Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, devastating forest fires have had a major impact all over the Northwest Territories over the last few summers, altering the landscape and reminding us how vulnerable our campsites, cabins, communities, and other values are to forest fires. In my riding, assets have been threatened year after year. A 35-year-old lodge was destroyed along with thousands of hectares of surrounding trails and wildlife habitat within the last season.
Mr. Speaker, the Ingraham Trail has become home to an increasing number of year-round residents. It is heavily used by visitors to campgrounds and locals for recreational use. There are over 500 values at risk in the area that are vulnerable to forest fires. The popular Reid Lake campground, the Foster Family Coalition’s campsite called Camp Connections, and Highway No. 4 South have been closed on several occasions due to forest fires in recent years.
Mr. Speaker, ongoing drought conditions and the high to extreme risk of fires further highlight the need for a robust public communications plan, forest fire prevention measures, and emergency preparedness. I’ll give credit. The Department of Environment and Natural Resources has made progress in recent years on its website and social media platforms. The record-breaking 2014 fire season popularized Twitter as a public communications tool between the government and the general public, but there are still areas for improvement.
Mr. Speaker, what’s scary is that forest fires move very quickly and, in reality, ENR might not be able to respond in time to save properties. We have seen this in other jurisdictions as well as in our own backyards. We only have to think of Fort McMurray as the recent tragic example. We need to get the message out that there’s a responsibility on our owners to defend their properties against fires, but we have to be their partners and support them in doing that.
Earlier this month, ENR hosted an Ingraham Trail FireSmart barbecue where people could learn how to prepare for forest fires and reduce their risk. Commendable, but let’s do it more often. Let’s arm our residents with knowledge through excellent communication.
Mr. Speaker, ENR has dedicated and knowledgeable staff, a new air tanker fleet, and continues to develop forest fire fighting expertise. We need to ensure these resources are put to the best use and that lessons learned from previous seasons are fully applied in the future. I will have questions for the Minister of ENR at the appropriate time. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.