Michael Miltenberger

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Just quickly to the process. We have a rigorous capital planning process that has been refined over the decades to where it is today, and we all know that it is fully subscribed to and that we have probably a $3 billion infrastructure deficit that we are working hard to try to address.

We are well through this upcoming year’s capital planning process. Every penny has been accounted for. When I look at this motion, be it 60 beds, 30 beds and a full-scale renovation, I would suggest that we are looking at well over $50 million, a motion that is put on our table as we are...

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. At the start of the season, the practice has been the 215s, and we would anticipate following with 802s, that you’d have right now two to start the season. Two of the 215s are stationed in Yellowknife, and the other two are on the ground in the South Slave at the base in Fort Smith. Then from there they’re deployed as required. Conair is not the manufacturer; they’re the Canadian supplier for Air Tractor. The planes are manufactured in Texas I believe. We have a letter of commitment and we’ve got that point clarified, at the request of committee, that if we proceed...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I don’t think any jurisdiction leaves firefighting up to the private sector when it comes to deploying the air resources, land resources, the heavy equipment. What we have right now is a contract with a private contractor to manage and operate the 215s, for example, and we have a contract for some land-based. That equipment becomes available to the Government of the Northwest Territories for us to deploy where it’s needed. So they are there and they are sent to where they’re needed, same as our fire crews that we have with the communities and our own fire crews are...

Just a comment first about the 215s. They have had a long and honourable history in protecting the interests of the people of the Northwest Territories. If they were a horse, we would be talking about…

---Interjection

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I’ll go through the list and I apologize if I missed anything. To the issue of are the 802s up to the task, we’ve battle tested these planes now, not only us but other jurisdictions, but we’ve seen them firsthand in the Northwest Territories. It’s our third season, and they’ve handled everything that Mother Nature and forest fires could throw at them. They are nimble. They can operate in turn and maneuver very, very well. They are powerful. They have the distinct added advantage that they can go to shallow lakes that the 215s currently can’t. Whereas a 215 may have to...

Thank you, Madam Chair. As the Member indicates, I think this is our third year to have seen the 802s operate under full forest fire operating conditions, under extreme forest fire operating conditions, especially last summer. They have performed admirably. The 802s would equal the impact of the four 215s that we do currently have. The four 215s, which I point out are probably 60 years old, roughly, burn fuel that is going to become obsolete in the not-too-distant future. There’s three years left on the current contract. We have at least two instances and one near incident where we actually...

Yes, Madam Chair.

Mr. Speaker, supporting a diversified economy that provides all communities and regions with opportunities and choices is one of the main purposes of forest management agreements.

The first two agreements were signed this year with Timberworks in Fort Resolution and Digaa Enterprises in Fort Providence, jointly owned Aboriginal development corporations in each community.

Timberworks is owned by the Deninu K’ue First Nation and the Fort Resolution Metis Council, and Digaa Enterprises is owned by the Deh Gah Gotie First Nation and the Fort Providence Metis Council

These are the first of several...

Thank you. I guess there are a couple things. There is the portrayal of a deep and abiding suspicion of the motives of Conair. They’re in a business and one of their functions is that they’re the supplier of an aircraft, and the only supplier. They’ve told us in writing that in fact there are no caveats, that we can expect full support, and if we want more of their services, they’d be happy to have those discussions, but it’s not contingent upon us getting the planes, that they won’t sell us the planes unless they’re given all these other considerations. They pretty clearly and categorically...

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. There is going to be the forest management programs in Fort Smith. The tender to operate and maintain will be let. In all probability, it will be one of the large operators in Yellowknife. We will build in the requirements for storage during fire season. As with the 215s, they are stationed as on an as anticipated need basis, some in Yellowknife, some in Smith, Hay River, Inuvik, Norman Wells, depending on where the project need is or if there are some active fires there, and that is always changing. The Members will remember over the years flying out of Yellowknife...