Mr. Speaker, today I rise to raise my continued displeasure with the free-roaming herd in the community of Fort Liard and also to extend a welcome to the Minister of ENR to come to Fort Liard to continue his tour. I have raised this issue before on the promises of a bison management plan. My main concern is the safety of children, as the herd does freely roam through the town.
I would like to reiterate the concerns. A huge concern for the residents is damage that occurs to personal property such as fencing, gardens, automobiles and all terrain vehicles. As well, there’s the issue of reimbursement for damages; because government brought these buffalos there, they should be responsible for paying for the damages to private property. I support this. Yes, the government is responsible.
I think our government has to work with the community of Fort Liard to come up and work with them on this bison management plan that can address these concerns. I know some solutions may be expensive, but some solutions may also be very affordable, and they must be explored. This is what the community wants: dialogue and action.
I will ask the question to the Minister of Natural Resources for an update and actions to date. Mahsi cho.
Thank you, Mr. Menicoche. The honourable Member for Kam Lake, Mr. Ramsay.
