Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, on January 12th, I went on a tour of the Yellowknife water and sewer system with a number of other MLAs. I must say I certainly noticed a lot of changes since I first took the same tour nearly 25 years ago in 1976. Mr. Speaker, given the heightened concern since Walkerton about municipal water systems, I was relieved to observe the number of checks on the water quality. I was also impressed with the concern and professionalism displayed by the system operators. Mr. Speaker, based on what I saw and heard, I am confident of the safety of the Yellowknife water system. However, Mr. Speaker, the sewer system is a somewhat different story, and not just because the perfume is considerably more offensive than the odour of chlorine on the water side.
We have observed how the system works, but I have also seen the condition of some of the sewer pipes. The old sewer pipes are made of corrugated steel, which corrodes quite badly. There are many gaping holes and in some places whole sections of pipe have corroded away. That means, Mr. Speaker, there is actually no pipe. The sewage is just flowing through the hole that the pipe used to be in. Obviously, this creates a dangerous situation and is a potential threat to public health.
Mr. Speaker, it also means that more money has to be directed towards maintenance, as the ground eventually caves in and blocks the flow of sewage. The City of Yellowknife has a plan in place and has been addressing these problems for ten years. The plan requires an average expenditure of $3.7 million per year for the next 11 years to make the necessary upgrades to the water and sewage system.
Mr. Speaker, currently the City of Yellowknife is in a healthy fiscal position, but these expenditures place a huge burden on our residents. To date, the Government of the Northwest Territories, through MACA, has provided significant assistance. I noticed in this year's budget, or the proposed budget for 2001-2002, the City of Yellowknife has been allocated $500,000 in infrastructure contributions from MACA to go towards sewer line replacement.
Mr. Speaker, extraordinary funding used to be like a supplementary block funding agreement. The term stretched over several years. Now applications to the fund must be made year by year. This leads to uncertainty and causes problems with planning. Mr. Speaker, we have heard from nearly every NGO receiving funds from this government that they need to get agreements for long-term funding. Municipalities also need to see long-term agreements. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
-- Applause