This is page numbers 3723 – 3762 of the Hansard for the 17th Assembly, 5th Session. The original version can be accessed on the Legislative Assembly's website or by contacting the Legislative Assembly Library. The word of the day was health.

Michael Miltenberger

Michael Miltenberger Thebacha

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. There was a preliminary meeting held in mid-January of the working group to look at what needed to be done, what regulations are required for the Wildlife Act to come into effect, what regulations may take longer and what regulations may not be required. That work is underway and the next formal meeting is going to be near the end of March. In the interim, as well, we intend to work out the process to engage with the stakeholders and Wildlife Act Advisory Group on the work that’s been done on regulations, and my intent is to meet the timelines and have the Wildlife Act ready to come into force within the year since it was given assent. Thank you.

Bob Bromley

Bob Bromley Weledeh

Thanks to the Minister. I’m glad to hear we’re off to a start here. A large part of the reason it took so many years to revise the Wildlife Act was that people did not feel they were included in the early rounds of discussions.

Can the Minister outline the approach we will be taking to ensure that everyone will be included in the development of the new regulations – and so far the people I’m talking to are not getting a warm and fuzzy feeling there – and how committee will be included in this work? Mahsi.

Michael Miltenberger

Michael Miltenberger Thebacha

The intent is to use the same process that we had developed, maybe with some modifications since the type of work is a little different, but the same intent that we had when we engaged with the Aboriginal governments, the Wildlife Act Working Group and then, as well, with stakeholders, the Wildlife Act Advisory Group to make sure we get the full range of input as we lay out and do the work in terms of the regulations. We will, of course, be prepared to provide regular updates with committee whenever they would like to have that feedback and opportunity to have input. Thank you.

Bob Bromley

Bob Bromley Weledeh

Thanks to the Minister again. I’m not aware of any briefings to committee on this, or any offer, but I appreciate that offer now. This House, I believe, is on record on wanting input into the development of regulations for this act and also the Heritage Fund Act.

How has the Minister started work on this approach and what groups have been contacted so far? Mahsi.

Michael Miltenberger

Michael Miltenberger Thebacha

Thank you. As I indicated, there was a very preliminary meeting held in mid-January with the Wildlife Act Working Group. They’re working out the work plan, they’re looking at the regulations, the extent of the regulations, what regulations need to be done, what regulations are currently in place that are fine as they are and what regulations may require more work, they’re laying out that work plan. We’re laying out how we can best engage. Part of that work is being done as well. So right now the initial focus is on making sure we have that process nailed down. Thank you.

Bob Bromley

Bob Bromley Weledeh

Again, the Minister referring to the working group doesn’t tell me exactly what groups are being contacted there. Perhaps he could provide that information. I just note that in developing the Wildlife Act we recognized that our desire to carefully manage wildlife through accurate reporting of how many animals were harvested was perceived as a barrier to hunting by Aboriginal people, especially elders. We left that issue unresolved, but, if anything, the need for accurate harvest estimates has become even more extreme, as the Minister has stated himself.

What is the Minister’s approach to this as the regulations are developed? Mahsi.

Michael Miltenberger

Michael Miltenberger Thebacha

The make-up of the Wildlife Act Working Group is there for review. It contains and involves the Aboriginal governments and their representatives, the GNWT, the stakeholders, Wildlife Act Advisory Group as well as a membership that was in place prior to the start of the regulatory development. We’re looking at engaging those two bodies again.

One of the challenges that is on the table, as the Member has pointed out, is an understanding reflected in regulations that’s going to require mandatory reporting so that we can collectively manage the wildlife in the Northwest Territories, because you can’t manage what you can’t count, as the Member has often said and I have concurred with. That is going to be one of the expectations coming forward, that we’re going to come up with a meeting of the minds on how that is going to get reflected in regulations so that it is applicable across the board so that we can all have that same information and all the concerned parties, all the public co-management boards, Aboriginal governments, everybody knows and agrees with the rules and the need to have that critical information. Thank you.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. The Member for Sahtu, Mr. Yakeleya.

Norman Yakeleya

Norman Yakeleya Sahtu

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I spoke earlier about the people driving up in the Sahtu and we have the Sahtu winter roads. For example, from Wrigley to Fort Good Hope is 480-some-odd kilometres and from Tulita junction to Deline is about 105 kilometres. So there are a lot of roads in the Sahtu and people use a lot of this opportunity to go down south, drive to each community, get fish, caribou and to visit.

I want to ask the Minister, because of a constituent asking, how do we get the Sahtu winter road recognized as a public road like any other roads in the Northwest Territories?

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. Minister of Transportation, Mr. Beaulieu.

Tom Beaulieu

Tom Beaulieu Tu Nedhe

Mahsi cho, Mr. Speaker. The winter roads maintained by the GNWT are considered public roads. Thank you.

Norman Yakeleya

Norman Yakeleya Sahtu

Just conversing with my colleague here, we were kind of having a little mini day here. So we want to ask the Minister how do we let the Ford dealership, the GMCs, the Toyotas, those car dealerships know that these are public roads and when we buy a brand new $50,000, $60,000, or $40,000 vehicle there’s roadside assistance? They’re saying right now that they cannot go because it’s an ice road or winter road. So how do we get that message through to the dealerships?

Tom Beaulieu

Tom Beaulieu Tu Nedhe

Mahsi cho. We’ve been in contact with two major roadside assistance organizations, the Alberta Motor Association and Ford Roadside Assistance, and both organizations indicate that they cover all public winter roads in the Northwest Territories maintained by the GNWT.

Norman Yakeleya

Norman Yakeleya Sahtu

That’s very strange because I just had a tour of the Sahtu, a young lady came to me, bought a GMC, said I phoned for roadside assistance and GMC said we do not recognize that as a public road. So, somewhere there is a glitch. I want to ask the Minister – and I hope the Minister one day will come on the Sahtu winter roads to see what I’m talking about – how does this Minister, this department, this government phone the dealership, put an ad, whatever, so they’ll recognize the Sahtu winter roads, any winter roads in the Northwest Territories under a public system so that we can get service and not wait 16 days and take money out of our pockets to pay for a tow truck to bring our vehicles into a garage? Thank you.

Tom Beaulieu

Tom Beaulieu Tu Nedhe

All roadside assistance organizations are private and really have nothing to do with the GNWT, but we have contacted what we thought were the two major roadside assistance providers on the winter roads, those being the two I mentioned earlier. We have no issue contacting the organization that covers GMC or Chevy that provide roadside assistance in the same manner that we’ve contacted these organizations and have provided the concerns from the people of the Sahtu to them, and also people from Deh Cho.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. Beaulieu. Final, short supplementary, Mr. Yakeleya.

Norman Yakeleya

Norman Yakeleya Sahtu

Thank you. I appreciate that from the Minister. I think the people from the Sahtu or any other winter road drivers who are listening would appreciate that. I think that’s what the people are asking. This constituent is shocked and surprised and saying how come I’m not getting any type of roadside assistance, and I need to call the dealership. I ask the Minister if he would do that as soon as possible, and I’m not even talking to see if there’s any type of how do we go about reimbursing him, but I would appreciate that. I would ask the Minister if he would send me a quick note saying these are the companies and the dealerships that I’ve contacted for the winter road roadside assistance.

Tom Beaulieu

Tom Beaulieu Tu Nedhe

On the two companies that we did contact, they indicated to us that there is a method if individuals that are not satisfied with the Alberta Motor Association for roadside assistance that they are to contact the provider, so we can provide that information to the Members, and also if there are vehicles outside of roadside assistance provided by those two organizations, we will also find out the information for the Member on those organizations as well.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. Beaulieu. The Member for Nahendeh, Mr. Menicoche.

Question 141-17(5): Nahendeh Winter Roads
Oral Questions

February 18th, 2014

Kevin A. Menicoche

Kevin A. Menicoche Nahendeh

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Just following up with the Minister of Transportation on roadside assistance and people that travel north to Wrigley, I did write to the Minister, I think about eight days ago, and his response was for me to tell my constituents to contact roadside assistance about their concerns. They already know their concerns. They’re stuck. They can’t get assistance. But what he’s asking me is to ask help from the Minister of Transportation to get a hold of roadside assistance and let them know that this is a public road, that this is not an ice road. Their designation is an ice road, that’s why they’re not travelling on it. They must be scared of ice roads, I guess. The issue is the Minister has to designate it in writing to these companies that it is a public highway and a public road.

The Speaker

The Speaker Jackie Jacobson

Thank you, Mr. Menicoche. The Minister of Transportation, Mr. Beaulieu.

Tom Beaulieu

Tom Beaulieu Tu Nedhe

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We have been in contact with the roadside assistance organizations and they’re aware this is a public road. Both of those organizations indicated to us that they will provide roadside assistance, and if there are issues with roadside assistance and they provide us information, I would be pleased to pass that information, plus other companies that may be providing roadside assistance on the winter road, on to the Member.

Kevin A. Menicoche

Kevin A. Menicoche Nahendeh

I don’t think the Minister heard me. People are getting stuck and they’re not getting roadside assistance. I don’t know where he’s getting his information from. What we’re asking is no cost to government. What roadside assistance need is, the perfect term for it, of course, is a letter of comfort that this is a public highway system and not an ice road.

Can the Minister do that? Can he write a letter without costing the government?

Tom Beaulieu

Tom Beaulieu Tu Nedhe

We’d have no problem sending a letter to the roadside assistance providers indicating that this is a public road. If their assistance is to provide roadside assistance on all public roads, that the winter roads that are maintained by the GNWT are considered public roads, we’d have no problem addressing that letter to the roadside assistance providers.

Kevin A. Menicoche

Kevin A. Menicoche Nahendeh

The Minister has heard. As well, I’d like to ask the Minister if he can copy me and Mr. Yakeleya on that, and also to include that residents of the Northwest Territories aren’t being serviced, that’s why he’s writing them on behalf of his constituents.