Thank you, Minister McLeod. Time has expired.

We are on page 9-4, Industry Tourism and Investment, Activity Summary, Tourism and Parks, Infrastructure Investment Summary, Total Infrastructure Investment Summary: $2.961 million. Mr. Yakeleya.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. The Doi T’oh Canyon territorial park, I would like to ask the Minister his plans for infrastructure on that.

I heard the Minister of ITI talk about some of the challenges with the federal government in terms of land ownership, cleaning up that park. That proposed park certainly has some interest by the people in the Tu Nedhe district in terms of ownership through our land claims. However, we don’t want to take over a garbage dump, as the trail is being known as, because of the contaminated soil, drums. Everything needs to be cleaned up before we take over that park.

In terms of the Minister’s commitment to continue working on this park, what can the people in the Sahtu, specifically the Tulita district, do to continue to have some interest, some presence in this park in terms of having some ownership? Right now we have a management committee. That management committee has, I understand, been approved by the interested parties. Now how do we get things on the go here to have some presence so that we can open up this park under a unique management arrangement by the aboriginal groups and this government? Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. Minister Miltenberger.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I’ll refer that question to Minister Bob McLeod.

Thank you, Minister Miltenberger. Minister Bob McLeod.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. As I noted earlier, we can’t proceed with the transfer of lands until DIAND has completed a full contaminated sites assessment and remediation of the land to be transferred. The last time I checked, our expectation is that this assessment would be completed and scheduled to be released in 2009. As we get closer to that date, then we would look at reconvening our management committee, which has completed the work that has been required up to date.

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.

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. Minister Miltenberger.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I’ll refer that question to Minister Bob McLeod.

Thank you, Minister Miltenberger. Minister Bob McLeod.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I’m glad that the Member agrees that we need to exercise due diligence so that all of the liabilities, especially with regard to the land, are identified and dealt with before we proceed with the land transfer.

Having said that, there is a considerable amount of work being done by the Sahtu Land and Water Board, the Sahtu Renewable Resources Board, the Sahtu Land Use Planning Board and our

government with regard to mapping and database development of the CANOL Trail. As well, the Prince of Wales Northern Heritage Centre is completed. Their archaeological report and the management plan which is required by the land claims agreement was completed in January 2007. So I’m prepared to talk to the federal government about the Sahtu having more of a presence with regard to the CANOL Trail and so on.

Mr. Chair, just before I close, I had somewhat of a brief discussion last summer with a representative from the Department of Indian Affairs, when they were doing the assessments at mile 70. Two people from my community came with me. There was a rough estimate of what it will cost to clean up the CANOL Trail. The trick is how do you get into the CANOL Trail.

That’s what my people want — to have some involvement. We talk about having some cleanup. What are we talking about? What is it that people are involved in? Brush cutting? Cleaning up the wire? How do you pick up the old, old vehicles, old contaminated trucks? There are 45 gallon barrels that have been in our riverbeds. So how do you start cleaning that up? My people want to know. We should have some serious discussions with the Minister and review it with the federal government in terms of involving our people in the development of the Doi T’oh Canyon. I’m glad to hear the Minister talk about some other activities going on in terms of support to the CANOL Trail. I think we want to take it to another level now. So I’m looking forward to the Minister coming into my region and talking to the aboriginal governments and to the communities that need to be involved in this type of discussion. I think it’s a good move. Thank you.

Thank you Mr. Yakeleya. More of a comment. I didn’t hear a specific question.

We’re on page 9-4 Industry, Tourism and Investment, Activity Summary, Tourism and Parks, Infrastructure Investment Summary, Total Infrastructure Investment Summary: $2.961 million.

Department of Industry, Tourism and

Investment, Activity Summary, Tourism and Parks, Infrastructure Investment Summary, Total Infrastructure Investment Summary: $2.961 million approved.

We’ll return to the department summary on page 9-2. Industry, Tourism and Investment, Department Summary, Infrastructure Investment Summary, Total Infrastructure Investment Summary: $2.961million.

Department of Industry, Tourism and

Investment, Department Summary, Infrastructure Investment Summary, Total Infrastructure Investment Summary: $2.961million.

Does the committee agree that the Department of Industry, Tourism and Investment is concluded?

We’ll move along to the next department, Environment and Natural Resources. Page 10-2, we’ll defer until after consideration of activity summaries, so let’s turn to page 10-4, Environment and Natural Resources, Activity Summary, Corporate Management, Infrastructure Investment Summary, Total Infrastructure Investment Summary: $336,000. Mr. Krutko.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. A lot of regions get capital from different departments, and we deal with a lot of government infrastructure, but what we’re starting to see is a trend in this department to move items out of communities and into regions. I’ll use an example.

In regard to Aklavik, because it’s sort of isolated, when it’s wintertime, they take the vehicle out of the community, and they take it to Inuvik for the summer. The individual resource officer has to drive around in a four-wheeler all summer, because that’s all he has. Yet he still has to move goods and services to the river and go out on the land and whatnot. In regard to the Dempster Highway, a similar thing happens where they take the vehicles to Inuvik, and they leave vehicles that don’t even have radios, and they expect them to patrol the Dempster Highway.

I think that as a government we have a responsibility to protect our employees, especially when they’re in the field, and to make sure the equipment that we pass in this House by way of capital items is basically used where it’s approved for that capital expenditure.

I’d just like to ask the Minister: why is it that this continues to happen, especially in regard to community capital and also to maintain and operate our resource operations in communities? They need that equipment to do their job, yet it seems that everything’s been taken out and moved into the regional centres. I’d like to ask the Minister: exactly what is the policy in regard to ensuring that the people working in the field are equipped, have vehicles with radios in them and also that the equipment that they’re using is up to specific standards to ensure that they can do their jobs without being given hand-me-downs from the regional operations?

Thank you, Mr. Krutko. Minister Miltenberger.

Mr. Chairman, Environment and Natural Resources equips all of their offices and all of their staff in the field. The

issue of vehicle use has been raised. I understand from talking to the deputy that they’re on the way to resolving that issue so that there is adequate service in all the communities.

Again, Mr. Chairman, my argument is that we have to ensure that we have people in the field who are equipped by way of having somebody on the road on the Dempster Highway, regardless of whether they are patrolling or what. If they don’t have radio for communication, to me that is putting that person in danger. Anything can happen when they’re on the road. The basics should include radios in their vehicles. Instead of giving them a vehicle that’s an old rundown pickup truck versus the nice fancy vehicles running around in Inuvik, they should be working those vehicles in the field. So why is that we have vehicles in the field without radios for communications?

The vehicles and ATVs and such, I understand, are all bought out of O&M. Clearly, the issue the Member raises is one that we’re concerned about and are paying attention to. As I’ve indicated, I’ve had discussions with the deputy about those concerns. My understanding is that the issue is on its way to being addressed.

Can the Minister tell me exactly how soon the issue will be resolved?

I anticipate, as we come forward to do the O&M and business plans, that we’ll be able to have a more fulsome discussion. We’ll have the deputy here and all the appropriate staff to deal with that particular issue.