Michael Nadli

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...

In some communities, the fire departments have been rendered non-response departments. They have been put on hold, and there are no fire protection services available to the community. He has stated very clearly that his department is providing support. How is his department providing support to local governments to ensure their level of fire protection services is available for all residents of the NWT?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, about two years ago, the Auditor General of Canada tabled his report entitled "Support for Communities for Municipal Services in the Northwest Territories." That report was basically highlighting 13 recommendations. The critical piece of the report was that MACA did not adequately help communities. In the case in Fort Providence, where we have a community volunteer fire department, what role does MACA have in supporting and establishing and maintaining a local fire department? Mahsi.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Yes, I agree with my colleague, too, that I think we are kind of raising the expectations pretty high, if I could put it that way. In one instance we're going to study an established working group and study the idea of the entrepreneurial and economic aspect of this initiative. Then here we are kind of jumping, taking a leap in terms of establishing economic development programs and then supporting northern entrepreneurs, so there are expectations that are really high, and we need to ensure that we are fairly consistent.

I think a colleague had expressed that, in the...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to thank the Minister for his replies, as well. Could the Minister outline to the House in terms of a target or a specific timeline that his department has of ensuring that all 33 communities, at least, have local fire departments and fire protection measures in place? Mahsi.

The Minister stated that they will continue to work with hamlets. Of course, this is the Government of the Northwest Territories and this is the Department of Municipal and Community Affairs. Who is responsible for fire protection services? Is it this government through MACA, or is it the local governments?

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, fire protection services in the NWT are reliant on volunteer firefighters. The dedication, time, and effort that volunteers invest in keeping our communities safe are invaluable.

The Fort Providence Fire Department currently has 14 active and engaged volunteers. I am pleased to see community members stepping up to take the new positions with the fire department, and have no doubt that they will continue to protect the community from harm.

Mr. Speaker, new volunteers have had three team meetings to clean and organize the fire hall. Firefighter Level I training...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, I, too, would like to share my thoughts on this report that's been tabled in the House, the Cannabis Legalization Regulation and Implementation Act, or Bill 6, which is the effort of this government to legalize marijuana or cannabis. I think we all understood that the draft legislation that we were given was the result of the federal initiative to legalize marijuana at the national level.

Going forward, the understanding that we had, for myself, was that the federal government had initiated this whole process, and we're basically following suit as the...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. No further questions.