Northwest Meeting Aims To Spur Dialogue

Northwest Meeting Aims To Spur Dialogue

Friday, September 11, 2009 at 12:21

 

 

The organizer of a meeting this weekend on northwest Saskatchewan issues says his goal is to create “a very relaxed atmosphere” where people feel free to speak their minds.

 

Don Favel says he wanted to give residents a safe forum in which to voice opinions about issues related to industry growth in the northwest, such as the impact of oilsands development on wild game and fish, contract work with uranium giant Cameco, and the status of a proposed Saskatchewan commercial fish processing plant.

 

Favel says that too often, west side residents feel uncomfortable in public meetings because only the loudest, most immediate voices get heard.

 

“A lot of our elders, they like to go home (after a public meeting) and then maybe two or three days later, then they’ll meet you in some place, and then they’ll have something to say about what happened. So for that reason, a lot of times people stay away, because they feel they have to be ready to take charge when they’re in a meeting,” Favel says.

 

Favel says people do voice their concerns and opinions, but most often only in private — and he wants their ideas to come out in a group setting, where “more people hear about it, and more people have their input.”

 

At Favel’s event, the focus will be on dialogue between northerners and visiting industry and government officials, especially about finding a balance between employment for northerners and the health of both people and the environment.

 

The event will be held at South Bay Park in Ile-a-la-Crosse.

 

It kicks off Saturday at 8 a.m. with a free breakfast, and wraps up between 9 p.m. and midnight with an old-time dance, featuring fiddler Bunny Peterson.