Norman Yakeleya

Thank you, Madam Chair. I’m happy to see the Minister making some strong efforts in taking care of the opportunities that are in the Sahtu region and the development of some of the business opportunities that could take some presence in regard to the, oil and gas Canol shale play in the Sahtu region.

The Minister is looking at some partnerships within ITI and there are many types of partnerships. I look forward to seeing where there are some various levels of different types of partnerships. We have partnerships with oil and gas, partnerships with the community, with Aboriginal businesses, with...

Thank you, Madam Speaker. The vault is slowly opening up so that the needs of the Sahtu can be met.

I want to ask the Minister about hydraulic fracturing. What is the Minister doing with the National Energy Board, federal government and this government to give the people a very clear-cut educational opportunity to know about this technology that would help the industry or harm our environment? What is the Minister doing to make sure the people know what hydraulic fracturing is all about?

What is the Government of the Northwest Territories doing to address the capacity needs in the communities in connection with the exploration activities?

Mr. Speaker, in the Sahtu, as I said, the mining companies don’t really hire people outside the Yellowknife area. The Sahtu is very little. We have to go to Deline, Norman Wells, Inuvik or Yellowknife to get on to the workforce. In front of me I have a list of graduates from the Sahtu. There’s 33 graduates, seven from post-secondary and 26 from the high school.

Can the Minister ask the mining industry if they could make up pick-up points in the Sahtu communities further than what they have right now so that they can increase their mining workforce? We want to go to work. Let’s ask the mining...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I want to recognize the best court worker in the Northwest Territories, Daphne Lafferty from Fort Good Hope. I also would like to recognize some friends, Rose Lamouelle and Pat Waugh who are also court workers and Charlene Doolittle whose family is from the Sahtu. Also, the other court workers here. I also would like to recognize the students from Nahanni Butte. It is good to see you come down this way to see us in action, and the rest of the visitors I would like to welcome. Thank you.

Mr. Chair, I would appreciate that and people that have spoken to me about this would also appreciate that the government is starting to look at this issue.

I also want to ask the Minister in regard to what Ms. Bisaro was talking about, the opportunities that could be looked at in the Sahtu. I understand, from Mr. Campbell’s replies to our question, that the Sahtu and further north could be looked at as a biomass industry opportunity for us in that region, if we are to embark on that journey through the government’s energy initiatives on reducing the cost of living and carbon emissions from the...

Mr. Chair, I have a few questions in this area here. I want to start with the climate change and the impacts that we’re seeing in the Sahtu region. I’ve talked to a few of the trappers who use the land consistently, and what they have talked to me about is the erosion of the banks along some of the rivers that they go up to hunt and trap in, go up to live during the summer months, and the rivers that they use during the fall time for their fall hunts. They’re noticing the erosion of the landscape, of the banks and of the hills, and they were asking if there is any possible way that the...

I MOVE, seconded by the honourable Member for Thebacha, that, notwithstanding Rule 4, when this House adjourns on February 14, 2013, it shall be adjourned until Monday, February 18, 2013;

AND FURTHER, that any time prior to February 18, 2013, if the Speaker is satisfied, after consultation with the Executive Council and Members of the Legislative Assembly, that the public interest requires that the House should meet at an earlier time during the adjournment, the Speaker may give notice and thereupon the House shall meet at the time stated in such notice and shall transact its business as it has...

This recent discovery of contaminated soil on the Enbridge pipeline, I am not sure if it was done accidentally or because of the work that Enbridge is doing. Can the Minister inform me and the people along the route of this pipeline that the integrity of this pipeline is safe and that Enbridge will do all it can to assure the people that there isn’t going to be any more sudden surprises of contaminated soil or possible leaks in the line?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is to the Minister of ENR. I want to ask the Minister with regard to the recent news about Enbridge contaminated soil along the Mackenzie pipeline. Is the Minister aware about the incident and whether there’s further actions to check the integrity of the pipeline right from Norman Wells to the border of the Northwest Territories, if there are starting to be spots along the pipeline with contaminated soil. What is the Minister doing to ensure the whole line is being checked thoroughly?