Although the GNWT insists that it's committed to continuing to help struggling residents in Norman Wells amid high costs, Mayor Frank Pope has a different perspective.

"Nobody's sitting down talking to us about a proactive plan moving forward," he said. "That's one of my biggest concerns right now. Nobody seems to give a rat's ass."

On Dec. 20, Finance and Infrastructure Minister Caroline Wawzonek contended that the territorial government "remains committed to addressing, wherever possible, the significant challenges" that residents of Norman Wells, numbering close to 700, are currently facing. 

Perched on the Mackenzie River, Norman Wells is not accessible by an all-weather road, so the community has historically been resupplied by ice road in the winter and by barge in the summer. However, warming winter temperatures have shortened recent ice road seasons, and last summer, water levels in the river fell low enough that not a single barge could make the trip. That has left the community with no choice but to resupply by plane, which is more expensive, and has caused the price of pretty much everything to spike to the point that some residents are having difficulty making ends meet. 

The GNWT has taken a number of measures to help reduce the strain on the community, which Wawzonek outlined in a Dec. 20 news release. 

"The GNWT has already taken concrete steps to support Norman Wells and the broader region," the minister stated. "We have reduced the wholesale cost of gasoline, motive diesel, and home heating fuel by up to $0.86 per litre, easing the immediate financial burden on families and businesses. We have allocated $1.8 million to offset increased transportation expenses for essential goods and enhanced the Senior Home Heating Subsidy SA国际影视传媒� at its peak, providing up to $1,455 per month for Norman Wells residents. To further address immediate needs, we contributed $150,000 to the Norman Wells Food Bank, helping ensure families have access to essential supplies through the winter."

Pope is grateful for the GNWT's assistance. The donation to the food bank in particular was "a really big help" for residents, he said. 

However, he's very concerned that the government declined to declare an official state of emergency for the community, as he requested.

"The biggest disappointment right now is that when we submitted our declaration of a state of emergency for humanitarian reasons, the GNWT did not adopt that," he said. "Had they adopted it, [the situation] could have gone to Ottawa SA国际影视传媒� to the federal Government of Canada SA国际影视传媒� and they would've had the resources to help us even more.

"Because the NWT government did not help us with the declaration, they're paying bills now, such as the subsidy on flying in the heating fuel and the contribution to our food bank. All that could be paid by Ottawa, but because they did not send it on the feds, they're paying the bills."

Pope said he has "no idea" why the GNWT declined to declare a state of emergency in Norman Wells, and maintains that his requests for an explanation have been fruitless. 

The Department of Municipal and Community Affairs (MACA) SA国际影视传媒� the branch of the GNWT responsible for such decisions SA国际影视传媒� could not be reached for comment by press deadline. 

Pope said he has also struggled to reach NWT Member of Parliament Michael McLeod.

"Our Member of Parliament has not even called me once, texted me, emailed me SA国际影视传媒� not a fricking word," he said.

When contacted by SA国际影视传媒 for a response, McLeod contended his office "has not received any direct meeting requests from Mayor Pope in the last year."

"I have discussed the situation in Norman Wells with members of cabinet, including Transport Minister [Anita] Anand," he said. "I have continued to raise the issue at caucus meetings, as well as at Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee. It is clear that this crisis needs to come to an end and I look forward to working with Mayor Pope and the GNWT to do what is best to help the residents of Norman Wells.SA国际影视传媒�

The problems Norman Wells residents are facing are compounded by the potential closure of the local Imperial Oil facilities.

Headquartered in Calgary, Imperial Oil has had a presence in Norman Wells since the 1940s. The company not only extracts petroleum and natural gas in the area, but provides electricity for residents and businesses through its central processing facility. 

Imperial Oil has been operating its Norman Wells facilities at reduced production since 2022 as efforts are made to replace pipelines between the local Bear and Goose islands. If those upgrades are completed soon, operations could continue into the next decade. If not, oil production in the community could cease in the next couple of years.

Pope said he at least has a clear line of communication with the company's local manager. 

"There's only so much he can say [about the company's future]," said the mayor, "but he's been pretty open and told us what he's able to, and always makes himself available. I give him a lot of credit for that."

With so many challenges afoot, Pope admits things are quite tense in Norman Wells, though the holidays did provide a brief distraction. 

"The atmosphere for the last while has been do you eat, or do you heat?" he said. "Do you buy groceries, or do you heat your home? The costs are so prohibitive."

Support from the territorial government helps diminish the challenges residents are facing, but according to Pope, the permanent, all-encompassing solution for all the community's current problems remains the creation of the long-discussed Mackenzie Valley Highway.

The proposed two-lane, all-season gravel highway would cost upwards of $1 billion to complete, but would mean the community could receive shipments of fuel and other goods by road, year-round. 

The road has been a topic of discussion among people in the Sahtu for decades. While slow progress is being made SA国际影视传媒� an environment assessment is currently under way SA国际影视传媒� the project is unlikely to be built any time soon. 

That is a serious problem, according to Pope, who makes frequent visits to Ottawa to campaign for the highway. 

"It could be another year before there's any approval for that road to go ahead," he said. "Then the GNWT has got to go hat in hand and ask the federal government to pay for it. We're a long ways away from getting that done. We need it tomorrow, not 10 years from now.

"Quit being reactive and start becoming proactive," he added, addressing the GNWT. "Work with us, for God's sake."