Kam Lake

Statements in Debates

Debates of , 17th Assembly, 4th Session (day 2)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The money that we are going to be receiving from the federal government to construct the Inuvik-Tuktoyaktuk road is earmarked for that purpose. The communities in the Beaufort-Delta have worked many years at securing that funding, working with our government. Our intention is to construct the Inuvik-Tuk portion as the first portion of the Mackenzie Valley Highway.

In response to Member Yakeleya’s questions earlier, should commercialization happen and these wells be brought into production, that is going to change a lot of things in the central Mackenzie. Once...

Debates of , 17th Assembly, 4th Session (day 2)

I’m familiar with the situation in Voisey’s Bay, and it was ACOA, the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency, that set up a development zone in and around Voisey’s Bay.

Here in the Northwest Territories the landscape is going to change. We’re advancing talks on devolution. Eventually, the Northwest Territories government would be able to make a determination like that. Currently, discussions would have to take place with the federal government on a special economic zone through, perhaps, CanNor. Those are discussions that could take place.

I know the issue was raised, certainly with the...

Debates of , 17th Assembly, 4th Session (day 2)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I do hope the Member’s correct. I think the Canol shale oil play in the central Mackenzie is sustainable, a real development that could be taking place for generations in the Sahtu. We look forward to trying to manage this in the early stages.

Companies are there drilling, trying to get a better idea of what is in the ground. We understand there are, perhaps, billions of barrels of oil in the ground in the central Mackenzie, but companies have to find out what the rate of flow is on those wells. That work is continuing. There are more wells being drilled this winter.

Whe...

Debates of , 17th Assembly, 4th Session (day 2)

The federal government didn’t commit any dollars during these meetings, but we did mention to them that at one point in time they had a $50 million program for dredging and how detrimental the lack of having a program is to a community like Hay River. That was quite clearly articulated to Minister Fletcher. We will try our best to get some funding from the federal government to look at a dredging program in the port of Hay River.

Debates of , 17th Assembly, 4th Session (day 2)

In other meetings we had with other federal Ministers, the subject of the Mackenzie Valley Highway did come up. Certainly, we let them know what was happening in the central Mackenzie in terms of the shale oil development there and the need for further infrastructure investment in our territory.

In terms of the discussion about dredging in the port of Hay River, that discussion did come up as well with the parliamentary secretary, Mr. Steven Fletcher.

Debates of , 17th Assembly, 4th Session (day 2)

As this all moves forward, I certainly look forward to working with the Member and the communities in Nahendeh to see how they’ve been impacted, and working with the government to try to find ways to get more resources there.

Debates of , 17th Assembly, 4th Session (day 2)

I guess I’m very well situated in that I am the Minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment and Minister of Transportation, and in the meetings we had with our federal counterparts in Ottawa, I, again, never miss an opportunity to let them know what is happening in the central Mackenzie, talk about it, talk about the need of a Mackenzie Valley all-weather road. Certainly, that is going to be front and centre.

We have a big project that we need to get construction started on. As soon as that is moved forward, our focus will certainly shift south to the central Mackenzie and we will take our...

Debates of , 17th Assembly, 4th Session (day 1)

I thank the Member for bringing that to our attention, and I’ll certainly have the diamond policy folks at ITI act on that immediately. Thank you.

Debates of , 17th Assembly, 4th Session (day 1)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Travelling with me on the diamond and pipeline tour we had the deputy chair of the Standing Committee on Economic Development and Infrastructure. As to the Member’s belief that we negotiated this in secrecy and we didn’t let anybody know, on numerous occasions as I appeared before the Standing Committee on Economic Development and Infrastructure, when asked about the secondary diamond industry and what we were doing, I made it very clear that we were seeking investment.

When it comes to proprietary and confidential trade agreements with companies, that is something that...

Debates of , 17th Assembly, 4th Session (day 1)

Mr. Speaker, I spoke earlier of the Diamond Policy Framework that the last government brought in, one that I pushed very hard to see happen. If the Regular Members want the government to take another look at the Diamond Policy Framework, I would be more than happy to work with the chair of the EDI and the EDI committee to see that through.

Certainly, from where I stand, the previous government did a lot of work in this area. The Diamond Policy Framework is there and it states quite clearly what we need to do and how we are to go about seeking that investment, and that’s exactly what we’re doing...