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DEH GAH GOT'IE/FORT PROVIDENCE - On Axe Point a clearing in the forest no longer holds any evidence that it was once a busy staging area for the U.S. military.

On July 23, Fort Providence celebrated the completion of the remediation project that returned Axe Point to its natural state.

Elder Ted Landry speaks to the crowd at Axe Point while flanked by elder Mary Rose Landry and drummer Walter Landry. - Roxanna Thompson/NNSL photo

The project was the result of years of commitment and work by a number of local organizations and residents.

Located 60 kilometres downstream on the Mackenzie River from Fort Providence, between 1940-42 the military used the area to support the Canol pipeline construction project, said Gila Somers, an environmental scientist with the Contaminants and Remediation Directorate of Indian and Northern Affairs Canada (INAC).

At its peak, the site housed up to 40 personnel in seven cabins.

The camp also included machine shops, a garage, some offices and all the supplies that were needed to push the pipeline forward.

A runway was also constructed at Axe Point, one of only three sites along the trail that had one.

The camp at Axe Point, however, was only a temporary location and the military moved on.

"Everything was left," said Somers.

In addition to all of the buildings, the military also left behind more than 150 barrels of oil, two boats, various vehicles and an old ship's boiler.

Public concern from Fort Providence and Jean Marie River led INAC to start the remediation project as part of the Federal Contaminated Sites Action Plan, Somers said.

Drawing attention to the site and the work that needed to be done took awhile, said Louie Constant, the chairman of the Fort Providence Resource Management Board, which championed the project.

For a long time, community members have been concerned about the materials that remained, Constant said.

Members of the board examined the site and decided to find a way to get the area cleaned up.

"We didn't like the way they left that stuff," he said.

After meetings with INAC, the remediation project finally started to move forward in 2001 and 2002. After touring the site on July 23 as part of the celebration, Constant said the finished product made the effort worthwhile.

"They did a really beautiful job," said Constant.

Studies done as part of the cleanup showed there was some basis for concerns about the effects of the debris on the site.

A Phase 1 assessment in 2001, that involved testing of the soil and water, found higher levels of some heavy metals, particularly iron, in the ground water and surface water near the scrap metal dump sites, said Gila Somers.

A further Phase 3 environmental assessment found that there wasn't any soil contamination and that the Mackenzie River hadn't been affected. The main concern then became human health and safety, she said.

"Basically we wanted to remove all the debris on site so there wouldn't be any endangerment to human health and safety," said Somers.

Issues included unstable buildings, uncovered cellars, non-hazardous debris, lead paint on buildings, asbestos and more than 50 batteries.

The removal project was done last year and involved using a barge to take all of the debris from the site. It was then transported to hazardous waste landfills.

Objects discovered on the site included buried cable wires along the riverbanks, an amphibious vehicle and portions of other vehicles. After all of the debris was removed from both above and below ground and the resulting holes were backfilled.

Water quality monitoring is continuing on the site as required, said Somers.

A full review this year will show if metal levels in the water have changed since the scrap metal and other contaminants were removed.

The Axe Point remediation project was unusual because of the degree of participation that the community had in it, said Somers.

"Because they were so committed to see this happen and see the finished results we moved through it quickly," she said.

Now that Axe Point has been returned to nature, Chief Berna Landry of the Deh Gah Goti'ie Koe First Nation said she hopes people will begin to use it again.

Before the arrival of the U.S. Military, Axe Point and the surrounding area was used by a number of families including the Sambezos, the Constants, the Mattos and the Canadiens.

Once the military established their site, people were afraid to go there - despite the good fishing location that's nearby, Landry said.

"Nothing should stop them from enjoying this site again," said Landry.

To commemorate the remediation project and the history of Axe Point, a plaque will be placed on the site.