Bob McLeod

I’m not sure what the Member is looking at, but in 2011-12 we are putting the finishing touches to the visitors centre at the border. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I guess there are two parts to this project. One is improving the outside exterior part of the Sixtieth Parallel Visitors Centre, the facilities that people see on the outside; and then we are also, on the inside, it’s our plan to have interior displays. I think we are moving a large part of the equipment that we had at Canada’s Northern House that we will be moving inside, those types of displays so that people that come into the centre will be able to see a lot of these visual displays inside the visitors centre. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Basically, we are focusing on marketing and also we have been doing work to maintain our parks with utilizing more O and M money and it is a matter of when you have a limited amount of resources to work with, you have to prioritize your investments and focus on those areas that are the most…to do the work that’s most required. I think it must be working because our preliminary statistics 2010 camping season show that our camping permits are up by around 2 percent overall across the Territory and all regions have recorded an increase in camping permit numbers. We have done...

I do, Mr. Chairman.

Well, that’s obviously incorrect. I’ll ask the deputy to clarify what we’re spending. We spent $740,000 in prior years to build a visitors centre. In 2011-2012 we are proposing to spend $60,000 to complete the work at the centre. So through you, Mr. Chair, I’ll ask the deputy to clarify that.

I did go and visit the Sixtieth Parallel Visitor Centre and I know the construction was completed this year. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

On the protected area side, we work very closely with aboriginal governments. We have been approached by a number of regions to sponsor some protected areas and we have looked very seriously at the proposals and very recently we’ve agreed to sponsor the Five Finger Lakes proposal out of Jean Marie. Also, through the Gwich’in Territorial Park Master Plan we met with the Nihtah Gwich’in Council and the Gwich’in Tribal Council to discuss their views on the future of the park, and we’ve hired a consultant to prepare a revised plan to address the future operation and maintenance of the park. We’ve...

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. On my left I have Peter Vician, deputy minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment; on my right I have Doug Doan, assistant deputy minister. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. With me I have Tom Williams, deputy minister of Human Resources.

Mr. Speaker, yes, we are going to shake things up and especially now that we know they can grow one-pound potatoes in the Sahtu. This is an area that we are looking at and combined we have to also look at inter-settlement trade so that we can move the resources around and so on. I think this is a very important initiative for this government. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.