Mr. Mervin Tweed (Turtle Mountain): Madam Speaker, the International Peace Garden provides an excellent symbol of what Canadians and Americans can accomplish when we work together. Yesterday it was my pleasure to attend the Manitoba-North Dakota Friendship '98 reception along with Governor Edward Schafer of North Dakota and the Minister of Industry, Trade and Tourism, Mr. Downey.
The reception, co-hosted by Travel Manitoba and the North Dakota Tourism Department announced funding of more than $158,000 for the Peace Garden. This fund will be used as an enhancement initiative. In its 66-year history, the 930-hectare International Peace Garden has grown to a place that the world loves to visit time and time again. The garden is a symbol of the unique bond between North Dakota and Manitoba. The prairie we both farm is our neighbourhood and our common experiences and dreams of a prosperous future for our children in our own home towns forge our friendships. We share nature's splendour and we have triumphed over the trials that nature has written into our history.
As we look toward the new millennium, our friendship will continue to serve us well. While others try on ideas like partnerships and alliances, we in the prairie heartland have decades of experience working together. With over 200,000 visitors annually to the International Peace Garden, it is our proudest model of building success by building partnerships. If yesterday's turnout and the sentiments expressed to me by all present are any indication, then I have no doubt our long tradition of friendship and co-operation with our neighbours to the South will continue. I invite all members and their families to visit the International Peace Garden this year. You will be glad you did.
Mr. Clif Evans (Interlake): Madam Speaker, the policy decisions of the Chretien Liberals to scrap the Crow rate and allow wide-open rail line abandonment have dealt a major blow for farmers in many parts of our rural Manitoba. This province at one time was the most economical place on the prairies to ship grain, but now has become one of the most expensive. Over half of our farmers are in grain and oilseeds and another 25 percent are in cattle. We have seen, in 1996, Manitoba grain and oilseed farmers with the lowest average incomes of any grain farmers west of the Maritimes, and our cattle producers earned an average of only $3,000, with an average of $14,000 in off-farm income.
In the past few years across the Prairies, we have seen hundreds of grain elevators that have been shut down. Producers are being forced to truck grain further along substandard roads as branch lines have been torn up, and for many communities the loss of local elevators has created an uncertain economic future.
Last year the Canadian Wheat Board and farmers lost more than $60 million when the railways failed to deliver wheat on time. The entire grain handling and transportation system is now being reviewed by former Supreme Court Justice Willard Estey, who will be holding a hearing in Portage la Prairie on April 28. It is our hope that this review results in changes that benefit producers across the Prairies. Thank you.
Mr. Edward Helwer (Gimli): Madam Speaker, this is an important time for local writers and publishers as April 19 to 25 is Manitoba Book Week. This unique event is hosted by the Association of Manitoba Book Publishers and is presented in conjunction with Canada Book Day on April 23 and the Manitoba Literary Awards Gala on April 25. Together the events create a week-long, province-wide celebration of literature and literacy.
Manitoba Book Week is the first event of its kind in the country, expanding Canada Book Week into a week-long event. A variety of events is planned for the week, including a children's reading series in libraries across the province, a series of book launches, a League of Canadian Poets group reading, and a literary evening quiz.
I am pleased to see that Manitoba businesses support this worthy event. For example, Friesens Corporation of Altona is one of the official sponsors of Manitoba Book Week. The posters advertising Canada Book Week have been printed by the firm as a contribution to Book Week. Every year, Friesens prints hundreds of fiction, nonfiction, Canadian books, a testament to the strength of the book industry. Other sponsors of Manitoba Book Week include the Canada Council for the Arts, Manitoba Culture, Heritage and Citizenship, and a number of book retailers and related organizations.
Manitoba Book Week is a wonderful opportunity for Manitoba book lovers to meet our gifted local authors, signings, launchings and readings throughout the province. So I would encourage all Manitobans to take advantage of the many entertaining and insightful books produced by our gifted local authors and our dedicated publishers. Not only will you find the experience rewarding, but you will also be supporting our local cultural industry. Thank you, Madam Speaker.
Mr. Gregory Dewar (Selkirk): Madam Speaker, this is Earth Day, and I want to just take time to thank all Manitobans who work so hard on protecting our environment. Sadly, this government, however, dropped the ball when it comes to environmental issues. Yesterday in this House, we debated a resolution I brought in, No. 18, which called on the government to work with the City of Winnipeg to expand recycling initiatives, recycling opportunities for all Manitobans, but unfortunately they blocked it and they prevented it from coming to a vote.
This resolution, as I said, called on the government to work with the City of Winnipeg to provide recycling to roughly 90,000 Winnipeggers who live in an apartment or a townhouse who do not receive recycling services. It also called on the government to work with rural and northern Manitobans to give them access to a recycling program.
It was revealed yesterday in the debate that the North contributes approximately twice as much as it gets back in terms of the 2-cent levy that we all pay as Manitobans; $85,000 goes back into the North and about $170,000 is collected. The fund currently has a surplus of between $7 million and $8 million, which is collected from all Manitobans. It really is a shame that not all Manitobans have access to a program that in fact they are paying for. Supporting our resolution was a first step to stop this inequity, and unfortunately this government chose to play politics rather than showing initiative when it comes to environmental issues. Thank you.
Mr. Eric Robinson (Rupertsland): Madam Speaker, on April 27, Akjuit Aerospace is launching a rocket at the Churchill spaceport. This is the first launch at the site since March 1989 when Nassau conducted tests there. The Black Brandt sounding rocket built by Bristol Aerospace in Winnipeg will carry a payload of scientific experiments for the Canadian Space Agency. All Manitoba will benefit from this development.
Akjuit is continuing plans to spend $260 million to develop a commercial polar spaceport at Churchill. More than 3,500 rockets were launched at the Churchill rocket range between 1957 and 1989. The launch this month symbolizes the rebirth of the rocket range and is an appropriate symbol for the dynamic changes occurring at Churchill itself as the port and rail line move forward. Thank you, Madam Speaker.