Third Session – Forty-First Legislature of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba DEBATES and PROCEEDINGS Official Report (Hansard) Published under the authority of The Honourable Myrna Driedger Speaker Vol. LXXI No. 62A - 10 a.m., Tuesday, June 12, 2018 ISSN 0542-5492 MANITOBA LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY Forty-First Legislature Member Constituency Political Affiliation ALLUM, James Fort Garry-Riverview NDP ALTEMEYER, Rob Wolseley NDP BINDLE, Kelly Thompson PC CLARKE, Eileen, Hon. Agassiz PC COX, Cathy, Hon. River East PC CULLEN, Cliff, Hon. Spruce Woods PC CURRY, Nic Kildonan PC DRIEDGER, Myrna, Hon. Charleswood PC EICHLER, Ralph, Hon. Lakeside PC EWASKO, Wayne Lac du Bonnet PC FIELDING, Scott, Hon. Kirkfield Park PC FLETCHER, Steven, Hon. Assiniboia Ind. FONTAINE, Nahanni St. Johns NDP FRIESEN, Cameron, Hon. Morden-Winkler PC GERRARD, Jon, Hon. River Heights Lib. GOERTZEN, Kelvin, Hon. Steinbach PC GRAYDON, Clifford Emerson PC GUILLEMARD, Sarah Fort Richmond PC HELWER, Reg Brandon West PC ISLEIFSON, Len Brandon East PC JOHNSON, Derek Interlake PC JOHNSTON, Scott St. James PC KINEW, Wab Fort Rouge NDP KLASSEN, Judy Kewatinook Lib. LAGASSÉ, Bob Dawson Trail PC LAGIMODIERE, Alan Selkirk PC LAMOUREUX, Cindy Burrows Lib. LATHLIN, Amanda The Pas NDP LINDSEY, Tom Flin Flon NDP MALOWAY, Jim Elmwood NDP MARCELINO, Flor Logan NDP MARCELINO, Ted Tyndall Park NDP MARTIN, Shannon Morris PC MAYER, Colleen St. Vital PC MICHALESKI, Brad Dauphin PC MICKLEFIELD, Andrew Rossmere PC MORLEY-LECOMTE, Janice Seine River PC NESBITT, Greg Riding Mountain PC PALLISTER, Brian, Hon. Fort Whyte PC PEDERSEN, Blaine, Hon. Midland PC PIWNIUK, Doyle Arthur-Virden PC REYES, Jon St. Norbert PC SARAN, Mohinder The Maples Ind. SCHULER, Ron, Hon. St. Paul PC SMITH, Andrew Southdale PC SMITH, Bernadette Point Douglas NDP SMOOK, Dennis La Verendrye PC SQUIRES, Rochelle, Hon. Riel PC STEFANSON, Heather, Hon. Tuxedo PC SWAN, Andrew Minto NDP TEITSMA, James Radisson PC WHARTON, Jeff, Hon. Gimli PC WIEBE, Matt Concordia NDP WISHART, Ian, Hon. Portage la Prairie PC WOWCHUK, Rick Swan River PC YAKIMOSKI, Blair Transcona PC Vacant St. Boniface 2971 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA Tuesday, June 12, 2018 The House met at 10 a.m. pass second reading. I understand more officers wanted to join us here today in the gallery, but Madam Speaker: O Eternal and Almighty God, priorities at work intervened and apparently they are from Whom all power and wisdom come, we are being certified in firearm usage, and apparently that's assembled here before Thee to frame such laws as more important than hearing me speak in the House may tend to the welfare and prosperity of our today. So, thank you for those who did come out. province. Grant, O merciful God, we pray Thee, that we may desire only that which is in accordance with Madam Speaker, conservation officers have a Thy will, that we may seek it with wisdom, and dangerous and difficult job that often involves know it with certainty and accomplish it perfectly for strenuous circumstances that many people do not the glory and honour of Thy name and for the realize. This is why they deserve a day of welfare of all our people. Amen. recognition. Please be seated. Good morning, everybody. Their job involves ensuring that hunting, ORDERS OF THE DAY trapping and fishing is carried out safely and legally, which may be extremely dangerous. They are PRIVATE MEMBERS' BUSINESS stewards of Manitoba's natural resources and have Mr. Andrew Micklefield (Acting Government the duties of peace officers. This is a job to be proud House Leader): Good morning, Madam Speaker. of. Conservation officers serve some of the most remote corners of Manitoba. They are tasked with Please, could you canvass the House to see if responsibilities that require resolution under extreme there's leave to debate Bill 201, The Manitoba conditions. The Manitoba Conservation Officers Conservation Officers Recognition Day Act, for Service has earned an official day of recognition. second reading. Our government shares the concerns of Madam Speaker: Is there leave this morning to Manitobans regarding the dangers of law debate Bill 201? [Agreed] enforcement with respect to unsafe and unsustainable SECOND READINGS–PUBLIC BILLS harvesting practices. That is why we want a day to recognize the hard and dangerous work that Bill 201–The Manitoba Conservation Officers conservations officers do for us. Once passed, this Recognition Day Act bill will establish October 1st as a day of Mr. Alan Lagimodiere (Selkirk): I move, seconded commemoration, a day of respect, a day of by the member from Thompson, that Bill 201, The appreciation for the diversity of responsibilities that Manitoba Conservation Officers Recognition Day conservation officers perform on behalf of all Act, be now read a second time and be referred to a Manitobans. committee of this House. Madam Speaker, in terms of historical Motion presented. significance to Manitoba, it is worth noting that the regulatory inspection capacity of fish and wildlife Mr. Lagimodiere: The bill before us will designate has existed in Manitoba for approximately 139 years. October 1st as The Manitoba Conservation Officers The protection of game act received royal assent in Recognition Day Act, which is the same day The 1879, empowering the Lieutenant Governor to Conservation Officers Act came into force in 2015. appoint guardians to protect Manitoba's natural Madam Speaker, this is a reintroduction of a bill resources and enforce our laws. The game guardians that–discussed last session where the duties and were the first agents in Manitoba dedicated training of our conservation officers were detailed. specifically to enforcing wildlife laws and were the initial predecessors to today's conservation officers. I would like to thank and acknowledge the conservation officers who have joined us here today. Madam Speaker, formally established in 1902, We are working on getting this bill passed, and, with the game protection branch was responsible for the support of members opposite today, we will see it protecting Manitoba's big game, game birds and 2972 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA June 12, 2018 waterfowl from overhunting. The game protection night-lighting suspects, officers blacked out their branch operated under the Department of Agriculture patrol vehicles. Keith collided head-on with Colin's and Immigration. To enact their mandate, the branch vehicle. Keith died at the scene. issued hunting licences, investigated complaints and initiated prosecutions. Under the terms of the act, Robert Logan lost his life on game guardians confiscated weapons used illegally, November 3rd, 1983. While travelling to a provincial licensed the exportation of trophy animal heads and park, Robert's vehicle rolled over after encounting issued permits for the shipment of live animals and black ice. Robert was thrown from his patrol vehicle. birds to natural parks in Ontario, United States and This incident occurred prior to the mandatory Great Britain. While the provincial game guardian seatbelt use in Manitoba. It was the opinion of was the first sole staff for the branch, by 1915, he officials that investigated that Robert Logan would was termed the chief game guardian and was assisted have easily survived the rollover had he been by a staff of permanent and seasonal game guardians wearing a seatbelt. The only damage to his vehicle based in locations throughout the province. were a broken windshield and a small dent in the roof. He left behind his wife and young family to Over time, legislation and enforcement powers mourn the death of a husband and loving father. On changed. When jurisdiction flowed from the federal September 27th, 2013, the Province of Manitoba government to the provinces, game guardians named a lake in his honour. Robert Logan Lake is became natural resource officers. In the early 1960s, located near Childs Lake in Duck Mountain Manitoba consolidated game guardians, forest Provincial Park. guardians, fish inspectors and natural resource officers into one entity, called conservation * (10:10) officers. On October 1st, 2015, the Manitoba Allan Assiniboine. Allan drowned after his government proclaimed The Conservation Officers patrol boat exploded on Lake Winnipegosis on Act, conferring powers of peace officers for July 27th, 1976. There were three people on board. enforcement purposes upon conservation officers. Two survived by hanging on to floating materials. Our conservation officers are–have not been The crew of a commercial fishing vessel saw the immune to personal tragedy. The following six explosion and immediately attended the area and Manitoba conservation officers lost their lives while rescued two. carrying out their duties. They have been recognized William McLeod: William was shot in the leg by the Canadian peace officers memorial association with a shotgun by an impaired trapper. He suffered and the North American Wildlife Enforcement from his injury for several months. He passed on Officers Association. May we never forget their May 12th, 1967 from complications resulting from supreme sacrifice and the loss their families have to the wound. An island on Cormorant Lake was cope with. renamed William James McLeod Island on Kenneth Skwark. While conducting forest fire December 27th, 2013. operations in northern forests in Manitoba, Kenneth Charles Morrish: While conducting a trapline died in a helicopter accident June 28th, 1995. He left patrol, Charles drowned when his muskeg tractor behind his wife and young family. On his last day of broke through the ice on April 3rd, 1966. An island fire duty at Leaf Rapids, Ken started early so he on Clearwater Lake near The Pas was renamed could leave early and get back to his family. The Morrish Island on the–September 27th, 2013. helicopter he was in crashed into the Churchill River. Officer Skwark drowned after being knocked Madam Speaker, I personally knew three of unconscious during the crash impact. these officers and am proud to be a personal friend of one of the survivors of the boat explosion.