David Ramsay

If the committee asks the government to look at that, we certainly would take a look at it. Also, if I could just mention this: The RCMP isn't the only agency that enforces. By-law can also enforce the legislation. If there’s a crackdown, there’s a real effort to try and increase the number of tickets that are issued, that’s something, working with the Minister of Justice and the enforcement agencies in the territory. If that’s something that we’re interested in doing, then perhaps that’s something we could look at as well.

But certainly, it’s the Regular Members who have the prerogative. If...

The House, the last Legislative Assembly passed that legislation. It came into force January 1st of this past year, or this year. We have the law in place. It’s a fine of $115. It’s three demerit points. We have had a public awareness campaign, Leave the Phone Alone, through our Drive Alive program. We have efforts like that. But at the end of the day, people that still choose to use their phone… I haven’t heard the concerns that the Member brought up today in his statement. I know, speaking on a personal note, it’s made me leave my phone alone. I believe three demerit points and a fine of...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Investment in the Northwest Territories tourism industry is vital to our goal of a diversified economy that provides all communities and regions with opportunities and choices.

Like our resource industry, the tourism industry has many spin-off benefits and is on the brink of tremendous growth. The Government of the Northwest Territories continues to work to improve the visitor experience and encourage tourism.

Investment in our territory’s world-class network of parks and campgrounds further enhances our tourism product. Improvements this past year included new...

I spent eight years working in parks as a park officer. It’s been an issue for a long time and I’ve made a commitment today to the Member that it’s something that, as Minister, he has my commitment that we are going to take a look at this. Are there ways that this could be done better? Are there ways that, for example, when a park closes on a Saturday, that we can look at keeping it open at least until Monday. That makes sense.

It’s a short enough summer here in the Northwest Territories, and we have to take advantage of any opportunity we have to get the public and to get visitors out at our...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’ve had the discussion with the Member on a previous request to the department on hours and operation of the parks in the South Slave near the community of Hay River. I’ve also had that discussion with a number of residents here in the North Slave. I’ve also had the discussion recently with the MLA for Inuvik Boot Lake, Mr. Moses. It certainly is an issue and I think it’s something I’ve committed to looking at, going back to the department and seeing where it’s possible to amend contracts and to allow, weather permitting, parks to be open and operated for longer...

Mr. Speaker, we do have that information. Again, that is very detailed information. We have the Northwest Territories Tourism that provides the marketing for the Northwest Territories. We also have staff here in Yellowknife and in the regions to get to the dollars that are spent specifically on promoting rubber tire traffic to the campgrounds to the Northwest Territories. Again, that is a number that I will get to the Member and break it down by region for the Member as well. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I thank the Member for the question. The predominant visitation would be in the North Slave region, of course, with Yellowknife. We do have a breakdown of where the numbers come from and I would be more than happy to provide the Member and his committee with those visitor statistics related to campground usage across the territory.

This is fairly new legislation. The numbers that I gave the Member earlier, 30, that doesn’t include the last four or five months. We’ll get updated numbers for the Member.

But it’s like seatbelts. When seatbelts, you know, wearing a seatbelt came into force, it took the public, it took people awhile to put on a seatbelt and wear a seatbelt for safety reasons. Nowadays you do not get into a vehicle and not put a seatbelt on. I do believe that through public awareness, through enforcement, tickets being issued, people losing demerit points, I do believe that as we move forward and the...

It is there, it has been there in the past with the Deh Cho Connection, the Deh Cho Trail. Certainly, it is part of our highway system here in the Northwest Territories. We have some beautiful parks located on there and some beautiful communities as well. So, certainly, that is part of the Tourism Strategy as we move forward. Thank you.

I thank the Member for bringing up Highway No. 7 again today and I also thank him for earlier this summer the trip we had between Liard and Simpson on Highway No. 7. Certainly, it was a dry year and all indications are that travel on that road by tourists was up. Again, I’ve committed to get the member some figures on the numbers and I will do that.

But certainly, we have to ensure that there’s a long-term plan for Highway No. 7 and I believe that there is. We need to look at some capital dollars going forward for the maintenance and rehabilitation of that road and I’ve mentioned it before in...