Ronald Bonnetrouge

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my questions are related to the recent wildfires which caused widespread evacuations and total destruction to properties. The wildfire at Enterprise was burning prior to the devastating day of August 13th.

Can the Minister of ECC apprise this House as to why the wildfire near the hamlet of Enterprise was allowed to burn out of control for several days prior to the devastation and evacuation of the residents? Mahsi.

Mr. Speaker, your Standing Committee on Economic Development and Environment is pleased to provide its Report on Review of Bill 84: An Act to Amend the Northwest Territories Business Development and Investment Corporation Act.

And, Mr. Speaker, I move, seconded by the Member for Frame Lake, that Committee report 6419(2), Standing Committee on Economic Development and Environment Report on the Review of Bill 84: An Act to Amend the Northwest Territories Business Development and Investment Corporation Act, be deemed read and printed in Hansard in its entirety. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, your Standing Committee on Economic Development and Environment is pleased to provide its Report on Review of Bill 78: Waste Reduction and Resource Recovery Act.

And, Mr. Speaker, I move, seconded by the Member for Frame Lake, that Committee report 6319(2), Standing Committee on Economic Development and Environment Report on the Review of Bill 78: Waste Reduction and Resource Recovery Act, be deemed read and printed in Hansard in its entirety.

Mr. Speaker, I move, seconded by the Member for Frame Lake, that the remainder of the Committee report 6219(2) be deemed read and printed in Hansard in its entirety. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Your committee would like to report on its consideration of Bill 93, Practice of Engineering, Geoscience and Applied Science Technology Act.

Bill 93 received second reading in the Legislative Assembly on June 2nd, 2023, and was referred to the Standing Committee on Economic Development and Environment for review. The standing committee held a public hearing on July 18th, 2023, where it heard from the Minister of Infrastructure and the Northwest Territories Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists. The Standing Committee completed its clausebyclause review on...

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Your committee would like to report on its consideration of Bill 78, Waste Reduction and Resource Recovery Act.

Bill 78 received second reading in the Legislative Assembly on March 29, 2023, and was referred to the Standing Committee on Economic Development and Environment for review. On June 1st, 2023, the standing committee held a public hearing of the bill with the Minister of Environment and Climate Change. Committee held a clausebyclause review of Bill 78 on July 5th, 2023. Committee proposed five motions to amend Bill 78 and was pleased that the Minister of Environment...

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker, and mahsi to the Minister. Mr. Speaker, we hear of a couple of brothers from Enterprise, along with other volunteers, putting out fires that were continually flaring up throughout the community of Enterprise after the initial wildfire. They note that there were no ECC fire crews for more than five days to assist and this was well after the main fire tore through the hamlet.

Can the Minister apprise this House as to why no fire crews were available in the community to monitor and fight the fires? Mahsi.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker, and mahsi to the Minister for the all the information that they were fighting the fires prior to. And it's kind of confusing because the fires kind of snuck up to the community on that day, you know, after all the Department of ECC and fire management help have all the necessary tools and information at their fingertips to determine whether wind and wind speed, yet these systems seemed to have failed on that day or just prior to that day.

Can the Minister apprise this House as to why these factors and tools were not taken into account prior to the devastating day? Mahsi.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the recent wildfires will be etched in everyone's minds for quite some time. Three of the largest centres in the Northwest Territories were affected with evacuation orders: Fort Smith which includes Smith's Landing First Nation; Hay River; Yellowknife, which includes Dettah and N'dilo. Equally affected were my riding communities of K'atlodeeche, Enterprise, and Kakisa. This is the largest evacuation order, ever, of residents, due to wildfires. Hay River and K'atlodeeche had faced evacuations back in May due to a large, fast moving wildfire not seen previously...

Mr. Speaker, I move, seconded by the Member for Frame Lake, that Committee report 6419(2), Standing Committee on Economic Development and Environment Report on Review of Bill 84: An Act to Amend the Northwest Territories Business Development and Investment Corporation Act, be received and adopted by the Assembly. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.