David Ramsay

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I am sure of the Member’s enthusiasm about the opportunities as I listened closely to his statement. I think it is by working with our folks across the Territories that we are going to develop a sustainable tourism industry here in the Northwest Territories. We are currently looking at a Tourism 2015 plan. A big component of that Tourism 2015 plan includes a component of Aboriginal tourism, which would certainly include cultural tourism as well. I know in the Member’s riding we are looking forward to the completion of the Deh Cho Bridge and using that as a springboard...

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Mining forms a major piece of the economic foundation of the Northwest Territories. Before mining can take place, we rely on the work of prospectors and exploration companies to identify potential mineral development opportunities. Today I am pleased to announce dedicated annual funding of $50,000 for the Prospectors Grubstake Program. This funding will be made available under Industry, Tourism and Investments Support to Entrepreneurs and Economic Development Policy.

The Prospectors Grubstake Program previously existed but has not been actively funded since...

Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and thank you, colleagues. I just wanted to say that we appreciate MLA Menicoche’s determination in defense of Highway No. 7 and trying to address the concerns that are there for his constituents and for the riding of Nahendeh. We will do whatever we can as we move forward to identify funding to get the much needed reconstruction done on Highway No. 7. Again, I appreciate his efforts. Thank you.

This is a very important point to make here. I think some of the recent changes that we have seen with BIP is how those design-build RFPs are evaluated. I share the Member’s concern, that oftentimes the local subcontractors don’t get the work and the work goes someplace else. I think we’ve done a great deal of work, working with the Construction Association here in the Northwest Territories and other stakeholders, to ensure that we come up with an evaluation criteria that is going to allow the maximum extent possible of local and northern content so that those dollars stay in the North and...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. That’s a very specific question and I would suppose that training of staff at the departmental level would take place through the deputy ministers’ committees, I would suppose, and that information would filter down to the departments. There undoubtedly are training sessions that are conducted by the BIP folks at ITI with the various departments. That’s how I would see the training of departmental staff taking place. I can get a further detailed response for the Member, if he wishes. Thank you.

Before I was elected to the House in 2003, I worked for some time as a tourism development officer in the North Slave region. That is the role and the function of tourism development officers. I would suggest that businesses that are interested in getting into tourism and developing tourism product in the Deh Cho and the South Slave and my colleague’s riding would get in touch with the department officials in the region and work through how it is that we can help them get into business to provide further tourism products here in the Northwest Territories and specifically in the Member’s riding...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I, too, want to recognize the members of the Yellowknife Homelessness Coalition that are with us today. In particular I wanted to recognize Mayor Gordon Van Tighem, who has put in 12 years of great service to the city of Yellowknife and I know the Association of Communities is going to miss Mayor Van Tighem when he’s gone. I want to wish him all the best.

I think as we move forward there will be ample opportunity for Cabinet to work with the Regular Members to do just that and I look forward to the Regular Members’ participation in that policy review that will take place. Thank you.

Thank you very much, Madam Chair. I appreciate the Member’s concerns about Highway No. 7 and the condition they’re in. Also, the condition as it relates to tourism in the Deh Cho, in his riding, it’s a situation where we have approved a capital plan. We are having some difficulty trying to come up with a long-term plan, which will be required for Highway No. 7, but we are going to need to do that. It needs to be reconstructed. Most of that highway will need some substantial reconstruction in the neighbourhood of $250 million. Those dollars we just do not have today. I think going forward we...

I agree with the Member that we have to ensure that the money we are spending, whether it’s through standing offer agreements or other sources of procurement, is done so that it maximizes the benefits to the economy here in the Northwest Territories to local businesses. I want to assure the Member that this is something that this government is going to continue to pursue.