Mr. Chair, I have a few questions in this area here. I want to start with the climate change and the impacts that we’re seeing in the Sahtu region. I’ve talked to a few of the trappers who use the land consistently, and what they have talked to me about is the erosion of the banks along some of the rivers that they go up to hunt and trap in, go up to live during the summer months, and the rivers that they use during the fall time for their fall hunts. They’re noticing the erosion of the landscape, of the banks and of the hills, and they were asking if there is any possible way that the department is working with the local hunters and trappers on that river, because some of these rivers for the natural erosion that’s happened due to the thawing of the permafrost in that area.
Is the Minister conducting a territorial-wide assessment or a survey on which rivers in the Mackenzie area or just in the whole Northwest Territories on the amount of erosion that’s happening on the smaller rivers that the trappers use for hunting and trapping?
Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. For that we’ll go to Minister Miltenberger.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. There are some resources. Interestingly enough, ITI has a permafrost individual. We know and we’ve seen, and I’ve had discussions with and work with, to a certain degree, the university is doing work as well. In fact, some individuals have spent good parts of their professional lives in the North looking at the permafrost issues, the very issues that the Member is talking about. As we see what’s happening and try to adapt to the impacts of the warming and the melting of the permafrost, the slumping of the banks, the impediment, it can cause rivers and creek flows and adjustments of bodies of water.
So we are looking at that but we don’t have a broad territory-wide initiative at this juncture. Thank you.
Thank you, Minister. I am wondering if there is anywhere in your corporate planning, or planning for the department, to start looking at this. It’s very preliminary right now. I am asking for some consideration.
The Minister, over the past eight or nine years, is aware of myself taking a hiking trip once a year on the Canol. Over the years, I want to let you know, the Minister flew out there one year with me. We saw some natural slides of the mountains. Last year or the year before, when you walked past one of the trails, there was a huge mudslide there. It wasn’t there before. We started to notice it more and more.
I want to ask the Minister if he would give some serious consideration, with his colleagues, to look at the impacts of these landslides along the rivers that we use – and basically the whole Northwest Territories, if that is a possibility – that he would come forward to say that this is something we could look at in the Northwest Territories.
We are making note of the Member’s request. We will have discussions in the department to talk about how we move forward on the request and the concern. We will be able to come back. By the time we’re back here next year, we will hopefully see some reflection of the results of that work and discussion. Thank you.
Mr. Chair, I would appreciate that and people that have spoken to me about this would also appreciate that the government is starting to look at this issue.
I also want to ask the Minister in regard to what Ms. Bisaro was talking about, the opportunities that could be looked at in the Sahtu. I understand, from Mr. Campbell’s replies to our question, that the Sahtu and further north could be looked at as a biomass industry opportunity for us in that region, if we are to embark on that journey through the government’s energy initiatives on reducing the cost of living and carbon emissions from the fossil fuel usage of our communities’ use. The Sahtu would be very interested in looking at something that we could do ourselves, as some of my friends down in the southern part have that opportunity. We would very much like to look at that.
Would the Minister commit to look at a study that would say, within the life of this government we can initiate something in the Sahtu and further north up into the Gwich’in area?
Mr. Chair, regarding a biomass industry in the South Slave, at this point we are starting some work with developing that industry on the southern end of the Northwest Territories. If we can get the pellet plant that is being proposed just around the Enterprise area and some of your forest management agreements completed with the communities, I think that sets the stage for expansion in the future to other areas in the Northwest Territories. We are hoping, again, that there will be opportunities for the other regions in the Northwest Territories.
At this point, we do have a private business coming forward with a project. We feel that here is our opportunity to seize on this and start from there and, again, work to other areas in the future.
I do look forward to a time when this opportunity also will be available in the Sahtu region. We will continue on with the progression to that place and time in history where we can also have that type of industry with our region to support the biomass initiative, because that would be very helpful to us. So a wait and see approach, I guess.
I want to ask one more question to the Minister in regard to the forest management for the sustainable management of our forest resources. Trappers are saying that where there are good areas to trap, sometimes those areas get burnt out because sometimes they are too far out for the firefighters to fight them, because they watch the fires burn. Sometimes the trappers say that is a good trapping area. Sometimes they can’t go, so next year they have to go to another area, knowing that, because of the forest fire there, that will renew the forest and vegetation, and there are other animals that will come. The trappers want to know that dialogue will continue strongly with the forest officers, that some areas just need to be monitored a little more, and consideration is given to the trappers when an area is getting close to being burned out or the area is being close to being burned by an out-of-control forest fire. They are quite concerned. I am not too sure what type of compensation is in place to help the trappers go to another area or help them with their loss of revenue for that season. That is my only question. Thank you.
This is an area that we cover under what is called values at risk, and priority area is focusing first on human life, personal property, public safety, and working our way out.
As the Member will recollect from the amount of times we’ve come back for supplementary appropriations, the fire seasons are getting longer and hotter and our costs are going up just to try to manage those key areas. We do, though, recognize that there are times when trappers are affected and we do have a fund to help compensate individuals. I think the maximum payout out of that is $37,000.
Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. Next on my list I have Mr. Hawkins.
Mr. Chair, I move that we report progress. Thank you.
---Carried
Can I have the report of the Committee of the Whole, please, Mr. Chair?
Mr. Speaker, your committee has been considering Tabled Document 9-17(4), NWT Main Estimates, 2013-2014, and would like to report progress. Mr. Speaker, I move that the report of Committee of the Whole be concurred with.
Thank you, Mr. Dolynny. A motion is on the floor. Do we have a seconder? The seconder will be Mr. Beaulieu.
---Carried
Orders of the day for Monday, February 18, 2013, 1:30 p.m.:
Prayer
Ministers’ Statements
Members’ Statements
Returns to Oral Questions
Recognition of Visitors in the Gallery
Acknowledgements
Oral Questions
Written Questions
Returns to Written Questions
Replies to Opening Address
Replies to Budget Address
Petitions
Reports of Standing and Special Committees
Reports of Committees on the Review of Bills
Tabling of Documents
Notices of Motion
Notices of Motion for First Reading of Bills
Motions
First Reading of Bills
Bill 2, An Act to Amend the Territorial Parks Act
Second Reading of Bills
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Tabled Document 9-17(4), NWT Main Estimates, 2013-2014
Bill 1, Tlicho Statutes Amendment Act
Report of Committee of the Whole
Third Reading of Bills
Orders of the Day
Thank you, Mr. Clerk. Accordingly, this House stands adjourned until Monday, February 18th, at 1:30 p.m.
---ADJOURNMENT
The House adjourned at 5:59 p.m.
