Chamber of Mines News Briefs – Week of September 27, 2010
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Chamber of Mines News Briefs – November 6 - 7, 2012 [Note: News headlines are hyperlinked to their stories in this document.] Arctic Sovereignty and Security News .......................................................................................................... 1 Minister of the Arctic Council Leona Aglukkaq Visits YK ........................................................................... 1 Northern MPs argue over Arctic Council leadership ................................................................................ 2 The Role of the Northwest Territories on the Arctic Council.................................................................... 2 NWT News..................................................................................................................................................... 3 Devolution negotiations progressing, slowly ............................................................................................ 3 Bridge set to open on Nov. 30 .................................................................................................................. 4 Deh Cho Bridge to open Nov. 30 ............................................................................................................... 5 GNWT gives $2 million more to Inuvik-Tuk Highway ................................................................................ 6 GNWT finds diamond plant buyer ............................................................................................................ 7 N.W.T. barren-ground caribou herds recovering slowly ........................................................................... 8 Resource Development and Energy News .................................................................................................... 8 MAC welcomes bill that could spur Nunavut mining development ......................................................... 8 Northern Jobs and Growth Act will streamline review process: Nunavut government ........................... 9 Canadian Orebodies to acquire 100-per cent ownership of Nunavut iron mine project ....................... 10 Geoscience welcome .............................................................................................................................. 10 Giant Mine team seeks water licence ..................................................................................................... 11 Navigable Waters Act at committee one last time ................................................................................. 12 ARCTIC SOVEREIGNTY AND SECURITY NEWS Minister of the Arctic Council Leona Aglukkaq Visits YK CJCD Radio – November 5, 2012 Yellowknife, N.W.T. - The incoming Minister of the Arctic Council Leona Aglukkaq made a stop in Yellowknife this past weekend to engage in round table discusses on establishing Canada's Arctic Council chairmanship priorities. Aglukkaq said right now she is meeting with all Northerners including members of the Legislative Assembly, aboriginal leaders, and a number of private sector stakeholders to hear what they want to see during the country's chairmanship. Aglukkaq said there is one major thing she will be putting forward in her position. "Development for the people of the North through Canada’s chairmanship, putting people first." She said when requests are put forth by different groups to ban any kind of hunting within the North she will be able to explain how this can affect Northerners. "My point as a person from the North is that we need to look at the collective impact of groups like that on the people that depend on the wildlife. It would be like me taking your pig or your cow or your lamb away." Aglukkaq said when groups put these policy directions forward without meeting with the people the motive behind these broad statements should be questioned. Chamber News Briefs 1 Northern MPs argue over Arctic Council leadership Bevington says Foreign Affairs minister should be chair, not Aglukkaq CBC News – November 6, 2012 Northern MPs Leona Aglukkaq and Dennis Bevington are in a spat over who should chair the Arctic Council. Aglukkaq, MP for Nunavut, was appointed to the position months ago. She'll become chair when Canada assumes leadership of the Arctic Council in January. On Monday, Western Arctic MP Dennis Bevington said in Ottawa’s Hill Times newspaper that Canada's foreign affairs minister should be appointed chair instead. He said appointing Health Minister Aglukkaq means Canada may be less effective in leading the international body. Aglukkaq responded in a written statement, saying she disagreed and accused Bevington of preferring to have a non-Northerner chair the council. She went on to accuse Bevington of hypocrisy for his planned trip to Finland to discuss Arctic issues. Aglukkaq said if Bevington believes only the Foreign Affairs minister can talk about the Arctic, he should cancel his trip. The Role of the Northwest Territories on the Arctic Council NWT Hansard – November 6, 2012 Mr. Speaker, the Northwest Territories is being presented with an exciting opportunity to engage on Northern priorities on both the national and international stage. On May 13, 2013 Canada will be taking over Chairmanship of the Arctic Council for a two-year term. The Arctic Council is a consensus-based high-level intergovernmental forum that works to promote the social, environmental, and economic aspects of sustainable development in the Arctic region. All eight circumpolar nations sit on the council and receive direct input from the six Permanent Participant organizations representing the Indigenous people of the Circumpolar Arctic. As Canada begins preparing for the upcoming Chairmanship, and recognizing the power of a pan- territorial approach, the Northwest Territories, Yukon and Nunavut have been closely working together to define our common interests. As articulated in the pan-territorial document A Northern Vision, the territories are committed to speaking as a unified northern voice in advancing Canada’s participation in the Arctic Council. I have communicated our commitment to support Canada on the Arctic Council to Minister Leona Aglukkaq, Member of Parliament for Nunavut, who was recently appointed as Canada’s Chairperson to the Arctic Council and will guide the Arctic Council vision over the two years of the Canadian Chairmanship. I have committed to Minister Aglukkaq that the Northwest Territories will play a larger role in supporting Canada as they prepare for their Chairmanship of the Arctic Council and throughout the entire two years. The Arctic Council is Canada’s premier forum to advance its Arctic Foreign Policy, which is the international dimension of Canada’s Northern Strategy. Many of our Government of the Northwest Territories priorities complement the pillars of the Northern Strategy and we will work with Canada throughout its Chairmanship to advance these common interests. Our commitment was further reiterated by Deputy Premier Lafferty on my behalf this past weekend, when he met with Minister Aglukkaq during her visit to Yellowknife as part of her Northern Engagement Tour. This Northern tour has been an opportunity for Minister Aglukkaq to engage with the territories on Canada’s Chairmanship theme which is “Development for the People of the North”. Chamber News Briefs 2 Deputy Premier Lafferty, accompanied by Minister Ramsay, Minister Abernethy and Minister Beaulieu presented many of our priority issues such as search and rescue, cost of living, sustainable housing, employment opportunities, energy, infrastructure and climate change as important issues being faced by communities and regions across the Northwest Territories and the circumpolar north. During her visit, the Minister also hosted three separate roundtables with Government of the Northwest Territories Ministers, Aboriginal and Municipal Leaders, and Northwest Territories stakeholders. The roundtables gave participants an opportunity to engage with the Minister and provide input on Canada’s theme of “Development for the People of the North”, and three sub-themes of arctic resource development, responsible and safe Arctic shipping, and sustainable circumpolar communities. Canada’s theme and sub-themes align well with our territorial and pan-territorial priorities, and we hope to continue to engage with Minister Aglukkaq in a more formalized role during Canada’s Chairmanship. We appreciate Canada’s commitment to the Arctic Council and support them in their theme and positions on many topics including sustainable development, the inclusion of new Observers to the Council, and support for Permanent Participants. The Chairmanship is an exciting opportunity for Canada’s North. The Northwest Territories is an ideal location to host many Arctic Council discussions throughout the two year Canadian Chairmanship and presents an opportunity to showcase the immense potential of Canada’s Northern communities to the rest of the circumpolar world. We look forward to supporting Canada in achieving our many common goals, while bringing tangible benefits to the North, and Canada as a whole. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. NWT NEWS Devolution negotiations progressing, slowly Northern Journal – November 6, 2012 Jack Danylchuk Fresh from his first round of devolution talks, Gwich'in Tribal Council President Robert Alexie had little to say about the September meeting in Ottawa, except that "it was an eye-opener," and "discussions are on the right track." As to the details: "a lot can't be shared with the public." The Inuvialuit