Mr. Speaker, there are eight communities in the Northwest Territories that have hydro development power. Mr. Speaker, these hydro development powers were the gift of the federal government when they had NCPC. Mostly these hydro stations were there because of the mining companies south of the lake of the Great Slave Lake and that area here. These hydro power initiatives that were a gift by the federal government then became the gift of the Northwest Territories and those communities that do enjoy the low cost of hydro power. These eight communities are all on all-weather road highway systems in terms of their connection with this power here, compared to 23 diesel communities that are not on hydro power plus the two communities that are served by natural gas. The 23 communities, Mr. Speaker, five of these 23 diesel communities are on the highway system, 18 of them are fly-in communities where the high cost of living is double, sometimes, compared to Yellowknife rates or even triple in terms of Edmonton’s rates in terms of the inflation.
Mr. Speaker, I look forward to this government’s initiative in terms of the NWT Hydro Strategy and also the document that came out in terms of review of regulations and review of the Power Subsidy Program and electrical rates in the Northwest Territories.
My issue, Mr. Speaker, is with the community of Deline. I have been pursuing this initiative on the hydro project to the Bear River hydro that didn’t come through, so now they’re looking to mini-hydro. I would ask this government here to consider the Deline mini-hydro as a project that is high on its priorities in terms of its Hydro Strategy, in terms of the cost of living, in terms of how can they proceed with the community and this government through the lead Minister of the Energy Coordinating Committee in terms of putting some serious dollars, sitting down with the community, iron out their differences in terms of what is the best for this community in terms of bringing the costs of living down and having the community be an owner in terms of having mini-hydro in the community.
My issue will be with the lead Minister on the Energy Coordinating committee in terms of the Deline mini-hydro project. Thank you.