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NAHANNI
WILDERNESS
ADVENTURE LTD
969A Lawrence Grassi Ridge
Canmore, Alberta
Canada T1W 3C3
1-888-897-5223
PHONE
1-403-678-3374
FAX
1-403-609-2042
e-mail
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 The Nahanni Question
The map of the Northwest Territories will be changing in the next few years with the redrawing of the boundaries
of Nahanni National Park-Reserve. Where the lines will be drawn is yet to be determined and the process has been
lengthy and far from simple.
In June of 2003 the then Minister of Canadian Heritage, the Honorable Sheila Copps, signed a Park Expansion Memorandum
of Understanding with Deh Cho First Nations Grand Chief, Michael Nadli. It was agreed that Parks Canada, on behalf
of the federal government, would partner with Deh Cho First Nations to identify potential lands that, if preserved,
would improve the ecological integrity of the park area. This signing led to the launch of a number of feasibility
studies designed to explore the need for and the consequences of park expansion. These studies have created a
strong argument for the necessity of park expansion through their exposure of the territorial needs of large mammals
such as caribou and grizzly bears. In addition to the plants and animals, landforms such as the Nahanni's rare
karst formation found outside the current park boundary are further examples of the natural diversity the Nahanni
Watershed contains that is worthy of protecting.
When the Nahanni was designated a World Heritage Sight in 1978 a commitment was made to the protection of this
spectacular area. As the three year time frame designated for the feasibility studies expires this spring we will
soon discover whether Canada will continue on its path of commitment to protection.
This spring the committees involved will come before the residents of the Deh Cho and Sahtu regions and provide
them with an opportunity to learn of the findings of the surveys and voice their concerns regarding this region.
Despite the strong evidence supporting park expansion and the substantial movement towards increased protection
of the Nahanni watershed, a very real threat exists and is gaining momentum.
Many years prior to the signing of the Park Expansion Memorandum pre-authorization was given to a number of mining
companies for mineral development. As these companies push to be allowed to expand their mining operations the
future of the pristine wilderness region of the Nahanni watershed is threatened.
Although Nahanni has become a household term in Canada few individuals are fully aware of the vastness of the
watershed that lies outside the park and the threats to its ecological integrity. This reality is working in the
favor of mine expansion as significant public opposition to these operations has not yet arose.
 Nahanni Trilogy Slideshow
I admit that just one year ago I was among those who knew little of the area beyond the river corridor. After
sixteen years of guiding and close to fifty trips on the Nahanni I had yet to recognize the heart of the issues
surrounding park expansion and was not sufficiently informed to draw my own conclusions on these issues. In
order to become increasingly aware of this matter I, along with a member of my staff, formed the Nahanni Trilogy
Team. During the summer of 2005 we embarked on an exploratory trip of three of the South Nahanni's tributaries
as well as visiting two of the mining operations and a big game hunting outfitting organization that operate within
the watershed. As we paddled the Little Nahanni, the Flat River and Prairie Creek we not only explored the wilderness
but met with the managers of both the Prairie Creek Mine, and the Cantung Mine, were able to see the infrastructure
supporting these mines, and flew over the remnants of the winter road that once allowed access to the Prairie Creek
Mine.
Through our visits to the mine we learned of the threat they currently pose to the Nahanni as well as the potential
for environmental degradation their continued expansion holds. The manager of the Cantung Mine, located at the
head of the Flat River, spoke of how in the past toxic tailings were pushed into the Flat River where they were
washed downstream into the Nahanni River and eventually into the water supply for the community of Nahanni Butte.
Within the next few years the tungsten ore being mined is expected to run out and conservationists fear that the
NWT government will not enforce its own laws that would require North American Tungsten to complete a full clean
up of their Cantung mining operation.
In addition to the mine at Tungsten, the Prairie Creek Mine also poses serious threat to the Nahanni watershed.
Canada Zinc Corporation, the company that owns the mine is pressuring the government for permission to reopen
the mine as well as restore the winter road that links the mine to southern highways. A primary concern is that
the mine is located in an area where seismic activity is not uncommon and is extremely close to the epicenter of
the NWT's largest earthquake that happened in 1986. Another earthquake or an industrial accident could spell disaster
for the Nahanni as Prairie Creek, flows directly past the mine and into the Nahanni. In addition CZC has not come
up with a viable solution for what they will do with the spent ore from the mining process. We were informed that
the existing tailings pond was not adequate. Furthermore, the existence of a winter road would open up the area
for increased exploitation that will in time threaten the integrity of the Nahanni.
The Nahanni watershed is also home to a number of big game hunting operations. Although these outfitters are required
to respect the parks boundaries in their activities the animals that live in the Nahanni area do not recognize
the boundaries and migrate extensively between the park and the surrounding land. Clearly, hunting practices are
not conducive to a National Park and through expanding its borders we can ensure the protection of these animals
and the territory they require for survival.
This journey altered many of my perceptions of the Nahanni and truly opened my eyes to the necessity of park expansion.
Where appropriate the families and employees whose opportunities become limited as a result must be fairly compensated.
Please see the Nahanni Trilogy report on this website.
The Nahanni Watershed Rendezvous is a grass roots conservation initiative that was created in response to our discoveries
on the Nahanni Trilogy. Various groups including the Nah Deh Consensus Team, The Nahanni Working Group, and the
Canadian Parks and Wildlife Society have significantly contributed to the movement for watershed protection. The
Nahanni Watershed Rendezvous is our contribution as the Nahanni's original outfitter.
Last summer we were able to prove our hypothesis that the Little Nahanni and Flat Rivers are within the range
of skilled canoeists and thereby are valuable recreational additions to the South Nahanni. So are the vast peaks,
valleys and ice-fields found in the Ragged Range west of the current boundary.
In addition, we found that the Nahanni Range Road north of Watson Lake, Yukon is a viable as well as the most economical
way to access Nahanni National Park.
These findings have combined to produce the Nahanni Watershed Rendezvous which serves two purposes. Through leading
guided trips on these Nahanni tributaries we are demonstrating that the area outside the Nahanni National Park
boundary holds recreational value and is therefore more likely to be included when the park's boundaries are redrawn.
Furthermore, through decreasing costs we are able to make the Nahanni affordable for an increased number of Nahanni
dreamers.
This summer we are launching a number of trips from a new location accessed via Fort Nelson. British Columbia.
By changing the starting location of our trips we are able to pass significant savings along to you as well as
an opportunity to add your voice to the call for environmental protection.
Nahanni Watershed Rendezvous trip participants will be encouraged to speak out on behalf of the Nahanni. The decision
makers in Yellowknife and Ottawa need to hear from each person who paddles the Nahanni. Likewise, the Nahanni needs
us to press the politicians to enforce the current environmental laws surrounding mining activities. Adherence
to these regulations will ensure that the mining companies remove all environmental hazards once mining is concluded.
Your registration package will provide you with the necessary materials to allow you to support the conservation
of the Nahanni.
We welcome you to join us this summer on the adventure of a lifetime, the effects of which will ensure the integrity
of the Nahanni continues beyond our lifetimes. There are very few wilderness areas of the Nahanni's stature left
in this world. They must be left undisturbed if they are to survive. Some things should last forever!
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