Thank you, Mr. Speaker. With the recent concerns about the Alberta tar sands and the idea of using the Mackenzie River as a super highway, it seems to me that harm to the Mighty Mackenzie is going to happen. We have to take action. We cannot allow one of Mother Nature’s wonders to be hurt.
The Mackenzie River is 4,200 kilometres long. It touches many of the communities along the Mackenzie Valley. An elder once said the Mackenzie River is like the blood veins in our bodies; it gives us life. The Mackenzie is in our blood. Having just spent 10 days at my family’s camp at Old Fort Point, right on the Mackenzie just a short distance from Tulita, I’ve been asking myself what we can do to protect the river, this river of life, from harm.
Witnessing one of Mother Nature’s wonders is an awesome experience. For example, the spring breakup of the Mackenzie River, so powerful, so beautiful, and yet so frightening all at the same time.
The GNWT is developing a Water Strategy. We all know that as a small government it’s hard to stand up to the big governments like Alberta and Ottawa. It’s like David and Goliath. Yet we must take a stand for what is right and just.
There is one step that we can take right now that will help protect the Mackenzie River. We can get the Mackenzie River designated as a Canadian Heritage River. This would be one of the additional tools that could help protect the Mackenzie River and demonstrate this government’s commitment to good government environmental policies. I can’t imagine there would be any issues meeting the Canadian Heritage criteria for the Great Mackenzie River.
I’ll follow up with the Minister in regards to these questions.
Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. The honourable Member for Yellowknife South, Mr. Bob McLeod.
