Yes, I appreciate that, Minister.
Specifically, the Province of British Columbia has approached your government and asked for a partnership to support this work through the critical minerals strategy. It's my hope and desire that you will engage in that work as the minister responsible for infrastructure and ensure this important region in northern British Columbia gets the infrastructure support it deserves.
I'll move on more broadly to other infrastructure issues that are challenging for communities in the region I represent.
The community of Smithers applied in 2020 for an important waste-water project. They've been receiving letters from your counterpart, the environment minister, saying that they're no longer in compliance with federal waste-water regulations. They applied in 2020. They were turned down in 2021. They revamped their project. They reapplied in 2022. Now it's been almost two yours since they've heard back from your government about whether they're going to get the funding.
In northern B.C., as you know, the construction season is very short. Every season that goes by without putting shovels in the ground is another season when the community risks not being in compliance with your government's own waste-water regulations. Their effluent, of course, goes into the Bulkley River, which is part of the Skeena watershed, an important wild salmon river. Everyone wants to see this cleaned up. Everyone wants to do the right thing and accommodate the future growth of the community.
Can you tell the people of Smithers when they're going to hear back from your department about this important infrastructure project?