The Board of Directors of Aboriginal Pipeline Group is very pleased to announce that Mr. Jim Antoine has agreed to work with APG through Jim Antoine Consulting. Mr. Antoine will work as a consultant to raise the profile of the APG in Mackenzie Valley communities, emphasizing the significant benefits available through the APG’s ownership in the Pipeline. Additionally, he will assist the APG in the areas of government relations and general communications.

Mr. Antoine brings a wealth of experience to this position with APG. Born in Fort Simpson, he was first elected as Member of the Legislative Assembly of the Northwest Territories in 1991, and represented his home riding of Nahendeh for 12 years. He became Premier in 1998 for the last year of the 13th Assembly, and held several cabinet positions throughout his territorial government career, including that of Deputy Premier as well as Minister for the Departments of Resources, Wildlife and Economic Development, Aboriginal Affairs, Intergovernmental Forum, Justice, Municipal and Community Affairs, Transportation, Safety and Public Services, as well as being responsible for the Status of Women. Mr. Antoine retired from territorial politics at the end the 14th Assembly in December 2003.

Prior to becoming MLA for Nahendeh, Mr. Antoine served three terms as chief of Liidlii Kue First Nation in Fort Simpson. He currently resides in Fort Simpson.

“Mr. Antoine has considerable experience and is a well-respected member of the Dene community, both attributes which will be invaluable in assisting APG to communicate the merits of ownership in this project to aboriginal people throughout the Northwest Territories,” said Fred Carmichael, chair of the Board of Directors of APG. “We are very pleased and most fortunate that he has agreed to assist us in our efforts to ensure that the Mackenzie Valley pipeline project brings maximum benefits to aboriginal people.”

APG was formed by Aboriginal groups of the Northwest Territories in 2000 and represents the ownership interests of Aboriginal people in the proposed Mackenzie Valley pipeline. The corporate entities of APG are the Mackenzie Valley Aboriginal Pipeline Limited Partnership and the Mackenzie Valley Aboriginal Pipeline Corporation. APG holds a one-third share in the Mackenzie Valley pipeline, a project now in the pre-development phase by the Mackenzie Gas Project, operated by Imperial Oil Resources on behalf of partner proponents ConocoPhillips Canada, Shell Canada Limited, ExxonMobil Canada, and Aboriginal Pipeline Group.