Michael McLeod

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, these changes require me to ask this government insist on an independent evaluation of our Territory's participation in the Arctic Winter Games. This evaluation should address how the different sports are selected to be in the Games, how athletes are selected to be on the different sport teams, cost for athletes to participate in the selection process, and whether or not we should continue our participation in the Arctic Winter Games. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, last week I made a statement regarding the Arctic Winter Games that seems to have sparked a great deal of interest both inside and outside of this House.

I listened with great interest as my colleagues rose and spoke of the impact the Arctic Winter Games had on their lives. For them, the experience was positive. It created a sense of pride and fostered lifelong friendships. This is an experience that every athlete in the Northwest Territories should have equal access to.

Mr. Speaker, I could stand here and say warm and fuzzy things about the games. My son participated with pride in the 1996 games in Eagle River, Alaska. My daughter will be participating this year in Whitehorse. I know they will remember this for the rest of their lives.

However, Mr. Speaker, there is a glaring omission from this year's Arctic Winter Games team. That omission is athletes from 17 Northwest Territories communities. Less than half of the communities of the Northwest Territories will be represented on the Arctic Winter Games team this year. In fact, Mr. Speaker, the Sahtu region does not have any representation. Are we to believe there are no athletes in the Sahtu?

Further, when I look at the different sports participating at the Games, I note that some of the sports are fielding teams consisting mainly of athletes from the larger communities.

Mr. Speaker, I make these points because I am convinced there is a flaw in the Arctic Winter Games team selection process. The flaws are both at the support level and at the Arctic Winter Games trials level. Many of the communities do not have the recreational facilities required for some of the sports in the Games. At other times, the selection process is defective and does not provide for the fair selection of athletes.

I would like to remind the Members of a debate in the 13th Assembly. The debate was over a hockey team from Fort Smith. The team won every game of the tournament at the 1998 territorial trials. Yet only one athlete was selected for the Arctic Winter Games team. Later that year, two players from the Fort Smith team went on to play Junior A hockey in the south. I cannot be convinced that players chosen to play Junior A in the south cannot make the cut for the Arctic Winter Games team.

Mr. Speaker, the Games have changed greatly since their inception in 1970. We have gone from three contingents to six contingents. The sports involved have changed and we have adult participation in very few of the sports. The cost to participate has become a barrier to some athletes.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would like to ask for clarification on the question I posed to the Minister responsible for Transportation regarding highway patrol presence in Fort Providence. He stated he would pass that on to the department. I would like to know if I can interpret that to mean he has taken the question as notice? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As I said in my Member's statement, the ice roads to the north are useless without the ice crossing in Fort Providence. Can the Minister assure the House that the engineering study presently being used to construct ice crossings at Fort Providence will be sufficient to meet the demands of an anticipated increase heavy truck traffic will bring?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Can the Minister inform the House whether he would consider a highway patrol office presence in Fort Providence when the ice bridge is in operation?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In my Member's statement today, I outlined some concerns I have with the ice crossing in Fort Providence. The Minister responsible for Transportation has taken steps to ensure that the highway is not damaged by heavy truck traffic by reducing the speed limit for transport trucks between Yellowknife and Fort Rae. I assume that the study that recommended the speed reduction also recommended extra highway patrol to ensure compliance. My question for the Minister, Mr. Speaker, is has the Department of Transportation undertaken any studies on the anticipated increase in heavy truck traffic as a result of further mining development? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today, I would like to speak about the ice crossing at Fort Providence. Mr. Speaker, as a resident of and the MLA for Fort Providence, I have an understanding of what this ice bridge means to the economy of the North and to the people I represent.

We were extremely lucky there was not a major environmental catastrophe with the recent incident of the fuel-transport truck breaking through the ice. We all know the truck should not have been on the ice crossing, as there was a weight restriction. I also know the long hours and the hard work the highways department and their contractors put into getting the crossing ready for heavy traffic. They worked 16-hour days getting the crossing ready, and deserve our appreciation.

However, people have to sleep, Mr. Speaker. They cannot be there all of the time. That is why there was no one there to prevent the truck from crossing. Mr. Speaker, this incident made me think of the strains the vast increase of heavy transport traffic due to increased mineral activity must be placing on the ice crossing. I know from personal observation the first reaction of drivers who have never been on an ice road is to close their eyes and drive as fast as they can until they reach terra firma.

We all know the strain this places on the approaches. We all know this shortens the seasons. The reality is the transport companies have to hire drivers who have northern experience to meet the tight deadlines the short ice road season imposes.

Mr. Speaker, from what I understand, the trucking companies and the ice road builders north of Yellowknife do a good job ensuring no one drives too fast on the ice road. If you show up too early at your destination, you get fired. It is very simple and probably very effective.

However, Mr. Speaker, there is no such enforcement at the ice crossing in Fort Providence. The highway patrol passes through on their regular patrols, but there is no regular presence to deter speeders or monitor the crossing. I believe this must change.

The situation is getting worse as more mineral properties move into the construction and production phases of their operations. The ice crossings going north from Yellowknife are useless if the ice crossing at Fort Providence has to be shut down early because the approaches are blown. We need an enforcement presence to ensure this does not happen.

I have engineering and policing concerns regarding the ice crossing at Fort Providence that I will be following up with the Minister responsible for Transportation during question period. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Can the Minister explain why fundamental treaty rights of aboriginal people is being limited by time? The right to education is a fundamental, basic right to which aboriginal people with treaty status are entitled to. I do not see how it could be time-sensitive.