Debates of January 21, 2004 (day 2)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I’d like to address my question to the Minister of RWED, further to my Member’s statement earlier today. Mr. Speaker, may I ask the Minister whether or not he has had a chance to review this department’s policy or directive to the contractor and whether or not he has considered changing this policy? Thank you.

The Minister of RWED, Mr. Bell.

Return To Question 17-15(2): GNWT Parks Use Policy

I thank the Member for the very good question, Mr. Speaker. It’s one I do recall putting to the former Minister of RWED myself. I am familiar with it, both in that capacity and in my new capacity. I have had a chance to review it. I should first state that this is nothing unique to the campground at Fred Henne Park. This is a regulation that applies to all territorial parks. But the particular pressure point has been the lack of capacity here in Yellowknife. It is something that we’re looking at. It is something that I am prepared to come back to committee and discuss. I think we all want to see something, a regulation that is flexible enough and allows us to make sure that tourists have a place to stay when they come to the city or to the NWT. We don’t want to see tourists turned away because we don’t have the space.

I think the long-term solution is not about the regulation, but it’s about finding adequate RV parking in particular around the city of Yellowknife. I’m aware that that’s something the City of Yellowknife has been discussing. I hope they continue to do that. I believe the Fred Henne Park is inadequate in this regard, at any rate.

But, yes, we need regulations that make sense and will accommodate tourists and yet still allow locals to enjoy our parks. So it’s something that I’m prepared to sit down and discuss with committee Members. Thank you.

Supplementary. Ms. Lee.

Supplementary To Question 17-15(2): GNWT Parks Use Policy

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the Minister’s answer. At the same time, I do believe this is a first test for the Minister. Often we have Members who cross the floor. They’re very well aware of the issues that we bring up and I know that the Minister is very well aware of this issue. So far, he’s answered in length without making any commitment at all.

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I believe, Mr. Speaker, there is plenty of room for action that he could take immediately. I know he understands the need for extra space; this is not an unusual thing. But for right now, this summer, for many of our residents there is something that he can do to fix this and that is to make sure that any available spaces, after the visitors and all the residents who have not taken their two weeks have taken their lots…There should be no empty spaces that residents should not be allowed to use. So would the Minister please change that immediately? Thank you.

The Minister of RWED, Mr. Bell.

Further Return To Question 17-15(2): GNWT Parks Use Policy

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I thought I was doing pretty good by committing to come back to committee. I thought that in itself would reassure the Member, especially after the nice things she said about me in her Member’s statement today.

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However, I can see that’s not going to get it done. We will have that discussion, I hope. I hope committee is prepared to sit down and come up with something that does make sense. I think the problem really is that during the week there are all kinds of vacancies at Fred Henne, typically. By the weekend it’s very full. It’s over full. The problem is that if we were to make a regulation that allowed people to stay during the week and ask them to leave on the weekend if it was full, you would be in a position where you would have to go around the campground and ask people to leave. I don’t think that would be workable or fair.

If we allow local residents to take up those spots because no one is in them, what do you do when somebody shows up at 8:00 at night after a long trip up Highway No. 3 and is looking for a camping spot? You’ve got to make allowances that still let local people enjoy the campground while making sure we can accommodate tourists.

We have opened up additional spots this year at both Prelude and Reid Lakes. I know that may not reassure the Member. That may not take care of everybody’s concerns, but we are looking for solutions. There are a number of possibilities we can discuss. It’s possible at the peak times in the middle of summer we need to still keep these regulations, but we might look at relaxing them during the shoulder seasons when we’re not as busy. I’m prepared to discuss a whole range of options with committee and see if we can’t come up with something that would work right across the territory. Thank you.

Supplementary. Ms. Lee.

Supplementary To Question 17-15(2): GNWT Parks Use Policy

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I do not believe that the Minister needs to bring this to committee for discussion. I do believe that the Minister is already aware that the previous Minister has been reviewing this policy for at least three years, at least three summers. The Minister already knows all of the issues pertaining to that policy. What I’m looking for from the Minister is, will he consider a tier system, a category system where priority is given to the visitors, but wherever there are vacancies the local people can take them and not have to drive by and look at empty spaces that they want overnight? I need a yes or no answer. He doesn’t need to do any more studies on this. I don’t think it’s relevant to any other Members other than Yellowknife Members here. Thank you.

The Minister of RWED, Mr. Bell.

Further Return To Question 17-15(2): GNWT Parks Use Policy

Thank you. We may like to think that it’s only relevant to Yellowknife, but I know this is an issue in Hay River, as well. It’s something that’s been raised with the department. We have to come up with a solution that works across the territory. We don’t want to see people drive by the park and look at vacancies and be told that they can’t camp. We’ve got to be reasonable. There has to be some way to accommodate tourists and locals in the same regulation. I’m prepared to come up with a regulation that will work.

If the committee is not interested in that discussion, we can do this internally, but I think this is something that makes sense for all committee Members to have some input into. I am prepared to come up with something that makes sense and works and allows us to accommodate both tourists and locals and, as I’ve said, we can discuss a number of systems. I’d be interested in hearing more about the tiered approach that the Member has referred to, but I think there could also be a shoulder system developed that would alleviate some of the pressure. Really, the problem is in the heat of summer. Thank you.

Final Supplementary. Ms. Lee. Keep it short.

Supplementary To Question 17-15(2): GNWT Parks Use Policy

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I’m aware that I cannot speak for the committee and I understand that our committee Members would like to see changes to regulations brought to them first. What I’m saying is that my experience has been that when a Minister says he wants to consult and review, that is just an excuse for inaction.

I’m telling you that allowing for more than two weeks’ stay in shoulder seasons, between May and June when there is still snow on the ground or in August to September when all the kids are back in school, is no good to us. What I’m interested in knowing is what is his intention with regard to this policy or is he just using the age-old formula that every other Minister uses, which is that they would just study and review issues to death? I want to know his intentions. Thank you.

The Minister of RWED, Mr. Bell.

Further Return To Question 17-15(2): GNWT Parks Use Policy

Thank you. Clearly, my intentions wouldn’t be honourable if I was going to sit here and tell you that the shoulder season was mid-winter, but that’s not what I’m going to do. I’m going to go back to the department, ask them to develop some regulations that would incorporate the shoulder season in the spring and fall when people are still camping at the park. But we’ve got to recognize that in the middle of summer, until we have the capacity to handle all the RV traffic that we see locally, there’s going to have to be some compromise. I think the constituents that I spoke to in the last Assembly understood the rationale, but were looking for a more workable solution, something that was more accommodating and flexible. Nobody I spoke with thought that it made sense to clog up those sites with locals and ensure that tourists had nowhere to camp when they arrived.

So I certainly will commit to the Member that we’re working internally to develop some regulations that make sense. I’m aware of the concerns. I have the same concerns as the Member and we’re going to work to alleviate those. I will come back to committee with a proposal and hope to get support from committee and then we’ll move forward quickly. Thank you.