Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my questions are a follow up to my Member’s statement for the Minister of Environment and Natural Resources. As I mentioned in my Member statement, in 2014, the community of Fort McPherson put in a proposal for the fire break for the community, as it is in the approval process. Then the NWT was hit with recordbreaking fires that year. I would like to ask the Minister: what is the status of work towards building a fire break in Fort McPherson? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Minister of Environment and Natural Resources.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would have to look into that particular community for the Member and get back to him on what the status is for the Fort McPherson fire break. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, you know the latest NWTAC's meeting as well, they're in full support of preparing all our communities for with fire breaks and doing their part as well. I'd also like to ask the Minister: Tsiigehtchic's 2010 community wildland fire protection plan recommends a building of a new break. What is the status of that project as well?
Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and same with that particular one. Wildland fire protection plans are a shared responsibility in Northwest Territories. They are jointly with the Department of Municipal… MACA, ENR, and also the local community governments, so I'll have to confer with my colleague and see what the status is on that and with the local government.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I'd also like to thank the department for reinstating the fire crew in Tsiigehtchic. It was out of commission for a few years. It started last year, but people are working there once again, and I would like to thank them. I would also like to ask the Minister, how is the department using this unusual quiet month to prepare the rest of the fire season?
We have ongoing efforts to train and maintain our equipment and personnel for the fire season, so it's an ongoing effort that is continually working throughout the seasons. Like I said in my Minister's statement earlier today, we have taken the opportunity to send a number of our personnel to Alberta to help in their wildfire season, so it's a significant contribution that the Government of the Northwest Territories has done to help Alberta. We continue to work on them on a daily basis.
Masi. Oral questions. Member for Mackenzie Delta.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to ask the Minister: will the community of Fort McPherson have to submit another proposal or will the department just act on the proposal that they had in 2014? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As I have stated earlier, I will have to confer with MACA and the local government to see where we are at on that process and have a look at it.
Masi. Oral questions. Member for Nahendeh.
