Madam Chairperson, that we continue with Bill 8, Appropriation Act, 1998-99, Committee Report 02-13(5) and Committee Report 03-13(5) and that we continue with the Department of Municipal and Community Affairs.

Thank you, Mr. Ootes. We will proceed then with the Department of Municipal and Community Affairs. I will refer Members to their main estimates books. We are on page 4-8, emergency services. Could I ask the Minister if she would like to take the witness table and bring in her witnesses?

Does the committee agree?

We will break for 15-minutes. Thank you.

--Break

I would like to call the committee to order. I would like to ask the Minister if she could please introduce her witnesses for the record? Thank you.

Thank you, Minister Thompson. We are still on page 4-8 from yesterday. We had Mr. Krutko's name next on the list. We are on MACA, emergency services. Mr. Krutko.

Thank you, Madam Chairperson. Regarding emergency services when I left off yesterday, I was asking the question regarding having the water consumption in communities to ensure that the fire trucks and the systems you have are tested to know if there is adequate water flow and also water capacity within the water tanks or treatment facility. Regarding floods, I made reference last spring in Aklavik of looking at the possibility, when you do your development capital plans, of looking at the developing infrastructure roads or residential development where you have enough drainage capacity if a flood does hit, there is minimum damage to property and what not. Who does that work taking that into account in regard to emergency services? Do they look at it in the planning stage to ensure all of that is done in the case of Aklavik if there ever was an emergency? They do not have a gravel source within the community or materials to block off a culvert system so that the water does

not flood the school or the water treatment plant. There is not enough gravel around it. Things like that have to be taken into account when you do your planning. You have to be able not only to respond to an emergency, but also design the community so that it can take an impact of such an emergency.

Thank you, Mr. Krutko. Ms. Thompson.

Thank you. Mr. Krutko, did you want the Minister to respond to your comments?

Thank you, Madam Chairperson. That was a question in the context of what is being done to ensure there are emergency measures taken in the planning stages of community plans when developing infrastructure in a community such as roads, facilities, banking, ditching, foundation for buildings or structure of the water treatment plants so that it is protected against any floods. The extent of the damage is minimized by the development planning that is put into a community when you basically look at the whole community development plans that you do have to ensure these things are there when they happen.

Thank you, Mr. Krutko. Ms. Thompson.

Mr. Christensen.

Thank you, Mr. Christensen. Mr. Krutko.

Thank you, Madam Chairperson. You mentioned the risk reduction plans. Are those available to each of the communities? Where do you acquire a copy of those plans here in Yellowknife?

Thank you. Mr. Christensen.

Thank you, Mr. Christensen. Mr. Krutko.

Thank you, Madam Chairperson. The risk reduction plans is just a map. You mentioned earlier in your statement that when you are building, you take into account that your electrical fixtures have to be so high off the ground and if you are on pilings or whatever. If someone was going to build a housing unit in Aklavik, the cost of building a house is probably going to be more than a house in some other community because of having to fill in all these extras of having it on pilings. The electrical system has to be off the ground. Who pays the cost associated with that because of the flood plain the community is located on? Is that an additional cost to the consumer? Is that a cost that is picked up by the association or the municipality?