Elected officials lay out what they want to work on this year

Shane Magee
Northern News Services
Published Thursday, January 8, 2015

LIIDLII KUE/FORT SIMPSON
Herb Norwegian sees 2015 as the year the Dehcho Process is completed and brought before the summer assembly.

The land claims process has been slow going, he said in an interview looking ahead at the year just begun.

"(This year) is decision time," said Norwegian, the Grand Chief of the Dehcho First Nation.

The process has been underway since 1999. The goal is not to replace Treaty 8 and Treaty 11, but to clarify and build on them.

"I'm doing everything I can to get the thing moving forward," Norwegian said. "We're close, but yet we're far."

He said the land use plan is about 95 per cent complete, but the First Nation needs the Government of Canada negotiator to come back to the table so work can continue towards completion.

Fort Simpson Mayor Sean Whelly hopes the new year will bring economic development to help spur the village.

"I think looking forward, there are certain challenges that Fort Simpson has to face," Whelly said.

While previous winters have seen spending in the region by Enbridge and its workers doing integrity digs on the pipeline, this year Enbridge doesn't have much work planned, meaning fewer dollars flowing through the local economy.

"It would be nice to see the Canadian Zinc mine moving forward because in some ways we're facing an economic challenge."

Whelly said he wants to see various projects the current council has started get wrapped up this year.

That includes continued work on the library and other energy efficiency projects.

Money was allocated to install a concrete slab in the curling rink, replacing the existing sand surface that takes more time to prepare for the season.

This year brings the final sessions of the 17th legislative assembly.

First up is the next territorial budget, with a session scheduled to be held from Feb. 4 to March 12.

Nahendeh MLA Kevin Menicoche said he'll continue to advocate to make various highway improvement projects a spending priority for the region.

The other sessions will happen in June and then later in the summer ahead of an election.

Menicoche said he'll be talking in the assembly about the needs of smaller communities, especially when it comes to the high cost of living.

As well, he said he's going to push to get a new village health centre on the capital budget.

"I want to get certainty that it's in the capital plan next year," Menicoche said.

Without it being on the capital budget, it will continue to be pushed back, he said.

A planning study, which includes the site and layout of the building, is expected to begin this month.

Deh Cho MLA Michael Nadli wants to see increased decentralization of jobs this year.

"I'm really hoping to see some decentralized positions come to the small communities at some point," he said.

One issue he said he wants to see addressed was recently raised by the Hay River fire department.

Firefighter and town councillor Vince McKay said in a recent interview that the department needs more money to respond to emergencies on the highways outside the town.

This fall will see elections at three levels of government, if the planned dates stay the same.

The federal election, as well as municipal elections in tax-based communities in the NWT, are set for Oct. 19.

The territorial general election is expected to be held on Nov. 23.

Menicoche, Nadli and Whelly said at this point they plan to run for re-election.