Derek Neary
Northern News Services

Fort Simpson (Mar 12/04) - Contracts totalling $10 million may hang in the balance, but Chief Keyna Norwegian says she is more concerned about principle.

Imperial Oil's winter geo-technical field work program was referred to an environmental assessment in late February due to a variety of concerns raised by First Nations in the Deh Cho.

"The biggest contract, the general contracting, went to the two companies in Hay River. We weren't pleased with that," said Norwegian, chief of the Liidlii Kue First Nation in Fort Simpson. "We weren't demanding an extraordinary amount of money to do the winter work. All we were saying is, 'You're coming into our traditional area, let us do the work. We're capable of doing it.'"

The LKFN was part of a joint-venture, conditionally awarded the geo-technical consulting and drilling contracts. However, Norwegian contends the terms weren't very advantageous.

"It would have never benefitted us that much," she said.

"General contracting would have had a lot more employees. That's what we were after, so I'm pleased that it's gone to environmental assessment."

Letters of concern were sent to the Mackenzie Valley Environmental Impact Review Board by aboriginal groups in Fort Simpson, Wrigley, Trout Lake and Fort Providence. Two of those communities -- Trout Lake and Wrigley -- also stood to gain from successful joint-venture bids for winter geo-technical contracts.

The time needed to complete an environmental assessment makes it "highly unlikely" the project will commence this winter, according to Imperial Oil spokesperson Hart Searle.

Program stalled

This stands to be the second consecutive year that the program has been stalled.

Imperial Oil made "numerous offers" to meet with the affected communities last June and July to address their concerns. He said his employer's efforts have been documented and were submitted with its application for project permits.

He admitted that a level of frustration exists within Imperial's corporate boardroom.

"We felt that it was a good program, that it provided benefits to the local communities -- revenues into the Deh Cho," he said, adding 16 people were provided with entry-level safety training in anticipation of the winter work.

"But at the end of the day we have to work within the structures and processes that are there," he said.

Imperial Oil still plans to submit its primary regulatory application for a Mackenzie Valley pipeline later this year despite lacking the geo-technical information from the Deh Cho region, Searle noted. He said that component may be added later as supplementary information.

"We are still very interested, clearly," he said. "But our preference was to complete that program in the Deh Cho this winter."

Norwegian said Imperial Oil seemed to doubt the First Nations' ability to have the permits referred to an environmental assessment.

The bands are not recognized as legal governments under the legislation governing the Mackenzie Valley Environmental Impact Review Board.

"Hopefully they (Imperial Oil) understand now that what we're saying in the Deh Cho is normally what happens," she said.

Inherent rights

Herb Norwegian, Grand Chief of the Deh Cho First Nations, agreed industry must recognize aboriginal people have inherent rights to the land.

"They look at this area as kind of like a vacuum.

"There is no final agreement on land questions, so as far as they're concerned it is Canada's land," he said, but the First Nations are willing to go to court to prove that's not the case.