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Deh Cho allege conflict Asking police to investigate role of federal official, demanding settlement Gary Park Petroleum News Calgary correspondent
The only aboriginal holdouts from the Mackenzie Valley gas pipeline pact have stepped up their opposition, leveling conflict-of-interest accusations against a senior federal official and demanding a settlement of land claims.
The Deh Cho First Nations, whose communities sprawl across the lower third of the Northwest Territories, told a news conference in Ottawa Oct. 21 that vital social, cultural and ecological issues are at risk unless there are changes to the regulatory reviews.
Grand Chief Herb Norwegian alleged that Maureen Bernier, the wife of Paul Bernier, who is vice president of the Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency, has “tainted the whole process” by staking a dozen mineral claims on land along the pipeline right of way.
He said the woman registered the claims in the Northwest Territories five years ago and has spent C$100,000 keeping them current on land he described as moose pasture that holds “no diamonds, no gold, not much of anything ...”
“Those claims were registered several years before the route of the pipeline became public,” he said, adding they were discovered only when Deh Cho staff were mapping industrial activity in the area. “We did not set out to prove that there was something fishy.” Police asked to investigate Norwegian said the Deh Cho have asked the Royal Canadian Mounted Police to investigate because they believe the agency official had prior knowledge of the likely pipeline route.
The agency has responded by ordering its own probe, describing the allegations as “very serious.” Meanwhile, Paul Bernier has removed himself from reviewing the pipeline project during the investigation and will be assigned to other duties.
Norwegian said Paul Bernier was closely involved between 2000 and 2002 in work to streamline the pipeline regulatory process and in negotiating with other regulatory agencies and pipeline proponents.
A spokeswoman for Environment Minister David Anderson said the matter had earlier been referred the federal ethics counselor to determine whether there was any conflict. It is not clear when that took place, or what the outcome was.
Norwegian rejected any suggestion that the alleged conflict was being used to squeeze more benefits from the Canadian government or the companies involved in the Mackenzie Gas Project.
He said the Deh Cho were not trying to stop the pipeline, but were determined to ensure that the regulatory process was “done right.” About 40 percent of the planned C$4 billion, 850-mile pipeline would cross Deh Cho land. Norwegian said a land claims deal is vital because of concerns in Deh Cho communities over the environmental damage that could result from the pipeline.
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