Robert C. McLeod

The $1.6 million is money that we’ve received from ECE through their Income Support program. They supported many people in public housing or income support clients into housing units. We’ve taken over the administration of that program, so we’re actually looking at 75 units possibly leasing and, in turn, give those units to former clients who were formerly on income support to try to transition back into public housing. So it’s not the construction of 75 new units. I believe in many communities there are families supported through this particular program. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

As a government we do support the achievements of our high performance athletes. We try to assist them getting on to a national scale. Once they get on to a national scale, then there are other opportunities there for sponsorship. I take the Member’s point that in the communities they need to try and develop their athletes. We’ve seen a number of communities where they have strong snowshoeing programs because it’s a community pushed event.

If the community of Fort McPherson would want to do something on a ski trail and that, again, they have it within their means and our government will work...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to welcome to the gallery Mr. Charlie Furlong, mayor of Aklavik and president of the NWT Housing Corporation, as well as Joanne Deneron. Welcome to the House. Annette Hopkins and Tasha Bergman from the nine-month-old Department of Lands are taking in our proceedings for the first time. Welcome.

I’d also like to welcome my support counterpart in the Yukon who along with former Minister Kusugak from Nunavut were very instrumental in pushing to have the Alternate Games of those sports that were eliminated from the 2016 in Nuuk, and we appreciate the City of...

Yes, we will work with the community and help them identify some of their options. If there’s a group there that’s interested, we will work with them to help them identify some of their options.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. First of all, we are very proud of our athletes’ achievements here in the Northwest Territories, and I think it’s been proven in the past that a number of our athletes are competing at an international level.

As far as the ski club goes, the community does have it within their means to provide that sort of infrastructure if they choose to. We can, as the department, work with the community to see how they can best use their infrastructure money that we give them to help with that. As far as equipment goes, there might be opportunities for some purchase of equipment with...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. A surety bond is what we have accepted in this particular case. It is a bond that is covered by three major insurance companies, and the proponent would pay a premium on that insurance. It’s in effect until we release our interest in it. It’s a very powerful instrument to use. It’s one that’s used widely across the world, my understanding, and it’s one that’s acceptable under the Waters Act, and it does carry a lot of weight. It’s covered by multinational insurance companies, and it is one that we’re using in this case. What that does is it also frees up some capital...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My understanding is that the security amounts are set by the board and that it would normally consist of whatever it may cost to remediate the site. I’d have to confirm that, but I know the amounts are set by the boards. Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, as part of devolution, the Government of the Northwest Territories took over responsibility for the management of environmental liabilities and securities for resource development projects in our territory.

The regulatory system in the Northwest Territories provides for environmental protection, including terms and conditions within various authorizations. Security provides additional protection to ensure that there are funds to address environmental liabilities if proponents fail to take remedial action.

Several departments are responsible for managing financial securities under...

We do have a list of instances where it’s been used in the past. I think as we go forward with this, what I need to do is, I need to sit down with the committee that oversees Lands. I need to give them a briefing so we all have a better understanding of the differences between a surety bond and a line of credit. I will commit to doing that at our earliest convenience. We do have examples of where it has been used in the past.

Thank you. I’ll have to admit that I’m not quite sure how the assessments are made. All I know is they are made by the board. I’m sure there’s a lot of work that goes into them, once they make it and we negotiate with the proponents as to the instrument that they will pay and then we hold that security. Thank you