Debates of October 26, 2006 (day 16)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I want to direct my questions to the honourable Minister Brendan Bell, Minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment. Mr. Speaker, I want to ask the Minister in terms of could he provide this House and the people in the Sahtu who are listening on the status of the Dodo Canol Heritage Trail issue in terms of it being a national-territorial historical park? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. The honourable Minister responsible for Industry, Tourism and Investment, Mr. Bell.

Return To Question 195-15(5): Cleanup Of The Canol Heritage Park Trail

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I thank the Member for the question. There’s a lot of work underway in this regard to make the Dodo Canol Park Trail more of a regional focal point. I think we’re doing some good work. We’ve struck a committee with the help of the Member, who really reinvigorated efforts in this regard locally. There’s a lot of interest now in getting this park created. We have our next meeting, I believe, in November with the committee. They will be talking about this summer’s walk on the trail that both the Premier and the Member participated in. I think it raised a lot of attention and profile for the trail and I think it was very worthwhile. I hope we do future walks, Mr. Speaker. Their next meeting is in November and we’ll discuss that issue and a number of others, including how we get the land transferred from the federal government. There has to be a park plan in place and we’re working through that. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Bell. Supplementary, Mr. Yakeleya.

Supplementary To Question 195-15(5): Cleanup Of The Canol Heritage Park Trail

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the people in the Sahtu region, especially in the Tulita and Norman Wells region and I think in other communities within my region, certainly congratulate the Minister in terms of his commitment in getting the committee off the ground. Mr. Speaker, I want to ask the Minister in terms of continuing on with this work, would the Minister commit to working with the committee on terms of cleaning up the old telephone wires that were laid down in the 1940s? I think there’s over 1,600 feet of old leaded telephone wires that are doing some damage to the animals on the trail. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. Mr. Bell.

Further Return To Question 195-15(5): Cleanup Of The Canol Heritage Park Trail

Yes, Mr. Speaker, I can see from the Premier’s applause that he as well has seen this first hand, the telegraph wires and other left-behind articles from the ‘40s. It’s important that we get this cleaned up. Obviously we want to have this issue addressed before we talk about land transfer. We think it’s a federal responsibility. We’re making that argument and that case that they in fact should clean it up. So we’re in discussions in that regard. We’ll have more of those as we meet in November. I can say that before we take over transfer of this land, we want to have that addressed. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Bell. Supplementary, Mr. Yakeleya.

Supplementary To Question 195-15(5): Cleanup Of The Canol Heritage Park Trail

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I had mentioned this to the previous Minister of ENR and unfortunately the situation couldn’t be dealt with at that time. However, Mr. Speaker, I want to say to the Minister that the trip was truly an experience that the Premier and I had with the youth from the Sahtu region and I ask the Minister if he would consider looking at this as a national or a territorial leadership walk. I think that’s a real good initiative to encourage our leaders, encourage our youth, to spend one week on the land and just talk about life’s important issues that they face, and that the Minister would work with the other departments to see if this could be a territorial initiative for all northern youth to participate in. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. Mr. Bell.

Further Return To Question 195-15(5): Cleanup Of The Canol Heritage Park Trail

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Member has made the case for this. I think the Premier obviously came back with great things to say about the initiative. I certainly appreciate the Member taking it on himself really to drive this walk this year and make this thing happen. We’d like to do it in future years. I am, though, of course cautious. We have a committee in place. We want to sit down in November and talk to them, do a bit of a debrief on the walk, talk about how it went and talk about priorities for the coming years. So given committee’s support, Mr. Speaker, I see no reason why we wouldn’t do more of this. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Bell. Final supplementary, Mr. Yakeleya.

Supplementary To Question 195-15(5): Cleanup Of The Canol Heritage Park Trail

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the youth walked, the Premier of course walked, yours truly walked, even though I had real sore feet, but I still kept going. Now I want to ask if the Minister, the good Minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment, if he would come along and walk with us, join in this initiative. He believes in it. I think he does. I think it would be good for the Minister to show leadership and come for a walk. Would he come for a walk with the rest of the boys and girls? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. Mr. Bell.

Further Return To Question 195-15(5): Cleanup Of The Canol Heritage Park Trail

Mr. Speaker, the Member I think has sufficiently shamed me into, as he’s saying, taking a hike. So yes, I would love to join him for that. Thank you.

---Applause