Shane Thompson

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, Melvin Sake was born on April 21st, 1996, to Willy and Rose Sake in Fort Providence, NWT. This is where he was raised until the family moved to Mile 80. Then the family moved to Hay River and on to Fort Smith. During the move to Fort Smith, he'd attended school in Breynat Hall. He stayed in school until grade 7, then he moved to Jean Marie River, the home community of his father. Melvin liked to spend a lot of time with his father in the bush. This is where he enjoyed being especially at the family's cabin that he helped build on Sanguez Lake. Just his time...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I wish to table the following two documents: Conference of Management Authorities Species at Risk Annual Report 20222023; and, the NWT Species at Risk Annual Report 20222023. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I can tell you that we've got numerous phone calls from the Members, including Members from on this side, that had residents that were didn't get their information. We then worked with them to get on those flights. Yes, we heard some of the challenges that were there and we were trying to get people on those flights. We also had people that showed up here without telling us, and we were looking for them too. So we did have staff there that we were working on that.

As for coming up with another program, we have our bailiwicks of our options available to us...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Yesterday it was said in the House that we were telling people to get out on the planes, get the planes going out there. This is the communication that we sent out: If it's safe for residents who have vehicles and are available to drive, to start evacuating now. If there are any smoke conditions, residents evacuating by the highway will be escorted from Yellowknife through active fire zone. Air evacuation is scheduled to begin at 1 p.m., Thursday, August 7th, 2023. Only residents who do not have the option to leave the area by road are asked to register for evacuation...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As I noted earlier, the construction of fuel breaks needs to consider a number of factors, specifically to each area and community, including the type of fuel in the area. The Department of Environment and Climate Change has worked closely with each forested community to develop their community plans, which include consideration of these factors. We are committed to continuing to work with communities to provide technical advice and expertise in planning for fuel breaks as well as other fire mitigation measures.

Mr. Speaker, just so people here in the House and people...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the Department of Environment and Climate Change works closely with communities to provide advice and recommendations on ways to help mitigate risk for wildfire. Furel breaks are one of the multiple tools that are used in wildfire prevention, mitigation, and response. Characteristics of the fuel breaks are typically based on specific fuel types in a specific area and take into consideration the type of trees, including tree species, height, and density. It is important to note that the fuel breaks are not intended to stop the spread of wildfire. They are to...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, at the end of June 2023, I wrote to the Paradise Gardens residents to advise that the GNWT is not amending the DAP to provide for a different approach. The GNWT is providing the eligible claim under DAP. The government is also directing or directly paying for damage assessments, emergency work, structural assessments, mitigation assessments, and property appraisals. Finally, the GNWT is also providing mitigation funding of up to or of $75,000 per claim. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the Disaster Assistance Policy has been applied to both the 2022 flood and the 2023 fire season, and this tool that will continue to be used to help those who have experienced property losses or damages during these events. The DAP does not contain specific buyout or buy back language, but its provisions do accomplish similar results in supporting home and business owners to relocate if they choose to do so. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, today I would like to recognize this year's historic wildfire season, the challenges faced by so many NWT residents and others across Canada, and the heroic efforts of firefighters and emergency management personnel to protect our communities.

Before the 2023 wildfire season began, weather forecasts predicted an early start to the season and a high risk for many areas in the NWT. We saw record temperatures, little rain, and severe drought throughout the summer and fall. All of this resulted in extreme fire conditions for most of the season.

Based on the...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the fire was more than 30 kilometers away from Enterprise for days before it impacted the community. The fire was closer to Kakisa before this extreme wind event pushed it towards the community of Enterprise, which was further than predicted by models. Aircraft and crews actioned this fire consistently as conditions allowed throughout their response beginning with initial attack on August 2nd. The fire impacted on Enterprise was not a result of crews being spread out, but it was a result of extreme wind event and environmental conditions. This caused the...