In my understanding of the contaminated areas, releasing the lands to our government or to the aboriginal governments is going to be quite a contentious issue with DIAND because of the amount of garbage that was left on the trail by the U.S. government and the federal government when they built that road to the Yukon. That’s going to cost a lot of money for somebody to clean up, just like the Giant Mine here. Somebody’s got to take ownership and do it.
Does the territorial government want to hold the liability for the millions of dollars that’s going to clean up the CANOL Trail? The Minister’s going to be in a very tough position in terms in how do we get this land transfer, and I think it’s going to be a long time. Someone’s got to take ownership. There’s cyanide on there; there’s asbestos on that trail.
I’m asking: between now and when the transfer happens what can we see in Sahtu with regard to the total heritage trail park area in terms of some development? There have been hikers on that trail who have made some suggestions. There were telephone lines that were still standing; some were on the ground. Those are lead wires, not like the telephone wires we have today. Is that something that’s going to be cleaned up so that the caribou and the moose won’t be strangled by them and die on the trails?
We have talked about this in the Sahtu. Our elders have talked about this; people have talked about this. It’s known within this government. The issue of land transfer is going to be a tough one. It’s going to be a very tough one. We’re behind the Minister; we think the federal government and the U.S. government should be cleaning up that trail. They just dropped everything on that trail. There are a lot of stories about that trail. We’re behind the Minister
in terms of the liability and who should be cleaning it up. No question there.
The question is: between now and whenever that transfer happens, what can we foresee in terms of development of some shelters, some new bridges? How do we start promoting this world class heritage trail? It is considered one of the toughest hikes in the world, may I say. My question to the Minister is in terms of developing this park with our people.
Mr. Krutko has alluded that in terms of the land claim agreements, we negotiated this park for a reason. Doi T’oh Canyon, Doi T’oh is itself very special to us. We want to see some movement in this area.
I want to ask the Minister, in terms of the finances and moving this project forward…. We know there are big issues, and we’re willing to support the Minister in terms of how he deals with those liability issues. I want to ask: what tenders can the Sahtu expect in terms of how we start developing and putting some real live people on that trail, start developing that trail amongst my people and amongst the people in Norman Wells and amongst the people in Tulita? When can we start seeing that start happening, with ENR and with ITI?
There are people who have been using that trail on the Yukon side. I’m very happy to hear that ENR has had some men stationed there to check the hunters coming from the Yukon with their four-wheelers. They’re driving all over the area, making a mess up there. My people are wondering what type of control can we have on that trail, some presence. Right now it is pretty well kept quiet. But companies come in from the Yukon to do some mining exploration. I want to ask the Minister this one question: when will we actually start seeing some physical presence in the Doi T’oh Canyon by our own people in terms of structure, training and shelters? Thank you.