Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions today are addressed to the Premier and I want to follow up on my Member’s statement. I’m asking the Premier these questions because the situation at Northland cuts across many departments. It’s a potential huge housing issue, it’s a safety issue that Health and Social Services is involved in, it’s a MACA issue because it’s a community, it’s ITI, it’s Justice, it’s income security.
There’s a moral responsibility on the part of this government through the Condominium Act, which was NWT legislation in 1990 when this happened. I want to ask the Premier why this government refuses to acknowledge the need of these residents and why this government refuses to provide some assistance to my residents.
Thank you, Ms. Bisaro. The honourable Premier, Mr. Roland.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Northland scenario or issue has been looked at for quite a number of years by a number of Assemblies. The Department of Municipal and Community Affairs has tried to work with the city at the time, and I believe there is a commitment to sit down with them again and explore alternative funding sources for this scenario. The Northland Trailer Park is a part of Yellowknife, and Yellowknife does get block funding for O and M to help them deal with the issues here in the city.
Thanks to the Premier. I would have to disagree with his description that it’s a scenario. It’s, unfortunately, not at all a figment of anybody’s imagination. It’s real. There is a very likely huge collapse of sewer infrastructure in the very near future.
I mentioned in my statement that Yellowknife is the only NWT community that does not receive water and sewer funding through the Department of Municipal and Community Affairs. I’d like to know from the Premier whether or not there would be any consideration to changing that formula for a period of years to allow some of that funding to flow through the city and, therefore, through to the residents.
The formula situation that’s been set up for communities has been designed for the level of support and the ability for a municipality to be able to raise revenue for its own repairs. But the City of Yellowknife does get O and M funding as well as capital funding, as well as they’re eligible for some of federal initiatives that are out there that could help assist and offset this type of work.
I won’t thank the Premier because I didn’t like that answer at all. I guess I would have to say to the Premier that the capital funding that goes to the city, the gas tax money that goes to the city, that’s like asking the city to give me, for my personal home, some of the gas tax funding which the city gets. This is private property. This is a group of homeowners who happen to be on a private piece of land. So it’s very unlikely that the residents of this city are going to approve gas tax money going to an individual homeowner.
I really feel that the funding that the Premier is referencing is incorrect. I do appreciate his commitment to sit down and look at that funding. I feel that this Assembly designates an executive to manage the government finances and to manage emergence and emergency situations, so I’d like to ask the Premier what kind of funding exists in this government to deal with emergency funding issues that arise. Thank you.
There are a number of emergency funds that are out there; again, depending on the department, the initiative or the emergency itself. For a community, Municipal and Community Affairs, again, holds that area and the commitment, as I was stating, is a commitment on behalf of Municipal and Community Affairs to sit down with the City of Yellowknife to look at alternative funding areas that might be looked at.
As to the area of the Condominium Act, if this was to be in any community in the Northwest Territories, they would be faced with the same situation and having to have a reserve fund established.
As I stated, I am aware the Department of Municipal and Community Affairs is prepared to sit down with the City of Yellowknife and explore alternative solutions. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Roland. Final, short supplementary, Ms. Bisaro.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I just have to say to the Premier that I have previously asked the question of whether or not there are funds available from the Department of Municipal and Community Affairs and was advised that there’s not. So I’m very happy to hear that there is some and that they can be discussed and I take his commitment with thanks.
Thank you, Ms. Bisaro. I didn’t hear a question there. The honourable Member for Weledeh, Mr. Bromley.
