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Questioning the park

Roxanna Thompson
Northern News Services

Fort Simpson (July 14/06) - Residents of Fort Simpson would like to see more concrete information about the affect of the proposed Nahanni National Park Reserve expansion before making any decisions.

That was the general consensus to come out of a public open house about the expansion held by Parks Canada in Fort Simpson on July 6.

NNSL Photo/graphic

Senator Nick Sibbeston points towards park superintendent Chuck Blyth while discussing the proposed Nahanni National Park Reserve expansion during a public open house held by Parks Canada. - Roxanna Thompson/NNSL photo


Community members listened to presentations on the research projects conducted in the park study area including studies on land cover, caribou locations, grizzly bear occurrences, Dall's sheep, bull trout and glaciers.

But it was the mineral and energy resource assessment that looked at the potential areas of mineral, oil and gas resources in the park that drew the most comments.

Fort Simpson Mayor Duncan Canvin said he would like to see an extensive study that covered the entire park area.

The study only conducted geophysical surveys on three areas of high potential because covering the whole area would cost approximately $20 million, explained Danny Wright with the Geological Survey of Canada.

Sue Sibbeston also voiced concerns.

As a community member with a business, Sibbeston said she wants to see quantitative data about what will be lost or gained with the expansion.

"I think it's important for all people to be aware of these things," Sibbeston said.

Canvin also asked if the expansion would lead to more staff being based in the village. People will want to know this before they make a decision, he said.

"There's a lot of benefit to having a national park. It's a huge economic driver in some regions, but will it be an economic driver in the Deh Cho," Canvin asked.

The number of staff assigned to the park will depend on the type of expansion that occurs, explained David Murray, a senior planner with the new northern parks division of Parks Canada.

Bruce Thomas questioned who will benefit from an expanded park. It's expensive to access, Thomas said.

People in the Fort Simpson area would like to see increased spending, otherwise they will take a mine and the jobs it would provide, Thomas said.

The expansion is about having clean water, a resource that could be valuable someday, said Chuck Blyth, superintendent for the park.

Senator Nick Sibbeston voiced concerns about the size of the proposed expansion and the affect it will have on future economic developments.

Expanding the park seven times is extreme and a land grab by environmentalists, Sibbeston said. He would like to see the areas of high mineralization left out of the park. In the future, Dene and Metis will need these resources to support their government.

"Once the blinds are drawn it's forever. It's like diamonds," Sibbeston said about setting park boundaries.

Expansion of the park has been a goal of Parks Canada since the first management plan in 1987, Murray said.

The park is currently 4,766 square kilometres. While there are no boundaries set for the proposed expansion, the study area for the park occupies 39,842 square kilometres.