Monday, January 22, 2001
Paramount Resources Ltd. picked up its marbles and returned South this month, complaining that the Mackenzie Valley Land and Water Board was too slow with approvals for its winter drilling program.
A company spokesperson said Paramount shelved $65 million in work after the board referred its land use applications to environmental review, a process that promised to consume the balance of the winter.
Paramount's parting shot was that the board is not "up to speed in terms of knowledge of the oil and gas industry" and that it lacks a clear mandate.
Acho Dene Koe was quick to pile on. The board's decision made ADK's general manager "sick" when he contemplated the loss of jobs and income.
Better a little stomach upset now than a big headache down the road.
The projects under review involve burning hydrogen sulphide gas - a practice widely frowned upon, even among the most gung-ho in the energy industry.
Hydrogen sulphide, more commonly known as sour gas, is a deadly poison and the source of bitter, bloody controversy that is blamed for still births and deformities in livestock and humans.
Many jurisdictions prohibit burning H2S and require that it be returned to the ground. That's expensive, but responsible companies accept it as a cost of doing business.
The board is new and by the admission of its interim chair, "still on a real sharp learning curve." All the more reason not to be bullied or stampeded.
Better to arrive at a considered decision than be a rubber stamp, especially when you are charged with ensuring safety of the environment.
If it takes two months or six months to review the facts, the applicants must factor that time into their business plans. At the same time, the board should strive for efficiency and fairness.
Northerners have too much experience with developments that leave them to clean up when the party is over and the profits long gone.
If the territorial government follows the recommendations of Chief Coroner Percy Kinney, it will soon become mandatory to wear a helmet while riding a snow machine.
The recommendation flows from the recent tragedy in Fort Good Hope where three people died after two snow machines collided.
While we applaud the government for taking Kinney's request seriously, we believe any law should mirror the town of Inuvik's bylaw on helmets. It excludes elders and hunters and trappers who are heading out on the land.
We also believe any new territorial law should put a heavy emphasis on safety courses. After all, helmets won't help those who don't have a clue how to drive these machines safely in Northern communities.
The first ripple effects of the oil and gas boom have rolled through Inuvik.
Exploration has begun and with good wages and the chance to cash in on the excitement, qualified workers are quitting their jobs in favour of working in exploration camps.
That allows less experienced people get into other jobs, sometimes frustrating employers.
This situation is similar to what happened in the Deh Cho region where employers were crying for qualified workers.
And this could just be the beginning.
Northerners have to ensure we are ready for the full impact of the boom, by getting the training needed to qualify for all the jobs that will come.
Especially so that economic refugees from the south don't get all the work and then go home when it's all over again.
A little bit of training goes a long way to making a more prosperous territory.
Thanks to Diavik Diamond Mines, 22 Kitikmeot residents are gaining new skills and a chance to cash in on the diamond boom. They are in the middle of a six-week pre-trades course sponsored by the company, and stand to be hired by Diavik when their training is complete.
It's a win all around. Diavik gets a competent, home-grown workforce. The trainees get new, marketable skills.
The program also sets a standard for future developments.
Other companies vying for access to Nunavut's mineral potential should take heed. Sharing the wealth requires companies leave behind a trained workforce ready for new opportunities.
It is amazing that there aren't more traffic accidents on the streets of Iqaluit.
Not only are there far too many cars and trucks driving far too fast on too few roads, but come winter, snowmobiles are thrown into the fray. The mixture is a dangerous one.
Earlier this month, the community's RCMP and bylaw officers said they were discussing implementing stronger regulations. The time has come for both those agencies to quit the chatter. Less talk, more action.
Iqaluit's chief bylaw officer Terry Augustus said he was going to begin doing more snowmobile patrols to check for things like permits and insurance. We hope that means he's also going to keep his eye on other things like speed and reckless driving.
It is important to realize that the problem isn't limited to Iqaluit. In any Northern community where snowmobiles share the roads with bigger vehicles, the danger of traffic accidents increases tenfold. We need only look at the growth of all of Nunavut's communities to know that what's happening in the capital is happening elsewhere.
Appealing to the territory's daredevil drivers to slow down doesn't work.
Public meetings may have some effect, but in many hamlets, it's a tough job to get more than a handful of residents to attend.
What has to be done, and what has to be done right now, this hour, this minute, is that we must demand that the enforcement officers -- whose salaries are paid with our tax dollars -- begin to do their jobs.
They've had the chance to discuss their methods. They've had the opportunity to plot their strategies. The time has come for them to crack down.
The former president of the Qikiqtani Inuit Association, Pauloosie Keyootak, was fired on Oct. 6 when the board of directors voted him out.
After nearly two months, the organization's board of directors have still not publicly answered why he was removed, except to say he breached the organization's code of conduct.
In doing so, QIA established a vacuum in credibility. Denying such information to Baffin region beneficiaries creates rumour and misinformation.
The public -- especially beneficiaries -- are left to wonder if the organization considers that a better alternative to the truth.