Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I have an emergency statement.
Mr. Speaker, I wish to advise the Assembly of a situation which may affect the power supply for the community of Iqaluit for the next few weeks.
Last night, a 2.5-megawatt generator failed in a building located near the airport. The town of Iqaluit lost power for about 20 minutes, but was fully restored and there have been no interruptions since. Technicians are investigating the situation at this moment. It is too early to know for sure whether the unit can be repaired, whether it will have to be replaced, or how quickly this can be done.
Mr. Speaker, the loss of the unit accounts for about 30 per cent of the corporation's generating capacity in Iqaluit. The remaining generators can handle the full demands of the community at this time and there is no emergency. However, other unforeseen breakdowns or problems could occur. The community then may be asked to assist by reducing consumption, or may experience rotating outages, while repairs are made.
Operators are stepping up their monitoring and maintenance programs to ensure plant reliability. In addition, a new twomegawatt generator has recently been ordered and will be installed by September.
Mr. Speaker, the corporation regrets the inconvenience and concern this may cause for Iqaluit residents, but we hope that customers will be prepared to lend their cooperation should it be required. Thank you.