Sahtu

Statements in Debates

Debates of , 16th Assembly, 3rd Session (day 26)

Mr. Speaker, the town of Norman Wells only did what any other community would have done to save its sewer plant, water intake plant. Certainly we would support the Minister in terms of going forward with the Building Canada Plan in terms of the projects. What is the status of these BCP projects in terms of 2009-10 with this government?

Debates of , 16th Assembly, 3rd Session (day 26)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Norman Wells has the smallest population of any tax-based municipality in the Northwest Territories. Located on a very large river, in the spring when the Mackenzie breaks up, ice jams cause flooding and shore lands can be battered.

Since its construction about 70 years ago, the town’s water treatment plant and macerator building have been at risk of ice damage and flooding and possible demolition of these very important buildings. The council requests funding from MACA to cover costs of a breakwater or seawall. The town thought the costs would come from the...

Debates of , 16th Assembly, 3rd Session (day 26)

Mr. Speaker, the challenges that we have in our region is the short construction period by the time the materials get to our region. Again, in terms of going forward, if the people from the Sahtu could somehow sit down with the district office and list some of the concerns from the 2008 Auditor General’s Report -- the inspection, the construction, the material -- this would be very beneficial to the corporation. Again, I would ask the Minister in his reviewing of this budget, would he be able to get the leaders and people from the Sahtu to sit down in the district office and say this is how we...

Debates of , 16th Assembly, 3rd Session (day 26)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have a question for Minister McLeod, Minister responsible for the Housing Corporation. Mr. Speaker, in light of the recent announcement of the housing funding that is coming to the Northwest Territories, I wanted to ask the Minister in terms of future plans going ahead. Would his Crown corporation look at sitting down with the regional bodies in the Sahtu or any other region and look at how they can design and make use of these units that are coming into the Northwest Territories? Would the Minister be able to look at some future consultation with the Sahtu region?

Debates of , 16th Assembly, 3rd Session (day 20)

Mr. Chair, I want to say that the department has been very good in working with our contractors. I also want to say to the Minister that the contractors are doing an excellent job in terms of maintaining our winter roads, working with whatever resources we have with them. Sometimes we feel that the budget for our contractors to do a proper maintenance routine schedule is sometimes...It could be increased. Certainly with what they are doing right now, I think they are doing an excellent job.

I think that the department has certainly seen a big increase in terms of our winter roads. I want to say...

Debates of , 16th Assembly, 3rd Session (day 20)

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. [English translation not provided.]

In my own language I honour these few words from my grandfather’s and grandmother’s language. You see, I was brought up with the English and Dene language. In our house we spoke in the two languages. It was not until I started living in Tulita that I began to see and hear the Dene language expressed to its fullest by my grandparents and by my people in Tulita.

Growing up with little knowledge as to the importance of my mother’s language, early in our education at the federal day school we were strongly encouraged to read, write, and speak...

Debates of , 16th Assembly, 3rd Session (day 20)

Mr. Chair, the highways on the winter road, can the Minister indicate to me in terms of the signage safety of our winter road in terms of in our region here? It seems like we certainly could use some more signage on the winter road and also the proper installation of these signs. If you were to drive down on these roads, Mr. Chair, I think you would agree to some extent in that these signs need to be properly put in place, because I don’t think we’re meeting the standards of when you put these signs on these winter roads because it still needs to be improved. I would ask the Minister what type...

Debates of , 16th Assembly, 3rd Session (day 20)

The 2010 runway ruling would be probably coming into effect 21 months from now. The communities of Fort Good Hope and Deline, along with their partner North-Wright Airways, have been asking this government here to see if they can extend the runways to the required length that would help them with their aircraft in the region. We do appreciate the additional runways that were extended in Fort Good Hope and Tulita up to, I think, 3,998 feet. I believe it’s there. We certainly appreciate that. However, because of the restrictions, they are saying that because of the restrictions in the 2010...

Debates of , 16th Assembly, 3rd Session (day 20)

Thank you. Mr. Speaker, I, too, would surely like to see the report in terms of the recommendations from the panel. Mr. Speaker, regarding the recommendations, I am hearing lots in the communities about implementing a one-rate zone down the Mackenzie Valley. There are some issues there.

Mr. Speaker, in terms of the implementation on a one-rate zone, it was felt very strongly in the Mackenzie Valley. I guess what I am asking is, if that is the panel’s conclusion, what type of work needs to be done in terms of having this type of decision be implemented within the life of this government. I am...

Debates of , 16th Assembly, 3rd Session (day 20)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to ask questions, again, to the Minister of the Ministerial Energy Coordinating Committee in terms of the Minister has indicated that by June we should have some indication as to what the people in the Northwest Territories are saying in terms of the consultations that are going to take place. From June, can the Minister outline in terms of within the life of this Assembly, what the possibility is that can we expect people who want lower rates and want to look at the electricity regulations, what brought forward can we see as a government in terms of making...