Evidence of meeting #37 for Indigenous and Northern Affairs in the 40th Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was tourism.
2:20 p.m.
Chair, Alaska Highway Aboriginal Pipeline Coalition
Yes, we are accumulating that information and passing it on to the communities. It is posted on our website and in our newsletters.
They are hoping to make an announcement in July. The community is a bit nervous right now because we don't feel as prepared as we should be.
2:20 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Bruce Stanton
I don't have much time left, but what stage would you say the project is at? How far are they from seeing any construction begin on this project?
2:20 p.m.
Chair, Alaska Highway Aboriginal Pipeline Coalition
For construction, they are at the pre-filing application stage. Whoever is awarded that will go into the preparation for construction. We met with one of the proponents the other day, and they feel it will be a minimum of five years from this week.
2:20 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Bruce Stanton
Okay.
Is Prudhoe Bay where this is originating, essentially? Where's the terminus? Do you know whether this is going into British Columbia or some other distribution point?
2:20 p.m.
Chair, Alaska Highway Aboriginal Pipeline Coalition
That hasn't been confirmed yet, but they're looking at northern Alberta from Prudhoe Bay.
2:20 p.m.
Liberal
Larry Bagnell Liberal Yukon, YT
Does the federal government treat the Yukon aboriginal pipeline group the same way it treats the Mackenzie Valley aboriginal pipeline group? If there are differences in the treatment, could you outline them a bit?
2:20 p.m.
Chair, Alaska Highway Aboriginal Pipeline Coalition
We are asking to meet with them. We did a preliminary business plan on things we need to go forward prior to this project being announced. We've already lost four years. The Canadian government has funded the Mackenzie Valley project and the aboriginal working group to the tune of $32 million over a five-year period. To date, I think we have received less than $200,000 in four years.
It's really important for us to sit down and explain the situation here. Once this mega-project is announced, we won't be able to stop it and we won't have time to be as prepared as we would like. We are trying to avoid some of the mistakes and uncertainty in the regulatory process that happened with Mackenzie.
2:20 p.m.
Liberal
Larry Bagnell Liberal Yukon, YT
So there was $32 million for the aboriginal group in Mackenzie and less than a quarter of a million to aboriginals in the Yukon. I can see why you're frustrated.
When did you ask for a meeting on your proposal? Without getting into the whole business proposal, roughly what are the major items you need funding for and how much are you asking for?
2:20 p.m.
Chair, Alaska Highway Aboriginal Pipeline Coalition
In our business plan, we wanted to do the guidelines project, for which CEAA has managed to give us $104,000, so that is an ongoing project. Then we received a little bit of funding from the northern strategy.
2:20 p.m.
Chair, Alaska Highway Aboriginal Pipeline Coalition
We're asking for support of our APC office, for starters, and not only from Canada but from the Yukon government and industry, so that there is a continuation. For the communities, we're asking for one position in each community so that we have continuity in communications.
2:20 p.m.
Liberal
Larry Bagnell Liberal Yukon, YT
Jennifer, the temperature change has been much bigger in the north than in the south. Can you tell me if that is affecting our infrastructure in the north differently? You work in B.C. as well. Have you noticed climate change effects in your work?
2:20 p.m.
Liberal
Larry Bagnell Liberal Yukon, YT
So this permafrost melting and everything was just as bad twenty years ago?
2:20 p.m.
Vice-President, Pelly Construction Ltd.
Well, I think about our Shakwak jobs; probably the last one we did that I was part of was in 1995. My remembrance of it before that is probably not very good.
I personally have not really seen that much change in the permafrost. It's just that once you unbury, you get the rock off it, and you get down into it, it changes. It's the mechanical devices that go down there and disturb the permafrost when we put the road on top of it. I haven't seen any natural changes that affected it much more than we did with our dozers.
2:25 p.m.
Liberal
Larry Bagnell Liberal Yukon, YT
Thank you.
Randy, this committee seemed to be working well when you were on it. How did the government ever manage to get you off that committee? How did that come about?
2:25 p.m.
Professional Engineer, Klondike Placer Miners' Association
As for the reason we were asked to go off the committee, in order for the Klondike Placer Miners' Association to stay on the committee, they wanted to bring in a number of NGOs as well, and we'd had previous experience with the Yukon placer committee. When you have a number of NGOs, the industry, and the government, nothing goes very quickly or very efficiently. We felt we had more to lose than more to gain from the regulations on the placer industry at the time.
2:25 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Bruce Stanton
Thank you, Mr. Bagnell.
Mr. Clarke, I think you had one short question.
2:25 p.m.
Conservative
2:25 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Bruce Stanton
You have a couple of minutes. If that stretches into three, that's okay too, but keep it short.
