Michael Nadli

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Yesterday I called attention to an active, successful and delicious northern industry, the morel mushroom harvest. As I’ve said before, this Deh Cho crop is prized by gourmet chefs across Canada and around the world. It also thrives in burned land. One positive outcome, at least, of last summer’s extensive fire season.

As you know, these fires affected more than three million hectares of land, including significant positions of the Deh Cho region, and demanded significant human, mechanical and financial resources. But, as with the morel mushrooms, last summer’s fires have...

On October 16, 2014, the response to an oral question, the Minister of Environment and Natural Resources committed to share in a critical debriefing report with committee.

What is the status of this report? Mahsi.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. My question is to the Minister of Environment and Natural Resources. As of the fall of 2014, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources had wildfire protection plans for 28 communities in five regions.

My question is: Have these plans been revised in light of lessons learned last summer? Mahsi.

Can the Minister let us know if any follow up has happened to ensure that buyers have a business licence? Is the government adequately equipped and staffed to provide this oversight? Mahsi.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. My questions are for the Minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment. Will the Minister provide an update on the how-to booklet and the number of community visits that have been completed to date? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. At the last discussions I had with the Minister in this House, the Minister had indicated that travel will be done either through the Minister’s office or his officials in the communities. It’s quite surprising those visits haven’t been done. The other point I want to make leading up to my final supplementary is that no strategies should entail in terms of how is it communities will be in a position to take advantage of this opportunity that’s going to happen this summer. Last year Trout River and Jean Marie River areas saw lots of people go into the communities.

Has...

It’s been suggested by a person that has experienced the mushroom harvest last year that this initiative could be a great investment by this government and that similar policy initiatives and programs could be very similar to the Grubstake Program. The mushroom harvest is potentially a multi-million dollar industry.

Does the Minister have specific strategies that would assist Aboriginal governments to capitalize on this economic opportunity? Mahsi.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. There’s a global demand for morel mushrooms. They are only found in the wild and are highly prized. Delicious and versatile, they are suitable for a range of gourmet recipes. Morel mushrooms can be sautéed, grilled, smoked or baked, and served up with fish, meat, pasta and soup, or prepared as a simple appetizer. In fact, at the Canadian Culinary Championships held in Kelowna, BC, earlier this month, mushrooms from the NWT were featured in the winning dish. After last year’s fire season, they’re expecting a bumper crop, so we need to be ready.

Today I’d like to follow up on...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I wanted to understand the Minister of Public Works and Services in terms of the aging inventory of capital assets that the government maintains throughout the communities. In this particular instance, we have an aging seniors home. There have been efforts to perhaps renovate it.

What is the policy of this government, especially the Department of Public Works and Services, of these aging buildings? Do they become, at some point, just not usable and the government has to demolish it? At what point would the government engage with the local community to determine the fate...

Recent efforts have indicated because of the age of the facility which was built back in 1970, obviously this government will not make an effort to replace it, but make an effort to renovate it. Recently there was review of request for proposal submissions to renovate the facility as early as January 23, 2015.

Has a contract been awarded and when can the community expect an effort to make improvements to the facility? Mahsi.