Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, like I said earlier on in the beginning of my answer, we are still working on this policy. We have taken a lot of feedback from all of the stakeholders, including the manufacturing sector, during our consultation process. The consultation process is done and we are compiling the information that has come from there. If the honourable Member's concern has been raised by the manufacturing association, then it would be considered during the work the department is doing. We have not concluded the work. I cannot answer specifically to the Member on this concern. I have to check with my department, so I will have to take this as notice. Thank you.
Debates of Oct. 16th, 2002
This is page numbers 947 - 980 of the Hansard for the 14th Assembly, 5th Session. The original version can be accessed on the Legislative Assembly's website or by contacting the Legislative Assembly Library. The word of the day was chairman.
Topics
Further Return To Question 322-14(5): Business Incentive Policy Revisions
Question 322-14(5): Business Incentive Policy Revisions
Item 6: Oral Questions
Page 959
Jim Antoine Nahendeh
Further Return To Question 322-14(5): Business Incentive Policy Revisions
Question 322-14(5): Business Incentive Policy Revisions
Item 6: Oral Questions
Page 959
The Speaker
Thank you. The question has been taken as notice. Just a little caution that usually when a question is taken as notice, there is very little response to it. It should be taken as notice. However, the Chair will recognize the Minister's request to take that question as notice. Item 6, oral questions. The honourable Member for Deh Cho, Mr. McLeod.
Question 323-14(5): Bison Problem In Fort Providence
Item 6: Oral Questions
Page 959
Michael McLeod Deh Cho
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my question today is for the Minister of Resources, Wildlife and Economic Development. It is a question I have raised in this House before. Leaders of the community of Fort Providence have questioned on several occasions for the department to intervene with this problem that we have been experiencing in Fort Providence. It is regarding the bison that are roaming in the community.
It seems that every fall, we have to tolerate a large number of bison in the community. They are destroying fences. When I left the community on Monday, I saw a large portion of the baseball diamond fence knocked down and the children are having a field day stampeding the herds of buffalo down the streets in between the houses. It is getting to be a serious safety concern. I would like to ask the Minister, what does he plan to do about this issue? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Question 323-14(5): Bison Problem In Fort Providence
Item 6: Oral Questions
Page 959
The Speaker
Thank you, Mr. McLeod. The honourable Minister responsible for the Department of Resources, Wildlife and Economic Development, Mr. Antoine.
Return To Question 323-14(5): Bison Problem In Fort Providence
Question 323-14(5): Bison Problem In Fort Providence
Item 6: Oral Questions
Page 959
Jim Antoine Nahendeh
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the buffalo problem is similar to a number of communities in Fort Liard as well. There are a number of problems there. We need to work with the community on how and what their suggestions are. The buffalo are there. They are roaming around and causing a lot of different problems. Safety is a big issue. We have to work with the community in trying to solve this problem together. Thank you.
Return To Question 323-14(5): Bison Problem In Fort Providence
Question 323-14(5): Bison Problem In Fort Providence
Item 6: Oral Questions
Page 959
The Speaker
Thank you, Mr. Minister. Supplementary, Mr. McLeod.
Supplementary To Question 323-14(5): Bison Problem In Fort Providence
Question 323-14(5): Bison Problem In Fort Providence
Item 6: Oral Questions
Page 959
Michael McLeod Deh Cho
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I believe the Minister is repeating what I just stated, that it is a safety concern and we have to work this out. However, I have been asking this question on many occasions, and the community leaders have requested something to be done about it. What is the department planning to do about it was the question. There has been no response to that. I would like to ask the department, what options are they looking at to solve this problem in the community of Fort Providence? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Supplementary To Question 323-14(5): Bison Problem In Fort Providence
Question 323-14(5): Bison Problem In Fort Providence
Item 6: Oral Questions
Page 960
The Speaker
Thank you, Mr. McLeod. The honourable Minister responsible for the Department of Resources, Wildlife and Economic Development, Mr. Antoine.
Further Return To Question 323-14(5): Bison Problem In Fort Providence
Question 323-14(5): Bison Problem In Fort Providence
Item 6: Oral Questions
Page 960
Jim Antoine Nahendeh
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I have to talk to my officials in the department to see what kind of options are there to deal with this issue. I will get back to the Member on that. Thank you.
Further Return To Question 323-14(5): Bison Problem In Fort Providence
Question 323-14(5): Bison Problem In Fort Providence
Item 6: Oral Questions
Page 960
The Speaker
Thank you, Mr. Minister. Final supplementary, Mr. McLeod.
Supplementary To Question 323-14(5): Bison Problem In Fort Providence
Question 323-14(5): Bison Problem In Fort Providence
Item 6: Oral Questions
Page 960
Michael McLeod Deh Cho
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, if it were bears or any other type of wild animals roaming the community, especially if it was the city of Yellowknife or Hay River, those animals would be destroyed. Can the Minister tell me if these animals, these wild bison that are in the community, if they could be destroyed by the community leadership? Thank you.
Supplementary To Question 323-14(5): Bison Problem In Fort Providence
Question 323-14(5): Bison Problem In Fort Providence
Item 6: Oral Questions
Page 960
The Speaker
Thank you, Mr. McLeod. The honourable Minister responsible for the Department of Resources, Wildlife and Economic Development, Mr. Antoine.
Further Return To Question 323-14(5): Bison Problem In Fort Providence
Question 323-14(5): Bison Problem In Fort Providence
Item 6: Oral Questions
Page 960
Jim Antoine Nahendeh
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, in the legislative process, we have a species at risk legislation that is going through the system right now. The bison is one of the species listed as a species at risk, so the legislation, once it gets through, would have provisions in there on how to deal with this issue. At the present time, we do not have any type of legislation on how to deal with this issue. I think there are about five herds that are trying to increase in the North through this species at risk program that we are involved with throughout Canada.
At this point in time, if it is causing a nuisance and causing a problem, I know that the renewable resource officers, in some instances, have been instructed to destroy some of the buffalo. I know in Nahanni Butte, there were incidents earlier on when there were some problems with some buffalo that were causing a lot of danger there and they were destroyed. In this instance, there are areas, I guess that is the extreme case, but that could be one of the options that might be up there, but I have to be careful on how I phrase this and I have to really talk to my officials who are experts in this area on how to deal with this issue. Thank you.
Further Return To Question 323-14(5): Bison Problem In Fort Providence
Question 323-14(5): Bison Problem In Fort Providence
Item 6: Oral Questions
Page 960
The Speaker
Thank you, Mr. Minister. I erred. You have one more supplementary, Mr. McLeod.
Supplementary To Question 323-14(5): Bison Problem In Fort Providence
Question 323-14(5): Bison Problem In Fort Providence
Item 6: Oral Questions
Page 960
Michael McLeod Deh Cho
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It is indeed a problem that has been ongoing. We do not know if we can shoot them. We do not know what we can do with them. It is getting to be a more serious concern. I hear what the Minister is saying about meeting with his officials. I would like to request and ask if the Minister would commit to meeting with the leaders of Fort Providence and talk about this very issue? Thank you.
Supplementary To Question 323-14(5): Bison Problem In Fort Providence
Question 323-14(5): Bison Problem In Fort Providence
Item 6: Oral Questions
Page 960
The Speaker
Thank you, Mr. McLeod. The honourable Minister responsible for the Department of Resources, Wildlife and Economic Development, Mr. Antoine.
Further Return To Question 323-14(5): Bison Problem In Fort Providence
Question 323-14(5): Bison Problem In Fort Providence
Item 6: Oral Questions
Page 960
Jim Antoine Nahendeh
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I welcome the invitation to go to Fort Providence with my officials and meet with them on this issue. Thank you.
Further Return To Question 323-14(5): Bison Problem In Fort Providence
Question 323-14(5): Bison Problem In Fort Providence
Item 6: Oral Questions
Page 960
The Speaker
Thank you, Mr. Minister. Item 6, oral questions. The honourable Member for Tu Nedhe, Mr. Nitah.
Question 324-14(5): Tlicho And Akaitcho Boundary Dispute
Item 6: Oral Questions
Page 960
Steven Nitah Tu Nedhe
Mahsi cho, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Premier. Mr. Speaker, this past summer, in late August, the leadership and elders and people of Akaitcho met with the Premier and some members of his Cabinet right here in the Great Hall, at which time they expressed very eloquently and with a lot of passion their fears of their traditional lands being alienated through the Tlicho Agreement. Through a land use map, they clearly demonstrated their use of the land in question throughout history, with communities that have been established along the shoreline of Great Slave Lake and past into the tundra. Yet the Premier and his staff initialled the final Tlicho Agreement, knowing that there are other interests on the said lands within the Tlicho Agreement. Would the Premier allow his Minister and officials to sign a final agreement before those disputed issues of land ownership and use of land are resolved? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Question 324-14(5): Tlicho And Akaitcho Boundary Dispute
Item 6: Oral Questions
Page 960
The Speaker
Thank you, Mr. Nitah. The honourable Premier, Mr. Kakfwi.
Return To Question 324-14(5): Tlicho And Akaitcho Boundary Dispute
Question 324-14(5): Tlicho And Akaitcho Boundary Dispute
Item 6: Oral Questions
Page 960
Stephen Kakfwi Sahtu
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. With the initialling of that agreement, it was possible to make the document public and open to scrutiny and review by all interested parties. So it is my expectation that, along with the Minister, Mr. Antoine, that if there are areas in dispute that need clarification, that require further work, then that process is available and underway at this time. It is our hope that we will see all parties concerned work together to resolve all outstanding issues so that the Tlicho Agreement can be finalized and the Dogrib and the beneficiaries can vote on a document that will serve them well and into the future.
It is our expectation that there will be processes available for all parties to resolve outstanding issues and to get clarification on areas and issues that require addressing and clarification. Thank you.
Return To Question 324-14(5): Tlicho And Akaitcho Boundary Dispute
Question 324-14(5): Tlicho And Akaitcho Boundary Dispute
Item 6: Oral Questions
Page 961
The Speaker
Thank you, Mr. Premier. Supplementary, Mr. Nitah.
Supplementary To Question 324-14(5): Tlicho And Akaitcho Boundary Dispute
Question 324-14(5): Tlicho And Akaitcho Boundary Dispute
Item 6: Oral Questions
Page 961
Steven Nitah Tu Nedhe
Mahsi cho, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I am not sure if the Premier answered the question. I do not think he did. He kind of danced around the question, Mr. Speaker. He is talking like he has not heard or understands the major problems that the Akaitcho and the Deh Cho have with this process, along with the North Slave Metis. He is talking like he never heard the news on the radio, television or in newspapers. There are major concerns on this issue, Mr. Speaker. He is not giving me a commitment. He is saying hopefully there will be some clarification, as if that is Dogrib land already, Mr. Speaker. Can the Premier tell me if he will allow his Minister to sign a final agreement if the disputed area is not resolved through a boundary, a clear-cut boundary that distinguishes whose land is which? We do not want to face another Middle East here, Mr. Speaker. Thank you.
Supplementary To Question 324-14(5): Tlicho And Akaitcho Boundary Dispute
Question 324-14(5): Tlicho And Akaitcho Boundary Dispute
Item 6: Oral Questions
Page 961
The Speaker
Thank you, Mr. Nitah. The honourable Premier, Mr. Kakfwi.
Further Return To Question 324-14(5): Tlicho And Akaitcho Boundary Dispute
Question 324-14(5): Tlicho And Akaitcho Boundary Dispute
Item 6: Oral Questions
Page 961
Stephen Kakfwi Sahtu
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, this is a process of negotiations. The Member may not be aware, but we have been through this a number of occasions in the past. When the Inuvialuit Agreement was presented to the public, this issue came up about the border dispute with the Gwich'in and the Sahtu. I was involved in that. There was a process I was engaged in and those issues were resolved. When the Gwich'in claim was presented to the public as well, the same process ensued with the Sahtu. Those issues were resolved. The Sahtu claim also saw the same process. The Deh Cho and the Dogrib regions were impacted and the parties simply went together and resolved their differences.
The pressure is going to be intense, I believe. The negotiations are difficult and very stressful for everybody, but they are negotiations. All I can say is that I think we are interested in helping in whatever way we can to make sure that the issues that are raised by Akaitcho are addressed. The Minister, Bob Nault, is aware of that. I think everyone agrees that these issues have to be addressed and resolved before a final agreement is considered by the Tlicho beneficiaries, by this government, by the Government of Canada and Parliament.
There is no easy answer in this House because we are not involved in the day-to-day negotiations. That is for the Akaitcho and the Tlicho to sit down and resolve. We hope that the Minister, Mr. Nault, will provide some process that will give comfort that the parties should engage and arrive at a conclusion that is satisfactory to both. I am not certain that has gone underway yet, but it is my expectation based on all of the other agreements that have been addressed in the Northwest Territories by aboriginal people that there is a way to do it, it can be done, and we expect no less in this situation. Thank you.