Thorunn Howatt
Northern News Services

Fort Liard (Mar 25/02) - When it was time to stand up to the oil and gas industry, Harry Deneron was front and centre.

Earlier this month the honorary chief from Fort Liard was thanked publicly for his efforts.

"I was so shocked. I thought it was just a small award where they call your name and you run up and say a few words and then go back to your seat," said Deneron.

But when he picked up his statuette at the National Aboriginal Achievement Awards in Winnipeg's swanky Centennial Concert Hall, he found it was no small affair. Deneron was honoured with a special business and commerce award.

Deneron took on energy developers after realizing oil and gas could bring jobs and money to his community. He made it clear to oil companies the people of Fort Liard would be partners in ventures concerning their lands. In eight short years the Acho Dene Koe band's annual revenues shot to more than $35 million annually from less than $5 million.

In the community of less than 1,000, 600 jobs were created with wages exceeding $7 million per year.

"Seismic is moving out now. Recording still remains to be done," said Deneron adding that Fort Liard was bustling, "Thousands of kilometres of seismic work were completed."

But Deneron said Fort Liard couldn't optimize its role in the oil and gas game at the very beginning. The band had to work hard to take advantage of business opportunities.

Now Dene communities surrounding the Cameron Hills, southwest of Hay River, are feeling similar growing pains following Paramount Resources' wells and pipeline project start-up this winter.

Nearby Kakisa's oil and gas consultant, Alan Landry, complained earlier this month that Paramount wasn't hiring enough aboriginal Northerners.

"There is some work that goes on in the oilfield that can't be changed overnight. Lots of technical stuff that has to be kept under safety rules," said Deneron.

Education in energy business-related trades is imperative when squeezing benefits from industrial activity, he said.

Deneron wants to visit NWT communities to talk about energy industry spin-offs.

"I thought I would do it as an open agenda on gas and oil expectation spin-offs," he said.