Mr. David Faurschou (Portage la Prairie): It is really a pleasure for me to rise in the House today and invite all the honourable members of the Chamber to partake of the strawberries at their place this afternoon. It is a pleasure for me to offer them to all honourable members, in co-operation with the former member of the Chamber, the Honourable Ed Connery.

Madam Speaker, early in the 1970s, when grains were abundant and bins were full, farmers were encouraged to diversify. The farmers in Portage la Prairie took up that challenge and went into the production of strawberries. Within a very few years, dozens of farms in Portage la Prairie had strawberry patches. The strawberries that were produced in Portage la Prairie were so abundant that nowhere else in Canada was there such an abundance of strawberries. It was then known that Portage la Prairie was the strawberry capital of Canada. In fact, in 1988, during one of the celebrations, Portage la Prairie entered the Guinness Book of World Records with a giant bowl of strawberries 1,511 kilograms in size. That feat still stands today in the Book of World Records.

Although this year, because of the Pan American Games and the Portage la Prairie hosting of the athletes' and coaches' village, the volunteers are scarce and the Strawberry Festival has been partially cancelled, this weekend I invite all honourable members to come to Portage la Prairie where a number of events will celebrate the strawberry at the 127th edition of the Portage Ex where in fact Portage la Prairie and area celebrates and takes very much pride in the agriculture in and around Portage la Prairie.

Mr. Leonard Evans (Brandon East): The minister responsible for Workplace Safety and Health on July 5 provided us with some information respecting the problem of explosions at the Simplot ammonia plant in Brandon, and I thank the minister for that information. He, having reported that his branch, the Workplace Safety and Health and Mechanical Engineering branches jointly reviewed the situation and confirmed that various repairs and modifications of processing equipment had been made and that his staff seemed to be satisfied with the situation, although I understand from his statement, this is not a final report. His staff is in the process of finalizing the report.

So I would trust that the minister will table that report, certainly make it available to the community when it is ready, because there is still a lot of concern and apprehension. Whether it is founded or not, the minister may argue, but nevertheless there is still a lot of apprehension. I understand the City of Brandon is looking at doing some kind of an independent review. At least they were exploring it at one time. This was public information, and I would think that it would be responsible on the minister's part if he would consult with the city administration to ensure or to see just where that stands and perhaps, if the city does want to proceed, to co-operate with them in some kind of an outside review because I believe this is what is required and this is a suggestion meant in the public interest. It is not anti-Simplot. Simplot should not discourage any kind of an outside review. It is in their interests; it is in everyone's interests. So I urge the minister that he should seriously consider an outside study using the appropriate expertise wherever it may be and perhaps do this jointly with the City of Brandon.

Mr. Edward Helwer (Gimli): Madam Speaker, I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate Mr. Neil Bardal who recently received an appointment, official recognition and accreditation as the honorary consul general of Iceland in Gimli.

Madam Speaker: Order, please. I would like to remind all honourable members this is members' statements, and I am experiencing great difficulty hearing the members. Could those having private meetings please do so outside the Chamber.

Mr. Helwer: Thank you, again, Madam Speaker. Mr. Bardal has served as an honorary consul general for Iceland in our province since 1994. However, with the opening earlier this year of an Icelandic consulate in Winnipeg and the appointment of consul general, Svavar Gestsson, Mr. Bardal was given this honorary position in Gimli. He is now responsible for representing the government of Iceland in Gimli, the main centre of the New Iceland region here in Manitoba.

Mr. Bardal has been a very active member of the Icelandic community here in North America. He has been a board member of the Canada Iceland Foundation and president of the Icelandic National League of North America. I would like to ask all of the members of this Assembly to join me in offering congratulations to Mr. Bardal on this appointment. It will no doubt serve to further strengthen the ties between Iceland and the New Icelanders of Gimli. Thank you, Madam Speaker.

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Ms. Rosann Wowchuk (Swan River): Aboriginal people across this province are suffering from high unemployment and in many cases very poor living conditions, and most of this lies at the feet of this government for their lack of understanding and lack of support for aboriginal communities. If you look at the record of this government, Madam Speaker, they have cut many programs that were advantageous for aboriginal people: an Access program, a 14-year program that helped disadvantaged people get into school; BUNTEP, a Brandon University teachers' program; New Careers, a successful training program. The most successful training program in the country with a 93 percent job success rate was terminated.

The Conservative government ended funding to friendship centres, and this year finally recognized the importance of friendship centres and put some of that funding back into place. This government reduced the payments to foster parents who look after many children, many children who are aboriginal who end up in foster homes. In 1993 this government cut funding to the Northern Fishermen's Freight Assistance. This government in 1996 cut welfare rates by 21 percent for single adults and other programs.

When aboriginal people try to come forward with ideas that will help them create jobs, this government plays along with them and pretends that they are going to help them and then, for political purposes, changes their mind. Earlier this year a committee of provincial cabinet ministers and Manitoba chiefs recommended licensing two First Nations casinos, one in the North and one in the south, and to expand the numbers of VLTs available to northern communities.

However, after two major protests here at the Legislature, the government has decided to punish these people and take away the promise that they made for them, take away their hope that they might create some jobs, they might offer some opportunity for their people. It is very disappointing, Madam Speaker, that the government would, on one hand, offer a hand and say they are going to help them and then, for political purposes, pull that hope away from these people, hope that they might raise some funds to help their people.

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

Mr. Gary Kowalski (The Maples): Madam Speaker, I rise to mention a news story I saw on the noon news on CKY, and it is sort of a good news story. I have nothing to do with the area; it is just that we hear so much bad news that it is nice to hear some good news.

It is a story about Roseau River Reserve and Loewen Windows. Loewen Windows has been begging for 100 workers that they could not find in the city of Winnipeg. I could say: the same as Willmar Windows and Western Glove and a number of places that are looking for workers; they cannot find workers. Well, Loewen Windows has gone out to Roseau Reserve and they have hired 45 people from the reserve. Together with the employment counsellor from Roseau River, they bought a bus.

It is a one-hour ride from the reserve to Loewen Windows, a reserve where the service station has closed down, the food store has closed down, where unemployment was extraordinarily high, people now are happy. People are going to have jobs. It is going to bring money into that reserve, and probably the best social programs that they could have got on that reserve, are the jobs, the dignity that will come from that work at Loewen Windows. I want to congratulate the people responsible, the employment counsellor at Roseau Reserve, Loewen Windows, and I hope that this possibly will lead to more employment for those jobs that are begging for workers in Winnipeg.