For several years we pushed for Public Works and Services to examine this division with the potential or the possibility of incorporating a wood pellet purchase, transport and storage distribution system. I was very pleased to see the department actually conduct research on that question and produce a fairly positive report on it. In the report they detailed that wood pellet heat in almost all of the roaded communities was in the order of 50 to 60 percent of fuel oil cost, so a huge savings to be had. Although there were other roaded communities, winter-roaded communities, where the most remote community had a savings of a modest 7 percent compared to fuel oil. Obviously, switching to biomass from fuel oil would bring great savings to the high cost of living in these communities which is typically very high, especially compared to our larger centres. If biomass was available, that might be realized, and especially, again, if there was assistance from government to switch over, that would enable such benefits to be realized by residents and local businesses.

They reported rates. They have compared to fuel oil, but they didn’t talk about really reduced storage costs and related contaminant cleanups of fossil fuels compared to the sawdust that wood pellets are typically made of. Yet, I am led to understand

that there is a refusal of the department to follow up on the clear opportunities that were identified to assist residents and businesses in the small communities where private enterprise does not have the capacity to provide this service or to compete with the subsidized fuel oil provided by Public Works and Services.

I am wondering if this is still the case or if they have seen the light here. If not, why are they not pursuing these opportunities in this day and age when we see the opportunity for 30 to 40 percent savings on our fuel bills, especially in the high cost communities? It is nothing to be sneezed at. Why would we not pursue this opportunity to manage that cost of living as well as, as Minister Miltenberger said earlier today, actually manage? We claim that we are managing greenhouse gas emissions. Here is a real opportunity to make this significant end.