by Alice J. Mantla. Cindy Gon left Belinda Blackduck and Karisha Koying from Gameti show off original designs during the Tlicho Aboriginal Day fashion show. Event organizer Wendy Mantla models one of her designs sewn by Georgina Franki. June Sanspariel sports a handmade head band and a dress that is truly Tlicho. Jonathan Wall left and Colton Migwi both strut down the catwalk in traditional Tlicho jackets created by Georgina Franki. Tuesday June 30 2015 11 PhotosPaulBannisterandSandyJaque Traditional talents showcased at Salt River First Nation Treaty Celebration ARTS CULTURE ABORIGINAL DAY SylviaClementsanAuroraCollegestudentfromTulitatookfirstplaceinthefemalejiggingcontestforherfeistyperformanceonthedancefloorset up for the days activities on June 22 in the centre of Fort Smith. Contestants performed to the familiar toe-tapping music of North Country Rock. Mary Schaefer took first place in the womens traditional dress category. Victor Marie of Fort Smith accompanies a traditional song in the talent contest. Earlier he won first in the traditional dress contest for men. Peter Martselos chief chef for the community feast swelters in the heat and smoke as he cooks up a mountain of baby back ribs for several hundred people. Stanley Beaulieu from Hay River captured the judges nod and placed first in the male jigging contest. Later in the evening he claimed the first prize of 3000 in the talent show for his singing and fiddling performance. Musicians travel from near and far to play Hay Days 12 Tuesday June 30 2015 ARTS CULTURE FESTIVALS Your hard work and dedication helps our communities grow Congratulations Northern Grads of 2015 Your hard work and dedication helps our communities grow Mtis Local 125 would like to congratulate all graduates of Athabasca Delta Community School Our community grows with your success By DALI CARMICHAEL AneclecticmixofsouthernsoundsandNorth- erntalentwillcollideonstageatthesixthannual Hay Days festival in Hay River this weekend. After facing several years of transition - in- cluding moving the Hay Days location to the Hay River beach last year - the bourgeoning festivals board of directors decided to make the music their priority for 2015. At last years festival we just felt the mu- sical line up was kind of shrinking. We knew this year we needed to put an effort into that and to get more musicians coming into town said Hay Days board president Ken Latour. The board feels they have succeeded. On top of having musicians from different regions of the NWT the Twanging Country Band is trav- eling in from High Level to play while Fort Smith favourites Veronica and Dave Johnny - performing as VJDJ - and newcomers Sun K are heading in all the way from Ontario. Im really happy to see the bands that have been coming are all coming back so we have allourmusicalfriendsfromaroundtheregion coming-thatsterricLatoursaid.Werevery happytobegettingabandfromHighLeveland were very happy to be getting the two bands fromOntariobecausethatsshowingthateven though were still an amateur festival not pay- ingpeopletoperformwerestartingtodevelop someconnectionsoutthereandhopefullywere getting better at bringing those groups in. Former NWT premier Stephen Kakfwi is another prominent performer on the list. WithallthestuffthatsbeenoutaboutTruth and Reconciliation in the news and listening to some of those stories listening to Stephen Kakfwis music again has been a very power- ful experience for me this year Latour said. I dont think I really got his music - and I prob- ably still dont get it all - but hes someone Im really looking forward to hearing. Getting ready for growth The small board of organizers which also includes vice president Jared Monkman di- rector Bailey Mackie and treasurer Anne Bou- dreau are working hard to make Hay Days an event that celebrates all kinds of art from musicians to visual artists to crafters. Last year was the big transition that was moving it down to the beach Latour said noting over 400 people attended last years Saturday shaker. We succeeded but we were almost run off our feet last year we were al- most too successful. It was a real strain on us just to keep things owing well. To eliminate this problem they have made a few more organizational changes to the bill. Wewantedstrongerorganizationandmore volunteers just so the whole thing ows well Latour said. Last year there was a gap from 600 p.m. to 900 p.m. and it just shut the site down at supper time. Weve gotten rid of that so we can have one continuous day. ForthersttimethefestivalwillusetheHay River Museum as its Friday night venue. We actually have a spot that is desig- nated as a kind of quieter easier listening music for that night Latour said. Typically Friday night is just in the bars uptown. Not everyone wants to sit in a bar with loud music but would still like to take part in the festival so thats a key piece. About 10 artisans will be included in the festivities this year though in the future the board would like to focus on bringing in more visual artists and crafters to sell their wares and run workshops at the festival. The music is such a big part of this and we need to make the arts a bigger part as well Latour said. We are trying to be more than a music festival and we dont want the art- ists to get lost in all the talk of rock and roll. But for Hay Days 2015 he is just ne with letting the music take centre stage. Were a small board but its pretty amaz- ing what were accomplishing Latour said. Hay Days 2015 line up Sun K Tour de Mac Grey Grit Mary Caroline LOL Sweet Stephen Kakfwi Water Linda Duford Twanging Country Band VJDJ Veronica Johnny Dave Johnny Ian Rossiter and the Hot Club of Zama Blue Rockin Daddies Shane Daniels Band Villains of the 1990s Priscillas Revenge Trash the Monument Up against the wall Chevy Beaulieu PhotoScottClouthier Audiences gather at the 2014 Hay Days festival held on the community beach for the rst time last year. NWT musicians nominated for Indigenous Music Awards Tuesday June 30 2015 13 ARTS CULTURE MUSIC Fort Chipewyan Bicentennial Museum Hours Monday - Friday 900 a.m. to 500 p.m. Saturday - Sunday 100 p.m. to 500 p.m. Free Admission Call us today 780.697.3844 Congratulations athabasca delta community school 2015 Graduates CONGRATULATIONS ATHABASCA DELTA COMMUNITY SCHOOL GRADUATES NORTHLAND SCHOOL DIVISION NO. 61 9809 77 AVENUE PO BAG 1400 PEACE RIVER ALBERTA T8S1V2 P 780-624-2060 Photos wanted for 2016 Fort Smith Pet Desk Calendar Filling up fast Get your pictures in soon Ifyouwouldliketohavephotosofyour petstakenarrangementscanbemade. Please call Chris at 872-5547. Becauseofthehighvolumeofrequests we are on a first come first in basis. Special consideration will be made for pets not in previous calendars. Please submit photos of living pets only. Thereisnofeetohavephotosinthecalendar. If you have any questions or need more information please call Chris at 872-5547 or email dewolfnorthwestel.net Deadline is August 31 This ad sponsored by the Northern Journal By MEAGAN WOHLBERG Theres nothing like having your debut album nominated for a national music award. Thats a thrill both Dene rocker Geronimo Paulette of Fort Smith NWT and Gwichin utist William Greenland got to experience last week with the announcement that their 2014 releases were nominated for 2015 In- digenous Music Awards. I didnt think Id get in Paulette said. Theres no hard rock or heavy metal but I saw the instrumental category and thought Id give it a shot. Paulettes breakthrough album Hard Road Out Of Hell is up for Best Instrumen- tal album while Greenland originally of Inuvik is vying for Best Flute CD with his debut The Journey Beyond. In the diverse instrumental category Paulette is up against Mwalim Da Phun- kee Professor of the Mashpee Wampanoag tribe for his urbanjazz album Awakened By A Noon Day Sun along with Torn by Sean Beaver an electronic music pro- ducer from Driftpile Alta. also known as DJ Hooligan. Greenland has a larger category to com- pete in with David Rose Jan Looking Wolf Ryan Little Eagle Steven Rushingwind and Tony Duncan and Darrin Yazzie also nominated. The awards formerly known as the Ab- original Peoples Choice Music Awards an- nually honour the best of the wide range of music being produced by indigenous people across North Americas Indian Country from hip-hop to traditional pow wow. Paulettes album is a collection of seven melodic but classically metal rock songs featuring the solo artist on bass rhythm and lead guitar all recorded painstakingly over several years. First and foremost a guitarist Paulettes Fender Stratocaster is the voice of the album giving emotional weight to the technical tracks composed and performed entirely by the young artist along with a stu- dio drummer. While this is the rst time Paulettes been up for an award its not the rst nod hes received for the album which has received international attention from magazines like The Rocker and Power Play receiving stel- lar reviews. Hesaidtheacknowledgementisencouraging. It pumps me up he said. Just to make an album was huge to me in a way so its kind of exciting. Hip-hop artists lead the nominations this year at the IMAs with artists like Drezus and City Natives claiming four nominations each in Best Duo or Group Best Hip-Hop CD Best Music Video and Single of the Year. The awards committee also predicts erce competition among the pow wow cat- egory where Black Bear Cree Confedera- tion Northern Cree Northern Voices and Stoney Creek are vying for the contempo- rary album honours. Award winners are decided through an on- line voting system. People can submit their votes in each category by visiting indigenous- musicawards.ca. The winners will be announced at the 10th annual awards ceremony between Sept. 9 and 13 in Winnipeg.PhotocourtesyofGeronimoPaulette Hard rocker Geronimo Paulette of Fort Smith NWT is nominated for an Indigenous Music Award for Best Instrumental CD for his debut album Hard Road Out Of Hell. Hay River Hospital celebrates 50 years of care giving 14 Tuesday June 30 2015 HEALTH WELLNESS HOSPITALS building your community workforce Are you looking for ways to bring training and work experience opportunities into your community Do you need funding to employ youth in your community this summer ECE can help. The Small Community Employment Support Program provides assistance to both youth and adults to gain work experience and secure jobs in eligible small communities. Two program streams develop workplace capacity and youth employment Youth Employment Training-on-the-Job provides a wage subsidy for employers in small and remote communities and Community Initiatives provides project based funding for training delivered through partnerships. Contact us today to talk about how our programs and services can support capacity building in your community. Applications submitted before July 1 2015 are given priority. For more information www.ece.gov.nt.caece-service-centres By DALI CARMICHAEL Retired nurse and former matron Ruth Webb remembers the day Hay Rivers health care team moved into the current H.H. Wil- liams Memorial Hospital building. We all did the packing we all did the labour Webb said. We were excited to move in here. I drove an old truck that was standard that I didnt really know how to drive and the door wouldnt stay closed. I transported a patient Joe Landry Id like to find his family and apologize for the bumpy ride. Local history buffs and former hospital employees came together on June 27 to cel- ebrate the 50th anniversary of the original H.H. Williams Memorial hospital which opened its doors on June 28 1965. We want to respect the history of health care in Hay River because its a solid history said Erin Grifths executive assistant with the Hay River Health and Social Services Authority. Its a pretty phenomenal and rich history of health in Hay River. Grifths spent months curating memora- bilia for the anniversary event. Tables set up in the old wing of the hospital spilled over with archival footage original blueprints and nancial documents old medical equip- ment and newspaper articles following the chronology of the facilitys history. Some of the items were donated by former staff mem- bers while others were dug out of the hos- pital basement. It was wonderful working here Webb said looking down at a navy-blue nurses cape she donated to the collection. It was great for new nurses and medical students because in the small community we got to do a bit of everything. A rich history of health care Before the 1950s health care in Hay River was delivered by a small Anglican mission that had arrived in town in the late 19th century made up of mostly nurses. They worked out of a miniscule building sometimes traveling to residents homes to provide care. A nursing station with three beds was opened on Vale Island in 1953 by the Sub- Arctic Mission Association founded by Rev. Ken Gaetz of the Pentecostal church. Gaetz became a prominent name in the community shaping Hay Rivers health care as the hospitals administrator for several decades. In 1957 Hay Rivers rst small hospital opened a six-bed operation with a hand- ful of nurses on staff. Funds for the facility were donated by the late H.H. Williams a former trustee on the board of the Toronto Sick Childrens Hospital who left his estate to the Pentecostal Assemblies of Canada to be used specically for health care. In 1962 that hospital was expanded to t 12 beds. A tight-knit team of about 10 nurses and one doctor ran the show until a devastat- ing ood hit Vale Island in 1963. It was decided a new hospital was needed in an area less prone to natural disaster. Soon development of new town began and the new H.H. Williams Memorial hospital was established. The building held accommoda- tions for about 22 people and was staffed with a rotation of mission nurses relocated from southern Canada. At that time the Hay River hospital pro- vided services to people all over the South Slave from Pine Point mine to Fort Simpson. As the largest and most centrally-located hospital in the region employees were trained to handle a host of emergency situations from medevacs in the eld to maternity services in the hospital. In 1976 an extension made room for about 40 acute care patients and for the rst time provided room for a 10-person chronic care unit. As new technology and a wide array of specialty services were introduced H.H. Williams grew into a sophisticated operation. Eventually the GNWT took over the hos- pital from the church in 1995 opening up the doors for more non-mission staff to come aboard. Its amazing the history of health care in this little community said public adminis- trator Mike Mahar who started working in the hospital in 1972. Its gone from a little shack to what our new facility is across the street its just crazy. All of the artifacts that tell the story of Hay Rivers health care history will be on dis- play at the hospital for the next week. When the new health facility opens later this year Hay Rivers rich history of health care will be captured in a memorial wall while some of the artifacts will remain on display at the Hay River Museum. As part of the weekend celebration dig- nitaries and out-of-town visitors like Webb - who now calls Stony Plain Alta. home - were invited to walk through the new health centre. Its beautiful and amazing its exactly what I would have wanted as a nurse Webb said with a wide smile. It makes me think about joining the practice again at the age of 72. Retired matron Ruth Webb shows off her nurses cape at the 50th anniversary celebration of the H.H. Williams Hospital held on June 27. Webb donated the cape which will eventually be displayed along with other memorabilia at the community museum. These original blueprints of the 1965 hospital were just one of the archives on display for the public last weekend. Other artifacts included photographs news clippings old medical equipment and nancial papers. PhotosDaliCarmichael Economic downturn forces program cuts at Keyano College prep courses dropped in favour of career-ready mobile training Tuesday June 30 2015 15 EDUCATION COLLEGE building your community workforceAre you looking for ways to bring training opportunities for older workers into your community Do you need funding for projects that provide training to individuals between the ages of 55 and 64 ECE can help. The Targeted Initiative for Older Workers Program provides assistance to organizations working with older individuals who want to improve their chances of getting or keeping a job. We are looking for projects that provide group-based programming for older workers. These projects will ensure that individuals between the ages of 55 and 64 can gain the skills they need to successfully compete for jobs and continue to contribute to the economic growth of their communities. Contact us today to talk about your project ideas and to receive the preliminary project proposal application form. Applications submitted before July 1 2015 are given priority. For more details contact Lesleigh Grice Coordinator Career Development Training phone 867-920-3391 email Lesleigh_Gricegov.nt.ca students placed into specic apprenticeships. First the students spend a semester getting their GED and then in the fall semester enter their rst period of the apprenticeship. Currently the Fort Chipewyan campus is fa- cilitating this program for welding students. This course is carried out on a demand basis so long as funding from the school and the community is available. Keyano also announced last week it would be deploying four new mobile learning sta- tions for heavy equipment operator training to be rolled out this fall. Were going to be using simulators with a mobile lab. In the winter well be able to take it on the road to Fort Chip Koch said. We can take our lab with these high tech- nology simulators and just park it in Janvier or park it in Gregoire Lake or wherever and train people for real jobs. Upgrades available online Forthosewhoonlywantacademicupgrades Keyano provides online courses and synchro- nous distance education where the teacher broadcasts their lesson over video to students across the satellite learning centres. Online learning doesnt suit all learning types but its what we have right now and were working with our instructors on ways wecanmakethismoreinteractiveKochsaid. I think some of it is a fear and so we need to work with students to get them over the fear. I think the secret is to create a learning com- munity and when people can plug in to a com- munity online I think this can work. The college is also set to kick off a new non- creditlearninginitiativethatwillseefamilylit- eracycoordinatorsinstalledintownsthrough- out the Wood Buffalo region starting this fall. For people who dont have the literacy that they might like it can be rather daunting to thinkaboutgoingbackKochsaid.Thisisnon- credittheresnoexams.Itsjustaboutbuilding your own skills. I think itll have an impact on parenting because itll give people the oppor- tunity to look at reading with your children and encouraging activities around numeracy. By DALI CARMICHAEL A dramatic drop in oil prices has forced Keyano College to cut staff and programming but the schools facilitators are optimistic that new career ready education initiatives will make up for those losses. The drop-off in Albertas oil and gas sec- tor that started late last year has impacted Keyano Colleges ability to generate revenues from industry-related services according to the schools ofcials. The Fort McMurray-based institute which also has satellite campuses through- out northern Alberta announced at the beginning of June that staff members and programs would be affected by the recent cuts. We have been severely impacted by the downturn in the energy sector said Keya- nos vice president academic Catherine Koch. We needed to make cutbacks. Student tuition and government grants are Keyanos main revenue generators in addition to running a host of corporate training programs and industry safety certification tests for employees working in the trades. Theres been a drop-off in workers com- ing into the region and in the expansion of the oilsands in general Koch said. Theres been such a cutback in activity theres not as many people coming in to do the testing and of course the big companies and small and medium-sized have all been impacted and so their training budgets are down and theres not as many people doing the testing and things like that because there just isnt the volume of work. The impact on the schools revenues is in the millions according to Koch. As a result 18 teachers have been laid off including two resident teachers in Fort Chipewyan one in Conklin and several teachers who regularly rotated through the schools learning centres. Six programs have been nixed entirely from Keyanos program calendar while another six are under re- view being restructured or will be available upon demand. Focus shifts to job-readiness Several academic upgrading courses were cancelled as a result of the cuts. Those types of programs are often sought out in more re- mote communities though over the last two to three years the school recorded dropping enrollment rates in those streams. Following the trend the school has decided to shift its educational philosophy. Were really trying to focus more on things that help people get jobs instead of just think- ing and upgrading for a number of years Koch said. Were changing some of our pro- gramming so that we can focus more - not on academic upgrading - but on job-ready skills for the people in these communities. Targeted education opportunities are the new norm. Earlier this year trainers were sent to Fort Chipewyan to teach a new gen- eration of health care workers. This allowed the students to get hands-on experience with- out leaving their community while provid- ing extended care services to the local health care facility. Another initiative starts out with academic- upgrading with the eventual goal of getting Fort Smith pilot acquitted of sexual assault charges By DALI CARMICHAEL A Fort Smith pilot facing a charge of sex- ual assault has been acquitted in territo- rial court. Charges against Alejandro Cabeza Cepero were dropped in the Yellowknife courthouse on June 19 following a trial that had previ- ously taken place in Fort Smith. After hearing witness testimonies through- out the rst week of May presiding Justice Garth E. Malakoe requested to push the de- cision in order to give himself time to delib- erate the facts of the case. At the nal hearing Justice Malakoe gave a thorough oral review of the case before stat- ing his decision that the Crown had not pro- vided evidence to prove without a reasonable doubt that Cepero was guilty. Cepero was originally charged with one count of sexual assault following an alleged incident that took place last August to which he pleaded not guilty. The alleged event occurred after a night of drinking with a group of friends both at the local bar in Fort Smith and at several residences. At the trial the Crown argued the defen- dant should have been found guilty based on the corroboration of facts testied to by various witnesses as well as the candid tes- timony of the complainant. The defence argued honest mistaken be- lief in consent noting that alcohol and ear- lier interactions throughout the evening led their client to believe the situation was con- sensual claiming the intent for the crime was not proven. The defence also argued the complainants testimony was not corroborated as multiple witnesses - including the defendant and the complainant - testied to having gaps in their memories. The Crown has been given 60 days to de- cide whether or not to le an appeal. JUSTICE SEXUAL ASSAULT PhotoSeanMcLennanKeyanoCollege Federal and provincial leaders test out new mobile training simulator units for the heavy equipment operator program at Keyano Colleges Fort McMurray campus on June 25. Say it in 25 words or less for only 3.50 Extra words are 20 centseach.Businessclassifieds are 10 for 30 words and 25 centsforeach additionalword. E-mail your advertising to adsnorj.ca or fax it to 872-2754 or call 872-3000 ext. 26 FOR SALE FIREWOOD. Cus- tom cut sizes - split green dry bagged. Wood Gasification Outdoor wood boilers. Delivery from Fort Smith to Hay River Yellowknife. Contact Dave at 867 872-3435 or cell 872-0229 or email dhehnnorthwestel. net. UFN FORT SMITH CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING BLANKET CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING Blanket advertising reaches all 122 weekly newspapers in Alberta and the NWT with a combined circulation of over a million readers. Call our Northern Journal sales desk at 867-872-3000ex.26fordetails. COMMUNITY TRADING POST If you operate a business and need affordable advertising call the Northern Journal. Find out how to have your business listed in our Service Directory. Call 867 872-3000 or email adsnorj.ca. 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They also contribute to the efficient allocation of computer hardware and software resources develops and maintains business applications and ensures the reliability and sustainability of information and communication resources through system administration responsibilities. Education Diploma in Computer Science from a recognized university or college institution. ITIL certification encouraged. Qualifications Good project management and system development experience applicable to information system deployments. Excellent communication interpersonal customer service and problem solving skills in order to listen to train and assist users in identifying needs and resolvingproblems.Excellentanalyticalhardware and software troubleshooting skills to address problems presented by users. Over 10 years of IT systems and technical support experience related to business and systems applications tele- communications and minicomputers preferred. 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If you have an area of expertise like hockey or volleyball birds or animals living on the land or maybe you just want to spin yarns about life in the North then we want you to write about it and send your work to us. We pay We are also looking for discerning Northerners who can write about perspectives on Northern life. Politics education colonialism culture the indus- trialization of Canadas Northern wilderness - what is your passion This is your chance to speak out Do it now send it to us. Advertising sales person needed in Yellowknife The Northern Journal is seeking someone who lives in Yellowknife and can work part time at ad- vertising sales. Past sales experience preferred. A combination of salary and commission would be negotiated. Cartoonist wanted for Northern themes The Northern Journal is seeking a cartoonist - someone who can draw images that entertain and incorporate social and political commentary. Please contact us editornorj.ca 12345 12345 3 wide version 3.75 wide version 12345 12345 3 wide version 3.75 wide version Place your ad in this newspaper and province wide with a combined circulation of over 800000 for only... 995plus GSTHST Value Ad Network Alberta Weekly Newspapers Association toll free 1-800-282-6903 x228 email andreaawna.com or visit this community newspaper the most out of your advertising dollarssqueeze Place your ad in this newspaper and province wide with a combined circulation of over 800000 for only... 995plus GSTHST Value Ad Network Alberta Weekly Newspapers Association toll free 1-800-282-6903 x228 email andreaawna.com or visit this community newspaper the most out of your advertising dollarssqueeze Program-value-ad.indd 1 72511 12 18 Tuesday June 30 2015 SPORTS RECREATION BASKETBALL DEMO DAY JULY 1ST 2015 THE CAN-AM ATV RIDE SAYS IT ALL 2009 Bombardier Recreational Products Inc. BRP. All rights reserved. and the BRP logo are trademarks of BRP or its affiliates. Trademark of Bombardier Inc. used under license. Offers valid in Canada only. See an authorized BRP dealer for details and program dates. 3-Year Limited Warranty Eligible units are all new and unused adult Quest Traxter Outlander including MAX models and Renegade models. The buyer of eligible units will receive the 6-month BRP Limited Warranty plus 30-month B.E.S.T. extended service contract subject to a 50 deductible on each repair. The conditions might vary from province to province and the promotion is subject to termination or change at any time without notice. See your participating BRP Can-Am dealer for all details and to receive a copy of the BRP Limited Warranty and B.E.S.T. contract. Free Winch Installed Offer Offer consists of 2500 lbs RT25 Warn Winch installed by your BRP Dealer a value of 625.00 at the purchase of select 2007 to 2009 Can-Am ATV Outlander 400cc and over excluding XT and LTD models. Customers who participate in a demo ride at one of the Tour Stops will receive a coupon worth 250 redeemable at participating Can-Am dealers towards the purchase of a new and unused Can-Am ATV select models only ator following the Tour Stop. Consumer must pay sales tax. See your BRP dealer for details. Terms and conditions of Dealer Offer may vary. See your BRP dealer for details. BRP reserves the right at any time to discontinue or change specifications prices designs features models or equipment without incurring obligation. Void where prohibited by law. BRP highly recommends that all ATV drivers take a training course. For safety and training information see your dealer or call the Canadian Safety Council at 613 739-1535 ext. 227. ATVs can be hazardous to operate. For your safety always wear a helmet eye protection and other protective clothing. Always remember that riding and alcoholdrugs dont mix. Never ride on paved surfaces or public roads. Never carry passengers on any ATV not specifically designed by the manufacturer for such use. Never engage in stunt driving. Avoid excessive speeds and be particularly careful on difficult terrain. ATVs with engine sizes of greater than 90cc are recommended for use only by those aged 16 and older. Outlander MAX ATVs These ATVs are recommended for drivers age 16 and older and passengers age 12 and older only. BRP urges you to TREAD LIGHTLY on public and private lands. Preserve your future riding opportunities by showing respect for the environment local laws and the rights of others when you ride. Make sure that all laws regulations and BRPs warningsrecommendations for ATV passengers are respected. Ride responsibly. BUY YOUR RIDE get up to a 500 in-store credit COME TEST RIDE a CAN-AM ATV or SXS Ask us about the great rebates on new noncurrent units. JULY 1ST NOON - 4PM Highlyskilledoperatorundercontrolledconditions.Donotattemptthesemaneuversiftheyarebeyondyourlevelofridingability. Go to can-am.brp.com or ask your dealer for details. 926 MACKENZIE HIGHWAY HAY RIVER NT Phone 867-874-2771 Toll Free 1-866-327-0717 www.monsterrec.com NWT basketball players represent Canada at Native American tournament By DALI CARMICHAEL Basketball players from the far reaches of the NWT packed up their gear and headedsouthtoPhoenixAri- zona last Friday where they will be the only boys team representing Canada at the 13th annual Native Ameri- can Basketball Invitational NABI. This marks the fth year Fort Simpson-based coach Neil Barry has taken a team to the tournament where a total of 152 high school-aged menandwomensteamsfrom Canada the U.S. and New Zealand will compete. Its exciting for all the players its an international tournament so its pretty big Barry said. You dont often get to play in the United States when youre from the Northwest Territories. Barrys recruitment pro- cess involved scanning tour- namentsfortalentthroughout the year as well as consulting with coaches around the ter- ritory to scout for kids from the more remote regions. A passionate player him- self Barry said he enjoys providing the opportunity for the youth. In the Northwest Terri- tories its really hard to get players competition thats not either low or way too high Barry said. I think this is a really good tournament to get tough competition but we can still be competitive. In some of the major games like na- tionals or Canada Summer Games the competition can be very very high where their games arent close at all but at this tournament weve got- ten wins in the past and we can be competitive. At the same time the top teams are very good so theres a range of levels. The boys started out with a set of practices and exhibi- tion games over the weekend where they came together and played as a team for the rst time. The games of- cially kick off on July 1 with championship rounds taking place on July 4. A life-changing opportunity The cost to send this years team of 12 to the games was about 30000. Barry raised some of the money needed using a GoFundMe page whiletheathletesvolunteered within their own communi- ties to come up with the cash. WehelpedattheNorthern by cleaning stacking things andorganizingthestoresaid Bryce Hardisty Phillips 14. The point guard from Fort Simpson was excited for his rst trip to Arizona and his rst time playing in NABI. Another Fort Simpson point guard Tyler Lafferty 16 attended the tournament two years ago. He assured his teammates the games would be worth their fundraising efforts. It was a good experience seeingotherplayersandmore competition than just around the NWT he said. Theres a lotoffasterbiggertallerplay- ers and it was good. At times it was a little bit frustrating but it was life-changing. I got tomeetnewplayersanditwas my rst time going out of the country I would never have thought Id leave the country and I did. In past NABI events the NWT has churned out some top players like Laurent Isaiah the most prominent player from the North. In 2013 Isaiah was invited to play at the tournaments all star game where he was the leading scorer. He later re- ceived a scholarship from organizers at the NABI Foun- dation as a result of his performance. Some of Barrys students have also attributed their de- cision to get a post-second- ary education to their expe- riences at the tournament the coach said. NABI hosted by the NABI Foundation is known as the largest indigenous basketball tournament in the world. In addition to the competition it also offers mandatory edu- cational sessions during the games where youth are en- couraged to explore their uni- versity and college options. For now though the NWT team is focused on represent- ing the North with their skills on the court. I think we have a really strong team this year a lot of bigger guys. I think its going to be good Lafferty said. PhotoNeilBarry New solutions. Call us at 867.872.3000 Email us at graphicsnorj.ca or simply drop in at 207 McDougal Rd. Fort Smith NT cascade graphics Book design Brochures posters Business cards stationery Greeting cards invitations Logo design Marketing solutions Photography Promo material Signs banners Stickers magnets The NWT boys team shows off beautiful brand new jerseys while playing a scrimmage game at the Native American Basketball Invitational tournament in Phoenix Arizona over the weekend. Tuesday June 30 2015 19 Fort Smith serves up tennis open By MEAGAN WOHLBERG Bragging rights were up for grabs at the Fort Smith Open tennistournamentheldoverthe weekend where smoke from nearby fires didnt stop play- ers from taking to the court. FortSmithsBernieBennett kept his title in the mens sin- glesbeatingoutYellowknifes JustinLalondeforthethirdyear straightdespiteanearlyvictory byLalondeattheseasonopener in Yellowknife this year. But the match to watch was the mens doubles final on Sunday in which hus- band-wife team Dennis and Joan Bevington prevailed in a fierce match that went to a tie-breaker against Lou Sebert and Jim Umpher- son. It was the first time the mixed team won the category in the six years theyve entered it mostly to give the fellas some prac- tice Dennis said. Dennis went on to beat- Peter Daniels in the mens consolation final Sunday afternoon. Doubles partners Lou Sebert left and Jim Umpherson shake hands with Dennis and Joan Bevington after a tiring match that ended in a tie breaker on Sunday afternoon with the Bevingtons coming out on top. Lou Sebert fights back with a strong return in the mens doubles final against the Bevingtons. Dennis Bevington delivers a serve to Peter Daniels during the mens consolation final on Sunday afternoon. Bernie Bennett kept his title as mens singles champ at the Fort Smith Open again this year beating Justin Lalonde. Joan Bevington the only woman in the mens doubles category waits to block a shot from the top of the court. PhotosMeaganWohlberg SPORTS RECREATION TENNIS Arctic X Games cancellation wont leave NWT athletes high and dry GNWT SPORTS RECREATION WINTER GAMES 20 Tuesday June 30 2015 FEATURING ARTISTS SUCH AS ELDER MARY CARDINAL A TRIBE CALLED RED VERONICA JOHNNY JASON BURNSTICK THE JOHNNYS ART NAPOLEON STATE OF THE ART K.A.S.P. ASICI ELDER WINSTON WUTTUNEE GERALD AND GERRY POITRAS ISKWEW SINGERS DOMINIC ABRAHAM NORTHERN CREE JORDANN POITRAS MINA KELCEY PIERROT The NWT Cree Language Program gratefully acknowledges the financial contribution from the Department of Education Culture and Employment of the Government of the Northwest Territories. NEHIYAW NIKAMONAK OYOYOWAK OHCI NANASKOMOWIN CREE SONGSHOWLS FOR GRATITUDE Education Culture Economic Development AVAILABLE FOR FREE DOWNLOAD AT NEHIYAWEWIN.COM ON JUNE 21ST 2015 NATIONAL ABORIGINAL DAY MEKIWIN NIKAMONAK FREE ALBUM By DALI CARMICHAEL NWT officials are ensuring youth who were set to participate in the 2016 Arctic X Games will still have the opportunity to sharpen their skills one way or another de- spite Yukon pulling the plug on the multi- sport event on June 19. Municipal and Community Affairs MACA Minister Robert C. McLeod announced last October that the GNWT would provide sup- port to the NWTs Sport North Federation and the sporting groups attending the inau- gural games. Now the government is saying it will still offer development opportunities to those athletes though exactly how is still being determined. Were still going to hold up to our com- mitment to provide some alternative events for these athletes that are affected by this decision said MACA deputy minister Tom Williams. To date we have met with Sport North and we also met with the six impacted territorial sporting organizations TSOs and we asked them to come up with some sug- gestions on what would they like to do as an alternative. Discussions have revolved around the pos- sibility of hosting training camps and terri- torial competitions or using funds to send teams to compete in the south. Right now were trying to get the final rec- ommendations from Sport North and the six affected TSOs Williams said. Once we get that we would have to cost it out but certainly we have earmarked funding for these kids to participate. We dont want them to lose out on one years cycle of development so were committed to doing something for them. The Arctic X Games were created as an alternative event to the 2016 Arctic Winter Games AWG being held in Nuuk Greenland next March. The X Games which would have been hosted in Whitehorse were to include hockey gymnastics figure and speed skat- ing dog sled racing and curling - all events that Greenland is unable to host due to lack of facilities. Though the NWT initially expressed in- terest in hosting the alternative it was felt the Yukon would be better suited in light of the 2018 Arctic Winter Games being hosted in the NWTs South Slave region accord- ing to Sport North executive director Doug Rentmeister. Initially we had offered to host but the three contingents felt the Yukon was a better location and felt they were better equipped to handle the games considering that were going to be hosting them in the very near fu- ture he said. Five regions - including Canadas territo- ries Alberta and Alaska - were to send par- ticipants to the Arctic X Games with a total of 421 athletes participating. The Alberta and Alaska contingents pulled out of the games without giving any reason thoughrepresentativesfromSportYukonhave speculated economic shifts resulting from the recent downturn in oil prices might have something to do with the decision. With the pool of competitors down to just 289 Yukon made the call to cancel the event. Includingathletesmissionstaffandcoaches about 80 to 100 people from the NWT would have traveled to the games Rentmeister said. Its obviously sad when there were high expectations in having a contingent go over there and I know that the kids were excited aboutdoingthatespeciallybecauseofthenew category of pee-wee hockey he said. Things being the way they are we have to adapt and lookatbiggerandbetterthings downtheroad. What exactly those things are will be announced within the coming weeks Wil- liams said. PhotocourtesyofTeamNWT GNWT representatives and sports organizations are working together to ensure young athletes affected by the cancellation of the 2015 Arctic X Games will still get opportunities for skill development and competition through a combination of tournaments and training camps.