Debates of October 25, 2004 (day 27)

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. My question is in reference to my statement earlier today to the Minister of Resources, Wildlife and Economic Development, the Honourable Brendan Bell. In light of the recent developments along the Ingraham Trail with our discovery of more meat wastage by some hunters that are violating the Wildlife Act, I want to ask the Minister a simple question that if the department has taken steps or does plan on taking steps on increasing the presence of renewable resource officers along the Ingraham Trail to ensure public safety for residents who are living or hiking or hunting along the trail? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Villeneuve. The honourable Minister of Resources, Wildlife and Economic Development, Mr. Bell.

Return To Question 295-15(3): Enforcement By Wildlife Officers Along Ingraham Trail

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. First, I want to give the Member every assurance that we have wildlife officers and the department has wildlife officers in all the regions, and we believe they do a very good job of enforcing the regulations under the Wildlife Act. We acknowledge that it is a difficult job. It’s a vast territory and admittedly we don’t have as many wildlife officers as we would like to, but we are constrained by resources. We were both surprised and, I suppose, concerned that barren ground caribou arrived so soon so close to Yellowknife and on the Ingraham Trail; concerned about the safety of people if in fact there is hunting from the road, which is not allowed. We are making sure that it is a priority of our regional staff to enforce the provisions under the Wildlife Act that speak to hunting from the road and speak to meat wastage. It is very important for us to remain in control of the situation and we do it in a couple of ways, both through enforcement, but also probably more importantly through public education. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Bell. Supplementary, Mr. Villeneuve.

Supplementary To Question 295-15(3): Enforcement By Wildlife Officers Along Ingraham Trail

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d have to agree with the Minister that it is a vast territory and with the limited amount of officers we have, they each have a lot of area to cover. I notice that the migratory route is through this area of the barren land caribou and some years they don’t show up until late in season and some years they are close to town, other years they are quite a ways away. Because this doesn’t happen every year and it only happens for a couple of months out of the year, why doesn't the department, to ensure public safety, have a renewable resource officer or officers there on a 24-hour basis? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Villeneuve. Mr. Bell.

Further Return To Question 295-15(3): Enforcement By Wildlife Officers Along Ingraham Trail

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have to admit I don’t know the hours that the officers are keeping in terms of monitoring and enforcement out on the Ingraham Trail. That is certainly some information that I can get and bring back to the Member. I guess the other point I would make is that we do see this as a priority, and obviously we are having discussion as a government and discussion with committee on an ongoing basis through the business planning process, and the issue of wildlife officers is very similar to environmental protection officers. We know we need more of them. It’s simply a matter of getting the resources to put more in the field, and then also making sure we’re making the best use of the personnel that we do have in the field regionally. So it is a priority for us. We are working on it and if the Member has any suggestions from his constituents about steps we need to be taking along the Ingraham Trail now that the caribou have clearly come down below the treeline, then I urge him to contact my office and we can certainly sit down and talk through those issues. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Bell. Supplementary, Mr. Villeneuve.

Supplementary To Question 295-15(3): Enforcement By Wildlife Officers Along Ingraham Trail

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I commend the Minister for making this a priority of the department to ensure that the public is always safe along that Ingraham Trail, especially with all the wildlife that is going through there right now. With regard to the renewable resource officer human resource capacity in that area, I know that we’re fairly limited with the amount of officers that we do have, but I know that this time of year is fairly slow in the whole renewable resource sector, I guess. People aren’t out on the water as often and people don’t go hunting until the ice usually forms and stuff. So I want to encourage the Minister that when he does do some research into the department hours of the renewable resource officers, if they aren’t there on a 24-hour basis for the next couple of months, maybe they should implement that new policy for this particular circumstance. Thank you.