Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my questions are to the Minister responsible for Transportation in regard to the Frog Creek pit. As we all know, it is a pit that has given the government free access for a number of years under the land claim agreement. Its term is almost up in a number of years. I’d like to ask the Minister, is this government budgeting money to do the reclamation of the pit? Since the Government of the Northwest Territories was the sole user and as part of the agreement that gave the government free access, it also included that they also had to do the reclamation of that pit. So I’d like to ask the Minister exactly has this department budgeted for the reclamation of the Frog Creek pit between Fort McPherson and Tsiigehtchic?
Thank you, Mr. Krutko. The honourable Minister of Transportation, Mr. Michael McLeod.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, all sites that are used for construction of facilities, our transportation links fall under certain rules and responsibilities and if reclamation is part of our responsibility then we will certainly look at it. In this case, I’d have to go back and see who the owner of the pit is and whose responsibility that would fall under. Thank you.
Mr. Speaker, there is already a Frog Creek development and reclamation plan that has been done between the Department of Transportation and the Gwich’in Land and Water Board. I believe this policy directs the government to do that. They’ve already developed this. It’s a heavy document.
I’d like to ask the Minister, in light of the time limit that is coming close here where the government’s free access will be lapsed and where they’re going to start having to pay to use that pit, I’d like to ask the Minister, can you ensure that you are following the pit management plan, but more importantly, ensure that this government sets aside dollars for the reclamation of that pit prior to leaving that pit in regards to the free accommodation that you had for a number of years?
Mr. Speaker, obviously we have a plan, since the Member is holding it in his hand. Mr. Speaker, I’m not familiar and I can’t say with any certainty what the actual plan for investment in this pit will be. I’d have to look at the situation, talk to my officials, and see where and when reclamation will be looked into and provided for for this pit. If that falls under our responsibility, then that will be part of our plan. Thank you.
Mr. Speaker, one of the reasons I also raise this issue is because the residents of the communities are concerned that a lot of material is leaving the pit with no monitoring and also a lot of these are government contracts. Again, there has to be a better job of monitoring this site and, more importantly, the possibility of having some gates or something in place. I know that the government doesn’t like that, but I think we have to do something to protect the remaining gravel resources that are there. So I’d like to ask the Minister, in light of the pit management plan which identifies certain obligations that people have when they go in there, and to ensure that this government is upholding those obligations in the plan, I’d like to ask the Minister if he would also look into that to ensure that they are abiding by the plan and, more importantly, stop the people from basically misusing that pit. Thank you.
Mr. Speaker, I will certainly commit to doing that.
Thank you, Mr. McLeod. The honourable Member for Frame Lake, Ms. Bisaro.
