Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, just in regard to the Minister’s opening comments, I look forward to the new comprehensive legislation that they’re bringing forward in regard to dealing with the sustainable management of our forests. As part of that, I’d like him to open it up even more to allow the land claims sections of their land claims agreements which talk about forestry management in the land claim agreements, and also that they’re able to be included in the forest management of those forest sectors in their regions. I’d like to get the Minister to respond to exactly how, with this amendment or change in legislation, will that also include the land claim agreements similar to how we’re making amendments to the Wildlife Act to enact those sections of those land claim agreements so that we are able to fully implement those agreements that have been signed between the Government of the Northwest Territories and the Government of Canada.
I think the same thing applies in regard to the Wildlife Act. It’s long overdue and I’m hoping that we can bring it forward in the life of this government, because it has been quite some time since there’s been any real movement. We’ve spent millions of dollars dealing with consultation and developing the legislation. Again, it’s something that I look forward to seeing implemented. I think it’s important, also, in regard to the question dealing with the millions of dollars to develop some sort of action plan dealing with the Barren Ground Caribou Management Strategy because, like Mr. Jacobson stated, that caribou is an essential food source for the people, especially in the Mackenzie Delta and the Beaufort Sea area. I think a lot of people in the communities are concerned about what’s happening to the caribou and, more importantly, what the government is doing to look at what some of the implications or the effects on the caribou species are from the changing climate, the changing weather, the increased number of species such as wolves that we’re seeing more and more are preying on the caribou.
I think also one of the issues that they’re dealing with is the forest fires and the effect it’s having on the food source. Also, with the changing growth in vegetation, changing from the lichen that the caribou depend on, just seeing more willows and forested areas moving north towards the coastline. I think that also has implications on the migration of these caribou herds.
More importantly, I think the biggest threat is the change in climate. For me, it has a very significant
impact and I think we are seeing it by the health of the herd by way of their migration route and the changing trends that people have identified. I think it’s important that we do ensure that traditional knowledge is used when you do any research on the caribou species, or any species for that matter, because that knowledge will tell us what has changed, how it has affected the animals and, more importantly, how it’s affected the people.
One of the things that we need to seriously consider looking at is the whole area of water resources. We’re at the end of the flow in which most of these river systems flow from southern Canada or from the Yukon into the Northwest Territories, and a large portion of those water sources come from the glaciers in the Rocky Mountains or the mountains in western Canada. I think with the shrinking glaciers that we’re seeing, that we are seeing lower and lower water levels in western Canada and also there is going to be a major affect to ourselves being downstream from where a lot of these water sources come from.
One of the biggest threats we’re seeing is dealing with human impact by way of what’s happening in the tar sands, what’s happening with the oil and gas development, mining developments around watersheds and, more importantly, the effects we’re seeing downstream in regard to the bird species and fish species, that we’re starting to see the different effects. For myself, I think the biggest threat we are going to see to our water system is the melting permafrost. The effect of that melting permafrost and the runoff of that permafrost into our water table, regardless into our rivers, into our lakes, and the effects it’s going to have on the fish species that most people depend on as a food source which we’re going to see higher traces of mercury more and more, as well as other types of ailments in the fish. For me, that’s the biggest threat that we are going to see by way of the effect on our water table and our water systems.
Also, I’d just like to ask the Minister in regard to the whole area of energy and looking at finding new ways to generate energy. I think that we have to somehow, as a government, find a system that’s unique to the North, but it’s portable, it’s transportable, you can move it from one place to another and allow for, you know, instead of dealing with one community at a time, have a system that you put it into 10 communities or put it into 20 communities. I was very impressed with a system we saw when we did a tour in Manitoba in which they basically have a...(inaudible)...river system where they have these turbines which basically sits in the river and it runs the turbine. They’re testing it out in, I believe it is Ruby, Alaska, so they’re already testing these systems in Alaska. I don’t see why we, as government, can’t look at something like that. They’re not as costly as wind turbines. I
think we’re looking at somewhere in the area of $200,000 up to $250,000. Especially during the times of year when we have open water in the river systems, you can look at possibly going all the way from May right until October with these systems and hook it into our communities. It’s those types of things. I know they are looking at a possible pilot project in Fort Simpson, I believe, on this system. Again, working with those types of organizations, either the University of Manitoba or Manitoba Hydro, groups that are looking at these initiatives for their northern communities, I think we should also be ahead of them and try to look at those types of initiatives.
I think we do have to look at other things such as biomass and geothermal, and I know that the Yukon has done a lot of work on geothermal in regard to research and studies in regard to the whole Precambrian Shield and looking at where the volcanic fault lies along the Rocky Mountains into the Yukon and all the way up to Alaska. I think that’s something that we have to start researching in the Northwest Territories to see where those fault areas lie and where the highest potential is in regard to using geothermal.
In regard to biomass, I think that we are focusing a lot on pellets and everything else, but in my view, at the end of the day, it’s just like a question of supply and demand. It’s just like the fuel prices: the supply is there, the price goes up; the demand is there, the price goes up. I think because there’s only one distributor of this product and at some point he’s going to basically realize there’s potential to make money out of this system. If you get enough people consuming a product, the price will go up.
I think, right now, with the price of fuel being where it’s at, if anything, through this department I think you should be working with communities, people within your forestry departments, identifying those fire stands where we have had fire and we should be cutting down the deadwood that’s out there, using that wood by way of biomass in communities and using big wood boilers, basically hooking them into the schools or hooking them into where we know the cost of using the wood pellets is unrealistic because the cost is just unbearable, but we have wood products around our communities. It also generates not only employment opportunities but it also gives us a real say on exactly how we are harvesting our forests and, more importantly, how we’re maintaining and managing that resource. I think it’s important that this government does everything it can to look at those types of things.
Again, I think this government has the potential for doing good things but, again, you have to be able to show that you are looking at all communities throughout the Northwest Territories and seeing how we have systems that basically will ensure that
we are able to serve communities with these new products that are out there and not simply go at it one project at a time. Maybe going with five or 10 projects at a time. Then you will see a real difference by way of reducing the cost of living and also reducing greenhouse gasses.
With that, I look forward to asking questions during the budget process.