Jorge Barrera
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (Oct 17/01) - The recent agreement signed Monday between an aboriginal pipeline group and four of the biggest oil and gas players on the continent triggered dissent from a corporation in the Sahtu.

On the day of the signing, Norman Wells-based Ernie McDonald Land Corporation fired off a blistering fax saying they did not support the agreement.

"(The corporation) does not support the agreement being signed," said the release.

The Aboriginal Pipeline Group signed an agreement to work with Exxon, Imperial Oil, Conoco and Shell in developing a pipeline.

"I don't think there's been much offered, it's just one-third ownership and they have to come up with a billion dollars and that has to paid back," said Larry Tourangeau, president of the corporation.

The corporation is one of six in the Sahtu.

It covers the area between the District of Tulita and the Gotchoini District.

"We want to raise the flag to say not everyone in the Sahtu is on board," said Tourangeau.

Tourangeau is peddling an alternative to the APG. He's promoting a 100 per cent aboriginal ownership deal with Arctic Resources Company (ARC).

Owned by Calgarian Harvie Andre and Texan Forrest Hoglund, they were the first at the 1990s Northern pipeline table with a proposal to take Canadian arctic gas to southern markets.

They propose to fund a pipeline through a method that would be completely debt financed.

The McDonald corporation pulled their name from the APG June 26.

The Fort Good Hope Metis Land Corporation has signed on to ARC.