Robert C. McLeod

Mr. Chair, our department would work closely with ENR on identifying and remediation of sites. Again, some of these sites were inherited. We have to learn from that. As we go forward, we’re working on putting a regime in place where we can stay away from issues like this and through the financial assurances division and security that’s required. Back in the day they just went pretty well anywhere they wanted to go, but times have changed and we’re responsible for the administration of our land in the Northwest Territories. We have the tools in place to help us deal with that and we’re going to...

Yes, our plan is to do an evaluation of this and which communities had taken us up on it and whether it’s increased the number of volunteers. Especially in the smaller communities, your core volunteer group is basically the same and there are some new people that come on. Having the opportunity to be in a number of these small communities and seeing what their volunteer core group is like, you see it during events that go on in the community. The fact that we have earmarked a few dollars to help recognize some of the contributions of these people I think will go a long way to increasing...

Yes, I do, Mr. Chair. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. That’s a very important component of the work that we’re doing, identifying people who are out on the land. We’ve worked with local Aboriginal governments to try and help us identify some of their beneficiaries who might be out there. I think we even have some resources that we dedicate to help them with some of the input that they put into the work that we’re doing. So, yes, we are consulting with all the local Aboriginal governments. Thank you.

The Member is absolutely correct; it went from a contribution, less $100,000 to A Brilliant North, to compensation and benefits to your master trainer within the School of Community Government. So it went from contribution to compensation. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I apologize to the Member if I’ve confused him. We were responding to his questions like they were illegal occupancy questions, recreational leasing. Now I understand his question is on the minerals side, if there was any. There was one that I think we were in the courts with and that was just a continuation of a case that I think came over from the previous lands regime. That’s the only one. The 12 that the deputy minister quoted were the ones that we’re dealing with on illegal occupancy.

Again, my apologies to the Member if we didn’t get his questions clarified or didn’t...

The money was re-profiled. It is staying within MACA. Thank you.

If its land that’s within a municipal boundary I would think that would be a MACA issue because MACA still deals with land within the municipal boundary. If the Member is able to provide us with some detail, I will commit to the Member that we will investigate. I’m a little surprised to hear that myself. I would think it would be something that’s covered under MACA if it’s still within a municipality. Thank you.

There were some gaps through this formula funding review that were identified. I think one of the bigger gaps is the O and M funding. Again, we have to, as a government and this Assembly and possibly the 18th, find ways that we can try and address those gaps. I think that’s going to be a huge undertaking. The work is complete, but again, the next part of it is finding the funding.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Through one of the consultations here in Yellowknife there was a concern raised by some of the residents that they wanted the focus area expanded to include some of the islands, so we took that into consideration and I believe we have now expanded the focus area to include some of the islands that many residents were concerned about. Thank you, Mr. Chair.