Debates of February 10, 2005 (day 33)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I rise with a serious concern with the Department of Resources, Wildlife and Economic Development. Late last summer I had a meeting with a constituent who had brought serious concerns to me about having a legal cabin out along the Cameron River and the fact that people were bulldozing trees down, making roads, shooting guns at their cabin as well as other legal cabins and no one was doing anything about it. No RWED officer would be there, no RCMP officer would be there. Well, much later the Minister’s staff comes to me and says it’s not their problem to solve this question. They say it’s MACA’s problem, but they did, thankfully, come up with a map of something. Well, lo and behold, I forward that question to MACA. Months go by. Months, Mr. Speaker. MACA comes to me and says it’s not our problem either; it’s RWED’s problem.

Mr. Speaker, I have health and safety issues where people who have legal cabins, legal rights to be out there, and no one wants to take any responsibility. We can’t even get a department to take responsibility. Where is a response to this question that I’ve been waiting now almost six months for? Simply, who is responsible for the management of those areas? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. Minister of Resources, Wildlife and Economic Development, the Honourable Mr. Bell.

Return To Question 361-15(3): Health And Safety Concerns On The Ingraham Trail

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It is a complex question. Obviously, it’s federal land. There’s the Forest Management Act. I have responsibilities under that act. There are issues around the highways out there and what you can and cannot do on highways that fall under DOT. There are MACA issues. There are environmental protection issues. I think it is collectively a problem that we have to come to grips with. It’s a very serious issue. I had asked our department to sit down and engage in a dialogue with the RCMP to talk about how we would respond to some of these concerns on the Ingraham Trail because, obviously, much of it is also related to keeping the peace and making sure the safety of people is protected. There aren’t a lot of easy answers, but what I think is important is that we work together and establish some protocols to ensure that we are able to deal with some of the issues that the Member has brought forward. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Bell. Supplementary, Mr. Hawkins.

Supplementary To Question 361-15(3): Health And Safety Concerns On The Ingraham Trail

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I truly say thank you, Mr. Minister, yet I’m still waiting for an answer. I asked, when am I going to get a response to this letter. I’m waiting again now, in front of the public. My constituents are waiting. Their safety is an issue. We have people ploughing down trees in reserve areas. Are we going to wait for the chiefs to come say why we’re allowing people to destroy our land? Someday that’s going to be their land out there. The Minister almost…He said the Department of Justice, DOT. I’m surprised he didn’t say Housing and Education have a responsibility over this issue. I’m waiting for that next. When are we going to get an answer to these questions? It’s a simple question. Who’s responsible for this? We have leased, legal cabins out there and we have people knocking trees down, setting fires, having horrible parties, destroying our territorial lands that are stewarded by the Commissioner. When will I get an answer? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. Mr. Bell.

Further Return To Question 361-15(3): Health And Safety Concerns On The Ingraham Trail

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. If people’s lives are at risk, if people’s cabins are being burned down, if people are being shot at, being threatened, they obviously have to call the RCMP. I would suggest they do that. In all seriousness, Mr. Speaker, we can sit down and work through some of these issues. The Member is well aware of our legislated requirements and our abilities and areas of responsibility. I think the Member has his response to the question, but, as I’ve indicated, we’ve talked to the RCMP and want to make sure that people’s lives aren’t at risk and that their safety is ensured and we’ll continue to do that. But we are looking to establish a protocol for response in that area. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Bell. Supplementary, Mr. Hawkins.

Supplementary To Question 361-15(3): Health And Safety Concerns On The Ingraham Trail

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and I thank the Minister because I can start to feel an answer coming any minute now. I can tell you personally that the RCMP do not go out there. My constituents have phoned when they’ve heard people shooting at outhouses. Nobody goes. I mean, do we have to wait for an accident to happen? That’s why I tried to work six months ago with this department to say let’s start identifying the land. This is land right along our highway. This is certainly an area that could be addressed. I’ve suggested that, geez, let’s have land management policies out there. I need an answer. Who’s going to monitor this? Is RWED not going to? If you say no, that’s fine. Then we have an answer. But we need to make sure people are safe out there. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. Mr. Bell.

Further Return To Question 361-15(3): Health And Safety Concerns On The Ingraham Trail

I would suggest to the Member that the RCMP will respond if people’s lives are in danger. If the Member rejects that, disputes that, we can certainly raise the issue with the Minister of Justice who can take it up with the RCMP. But to my knowledge I have not heard of people whose lives are in danger or that the RCMP has suggested that they’re not interested. Obviously it’s difficult to respond in a timely manner. It is a fairly long drive to the location the Member is speaking of, but I’ve never heard of the RCMP suggesting that they’re not interested or don’t want to. So if that’s the case, the Member has brought it to my attention, I can raise that with the Minister of Justice. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Bell. The time for question period has expired. I’ll allow Mr. Hawkins a final supplementary. Mr. Hawkins.

Supplementary To Question 361-15(3): Health And Safety Concerns On The Ingraham Trail

Thank you very kindly, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, we still need to address the problem by this Minister, which is people are clear-cutting roads from the highway to the water there. How are we going to deal with this? How are we dealing with the garbage being littered along these areas? They’re becoming mushroom party spaces. How does this Minister plan to deal with this? This all goes back to the question that I started to ask six months ago when he said it was MACA’s problem. Now that MACA says it’s RWED’s problem, again, whose problem is this that we’re going to solve? I’m talking about Commissioner’s land. How are we going to solve the garbage, the clear-cutting problems, the people making fires on the side of the road? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. Mr. Bell.

Further Return To Question 361-15(3): Health And Safety Concerns On The Ingraham Trail

If the Member is aware of specific incidents where he believes the Wildlife Act has been breached or the Forest Management Act or the Forest Protection Act, bring them to my attention if I’m the easiest point of contact, and I’ll make sure they’re investigated. Thank you.