OTTAWA - Western Arctic MP Dennis Bevington says Canada's decision to open an area in the Deh Cho to mining shows how hollow the Conservative government's claims of supporting the North are.

Western Arctic MP Dennis Bevington said the decision by the federal government to open up sub-surface rights in the Edehzhie area, a 25,230 square kilometre region protected under the interim land withdrawal since 2002, is a sign of the Conservative government's lack of support for the North. - NNSL file photo

"This type of decision made without consultation with the first nations... is really quite a slap in the face to the people in the North," Bevington said.

The comment was made following a joint press conference that Bevington and Dehcho First Nations' Grand Chief Sam Gargan held in Ottawa on Dec. 15.

The purpose of the press conference and Gargan's trip to the nation's capital was to create public attention about Edehzhie.

On Nov. 1 the federal government withdrew sub-surface protection for the area known as Edehzhie. The 25,230-square-kilometre region has had both surface and sub-surface protection as part of an interim land withdrawal since 2002.

In response on Nov. 29 Dehcho First Nations (DFN) filed an application for judicial review in the federal court.

The application asks for the sub-surface protection of Edehzhie to be restored and for an order to prevent new mineral claims being staked in the meanwhile.

DFN is arguing that Canada broke agreements to negotiate in good faith and implement protection of Edehzhie through the NWT Protected Areas Strategy.

The removal of protection, which follows on the heels of a Northern strategy in which the federal government promised a greater sense of support for Northern governance, shows the Conservative's hypocrisy, Bevington said.

"No one in the North is supporting this decision as far as I can see so why is the government making it," he asked.

"We want this to be a test case for getting this government to realize that it must listen to Northerners."

Canada's decision affects not only the Deh Cho but also the direction people across the North have been taking to protect the land and environment, he said.

Bevington said he has questioned John Duncan, the minister of the Department of Indian and Northern Affairs Canada, on the decision in the House of Commons.

Bevington has also applied for an adjournment proceeding so there can be a debate about Edehzhie in the house by early April.

Bevington said he's trying to get as much party support as possible about the issue. While in Ottawa Gargan was scheduled to meet with Larry Bagnell, the MP for the Yukon, who's the liberal opposition critic on the issue.

Dehcho First Nations also has the support of the territorial government.

Michael Miltenberger, Minister of Environment and Natural Resources, said the territorial government wasn't consulted or informed of the federal government's decision to remove sub-surface protection.

Miltenberger has written two letters to Minister John Duncan asking him to reconsider the decision.

"It's not something we support in any, way shape or form," Miltenberger said.

"Why they chose to do this is still not clear to us and why they would do it in such a unilateral way."

Miltenberger said the Edehzhie situation is an example of why the Northwest Territories needs an agreement in principle on devolution of authority over land, water and resources so long distance interference in processes that all parties have agreed to can be avoided.

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