Norman Wells (Dec 06/04) - Roads were a major topic of discussion when Sahtu business leaders met with NWT's member of parliament in Norman Wells last month.

Western Arctic MP and Minister of State for Northern Development Ethel Blondin-Andrew was there to pick the brains of entrepreneurs on how to spend $24 million in economic development funding.

revenues flowing to the federal government from Esso's Norman Wells Project profits in 2003/2004: $99,355,033 about 97 per cent of residents have at least Grade 9 education approximately 341 households municipal revenues for 2004: $3,516,640; $750,000 of which comes from the sale of natural gas and related service charges airport is the main hub for flights to other Sahtu communities

According to participants, two main themes dominated discussions.

"For us, transportation was a big one," said Larry Wallace, owner of the Rayuka Inn in Norman Wells.

Residents in the Sahtu's largest community have long been proponents of a year-round road.

The Mackenzie Delta, South Slave, Deh Cho and North Slave regions all largely have road access, but the Sahtu is limited to air and seasonal corridors: via the Mackenzie River and the winter road.

The idea of extending the Mackenzie Highway is not new. In April 1999, the NWT Department of Transportation studied the project.

At the time the cost was estimated at about $420 million. Of that, $220 million would take the route from Wrigley to Fort Good Hope.

Another $60 million would be needed to connect Deline and $120 million to link the extended route to the Dempster Highway.

"The project is not attractive from a strict economic perspective," that report concluded. "Its strengths are in the redistribution of wealth rather than creating it."

Historically, there have been objections raised to opening the Sahtu with an all-weather road.

"In Deline, our elders have been against it," said hunter and trapper Morris Modeste. "Yes, it would be good to get more tourism in our community, but remember, you get a lot of bad along with that."

Those weren't the prevailing thoughts at the workshop.

"We've lobbied long and hard for a highway extension," said Norman Wells Mayor Ann Marie Tout. She said the addition of multiple bridges to the winter road could "theoretically" be seen as a step in the right direction. Unfortunately the recent reduction of the territorial winter road budget by $1 million suggests the opposite.

Sore spot

As well, she said the winter road is fast becoming a sore spot in her community.

"We have raised a number of safety concerns about the winter road," she said. These have included the lack of signs and enforcement as well as the fact the route to Fort Good Hope cuts across Imperial Oil property.

"There's a lot of people who use that road to get to work and soon there will be rigs, heavy equipment and everything else moving up," said Tout.

Wallace, who's also chairperson of the Sahtu Land and Water Board, said he didn't expect any major developments to come out of the brainstorming session any time soon.

"Once she announces she's bringing the minister of transportation up with her then you'll know it's close," he said. Despite that, Wallace said the meeting was time well spent.

"You hear Ottawa announce $90 million for the North and you think 'great,'" he said, adding once that money is split in three and divided over five years, it only amounts to about $5 million annually.

"At that point it's like trying to paint a house with a gallon of paint," he said. "You can stretch it out and do the whole thing and it's going to look awful or you can pick one little corner and make it look really nice -- it's a tough choice either way."