Fort Smith (Oct 06/03) - The legal saga of a proposed winter road through Wood Buffalo National Park rolls on.

On Sept. 29 the Federal Court of Appeal held a hearing in Edmonton.

The Thebacha Road Society, Parks Canada and the Province of Alberta are appealing a court ruling from late 2001.

At that time, the Federal Court granted an injunction against the project, agreeing with Fort Chipewyan's Mikisew Cree that they were not properly consulted in violation of their treaty rights.

That decision stopped the project -- a 118 km. route between Peace Point and Garden River -- as it was about to begin.

Richard Power, the project co-ordinator with the Thebacha Road Society, expects a ruling on the appeal before December.

If the appeal is successful, he says the project could theoretically begin this winter. "December is winter road time," says Power.