Kevin A. Menicoche

Members of the public, the community and the people that use the land are concerned if there’s a public safety or hazardous risk. Can the Minister tell us if that’s the case?

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to ask the Minister of Environment and Natural Resources if he has received an update from Enbridge Pipelines about the reported contaminated soil on the remediation digs outside of Fort Simpson.

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I just wanted to ask some questions on the… I don’t know if the Minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment had any update on the contaminated soil that was recently exposed by Enbridge Pipelines during their remediation digs. I’d just like to ask the Minister if he has had an update on the contaminated soil that was dug up. Mahsi.

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Today I rise to recognize the passing of Mr. Stephen Rowan, a long-time resident of Fort Simpson.

Stephen Hamilton Rowan was born in England and was educated in the United States, serving as a volunteer ambulance driver during World War II. He arrived in the Canadian North in 1963, after training as a teacher. Mr. Rowan also worked in Iqaluit, northern Quebec, Sanikiluaq, and Gameti, where he became a citizen of Canada in 1980. He also worked in Trout Lake, Behchoko and, finally, Fort Simpson. He retired in Fort Simpson, from the position of superintendent of...

Madam Chair, I know there’s lots of history there, but at the same time, we’re talking about a community of about 500 people and I think that’s all it’s going to impact. I don’t think we’re pushing to have clients from Ulukhaktok to go to Fort Nelson, either, just the ability to make lives easier for the residents of Fort Liard. It’s basically a two and a half hour drive from there to get their medical needs met in Fort Nelson, BC. I don’t think it would be a huge impact on their services. As well, it’s about developing the same kind of relationship that we have with Alberta Health Services...

Madam Chair, I can assure the Minister that’s the confidence that the leadership of Fort Liard and the constituents do want me to raise this issue. I would like to get some assurance that the Minister can begin the process of negotiating or talking with the BC government in advance of him coming over to Fort Liard. I know that we’re working on something for him to come over in June, but I don’t want the Minister to go there and say, thank you for letting me know, we’ll check into it now. He should be checking into it. That’s why I’m raising it in this House and raising it during Member’s...

Just for the Minister’s last point, I think, as we determine new positions, that’s got to be one of the qualifiers. It doesn’t have to be Yellowknife all the time. Just because they’ve got the said infrastructure or whatever reasoning that their planners come up with for these new positions, they should always ask the question as part of their assessment. Can it be in the regions? Can it be in the communities? I’d like to ask the Minister if, in the future, he’s willing to consider that with his department officials.

Thank you very much, Madam Chair. I might be actually jumping ahead of myself, but it is under directorate. Just in terms of active positions. I don’t know if Madam Chair will allow me to ask that. There’s an increment of four positions over the last fiscal year. Maybe I can ask the Minister about that.

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I’m glad that ENR is now working with Enbridge Pipelines. How soon does that information get to the Department of ENR should there be another incident, as it were?

Thank you very much, Madam Chair. Just an opportunity for some general comments and some issues that affect my constituents.

I think, most notably, I had done a Member’s statement and looked for some assurance from the Minister for the Fort Liard residents and about them using Fort Nelson and Northern BC Health Authority services given the advent of our new medical records initiative. I believe that the medical records can be transferred faster. There was a concern for the health centre in Fort Liard of residents getting medication in northern BC, then if they’re sick or ill the nurses and/or...