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BACK ON THE THELON. PHOTO:
GARYANDJOANIEMCGUFFIN.COM
Going Nuclear LOCALS FIGHT TO PROTECT THE THELON RIVER FROM URANIUM MINING
CANOEISTS WHO HAVE PADDLED the upper reaches of the Telon River in the Northwest Territories know the area is flush with ecological riches. Hundreds of thousands of Beverly car- ibou migrate along the Telon, and the area is a breeding ground for several endangered bird species. What would have been less obvious
were the treasures beneath the Telon’s banks. Te river has long been threat- ened by its proximity to uranium depos- its. Recent jumps in uranium prices and increased support for nuclear power have renewed interest in the area, with one mining company already approved to explore for deposits and another with an application under review. Alex Hall, northern canoe guide and
author of Discovering Eden: A Lifetime of Paddling Arctic Rivers, reports the normally quiet banks of the Telon have become busier. Last July, Hall paddled past prospectors drilling a few hundred metres from the river. Seeing prospectors on what he calls one of the last unspoiled rivers in Canada was disquieting. “Tere’s a reason people don’t equate large drills and helicop-
ters with wilderness,” says Hall. Known as “Te Place Where God Be-
gan” to the indigenous Dene, the area abounds in evidence of their nomadic lifestyle—from authentic Inukshuks to gravesites. “Te upper Telon is his- torically very rich to the Dene,” says Stephen Ellis, a representative of the nearby Lutsel K’e Dene community. “People who paddle the river still find untouched signs of this history. Locals are pretty unanimous in wanting the area protected.” Much of the lower Telon is already
protected in the Telon Wildlife Sanc- tuary, and the Lutsel K’e community is leading the fight for official protec- tion of the upper river. Tey are push- ing the N.W.T. government to create a Special Management Area that would allow for close control over develop- ment around the river’s still-unpro- tected headwaters. “What we’re trying to avoid is death by a thousand cuts,” says Ellis. “Each company drilling on its own might not have a huge impact on the upper river, but the cumulative effects could be devastating.” As the local opposition to drilling
grows, it continues to gain outside support from environmental groups. “Tese communities aren’t necessarily against the idea of mining,” says Mon- te Hummel, President Emeritus of WWF Canada. “But the upper Telon is their homeland, it’s in their blood- stream. What they want is the right to protect sacred areas while opening other areas to exploration.” While the N.W.T. government and
Nunavut make decisions on whether to expand the river’s protected areas, companies continue to stake claims near the river, and more drilling ap- plications are expected in the next few months. “Tere is intense industry in- terest in the Telon region right now,” says Hummel. “We’re trying to make it clear to the government that it’s wrong to issue permits to drill in areas under consideration for protection.” As for Alex Hall, he plans to re-route
his 2007 trips to avoid the upper Te- lon. “It remains to be seen whether things will get worse,” says Hall. “We can only hope people will come to their senses and leave this wilderness alone.” —Amy Flynn
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