Katrina Nokleby

Thank you, Madam Chair. It's good to have the department back in the House. My question I'm just going to start with, I think, first with the BDIC on page 210. There's a $2 million budget for the BDIC. I know that the BDIC was kind of a bit almost on hold as far as when they were looking for the CEO and wanted to wait on that to get a new direction going. I know that you're in strategic planning or they're within strategic planning within the BDIC. Can the Minister speak a little bit to where that's at, and how much of the budget for the BDIC is going towards the strategic planning at this...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Engineering has been around since the first humans walked on this Earth and began altering their physical environment in order to improve their comfort, safety, and food supply. As mentioned earlier this week, March is National Engineering Month. Hosted by Engineers Canada, the national regulatory body, it is intended to spark interest in the next generation of engineering professionals and celebrate the role engineers play in shaping society. Next week, the NWT and Nunavut chapter, NAPEG, will be hosting their virtual symposium themed "Powering the North of the Future...

May I suggest the formation of an outhouse committee, and then you could have an open-to-the-public naming contest for that committee. No further questions, Madam Chair.

Yes. Thank you, Madam Chair. That is good to hear, and I am hoping, like before, we are seeing things that are special to us as the territories versus having to be in the same realm as Quebec and Ontario with their over-the-top tourism sectors versus ours. I just wanted to talk to you quickly about the tourism infrastructure fund. Last year, that was a great idea for keeping some small projects going into small communities, employing local businesses, building I think it was kitchen shelters, picnic tables, and such. I note that there is no increase to that over the actuals from either of the...

Thank you, Madam Chair. Yes. I think that's all great, and while it's going to be painful for the next little while, while things are only virtual, I actually see this in the long run as opening up the Northwest Territories and access to international access. As my colleague from Kam Lake was saying earlier on, in the long run, we'll actually probably have more people participating in our forums when we can return to a normal sort of open venue. Just one last comment. Again, back to science, I like science; I like facts; and I want to invest more in this area because, just because you say...

Thank you, Madam Chair. First, I just want to comment that the Minister's description of what this section has done was excellent, and I couldn't have said it better myself. I just wanted to start off by saying that. I think, perhaps, the Minister actually just has a semantics problem, and if she takes the word "petroleum" out of the title of this section, she should no longer have the problems. I am actually really excited to see the funding in this area because this is science. This is the scientists. As well, I've had the opportunity to spend time in the Inuvik office and see what they do...

Thank you, Madam Chair. I appreciate the deputy minister's comments around the collaboration. When I hear the Minister commenting that it's ENR, it's health, you know. I'm assuming and hoping it's getting to a point where someone is going to take ownership of the program because I do think that we don't want to end up in a situation where some of our social programs, it's: who does it belong to? I see the Minister nodding along yes to that, so I'll just do that one as a comment.

Back to the arts program and arts funding, I've mentioned this around other programs in different departments, but...

Thank you, Madam Chair. That would be great. I would like to see a bunch of money. Just more as a comment. I would like to see, I'm not so much concerned that those businesses make money in the BDIC but that we start thinking about all the indirect dollars. I know the department knows where I stand on that, so I'll move on. My next question, then, would be moving onto the Northern Food Development Program on page 211. I note that the number is pretty standard across the board. I think it was a $4,000 increase. Given that COVID highlighted food security issues even more so in the North and...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to give recognition to an exceptional Great Slave constituent. Congratulations to Marino Casebeer for receiving the Outstanding Elder Award. Marino is a 2020 recipient of the NWT Outstanding Volunteer Awards and contributes to making the community of Great Slave and our entire territory an excellent place to live. Congratulations to Marino. Thank you.

Thank you, Madam Chair. Thank you for that. Again, the one time I was in the rental office with my constituent, they were very lovely and helpful. Maybe the Minister could speak to what is the percentage of clients that are public housing clients at the rental office?