Yellowknife, N.W.T. - NWT Premier Bob McLeod and the Minister of Environment and Natural Resources Michael Miltenberger attended the Rosenberg Forum on Water Policy in Vancouver this week.

Many issues involving the water systems in the North were discussed over the three days, including the NWT Water Stewardship, the Transboundary Agreement, and the Mackenzie River Basin.

The Transboundary Agreement has been a topic of debate as it has been sitting on the table for 15 years with no conclusion.

McLeod explained why it’s believed there has been a hang-up.

"The eminent scientists and academics realized that it's not unusual if you're upstream of jurisdictions, they have an attitude that they can do whatever they want with regards to their water."

McLeod said finding a balance between developing the North and conserving the environment is a challenge and he lists some areas that exemplify this struggle.

"The oil sands, there's the hydro dams in B.C., there's agriculture, there's forestry. So I think just looking at those four areas makes it very difficult. "

Overall, McLeod said the forum was very beneficial for the North.

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