Hon. Jon Gerrard (River Heights): Mr. Speaker, members of the environmental community are questioning the NDP government's responsiveness to their issues with situations like Granville Lake, Lake Winnipegosis and the Bois des esprits forest being handled poorly. My question is for the Minister of Family Services. There has been intense interest in the Bois des esprits forest along the Seine River in Winnipeg. This 80-acre forest is a wonderful example of natural river-edge forest which needs to be preserved as a heritage park for the benefit of all Manitobans. The future of this forest rests squarely with the minister. I ask the minister whether she will act to ensure that all 80 acres of the forest are preserved as a heritage park for Manitobans. Hon. Christine Melnick (Minister of Family Services and Housing): I would like to thank the member opposite for the question, and I can assure you that my department is working with our partners, as we have in the past, for the best solution for the area around the Bois des esprits area. Mr. Gerrard: Mr. Speaker, I understand there is a critical date for a decision by the Government which is December 31. Many are wondering why the NDP is seemingly in bed with the developer to rape the entire heritage habitat along the Bois des esprits forest, a forest which Mayor Glen Murray calls a bold visionary park, but for which the NDP government seemingly has to be dragged haltingly to the table. I would ask the Minister responsible for Water Stewardship (Mr. Ashton), that is river and lake stewardship, whether his Government will be the wielder of the axe, or is the minister going to today commit to acting by December 31- Mr. Speaker: Order. Mr. Gerrard: -to save all 80 acres. Mr. Speaker: Order. Hon. Gary Doer (Premier): We are dealing with the City of Winnipeg and the people adjacent to the area. The Minister of Housing has been working diligently on this issue, and we expect that we will have favourable partnerships on the area that the member has identified. I want to thank him for his comment that we are in bed with the developer. It has not, I do not think, happened in the last while that we were accused of that, Mr. Speaker. Source: Manitoba Legislative Assembly Hansard, Question Period, Wednesday, December 3, 2003, at: http://www.gov.mb.ca/leg-asmb/hansard/2nd-38th/vol_010/h010.html#iob]