Thank you, Mr. Aumond. I guess that I would ask that the department consider that.

You could certainly hold applications until a certain date and then process them after a certain date so people would have an opportunity to make sure that they got their application in. I am somewhat concerned that there are communities, and not only Yellowknife, that are spending money on ground ambulance and highway rescue beyond what the department is giving them back, and they are doing that ground ambulance and highway rescue outside of their community boundaries.

I wondered whether or not the department is looking at this particular program. I know there was a committee that investigated it and it was determined -- I think it was a co-departmental committee -- that we should not enact legislation relative to ground ambulance and highway rescue. Somewhere in the documentation that I read recently, there was a consideration or statement made to perhaps expand this program to winter roads. I wondered if that is something the department is considering or is that now off the table.

That’s all I have. Mr. Aumond answered my next question.

Thank you, Ms. Bisaro. Next on my list is Mr. Menicoche.

Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. Just with the grants and contributions for ground ambulance and highway rescue, the Village of Fort Simpson has been asking about this line item for some time now and of course the concern is that if there is an incident on the highway system, then the fire department has to leave the community with the only fire truck that is available, leaving the community at risk for a little while there. That’s a concern. I think the Minister is on the working group for the ground ambulance and highway rescue and did indicate it would be in the millions of dollars. However, like I mentioned earlier in my opening remarks, there was an opportunity working with another northern community of utilizing their highway rescue vehicle which didn’t suit the needs in their community and they’re willing to discuss an option with the Village of Fort Simpson. They did come up with one unique

solution there that they are eligible for the $40,000 on an annual basis under this line item and we did ask the question, if they did get a good deal on that truck -- it would be about $160,000 -- could they use that contribution amount, take it to the bank and say we want to buy this vehicle today and because we’re getting a transfer of $40,000 for the next four years... That’s the kind of nice unique solution that would answer highway public safety concerns, community concerns about coverage, about the ambulance remaining in the village.

That is a real concern, is what happens if there is a double incident. What happens if they refuse to go out to an accident site with their fire truck? It’s kind of like a conundrum. They are obligated to go because they are getting contributions, and probably refusing to go on the highway is probably contrary to an oath they take as firefighters, as first aiders, et cetera. At the same time, they did come up with a unique solution that was offered to the Minister’s office and I’d like to raise it once again.

Thank you, Mr. Menicoche. Mr. Aumond.

I’d like to thank Mr. Aumond for that response. I think if there’s a way to work with the Village of Fort Simpson and to work with MACA to go to the bank and say there’s a contribution here that won’t impact their budget too much, I’d certainly like to see that kind of dialogue and I’d certainly like to facilitate that kind of dialogue as well. I’ll take that into consideration. I do have a trip planned to Fort Simpson by the week’s end. I’ll certainly raise it with Mr. Mayor and his council and see if they’ve had any more thinking around this. The other fact is, is that opportunity still available too for that highway rescue vehicle?

Thank you, Mr. Menicoche. Mr. McLeod.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. The Member said that he was going to have discussions with the Fort Simpson mayor. As

far as the vehicle the Member’s raising, I’m not sure if it’s still in Tulita. I’m not sure where it’s at right now. We’d have to find that out. Once the Member meets with the mayor, I’d appreciate if he could give me an update on what their wishes are in the community.

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Next on my list, Mr. Krutko.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Again, it’s an application-based program and certainly Fort Simpson and Fort McPherson have been responding to accidents on the highway. They’ve had situations where people have died on the highway and they’ve had to go up and respond to that. I think that from the experience of those responses that the community has gone to, that we would have to ensure that they’re not equipped but also allow them the training they require to do those types of responses. In some cases they’re pretty gory and I don’t think anybody wants to come upon an accident and realize that there’s loss of life there. I think people respond differently to those situations, but again, it’s something that is with you for a period of time. I think that we have to not only equip those people but also train them for what they’re going to get themselves into.

I’d just like to know, in regard to the $200,000, so you’re saying that it’s up to $40,000. What has been the uptake by the $200,000 previous for this program? Have all the dollars been expended and, if so, where have you expended the $200,000 previous?

Thank you, Mr. Krutko. Minister McLeod.

Mr. Chair, as I was saying earlier, we have three applications for this year. I think we had one from last year. In the Member’s community, one of the communities that we thought this would be best geared towards has not ever accessed the money. I would encourage them, because they would qualify for it or they would be eligible for it. I would encourage them to apply.

The uptake is not being where we thought it would be with the communities that we had identified that would have been able to access some of this funding. As I said, we have three this year and we had one last year. Thank you.

Mr. Chair, again, like Mr. Menicoche, I would inform the hamlet that this funding is there and they have had some situations with the SAO and whatnot and having to find an SAO, so they have been without an SAO for some time. But again, I know that Fort McPherson has been able to access federal funding where they were able to purchase Jaws of Life and they purchased an emergency canopy that sits on the back of a vehicle. They were able to access federal

funding so that they basically can do some highway rescue. But again, I think it’s something that I think is important that we do work with those communities, especially highway communities, realizing it’s a long ways between Fort McPherson and Dawson City. If you have a situation on a highway and someone has to go out there, again, in most cases it’s the closest community to these incidents and accidents, and as we all know, the worst part of the Dempster Highway is right at the Yukon border where we have seen a lot of loss of life in that area. I think that, if anything, that is the most hazardous part of the road that we do have. I think that we have to, again, ensure we equip those individuals. With that, I’d just like to thank the Minister, and again, I will be talking to the Hamlet of Fort McPherson to apply on this fund. Thank you.

You can inform the hamlet that if they need any assistance with the application funding, to contact the regional office. We have been able to assist them accessing some of the JEPP money that was out there that they were able to utilize. We’d be more than willing to assist the community. Thank you.

Thank you, Minister McLeod. We’re on page 6-18, Municipal and Community Affairs, activity summary, public safety, grants and contributions, contributions, $200,000.

Moving along to page 6-19, Municipal and Community Affairs, information item, public safety, active positions. Mr. Bromley.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I believe this fiscal year we approved a special accelerated or extra special program in capacity building. That still remains a big issue in our communities and I’m wondering if we can get some kind of progress report on that. I’d like to ask the Minister if that program continues into this… Sorry, did I jump the page here?

Depends what page you’re on. I’m still on 6-19 waiting for it to be approved. Okay, 6-19, Municipal and Community Affairs, information item, public safety, active positions.

Now we’ll move on to 6-20 and we’ll go to Mr. Bromley.