Paul Bickford
Northern News Services
Monday, May 21, 2007

HAY RIVER - How Hay River will spend a $1.9-million funding windfall may ultimately be decided by the territorial government.

That's despite the municipality, West Point First Nation (WPFN) and the Hay River Metis Council signed an agreement in late January on how to allocate money from the Community Capacity Building Fund.

The problem is the deal was signed by Sonya Cayen for WPFN. At the time, she was one of two people claiming to be chief.

Karen Felker was the chief recognized by the Department of Indian and Northern Affairs Canada (INAC), and she complained about the agreement to the Department of Municipal and Community Affairs (MACA).

Now, MACA is hoping Felker will sign the deal.

"If we get her signature on that, the proposal will be good to go," said Sheila Bassi-Kellett, an assistant deputy minister of MACA.

However, Felker said she is not going to sign.

"It's going to have to be renegotiated," she said.

The agreement would have spent just over $1 million to repair or rebuild the town/fire hall, $350,000 to expand the WPFN band office, $350,000 on the Aboriginal Centre, and $206,000 to refurbish playgrounds and parks.

Felker wants more than $500,000 to build a Vale Island community centre in the West Channel area.

"Everything seems to be focused on downtown Hay River," she said.

To complicate matters even more, Felker noted WPFN is now in third-party management imposed by INAC and she is no longer chief. She wouldn't sign anything without direction from band membership, but she has no authority to call a meeting.

Felker thinks MACA will eventually decide which projects will receive funding in Hay River.

Mayor John Pollard said the agreement was signed in good faith.

Pollard added the agreement has the support of town council, the Metis and at least half of WPFN, and the GNWT should accept it.

"I'm hoping cabinet will see it that way," he said.

Pollard said the agreement was fair for everyone. "I'm not prepared to re-negotiate."

The Community Capacity Building Fund was established in 2005. Its $35 million was divided among all NWT communities, but the main political groups in each community had to agree on how to spend the money.

The GNWT has set a third deadline - June 30 - for communities to submit proposals.

The original deadline was in November 2006.

Where there are no agreements, MACA Minister Michael McLeod will invite separate proposals from community groups and the GNWT will decide what to fund.

Most communities have already submitted proposals, but some are still working on it, including Enterprise, Behchoko and Fort Providence.