NWT gets new water bombers
Ahead of fire season, eight new Air Tractor 802A FireBoss amphibious water bomber aircraft arrived in the territory in April and May.
The aircraft, at about $3.5 million each, replaced four GNWT-owned CL-215 planes that were expected to be sold off. The new, single-pilot planes were smaller than the CL-215 and were able to pick up water from smaller lakes. Four of the planes were expected to be based in Yellowknife while the other four would be in Fort Smith. They were ordered after a long-term forecast developed with Environment and Climate Change Canada and Canadian Forest Service predicted a warm and dry summer in the southern part of the territory.
Buffalo Airways was awarded the contract to operate and maintain the planes for five years. Pilots were trained in Florida and the planes were expected to be in use around May 25.
Premier pushes for carbon tax exemption
The day after the federal government unveiled more details of its plan to put a price on emissions contributing to climate change, NWT Premier Bob McLeod said the federal government had assured him there would be recognition for unique circumstances in the North, which still heavily depends on fossil fuel for power generation and truck transportation for its economy. The Liberal plan would be similar to Alberta's and charge a levy on fuel and create an emissions credit trading system for large industrial polluters.
According to figures in an Environment and Natural Resources report, the territory generated 1,456 kilotonne equivalents of CO2 in 2013. One kilotonne equals 1,000 tonnes. That's 0.2 per cent of the national emissions that year.
Pipeline hearing announced
In May, the National Energy Board announced it would hold a hearing in August on a request by Enbridge Pipelines Inc. to replace a 2.5-km segment of its pipeline under the Mackenzie River near Fort Simpson. Enbridge applied in March to replace the section of the Line 21 pipeline by horizontally drilling under the Mackenzie River about 9 km east of the village at an estimated cost of $53 million. Line 21 shut down in November after an inspection noted riverbank instability near the pipeline. The pipeline carried light crude oil 869 km from Norman Wells to Zama, Alta.
The hearing was scheduled to start Aug. 8 at the Fort Simpson Recreation Centre and was expected to last up to a week.
Ministers’ transparency website not so clear
In May, it was found that a website geared toward creating transparency about ministers’ travel expenses and meetings was still not up and running.
In November 2016, Minister Louis Sebert delivered a speech in the legislative assembly about how the GNWT is improving government transparency. In addition to a new mandate reporting website and a public board appointments website, Sebert said a new-and-improved platform for reporting on ministers' expenses was expected to be up and running "within the month."
Ministers' travel expense reports are currently published quarterly in PDF format on the Department of Executive website. The new version was expected to be more user-friendly and would contain a database that is searchable by minister, department, trip and date. It was planned to be updated monthly and allow residents to see a line-by-line breakdown of travel expenses such as accommodations and meals.
Fishing lodge family seeks compensation for hydro dam
The owners of a fishing lodge on Nonacho Lake were once again before the Mackenzie Valley Land and Water Board in May seeking compensation for damage they said the Northwest Territories Power Corporation had caused to their business. The Carter family, from Hay River, had run a well-known fishing lodge on the lake 80 km southeast of Lutsel K'e for decades. They argued NTPC's operation of a hydro dam there has caused environmental damage and hurt their business. The board had awarded the Carters $62,500 but an NWT Supreme Court judge later ruled in 2014 that the family was denied procedural fairness and the board erred in its decision. In May 2017, it was re-examining the family's claims for compensation. The board later determined the family deserved compensation of $100,000.
Chief speaks out about oil and gas industry
K'atlodeeche First Nation Chief Roy Fabian declared oil and gas a dying industry during a meeting on May 13 and discouraged the government from supporting it.
Fabian was participating in the Northwest Territories Association of Communities meeting in Inuvik, which gave community representatives a chance to ask questions of cabinet.
He also expressed disappointment in the GNWT embarking on a commercial fishing project and, in his view, ignoring First Nations, as well as making the plea that traditional country foods be available in stores instead of processed products from the south.
Wally Schumann, minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment, didn't seem to agree the government should stop supporting oil and gas. He added the GNWT would continue moving forward with its strategy for the commercial fishing industry.
Inuvik passes liquor bylaw
After much debate, Inuvik town council passed the licensed premises bylaw on May 10, allowing The Mad Trapper bar to open another 16 Sundays per year during summer months, on top of the 10 it was already
allowed. Owner Rick Adams brought the request to council, after a similar but larger request failed to
pass in 2016. Prior to the council vote, Adams was allowed to open his bar on 10 Sundays of the year. His request was to add 16 more Sundays from April 1 to September 30. That would apply to all Class A liquor licenses in Inuvik. The change was discussed for months prior to the vote on May 10, with residents both for and against the proposal.
Controversial election in Fort Liard
Acho Dene Koe First Nation members headed to the polls May 15 to select a chief and council, capping a contentious election.
Gene Hope, Cathy Kotchea, Frank Kotchea Sr. and Herbie Berreault were running for chief while 16 were running for five council seats.
Among the council candidates was Harry Deneron, who was suspended as chief earlier in 2017.
More than 500 members were eligible to vote. In the run up to the vote, Fort Liard RCMP received several complaints, including an apparent arson attempt, threats and a break and enter at a business.
When the band released an initial list of candidates running for the positions of chief and council, Cathy Kotchea, Steve Kotchea and Peter Bertrand were all disqualified.
There are numerous reasons nominees can be disqualified from running. Some examples are if they have a recent criminal record or owe money to Acho Dene Koe First Nation.
All three were eventually reinstated.
NWT disappointed with MMIWG inquiry
As of May, there were still no scheduled dates for representatives with the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls to visit Northwest Territories communities.
The Department of Justice hired two family liaison workers to assist the inquiry and the Native Women's Association of the NWT was expected to have two more, paid for by the Government of Canada. But in an interview with News/North in May, Caroline Cochrane, territorial minister responsible for the status of women, said she still had not heard anything about when would happen in the NWT.
The inquiry's first community visit was scheduled for May 29 in Whitehorse, Yukon.
Man rescued after spelling ‘help’ in two-by-fours
A missing boater used two-by-fours to create a help sign on the shore of the Mackenzie River, leading to his rescue in May. Five organizations collaborated to rescue the missing man.
The boater was reported missing May 30 at 10:30 a.m., after not having been heard from since May 27.
The Civil Air Search and Rescue Association Inuvik launched aircraft while the Canadian Coast Guard Auxiliary's Inuvik Marine Rescue Unit launched its rapid response vessel.
It took just over four hours to find and locate the missing person, who was 40 miles downstream on the Mackenzie River and brought back to Inuvik by boat. Searchers found the man by sighting his "HELP" sign made out of two-by-fours on the ground. The man was uninjured and released after assessment at Inuvik Regional Hospital.