SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE - If the water and sewer system fails in the Northland Trailer Park, Yellowknife city council will be responsible for assisting displaced residents, a Yellowknife MLA was told in the legislative assembly.

Frame Lake MLA Wendy Bisaro was pushing Municipal and Community Affairs Minister Robert McLeod for plans by the territorial government to assist in case of catastrophic failure.

"I'd like to know from the minister whether or not there are any protocols, policies, guidelines that exist within this government that would govern GNWT actions in such a case," said Bisaro. "Actions that the government would have to take to accommodate residents who have been shut out of their homes because of a public order condemning their properties."

She said 1,100 people live in the trailer park with a water and sewer system 15 years past its expiry date. In February one of the park's underground sewage lines failed and an above ground sewage line had to be installed. McLeod responded that the city would lead the work to respond to any system failure, but his department would provide any possible support.

"This is a privately-held condominium. We would do what we can to assist whenever possible, wherever possible, and if it is possible," said McLeod.

Workers safety rules costly

Yellowknife Centre MLA Robert Hawkins took aim at draft revisions to the Workers' Safety and Compensation Commission Act in the legislative assembly on Monday.

He said owners of small and medium-sized businesses in the territory are concerned draft changes to the act mean an added regulatory burden of paperwork which will make them less competitive.

"May I remind this house, and the minister knows this, that there's almost 400 pages of regulations being updated," said Hawkins. "What is the WSCC (Workers' Safety and Compensation Commission) doing to ensure that the administrative burden is not being ploughed down onto industry when they're able to afford it least? What are they doing to ensure that we're looking at stabilizing and ensuring that costs will remain the same for industry through this regulatory update?"

Robert McLeod, minister responsible for the WSCC, responded that input is currently being sought from business owners and changes to regulations would not be implemented without consideration to the cost of implementation.

Assisted living space shortage

Frame Lake MLA Wendy Bisaro and Health minister Sandy Lee had it out Monday over a shortage of assisted living accommodations in Yellowknife for adult disabled children.

Bisaro sought assurance that plans are being developed to accommodate mentally disabled adults.

"We have to recognize that not everybody in the territories gets to stay exactly where they want to be. We would like to have people stay in their communities as much as possible, but the assisted living facility in Hay River was built for everybody in the territories," said Lee of the recently built $2.5 million assisted living complex in Hay River. "We do have services in Yellowknife, but whenever there is a resident in the territories who needs assisted living or a facility living arrangement, they go through the Territorial Admissions Committee and we place them as best as we can to places that are available."

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