Ronald Bonnetrouge

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my questions are related to my Member's statement on the tailings ponds contamination and seepage and are for the ECC Minister.

In light of the recent updated news, can the ECC Minister advise this House and the residents of the waterways what has been done to address the serious issue of water contamination? Mahsi.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker, and mahsi to the Minister. I'm just curious to know if the Minister's department has any reports or minutes of meeting that they may have had with the counterparts that I mentioned in Alberta, and if they could share that with the House or with the Members.

Mr. Speaker, I ask the Minister, as being part of Cabinet who controls all of government, have they reached out to the Premier of Alberta to strongly urge dialogue to discuss grave concerns regarding the mines tailing ponds, seepage, and quite possibly breaching the enclosures? Mahsi.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mahsi to the Minister for that answer. Mr. Speaker, I'm not privy to the workings with another jurisdiction, such as the province of Alberta, to draft up bilateral water management agreements. Can the Minister apprise this House as to the process for reaching an agreement to monitor and receive reports related to the contaminants? Mahsi.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I previously spoke on the subject of the Alberta oil sands tailings ponds spills, perhaps several times in the life of this 19th Assembly. This House has heard of a couple of incidents of tailings ponds breaches. One was 5.3 million litres of industrial wastewater in February 2023 and another one in May 2023. The tailings ponds contain hazardous chemicals used in separating the oil from the sand. Both incidences were not reported to our territorial government although there is a bilateral agreement with Alberta.

I would like to reiterate the current bilateral...

Madam Chair, I move that this committee recommends that departments undertaking the codrafting of resource management legislation and regulations should share more information with the public about policy options and policy intentions and conduct public engagement earlier in the process, that is, not wait until the end of the codrafting process; and further, public engagement can and should run concurrently with the codrafting process. Mahsi.

Madam Chair, I move that this committee recommends that exchanges between standing committees, the departments, and technical working groups on the review of resource management bills should be made public, where possible, and documented in committee reports and resource management bills. Mahsi.

Madam Chair, I move that this committee recommends that representatives from technical working groups should meet with standing committee earlier in the process, closer to the beginning of the codrafting process, to discuss opportunities to share information on policy options and policy intentions for resource management legislation. Mahsi.

Madam Chair, I move that this committee recommends that the department review what information it can and should provide regarding its internal interactive fire databases, its communication efforts, and how information is presented and organized on its website to improve access to and knowledge of fire prevention and suppression activities and practices. Mahsi.

Madam Chair, the Standing Committee on Economic Development and Environment took the job of reviewing Bill 74, Forest Act, very seriously. The bill itself will impact residents across the Northwest Territories in a tangible way if it receives assent, and the bill is the first to be codrafted in the Northwest Territories.

A significant amount of the committee's time and energy went in to reviewing this bill line by line, listening to what the people thought about the bill, and brainstorming solutions to problems identified by committee members. This work is outlined in the committee's report...

Madam Chair, I move that this committee recommends that the Department of Environment and Climate Change prepare a detailed budget and work plan for continued codevelopment of regulations necessary for a new Forest Act allowing for more public engagement on those regulations and the implementation of its new responsibilities under a new Forest Act. Mahsi.