Paul Bickford
Northern News Services

Snowdrift (Oct 10/05) - Despite what Premier Joe Handley claims, Lutsel K'e First Nation says it has not made an official decision on whether or not to allow a power transmission line from Taltson River to cross its territory.

At a Sept. 20 public meeting in Fort Smith, Handley said the band sent a letter to the government over the summer supporting a transmission line from an expanded Taltson hydro site to the diamond mines.

Later, the premier said the document was actually a band council resolution (BCR).

"The BCR Premier Handley claims to have does not exist," stated a news release News/North received last week from Lutsel K'e council. "What Premier Handley does have is a band membership resolution, not a band council resolution."

Band membership resolutions provide members' views to leaders.

"The resolution Premier Handley has was never endorsed or made official by elected leadership," the news release stated.

The Jan. 12 resolution was part of community pre-planning for anticipated negotiations for an East Arm national park.

The resolution states that band members will not support hydro development in the Fort Reliance area - "excepting power lines."

The members want the area protected in a natural park because of its cultural and spiritual significance.

On Friday, Handley said his office doesn't have a copy of the resolution, but he recalls seeing it.

Despite the band's clarification of what the resolution means, the government will continue planning for a Taltson expansion, he said. "We're just going to carry on."

The membership resolution was a good sign of community support, he added.

The premier noted any proposal for a transmission line would have to go through the interim measures agreement of the Akaitcho land claim process.

In its news release, the council said Taltson project proponents have never come to Lutsel K'e to explain the idea.

"How can we endorse something we know nothing about?" is one of the questions posed in the release.

Community never compensated

For his part, Handley said he has been to Lutsel K'e to discuss the project and so has the NWT Power Corporation.

"We've been there several times," he said.

The Lutsel K'e band council noted the community has never been compensated for 1968's flooding of Nonacho Lake when the Taltson power site was built. "The community feels this issue must be dealt with first."

At the Fort Smith meeting, Handley called an agreement from Lutsel K'e on the transmission line the "missing piece" for the $300-million Taltson expansion.

The proposed plan would see the power-generating facility at Twin Gorges, east of Fort Smith, expanded to produce 58 megawatts of electricity. The facility currently produces 18 megawatts.

No two chiefs

In its news release, the Lutsel K'e council also objected to what it calls a misleading sub-headline on an Oct. 3 News/North story about Handley's comment in Fort Smith.

The sub-headline mentions "Lutsel K'e's two chiefs."

Archie Catholique was ousted as chief, along with his council, earlier this year, but he has contested his removal in court. A ruling is expected soon.

The existing council noted that, in May, a Federal Court judge recognized them as the legitimate leadership of the band, headed by Sub-Chief Albert Boucher, until the court's final decision is handed down.