Michael Nadli

Thank you, Mr. Chair. It seems that the department, as part of their operations, is ensuring the safety and the access to small community airports. I just wanted to make a point, Mr. Chair: there is a presumption that there is a Community Access Program that is specifically for roads only. In this instance, a project of this nature that could affect airports, would perhaps the Community Access Program be expanded to include airports? Perhaps the Minister maybe could reply in terms of the idea to ensure that it is not only roads but airports included in the initiative. Perhaps there had been...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I understand that in 2015-16 the Department of Transportation or DOT had developed a transportation model strategy. I wanted to understand what perhaps could have been included in terms of the long-term plans for community airports, especially small communities? Mahsi.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I applaud the Minister for taking their leadership initiative and trying to engage other departments and trying to step away from working in silos. Has MACA considered ways it can help make life easier for people living in small communities so that they don't have to move away for jobs and also for educational reasons? Mahsi.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, minor hockey brings people together in communities across the Northwest Territories and Canada.

Fort Providence has not seen organized hockey for children since the late 1980s, but it has recently made a comeback thanks to the efforts of the Parents' Minor Hockey Committee and its newly elected president, Mr. Tim Cragg.

Mr. Speaker, many Members of this House and people listening to our proceedings today have good memories of growing up with minor hockey. Some of us still play hockey, thanks to participation in minor hockey leagues.

Mr. Speaker, minor hockey led...

Mahsi, Mr. Chair. [English translation not provided]. I, too, had some comments in terms of some common themes that reflect the riding that I represent.

Just to start off, this department saw a decrease from last year of 1.5 per cent. It is one of two biggest departments besides Health and Social Services that take a big chunk of this $1.8 billion operation that we call GNWT.

Just some things that I wanted to highlight. I know this department is moving forward on the Education Act. In my recent discussion with one of the communities that I represent, they wanted to ensure that, if there is a...

Thank you, Mr. Chair; that's good to know. The reason why I'm asking is, if maybe a community or a region were interested in perhaps establishing a park, is there any criteria set or are there any factors to be considered that ITI perhaps would consider in discussions with communities in terms of future parks that could be possibly expanded? What would be the factors or criteria that determine if a park could be established? Mahsi.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. My interest is in terms of page 211, the community tourism infrastructure and to the bottom of tourism, the various initiatives in the range of at least $5.5 million for this initiative. So I'm just trying to understand just how many territorial parks that we might have in the NWT. I understand, like, in my riding there are six territorial parks, so I just wanted to understand whether this department has a figure in terms of the total territorial parks that exist in the NWT? Mahsi.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I think the scope of possibilities has widened in terms of how perhaps this department can maybe refocus its energy if the oil and gas industry is non-existent. So I'm just trying to understand whether this department would be perhaps a lead agency in terms of engaging. You know, there may be some consideration of developing at least the infrastructure so that in eventually, maybe 10 years, 20 years down the road, there's a need to access the oil fields and the gas fields that more likely haven't been found yet.

Is there perhaps some consideration of examining the pipeline...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, I had some questions in regard to the petroleum industry in terms of I think it's been stated that in terms of the potential outlook for this industry to exist and operate in the NWT, you know there's no prospect of, or likely any form of, activity in this economic sector for the next 10 years. So understanding that, over the course of at least the past three years or so we've seen a fairly consistent decline in terms of petroleum resources in terms of how this department engages oil and gas companies in terms of their activity in the NWT plus communities as...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. The other point that I wanted to understand is that there's an increasing interest in collaboration and cooperation in terms of working with communities, and also the management of territorial parks and so forth, but to basically take an opportunity of the growing number of visitors to the parks and it's a very good thing, and so I wanted to understand that communities want to, of course, be involved. So is it critical or integral that communities have an opportunity to develop their local community tourism strategies? Mahsi.