Fort Simpson (Sep 12/03) - The Fort Simpson Chamber of Commerce is proposing that the village, Metis and First Nations in Fort Simpson unite to prepare for resource development.

The formal proposal urges tri-council -- consisting of the chief, the mayor and the Metis president -- to oversee the all-encompassing body. Prospectively called the Fort Simpson Resource Development Impact Group, it would identify current and future opportunities and impacts associated with a Mackenzie Valley pipeline and with oil and gas exploration and development, according to Chamber president Andrew Gaule.

"We'd like to see a bit of focus on planning. There needs to be a proper mechanism to include, basically, as many groups as possible in the community," Gaule explained. "Maybe it's time that we all sit down and start talking about it. By the time (development) happens it's going to be too late to do that."

Community impact benefits agreements would be more comprehensive if everybody were involved, he contended. The Resource Development Impact Group could also make recommendations to the political councils.

"My sense is that a lot of this stuff is coming up in very ad hoc fashion depending on who's sitting at whatever table on whatever particular day," said Gaule.

He added that he feels the territorial and federal governments are not ready for large-scale development either.

Tom Wilson, mayor of Fort Simpson, said some people don't realize that nothing is decided at tri-council meetings. They are only held for information and discussion purposes but "are more than a cup of tea." The issues at the table are then brought back to each body's respective council or board, Wilson noted.

Hazel Isiah, sub-chief of the Liidlii Kue First Nation, said she and her fellow band councillors were to discuss the Chamber's proposal at Wednesday's meeting. She declined to comment until then.