Thank you, Mr. Chairman. While the Minister was talking, a couple of other concerns were raised as a result of what we've been talking about here. One of the concerns I've raised earlier in this session is with regard to insurance for homes that are being built in the communities. Especially in the communities where it is difficult to get fire insurance for the individuals because of lack of or very limited fire protection; mainly in the smaller communities where all they have, basically, is a large fire extinguisher on the back of the trucks. It's a chemical extinguisher; once you use it, it's gone. If the fire is big enough, such as was the case this past June in Jean Marie River, where a house that was being renovated caught on fire in the middle of the day...Everybody knew it was
burning but after the fire retardant ran out, everybody more or less just stood around and watched it burn to the ground because there is no other type of equipment there to put the fire out.
I think the department, if it hasn't done this yet, should look at how they can assist the communities and perhaps work with an insurance company to see if they could help some of the communities acquire fire insurance for their houses because you're looking at a big investment. This government is investing over $100,000 a unit now with the access program. Especially now that there's an access program where individuals in these small communities have to buy the unit after it is built by the housing corporation. It's maybe a 20-year mortgage that they have on these houses. If the Minister could respond to that.
Perhaps the Housing Corporation already has fire insurance on these houses because once you mortgage a unit, it belongs to the Housing Corporation until it is purchased; 20 years or 15 years or whatever time it takes it purchase these units. A lot of people in the small communities acquire furniture and appliances, and so forth. All these things cost a great deal of money. The families invest a large amount of money into having a good home just like everybody else. If there is no fire protection, once a fire starts and everything goes, then you have to start all over again with no help from insurance coverage. If the Minister could respond to this problem that we are having in the smaller communities with regard to fire insurance, I would appreciate it. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.