SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
Members of the NWT's two federally appointed environmental review boards claimed more than $1.6 million in travel expenses since 2009.

Willard Hagen: Mackenzie Valley Valley Land and Water Board chair claimed close to $90,000 worth of travel expenses ($90,137 and $89,546) for two separate years since 2009. - NNSL file photo

According to figures released by the Mackenzie Valley Review Board (MVRB) and documents obtained by Yellowknifer from the Mackenzie Valley Valley Land and Water Board (MVLWB), the two boards spent $889,373 and $712,616 respectively on travel between 2009 and 2013.

Although the boards have between 10 and 20 members on their boards at any given time the majority of expenses were incurred by senior management and board chairs, with one chair reporting close to $90,000 worth of travel expenses ($90,137 and $89,546) for two separate years.

Willard Hagen has claimed $351, 979 worth of travel expenses as the chair of the MVLWB since 2009.

The board's executive director, Zabey Nevitt, said the reason Hagen's travel expenses are so high is because up until a year and a half ago, he lived in Inuvik but was flying to Yellowknife for regular board meetings approximately every two weeks.

Hagen stepped in as the head of the board after the previous chair, Todd Burlingame, resigned in 2005 due to pressure from regional land and water boards, which resented the fact that Burlingame was not from the NWT and was appointed to the position despite not being one of their three recommended candidates for the job.

The chairs of each board, as well as the majority of their members, are appointed by the federal Minister of Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada, usually based on the recommendations of regional boards.

Bernard Valcourt, the current minister, did not return a request for comment by press time.

Hagen pointed out it would be far more controversial if the minister had a policy stating that the chair of the board had to come from Yellowknife.

“You could bet there would be a lot of shit raised if that were the case,” said Hagen, who earned $144,100 in salary and honoraria last year.

Hagen, who was already the chair of Gwich'in Land and Water Board when he took over, said he was seen as best suited for the position because the MVLWB board was overseeing the assessment of the Mackenzie Gas Project at the time and someone local was wanted in order to represent the interests of the area.

On top of flying back and forth between Yellowknife and Inuvik, Hagen said he has to make regular trips to inspect mine and oil and gas sites. He also flies to communities to meet with regional boards.

“Everything we do that's controversial has to be explained and engaged and consulted on,” he said.

“So the more time you take to keep people informed, the better chance you have of having less controversy when you do or don't issue a license.”

Despite the need to travel extensively, Hagen said he tries to perform as many of duties as possible through teleconference calls.

Hagen moved to Yellowknife a year and a half ago after the Mackenzie Gas Project received its final approval. Since then, his expenses have dropped, totaling $47,167 for 2013.

Although he has since moved, he pointed out that board members do not get benefits or pensions.

“When you're done, you get to leave, they say thank you and you get nothing,” he said.

Pending lawsuit over improper spending

The MVRB is currently being sued by a former employee who alleged she was wrongfully dismissed for raising concerns in regards to overspending by senior board members, which included a $260 receipt for "tobacco gifts" from a cigar shop in Calgary, $630 for a pair of slippers from Northern Images and a $1,113 dinner bill for 11 people from an Ottawa steakhouse.

Richard Edjericon, the chair of that board, previously declined to comment on the allegations of improper spending as the matter is before the courts.

Edjericon claimed as much as $56,050 and as little as $27,606 in travel expenses in the past five years in addition to his salary and honoraria, which totaled $138,148 in 2013.

The board's executive director, Mark Cliffe-Phillips, did not return a request for comment by press time.

According to a press release, the MVRB's expenses were posted on their website two weeks ago in an attempt to fulfill the board's “goal of greater financial transparency and accountability”.

The expenses for each board member includes the total amounts of their salaries in a year, but does not provide an itemized breakdown of where that money went.

Hagen added the the MVLWB has recently made concerted efforts to cut its spending.

– with files from Daniel Campbell