David Ramsay

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We’re fully supportive of the initiative that the community of Kakisa has taken on in the development of a fishery there. We have the Northern Food Development Program that fishermen can apply for a marketing subsidy to get fish into the domestic market here in the Northwest Territories and that’s certainly something that’s available to the fishermen in Kakisa and something that, if they are interested in the program, I’d encourage them to talk to our staff in the South Slave about that program.

We’ve also had a great deal of success working with the community on the new...

We’re going to take a real good run at revitalizing the fishery on Great Slave Lake in the coming years and we have some money set aside through EOS to let us accomplish that and we are also very much interested in getting other products and fish around the territory into the domestic market. We have a number of programs run through ITI totalling about $225,000 on an annual basis, so the programs that we do have available to community members and people that want to pursue fishing and pursue getting their product into the domestic market here in the Northwest Territories. Thank you.

On a bigger scale, I think it comes down to planning. Certainly we have to work with communities around the Northwest Territories as a government to get a plan going forward. On a smaller scale such as perhaps what the Hay River Reserve is trying to achieve, we do have some funding that we could certainly look at in the South Slave to help the Hay River Reserve achieve what they’re trying to do there with fibre optics. That’s certainly something we are interested in doing, Madam Speaker.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. I’d like to congratulate the Hay River Reserve for the work that they’ve put into broadband and fibre on the reserve. I had the opportunity last year to go down and visit with community leaders there, and it’s very encouraging to see the work and the effort that’s been put into fibre optic in that community. I know they have some big plans, and certainly the Department of Industry, Tourism and Investment were interested in helping them try to achieve those plans. Thank you.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. I wish to table the following document, titled “Northwest Territories Marketing Plan 2014-2015.” Thank you, Madam Speaker.

We’re very encouraged by the signals from the federal government on the importance of growing broadband and connectivity in Canada’s North. It looks like they’re going to invest over $300 million on that initiative over the next few years.

We certainly are moving forward with the fibre optic link down the Mackenzie Valley and any opportunity we have, as a government, to continue to look at opportunities to connect communities to that system is something we are certainly interested in. I know it’s early days since the announcement by the federal government on the money for fibre in northern...

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Tourism in the Northwest Territories plays a vital role in our economy. Each year the industry contributes over $100 million in visitor revenue and attracts upwards of 70,000 visitors from across the world. Tourism is also one of the few industries capable of creating economic opportunities in every region.

Because of this importance, and the industry’s potential, we must develop comprehensive and effective plans to market our spectacular tourism product to the world. I am very pleased with NWT Tourism’s 2014-2015 Marketing Plan, which outlines what the GNWT’s tourism...

I don’t have those statistics with me today, but I would certainly go back to the department and get the statistics. Also, I’m curious myself to find out what marketing efforts are currently underway for the Crime Stoppers program around the Northwest Territories, especially in the smaller communities, and I’ll get that information for the Member and for the House. Thank you.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Stiffer penalties were introduced a number of years ago. I think it was three or four years back for bootleggers in the Northwest Territories, stiffer fines and a possibility of incarceration as well.

We continue to work with the RCMP to ensure that we have the patrols, especially on the winter road, that we are trying to get the drug dealers and bootleggers off the streets and out of our communities. It’s really incumbent, especially in the smaller communities where folks in many cases know who the drug dealers are, they know who the bootleggers are, that they say...

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Thousands of our residents and visitors enjoy the parks and campgrounds across the territory. In particular, the beaches located within the territorial parks contribute enormously to the quality of life for many families on hot summer days.

The 2014 parks season formally opens on May 15th and the Department of Industry, Tourism and Investment is making important changes to beaches in Fred Henne Territorial Park and Hay River Territorial Park that I want to share with you. These changes will help to ensure everyone enjoys the beaches in a fun, safe way.

The Lifesaving...