Kevin A. Menicoche

Thank you, Madam Chair. I move that this committee resume consideration of item 11, Department of Transportation, contained in Tabled Document 1-17(2), Interim Appropriation 2012-2013, summary of interim appropriations found on page 3. Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I am well aware of the government’s intent to have devolution for our northern territory, but I think the most important thing for the residents of Fort Liard is to address their serious environmental concerns that are affecting their people. I would like to ask the Minister once again how can we raise and heighten the awareness of the environmental concern of Fisherman Lake for the residents of Fort Liard. It could be up to and including a public inquiry. Thank you.

When it comes to the water and the fish that is in that lake, there is potential contamination of that as well. What can this government do to work to get the water also tested and monitored? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to speak about the environment and the concerns of Fisherman Lake near Fort Liard. There is a difference between monitoring and remediation, just like there is a difference between a lake and a tailings pond. I have some concerns about the contamination of Fisherman Lake in the Pointed Mountain Gas Field near Fort Liard. This lake provides for seven families of Fort Liard. They have been there for generations. Groundwater, surface water and soil in the Fisherman Lake area, only 20 kilometres north of the hamlet, is contaminated after years of oil and gas...

Yes. Thank you very much, Madam Chair. I move that this committee defer consideration of item number 11, Department of Transportation, contained in Tabled Document 1-17(2), Interim Appropriation 2012-2013. Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you very much, Madam Chair. I’m glad that the Minister wants to rise to the challenge and provide a written commitment. I’d like to see that, and with that I would recommend to my colleagues that with their support that I defer consideration of the Department of Transportation for another day until I get that written commitment from the department so I can continue to make the case once again that I get lots of money for Highway No. 7, but they never spend it. They’re always waiting until the end of the season, and that’s all I’m doing here today. I’m tired of hearing that yes, you’ll...

Thank you very much, Madam Chair. In the previous day’s deliberations in Committee of the Whole, I was asking some questions on Highway No. 7 and the plan for the department to deal with the conditions on Highway No. 7, fixing it up. I know that some of the issues have been because of lack of capital dollars and I continue to remain frustrated that there were zero dollars allocated in the 2012-13 Capital Budget as it stands.

Another issue that I do have is that there are appropriations in the interim budget and in our budget for operations and maintenance of Highway No. 7, but myself, my...

Thank you, Madam Chair. The committee wishes to consider Tabled Document 1-17(2).

All this contamination will affect about seven families, not to mention all the users from Fort Liard. I would like to highlight this as a grave concern for the community. I would like to ask the Minister how can the community act on highlighting this with the federal government to ensure that it is a priority on the federal agenda. What steps can we take to heighten the awareness of this contaminated area? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I just wanted to follow up on my Member’s statement wherein I spoke about Fisherman Lake just across from Fort Liard and the contamination that is present. I would like to ask the Minister of Environment and Natural Resources, it has been on the agenda for some time for Fort Liard and the residents. It is almost 30 years there. During my recent visit to Fort Liard, the concern of the families there is that it has been contaminated. What type of mitigation efforts, what type of ongoing monitoring is happening in Fisherman Lake?