Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my statement today is regarding the high number of cases of cancer that seems to continue to occur in the Mackenzie Delta region. There has been concerns raised by the Hamlet of Fort McPherson, the Hamlet of Aklavik and letters have been written to the appropriate Ministers on this particular matter. Yet today, there still has not been a conclusion to the matter.
It seems from the letters I have read from the appropriate departments, that they do not see it as being a crisis matter because of statistics, but from the communities prospective, it is a crisis and something has to be done. Mr. Speaker, I think it is appropriate that this government considers some sort of a program similar to what is being done in Inuvik in regard to the implementation of the women's health study.
I think that is a start and I would like to thank the Inuvik Regional Health Board for that. In order for us to look at the problem of cancer we have to look at all aspects dealing with the environment; airborne contaminants, water quality and also look at the whole lifestyle of these people and the history.
I think we have to start implementing programs to be able to pinpoint and evaluate exactly where these cancer problems seem to be coming from. In the case of Fort McPherson, I raised an issue when I was first elected about the water quality problem of that community. In one case, in Fort McPherson where they use something like seven or eight different chemicals in the treatment of water in the water treatment facility. That alone is a concern to the people in the community. Mr. Speaker, yet today that problem is still there.
Nothing has been done in the way of implementing infrastructure in that community to try to resolve that problem. Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.