About Us - Joint Review Panel for the Mackenzie Gas Project

The Joint Review Panel for the Mackenzie Gas Project is a seven-member, independent body that will evaluate the potential impacts of the project on the environment and lives of the people in the project area.

The Panel was appointed on August 18, 2004 by the Minister of the Environment, in agreement with the Chairs of both the Mackenzie Valley Environmental Impact Review Board and the Inuvialuit Game Council, the parties with legislated environmental assessment responsibilities along the proposed project route. The Panel will work to fulfill the environmental impact assessment responsibilities of the land claims agreements, as well as federal legislation.

The combined knowledge and experience of the Panel members will ensure a rigorous review of all issues of concern to northern communities and Canadians.

The review will focus on the environmental and socio-economic effects associated with the Proponent’s proposal. The Joint Review Panel will take into consideration a number of factors, as outlined in the Joint Review Panel Agreement, in assessing the impacts of the proposed project.

The Mackenzie Gas Project includes development of natural gas fields, gathering lines, and processing facilities in the Mackenzie River Delta of Canada's Northwest Territories, and a transportation pipeline along the Mackenzie River Valley to deliver the natural gas to market.

The Panel Members

	Ms. Gina Dolphus Member, Joint Review Panel A resident of Deline, Northwest Territories, Gina Dolphus has spent many years working in a various areas, including politics, counselling, advocacy, lobbying, management and administration. She has successfully represented her community in various ways, including working as the Trustee for Inuvik Regional Health Board and acting as Vice-Chairperson for the Sahtu Divisional Board of Education. more... back to top

	Mr. Barry Greenland Member, Joint Review Panel Barry Greenland is well known to his community and has acted as Sub-Chief of the Inuvik Native Band in Inuvik, NWT for 10 years, where he worked closely with the Gwich’in Tribal Council and Indian and Northern Affairs. more... back to top

	Mr. Percy Hardisty Member, Joint Review Panel As a member of the Joint Review Panel, Percy Hardisty brings to the review nearly 25 years of leadership experience within his community. As well as being Chairperson for the Deh Cho Friendship Centre located in the Deh Cho Region of the Northwest Territories, Mr. Hardisty was twice elected as Chief of the Pehdzeh Ki First Nation. more... back to top

	Mr. Rowland Harrison Member, Joint Review Panel Rowland Harrison has been a member of the National Energy Board since 1997. Immediately prior to his appointment to the National Energy Board, he was a partner of one of Canada’s largest national and international law firms, specializing in energy regulation. more... back to top

	Robert Hornal Chair, Joint Review Panel Robert Hornal is a principal of Robert Hornal and Associates Ltd. (formerly Hornal Consultants Ltd.) He brings to the firm forty years of experience in resource management, environmental and socio-economic assessment, land claim administration, land use planning, government and regulatory affairs. more... back to top

	Mr. Tyson Pertschy Member, Joint Review Panel Mr. Pertschy is proud of his Inuvialuit heritage and welcomes his role as a panel member to conduct a thorough environmental assessment of the Mackenzie Gas Project in the interest of all Canadians. The Inuvialuit are the people of the Western Canadian Arctic whose traditional lands encompass the arctic coastal regions extending from Alaska, the Yukon North Slope and the Northwest Territories.The Inuvialuit language is called Inuvialuktun and the word Inuvialuit means "the real people." more... back to top

	Mr. Peter J. Usher Member, Joint Review Panel Peter J. Usher is a geographer with graduate degrees from McGill University and the University of British Columbia. Mr. Usher worked and lived in the Western Arctic for several years between 1962 and 1976. During that time Mr. Usher was involved in community economic development, the Inuvialuit land claim and the Mackenzie Valley Pipeline Inquiry. Mr. Usher also travelled extensively on the Western Arctic coast and on Banks Island by small boat and by dog team. more... back to top

The Panel Staff

Paula Pacholek
Manager, Joint Review Panel
Paula Pacholek attended the University of Saskatchewan, where she graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in physical geography, with a minor in biology. Ms. Pacholek completed her honours thesis in limnology at Trent University, where her research focused on the application of lake capacity models to determine the contribution of non-point phosphorous loading in lacusterine systems. more...

Ms. Robin A. Beveridge (Fonger)
Environmental Assessment Analyst
Robin Fonger brings to the review of the Mackenzie Gas Project a variety of experience from her work during the past four years in the private and non-government organization sectors of the environmental field. She has experience in project coordination, program delivery, field sampling, capacity building and environmental assessment. more...

Bob Mahnic
Socio-Economic Specialist
Bob Mahnic has participated in numerous socio-economic impact assessments and public consultation programs for oil, gas, pipeline, mining, transport and municipal infrastructure developments both nationally and internationally during the past 24 years. more...

Guy C. Hamel
Regulatory Officer
Guy Hamel brings to the review of the Mackenzie Gas Project a variety of administrative hearing and regulatory experiences from his work during the past 30 years in the federal government. He has experience in records management, public hearing management and regulatory administration. more...

Lindsay Staples
Consultant
Lindsay Staples has a graduate degree in sociology from York University in Toronto. He has over 25 years of research experience on resource management and public policy issues. During this time he has maintained an independent consultancy providing services to government and non-government organizations and aboriginal organizations in the areas of resource management, land use and conservation planning, subsistence and regional economies, socio-economic and environmental impact assessment, socio- economic agreements, and institutional and political development. more...

Letha J. MacLachlan, Q.C.
Legal Counsel, Joint Review Panel
Letha MacLachlan, Q.C., currently lives in Calgary where she practices environmental and natural resource law. She has extensive experience with aboriginal land claims in the north and with environmental impact assessment and resource regulation throughout Canada. more...

About the Panel

The Panel Members

The Panel Staff