Thank you, Mr. Chair. Just going through the briefing with regard to this item, it seems like we are spending a lot of money on outside agencies but very little by way of community-type projects and looking at the water issues regarding our communities such as boil water orders and people still having challenges. With regard to Aklavik and THMs and not really focussing on community-based water issues, it seems like your department is trying to solve the national issues in Canada, but not focussing on community-based health and water aspects. What are we doing to work with those communities, whether it’s Aklavik that have been recognized to have a health issue regarding water? I’d like to know why aren’t we developing a strategy and working with the Northwest Territories communities with regard to these issues.
I’ll use the Athabasca Delta, for instance. It seems like we are spending much money in Alberta, but what are we doing for communities like Aklavik when they still have THM issues which affects people’s health, and the possible connection to THMs and the water, which is the Peel River, which flows in from the Yukon and the potential water elements that may flow down those river tributaries by way of metals or heavy metals or different types of contamination.
I’d like to ask the Minister how much of this is being expended actually in Northwest Territories communities.