Thank you, Mr. Chair. As soon as we complete the work, we will be sharing that with committee. Thank you.
Thank you, Minister McLeod. Ms. Green.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. I'm wondering if the department has at its fingertips any indication of the uptake on this program, whether in fact consumers who produce the electronic waste are using the recycling opportunities that exist. Thank you.
Thank you, Ms. Green. Dr. Kelly.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Over 76 tonnes of electronics have been collected under the program since it was launched in February 2016.
Thank you, Dr. Kelly. Ms. Green.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, I want to give the department some unsolicited advice that they promote this figure, both as a way of showing that this program works, and also to encourage people to use this program. That seems like a significant amount of waste that might otherwise have just gone into landfills, where of course they are very problematic because of the heavy metals they contain. Those are all my questions. Thank you.
Thank you, Ms. Green. Minister McLeod.
We appreciate the Member's comments and we will look to do a better job at promoting ourselves. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Minister McLeod. Committee, any further questions or comments? Mr. O'Reilly.
Thanks, Mr. Chair. I was just reflecting on the Minister of Finance's response to my earlier questions around the capacity of the ENR. Just so we're clear, I guess, what I'm looking for is I want to know what kind of capacity there is within ENR with regard to climate change, greenhouse gas emissions, how many staff they've got, how they collaborate with Public Works and Services and Finance. It sort of sounded to me like Finance is going to take over the lead on carbon pricing and that's fine. They are bean counters, but I'm interested in making sure that the people that know something about greenhouse gas emissions actually are engaged and involved in designing a carbon pricing system.
My questions were with regard to the capacity of the ENR, not Finance. We are going to get to that department a little later. I hope that helps clarify what I was after in that. I'm looking to the Minister for a response wearing his ENR hat, not Finance. Thanks, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. O'Reilly. Minister McLeod.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, my apologies to the Member. He was asking about the capacity of the ENR and I kind of said we would go through and look at Finance because they were the lead, and I knew that wasn't the end of it, so I was actually being prepared for him to come back with the same question. I will defer to Ms. Kelly. She will talk about the number of people we have in there and the working group that ENR is a part of, but I can assure the Member that Finance is not off doing this on their own. We are, as we should be, seeking advice from the expert, but I will have Dr. Kelly elaborate a bit more. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Minister McLeod. Dr. Kelly.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. To my knowledge, there has been no reduction in the capacity in the climate change group. In fact, we have added an interim position to the climate change group to help with developing the work behind the Climate Change Strategic Framework. We have also been in discussions with the federal government. There is some funding available for adaptation and we've looked to see if we can address the capacity issues through that funding as well.
Internally, we work closely with Public Works and Services. As you may have seen if you were at the engagement sessions, we were there jointly, ENR and Public Works. We also work very closely with Finance, Transportation, MACA, Education, Culture and Employment at the ADM level and at the working level on climate change related issues, including the Pan-Canadian Framework and the Climate Change Strategic Framework and energy work that's been going on. So it's at multiple levels that we're working together throughout the government on these issues. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Dr. Kelly. Any further questions, committee? I see none. Mr. Vanthuyne.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, I move that this committee defer further consideration of the activity, environment under the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Main Estimates 2017-2018 on page 71 at this time. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. Vanthuyne. The motion is on the floor and being distributed. The motion is in order. All those in favour? All those opposed?
---Carried
Thank you, committee. That brings us now to page 75, Environment and Natural Resources, forest management, operations expenditures summary, total activity, $39,803,000, with information items on page 74 to page 77. Committee, please identify the page you have questions on. Any questions from committee? Mr. Thompson.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Can the Minister tell us how this department and Municipal and Community Affairs work together to work with firebreaks around communities? Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. Thompson. Dr. Kelly.
Mr. Chair, Environment and Natural Resources and MACA work together with communities in developing emergency preparedness planning. Specifically, ENR works on fire-smarting our community; preparedness plans related to fire management. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Dr. Kelly. Mr. Thompson.
Thank you, Mr. Chair, and I thank Dr. Kelly for her answer. So does the department or Municipal and Community Affairs help communities provide funding for them to fire smart the communities? Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. Thompson. Dr. Kelly.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. So my understanding is MACA provides communities with funding that can be used towards firebreaks. ENR does not have a specific funding source for that except in light of emergencies. So if there is a forest fire that's approaching a community, ENR would then participate in creating firebreaks at that point. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Dr. Kelly. Mr. Thompson.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. I guess I'm looking at Fort McMurray, I was down there; I saw what happened, how quickly it can change. It's very scary, and how fires do amazing things. I saw trailers not touched where houses were burnt on both sides and back and front.
So can the department or the Minister provide us some assurances that the department will work with the communities to find some money to help put these firebreaks in place so that we can make these safer communities? We're living in an environment where a lot of our communities do not have the equipment necessary. Even in Fort McMurray they had the oil sands there and you saw what happened there. So is the Minister able to, maybe not do it this year in this year's budget, but start working towards it so these communities are safer? Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. Thompson. Minister McLeod.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair we can commit to working with the community with the resources that they do have. As Dr. Kelly said, when there is an emerging fire or if there is an emergency situation then ENR would work with them to complete a firebreak, but we will continue to work with the communities.
I think the Member's question may be is: does ENR have the funding to do it, and we don't at this time, to do firebreaks, but we do work with the communities that do have money at their disposal to complete firebreaks? Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Minister McLeod. Mr. Thompson
Thank you, Mr. Chair, and I thank the Minister for that answer, that's good to hear. I guess my big concern is that the department does a great job being reactionary, and I give them full credit to it, I'm hoping that the department will start looking at this as being a preventative way of making these communities safe.
In my riding, we live in very treed areas and sometimes the communities are totally engulfed in the trees. I would hope that the Minister can work with the department and get them to start looking at a proactive approach, a plan in place to address this concern in the communities in the future. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. Thompson. Minister McLeod.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. We work with the communities on their plans and we have the expertise within our forest management division to help them identify combustible areas so we work with them on a plan and then the community will take the responsibility of trying to do some mitigation. In the event of a fire that's threatening the community, I think you've seen, it's been demonstrated in the past, that ENR does do what it can to try and help save the communities. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Minister McLeod. Mr. Thompson.
Thank you, Mr. Chair, and I thank the Minister for his answer. I guess I'm just looking at springtime when the fire crews are ready to go and there are no fires, it is a perfect opportunity to utilize that staff in the communities and surrounding areas to maybe potentially fire smart their communities to start with. So that's where I'm looking is existing staff that are not fighting fires presently, and I believe each community does have a fire suppressant crew that could potentially be put to work in the short term to start helping them.
I appreciate the department working with the communities and working on the plans, but here's an opportunity again to be pro-active with the staff there. So this is what I'm trying to hopefully look for. That will be my last comment on this matter. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. Thompson. Minister McLeod.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, the Member's point is taken. As I said before, we do work with the communities, and then communities and others take responsibility for the fire. If it's threatening their area again, ENR I think has demonstrated in the past that they will step up to the plate when it's needed. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Minister McLeod. Mr. Beaulieu.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, I just have a couple of questions for the Minister on fire suppression. This is fire suppression for the wildland fires. I know that we have a MARS agreement with other jurisdictions, but I would like to ask the Minister if he could commit to ensuring that all of the trained firefighters and extra firefighters in the NWT are utilized before we enact any agreement with another jurisdiction? Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. Beaulieu. Minister McLeod.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, I can commit to that. My understanding is that we do that already, but I will commit to that. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Minister McLeod. Any further questions? Mr. Vanthuyne.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Further to forest fire safety, and I know that my colleague from Nahendeh had some questions around FireSmart, I have, of course, in the riding of Yellowknife North, the Ingraham Trail, and, as we are aware, last year there was the rather large Reid Lake fire, if that is what it is referred to as. Then we had one in the early season, very close to the roadway, right around Madeline Lake.
So, from that, of course, have come two primary concerns, and those are obviously the protection of assets, but probably arguably more importantly is the matter of communications, especially on that particular roadway and having the number of residents that live out there. Yesterday, I raised this point with the Department of MACA, and I know there are a bunch of interdepartmental responsibilities when it comes to public safety and forest fire management, but what steps or what undertakings is this department taking as it relates to an effort to improve communications for residents that are living out in this instance, I will use living directly out on the Ingraham Trail? Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. Vanthuyne. Dr. Kelly.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. We have an annual fire meeting where we review what has gone on in the past and look at recommendations for how we can improve. We have those conversations with other departments, as well, and communications of course is one of those things that we look at on a regular basis. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Dr. Kelly. Mr. Vanthuyne.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. That is good to know. I think one of the things that is problematic for some folks is them understanding who actually is the lead on communications. It seemed to be that, in a couple of the instances last year in particular I will use the Madeline Lake instance where there was a temporary closure of the highway that between the Department of Transportation, between the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, and between the Department of MACA that even myself, as an MLA, was a little bit confused on where the direction or update of information was coming from.
So, if we can acknowledge that that is a concern and that that is something that we have to work toward, I would make that a recommendation, that we have to have a primary source of communications for the public on these safety matters relating to forest fires. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. Vanthuyne. Minister McLeod.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, I take the Member's point, and we have heard those concerns stemming out of some of the incidents we had around here, and we are going to go back and work with the departments and improve our communication plan and have a primary contact or a lead contact. So we have heard the concerns, and we are taking steps to address them.
