Thank you, honourable Member. Mr. Ootes.
Debates of Feb. 5th, 1998
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
Page 598
The Chair John Ningark
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
Page 598
Jake Ootes Yellowknife Centre
I think the Minister is right. I can well understand it when she mentioned earlier that it was a welcome addition to their department because it fits well with emergency services to have the fire marshal's office together. Just on the other side of the department, also transferred were areas like lottery licencing, real estate licencing, Business Licence Act and so forth. Are there any difficulties there? The reason I am asking these questions, Mr. Chairman, is
because, at the time, there was some concern expressed about how all this would function after the transfer took place. I would just like to be reassured that there are no major difficulties being encountered.
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
Page 599
The Chair John Ningark
Thank you. Madam Minister.
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
Page 599
Manitok Thompson Aivilik
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. There have been no major problems with the transfers. The transfers have gone really well into our department, and we have been able to make them fit into our divisions very well. 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
Page 599
The Chair John Ningark
Thank you. I have a number of names here. I have Mr. Miltenberger, Mr. Krutko, Mr. Picco and Mr. Steen. Mr. Miltenberger.
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
Page 599
Michael Miltenberger Thebacha
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I have a number of questions for the Minister in regard to emergency services. As we have seen in Quebec and that part of the country with the ice, rain, storms and such, emergency measures have been in the lime light a lot. I was wondering if the Minister could indicate in the territories, how many communities, in fact, have functional EMO plans?
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
Page 599
The Chair John Ningark
Thank you. Madam Minister.
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
Page 599
Manitok Thompson Aivilik
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. They all have plans in all the communities. I know that each regional office developed the plans with the communities and they all have emergency plans. We have emergency divisions in our regional offices that deal with the plans. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
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
Page 599
The Chair John Ningark
Thank you. Mr. Miltenberger.
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
Page 599
Michael Miltenberger Thebacha
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Just so I am clear, are these plans current, up-to-date and functional? They have not been there for the last ten years? Nobody has looked at them?
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
Page 599
The Chair John Ningark
Thank you. Madam Minister.
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
Page 599
Manitok Thompson Aivilik
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Yes, these are new and up-to-date. 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
Page 599
The Chair John Ningark
Thank you. Mr. Miltenberger.
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
Page 599
Michael Miltenberger Thebacha
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. In regard to the South Slave and emergency measures, given the fact that the communities in the South Slave are in the heart of the boreal forest, communities have emergency measure plans. Could the Minister indicate what type of relationship is there with RWED? One of the biggest emergency threats, especially in the summertime, is forest fires and all that potential hazard that is caused by that. 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
Page 599
The Chair John Ningark
The Madam Minister has indicated she will designate Madam Ballantyne. 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
Page 599
Ballantyne
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, the Member is quite correct. We do collaborate with RWED in all of the communities below the tree line to coordinate the summertime emergency response plans where there might be a forest fire encroaching on the community. Some of that work involves plans for community fire brakes, and there has been some work done over the years around establishing fire breaks around municipal boundaries. I think the experience we had a few years ago, when we had evacuations from Tulita and Norman Wells, really alerted us to the necessity for making sure that community emergency response plans did include not only plans for evacuating communities, but we also know something about what it takes to receive evacuees, whole communities that arrive. That experience, I think, was very instructive. The debriefings that happened after that bad forest fire season were very helpful. There was a lot of work done between RWED, MACA, the hamlets and communities that had been involved directly impacted. That work was shared with all the superintendents in the tree line area to make sure that we learned from that experience. It is one of those areas though that you do not know how good your plan is until you actually have to use it. The debriefings after an emergency occurs are really an important part of that process to make sure we do correct any deficiencies in the plan. 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
Page 599
The Chair John Ningark
Thank you. Mr. Miltenberger.
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
Page 599
Michael Miltenberger Thebacha
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. My final question on this particular section is in relation to Arctic adventures. When I look at emergency services and those people who want to go out, go to the north pole or whatever and seem to invariably get lost or in distress, and we, as a government, pick up the tab. Do we have a policy in regard to that particular segment of emergency services and any kind of requirement for people coming into the country to take part in that kind of extreme adventure to put down some sort of deposit or whatever so that if we have to mobilize a whole community to go search for them or find them on the barren lands or in the middle of the ocean somewhere, that they realize there is a price to pay for this kind of adventure? 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
Page 599
The Chair John Ningark
Thank you. Madam Minister.
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
Page 599
Manitok Thompson Aivilik
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I know that when there is a search going on or if there is an emergency going on in the communities, the communities always know how much budget they have and also how much fund-raising they have to do. I am going to ask my deputy minister to elaborate more on that. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
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
Page 599
The Chair John Ningark
Thank you. Madam deputy minister.
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
Page 599
Ballantyne
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, this is an issue that has been a concern to MACA as well. We have certainly raised this with RWED. It is our experience though, that the searches that are required on inland waters or on the land for adventure travellers are picked up by the RCMP and Armed Forces, generally. Where
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
Page 600
The Chair John Ningark
Thank you. You did indicate that was your final, but I will recognize you again, Mr. Miltenberger.
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
Page 600
Michael Miltenberger Thebacha
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. The Minister's and deputy minister's response brought to mind another question. In fact, I think this government does pay for the RCMP, so we would be, in fact, incurring the costs on these kinds of searches on the land that the RCMP do on our behalf. I am interested, as well, in how your approach to MACA or RWED was received, in terms of raising this issue. 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
Page 600
The Chair John Ningark
Through the Madam Minister, I recognized Madam deputy minister Ballantyne.