Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. (English not provided)
Mr. Speaker, I, too, welcome the new Member for Monfwi, Mr. Jackson Lafferty. Welcome.
Mr. Speaker, I am saddened to report that in the early summer, the community of Fort Simpson had two elders go missing and consequently lost their lives. Many residents, family and friends have expressed their enormous disappointment and frustration with the RCMP's weak search and rescue efforts.
Search and rescue should always involve the Canadian Rangers and other organizations with specific expertise in grid patterns, search abilities, mapping and local knowledge of the land. Their involvement would have been of great assistance.
The RCMP called off their search, Mr. Speaker. A search and rescue has to begin to be called off. It was left up to the local First Nations group to pick up the ball. The Liidlii Kue First Nation must be commended for their organization and dedication to the exhaustive search and rescue they coordinated and volunteered with.
All of the signs were that the men were lost and needed immediate assistance. When the RCMP arrived at the camp, they did not treat the site as evidence. They slept in the facility and disregarded evidence lying around, Mr. Speaker.
Another concern is that this is not an isolated incident in Nahendeh. A couple of years ago, the RCMP regarding concern about a missing woman raised criticism and complaints. Fortunately, the end result was positive and she was still alive when found some 24 hours later. Search and rescues must never be decided on monetary criteria; they must always be considered serious.
These elders have been valuable members of the community and will never be forgotten. The two men involved from the Nahendeh were well respected and very knowledgeable in the bush, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker, I just noticed the time. I'd like to seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.