Statements in Debates
The Forest Management Act is in need of renewal. Would the Minister, in cooperation with the Minister of Environment and Natural Resources, consider some creative interim solutions for regulating mushrooms and non-timber forest products such as including them in the Fur Harvester Program? Mahsi.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions today are for the Minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment. Just recently I talked about the fungal jungle in terms of the potential of the morel mushroom industry to more than likely experience a bumper crop after the forest fire season that we experienced this summer.
My question to the Minister is: Buyers of wild mushrooms are typically from out of territory. What is the department doing to ensure buyers have business licences?
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to thank the Minister for his reply.
What assistance is available to the owners and operators of facilities in our communities to successfully host conferences and other events, for example, hospitality training, facility maintenance and administrative needs? Mahsi.
Can the Minister discuss any early results so far? He has indicated that they are tracking visitor information. Mahsi.
Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. The Minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment recently tabled the Economic Opportunities Implementation Plan. Tourism is a key component of the plan to diversify and enhance economic opportunities throughout the NWT. The conference bureau initiative is among the programs ITI is funding through this strategy, and I wanted to highlight some of the opportunities that program creates for small communities in the NWT.
The conference bureau needs to look beyond the regional centres of Yellowknife, Inuvik or Fort Smith to see the amenities smaller places have to offer. The newly...
The Minister has indicated that one of the functions of the conference bureau is to track visitor information but at the same time ensure that there is indeed a list of meeting places that are quite possible that could be made for references for people that come up north.
Is the Minister willing to direct the conference bureau to consider adding some of the facilities in small communities, such as the Sandy Creek Lodge, to an inventory of venues for meetings and events? Mahsi.
Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. My questions today are for the Minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment.
I understand the conference bureau initiative is already underway. Can the Minister describe what the conference bureau hopes to achieve? Mahsi.
As I was saying, our residents continue to be concerned with problems such as substance abuse, family violence and the lack of job opportunities, especially for local youth and people who are not available to work in the mining sector. In the final year of the 17th Assembly, I strongly encourage community members, leadership and governments to work together to reach the goals of healthy, vibrant and sustainable communities in the Deh Cho. Mahsi.
Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. [English translation not provided.]
We had quite a summer in the Deh Cho. The record-breaking fire season had a significant impact on communities in my riding, as they did across the NWT, leading to smoky conditions and difficulties in travel.
Kakisa had a very close call when the fire came within 100 metres of some homes. Despite this scary experience, I’m happy to say that no structures were lost in or around Kakisa and residents began returning home from a weeklong evacuation on July 4th.
On behalf of all people in my riding, I want to thank everyone who assisted with the...
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Just a couple of comments in terms of the Housing Corporation and affecting, of course, the whole area of housing and how it is that we meet the needs of families and individuals that aspire to either own their own homes or else rent through the Public Housing Program initiatives.
One of the things that I see that seems to be fairly common is just the trend towards the public rental system. In some respects, the reality of living in the communities where you have a 40 to 50 percent rate of unemployment, opportunities are very few and far between, at least trying to work...