Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, can the Minister tell us the extent of that responsibility? Is there a policy within the department? Are there guidelines or directions given to the staff to go out and regularly monitor lakes and the fish habitat? Are the water tables going up and down? What is the population of the fish? That kind of information is very sensitive to the management of fisheries and water quality in the Northwest Territories. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Debates of Feb. 22nd, 2002
This is page numbers 89 - 119 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
Supplementary To Question 53-14(5): Monitoring Inland Fisheries
Question 53-14(5): Monitoring Inland Fisheries
Item 6: Oral Questions
Page 103
Steven Nitah Tu Nedhe
Supplementary To Question 53-14(5): Monitoring Inland Fisheries
Question 53-14(5): Monitoring Inland Fisheries
Item 6: Oral Questions
Page 103
The Speaker Tony Whitford
Thank you, Mr. Nitah. The honourable Minister responsible for the Department of Resources, Wildlife and Economic Development, Mr. Antoine.
Further Return To Question 53-14(5): Monitoring Inland Fisheries
Question 53-14(5): Monitoring Inland Fisheries
Item 6: Oral Questions
Page 103
Jim Antoine Nahendeh
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, in our department, through the environmental protection services, we have a responsibility there to monitor the environment, including the waters. However, there is a shared jurisdiction with the federal government. The federal Department of Fisheries and Oceans have an office here in the North and they have responsibility for the fish. They have the federal legislation to monitor fisheries. It is their responsibility, but we share our concerns with them and we try to work as closely with them as possible in all these areas of concern. Thank you.
Further Return To Question 53-14(5): Monitoring Inland Fisheries
Question 53-14(5): Monitoring Inland Fisheries
Item 6: Oral Questions
Page 103
Supplementary To Question 53-14(5): Monitoring Inland Fisheries
Question 53-14(5): Monitoring Inland Fisheries
Item 6: Oral Questions
Page 103
Steven Nitah Tu Nedhe
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I do understand the joint responsibility between the territorial and federal governments in the area of fisheries and oceans. We all know and have seen many times in the paper how Fisheries and Oceans react when there is development happening on our lands, but given the vast nature of our environment and lands in the Northwest Territories, with thousands and thousands of lakes and the many areas where there is no development -- in those areas, what is the department doing to monitor fish habitat, not just the environment, Mr. Speaker?
Supplementary To Question 53-14(5): Monitoring Inland Fisheries
Question 53-14(5): Monitoring Inland Fisheries
Item 6: Oral Questions
Page 103
The Speaker Tony Whitford
Thank you, Mr. Nitah. The honourable Minister responsible for the Department of Resources, Wildlife and Economic Development, Mr. Antoine.
Further Return To Question 53-14(5): Monitoring Inland Fisheries
Question 53-14(5): Monitoring Inland Fisheries
Item 6: Oral Questions
Page 103
Jim Antoine Nahendeh
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Once you get into fish and their habitat, it is a federal jurisdiction. As the Government of the Northwest Territories, we do not have that jurisdiction. In specific cases, we do work with the federal jurisdiction. We do not have a policy as a government because we do not have that jurisdiction yet. It is a federal responsibility. If the honourable Member has concerns, I would like to know what they are specifically, and see how we could work with the honourable Member and the federal counterparts to deal with these issues. Thank you.
Further Return To Question 53-14(5): Monitoring Inland Fisheries
Question 53-14(5): Monitoring Inland Fisheries
Item 6: Oral Questions
Page 103
Supplementary To Question 53-14(5): Monitoring Inland Fisheries
Question 53-14(5): Monitoring Inland Fisheries
Item 6: Oral Questions
Page 103
Steven Nitah Tu Nedhe
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My concern here, Mr. Speaker, is the use of snowmobiles versus dog teams. The dog teams require a lot of food and people used to go to the inland lakes to collect this food. My elders and elders across the Territories are starting to say that the population of the fish in these inland lakes is starting to become so high that the food they depend on within their eco-system is not sufficient. As a result, the fish are suffering and we do not know anything about it.
What is the department going to do to know a little bit more of what is going to happen in our inland lakes? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Supplementary To Question 53-14(5): Monitoring Inland Fisheries
Question 53-14(5): Monitoring Inland Fisheries
Item 6: Oral Questions
Page 103
The Speaker Tony Whitford
Thank you Mr. Nitah. The honourable Minister responsible for the Department of Resources, Wildlife and Economic Development, Mr. Antoine.
Further Return To Question 53-14(5): Monitoring Inland Fisheries
Question 53-14(5): Monitoring Inland Fisheries
Item 6: Oral Questions
Page 103
Jim Antoine Nahendeh
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, this is a specific concern that is raised here and we will follow that up and work with the honourable Member, and work with our federal counterparts to pursue this issue. Thank you.
Further Return To Question 53-14(5): Monitoring Inland Fisheries
Question 53-14(5): Monitoring Inland Fisheries
Item 6: Oral Questions
Page 103
The Speaker Tony Whitford
Thank you Mr. Minister. Item 6, oral questions. The honourable Member for Mackenzie Delta, Mr. Krutko.
Question 54-14(5): Fort Mcpherson Fire Truck
Item 6: Oral Questions
Page 103
David Krutko Mackenzie Delta
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister responsible for Municipal and Community Affairs, Mr. Steen. We talk about the protection of people, property and how basically we have been setting these standards that we are using to determine capital to our communities. My concern, Mr. Speaker, is with the fire truck in Fort McPherson, which was purchased in 1983 and is almost 20 years old.
Mr. Speaker, I have written letters to the Minister, to his department. I have talked to the Minister himself and people within his department on ensuring that this is part of the capital planning process.
I have just received correspondence that an individual was flown up from Winnipeg to do an inspection of the vehicle, in which the vehicle was not even able to be removed from the fire hall because of the condition that it is in. Again, they sent individuals in this last week and again it has problems in regard to oil pressure. The pump froze up and now they are talking about it is going to cost another $1,000 to $7,000 for parts.
Question 54-14(5): Fort Mcpherson Fire Truck
Item 6: Oral Questions
Page 104
Question 54-14(5): Fort Mcpherson Fire Truck
Item 6: Oral Questions
Page 104
David Krutko Mackenzie Delta
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would like to ask the Minister, what is the government doing in ensuring that communities infrastructure and assets in those communities are in working order to protect the people and the property in our communities?
Question 54-14(5): Fort Mcpherson Fire Truck
Item 6: Oral Questions
Page 104
The Speaker Tony Whitford
Thank you Mr. Krutko. The honourable Minister responsible for the Department of Municipal and Community Affairs, Mr. Steen.
Return To Question 54-14(5): Fort Mcpherson Fire Truck
Question 54-14(5): Fort Mcpherson Fire Truck
Item 6: Oral Questions
Page 104
Vince Steen Nunakput
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I am aware and the department is aware of the issue of the fire truck and the condition of the fire truck in Fort McPherson. The department has made it clear to the hamlet, and I believe that we passed this on to the Member, that we would have someone come in and inspect the fire truck and give an estimate on the life left in the fire truck. Originally, the life of the truck was 20 years. However, if the condition was such that it had to be replaced earlier, the department indicated that we would do this.
I am at the present time waiting for a report on the condition of the fire truck and I am prepared to replace the truck if necessary. Thank you.
Return To Question 54-14(5): Fort Mcpherson Fire Truck
Question 54-14(5): Fort Mcpherson Fire Truck
Item 6: Oral Questions
Page 104
Supplementary To Question 54-14(5): Fort Mcpherson Fire Truck
Question 54-14(5): Fort Mcpherson Fire Truck
Item 6: Oral Questions
Page 104
David Krutko Mackenzie Delta
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, that is exactly my point. The individual flew up from Winnipeg to test the vehicle a month ago. They were told that the vehicle should be parked because it is not in working condition. Again, last week, a group of individuals from Public Works and the Department of Municipal and Community Affairs in Inuvik went to Fort McPherson and tried to do additional tests, in which the pump froze on the vehicle. They are having problems which identified it needed a whole bunch of parts. Does that tell you that there is something wrong with the vehicle? When will the Minister replace this vehicle?
Supplementary To Question 54-14(5): Fort Mcpherson Fire Truck
Question 54-14(5): Fort Mcpherson Fire Truck
Item 6: Oral Questions
Page 104
The Speaker Tony Whitford
Thank you, Mr. Krutko. The honourable Minister responsible for the Department of Municipal and Community Affairs, Mr. Steen.
Further Return To Question 54-14(5): Fort Mcpherson Fire Truck
Question 54-14(5): Fort Mcpherson Fire Truck
Item 6: Oral Questions
Page 104
Vince Steen Nunakput
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as I indicated in my earlier response, if I get a report that the truck is no longer serviceable and cannot be fixed, we will replace the vehicle immediately.
Further Return To Question 54-14(5): Fort Mcpherson Fire Truck
Question 54-14(5): Fort Mcpherson Fire Truck
Item 6: Oral Questions
Page 104
Supplementary To Question 54-14(5): Fort Mcpherson Fire Truck
Question 54-14(5): Fort Mcpherson Fire Truck
Item 6: Oral Questions
Page 104
David Krutko Mackenzie Delta
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, people's lives are at risk here with having a vehicle that does not even run. I would like to ask the Minister, do you have a list or inventory of the life span of these vehicles? What is the condition of all fire trucks in the Northwest Territories? Do we have other vehicles in the Northwest Territories that are exceeding 20 years?
Supplementary To Question 54-14(5): Fort Mcpherson Fire Truck
Question 54-14(5): Fort Mcpherson Fire Truck
Item 6: Oral Questions
Page 104
The Speaker Tony Whitford
Thank you, Mr. Krutko. Two questions there. The honourable Minister responsible for the Department of Municipal and Community Affairs, Mr. Steen.
Further Return To Question 54-14(5): Fort Mcpherson Fire Truck
Question 54-14(5): Fort Mcpherson Fire Truck
Item 6: Oral Questions
Page 104
Vince Steen Nunakput
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker I believe that the department does have a list of all the vehicles, fire vehicles in the communities and a record of how old these vehicles are and when they plan to replace them.