Michael Miltenberger

We’ll continue to be actively involved at the table with our staff, and politically, where necessary, to move this project forward to address the issues, the governance issues, the process issues, the content issues, the decisions made in terms of choice or type of remediation, the debate over the governance piece. We are a voice and we will continue to be there for all Northerners.

We have some very capable staff, highly qualified individuals that have been on this file for many, many years, and I take great comfort when we’re presented with the best steps forward and then we agree to sign off based on that best advice.

Once again, I would be prepared, if there is an interest of committee, to have a briefing from the GNWT on the work we’ve done and the positions we’ve taken. I would be happy to come forward with our officials to have that full, in-depth discussion.

I prefer to frame things in the positive. It means that we are actively involved in the remediation of this project; that we have committed about $27 million to look at assisting in the land surrounding the immediate site; that we have officials and people that have been working for years now on advancing this project; that we are working with the federal government and all the other stakeholders, the Aboriginal governments, to try to advance this very complex project, one of the largest remediation sites in Canada; and that we are committed to that process, recognizing that it’s very complex...

I must confess, I’m not sure if it’s put to use in the winter months. I know it’s installed predominantly and specifically for taking advantage of giving us an added tool during fire season.

The answer to that request is yes. In those areas where we have settled claims and agreed to co-management processes, it’s built in and required and we work very effectively together. In the Deh Cho we have an arrangement, as well, on a more informal basis, but an arrangement and commitment to work with the communities and the Aboriginal governments on issues affecting wildlife. We will be working with communities as it pertains to the issue with the moose.

We’re taking advantage of an emerging technology that gives us this capacity, tied into some of the more conventional existing technology. It just enhances our capacity, mechanically or technologically, without necessarily having people on the ground.

I don’t have the date of the last survey but, as I indicated, there will be another survey done because of the concern about the low numbers of moose and just to check the overall population and numbers. That information, of course, will be shared fully with the residents as well as the Members of this House.

Madam Chair, there’s nine of these detectors strategically located throughout the Boreal Forest that give us a network and grid for when lightning strikes to map the tens of thousands, if not hundreds of thousands of lightning strikes over the course of the year. The majority of them are located in the southern part of the territory and then there are some up the valley.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to take a brief opportunity to acknowledge and recognize the Pages from Fort Smith: young Mitchell Kearley and Jarod Tuckey, and the very hardworking mother of Mitchell, Ms. Melanie Kearley. Thank you for coming to Yellowknife and I hope they’ve enjoyed the experience.

Nine, Madam Chair.