My second return to oral question is a return to an oral question asked by Mr. Allooloo on March 30, 1994 regarding closure of weather stations at Clyde River and Pond Inlet.
Yesterday, the elusive Member for Amittuq, sorry, the Member for Amittuq...
---Laughter
...expressed his concerns about disruptions in weather reporting services as a result of Transport Canada transferring the operation of its Community Aerodrome Radio Station (CARS) service at Cape Dorset, Clyde River and Pond Inlet to the Department of Transportation.
The Member was correct in his concerns. Negotiations over the final details of the transfer continued until even as late as yesterday afternoon between the Department of Transportation, Transport Canada and Environment Canada's atmospheric environment service. Transport Canada had instructed its contractor to cut the power supply to the weather station buildings at Clyde River and Pond Inlet as of midnight tonight.
This will not occur. The Department of Transportation will assume control of the service as of midnight tonight and there will be no disruption in services at these airports. To make doubly sure there will be no service disruption, Department of Transportation officials spoke with the Northwest Territories Power Corporation officials in the Baffin yesterday to confirm the details of the transfer. I can assure the honourable Member for Amittuq that the NWTPC will not cut the power to the weather stations at midnight tonight.
---Applause