Debates of March 10, 2009 (day 26)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Norman Wells has the smallest population of any tax-based municipality in the Northwest Territories. Located on a very large river, in the spring when the Mackenzie breaks up, ice jams cause flooding and shore lands can be battered.

Since its construction about 70 years ago, the town’s water treatment plant and macerator building have been at risk of ice damage and flooding and possible demolition of these very important buildings. The council requests funding from MACA to cover costs of a breakwater or seawall. The town thought the costs would come from the infrastructure funding available from the Building Canada Plan first announced in 2007 federal budget.

On February 21, 2008, the NWT was promising funding for $185 million for a seven-year period for transportation and community infrastructure. The town applied twice for funding and had been rejected twice. The town council and residents remain puzzled as to why the applications were rejected.

Last fall the town council of Norman Wells had designs drawn up to build a breakwater to protect the facility. It was a community ready project. Completion was required before breakup and so a contract has been tendered and awarded, given the short construction window. The federal government told MACA that the Norman Wells Sea Project is not eligible for funding as the construction has already been completed. The budget for the project was $613,000. If this wasn’t done by the town, Mr. Speaker, the situation would have been disastrous, costly and catastrophic. This is a very unfortunate situation.

Here we have important work going ahead, people being employed in design and construction. How come Norman Wells can’t get any money from the Government of Canada? But the Government of Canada has no shame taking money from the Norman Wells oilfield, Mr. Speaker. Shame, Mr. Speaker.

As of today, Canada has now, through Building Canada Plan, infrastructure projects for 2009-10. When are we going to find out about this funding? Miraculously, if it wasn’t for a strand of birch trees opposite the sewer power building acting as a natural barrier and preventing the building from being destroyed, the town did the only thing that any community would have done for its people. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.