The Member is correct, Mr. Chairman.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I have already made most of my general comments in the Standing Committee on Finance. However, I did still have a couple of questions I wanted to ask the Minister with regard to the forest management review the Minister is conducting with respect to fire suppression, particularly with regard to the facility to look after aircraft which address fire suppression. Mr. Chairman, I would like to ask the Minister if it is at all possible to look at considering negotiations of constructing such a facility even while his forestry management review is taking place? Could it be done simultaneously? This is not saying that they must sit down and draw up the blue prints of the building because I know that is the intent of the forestry management review, to determine what type of building, the size, et cetera. However, to start the negotiations discussions with the groups in Fort Smith to be ready and able to start construction and planning as soon as your review is completed. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. The department is prepared to meet with the groups in Fort Smith to explore options for this sort of contracting method. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. The last piece of correspondence from the Minister's office was to the Fitz Smith development corporation which indicated negotiations will not take place until the fire management review was concluded. Is it possible for the Minister's office to indicate that his department would be willing to meet with the groups to start the developmental stages of negotiations? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I will write to the Fort Smith group as the Member has stated, and we will not go into specific negotiations prior to receiving the recommendations this review will come up with. Again, Mr. Chairman, my department is prepared to have meetings to explore options regarding how they should go about getting the contract for the facility. However, it is difficult at the present time to go into negotiations to come up with the facility. We can have meetings and explore options as to what they should do in terms of coming up with the building or facility. We can exchange some ideas. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. For the Minister's information, I would appreciate those types of discussions starting. I think there is some feeling in the community that this type of discussion will not start until after the review is completed. I think the earlier you start this type of discussions, the earlier your whole planning process to address fire suppression can be completed. I would like to thank the Minister for being prepared to make such a commitment. Thank you.

On one of my airplane trips an individual spoke to me about the methods we use now to fight fires. The method tendency is to use high-tech water bombers and helicopters. The individual mentioned that years ago all fires were fought by manpower, they used small planes, they would fly in and haul the hose and water pumps. Basically forest fires are natural. Fire fighting provided wages for seasonal workers. The individual was comparing the cost of one hour of flying time or one hour of use of a high-tech water bomber with how many men you can hire for the same cost. I thought it was an interesting analogy and comparison of the two. We spend a great deal of money on high-tech equipment and the majority of it has been from the south. We are using our own people resources less and less to fight and control many of these fires. I wanted to make this comment because I thought it very interesting at the time. It makes sense from an individual's point of view who relies on seasonal employment.

Mr. Chairman, I thought it was a useful comment. This is one of the areas the review will look at, how to utilize more human resources to fight fires and how to be more efficient at the same time. The use of aircraft and helicopters is also one of the things which will be reviewed on this project. Thank you.

Directorate

Agreed.

---Agreed

Wildlife Management

(Translation) Mr. Chairman, while we are on the subject of wildlife, this past winter, there was a meeting in Rankin Inlet regarding polar bears. There were a couple of representatives who went from our community to Rankin Inlet to express their concerns with regard to the decline of the polar bear population. Especially for the full-time hunters or outpost camp people, the polar bear skins supplement their income. Is the Minister aware if there is going to be a decreasing quota of polar bears? When I was in my community, the groups from southern Canada met in regard to this issue. I wonder if the Minister has been involved with the discussions regarding the polar bears this past winter. Can he give a response while we are on the subject of wildlife? The income from the skins help the hunters and we are informed that, every year, they do not give birth to their pups. I wanted to know if he was involved in any way at all. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

(Translation) Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I have taken the initiative by providing for the negotiations for polar bear management agreements. I was aware at the time about the quotas and how they were developed. That was not initiated from the communities, but it was initiated by the government. Polar bear management agreements were discussed at the recent meeting in Rankin Inlet, attended by departmental officials and polar bear hunters.

Next week the same group will be meeting in Iqaluit to deal with the Foxe Basin polar bear population. The Keewatin hunters will meet again in Rankin Inlet to discuss the Hudson Bay polar bear population and quotas.

At the meeting in Rankin Inlet, our scientists presented their polar bear population findings and use of the traditional knowledge of the Inuit to verify the results.

Those kinds of meetings are fairly new, and in the future they will enable the government to make regulations and management agreements using the scientists' findings and the traditional knowledge of the Inuit. Thank you.

(Translation) Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I would like to thank the Minister for his adequate response. Yes, we are aware there was never a final agreement and they are still working on it. I just wanted further information to find out if he was fully involved with this process. Thank you.