Mr. Speaker, a couple of weeks ago residents of Whitehorse, Yukon were surprised when they awoke to find that the greenbelts behind their
homes were being staked for mining. This came as some considerable surprise and has raised a large amount of public concern.
It is quite legal under the Yukon Quartz Mining Act to do this staking. However, it was not clearly the intention of the city of Whitehorse when it formulated these greenbelts in residential areas that the greenbelts would be open to staking.
The city of Whitehorse has appealed to the Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development for action. The territorial government has supported that appeal, as have I.
The Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development can halt the claims. He can stop them today. I therefore urge the minister to immediately grant a temporary prohibition order on claims staking to allow for the development of detailed plans for land use in the city of Whitehorse.
I say to the minister, do not put off to tomorrow what can be done today.