Michael Nadli

Yesterday evening, it meant a lot for the Federal Government of Canada to be there and Dehcho First Nations officials, as well, and it was a big, exciting event.

One of the steps that needs to happen to fulfill the future of our protected area and advance it through the federal process is transferring Edehzhie to the federal government. Could the Minister or the Premier explain in terms of how that process might work out?

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, yesterday, I was in Fort Providence, the home community of Premier McLeod. My question is to Premier McLeod. It was a proud day in Fort Providence. Everyone was there, but, sadly, there were no GNWT senior officials. Can the Premier explain: what was the GNWT's role in establishing the Edehzhie as a protected area? Mahsi.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My last question is: going forward, what actions will the GNWT take in the remainder of this Assembly, the 18th Assembly -- some might say that the 18th Assembly is already over -- but take to advance conservation and land protection initiatives like Edehzhie? Mahsi.

There was an initial schedule signed back in September, and parties, of course, that were involved, you know, sought clarity, and one of them was the GNWT. Can the Premier explain or update the territorial position on the subsurface withdrawal for Edehzhie?

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. First, I would like to welcome my colleagues back to the House. I'm glad to be back myself, and Mr. Speaker, I'm also keen to share some very exciting news for conservation, reconciliation, and the future of our territory.

[English translation not provided.]

Also known as the Horn Plateau, Edehzhie has been called "the jewel" and "the breadbasket" of the Dehcho, the place where Dene have turned for generations. Edehzhie means "source waters" as it hosts the source waters for the Willowlake, Horn, and Rabbitskin Rivers, and at 14,200 square kilometers, it's bigger than both...

I wanted the initiative that's available to communities, the Community Access Program, which has a target of working with docks and wharfs in small communities, and it is application-based. Could the Minister detail out how his officials may work with the community at Kakisa?

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the community of Kakisa is perhaps most well-known due to its proximity to Lady Evelyn Falls. The adjacent territorial park provides amenities that make the falls a comfortable experience. The community is small, but with beautiful log houses, it provides a welcoming atmosphere to visitors.

One of the facilities available in the community is a dock on Kakisa Lake. The dock is popular among the locals for recreation purposes and is heavily used for fishing and tourism. Because of the multitude of uses and its popularity, residents are interested in upgrading the...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I do not support this motion because the communities that I represent did not explicitly tell me to take this position. As I stated in the outset, speaking on this Bill 6, is people want a level of control. They want a level of control or government has control, and therefore position the communities to have control. I disagree with the comments that were made earlier. We can't really predict and crystal-ball this and place hypothetical situations over our heads and predict what may happen. We don't know that, but I do know that I support Bill 6 because it's predicated on...

I just wanted to thank the Minister for his answers, and I don't have any furthers questions. Mahsi.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my questions are to the Minister of Infrastructure. I want to thank the Minister for attending a constituency tour on May 8th, when we met people in Kakisa, and then we raised the concerns about the dock in their community and its condition. I was very encouraged by the recent announcement by the Ministers of Transportation and Infrastructure in the NWT, particularly the air transportation. My question is to the Minister of Infrastructure: what kind of plan of action does he intend to undertake to follow up from the meeting of May 8th in terms of addressing...