Rocky Simpson

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, will the Minister confirm if any specific mitigation measures have been identified for Paradise Valley, The Corridor, Old Town, West Channel, and the New Town. You know, we don't know what's going to happen next year. So I think we have to take some decisive action and prepare for it. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, for lessons to be learned, one must conduct a review and assessment of the event. In this case, it's flooding. Mr. Speaker, will the Minister of MACA confirm if there will be any followup analysis in the form of reports prepared by this government on the flooding in both Hay River and Fort Simpson, and if so, when can we expect to see those reports? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Madam Chair. And I appreciate that. And I would like to see that list in case I can add anything to it because, you know, when we talk mitigation, you know, we're talking about within the boundaries of Hay River and K'atlodeeche First Nation. But there's also things that we possibly could be doing outside that those boundaries. So that's kind of what I'm looking for, is making sure that the department is doing a you know, an allencompassing assessment of how to mitigate any future damage. So, yeah, I guess I'll have further conversations with the Minister on this anyways. So I...

Thank you, Madam Chair. I just want to read something out here from the information we got. It says here the department's responsible for the development and maintenance of community governments responsive and responsible to the residents with sufficient legal authority and resources to carry out community responsibilities to provide their public programs and services essential to good community life and to deal effectively with other governments and organizations. The department is also responsible for protecting interests of consumers.

Madam Chair, I guess what I'm looking for is that I...

Thank you, Madam Chair. You know, again, you know, I've got a real concern because I look at, you know, some of the projects that are getting pushed back and just as an example, you know, the extended care facility in Hay River backed to 20272028, you know, and then I see that well, they're going to reevaluate. Well, I'm not exactly sure what that means.

You know, we talk about you know, we've had flooding. We talk about dredging. And, you know, we're going to be looking for money for that. Are we going to get turned down because of our inability to you know, to complete what we're supposed...

Thank you, Madam Chair. I guess this cautious approach, I guess, in spending in capital spending is interesting. But I guess what is concerning, I guess, to me, is that, you know, is that, you know, departments appear, I guess we know that they're unable to spend money spend the funding received from federal government to actually complete projects and, you know, we're seeing important projects being pushed back. We're seeing possible, you know, maybe lapse of funding; I'm not sure. But does the Minister does this raise a concern, I guess, to the Minister because, you know, we look at less...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I hope the Minister and the department isn't putting all this work on the shoulders of the community because they just don't have they just don't possess the resources required to undertake this assessment review, evaluation. So can the Minister confirm if there is a communication plan in place that is directed at disseminating and gathering information to and from residents on mitigation solutions for specific areas in Hay River. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, will the Minister confirm, other than raising buildings, has the department started to work towards identifying flood mitigation measures for Hay River that would include watershed management, flood mapping, establishing flood risk elevations, berms, dredging, drainage, embankments, stabilization, dewatering equipment, and an action plan? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, in the last several years we have seen major flooding severely impact not only the town of Hay River, but other communities along the Mackenzie and Liard Rivers. There is considerable speculation and discussion as to why flooding appears more pronounced.

Mr. Speaker, we were to have lessons learned after the devastating flood in Fort Simpson two years ago and now, after the Hay River flood, it is apparent we have not learned a great deal.

This government sat back and provided limited to no preemptive analysis, indicators, or supports for emergency...

Thank you, Madam Chair, and I appreciate that answer. I guess when it comes to mitigation, can you give me a sense, I guess, when you're talking about mitigation, exactly what it entails. Are we just talking about mitigation for the, you know, for the homeowner, like lifting their homes? Or are we talking something wider, like I say, berming and the maybe the buy back of land, those type of things? Thank you.