Norman Wells launches petition as town writes Imperial letter

The Town of Norman Wells has launched a formal petition for the territorial government to declare a state of emergency over fuel costs.

According to the town, the extra cost of shipping gas and heating fuel into Norman Wells amounted to $1.84 million – for a community of 700 people – in October.

Residents have described the prospect of winter heating bills running to tens of thousands of dollars. The town has already declared its own local emergency.

Imperial Oil, which has an oil and gas facility in Norman Wells, is a major employer in the community and its only fuel supplier.

Imperial has said it has no choice but to fly fuel in and pass on the extra cost after the summer barge resupply season – a cheaper means of bringing in fuel – failed because of low water levels.

Norman Wells’ petition calls for “much-needed rebates to offset the exorbitant diesel shipping costs that have caused significant hardship.”

It urges the GNWT to declare a state of emergency and “collaborate with the Government of Canada to deliver immediate relief from these overwhelming shipping costs,” either through direct funding or in-kind assistance, until the winter road to Norman Wells opens in January.

The short winter road season is likely to involve an immense effort to truck fuel and other supplies into Norman Wells, as there is no guarantee the summer of 2025 will feature improved water levels on the Mackenzie River.

The GNWT has already said it will put extra resources into widening and maintaining the winter road, which generally runs from late December until late March.

Last month, NWT communities minister Vince McKay told Cabin Radio a declared territorial state of emergency was “not required for the GNWT to request assistance from Canada.”

“The GNWT is already actively in discussions with Canada regarding options for financial assistance to alleviate the pressures on residents and businesses in the Sahtu,” McKay said in a statement at the time.

“Discussions with the Government of Canada regarding the impacts of increased costs of essential supplies in the Sahtu and the need for supports are ongoing. I have spoken with Harjit Sajjan, minister of emergency preparedness, about the need for financial assistance from Canada. Maca will continue to work with the Government of Canada to determine what avenues exist to provide some relief to the region.”

Town adds voice to assessment case

Meanwhile, the Town of Norman Wells has separately written to regulators about the developing issue of Imperial Oil’s permitting to keep operating its Norman Wells facility.

Imperial’s Norman Wells oil field is expected to have at most 10 years’ life left in it.

The Sahtu Secretariat has referred the operation of the facility to environmental assessment, saying the broader environment has changed and a fresh examination of the facility’s impact is required. The body, which represents Sahtu Dene and Métis, has queried the need for continued operation of the oil field.

Imperial has asked regulator the Mackenzie Valley Review Board to reverse its initial decision and cancel that environmental assessment, arguing the law doesn’t support an assessment going ahead. Indigenous governments have intervened to say the Sahtu Secretariat’s treaty right to trigger an assessment supersedes any argument based in federal legislation.

On Sunday, the town wrote to the review board to set out its position on the matter.

“The decision will have significant impact on our long-term capital and services planning for the community as [Imperial’s] Norman Wells facility is integral to the town’s present and near future,” Mayor Frank Pope wrote.

“Simply put, if the facility’s future is uncertain, so is the town’s.”

Pope said what happens regarding this assessment could have implications for other regulatory permits issued in the Sahtu, such as for the town’s own operations.

While the town is concerned about the oil field’s “impacts to human health and the environment,” Pope wrote that those concerns “are alleviated” by the existing regulatory framework and the town’s understanding that Imperial would be obliged to pay for any impacts.

Ultimately, Pope wrote, the town is concerned that proceeding to an environmental assessment could lead Imperial to “shut down operations and start the decommissioning process, affecting the town and other major projects in the region.”

“Finally, we are grateful for Sahtu Secretariat for bringing this issue to the forefront,” he concluded.

“It shows how vulnerable we and other communities are and the need to start planning now for the transition when the Norman Wells facility is no longer part of our fabric.”

Rally planned on Thursday

The Northern Territories Federation of Labour is planning a rally in Norman Wells on Thursday evening this week.

The worker advocacy group said the rally and an associated town hall meeting would be held “in support of the residents of Norman Wells, who are grappling with the severe financial impact of skyrocketing home heating fuel costs.”

From 6-8pm at the Norman Wells Legion, the worker advocacy group said it will “provide a platform for residents to share their stories and discuss the urgent need for solutions to these extreme fuel costs.”