MEMBERS' STATEMENTS


1998 Canada Day Poster Challenge

Hon. Rosemary Vodrey (Minister of Culture, Heritage and Citizenship): Madam Speaker, on Monday, June 15, 1998, I had the pleasure of attending the results of the 1998 Canada Day Poster Challenge at Government House. These posters were designed by students. They were wonderful representation of how students saw themselves within our country of Canada. Each year students from across the country are invited to participate in the Poster Challenge. Their posters reflect their pride, as well as the multicultural diversity of Canada.

This year marks the 11th anniversary of the Poster Challenge. In Manitoba alone, there were 6,500 posters entered in the challenge from over 300 schools in our province. I would like to congratulate all of those who participated in this year's Poster Challenge. Also, I would like to make a special mention of the students from Fort Garry School Division who participated and were finalists in the 1998 Canada Day Poster Challenge.

These students are Michaela Knispel from Ecole Viscount Alexander, Wilbert Vivas from St. Maurice School, Joanna Wasiak from R.H.G. Bonnycastle School, Charmaine Antonette Rona from St. Maurice School, Amy Yee from St. Maurice School, Nalinda Chandrasena from Acadia School, and the second-place winner, Mohammad Irfan Khan from St. John's-Ravenscourt. Congratulations to all of these students.

Mr. Sig Halldorson

Mr. Gerard Jennissen (Flin Flon): Madam Speaker, I want to pay tribute today to Mr. Sig Halldorson of Flin Flon. Mr. Halldorson pedalled his bicycle from Flin Flon to Winnipeg in order to raise funds for the seniors and children at the Flin Flon General Hospital.

He travelled a total distance of 870 kilometres. Mr. Halldorson left Flin Flon the morning of June 8 and arrived in Winnipeg the afternoon of Friday, June 12. On the very first day of his bikathon, Mr. Halldorson pedalled a distance of 215 kilometres. Mr. Halldorson deserves a huge thank you for his outstanding efforts in support of pediatric and geriatric health care in the Flin Flon region. Also, a big thank you is in order for all who pledged and donated money to Mr. Halldorson's bicycle marathon.

Support from major sponsors was also greatly appreciated, namely, Sports on the Rocks, Dembinski's Limited, Creighton Furniture and the Flin Flon Rotary Club.

Thank you, Mr. Halldorson, for caring enough about our elderly and our young people to invest five full days of your life to raising funds for a very worthwhile cause.

Mr. David Faurschou (Portage la Prairie): Madam Speaker, I, too, would like to recognize the accomplishments of Mr. Sig Halldorson. I had the privilege of meeting this young man on the steps of the Legislature last Friday, and indeed he is determined to promote funding for pediatric and geriatric care in the Flin Flon Hospital. I had the opportunity to represent the Minister of Health (Mr. Praznik) on this occasion, and I am very grateful for that opportunity.

Mr. Halldorson trained for over 18 months for this journey from Flin Flon. He maintained a pace through wind and rain and other undue conditions, and he proceeded to continue and arrive here in Winnipeg unfettered for these weather conditions.

I would like to say, on behalf of all honourable members here, a strong note of congratulations to Mr. Halldorson, that he may continue on his successful journey to making greater awareness of these health care issues of which all of us are aware. I congratulate him for raising funds for the Norman Regional Health Authority in this endeavour. Thank you very much, Madam Speaker.

Domtar Site--Public Park

Ms. Marianne Cerilli (Radisson): Madam Speaker, I want to take this opportunity to put a few concerns on the record with regard to the Domtar proposal for remediation and end use. Recent reports in the media have provoked me to do this, because I think they are treating it as if it is only a good news story and that there are no community concerns. Many of the community members feel like they have to accept the current proposal or nothing at all will happen.

The community was told in a meeting prior to this year, the last community meeting, that they would have final review of the director's order prior to any action taking place, and this has not occurred. They have not seen the financial statements or the financial package which they were told they would have the chance to do at the final TAC meeting.

They were also told at that meeting that they would have input into the agreement and the relationship between Domtar and Fort Whyte Centre on the end use and that there would be a democratically elected committee of community advisers formed, and this has not occurred. They have a number of concerns about the bioreserve, about the security, about the lack of facilities, the lack of lighting, the access, and they are very concerned that they will not have the information, the amount of money going from Domtar to Fort Whyte to operate this park.

This is new ground. It is going to be a privately owned public park with open access. There are a number of concerns about liability insurance. I think the whole way this has moved forward shows that there are a number of weaknesses in the contaminated sites legislation which is very discretionary and has basically treated the former Domtar site as disposable. The government has basically declared that this land is disposable. Now I think it will come to pass, when we see if this property is ever sold, that no one would be interested in buying it. There are a number of concerns about Domtar being able to walk away from this property after the remediation and only having to put up $571,000.

There are ongoing concerns about the property values for the residents located adjacent to the site. If contamination is found on their property, it seems that they are simply going to have to deal with this on a personal basis, and the government's and Domtar's approach to this is we will deal with it if the problem arises.

Madam Speaker: Order, please. The honourable member's time has long expired.

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Municipal Governments--Terms of Office

Mr. Stan Struthers (Dauphin): Today I rise on a member's statement on behalf of a couple of municipal governments in my area, namely the Town of Grandview and the R.M. of Dauphin, both of whom have expressed concerns about this government's objective in increasing terms of office at the municipal level from three years to four years. The Town of Grandview has been very emphatic that they believe that length of time is too lengthy, and it will in fact prevent the town from attracting good candidates to serve in terms of office representing the citizens of Grandview.

Madam Speaker, the R.M. of Dauphin has pointed out that, in regard to moving from three- to four-year terms, that may be okay for a jurisdiction such as the City of Winnipeg where substantial remuneration is paid to councillors to offset the amount of time they spend at meetings, that that might be okay for the City of Winnipeg, but in the case of the R.M. of Dauphin, they do not have that ability. I would suggest that many other R.M.s and town councils in rural Manitoba do not have that ability as well, since the money is constricted in small communities in rural Manitoba and throughout the North.

Madam Speaker, both the Town of Grandview and the R.M. of Dauphin really strenuously want the Minister of Rural Development (Mr. Derkach) to consider both the pros and the cons of this move to a four-year term of office for councillors and really want the minister to understand why that is not a good move, why that is simply too long a term for councillors to be spending. They are really worried that they will not be able to attract the number of candidates for elections come this fall and in future elections at the municipal level if the government goes ahead with the move to extend terms to a four-year from three-year term of office. Thank you.

Committee Changes


Madam Speaker: The honourable member for Gimli, with committee changes.

Mr. Edward Helwer (Gimli): Madam Speaker, I move, seconded by the member for Pembina (Mr. Dyck), that the composition of the Standing Committee on Law Amendments for Thursday, June 18, at 10 a.m. be amended as follows: the member for Minnedosa (Mr. Gilleshammer) for the member for Lakeside (Mr. Enns), the member for Roblin-Russell (Mr. Derkach) for the member for Gimli (Mr. Helwer).

Motion agreed to.