“Celebrate, Remember, Fight Back” 4 days ‘til Relay for Life, May 26th.
HIV CONFERENCE
CAMELS RUGBY
Education, awareness and acceptance.
Interest in rugby is growing in Smithers.
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SPORTS/A17 S
THE INTERIOR NEWS 105th th Year - Week 21
Smithers,, B.C.
Wednesday, y, Mayy 23,, 2012
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Gitxsan divide remains despite best efforts By Percy N. Hébert Smithers/Interior News
OUR TOWN Central Park Building full of history.
OUR TOWN/A5
INSIDE OUR TOWN A5 LETTERS A7 SPORTS A15 COMMUNITY A10 THREE RIVERS B1 CLASSIFIEDS B7
FEATURES INVESTORSGROUPA9
WEATHER Wednesday HIGH: 14 LOW: 2
Thursday HIGH: 20 LOW: 7
Friday HIGH: 23 LOW: 5
Saturday HIGH: 17 LOW: 8
Sunday HIGH: 15 LOW: 5
A blockade, a court case, an angry judge and RCMP on the standby, but more importantly Gitxsan families and a community divided. The current troubles among Gitxsan people began in December when Hereditary Chief Elmer Derrick signed a $7 million deal with Enbridge Inc., on behalf of the Gitxsan First Nation. The move sparked anger among the Gitxsan people and the Gitxsan Unity Movement established a blockade at the offices of the GTS in Hazelton. Although the deal was revoked, both sides have since been in and out of court. B.C. Supreme Court Justice Mark McEwan, who has heard the arguments, ruled the blockade at the GTS offices in Hazelton is illegal and ordered it be dismantled and found the structure of the GTS did not meet the B.C. Societies Act. Nonetheless both sides have remained steadfast in their positions, drawing the ire of Justice McEwan. “I’m up to my eyeballs in Gitxsan governance,” McEwan
is quoted as saying, by the Globe and Mail, when both parties were recently back in court. “Once you lose control of a situation and you’re stuck with coming to court, it’s got to have some shape that the court can address.” McEwan, and the GTS are also disappointed with the RCMP dragging their feet in dismantling the GUM blockade. “The RCMP have done nothing to facilitate dialogue and the first we ever heard of a “mediator” was when we read the RCMP press release last week,” Beverly Clifton Percival (Gwaans) a Hereditary Chief with the GTS, said in a press release. “RCMP inaction bespeaks of a terrible disrespect for us and our community.” Seeking a mediated solution to the disputes, National Chief of the Assembly of first Nation’s, Shawn Atleo and Union of B.C. Indian Chiefs leader Stewart Phillips went to Hazelton and drafted The Mother’s Day Accord, calling for, among other items, the removal of the contempt and injunction on Gitxsan Hereditary Chiefs leading the GUM blockade, dismantling of the blockade at the GTS office, and examination of all documents in the GTS offices by an independent
Dan Yunkws, left, Martin Louie of the Yinka Dene Alliance and John Olson stand in front of the GTS offices in Hazelton.
Contributed photo
third party. Despite this, Justice McEwan was still not impressed Monday, May 13, and word went out of the imminent arrest of several Hereditary Chiefs aligned with the blockade. More than 200 GUM supporters made their way to the GTS offices to support their chiefs, including spokesperson John Olson. “That’s our royalty,” Olson said of the chiefs and why he offered to be arrested in their place. McEwan then met with both sides in camera and no arrests were made.
Details of the meetings haven’t been released. Despite the accord, the GTS continued to press for the dismantling of the blockade and the arrest of Hereditary Chiefs supporting GUM. Olson, however, remained positive. “I’m really optimistic” he said of the likelihood both sides would soon step into the light at the end of the tunnel. Signatories to the Mother’s Day Accord have not been released, the blockade at the GTS offices continues and arrests have not been made.
NWPMC an essential asset for local producers By Dan Mesec Smithers/Interior News
When Smithers was founded, almost 100 years ago, the valley was prime grazing ground for cattle. It didn’t take long for cattle ranchers to start producing local beef. Finished animals were sent to the local butcher and most people
www.bulkleyvalleywholesale.com
knew the farm and the family that produced their meat. Nowadays, large commercial farms process 1,000 head of beef a day and are dismantling a Canadian tradition. The process has become so mechanized they’ve replaced skilled butchers with a production line of workers to process
one animal. The art of butchering and the local butcher shop have fallen to the wayside. The Northwest Premium Meat Co-op is changing all of that. Their vision of a locally sustainable abattoir has become a reality. By building a government inspected facility, NWPMC has opened
the door to markets local farmers couldn’t have imagined. Local mining and logging camps, stores and restaurants are proud to serve and support locally grown and processed meat. “We love the fact our meat is from right around the corner,” Christine Blair, co-owner of Two Sisters said.
“We can see the farm where the meat comes from at anytime. It’s local and it just tastes better. There’s no comparison.” At a time when fuel prices are skyrocketing, and the possibility of contamination at huge commercial facilities is more prevalent than ever. NWPMC built a small facility to ensure
consumers receive meat processing of the highest quality. Local ranchers have produced some of the highest quality meat for generations and now have a local facility to process their finished beef, keeping full operations close to home. See NWPMC on Page A2
see page A-24