Norman Yakeleya

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Just by hearing the Minister’s comments I think the government has a heart. Today is happy Valentine’s Day, so I think they have a heart.

I want to take the opportunity, also, to wish my sweetheart a happy Valentine’s Day, while I have the floor.

Mr. Speaker, certainly, when you look at situations like this, this is the reality of some of the smaller schools and some of the quality of education that students have to do Monday to Friday, day in and day out. That’s what we’re up against. We have larger centres and this does not impact them. There’s the critical mass there...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I want to ask the Minister, in terms of the Power Corporation or the other departments that are working on this issue here, I know there could be some solutions. Have they been working with the Arctic Energy Alliance to look at different types of renewable energy sources in Norman Wells, or have they been looking at other sources, for example, maybe a natural gas line from Colville Lake to Norman Wells, in terms of alleviating some of the situations in Norman Wells?

I spoke to the mayor this morning and he was quite pleased with the meeting they had with NTPC. Mr. Speaker, I want to ask the Minister if there has been any cost estimated on converting Norman Wells to diesel power.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It’s official: the town of Norman Wells is losing its natural gas. I spoke about this topic earlier and I’m going to speak to it again because it’s a serious issue.

Norman Wells is facing an energy crisis. The Town met in January to form a natural gas committee and discuss options for alternative energy sources. So far the options available are: woodchips, wood, solar, hydro, wind, diesel and propane. The Town is hiring a consultant to help choose the best one.

Later this year all natural gas stoves in Norman Wells will be replaced with electrical models. Already there...

Mr. Speaker, I think the Town of Norman Wells was very pleased that the Minister can look at the possibility. It is not saying we are going to go ahead with it, but the feasibility to see what it looks like, if you can convert or have a line from Colville Lake to Norman Wells. I know there are dollars being spent in other areas. I wonder if this one here can be looked at to help out with this issue here. There are no guarantees that this is going to be done.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I want to ask the Minister responsible for the Energy Coordinating Committee, in terms of the energy issue in Norman Wells, if the thought has ever come around to the Minister of looking at a possibility of running a line from Colville Lake to Norman Wells on a natural gas line just as a possibility. I know there are other assessments out there looking at energy or using some of these dollars to look at providing alternative energy to the communities. Is this a possibility that ever arose within the Minister or coordinating committee?

Has the government, within its other departments, within the Energy Coordinating Committee, looked at the whole issue of Norman Wells going through this conversion once the natural gas has been cut off to the town, in terms of the commercial and the residential units? Do they know or have an estimate as to what kind of dollars that possibly the Town of Norman Wells will be seeking to help the community, both the commercial and residential users?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions are to the Minister responsible for the Power Corporation. I understand the Power Corporation was scheduled to meet with the Town of Norman Wells on February the 1st to discuss the situation the community is facing. I want to ask the Minister if he can comment on the outcome of the meeting.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Can the Minister, once he provides the information to Public Works, brief the Standing Committee on this issue and see what else can be done in terms of helping the town of Norman Wells in terms of this energy crisis?

Mr. Speaker, I asked because there was a public meeting in Norman Wells on the 20th of January. The public was asking about this, how maybe this government could help us in terms of looking at alternative sources of energy. We want to have the gas talk and see if this government here has any type of discussion in terms of looking at an assessment as to running a line from Colville Lake to Norman Wells to help them alleviate some of the issues that they are facing now.