Michael Nadli

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It’s quite encouraging that we’re seeing the dances of the proposed wood pellet plant moving forward. I think there’s cause for excitement and there seems to be a sense of being positive in terms of the optimism that it is generating.

I wanted to take a business approach to this whole project and ask the Minister of ITI in terms of his role with his department in playing a support capacity. My question is to the Minister of ITI.

What support role, if any, does ITI have in terms of moving to establish a wood pellet plant in the NWT? Mahsi.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I think we’ve experienced a forest fire over the past two years. It’s really affected communities along the highways. So we have, in some places, fallen trees and burnt out areas. In some cases they are close to communities.

Would the Minister commit his department to work with communities that are interested in salvaging the burnt wood that is closely situated to their community or along the highway? Mahsi.

My question is: How can the Minister ensure we have more biomass-related business initiatives in the NWT? Mahsi.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. In the past I’ve stood up in the House to celebrate the hardworking town of Enterprise, our gateway to the NWT. Even though it’s a small town with a population of just over 100 people, Enterprise is home to great enthusiasm and a lot of exciting ideas for economic development.

I’ve also spoken before to support biomass opportunities in the Deh Cho and South Slave regions. Today in Enterprise, residents look forward to the possibility of a new wood pellet plant to bring jobs to the region.

I support this project. This month the hamlet council passed an agreement-in-principle...

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. [Translation] It is a sad occasion when I rise in this House to mark the passing of one of our esteemed elders. It is my privilege today to honour the late elder Mary Rose Sabourin, who passed away on September 16, 2015. She was 94 years old.

Mary Rose Sabourin was a valued elder of K’atlodeeche First Nation reserve who was loved by many people. Mary Rose took great pleasure in her grandchildren and great-grandchildren. I want to send my heartfelt condolences to her family at this difficult time and thank them for giving me permission to honour their mother today.

Mary Rose...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Just a few comments, nothing in particular, just mostly some internal thoughts. For the most part, I think going forward a lot of the projects that have been identified in some respects have materialized over the course of the last couple of years and I think it’s clear that lacking major natural resource development projects, aside from the mines that we have, this government has to try in some way to invigorate the economy and that’s in investments and infrastructure. So, with that, at the community level there have been some efforts in terms of trying to empower local...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I move that this committee recommends that the Government of the Northwest Territories continue to provide updated timetables for schedules for the environmental assessment of potentially contaminated sites for which the GNWT is responsible to be included annually in the public accounts. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I just wanted to briefly provide my constituents, especially the elders, in terms of the context, in terms of explaining the process of fracking. So I just want to take a couple of moments just to explain to them who are out in the communities.

[English translation not provided.]

Fracking is generally the practice of putting water underneath the ground and ensuring that something comes up, and that’s normally the petroleum resources that are hard to get at. That’s the practice that we’re debating today.

I stand in support of this motion because, you know, we have done...

Thank you. Can the Minister assure me and my constituents that the new space in Fort Providence will be ultimately used to address key health issues? As an example, strategies to promote aging in place and to tackle chronic diseases such as diabetes and cancer. Mahsi.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions are for the Minister of Health and Social Services. Can the Minister describe the measures being taken to ensure the new health care facility in Fort Providence is a culturally appropriate space and that the cultural needs of residents will be given due care and attention? Mahsi.