Mr. Speaker, earlier I made a statement on one of the communities that I represent: Enterprise. Enterprise, of course, is aspiring, like every community, to try to be independent and to try and create a local economy so that services at least are available to every citizen in Enterprise. My question is to the Minister of MACA. What support is there from MACA to provide communities to include basic infrastructure such as water supply? Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Nadli. The honourable Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs, Mr. McLeod.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Enterprise has put in a desire to have their own water treatment plant. Our role now is to work with the community, and look at all of the options, and look at some of the different cost factors, and work with them to try to come up with the best deal possible for the community.
I wanted to ask the Minister what kind of options there are. Are there at least some parameters to ensure that the community’s aspirations are achieved? At the same time, whether there’s a path of at least a workable solution that the Minister can commit to the community in terms of working with them.
We have communicated our desire to work with the community and they have communicated their desire to look at some of the options of establishing their own water treatment plant. The letter that we’ve received from them, they had laid out some options, and we would like to sit down with them and work on some of those options. If there needs to be some changes made to the way the community is funded, we would have to look at that also. They’ve made the initial communication that they have a desire to establish their own water treatment plant.
I’d like to thank the Minister for that. I’d like to ask whether the Minister has discussed with the leadership, in terms of a timeline of how this process could work for all parties to ensure that there is a committed timeline to achieve the establishment of a water treatment plant in Enterprise.
That’s one of the options we would have to look at, as far as the timeline goes. We have to explore with the community the different options, as far as the types of water treatment plant. We haven’t had that discussion yet so we have to sit down with the community to discuss those options. I think at that time it would probably be best, or appropriate, then to come up with a timeline depending on which system they choose.
Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Final supplementary, Mr. Nadli.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to ask the Minister if he would commit, at some point, to meet with the local leaders of Enterprise to discuss their aspiration of establishing a water treatment plant.
We already know what the community is looking for. Our officials will sit down and have a discussion with them. I’m always happy to meet with the leadership of any community, and if the need arises, then I would be pleased to meet with the leadership of Enterprise. Right now their officials and our officials are trying to iron out some of the details and we look forward to the results of their meetings.
Thank you, Mr. McLeod. The honourable Member for Hay River North, Mr. Bouchard.
