Thank you, Mr. Speaker. With the cold weather upon us it is only right that we once again revisit a topic that I brought into this House some months ago. That topic is carbon monoxide detectors.
Sometimes you only need to look over the fence to see the good work that is being done by our colleagues in the Yukon, where they have faced this issue with a certain degree of vigour since a tragic carbon monoxide poisoning in Whitehorse last January.
Although the Yukon is proposing to make carbon monoxide detectors mandatory in all Yukon homes including rental units, I don’t believe the NWT needs to take the same legislative steps in order to raise the bar for our residents. Quite frankly, we should only have to look at the findings of the Yukon Oil-fired Appliances Working Group, their action plan and recommendations, as well as just speaking to our own Arctic Energy Alliance partners to truly get a proper roadmap for the safety of our citizens and carbon monoxide detector use.
First and foremost, it is evident that biomass is now on the rise and being supported by this government as a viable means of heating our homes and businesses. However, do you know, with all the support, the GNWT does not have any regulations for the installation of wood and pellet stoves in their communities. Aside from maybe Yellowknife and Hay River, many wood stoves in various communities are noncompliant, many of the existing stoves do not meet safety codes, and most troubling is that there is no established inspection process for many of our communities.
It is paramount that this government lead by example and take the necessary steps to standardize the implementation of proper training methods for installation of oil-fired and wood use appliances, enhance the upgrading skills of our tradespeople, ensure the training programs used are up to date of curriculum and standards, and finally, spend the necessary funds on the proper public awareness and regulation process.
It is without question that awareness needs to be increased, and a standardized regulation for all oil-fired and wood use appliances needs to be a shared mandate with all community fire marshal offices, with the Municipal and Community Affairs office, and with the cooperation of various community governments.
To ensure the safety for all NWT residents, this much needed regulation needs to be introduced and standardized today. We have the power to avoid needless tragedies. Will this government ignore or will this government act now? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Dolynny. The honourable Member for Frame Lake, Ms. Bisaro.
