David Ramsay

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, in answer to the previous question, a step in the right direction is the evaluation and the criteria to get the government to evaluate RFPs and a waiting system that is going to give more weight to proposals that maximize northern content. That would include subcontractors, engineering services, whatever the case may be. I think, going forward, that is an area that we certainly have to pay attention to as a government. We again need to maximize those benefits to local businesses and northern businesses here in the NWT, not south of our border and in other places. That’s something that...

If a company does avail themselves of new equipment that would enhance the services that they could provide, I think that would be part of the salesmanship of the company to get out to both government and private sector to ensure that people know what type of equipment they have and what services they can provide. The Government of the Northwest Territories certainly wants to be a partner with northern businesses and ensure that opportunities are maximized to the greatest extent possible when we do look at procurement here in the Northwest Territories.

Mr. Speaker, there certainly is an Aboriginal component to Tourism 2015. There is an advisory panel, as well, on Aboriginal tourism that is part of Tourism 2015.

The future is very bright. I think we have a number of things that are putting the Northwest Territories on the map. Currently, I would like to suggest that the Northwest Territories is the reality show capital of Canada. We have Ice Road Truckers recently came back to the Northwest Territories to film the new season. We have NWT Ice Pilots, a very successful show, and also Licensed to Drill, a new television series is filmed in the...

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...

Yes, I think that’s an important part of this or an aspect to this. We need to talk to industry, as well, in preparation for a program, a pilot project, whatever it may end up being, but certainly, they’ll play a part in that. Thank you.

Thank you, Madam Chair. I appreciate the question. There are a number of contracts and I’d have to see what provisions are in those contracts to address acts of God or Mother Nature when blizzards come and communities are cut off for an extended period of time. I could certainly look into that and get some further detail for the Member on how that works.

I know our contractors did yeoman’s work in trying to clear the roads and get communities connected again during the recent blizzard up in the Beaufort-Delta, and they are to be commended for all the hard work. I know they put in a number of...

I believe in getting some work done very quickly on that and working with my colleague not just in ECE but my Cabinet colleagues. We’re going to have to try to find money as we go forward. If we’re going to do a pilot project or something to that effect, we’ll have to work with the Members and come up with a plan on how best to start that jewellery manufacturing. I could see it including diamonds and also other metals that are produced here in the Northwest Territories. I look forward to doing that. It’s something I really believe in. Thank you.