Mr. Chairman, with regard to the emergencies, I can only refer to what happened this fall, when the barge hit some rocks and a lot of fuel was spilled into the river. Mr. Chairman, during my last nine years as a Member, I asked whether or not we do have emergency teams that can respond to spills, or hazardous waste on the highways, it should be addressed as quickly as possible. That is not the case. We do have teams in Yellowknife, I believe, and in Hay River, but in between, we do not have anything.
The situation in Providence, the day that the spill occurred, I chartered a plane, and I want to thank Transportation for covering that cost. I observed the situation from the air, and there were no coastguards, there was not anything being done, really being done, at that point in time, as I was looking at the situation.
I was later told that the spill expert, or the expert that is supposed to be looking after this, was in Tuktoyaktuk or Coppermine, or somewhere down that way, and there were no coastguards to be seen. I would think that because of the strategic location of Fort Providence or Fort Simpson, or for that matter Fort Good Hope, that we would have a team, whether they be, like fire fighters, or whatever the case may be, they should be available and should be trained to take on these kinds of situations. We do not have them at this point in time. We do have a transportation route, by road, as well as by river. I think that, this year, when environmental issues are high on the government's list and have been talked about internationally, this government should look at initiating strategic plans for these types of emergency situations.
I would like ask the Minister if he has any plans, at this point in time. Mr. Chairman, while there was a spill in Providence, there was also one in the eastern Arctic, Hudson Strait or somewhere around that area, I do not know how they dealt with it, but these things are happening. It is not as if, it is something that should be taken lightly, but should really be looked at by the government.