Bob McLeod

I think the operative word is “actively engaged” and NWT Tourism is actively engaged in promoting Northwest Territories as a meeting and convention destination. Not only have we established a conference guide but we have it on our NWT Tourism website and communities in the Northwest Territories that have convention capacity and tourism products also spend resources in promoting their communities. As well, NWT Tourism attends conferences and shows on a regular basis to promote the Northwest Territories as a great place to have a conference.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Through our association with NWT Tourism, ITI has been actively engaged in promoting the Northwest Territories as a meeting and convention destination. The NWT Tourism has come out with a conference guide so that we promote all the communities in the North that have the capacity to host conventions.

I’d like to thank the Member for clarifying that. We can begin to establish a parking lot a lot faster than we can establish a park.

---Laughter

That’s probably a three-step process. I think that if we get a letter we can probably take some interim measures to try and do something as early as next year. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It was a real treat to visit Nahanni Butte and have a nice lunch with the residents of Nahanni Butte. At that time we had a very brief discussion on establishment of a park. I think the very first step should be a letter written to myself and also with some support from the Dehcho First Nations, I think, would be in order. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Employability is part of Go To of 20/20: A Brilliant North, Public Service Strategic Plan. This goal makes it a priority to increase the number of persons with disabilities in the Government of the Northwest Territories workforce and includes initiatives to encourage current Government of the Northwest Territories employees to self-declare that they are persons with disabilities. The Government of the Northwest Territories Advisory Committee on Employability, we call it GACE, and the Department of Human Resources has developed a draft survey for Government of the...

As I said, we are actively engaged in attracting groups that come and host conferences in the Northwest Territories. That involves calling groups. I’ll pass this on to my Tourism Marketing Advisory Committee and see if they come to the same conclusion that we’re both talking about the same thing.

I think we’re talking semantics. NWT Tourism is actively promoting the Northwest Territories as a great place to host meetings and conventions. We’ve come out with a conference guide that has been endorsed by the Yellowknife Hotel Association and other tourism operators. They also promote all of their products through this process. I think NWT Tourism is already doing the work of a convention bureau.

We would be quite pleased to work with the Member and the community to make it happen. Thank you.

Establishment of parks doesn’t happen overnight and it’s a fairly formalized process that has about an eight-step process. A letter would start the process and I expect that with the support of the Aboriginal governments and with devolution, we could move that a lot faster than the existing system. Thank you.

Right now we’re focusing on our government. As well as having an advisory team we also have internal departmental teams, and I’m pleased to say that we have five interdepartmental teams that have undertaken a host of initiatives so that we’ll have a greener workplace and with the active participation of all of our employees. Thank you.