Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions today are for the Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs on the subject of unauthorized occupation of a small point of land in the Weledeh riding. I’m talking about the houseboat that has been pulled up on shore at the point in Willow Flats. I appreciate that there were three originally; we are down to one. I have been getting complaints from constituents since this boat arrived in June and these complaints are escalating as we learn about the poor treatment of a pet chained now at the point.
Would the Minister explain who has what jurisdiction over this situation and on that piece of land and water? Mahsi.
Thank you, Mr. Bromley. Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs, Mr. McLeod.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We have jurisdiction over that. It is Commissioner’s Lake that land is called. We have been trying to locate the owner of the houseboat so they can be served and have that houseboat removed. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thanks to the Minister for that. This is a favourite spot for families to gather for picnics, to swim and to walk their dogs throughout the winter, or should I say, they used to do those things.
Would the Minister be able to explain how or if this jurisdiction arrangement will change with devolution? Mahsi.
Mr. Speaker, if it’s Commissioner’s land, I don’t foresee much change. Once devolution happens we’ll still be responsible for that land within the boundary. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker, could the Minister explain when and how the City of Yellowknife could apply for jurisdiction over this area and if this could help manage situations such as the one we are faced with today?
Mr. Speaker, we will be more than willing to sit down with the City of Yellowknife and discuss the jurisdiction of the lakebed.
Again, the Member is right; from the correspondence that I have been getting, it is a favoured spot of a lot of people that use the trail. There is some concern, and I have received e-mails directly, about the houseboat that is there. We are looking at trying to, again, locate the owner and have the houseboat removed from the area. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Final, short supplementary, Mr. Bromley.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I hope the Minister does understand that there is a standing offer from constituents to assist the Minister. They know where this person is. The Weledeh residents have been asking for something to be done about this all summer, so we have lost a summer of swimming and picnicking and so on. Can we expect it to continue all winter as well?
What is the current status of the process of removing this trespasser? And, incidentally, the log structure that is in the ice just to the North is a dangerous barrier to travel during the dark parts of the winter. Mahsi.
I know there has been an attempt to serve the owner of the houseboat. I believe the sheriff has even gone out with a boat and tried to locate the particular individual. I can assure the Member that we are looking by the end of the week if we can’t serve these papers, then we might have to look at other options. My understanding is that once we do that, if there is a concern that boat is going to be there next spring, to make a bit of a commitment that once we get all the proper work done, then the boat should be removed. If it happens to be this winter, it will be this winter. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. McLeod. The honourable Member for Inuvik Boot Lake, Mr. Moses.
