Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I rise in the House today to talk about the need for this government to develop action fire protection plans for the communities we represent. Fires in the Slave Lake region near Alberta illustrate the need for such a plan. If proper fireguards were in place, loss of property would have been less.
It is simple, Mr. Speaker. Fires do not burn if you remove the source of fuel. I thought the government had learned this lesson after nearly losing the community of Tulita in the 1990s, but that does not appear to be the case.
At the time, Mr. Speaker, the government prioritized some communities and provided funding to build fire breaks and clear brush. Unfortunately, Mr. Speaker, there has been no follow-up since that time. These communities were not a priority and are still waiting on government funding.
I stand to be corrected, Mr. Speaker, but myself and the people I represent are not aware of any programs that would assist a community in developing a fire protection plan. There is no funding available at the community level to implement such a plan. The Government of the Northwest Territories must provide these funds to the communities so they can develop fire protection plans.
Mr. Speaker, there are communities in the forest fire hazard areas with no fireguards or protection plans. This is not acceptable. With all the money that this government spends on developing infrastructure in the communities, would it not make sense, Mr. Speaker, to spend a little bit of money to protect our schools, our recreation facilities in our communities?
We have been lucky so far. Forest fires have threatened communities and people have been evacuated. Other than that, there has been little lost due to forest fires in recent memory. I want this to remain a fact.
Mr. Speaker, I have many questions. Will it take a major catastrophe for this government to act? Will the government spend money now to protect our residents' future? These are the questions I intend to ask the Minister of RWED during question period. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
-- Applause