Thank you. Finally, Madam Chairperson, I thank the Minister again. When an organization in a small community is not adequately funded, the only place to look for funding is bingo. In the community of Pelly Bay, we have a number of organizations that are trying to get their own funding. With the limited amount of dollars in the community everybody plays bingo in order to raise money. It is very addictive to play bingo, so I think we should realize that. Somehow, we have to provide funding for the search and rescue. It is the first point from the community. If a person goes to the RCMP, you have 24-hours of waiting. The first point of contact in a small community is the search and rescue, and that body should be funded. Search and rescue is a serious matter in a Nunavut area. I do not know how serious it is down south, but in the Arctic where you have almost 24 hours of darkness and extreme environment, it is a very serious matter. Thank you.

Thank you. On behalf of the search and rescue teams across the territories, I would like to thank the Member. I realize this is a very serious matter. Thank you.

Thank you, Madam Chairperson. My concern is regarding the fire marshals and fire protection. I am quite concerned about the community level, communities that I represent. Is there any inventory on the fire equipment that currently exists in the communities, such equipment as fire trucks and possibly fire halls, if they all are up-to-date or are they new, in working order. What types of equipment do we have or inventory within our community, especially within my North Slave riding? Thank you, Madam Chairperson.

Thank you, Madam Chairperson. I am informed that MACA's assistant fire marshals regularly visit the communities and inspect local fire halls and equipment. Then they make recommendations to the communities on how to correct any of the problems. The assistant fire marshal is available to offer training assistance on specific equipment requests. If a community has equipment concerns, they should contact their assistant fire marshal. Thank you, Madam Chairperson.

(Translation) Thank you, Madam Chairperson. I also have a comment with regard to emergency services. Search and rescue issues in my community and other communities are also taken very seriously. I was very happy to hear Madam Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs talking about global positioning systems, as well as satellite beacons that are used by the younger people today. This is very encouraging. Even if you have a GPS, if the weather is bad and the wind is strong, you cannot go anywhere with the GPS system. I have used this myself, even

as an older person. If you depend on the GPS system, you cannot continue to travel in bad weather. In the Baffin region, there was an incident where we lost four hunters. This was near Clyde River. Because of incidents like these and because of the unpredictable weather climate changes in our communities, we want to have proper plans in place so we can use these plans when we have to do certain rescues in our communities. As well, when we are doing search and rescue, we have to keep in touch with Iqaluit. I would also like to support the comments that were made by my honourable colleague, Vince Steen, as well as John Ningark. I would like to support their comments. That is all I wanted to say. Madam Chairperson, I do not mind not receiving an answer to this. This is going to be a general comment. Thank you, Madam Chairperson. (Translation ends)

Thank you, Madam Chairperson. To follow up on comments Mr. Ningark made regarding a program or policy that would be better suited for northerners, a program that would be as it relates to search and rescue that we made in the north for northerners. I could not agree with the Member more. We hear stories of individuals being lost on the land, and unfortunately they passed on, they died. The families would wait for the body to be brought back to the community. They would be told they would have to wait for hours and sometimes the next day because the RCMP, for example, would have to also go out there and verify the circumstances of the death and so on and so forth which causes a great deal of pain for the families.

Moving on, a question regarding funding for the local search and rescue groups in the various communities, how is the funding calculated? How do you arrive at the amount? Does it vary from community to community, and who makes a decision as to which group receives the funding? There could be more than one search and rescue group in the community.

Thank you, Madam Chairperson. I will be asking my ADM to answer that question.

Thank you, Madam Chairperson. The amount of funding that we do provide for community searches is small. It is only up to $1,000 unless there are extraordinary circumstances involved. The recipient group would be the group identified for that purpose out of the emergency response plan. All of the funding that would be flowing would be consistent with the approach set up through the emergency response plan. The coordinator for the emergency response plan is typically the senior administrative officer, and so the funding would flow through that individual as the coordinator of the search activity originated by the community. Thank you, Madam Chairperson.

Mr. O'Brien.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Going back to Mr. Ningark's comments about developing a policy, a program or designing a program to deal with search and rescue in the north for northerners, what steps to date have been taken? We have heard the concerns that have been brought about in this House. We have heard them for many years. To date, what is taking place, if anything, as far as revamping or drawing up a new plan or program to deal with this critical issue of search and rescue?

Thank you. Madam Minister.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. There are different types of training that go on, and they are very good, made in the north search and rescue training. These are some examples; basic ground search and rescue, track awareness, search management, rigid hull inflatable operator training, marine search and rescue, inland water transport, ice rescue and ice diving. There are all sorts of training that has happened with this. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Thank you. Mr. O'Brien.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I have had requests over the last few years concerning the search and rescue groups; for example, in Baker Lake looking to form a regional body for search and rescue. For example, often times when there is somebody lost in Arviat, there are people from Baker who come to help search. They could be lost in between the communities, and they will require extra bodies or people to join in the search that may know the area better and so on and so forth. There are times when one or more communities get together for a better search. Is there any discussion or is there any intention of trying to form such a group where MACA would take the initiative to organize this type of a body? In some cases it would be more effective than just a small group of people leaving from Baker Lake to go and search. Weather is very critical. Time is of the essence, so the more out there in a coordinated approach would give a greater possibility of finding the individuals alive and safe. Thank you.

Thank you. Madam Minister.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. This is a first time I have heard the individual talk about it even though he said he has had a lot of requests regarding it. It is a very good suggestion. It is a very good question. There is some regional activity that is happening with this. I will be asking my ADM to bring that to light. Thank you.