Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I'd like to ask questions to the Minister of ECC about encampments.
Mr. Speaker, the GNWT has designated Commissioner's land as a place to go, so in other words they're actually sanctioning encampments on Commissioner's land. And by directing them in that particular area, there must be some responsibility that is taken. So knowing for a fact there are propane tanks, jerry cans stored properly -- improperly to be clear, open fires, and there's waste that's spilling on to private property that the private property owners have to be now responsible for, what are the inspectors of ECC doing to, say, mitigate or address these types of problems? Thank you.
Thank you, Member from Yellowknife Centre. Minister of ECC.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, our staff from environment and climate change and the lands division have been visiting sites throughout the city over the last number of months, and also have responded to some requests from citizens and some of those that came through other Members of this House, you know, on garbage and different things like that that have been out and around the city and some of these areas and have engaged with local NGOs to do some work in cleaning different areas as well as our staff have also gone out and participated in some of that activity. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. If someone went out on the Ingraham Trail and built a permanent structure, and one example I'll give is the tree house tower of some sort, out of building material and other types of things -- who knows what it's made out of; it doesn't look safe -- the Department of ECC would be instructing that that had to be cleaned up, torn down, etcetera. So why are these structures being allowed on Commissioner's land because they're downtown Yellowknife but if it was on the Ingraham Trail, they'd be posting an order to clean up? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, unauthorized occupancy is certainly an area of concern. Within the Commissioner's land and public land, the ability for any resident of the Northwest Territories to occupy that land in a tent, you know, for in a camping situation, is within the allowable activities. Of course, they are responsible for following all of the associated rules and things that apply to that.
As far as the unauthorized structures, that is not allowed obviously. And as our officers go around and we attempt to engage with the individuals that we may or may not know who's created that structure and have that conversation to try and resolve that situation. And then there's a step process that would escalate it up to the posting and often to the court system. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister of ECC. Final supplementary. Member from Yellowknife Centre.
Mr. Speaker, I raise it again because it's so important. If there are propane tanks there, open fires, jerry cans, all within reach, Mr. Speaker, and garbage spewing everywhere and, in my opinion, some difficult living conditions, can the Minister provide this House, if not verbally today, some statistics and data on how often these sites are all individually inspected and what have been the results from each individual inspection with some dates? Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, obviously, that is not information that I would have with me here today but I'm certainly willing to -- I will commit to go back to the department and see what we keep in statistics, in data, around those specific items that the Member has raised and be happy to get back to the Member with a response. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister of ECC. Oral questions. Member from Range Lake.
