Madam Chair, I want to ask the deputy minister if he could provide the detail that the Member is requesting?
Debates of Feb. 27th, 1997
Topics
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
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Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
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Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
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Gamble
Thank you, Madam Chair. In this activity there are a total of 79 PYs. About 9 are involved in management, 49 in the forest fire program, 15 in forestry development and they share a technical support staff of about six positions. Six positions are shared by the forest fire and the forest management programs. Thank you.
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
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Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
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Jake Ootes Yellowknife Centre
Thank you, Madam Chair. I am not sure what type of work is done by the forest fire suppression individuals in the winter time, for example. Can the Minister enlighten us as to whether there is a possibility of combining these areas and responsibilities so that down the road we can economize if necessary?
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
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Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
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Gamble
Thank you, Madam Chair. In fact, that is one of the reasons why we combined the two activities into one. A large number of the positions in forest fire management are actually seasonal positions and, in a year where there is not a lot of activity in a particular region, we feel that we can use those crews to do things like timber inventory for commercial harvest, et cetera. That certainly was one of objectives in combining the forest management and forest fire management activities to be able to use in the fire season. Everyone can be working on the fire program. In a year or an area where there is not as much activity in the fire side, they can also be doing the inventory work. Thank you.
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
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The Chair Jane Groenewegen
Thank you, Mr. Ootes. We are on forest management, total operations and maintenance, $27,484,000. Mr. Krutko.
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
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David Krutko Mackenzie Delta
Thank you, Madam Chair. My question is about the forest fire centre in Fort Smith and the feasibility of it being maintained to operate year round. A lot of the people that deal with the forest fires, such as fire fighters, are laid off all winter. At the Fort Smith fire centre, there are people that have been hired in the warehouse and also at the fire centre year round. This was a concern of the Resource Committee in which we were asking for exact inventory of the feasibility of maintaining this operation. You are tying it into the forest management side and saying that was one of the reasons for amalgamation. I would like to know exactly what is the cost to operate and maintain that forest fire centre all year versus having to shut down during the off-season when there are not any forest fires?
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
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Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
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Stephen Kakfwi Sahtu
Thank you, Madam Chair. We can get the budgets and actual expenditures for the fire centre from previous years and provide it to the Member. As I have said, we have undertaken a review of the operations of the fire centre to see what we can do to better utilize the resources we spend in this area, knowing that it is a seasonal operation and finding ways, for instance, to privatize certain operations. The review is not finished and we do not have the report as of yet. We still have some work to do. Thank you.
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
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Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
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David Krutko Mackenzie Delta
Thank you, Madam Chair. My other question is about individuals who take their holidays during the summer
season when the fire season is on, yet they work at the fire centre all winter. It does not make economic sense. They are there to basically manage fires, but there are individuals who seem to have taken their holidays during the summer season when the fire is on. Is that a common practice of this department?
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
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Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
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Stephen Kakfwi Sahtu
Thank you Madam Chair. I am not aware of it. Perhaps the Member could share that information with me. Thank you.
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
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Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
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David Krutko Mackenzie Delta
Thank you, Madam Chair. Can the Minister of this department check into that to ensure that is not the case? I believe last summer when we were in Fort Smith, this did come forth to the committee.
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
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Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
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Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
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Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
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David Krutko Mackenzie Delta
Thank you, Madam Chair. In regards to ensuring that we have an adequate workforce during the fire season, who specialize in forest fire management, would it become eroded because of the extra duties that the fire centre is having to taken on?
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
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Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
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Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
February 27th, 1997
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Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
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David Krutko Mackenzie Delta
How soon does the Minister intend to have the report completed and in regards to the review?