Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I want to ask the Minister responsible for the Energy Coordinating Committee, in terms of the energy issue in Norman Wells, if the thought has ever come around to the Minister of looking at a possibility of running a line from Colville Lake to Norman Wells on a natural gas line just as a possibility. I know there are other assessments out there looking at energy or using some of these dollars to look at providing alternative energy to the communities. Is this a possibility that ever arose within the Minister or coordinating committee?
Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. The honourable Minister responsible for the Energy Coordinating Committee, Mr. Bob McLeod.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Ministerial Energy Coordinating Committee has been working largely with new energy initiatives. We have been dealing with the Mackenzie Valley Pipeline through normal government procedures, normal government responsibilities, and through the Joint Review Panel process we have been, as a government, disposing alternative energy proposals ranging from hydro to gasification of communities. We have undertaken a number of reports or commissioned a number of reports to identify those communities along the right-of-way that would or could be converted to utilization of natural gas. Also, there was some review of biomass and the fact that there will be a significant amount of trees that would be made available because of being on the right-of-way of the pipeline. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker, I asked because there was a public meeting in Norman Wells on the 20th of January. The public was asking about this, how maybe this government could help us in terms of looking at alternative sources of energy. We want to have the gas talk and see if this government here has any type of discussion in terms of looking at an assessment as to running a line from Colville Lake to Norman Wells to help them alleviate some of the issues that they are facing now.
Mr. Speaker, as a government, we invested approximately $60 million to review our reliance on fossil fuels. As part of that investment, we looked at alternative energy, renewable energy, and so we looked at all of those different aspects. Most of them have been on a pilot project basis.
As far as running a line from Norman Wells to Colville Lake, I think our preferred approach, if we were to do that, would be... I think Colville Lake is close to being on the right-of-way for the proposed pipeline, so I would have to go back and check the reports as to whether it would be feasible to convert or gasify Colville Lake with using the Mackenzie Valley Pipeline natural gas. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker, I think the Town of Norman Wells was very pleased that the Minister can look at the possibility. It is not saying we are going to go ahead with it, but the feasibility to see what it looks like, if you can convert or have a line from Colville Lake to Norman Wells. I know there are dollars being spent in other areas. I wonder if this one here can be looked at to help out with this issue here. There are no guarantees that this is going to be done.
Mr. Speaker, my understanding is there was discussion earlier. There is a committee in Norman Wells looking at all of these different options. We will provide our information, whatever information we have through Public Works. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Final supplementary, Mr. Yakeleya.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Can the Minister, once he provides the information to Public Works, brief the Standing Committee on this issue and see what else can be done in terms of helping the town of Norman Wells in terms of this energy crisis?
Mr. Speaker, we will be pleased to provide a briefing and we will make a request to committee to see if they can fit us in their busy agenda. Thank you.
