Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, earlier this year the Lutselk'e Dene First Nation purchased the Frontier Lodge just outside their community. It's a lodge that will be able to provide employment, training, and opportunities for the First Nation. And it's managed by Corey Myers who is the general manager for Frontier Lodge and already, as you know, the lodging industry here in the Northwest Territories is full swing right now, and I just want to mention that the you know, the lodge, Cory Myers, received a letter from the health and social services department talking about the current water system they have is no longer acceptable by the GNWT.
Mr. Speaker, we want this is a concern to the chief and council in Lutselk'e, and I know Mr. Myers has been working diligently with the Minister of ITI and they've been making some good progress in some areas, and they have a real good relationship. But right now as it is, it's concerning now that the lodge is, you know, may be forced to either close if, you know, the system is not upgraded right away. And we need to take a look at a system, and we need to either need to work together with Mr. Myers, chief and council, ITI, and the health Minister Ms. Julie green there, and if we could work together trying to figure this out so that, you know, some of these barriers we could work around and still provide, you know, employment and training to our people in our communities.
And so anyways, I just wanted to maybe just ask some questions to the Minister.
Can the ITI Minister tell me how many remote lodges were told that they must significantly upgrade their water treatment system before being granted essential operating permits? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member for Tu NedheWiilideh. Deputy Premier.
Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I'd like to redirect the question to Minister Julie Green. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Deputy Premier. Minister responsible for Health and Social Services.
Yes, thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, water regulations are under the Department of Health and Social Services. It's my information that the environmental health officer has been working with the Frontier Lodge to resolve the issues around permitting that have arisen, that this work has been ongoing for a year, and that what we're trying to achieve here is public safety. We're not trying to put anyone out of business or to inconvenience. We actually regulate collaboratively, if you will, with the operator to ensure that it's a resolution that is feasible and practical. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And thank you to the Minister, health Minister Julie Green. I guess my question would be to her again now is, you know, in terms of can you also explain what have changed since last summer when Frontier Lodge was granted their food establishment permit that makes their existing water treatment system inadequate now? That being a question to the health Minister. Thank you.
Yes, thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the regulations haven't changed in more than a decade but the information available about the water system has changed, and that's why we're at a different footing now than we were a year ago. Thank you.
Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and thank you, Minister. Mr. Speaker, other remote lodges continue to operate with their existing water treatment system. Can the Minister explain why Frontier's not being given the same opportunity? Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It's true that some small lodges are exempt from the water system regulations; however, Frontier is not a small lodge; it's more the size of Blachford Lodge, and so the water system requirements are different for Frontier than they would be for a smaller lodge. Thank you.
Thank you, Minister. Final supplementary. Member for Tu NedheWiilideh.
Yeah, thank you, Mr. Speaker. Can the Minister provide a reasonable explanation for the lack of consultation with remote lodges with no communication between her department of health and department to properly assess the impacts of these changes to regulations before health and social services started enforcing the new water treatment standards? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as I mentioned, the regulations themselves haven't changed, and the department is working with the operator to resolve the situation around the permits. And so I encourage the MLA to transmit that message to the operator. I certainly don't want to see them lose a season of business. I went there last year I don't think the Member was there, but I went there last year on a retreat and it certainly is a very nice place to be, and I think that this is a problem that can be resolved so that others can enjoy it as well. Thank you.
Thank you, Minister. Oral questions. Member for Great Slave.
