Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I’d just like to follow up on my Member’s statement in regard to inspections of wood stoves and pellet stoves in our smaller communities.
I know that in larger centres like Yellowknife and perhaps even Inuvik they’ve got access to certified inspectors. I’d just like to know the government’s position in getting inspectors out to the smaller communities. There’s certainly assistance needed for this important matter. Mahsi.
Thank you, Mr. Menicoche. The honourable Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs, Mr. Robert McLeod.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’m not sure about Yellowknife, but I don’t think there’s a wood stove inspector in Inuvik. The insurance company — I know from experience — requires that very stringent inspection process. We have the gas inspectors and the boiler inspectors in many of the regions. I did some checking, and I know that the Office of the Fire Marshal is not qualified to inspect wood stoves. So this may be something we would have to have a look at and see if it’s something that’s feasible to bring into regional offices.
I’m glad to hear that the Minister is responsive to the needs of the communities. As I said in my Member’s statement, on one hand, we’re encouraging the use of wood stoves and wood pellet stoves and alternative fuel energy, and on the other hand, we’re not making it easy by providing inspectors. People are actually at a great risk level, because there are no inspectors for their homes and they need insurance. House insurance is important for many, many different factors, Mr. Speaker.
Once again, it will fall under MACA, so I’d like the Minister to really have a good look at this. Can the Minister come up with some kind of strategy to provide inspections for wood stoves in the regions and communities?
I totally agree with the Member that we do try and encourage the use of wood stoves, so we should have mechanisms in place for people who want to install wood stoves. I know for a fact that existing wood stoves have to almost be opened up to be inspected. With new wood stoves, new construction, it’s a little easier.
But the Member’s asked if I would look into a possible strategy, and I assure the Member that I will ask the department to have a look at a strategy and see what options we can come up with that would be of benefit. Because we do encourage people to burn wood, I guess we should have mechanisms in place to back that up.
I’m sure glad that we’re going to take care of the long term need, but the needs that people can knock on my door and my office are for today.
I’d like to know if the Minister can look at doing some type of travel assistance to get these inspectors out to the communities, because their home insurance policies have now expired. It’s just not fair for them to individually pay $1,400 when government’s here and they can make some travel assistance to the inspectors, Mr. Speaker. Can the government look at that?
Yes, there are a few qualified wood stove inspectors, I believe, and it does, as I think the Member pointed out earlier, cost approximately $1,400. I’ll assure the Member that I’ll talk to ENR and the Arctic Energy Alliance to see if there’s some financial assistance that could be provided to bring an inspector into the community and maybe hit more than one unit at a time.
Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Final supplementary, Mr. Menicoche.
Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I, too, was looking for a commitment from the Minister. And the commitment would be just that if in the short term, in the immediate short term — October, November — they can look at getting an inspector out to the regions and communities.
I wasn’t going to try to use the word “commitment.” I think I used up my quota yesterday. I have assured the Member that we will look into it immediately to see if there’s anything we could possibly do within the next month or so.
Thank you, Mr. McLeod. The honourable Member for Frame Lake, Ms. Bisaro.
