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Reviews
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 Deh Cho: 2007 - The Year in Review Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec
JanuaryWrigley chief steps downAfter just six months in power, Tim Lennie left the position of chief for the Pehdzeh Ki First Nation in Wrigley. Lennie formally announced his plan to resign at a Dehcho First Nations' special leadership assembly in Fort Simpson at the end of January. January 26 marked his final day as chief. Lennie cited exhaustion as his reason for leaving the position. People don't realize how much time and effort leaders put into the role, he said. "People all over need to grasp what their leadership is doing for them," said Lennie. Feeling lucky Luck was on Deborah McPherson's side in the new year. McPherson, a resident of Fort Simpson, won a nation-wide contest run by Northern Stores and Piller's, a company that makes smoked and cooked meats. Called the Payday Promo, the prize was a $5,000 shopping spree at the Northern. McPherson's chances of winning the draw were slim. Her name had to be picked twice. It was drawn from among the entries in Fort Simpson and chosen again at a draw containing entries from more than 200 stores nation-wide. A century of life Family and friends gathered to wish Madeline Villeneuve happy birthday on Jan. 10 in Fort Simpson. Villeneuve was celebrating either her 100th or 101st birthday. Church records note Villeneuve's date of birth as Jan. 9, 1906, making her 101. However, a birth and baptism certificate signed in 1967 marks her birthday as Jan. 10, 1907. Either way, family members were happy to celebrate. "It's amazing," said Gail Villenevue, one of Madeline's grandchildren. Four hurt in a roll-over One passenger was ejected from a pickup truck during a single vehicle accident in Fort Simpson on Jan. 13. A GMC mid-sized pickup truck entered a ditch near Wild Rose Acres and rolled at least twice before stopping, said Const. Sigmund Janke who attended the scene. Four young adults - three females and a male all 18-years-old or older - were in the vehicle. One of the females was ejected through the passenger side rear window and the other three suffered minor injuries, Janke said. Emergency plane landing A plane was forced to make an emergency landing outside of Fort Liard because of engine troubles. Steve Malesku was piloting the Cessna 206 operated by Cariboo Air that made the landing on Jan. 17 on the winter road run by Paramount Resources. The plane, which was flying to the Prairie Creek mine site, contained two passengers. Both of them attributed the safe ending of the flight to Malesku, who remained calm and collected, said Const. Jeremy White of the Fort Liard RCMP detachment. No one was injured in the incident.
February
Fun and games Fort Simpson hosted the NWT Winter Games in February. The games took place from Feb. 15 to 18 and brought together more than 275 athletes from 28 communities in the Northwest Territories. Youth were able to participate in seven different sports including speed skating, basketball, broomball, badminton, cross-country skiing, snowboarding and Dene games. The games went very well, said Chris Stipdonk, the games' co-ordinator. "Everything went very smooth," Stipdonk said. A fixer-upper Work began on the Sacred Heart rectory in Fort Simpson in February. The first steps towards restoring the building, including stripping the interior walls, were taken. "As in any renovations you never know what's under the walls," said Martina Norwegian, president of the Fort Simpson Historical Society. As a joint project between the Fort Simpson Historical Society and the Open Sky Creative Society the building is being turned into the Fort Simpson Heritage Centre. Built in 1911, the structure is the oldest surviving building in the village. A new set of wheels Community members came together in Fort Liard to raise money and purchase an electric wheelchair for Patricia Duntra. Duntra was presented with the wheelchair during an assembly at the Echo Dene school on Feb. 7. Previously she'd relied on a manual wheelchair. The man behind the donation was Gene Hope, who got the idea to purchase an electric wheelchair after seeing Duntra in the Northern Store for the first time after the building had a ramp installed. "She'll be able to get around town a lot better," said Hope. Immigrants question citizenship process Five potential Canadian citizens living in Fort Simpson raised questions about being asked to travel to Inuvik to take their citizenship tests. The immigrants, including Frank Gu and his wife Judy Zou, received letters from Citizenship and Immigration Canada giving them less than a month's notice to come to Inuvik to take their citizenship tests. Asking people to travel all that way is unfair, said Gu. "I see it as a discrimination of human rights," Gu said. All five potential citizens were unable to attend the ceremony because the cost of travel was too high. A ceremony can't be held in Fort Simpson because of the costs involved, said Randy Gurlock, director of Citizenship and Immigration Canada for Edmonton, Northern Alberta and the Northwest Territories. A house on fire Going undefeated in all four of their games the Fort Simpson volunteer firefighters' curling team swept the territorial tournament in Inuvik. Led by skip Roger Pilling, curlers Pat Rowe, Troy Searson, Brian Harold and Lee Scobie competed at the NWT Firefighter Curling Championships from Feb. 9 to 10. The curlers were up against competition from Inuvik, Hay River and Fort McPherson. Cadet commanding officer leaves The 2860 Royal Canadian Army Cadet Corps Fort Simpson said goodbye to longtime commanding officer Lieut. John Hazenberg on Feb. 4. In a ceremony filled with military traditions, leadership of the corps was given to Second Lieut. Diane Porter. Except for one short break, Hazenberg held the position of commanding officer for 14 years. Hazenberg gave up the position because he and his family were moving to Yellowknife.
March
Wise woman of Trout Lake Bertha Deneron was named the winner of the 2007 Wise Woman award for the Deh Cho. Deneron, from Trout Lake, received the accolade from the Status of Women Council of the NWT. The council gives the awards to women in five regions in the territory who have worked to improve the lives of others in their communities and serve as role models for the younger generation. "I was in shock when they told me I'd won the Wise Woman award," said Deneron. Deneron is employed as a community health worker in Trout Lake, a position that means people often look up to her, she said. Martin River bridge moved The new Martin River bridge was moved into place from Feb. 23 to 27. A number of local residents drove out to the site on Highway 1 between Fort Simpson and Wrigley to watch the bridge moving efforts. "People were quite curious," said Owen Rowe with Rowe's Construction, the company that had the contract for installing the structure. The new bridge is 66-metres long, approximately 20-metres longer than the previous bridge and 1.5-metres wider. Dene Games sisters Sisters Devin, Shawna and Robyn McLeod made a big impact at the Canada Winter Games. The three sisters from Fort Providence made up the core of a Dene Games team that was sent to the games in Whitehorse, the first time that Dene Games have appeared as a demonstration sport. Shawna won the gold medal in the stick pull event, the first ever win for a Dene Games athlete at the Canada Winter Games. Pipeline cost skyrockets The cost of the proposed Mackenzie Gas project almost doubled from previous estimates to reach $16.2 billion, according to new information from Imperial Oil. When the proponents first filed for project approval in October 2004 the pipeline project was expected to cost $7.5 billion and be finished by 2010. Imperial Oil now estimates that gas will move through the pipeline by 2014 at the earliest. Imperial Oil filed an updated project cost estimate and schedule information with the National Energy Board and the Joint Review Panel on March 12. The increased costs were derived from cost escalation of materials, equipment and labour, an improved understanding of the planning and execution of the project and the complexity and delays related to the regulatory process, said Pius Rolheiser, a spokesperson with Imperial Oil. New lodgings The Sambaa K'e Development Corporation in Trout Lake replaced the Transient Centre with two new trailers that will be called the Sambaa K'e Guest House. The project to replace the Transient Centre was in the works for more than a year, said Rick Phaneuf, general manager of the Development Corporation. New guest lodgings were desperately needed, he said. The Transient Centre was housed in a brown log building that is more than 20-years-old.
April
Nahanni Butte to build a gym It was announced that after more than a decade of planning, Nahanni Butte is about to become the last community in the Deh Cho to build a gym. While the project is still in the planning stages, the community is expected to have a completed gym by October 2008. Members of the community, together with staff from the Department of Municipal and Community Affairs (MACA) and consultants worked together to develop the project, said George Tsetso, the recreation co-ordinator for Nahanni Butte. Nahanni Butte looks for a chief Eight months after being elected for his second term as chief in Nahanni Butte, Chief Eric Betsaka called for an election. Betsaka said he asked the band council to call an election for mostly personal reasons. "I'm pretty exhausted," he said. Being chief isn't an easy task in the smaller communities, said Betsaka. The band council understands the workload, he said. Flyers win at First Air tournament Going undefeated in all five of their games, the Nahanni Inn Flyers skated their way to first place in the B division at the First Air Tournament. Three teams from Fort Simpson including the Flyers, the Moosehide Mamas and K&K, competed in the tournament in Yellowknife from April 5 to 8. Winning in the B division was an accomplishment because in their final game the Flyers beat the Talbot's Leafs from Yellowknife, the team that had won the division for the past six years, said Owen Rowe, who played with the Flyers. Joyriding in K&K trucks Charges were laid against two minors from Fort Simpson who stole three trucks from K&K Expediting. In the early morning of April 8, three male youth ages 15, 16 and 17 went to K&K Expediting and took three trucks, said Const. Sigmund Janke, the investigating officer. One of the trucks was driven past Jean Marie River before the driver lost control and rolled the vehicle. No injuries were reported from the incident, Janke said. Learning from each other Operation Narwhal conducted at the Fort Simpson airport became a cultural exchange as much as a military exercise. Fifty military personnel and 10 Canadian Rangers participated in the exercise. Although their primary purpose was to safeguard the troops from predators such as bears, the 10 Rangers shared information about their culture and life in the North with the soldiers. Rangers showed the soldiers how to make a variety of rabbit snares, how to set up McPherson tents and wood stoves and how to collect dry wood for fires. "They were really amazed at how many skills can be learned up here," said Ranger Joe Lacorne from Fort Providence. Family escapes house fire A home in Fort Simpson suffered severe smoke damage following a fire. On April 24 the Fort Simpson volunteer fire department responded to a fire at Danny Peterson and Sandra Tanche's house in Wild Rose Acres. Three of the four residents of the house were inside at the time of the fire and escaped safely. The family was very fortunate because there could have been a different outcome, said Tyrone Larkin, the assistant fire marshal for the Deh Cho region. While examining the scene of the fire later in the day Larkin found a smoke alarm in the house dangling from the ceiling by wires and wrapped in a plastic bag. "People can die because of that," said Larkin, referring to the plastic bag.
May
Soccer teams bring home medals Gold was the colour of victory for the Fort Simpson U18 girls' soccer team. The girls won their division at the Northern Lights Cup in Grande Prairie from May 3 to6. The U18 girls' team wasn't alone in its medal haul. The U16 boys from Fort Simpson also played hard in their division to bring home silver. "I was just so impressed with their performance in all the games," said coach Justin Carre. Teen crime rises in Simpson Officials in Fort Simpson noticed an increase in crimes committed by teenagers. "There's definitely been an increase in our involvement with the youth," said RCMP Sgt. Cliff McKay. Starting at the beginning of April, the RCMP in the village saw continuous problems with youth that included vandalism in the downtown area, a number of break-ins at the recreation centre and the theft of three trucks. Robert Byatt, principal at Thomas Simpson school, said he also noticed the spike in crimes by teenagers. Both McKay and Byatt pointed to alcohol and underage drinking as factors in the rise in crimes. "It's what alcohol can lead to," said McKay. On-demand ferry service Starting on its first trip of the season on May 9 the Liard River ferry began on-demand service. The MV Lafferty was the last ferry in the territory to offer the service. Previously, the Liard River ferry ran on a scheduled service leaving one side of the river on the hour and the other side on the half-hour. Many drivers seemed to appreciate the service change. "I think people like it," said Antoine Tsetso, a deckhand on the ferry. Quick start for fire crews Two fire crews in the Deh Cho had a quick start to their season. On May 16, their second day of work, the five person crews of Fort Liard B and Nogha 3 were deployed to help fight forest fires in northern Ontario. Having such a quick deployment was welcomed by crew members. "It's good," said Jim Deneron, the crew leader for Fort Liard B. RCMP detachment for Wrigley Following years of requests by community members, Wrigley is now slated to receive a permanent RCMP detachment. The territorial government approved funding for Wrigley, Sachs Harbour and Gameti to each receive two RCMP officers, said Brendan Bell, NWT minister of justice. The communities are among the 13 in the territory that didn't have permanent detachments. "I'm happy to see this commitment to small community policing," said Bell. The two RCMP members were expected to be in the community by the fall, but they will report to the detachment in Fort Simpson. The officers will not be defined as having Wrigley positions until permanent housing and a new detachment can be constructed, said Bell.
June
Bison cause delays Motorists driving on Highway 7 north of Fort Liard were asked to watch out for bison after a herd repeatedly gathered on the highway. A group of bison almost made Kerry Kraft and Lionel Nadia miss the last ferry to Fort Simpson on June 10 when they were driving back to the community. Approximately 30 animals blocked the road and refused to move for about 20 minutes, said Kraft. The herd finally moved when a vehicle approached from the other direction. The bison might have been moving to the road because high water levels on the Liard River flooded the low-lying areas that the animals would normally be in, said Nic Larter, the regional biologist. Looking at traditional healing Participants in a forum in Fort Simpson took a serious look at how traditional healing practices can be integrated into the services offered by Dehcho Health and Social Services (DCHSS). From June 5 to 7 approximately 50 people from across the Deh Cho met in Dehcho Hall as part of the Two Medicines in the Dehcho forum. The goal of the forum was to receive input from the communities on how they would like to see traditional healing practices used and integrated, said Minnie Letcher, the director of community programs and services for DCHSS. Workshop topics included protocols for traditional healing, traditional knowledge and mental health therapy as well as what a traditional and western medicine model would look like. Animal shelter closes After almost two years of volunteer service, the three students who opened the Nahanni Butte Animal Shelter are closing the doors. Bhreagh Ingarfield, Kyra Tanche and Kayla Betsaka opened the shelter in the fall of 2005 to help animals in the community. Last fall they were leaving Nahanni Butte to pursue their Grade 11 education, which isn't offered at the Charles Yohin school, and as a result they closed the shelter. Making the decision was hard, said Ingarfield, especially when you see a dog that needs help. "I believe we're just going to have to say that we can't help," she said. Teacher jailed for sex crimes Marvin Lizotte, 37, was sentenced to 14 months in jail after being convicted of three counts of sexual exploitation connected to three teenage students. The convictions stem from his time as a physical education instructor at Deh Gah school in Fort Providence. Lizotte was sentenced in court on June 15 in the community. Some residents questioned whether the sentence was harsh enough. Chief Berna Landry, of the Deh Gah Got'ie Koe First Nation, said she personally thought that Lizotte should have received a longer sentence of between five to 10 years. "I thought it was too light for the feelings the girls had to go through," said Landry. Forest fires burn Extremely dry conditions and lightning strikes caused 17 fires around the Deh Cho between June 18 and June 26. "We've been on a bit of a fire flap since June 18," said Loyal Letcher, manager of forests for the Deh Cho region. Lightning started all of the fires that were spread across the region, said Letcher. As of June 26 there were still 16 active fires in the Deh Cho. Seven of the 17 fires were attacked and all were successfully fought, said Letcher. The remaining 10 fires were being monitored but not fought. Fort Providence election The Deh Gah Got'ie Dene First Nation leadership in Fort Providence remained virtually unchanged following an election on June 19. Six of the members of the previous council were re-elected. Priscilla Canadien, the only new member of the team this term, was elected to fill the space left by Sam Elleze who had previously been appointed to a seat with the elder's council. The council will be headed by Chief Berna Landry who was acclaimed when no one else put their name forward.
July
Metis history in print The Fort Providence Metis Council published a book on their people's history. Titled Since 1921: The Relationship between Dehcho Metis and Canada, the 82-page book provides an overview of Dehcho Metis history in the context of their relationship with Canada. "I think it will contribute to building an understanding," said Albert Lafferty, the president of the Fort Providence Metis Council. The book starts in 1921 because that was the year that the Canadian government sent its Treaty 11 Half-breed Scrip Commission to the Deh Cho and other regions of the NWT. Biggest fiddle camp yet More youth than ever took advantage of the chance to learn how to play the fiddle through the Kole Crook Fiddle Association. A total of 49 students attended the fifth annual fiddle camp hosted by the association in Fort Providence from July 3-8. The camp was bigger than last year's by 15 students, said Gerda Hazenberg who helped organize the event. Diamond anniversary On July 12, friends and family of George and Adele Hardisty gathered to celebrate the couple's sixtieth wedding anniversary. More than 50 people met at Melissa and Rick Beaverho's house in Fort Simpson for the celebration and barbecue. "I really feel fortunate and happy that they've stayed this long with us," said Nellie Jane Hardisty, one of their daughters, about the privilege of celebrating 60 years. The couple from Wrigley was married on July 11, 1947. At the time Adele was 22 and George was 28. Today they are 82 and 88. Car fire in Fort Simpson A fire in a derelict car raised renewed concerns about the state of a property situated on the main street in Fort Simpson. On July 14 a seven-year-old boy set fire to a car parked on Leo (Yanny) Cordero's lot which is located across the street from the Liidlii Kue First Nation's band office. Pat Rowe, the fire chief of the Fort Simpson volunteer fire department, cautioned parents to keep their children away from the property. "The area is totally unsafe for just about anybody. It's definitely unsafe for the public," said Rowe. The property has been an ongoing problem in the community, said Sgt. Cliff McKay with the Fort Simpson RCMP detachment. RV park built Work started in Jean Marie River to build a RV park for visiting tourists. The community wasn't equipped to handle the large vehicles, said Arnold Gargan, the economic development officer. "There's no place for them to park except the road," he said. To create the park, a heavy equipment training course offered by Aurora College and the Jean Marie River First Nation was combined with the project. Starting in June, five participants in the course spent two weeks in the classroom before heading out for about four weeks of hands-on experience with the equipment. The participants were given the RV park project as their practical testing ground, Gargan said. Ka'a'gee Tu First Nation wins Federal Court case The Federal Court ruled in Ka'a'gee Tu First Nation's favour in two related cases against the government of Canda. In a ruling on July 20, Justice Edmond P. Blanchard said that the government violated Ka'a'gee Tu's right to meaningful consultation before a final decision was made on a modified land use permit granted to Paramount Resources Ltd. in 2005. In a related ruling, Blanchard said that the modified land use permit issued on Sept. 29, 2005 for an extension project in the Cameron Hills area would be set aside.
August
White pelican in Trout Lake A white pelican cause a flap in Trout Lake when it visited the community. On Aug. 17 a number of community members spotted the pelican that was staying near the mouth of the Island River and Trout Lake, said Fred Jumbo who saw the bird. The visit was unusual because pelicans are not common to the area around the community, Jumbo said. "I've never seen that before," he said. The pelican spotted in Trout Lake and others seen outside of the Slave River area near Fort Smith are strays, said Jacques van Pelt, who's monitored the pelican rookery on the Slave River since 1974. Dehcho Bridge gets approval After years of waiting for the official green light, the Dehcho Bridge Corporation prepared to celebrate the confirmation that a bridge will be built across the Mackenzie River. On Aug. 15 at the legislative assembly, Premier Joe Handley announced that the bridge project is proceeding. The announcement was good news, said Michael Vandell, the president of the Dehcho Bridge Corporation. In response, the corporation held a community celebration on Aug. 24. Medals from New Mexico Soccer players brought home four medals from the inaugural Indigenous Soccer Cup held in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Twenty-five athletes from Fort Simpson, Jean Marie River and Fort Liard helped make up the four Northwest Territories teams. At the top of the podium was the U-16 boys' team that won gold in their division. Other prizes included two silver medals by the U-19 boys and girls' teams and a bronze from the U-14 boys' team. Nahanni park reserve to expand Prime Minister Stephen Harper announced a massive expansion of the Nahanni National Park Reserve during a visit to Fort Simpson on Aug. 8. The federal cabinet approved an order in council to expand the boundaries of the park to cover approximately 28,000 square kilometres. The park currently covers 4,766 square kilometres. "This is arguably the most important act of environmental protection in this country in a generation," said Harper. With the expansion, the park will cover an area four times the size of Prince Edward Island, making it Canada's third largest national park, he said. Fed up with bison A number of residents of Fort Liard voiced their feelings about bison that wander into the community. "I've just had it. We've been putting up with these damn buffalo for far too long," said John Gonet. Gonet has seen bison destroy personal property including gardens, fences and trees including his own. Bison have also broken through the metal fence surrounding the airstrip on a number of occasions, said Gonet who's the airport and highways supervisor for Beaver Enterprises. Staff with the department of Environment and Natural Resources (ENR) are taking continued measures to deal with community concerns over bison, said Paul Kraft, the superintendent of ENR for the Deh Cho. Complaints about bison are nothing new and vary depending on the level of interaction, Kraft said.
September
Election rules change Changes to the Jean Marie River First Nation's election code have opened the doors to new candidate options. Non-resident members of the band can now run for the position of chief, but if elected they must move to Jean Marie River for their term. The code was also changed to allow non-resident members on the band council, said Tammy Neal, the band's manger. The councillors will not be required to move. Fifty per cent of the six-person council must still be residents. McLeod acclaimed On Sept. 7 Michael McLeod was acclaimed to the position of MLA of the Deh Cho, cutting short the territorial election race in that district. "I felt that it was truly an honour that had been bestowed on me," said McLeod about his acclimation. This election was a stark contrast from his last when he won by a narrow margin of 13 votes over Michael Nadli. This is McLeod's third session at the legislative assembly. McLeod said he would be focusing on housing, cost of living and employment in the Deh Cho. Deh Cho elder passes away The Deh Cho lost a respected elder when Leo Norwegian, 86, passed away on Sept. 14 He died in an Edmonton hospital following complications from a medical procedure on his liver. Martina Norwegian, one of Leo's daughter's, said her father will be remembered for the care he showed his family. "He always thought of family first," said Norwegian. Family, language and the land were important things in Leo's life, Martina said. First Snowshoe Idol Dale Vandell was crowned the first Snowshoe Idol. Vandell won the title after competing in the finals of the competition on Sept. 15 at the Snowshoe Lounge in Fort Providence. A total of 18 singers who'd been chosen over the summer took to the stage to try and wow the judges and the crowd. The top five singers included Vandell, Olga Constant, Alice Bouvier, Chantel Nadli and Shauna Clarke. Testing emergency plans Officials in Fort Simpson were feeling confident about the village's ability to handle an emergency following a test of their response plans. On Sept. 13 a live emergency response exercise was held in the village. The mock disaster tested the emergency preparedness plans of a variety of departments and organizations including the airport, the village, the volunteer fire department, MACA and the health centre. "It's quite and experience," said Scott McIntosh, the village's airport manager, who was in charge of the airport's emergency operations centre. Looking at the overall response, Russ Head, a security and protective services officer with the airport division, said the exercise went well. Car rollover in Fort Providence The Fort Providence RCMP investigated an accident that resulted in a car crashing through a fence enclosing the yard of a house. On Sept. 15 a red Pontiac Grand Am broke through the log fence surrounding Chief Berna Landry's home. The Pontiac rolled at least once before coming to rest on the fence, said RCMP Cpl. Gillian Poole. Three youth and one adult from the community were in the car at the time of the crash. The passengers were taken to the health clinic and were all released. Alcohol was involved in the crash, said Poole. "Louisa deserved that medal. She was awesome," said John.
October
Menicoche back in Kevin Menicoche retook his seat as MLA for the Nahendeh by a wide margin - more than all three of his competitors combined. Menicoche took the riding with a commanding lead in the Oct. 1 election, netting 549 votes compared to second place finisher and Liidlii Kue band councillor Arnold Hope's 203. Bob Hanna and Keyna Norwegian rounded out the race with 71 and 70 votes, respectively. "This margin of support really does give me a mandate to represent the Nahendeh fully," Menicoche said. Rink improvements shelved Improvements to the Fort Simpson rink and the construction of a new pool were officially shelved in October. "It looks like both projects are put off until next year because of the fact that it's just getting too darn cold too quickly," said Mayor Duncan Canvin. The news came after months of delays and confusion about the projects, which were both scheduled to be finished earlier this year. Canvin said contractor Dillon Consulting was "over-extended" by Western Canada's construction boom and that Fort Simpson's projects "fell through the cracks." Band sets up grocery store The Pehdzeh Ki First Nation worked to set up a temporary grocery store in the band office. The community was left without its main provider of food, supplies and fuel when the Arctic Co-op Ltd. (ACL) closed its doors in Wrigley at the end of July. The band is setting up a store because not everyone in the community can afford to take flight shuttles to Fort Simpson to buy supplies, said D'Arcy J. Moses, the band manager. Moses said the store will focus on staples to keep the community fed while the band explores its future options. Simpson marches against family violence In both Fort Liard and Fort Simpson, a week of events brought the causes and costs of family violence to the forefront during this year's National Family Violence Awareness week. "It seems from statistics that the North has very high rates of family violence," said Anne Marie McGuire, the Acho Dene Koe band manager in Fort Liard. In both communities workshops and events were held. In Fort Simpson the week culminated in a Take Back the Night March down the streets of the village, led by the Deh Cho Friendship Centre. RCMP officer charged with assault A Fort Simpson RCMP officer was charged with assault and will be the subject of an internal investigation stemming from an incident last year, according to the RCMP. Const. Colin Allooloo has been charged with assault with a weapon following the September 2006 incident, which involved the use of pepper spray and a prisoner in custody in Fort Simpson, said RCMP spokesperson Sgt. Larry O'Brien. Allooloo will also face another internal investigation to see if he broke the RCMP's internal code of conduct - the RCMP Act.
November
Firefighters honoured Two firefighters from Jean Marie River received the GNWT's Fire Services Merit Award. Arnold Gargan, Jean Marie River's volunteer fire chief, and Gerald Grossetete, the deputy fire chief, were given the award in recognition of their work to spread firefighting knowledge around the Deh Cho. "I was pretty surprised and honoured," said Gargan. The pair have been active in their community and in surrounding communities, running workshops to share knowledge with fellow firefighters and youth, said Tyrone Larkin, the assistant fire marshal for the Deh Cho. "We're proud of these guys," Larkin said. Grow operation busted Members of the RCMP detachment in Fort Simpson dismantled what could be the largest marijuana grow operation ever uncovered in the village. On Nov. 22 RCMP officers seized 21 plants from a residence in Fort Simpson, said Const. Cindy Bowring, the lead investigator on the case. The plants were found in a room in a trailer located in the industrial area on the hill. This is the biggest cultivation operation that the RCMP has broken up in Fort Simpson in the past five years and could be the largest ever, said Sgt. Cliff McKay. McKay said it's likely there are other grow operations elsewhere in the village.
Hockey time in Nahanni Butte A newly-created outdoor skating rink caused a resurgence of hockey and broomball in Nahanni Butte. Located on the site of the former tank farm, the rink was created by volunteers George Tsetso, Wayne Ingarfield and Terry Davidson. This is the first time in a number of years the community has had a designated ice surface. Many people who never come out to activities have been on the ice, said Tsetso. The rink is a great addition to the community because it gets people out of their houses, he said. "It's a big hit," said Tsetso. School library goes public November marked the first time Fort Providence has had a public library. The Zhahti Koe Public Library hosted its grand opening on Nov. 5. Located in the Deh Gah school, the facility occupies the space formerly used for the school's library. The idea to turn the school's library into a public facility began with Lois Philipp, the school's principal. Every community should have a public library, she said. "Access to literature in any form is important for community development," said Philipp. New chief in Nahanni Butte Just six months after their last election Nahanni Butte had a new chief. Fred Tesou was elected as chief with 31 votes compared to 18 for Priscilla Betsaka and five for Tom Betsaka. Tesou replaced Maurice Vital who was elected on May 4. At a meeting on Oct. 9 band members and councillors passed a resolution to remove Vital as chief, said Bernice Swanson, acting band manager. Vital was removed because of community concerns about his consumption of alcohol, said Peter Marcellais, a band councillor.
December
Simpson gets cellular service Cell phone service became a reality in Fort Simpson in December. A cellular communications tower was built in the village early in the month for Latitude Wireless Inc., a subsidiary of NorthwesTel Wireless Inc. The tower delivers both digital cellular and mobile service, said Chris McNutt, the marketing manager for Latitude Wireless. This marked the first time that a cell phone service has been available in the village. With a system that functions on line of site the service is only expected to extend five kilometres from the tower, McNutt said. Grand Chief under review Leadership of the Dehcho First Nations announced that they would be reviewing Herb Norwegian's position as grand chief. Norwegian's leadership was called into question as a result of his conviction for assault. During a teleconference call on Dec. 17, leadership called for a special assembly to be held from Jan. 29 to 31 in Fort Simpson, where they will discuss the issue. Norwegian appeared in Territorial Court in Fort Simpson on Dec. 11 and pleaded guilty to a charge of assault. He was convicted and sentenced to one day in jail, 50 hours of community service and six months of probation. Paramount suspends natural gas operations Paramount Resources Ltd. announced that they are suspending their natural gas operations in the Fort Liard area. The closure could result in the loss of approximately $4.1 million for Northern businesses and approximately 1,500 working days for companies contracted to provide services to Paramount, said Shirley Maaskant, the manager of regulatory and community affairs for Paramount. Low natural gas prices, few new gas finds and a lack of new lands opening up for exploration are the main reasons that the company is suspending operations, said Maaskant. New band council in Wrigley Pehdzeh Ki First Nation got a new set of band councillors in December. An election was called after two members of the previous council resigned because they'd become band employees. The band made a decision to no longer allow their employees to be councillors because it creates conflicts in interest, said Chief Darcy E. Moses. The new councillors include Mary Clille, Angus Ekenale, Tim Lennie, George Moses and Lisa Moses. Learning to be miners Ten students participated in Aurora College's pilot project called the Introduction to Underground Mining program that was held in Fort Simpson. From Nov. 5 to Dec. 14 the students learned the basics of everything related to underground mining. "They're an exceptional class," said instructor Pat Tymchatyn. The program was designed to give people a chance to see if a career at a mine is for them, said Kate Bruce, the instructor for mining programs with Aurora College. When participants finish the program they are ready for an entry level position at a mine, Bruce said.
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