Bob McLeod

Mr. Speaker, the conference next week also provides aboriginal businesses with an opportunity to interact with aboriginal businesses from all across Canada. That’s one of the main benefits. All large development projects and some success stories and best practices will be shared.

Another very important part of the conference, which was a highlight last year, was the youth component whereby youth representatives from every region participated. They were kind of a highlight of the conference because of their enthusiasm and new ideas.

Mr. Speaker, in my statement today I would like to highlight the NWT Aboriginal Business Conference, which will be held next week in Yellowknife, October 14 through 16. As Minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment I appreciate how this annual forum can contribute to the development of small businesses.

The theme of this year’s conference is Establishing Economic Cooperation. I would like to acknowledge the hard work of the staff of the Denendeh Development Corporation, who organizes this annual event. This year they expect up to 200 participants in attendance at this conference.

The keynote...

Mr. Speaker, last year’s conference, for example, resulted in the formation of the Aboriginal Chamber of Commerce for the Northwest Territories. This will facilitate a large part of business opportunities. The Mackenzie Aboriginal Corporation participated, made a lot of connections and did a lot of networking to make sure that other aboriginal businesses and regions were aware of their existence. We see the value of that. Certainly, with the networking and the business opportunities I think that will benefit not only the Northwest Territories but the rest of Canada.

Mr. Speaker, at the appropriate time this afternoon I will be tabling two documents detailing this government’s work to promote community gardens and the Small Scale Food Program in the Northwest Territories.

The Department of Industry, Tourism and Investment began this initiative two years ago with financial support from the Canada–Northwest Territories Agriculture Policy Framework Agreement. Under the Canada–Northwest Territories Agriculture Policy Framework Agreement a total of $1.7 million was invested in agricultural projects in the NWT over five years, including programs in science and...

Mr. Speaker, I wish to table the following two documents entitled Canada/Northwest Territories Agriculture Policy Framework Agreement — Small Scale Foods Program and Small Scale Foods/Community Garden Initiative.

Document 99-16(2), Small Scale Foods/Community Garden Initiative, tabled.

Document 100-16(2), Canada/NWT Agriculture Policy Framework Agreement — Small Scale Foods Program, tabled.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. When we travelled to Washington and met with the United States Fish and Wildlife and an assorted number of senators and congressmen, we heard that the sports hunting of polar bears was an unintended consequence of the action that was taken in listing the polar bear as threatened. Basically, we were told that in order to get this changed, we would have to get legislation changed in the Marine Mammal Act. So I guess technically that’s what would have to get done to change it.

There was some suggestion that, in the way they do business in the United States, they could just...

The Support to Entrepreneurs and Economic Development policy program has been established, is geared to the smaller communities and is based on the consultations that we undertook. I’ll be pleased to provide the annual reports to the Member that would indicate how many businesses were started up in these small communities.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Using the Member’s example, not only did we give it a new paint job; we added a new fuel efficient engine with some new tires.

The BDF has been one of our best and most successful vehicles to assist small business. The new SEED policy…. We didn’t establish targets, because we needed to provide funding on an application basis to different regions. We will continue to measure it based on jobs that are created and the number of businesses that are started up.

Outfitting is a very important part of our NWT economy, and through the business planning process we intend to put forward some proposals to help the outfitters.

I think we should give the SEED policy an opportunity to operate, at least for a short period of time, maybe for a year or so. The whole express purpose for setting up the new SEED policy was what we heard in consultation. What we heard from small businesses in level 2 and level 3 communities indicated that this is what they needed to be successful, and that’s how this whole SEED policy program has been designed and set up. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.