Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Regarding the Minister’s opening statement, it is really good to see the wind turbines going to be going up in Tuk this year. If we could make sure that we have the turbines hooked up directly to the power plant and try to save the people some money
on their power bills in the community, I hope to see this in the other communities in the future as well.
Moving on to climate change, it remains a serious issue. We could talk about down here in Yellowknife, but people in my riding are living it every day through the different circumstances of weather. In summertime we’re losing the shoreline to erosion. I plan to work with partners to develop the initial regional climate change scenarios. I’d really like if not all my communities involved in that, for Sachs Harbour, anyway. It’s on the side of a bank and the permafrost is starting to let go in parts of the community. That could cause a landslide and I really worry about that. For Paulatuk, waterfront, the banks are sliding in. The mayor took me on a tour and it is sliding. There are some really bad areas in the community that are sliding through the permafrost melt. In Tuk, for sure, shoreline erosion is right through the whole community. It’s really important that we take a good look at this to see where we could help the community government try to protect the community.
In regard to the survey that is being conducted this summer on population estimates on the several caribou herds including the Bathurst, Cape Bathurst, Bluenose-East and Bluenose-West caribou herds. I think traditional knowledge should be taken into consideration in having local guides. Not just the staff of ENR but people that could go and explain to the communities after the fact of what’s really happening, because we rely heavily, in my riding, on caribou to feed our families due to the high cost of beef and stuff that’s trucked into the community. I think it really should be looked at to get the numbers correct. Not only that for the community, but for the sport hunting situation in regard to caribou. Right through the whole Territory I think it should be really looked at carefully.
The Wildlife Act, implementing new Species at Risk Act and finalizing that. For me, I talked about sport hunting of polar bears in the communities numerous times. I’ve travelled with the Minister of ITI. He knows the situation I’m in. I think you knew before we...It’s 85 people directly impacted. It’s a $1.7 million hit to the economy, i.e., the airlines, local stores, local guides and helpers. I really think this should be taken into consideration before we even think about the Species at Risk Act and finalizing it for the Northwest Territories.
I would just like to say to the Minister in regard to the success of the Beverage Container Program, it’s a real success, I think, in all communities, especially in Tuk, because I live there, seeing not a pop can, not a bag in the community. It really helps. Anything like that is always good to see, to bring stuff back to the South and not just left in the communities.
That’s it for my opening remarks and I look forward to page by page. Thank you, Mr. Chair.