Philippe Morin
Northern News Services
Monday, April 02, 2007

RAE-EDZO - Behchoko's Tlicho government council is considering legal action against the NWT government, disputing a requirement that Metis Local 64 be consulted about an infrastructure grant.

Chief Leon Lafferty said the issue was that Municipal and Community Affairs - the department overseen by Deh Cho MLA Michael McLeod - had voiced a desire that the Rae-Edzo Metis Local 64 be consulted in spending the grant, which Lafferty said is valued at $1.2 million.

In 2005, all of the NWT's 33 communities were given a piece of a $35 million federal grant, which aims to create publicly accessible infrastructure such as multipurpose buildings, youth centres, libraries or transit.

Behchoko plans to use the funds to renovate its aging recreation complex.

The fund's principles of eligibility, state it should "create an incentive for community governments/organizations to collaborate and develop and endorse a community plan that benefits the community at large," meaning different governing groups should be consulted.

However, Lafferty said he doesn't think this definition applies to the Metis, since the Tlicho agreement signed in August 2005.

He said he felt it was inappropriate for the Rae-Edzo Metis local 64 to even be included in the deliberations, since he considers them to be a society, and not a body with governing authority.

"The Tlicho government is the only recognized governing body here in the Tlicho region," Lafferty said.

"They (the Rae-Edzo metis Local 64) are not a government body, they are a society. That's what I have been trying to tell the government," he said.

Lafferty said the Metis Local had originally wanted to build a gas station with part of the community capacity building fund, but never submitted an official application.

Representatives from Rae-Edzo Metis Local #64 as well as Deh Cho MLA and Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs Michael McLeod could not be reached as of press time to explain what participation they wanted for the Metis Local 64. It is also unclear whether they still wished to pursue an application.

However, Lafferty said he would be seeking legal counsel, to ensure the Tlicho government would not have to consult with others or part with any grant money.

"I want the territorial government and all of Canada to recognize that the Tlicho agreement is the only one in this region. There is no other governing body," he said.

"After the mediation, if I am not happy, I am going to go to arbitration. If the arbitration doesn't work, then we'll go to court," he said.