Second Session - Thirty-Seventh Legislature of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba DEBATES and PROCEEDINGS Official Report (Hansard) Published under the authority of The Honourable George Hickes Speaker Vol. Ll No. 27 • 1:30 p.m., Wednesday, May 9, 2001 MANITOBA LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY Thirty-Seventh Legislature Member Constituency Political A fliliation AGUJGUB, Cris The Maples N.D.P. ALLAN, Nancy St. Vital N.D.I'. ASHTON, Steve, lion. Thompson N.D.I'. ASPER, Linda Riel N.IJ.I'. BARRE'IT, Becky, lion. Inkster N.D.I'. CALDWELL, Drew, lion. Brandon East N.D. I'. CERILU, Marianne Radisson N.D.P. CIIOMIAK, Dave, lion. Kildonan N.D.I'. CUMMINGS, Glen Ste. Rose P.C. DACQlJA Y, Louise Seine River I'.C. DERKACII, Leonard Russell l'.C. DEWAR, Gregory Selkirk N.D.I'. DOER, Gary, lion. Concordia N.D.!'. DRIEDGER, Myrna Charleswood P.C. DYCK, Peter Pembina P.C. ENNS, !larry Lakeside l'.C. FAURSCHOU, David Portage Ia Prairie I'.C. FRIESEN, Jean, lion. Wolseley N.D.I'. GERRARD, Jon, lion. River Heights Lib. GILLESIIAMMER, Harold Minnedosa P.C. IIELWER, Edward Gimli I>. C. I !ICKES, George Point Douglas N .IH. JENNISSEN, Gerard Flin Flon N.D.P. KORZENIOWSKI, Bonnie St. James N.D.I'. LATIILIN, Oscar, lion. The Pas N.D.I'. LAURENDEAU, Marcel St. Norbert P.C. LEMIEUX, Ron, Hon. La Verendrye N.D.I'. LOEWEN, John Fort Whyte l'.C. MACKINTOSH, Gord, Hon. St. Johns N.D.I'. MAGUIRE, Larry Arthur-Virden l'.C. MALOWAY, Jim Elmwood N.D.!'. MARTINDALE, Doug Burrows N.D.I'. McGIFFORD, Diane, Hon. Lord Roberts N.D.!'. MIIIYCIIUK, MaryAnn, Hon. Minto N.D.I'. MITCIIELSON, Bonnie River East I'.C. MURRAY, Stuart Kirkfield Park I'.C. N.D.I'. NEVAKSIIONOFF, Tom Interlake I'.C. PENNER, Jack Emerson PENNER. Jim Steinbach I' C. PITURA, Frank Morris I'.C. PRAZNIK. Darren Lac du Bonnet I'.C. REID. Daryl Transcnna N.D.I'. REIMER. Jack Southdale I'.C. N.DI' ROBINSON. Eric, lion. Rupertsland I'.C. ROCAN. Denis Cannan N.D.I'. RONDEAU, Jim Assiniboia N.D.I'. SALE. Tim. lion. Fort Rouge N.DI' SANTOS, Conrad Wellington SCIIELLENBFRG. I larry Ross mere N.lll' 1'.(. SCIIULFR, Ron Springfield SELINGER, Greg. lion. St. Boniface N.ll.l'. SMITII. Joy Fort (iarry l'.C N.D.I'. SMITH, Scott. lion. Brandon West STEFANSON. I leather Tuxedo I'C N.D.I'. STRUTHERS. Stan Dauphin-Roblin TWHD. Mervin Turtle Mountain l'.C. WOWCi llJK. Rosann, lion. Swan River N.lll'. 1503 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA Wednesday, May 9, 2001 The House met at 1:30 p.m. Madam Clerk (Patricia Chaychuk): The petition of the undersigned citizens of the PRAYERS province of Manitoba humbly sheweth: ROUTINE PROCEEDINGS THAT the R.M. of East St. Paul has the highest concentration of high voltage power PRESENTINGPETITIONS lines in a residential area in Manitoba; and Manitoba Hydro Lines Routes THAT the R.M. of East St. Paul is the only jurisdiction in Manitoba that has both a SOOkV Mr. Ron Schuler (Springfield): I beg to present and a 230kV line directly behind residences; and the petition of Y. Desender, S. Vigini, and Jim Bell and others, praying that the Legislative THAT numerous studies have linked cancer, Assembly of Manitoba request that the Minister in particular childhood leukemia, to the responsible for Manitoba Hydro (Mr. Selinger) proximity of power lines. consider alternative routes fo r the additional 230kV and SOOkV lines proposed for the R.M. WHEREFORE YOUR PETITIONERS of East St. Paul. HUMBLY PRAY THAT the Legislative Assem­ bly of Manitoba request that the Minister Kenaston Underpass responsible fo r Manitoba Hydro consider alter­ native routes fo r the additional 230kV and Mr. Frank Pitura (Morris): I beg to present the SOOkV lines proposed for the R.M. of East St. petition of Guy LeGras, F. Friesen, J. Paul. MacDonald and others, praying that the Premier Kenaston Underpass of Manitoba (Mr. Doer) consider reversing his decision to not support construction of an Mr. Speaker: The honourable Member fo r Fort underpass at Kenaston and Wilkes. Whyte (Mr. Loewen), I have reviewed the petition. It complies with the rules and practices Mr. John Loewen (Fort Whyte): I beg to of the House. Is it the will of the House to have present the petition of Sandra Lemon, Charlene the petition read? Melvor, Dave Fox and others, praying that the Premier of Manitoba (Mr. Doer) consider Some Honourable Members: Yes. reversing his decision to not support con­ struction of an underpass at Kenaston and Mr. Speaker: Clerk, please read. Wilkes. Madam Clerk (Patricia Chaychuk): The READING AND RECEIVING PETITIONS petition of the undersigned citizens of the province of Manitoba humbly sheweth: Manitoba Hydro Lines Routes THAT the intersection at Wilkes and Mr. Speaker: The honourable Member for Kenaston has grown to become the largest Springfield (Mr. Schuler), I have reviewed the unseparated crossing in Canada; and petition. It complies with the rules and the practices of the House. Is it the will of the House THAT the volume of traffic for this railroad to have the petition read? crossing is twelve times the acceptable limit as set out by Transport Canada; and Some Honourable Members: Yes. THAT vehicles which have to wait fo r trains Mr. Speaker: Clerk, please read. at this intersection bum up approximately $1.4 1504 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA May 9, 2001 million in fuel, pollute the environment with certain resolutions, directs me to report the same over 8 tons of emissions and cause approxi­ and asks leave to sit again. mately $7.3 million in motorist delays every year. I move, seconded by the honourable Member fo r Selkirk (Mr. Dewar), that the report WHEREFORE YOUR PETITIONERS ofthe committee be received. HUMBLY PRAY THAT the Premier of Manitoba consider reversing his decision to not Motion agreed to. support construction of an underpass at Kenas­ ton and Wilkes. MINISTERIAL STATEMENTS Mr. Speaker: The honourable Member for Road Conditions Morris (Mr. Pitura), I have reviewed the petition and it complies with the rules and practices of Hon. Steve Ashton (Minister of the House. Is it the will of the House to have the Transportation and Government Services): I petition read? have a statement, Mr. Speaker. An Honourable Member: Yes. I would like to provide an update on road Mr. Speaker: The Clerk please read. conditions being caused by heavy moisture levels in certain areas of the province. Heavy Madam Clerk: The petition of the undersigned moisture from last fall was frozen into the citizens of the province of Manitoba humbly ground over the winter which, combined with sheweth: warm spring weather, has resulted in weakening THAT the intersection at Wilkes and of the base structure of many provincial roads. Kenaston has grown to become the largest The moisture creates a freeze-thaw cycle where unseparated crossing in Canada; and water causes significant damage to road bases and surfaces when repeated freezing occurs. This THAT the volume of traffic fo r this railroad damage has been accentuated by heavy crossing is twelve times the acceptable limit as precipitation levels in the last fe w weeks along set out by Transport Canada; and with significant damage in some areas of the province from flooding. THAT vehicles which have to wait fo r trains at this intersection bum up approximately $1.4 I have detailed road information that I will million in fuel, pollute the environment with table fo r the House, rather than read into the over 8 tons of emissions and cause approxi­ record, but certainly it does document some of mately $7.3 million in motorist delays every the specific areas that are affected. year. The Department of Transportation is WHEREFORE YOUR PETITIONERS working to mitigate the inconvenience caused by HUMBLY PRAY THAT the Premier of this damage. While we will not have an exact Manitoba consider reversing his decision to not estimate of the cost of repairs until weather support construction of an underpass at conditions stabilize, the costs could run into Kenaston and Wilkes. several million dollars. At the present time, our efforts are fo cussed on repairing the damage to * (13:35) the greatest extent possible and working to find PRESENTING REPORTS BY alternative routes where damage is especially STANDING AND SPECIAL significant. COMMITTEES The highest priority fo r the department, as Committee of Supply always, is public safety, and we will continue to closely monitor road conditions, which is our Mr. Conrad Santos (Chairperson): Mr. primary concern. Certainly we recognize the Speaker, the Committee of Supply has adopted significant inconvenience many members of the May 9, 2001 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA 1505 public are faced with, Mr. Speaker, because of short-run need to repair the roads and get them the current situations. We are already working in working order. I think that members of this on repairing many of those situations. We will Legislature and citizens in Manitoba would also do whatever is possible to bring those roads back fe el strongly that the minister should be paying to the level of service that people need in rural more attention to long-run upkeep of roads, so Manitoba. Thank you. that they are less likely to suffer damage with moisture in particular areas. Certainly, as I have Mr. Harold Gilleshammer (Minnedosa): I travelled around the province, it has been thank the Minister of Transportation fo r this pointed out to me that a little bit more care in report on the condition of roads in Manitoba. how the repairs were done in many instances Certainly many members on this side have would have protected these roads fr om this kind noticed roads probably are in worse condition of damage.