Debates of May 11, 2007 (day 5)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Before I begin my Member’s statement, I would like to send a birthday wish to my brother Frank Pokiak in Tuktoyaktuk and also to Therese Voudrach.

---Applause

Mr. Speaker, just prior to me coming down to attend the Sixth Session of the 15th Legislative Assembly, a well-respected elder from Tuktoyaktuk spoke to me regarding the water quality that is delivered to the residents of Tuktoyaktuk. He is concerned with the chemicals added into the water; for example, chlorine and fluoride.

Mr. Speaker, this elder remembers long ago when everyone would haul water from nearby freshwater lakes for drinking purposes. As a young person growing up, I too remember hauling water from nearby freshwater lakes and getting ice from these lakes for dog teams. Mr. Speaker, years ago, water was delivered by trucks and pumped into 45 gallon barrel drums for daily use. Today, most communities have water reservoirs and the water is either trucked or piped into water reservoirs. Once the reservoirs are filled, the hamlet maintenance staff add chemicals to the water.

Mr. Speaker, I understand there are strict water policy guidelines to follow when treating water. The concern raised by the elder is that he is worried because, over the last number of years, people are becoming ill. It is not known if the chemicals added to the water may be a cause for these illnesses.

Mr. Speaker, I am confident the hamlet’s maintenance staff are qualified to treat the water for safe drinking purposes. In closing, Mr. Speaker, as a government, we must ensure the water quality is safe for all the residents of the Northwest Territories. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

---Applause