Michael McLeod

Mr. Speaker, we have been consulting with everybody involved. For a number of years now, the concept of vulnerable water, vulnerable projects and one contract was something we wanted to do. We’ve spoken with the Association of Communities; we’ve spoken with the local government administrators of the Northwest Territories; we’ve spoken with every community that’s involved in this proposal. We will continue to do so.

I by no means want to have the Members expect that I would speak to one before the other. If there is going to be a briefing on what has transpired here, I’ll offer it to all the...

I don’t think it’s fair for the Member to state that the stomach cancer is a direct result of our water. Our water’s been tested. The H. pylori virus is of concern, of course, but the treatment through the current facility deals with that. The medical officer has indicated that it’s not related to the water or the water plants.

Mr. Speaker, we do take water and water quality very seriously, and it’s a high priority. We’re doing everything we can to move that forward as fast as we can.

Mr. Speaker, the Member is asking as to the contract details, and I can’t provide that at this time.

Mr. Chairman, the central heating plant in Simpson has been there for quite a long time and it heated four facilities: the recreation complex, the Thomas Simpson Secondary School, the Bompas Elementary School and the Deh Cho Hall. It has been studied on a number of occasions for economic viability. However, no decisions have been made on it. The situation that we are in now, to remove the Deh Cho Hall from the system…. This will change the dynamics of it and sort of make it something to require us to conduct another review to make the appropriate decisions.

Last year in March we hired an...

Mr. Speaker, I’m pleased to provide Members with information on the 2008 Arctic Winter Games Youth Ambassadors Program.

As Members may recall, in 2007 youth from across the Northwest Territories traveled to the Canada Winter Games in Whitehorse, Yukon. They were excellent representatives of our Territory.

Youth volunteered with the Host Society in a wide range of activities. They demonstrated that they have immense strengths and showed great promise as future leaders.

Building on the success of this project, the Yellowknife Host Society for the 2008 Arctic Winter Games has encouraged youth from...

Mr. Chairman, there are a number of projects underway to replace boilers at different locations throughout the Territories. Most of the boilers are in need of replacement because of their age. The one in Fort Simpson — Deh Cho Hall, scheduled for demolition — was on a steam boiler heating system that was over 50 years old. We will be incorporating a new boiler system into the schools.

Also, Chief Jimmy Bruneau School is in need of another boiler. That is the one community we have targeted to replace the existing boiler with a pellet stove system.

We have been looking to see what we can do at...

Mr. Speaker, I wish to table the following document, entitled Biomass Heating System, Wood Pellet Boilers: North Slave Correctional Centre, Yellowknife, NT. Thank you.

Document 18-16(2), Biomass Heating System, Wood Pellet Boilers: North Slave Correctional Centre, tabled.

Mr. Speaker, I would be glad to visit the community with the Member. In fact, over the last year we had tried to get into the community on two different occasions, and both times we were weathered out. I feel we owe a visit to that community. I would be glad to accompany the Member to the community and have meetings and discussions around these issues and others that the Member would like to bring forward.

Mr. Chairman, I believe it’s an initiative to provide and create new space to enable us to have enough room for all the records and the storage that we need for the department. I don't have anything further on it.

Mr. Speaker, I’d like to recognize today a constituent from Enterprise who is in town for business. Winnie Cadieux is a former mayor of Enterprise. I’d like to say welcome to her.