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Housing, roads, water crucial issues for Nahendeh voters

Roxanna Thompson
Northern News Services
Published Monday, September 24, 2007

FORT SIMPSON - Fort Simpson has all the candidates in Nahendeh riding, but the key to victory on Oct. 1 may be in the outlying communities.

In Jean Marie River, Chief Stan Sanguez said that candidates need to pay more attention to the needs of the smaller communities.

"In the small communities the government has been stumbling on what we need for infrastructure," said Sanguez.

Many communities need more infrastructure and additional housing, he said. Other issues of concern include ensuring drinking water is safe and upkeep on roads.

"I hope the new government will address the small communities' needs," said Sanguez.

In the 2003 election of incumbent Kevin Menicoche took the majority votes in Fort Simpson and Nahanni Butte but the remaining four communities went to other candidates.

Menicoche, 45, said he wants to complete the job he was given in his first term.

Among his achievements he counts securing a gym for Nahanni Butte and getting money to spend for reconstruction on Highways 1 and 7.

Challengers for Menicoche's position include Arnold Hope who has two previous territorial election campaigns under his belt.

"I've always been politically flavoured," said Hope, 52, who has also been a band councillor for Liidlii Kue First Nation and held positions on a number of government boards and agencies.

High among Hope's campaign goals is to provide better representation by speaking in both Slavey and English.

Also in the running are Bob Hanna and Keyna Norwegian.

Hanna, who has lived in Fort Simpson for the past 20 years, is campaigning for change.

"We've been doing stuff wrong for so damn long it's time to change things," said Hanna.

Equality for all communities is Hanna's core campaign issue. It's morally wrong that communities across the territory have to pay different power rates, said Hanna, 69. High rates are a contributing factor to business failure and the high cost of goods and services in small communities, he said.

Keyna Norwegian said her seven years as both sub-chief and chief of the Liidlii Kue First Nation has given her a familiarity with the territorial government and what people want from it.

For years there have been issues that haven't been fixed, she said. "I feel I might be able to make a difference in changing those things," said Norwegian.

Norwegian, 45, said she'd make sure that if money has been set aside for projects in the area the jobs will go to local businesses.

Other unresolved issues include concerns in Trout Lake and other small communities over their sewage lagoons and water quality and adequate housing.

"The territorial government has to start stepping up to the plate and recognizing the small communities as equal to Yellowknife," said Norwegian.