Inuvik, N.W.T. — The conversation in this town of 3,500 in the Western Arctic should be about aboriginal self-sufficiency, environmentally responsible Northern development and a new clean-energy storehouse with immense potential. After all, the proposed $16.2-billion Mackenzie Valley natural-gas pipeline project was supposed to be under construction by now.
Instead, the talk is about the regulatory bungling, federal government inaction and fading industry interest in what would be one of Canada’s largest infrastructure projects.
Meanwhile, a new threat has emerged: Big gas discoveries in shale rocks that are cheap and closer to customers, making the pipeline an even tougher proposition by the time all hurdles are cleared, perhaps two years from now, perhaps longer.
“The Mackenzie pipeline appears to be frozen, not just in the ground, but in red tape,” Floyd Roland, N.W.T. Premier, said at last month’s Inuvik Petroleum Show, reflecting the dark mood, despite the 24-hour daylight embracing this community on the shore of the majestic Mackenzie River.
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These kind of stories make me go “hmmmm” for some reason.
Inuvik and towns like it represent a paradox. The Inu didn’t build towns; the concept of anything larger than a sustainable tribal unit was foreign to them. Western immigrants built the town as a base of operations for their self-imposed tasks… all tasks which were foreign to the Inu but deemed important by Ottawa.
Yes, there are commercial possibilities (mineral, natural gas, whatever) which could be developed but has anyone done a cost/benefit analysis to see whether it’s viable, let alone sustainable? How many “white elephants” have to be created before governments realize it’s a bad idea? Especially in an area which is environmentally sensitive?
I realize Arctic sovereignty is important and there is ample scientific research which should be done to develop decent, factual information about the high Arctic but the concept of building pipelines sounds like a “make work” project to me.
If we’re looking at “make work” projects, how about instead of piping the natural gas, they build the gas powered electrical plants in the North and pump out electricity instead?
All I know, Mac is that this “pipeline project” has been in the mill forever. It’s time to shit or get off the pot.
I think they sat on the pot too long Jack . Six trillion cubic meters of natural gas discoverd in Louisiana , Utah , and , Ithink Colorado is going to take the urgency away from that pipeline dream for a few years .
Not if Sarah has anything to do with it. She should make a tour of Canada.
That would end “that”.