Kam Lake

Statements in Debates

Debates of , 17th Assembly, 5th Session (day 79)

Yes, thank you, Mr. Speaker. I know the department continues to work with our partners at ENR, at MACA, through the Department of Justice with the RCMP and other departments as we continue to try to get as much out of this morel opportunity as we possibly can. We can’t do this alone. There’s a number of agencies and other departments that are involved. Thank you.

Debates of , 17th Assembly, 5th Session (day 79)

Not only are we seeing an influx of pickers from western Canada who are showing up in the Northwest Territories, but through the work of the department we are trying to get local people interested in this harvest. That’s why we’re putting on the workshops. That’s why we’re doing the walking tours. It is going to have an economic impact. The pickers who do show up here are going to eat at restaurants, they are going to stay in our parks and campgrounds, they are going to buy gas and supplies from local stores. There is going to be an economic benefit to having them here, but we are trying our...

Debates of , 17th Assembly, 5th Session (day 79)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It’s always a great day when we get students visiting us here at the Legislative Assembly. I have two great schools in my riding. One of those schools is St. Joseph School. I was mentioning to the kids out in the Great Hall earlier that I was a student at St. Joseph in Grade 6. So, it’s great to see them here visiting the Assembly today. This is a Grade 6 class. The teacher’s name is Amanda Delaurier. I’ll go through the students’ names: Jasmine Balsillie, Nolan Elliot, Aron Nathaniel Gomes, Avery Hacala, Tori Hamm, Keegan Head, Makayla Lane, Landon Lavers, Julia...

Debates of , 17th Assembly, 5th Session (day 79)

Having served on the other side of the House for eight years, the department did get the message loud and clear about the Auditor General’s report and the steps that we need to take in the area of wilderness camps. We are moving forward; we’re going to get a fit; we’re going to make it happen; and I’ve impressed upon the department to do just that. Thank you.

Debates of , 17th Assembly, 5th Session (day 79)

I’ve given that commitment in the past and I’ll give it again today, that we are committed to seeing the wilderness camps established here in the Northwest Territories. We’re going to continue to work with folks to ensure that that happens.

We had intended to issue an RFP this month, but after the expression of interest process and the discussions that we’ve had with respondents to that process, further changes to the design of the program is what are needed and what are required, and we’re currently working toward that. From the discussion with interested groups, we concluded that the...

Debates of , 17th Assembly, 5th Session (day 79)

Where there’s access to a campground with facilities, contractors can charge a fee to use the facilities in the campground. I think that’s up to the contractor. The services are there. People need to pay for those services. Pickers who are in the area can utilize those services, and the contractor is going to be making more revenue as a result of that. Thank you.

Debates of , 17th Assembly, 5th Session (day 79)

Judging by the success of the workshops that we’ve put on with 1,200 residents taking part, we’re going to see a much greater number of local people in the Northwest Territories participating in the harvest this coming summer. You know, good ideas. I heard a good idea from Mrs. Groenewegen, another good idea with the surveys from Mr. Bouchard. We’re just moving into this. I think ideas like that, we can hopefully take those and incorporate them in our planning.

As far as whether or not we are planning a survey, I’d have to go back and see if the department has any plans to survey pickers on...

Debates of , 17th Assembly, 5th Session (day 79)

I mentioned the regulatory change that’s going to be required. That is being conducted through the Department of Environment and Natural Resources. For us, if you are going to be conducting business in the Northwest Territories, we have a Business Licence Act here in the NWT. It’s administered through Municipal and Community Affairs. It requires businesses operating in the Northwest Territories to obtain a business licence, which may provide ENR the means to measure the extent of the industry at this time.

We also have a requirement that employers must be registered with the Workers’ Safety and...

Debates of , 17th Assembly, 5th Session (day 79)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. With all the authorities in the Northwest Territories we continue to work with, of course, the RCMP, ENR monitoring these camps and where people are. There is no requirement for them to check in. Many of them are working for somebody else who would know where they’re at. The Member has a valid point and that’s something I’ll discuss with the department, and because we have had a lack of rain, although there is some rain in the forecast for next week, we’re hoping to get rain on Tuesday and possibly Thursday, which will help the harvest and help with potential forest...

Debates of , 17th Assembly, 5th Session (day 79)

Mr. Speaker, economic opportunity comes in all shapes and forms. This summer it is coming to the Northwest Territories in the form of morel mushrooms, a delicacy highly sought after by food markets around the world.

Ultimately, Mother Nature will have the largest role in determining the success of our harvest. However, under the right conditions, we anticipate this harvest could generate as much as $10 million in the NWT this summer.

The Department of Industry, Tourism and Investment has been working to prepare NWT residents to take advantage of this opportunity and keep some of these revenues...