Kevin A. Menicoche

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. This year’s potential fire season is of great interest to all residents of the NWT. Minister Miltenberger was quoted on February 9th in the Northern Journal that the 2015 forest fire season is likely to pick up where the last, considered worst in the NWT’s history, left off. This is a dire warning, and residents would like our Department of ENR to be prepared, and residents and community should be prepared as well.

In Nahendeh, while we were somewhat spared in 2014, we did have a fire cross a river at Jean Marie River that was very scary. Fortunately, the winds...

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Also, since we’re also talking about representing Canada with the Dechinta Bush University program, I’d like to ask the Minister on his next visit to his federal counterparts, or if there are any others – perhaps CanNor can be approached – about having a federal investment in our Dechinta Bush University and federal supports.

I’d like to ask the Minister, can he do that the next time he meets with his federal counterparts? Mahsi.

I’m glad the Minister has a working relationship with the Dechinta University since its formation. Where they are heading these days is they’ve proven themselves in the last five years and their name is out there, not only in the Northwest Territories but right across Canada and internationally, as well, in that people are interested. They are saying you’ve got a university, but I think, yes, it’s a university in name but I think the request is to get the name, Dechinta Bush University into the Education Act so it can be accredited to offer their own major and/or minor diploma to our northern...

In closing, we have to take the opportunity to empower ourselves as a territory by providing a truly complete northern education system. We must consider seriously the efforts of the Dechinta Bush University to offer to ourselves and to the world a truly unique major and minor diploma programming. Mahsi cho.

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I rise today in support of Bill 46 and I’d like to extend my congratulations to the Deline Got’ine First Nations as they see one of the final steps in their self-government negotiations. I do want to say that when I visited there, they’re only building on their prophets and what they want for their people. I wish them every success as they exert their independence and yet they can still exist in this great Northwest Territories of ours. All they’re seeking is to better the lives of their people and control of their future.

Once again, I want to extend my...

I know the Minister is talking about it being a longer process than we expect. Of course, it’s like many things in government, it takes a while to change initiatives or steer the ship.

In terms of that, what’s the department’s position on increasing support and funding for the Dechinta Bush University programming that’s out there? Mahsi.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I just want to follow up on my Member’s statement as well as Dechinta University.

When the organizers began Dechinta University, probably more than five years ago when they were dreaming their dreams, they were focusing on establishing a university in the Northwest Territories.

What is our strategy, our position on establishing a university in the Northwest Territories? Thank you.

Good afternoon, Mr. Speaker. I am proud to be standing here to speak about the Dechinta Bush University today. I have many constituents who have completed the seven-week programming at the Blachford Lodge and are furthering their own communities.

We as the Government of the Northwest Territories have been growing up with the onset of devolution, and so should our education system. Canada is the only circumpolar country without a circumpolar university. I believe strongly, as the board of directors of the Dechinta Centre for Research and Learning who operate the Dechinta Bush University, that it...

Thank you very much, Madam Chair. Just when it comes to the expenditures of extra work on Highway No. 7 or any of the highways around Fort Simpson, I’ve always said that Nahendeh, because we don’t have industry or anything around, that government supplies a large portion of the contracts to the service sector there. So any work that they can do on the highway systems there and extra work on Highway No. 7 is certainly a benefit to the communities and the people that I represent as we have more work for them.

Just as a note, I’d just like to continue to support any investment that we can, and yes...

Thank you very much, Madam Chair. I know that with Highway No. 7 there was previously capital amounts, but I would just like to know, in terms of operations and maintenance, what expenditures they have planned for Highway No. 7.