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Volume 57 No. 24
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Sentinel
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Northern
www.northernsentinel.com
Wednesday, June 13, 2012
1.34 INCLUDES TAX
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Enbridge boasts support
Members of the Kitimat District Teachers Association station themselves along Haisla Boulevard at the old hospital site last Thursday evening, demonstrating against Bill 22 and the ongoing mediation between teachers and the province. See page 2 for more.
Bear kills dog in Cablecar Cameron Orr Judy McHale is warning the public about a problem bear after her dog was killed last Wednesday. McHale and a friend were horseback riding in the Cablecar area with her eightyear-old lab when they encountered a black bear — not entirely unusual, she said. What was unusual was that the bear began to follow them. “They usually don’t pay any attention to us,” she said. “This time he started following.” McHale and her friend trotted away faster on their horses and the dog followed behind. When she next looked
Owner cautions others to be careful back the bear was even closer so they took off quickly and the bear pursued. “He chased us for 200-to300 yards down that trail at a full gallop.” She then heard a yelp and a scream and that was the last she heard anything from her dog. She said the bear appeared to be in good health. “It looked like a very big, very healthy blue black bear. He was so healthy his coat shone blue,” she said. “It was also one of the biggest black bears I’ve ever seen, especially in this area.”
McHale is a hunter so is quite familiar with bears. She said the Conservation Office sent an officer right away and a trap was set. McHale’s husband went looking for the dog the following morning but no remains were found. “I asked them to let me know whether they trap the bear or not. I can’t go in the area until the bear is out of there.” The Conservation Officer Service was sought for comment however no one could be reached before press deadline.
A file photo of a family of black bears in Kitimat. A woman reported that a black bear killed her dog in Cablecar last week.
Cameron Orr Most of the Aboriginal communities in B.C. and Alberta along the proposed Northern Gateway Pipeline route have signed on to an equity package with the company, Enbridge declared last week. The company issued a statement on June 5 saying that by the May 31 deadline almost 60 per cent of eligible Aboriginal communities have agreed to be part owners in the proposed project, a deal that is expected to provide about $280 million to communities over the first 30 years of the project’s life. “Through equity ownership, Aboriginal people will be able to generate a significant new and stable revenue stream that could help achieve the priorities of their communities – such as improved health care, education and housing,” said Enbridge spokesperson Paul Stanway in the company’s release. Stanway later told the Sentinel that the news should put an end to a long-standing criticism of the project. “It ought to put to bed the argument that we often hear from opponents of Northern Gateway that there’s no Aboriginal support for the project. Clearly that’s not the case,” he said. “Clearly it’s not correct to say [there’s] this wall of opposition and no support for the pipeline.” He added that everyone, the equity partners and the company, still have safety concerns and those are a priority for everyone. “We’re obviously going to need a lot of environmental monitoring and environmental stewardship,” said Stanway, adding that First Nations communities are in the best position to help provide that service. He also added that Aboriginal communities have an opportunity to be involved in some marine aspects of the project. “We’re hopeful we can put together an attractive package that will make that happen.” Enbridge is not free to reveal who it has signed deals with, as it’s up to the individual communities to decide whether they want to go public. The local Haisla continue to have no direct contact with Enbridge except on certain unresolved conflicts, but are participating in the governmental review of the project. “All we’re doing is participating in the Joint Review Panel,” said Haisla Nation Chief Councillor Ellis Ross. Continued on page 2
Mr. and Mrs. Tournament results ... page 8