Yellowknife (Oct 24/03) - A senior federal official has removed himself from a review of the proposed Mackenzie Valley pipeline after revelations that his wife holds mineral claims along the pipeline route.

Paul Bernier, vice-president of program delivery at the Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency, stepped aside last week after Deh Cho First Nations officials disclosed his wife's interests.

The Deh Cho said twelve mineral claims registered in 1998 near Fort Simpson and Jean Marie River have been discovered to be staked by Maureen Bernier.

"This was shocking to us," Chief Tim Lennie said at a press conference in Yellowknife last week.

"We demand a full investigation into what deals are being made without our consent and what deals are being made on our land."

Deh Cho contend that under the Territorial Lands Act, "no officer or employee of or under the Government of Canada shall directly or indirectly, in his own name or in the name of any other person, purchase or acquire any territorial land."

Paul Bernier's involvement with the pipeline's environmental impact has brought him to the NWT on numerous occasions, said Petr Cizek, lands and resource advisor. Between 2000 and 2002, Bernier represented the agency in negotiating a co-operation plan to streamline pipeline approval.

Questionable bias

"He was very involved," said Cizek, which is cause for the Deh Cho people to have reservations about their involvement with the pipeline.

"We were not included in this agreement in the first place," said Lennie.

"Now we can have no faith in it at all."

He said the position of the Deh Cho First Nations is to acquire financial resources so they can do their "homework."

Chris Reid, chief negotiator for the Deh Cho warned the government to stop the pipeline process immediately, or else legal action will ensue.

"We will instruct our lawyers to file a lawsuit," said Stanley Sanguez, former chief at Jean Marie River.

"We are prepared to press our case in the courts."

The Deh Cho also requested a joint panel be created to replace the existing cooperation agreement which governs the process for the pipeline. As well, they want the immediate cancellation of the mineral claims held by Maureen Bernier.

"The Deh Cho believes very strongly in land use planning but not land use scamming," said Cizek.

The Deh Cho's lands cover about 40 per cent of the proposed pipeline route. The RCMP have confirmed they received the request to look into the dispute, but could not verify at this point if criminal charges are warranted.

Paul Bernier could not be reached for comment.