Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I just wanted to follow up on my Member’s statement wherein I spoke about Fisherman Lake just across from Fort Liard and the contamination that is present. I would like to ask the Minister of Environment and Natural Resources, it has been on the agenda for some time for Fort Liard and the residents. It is almost 30 years there. During my recent visit to Fort Liard, the concern of the families there is that it has been contaminated. What type of mitigation efforts, what type of ongoing monitoring is happening in Fisherman Lake?
Thank you, Mr. Menicoche. The honourable Minister of Environment and Natural Resources, Mr. Miltenberger.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. This is a project that is on federal land and regulated by the federal government. We have a marginal role, as the Member pointed out, due to the fact that that responsibility is a federal responsibility, and should the day come with devolution, we would be able to have a much more fulsome and thorough discussion. We review their plans if the remediation plans are available on their website doing their testing. There has been testing done in 2011. The Member’s point is well taken. It is a long existing project and there are concerns as he indicated. The steps that are being taken fall within the requirements under their land use plan. Thank you.
When it comes to the water and the fish that is in that lake, there is potential contamination of that as well. What can this government do to work to get the water also tested and monitored? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
We monitor and track what is being done. We work with federal agencies and officials to ensure that they take the right steps. There are the concerns that the Member has stated. We have, as well, our own officials, as I indicated, that will work with the federal government keeping in mind still that they have the lead role to play here. Thank you.
All this contamination will affect about seven families, not to mention all the users from Fort Liard. I would like to highlight this as a grave concern for the community. I would like to ask the Minister how can the community act on highlighting this with the federal government to ensure that it is a priority on the federal agenda. What steps can we take to heighten the awareness of this contaminated area? Thank you.
Mr. Speaker, having the Member stand up in the House to voice their concerns is a good way to do it, but in the long term the Member himself has observed the key way to get control of these matters and these issues is to sign the Devolution Agreement and take over that authority or responsibility. There is a separate chapter under remediated sites that would allow us to make sure that work is done. It would be a federal responsibility, but once we have the authority, we can make sure of the legal ability to go after the federal government to ensure that they honour their responsibility. If the Member stands up and says that devolution is going to help us sort this out, the leadership in the Deh Cho say we have to take over control over land, water and resource planning because looking to the future, we want to avoid these various situations. That is the surest, most imminent way to make those significant changes. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. Final, short supplementary, Mr. Menicoche.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I am well aware of the government’s intent to have devolution for our northern territory, but I think the most important thing for the residents of Fort Liard is to address their serious environmental concerns that are affecting their people. I would like to ask the Minister once again how can we raise and heighten the awareness of the environmental concern of Fisherman Lake for the residents of Fort Liard. It could be up to and including a public inquiry. Thank you.
We will be following up based on this discussion in this House. There are officials from all levels of government that listen closely to the debate here. I am completely and fully serious when I talk about the benefit and the ability for us to do this job properly being greatly enhanced within the next very few years and within the life of this Assembly, as a matter of fact, to be able to have that transfer over to the Government of the Northwest Territories so that we don’t have to have the discussion about a third order of government that has their headquarters in Ottawa. It’s very real, it’s very imminent and it’s very doable. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. The Member for Yellowknife Centre, Mr. Hawkins.
