David Ramsay

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We’ve just completed a report, entitled “The Sector Analysis and Action Plan for Screen-Based Media Production in the Northwest Territories.” We’re going to use this information, the information gleaned in that report, as the basis for a film strategy for the Northwest Territories, which we hope to have completed by March of 2015. So a lot of work is continuing to move forward on this. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. The deputy minister outlined the reason why we sought the increase of $400,000. The Member is right; the value has increased on rough diamonds and evaluation services. It’s the funding that we require to provide the service, and the company that we’re working with has the experience to deliver the service that the Government of the Northwest Territories requires in evaluating diamonds.

A new detachment does come with a lofty price tag. That’s why, with the resources that we do have, we have to try to find a way of moving forward with improving the level of service. In the case of Gameti, we talked about a holding cell being provided in the community. If we get into Wrigley and Wrigley leadership identifies that as a need, that’s something we will continue to work on.

We always need to be moving the yardsticks forward, Mr. Speaker. In the case of providing service, we are going to do that.

Again, I look forward to travelling to Wrigley and I can explain that to the community...

Thank you. The RCMP have protocols, they have processes in place when it comes to search and rescue and trying to identify or find a missing person. We have to remain supportive of the RCMP’s efforts and their investigative skills. We also would ask Members and the public to be supportive of the RCMP at this time as they continue to search for this lady. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Back in 2007, when it was contemplated about building detachments in Gameti and Wrigley, we were under the old policing services contract. The federal government was responsible at the time for capital costs of new detachments in the Northwest Territories. In 2012 we signed a new Police Services Agreement where the Government of the Northwest Territories was 70 percent responsible for those same capital costs. Back in May of 2012, my predecessor at the Department of Justice, Minister Abernethy, had written a letter to yourself outlining the changes in the new policing...

The success that we’ve seen in some other communities around the Northwest Territories has been initiated by a real community leader, somebody that is very interested in seeing that project advance. That’s why, as I mention earlier, the Farm Training Institute is so important, so that people can go to Hay River, get some training, go back to their communities and be real community leaders when it comes to developing agriculture in the communities.

Again, I’d ask the Member, if he’s got somebody in his community that is interested, we are here to help. We’d be more than happy to help community...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We’ve made great strides when it comes to developing an agricultural industry here in the Northwest Territories. The Member has a good idea. I was with the Member recently this summer and we traveled down the river and there were farms historically near the community of Fort Providence. We’d certainly like to see some of that agricultural initiative renewed, and we have programs in place at ITI, working through our South Slave office, to support individuals in the Member’s community that want to get involved with agriculture. We’ve seen success stories around the...

I prefer my potatoes with mushrooms. Yes, if we can advance that idea, I would certainly support that idea.

Yes, we do support the development of agriculture in the Member’s riding and all ridings across the Northwest Territories. I’d encourage anybody from the Member’s communities, if they are interested in pursuing initiatives, to contact us at our South Slave office in Hay River and we’d be more than happy to help them out.

Mr. Speaker, in the 2013-2014 fiscal year, there was a tremendous increase in the number of visitors and visitor spending in the Northwest Territories, and today I would like to share details of this exciting growth with Members.

Last year we welcomed over 90,000 visitors. This is our highest number of visitors in the last decade and an increase of 20 percent from the previous year.

Visitor spending also rose by 24 percent to $132.5 million.

Tourism is this territory’s largest renewable resource-based sector and these numbers demonstrate that this government and our partners are on the right...