Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Based on this government’s adventures in hydro power plant and transmission line building over the last 15 years, an unfortunate pattern is emerging. It starts with a modest community proposal to generate local hydro power. It could be Deline with their run-of-river proposal on the Bear River, Lutselk’e with their proposal for the Snowdrift, Whati on the La Martre River, or even Fort Smith’s desire to make use of wasted power on the Taltson system.
These proposals were all able to show long-term savings for both the community and this government that spends many millions subsidizing the cost of producing power with diesel generators.
Rather than listening to what the community wants, our leaders instead dream up a glorious mega project. They look at their maps and dream of power lines criss-crossing the NWT. Perhaps they look at maps of the provinces and wish they could have a power grid just like them.
Rather than face realities, they come up with a low-ball price and then proceed to spend millions of dollars on studies. A few years later, they quietly announce that the project has been shelved because it costs too much.
In Deline, the run-of-river project was transformed into 100 megawatt power for the pipeline project which went nowhere. In Lutselk’e and Fort Smith, we have Taltson hydro for the diamond mines. After investing tens of millions, the project was cancelled.
Just recently, the government announced that the Whati transmission line, which started as a modest, small hydro proposal, is cancelled because after a decade of consideration they concluded it will cost $20 million more than the original proposal. For the fourth time in Whati, we are back to square one.
Meanwhile, we have spent literally hundreds of millions of dollars subsidizing diesel power. Had we built these small hydro plants when the communities asked for them 10 or 15 years ago, we would be well on our way to having paid them off and residents and businesses would be enjoying stable or reduced power costs.
Rather than learning from this experience, we just dream bigger. We are currently spending millions studying a transmission line from Yellowknife to Saskatchewan that is estimated at $800 million, four times the cost of the Deh Cho Bridge.
Mr. Speaker, the NWT is a vast, sparsely populated territory. We need to be innovative. We need power solutions that are scaled to our communities and our geography.
I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.
---Unanimous consent granted
We need to be innovative and recognize our vast territory and we need power solutions that are scaled to our communities and our geography. Our communities should be adopting the cutting edge in efficient technology and renewable power production. Above all, though, both politicians and senior staff need to focus their thinking, get some hardhats, safety shoes and shovels and concentrate on building actual projects in our communities. Mahsi.
Thank you, Mr. Bromley. Member for Frame Lake, Ms. Bisaro.
MEMBER'S STATEMENT ON
WEK’EEZHII LAND AND WATER BOARD
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. On March 21st of this year, Premier McLeod announced the recipient of the 2014 Council of the Federation Excellence in Water Stewardship Award for the Northwest Territories as the Wek’eezhii Land and Water Board.
The award recognizes outstanding achievement and innovative practice and leadership in the area of the water stewardship and is presented to organizations, partnerships, businesses, institutions and communities in each province and territory.
In a press release that day, Premier McLeod stated that the Wek’eezhii Land and Water Board recognition “is an excellent example of how innovative, locally focused and action-oriented programs delivered through a regional board can educate communities in water conservation and water quality protection at the local level.” High praise and well deserved, I say.
The Wek’eezhii Land and Water Board works with Tlicho communities to initiate training for chief and council members, employees, land officers and other community members, to meet the monitoring requirements of water licences for sewage discharge and solid waste facilities. The training, which includes sampling procedures and interpretation of results, has led to an increased understanding of water quality issues and other aspects of water management.
There’s more than a hint of irony about this situation. While Premier McLeod sang the praises of a hardworking, successful regional land and water board, he was well aware that a mere two weeks later, on April 1st, the effect of the implementation of the federal Bill C-15 would mean the eradication of all regional land and water boards in the NWT. Replacing them would be one board, a super-board, a move condemned by First Nations across the territory, including the Tlicho, but tacitly supported by Premier and Cabinet.
The irony is this: On the one hand the GNWT has recognized and praised the excellent work of a regional board, all the while passively accepting its imminent demise.
If the Premier and Cabinet really believe the Wek’eezhii Land and Water Board deserves the Council of the Federation award, why are they not fighting to keep the board up and running, to keep it alive so they can continue the excellent work they do at the regional level? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Ms. Bisaro. Member for Deh Cho, Mr. Nadli.
