Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Following up on my Member’s statement on the Enterprise fire tower, my question is to the Minister of Environment and Natural Resources. I think we are all aware of the potential for each season to be fairly unpredictable in terms of forest fire activity throughout the summer. We look towards, especially in the small communities, government infrastructure projects as an opportunity to create employment and also to try and invigorate business opportunities wherever we can.
What are the department’s plans for the construction of the tower in Enterprise? Mahsi.
Thank you, Mr. Nadli. Minister of Environment and Natural Resources, Mr. Miltenberger.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The plan is to proceed with the construction of a fire tower at Enterprise in 2014 and look at the decommissioning of the one that is currently in the Cameron Hills that is accessible only by helicopter as a fire tower. It still has a role to play with our communication system, but the intent is to look at the construction of the fire tower this year. Thank you.
The Minister has indicated that the construction will start. Has a site and contractor for the construction been selected? Mahsi.
Mr. Speaker, I believe a site has been identified, but I don’t have the information as to whether they have proceeded to the point where they have actually picked the contractor for the construction. Thank you.
I would like to ask the Minister how can local businesses benefit from tower construction and operation if a contractor hasn’t been selected yet. Mahsi.
Mr. Speaker, I will commit to the Member to check where this is in the process, but it would be a case of following and looking for whatever tender documents may come out in the paper and looking for those opportunities. It’s a relatively small contract of roughly $400,000 or somewhere in that range. There will be some opportunity, some of that may be somewhat specialized, but it would be best to check and follow through the public tendering process. I will commit to get back to the Member with details and the status of the project. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. Final, short supplementary, Mr. Nadli.
I would like to thank the Minister for committing to following up on details of the construction and so forth.
What would a person from Enterprise need to do in order to work at the tower, notwithstanding that there’s a public process in terms of the tendering, but there’s an interest in terms of the local community being employed. What would a person from Enterprise need to do in order to work at the tower? Mahsi.
Currently, there is an arrangement made with Evergreen Forestry to have the tower that is in the Cameron Hills looked after by one of their members. Once again, I’d have to check the length of that agreement. If there were other interests other than through Evergreen when the current arrangement lapsed, there would be potential opportunity there; or members from Enterprise can talk to the folks from Evergreen to see what their options are. But it’s just one person and it’s through that current contract. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. Mr. Hawkins.
