Two Sahtu mayors recently paid a visit to Ottawa to spread the word about the most urgent issues facing their communities.

SA国际影视传媒淲e were in Ottawa to sound the alarm bells,SA国际影视传媒� said Douglas Yallee, mayor of Tulita. SA国际影视传媒淭heySA国际影视传媒檙e not aware of whatSA国际影视传媒檚 going on up here in the North. They havenSA国际影视传媒檛 seen it firsthand.SA国际影视传媒�

Yallee was joined in Ottawa by Frank Pope, mayor of Norman Wells. The pair were in the Canadian capital from Oct. 23-28, during which time they met with multiple federal ministers, as well as Margaret Dawn Anderson and Dennis Patterson, the senators for the NWT and Nunavut, respectively.

During their meetings, Yallee and Pope distributed an 11-page document that outlined some of the most pressing issues facing their communities.

SA国际影视传媒淚tSA国际影视传媒檚 critical that people know our problems,SA国际影视传媒� said Pope. SA国际影视传媒淲e thought the best way to do that was to go bang on doors. WeSA国际影视传媒檝e done enough with correspondence.SA国际影视传媒�

Many of the issues the mayors addressed relate to climate change.

Climate change is affecting the North in many ways. In Tulita and Norman Wells, some of the most immediate impacts concern the Mackenzie River.

The Peace and Athabasca river systems, which flow through British Columbia and Alberta, feed the Mackenzie River, but drought conditions are creating low water levels. Over the summer, that impacted the way shipping barges travel the river and prevented the final barge from arriving in Norman Wells and Tulita.

The winter brings about another problem: rising temperatures have started to jeopardize the ice road that connects Norman Wells to Tulita.

SA国际影视传媒淲e filled [the ministers] in on resupply issues,SA国际影视传媒� Pope said. SA国际影视传媒淲e filled them in on our fear that there would be no resupply on the Mackenzie River next year if we donSA国际影视传媒檛 get water from B.C.SA国际影视传媒�

SA国际影视传媒淚 donSA国际影视传媒檛 know if weSA国际影视传媒檒l get barging next year,SA国际影视传媒� added Yallee. SA国际影视传媒淲e may not have a road. ItSA国际影视传媒檚 going to be a lot harder for people. If you fly the products that we need into the community, the costs are going to be high. Everything will probably go up because of that.SA国际影视传媒�

The high cost of living in the North was also a focus for Yallee and Pope. Pope pointed to common products like cans of Coke and bottles of water to illustrate the starkly differing costs between the North and south.

SA国际影视传媒淲e explained the difference of what we pay here,SA国际影视传媒� he said. SA国际影视传媒淵ou try to explain that to people in Ottawa, and they say, SA国际影视传媒業t canSA国际影视传媒檛 be.SA国际影视传媒� Well, it is.SA国际影视传媒�

The two mayors also shared their concerns relating to education and healthcare in the North, among other things.

By the time they departed, both felt that they had helped the people they met to better understand the realities of life in the North.

SA国际影视传媒淚 thought it was a very successful trip,SA国际影视传媒� Pope said. SA国际影视传媒淲e met with many people and we spread the word on what weSA国际影视传媒檙e concerned about.SA国际影视传媒�

However, both mayors are prepared to pick up the phone SA国际影视传媒� and even board another flight to Ottawa SA国际影视传媒� if they feel their communities are not receiving sufficient support.

SA国际影视传媒淲e gave our message to Ottawa, and weSA国际影视传媒檒l see what theySA国际影视传媒檙e going to do with it,SA国际影视传媒� Yallee said. SA国际影视传媒淚f not, weSA国际影视传媒檙e going to have to make some calls or knock on some doors again to remind them.SA国际影视传媒�