Wally Schumann

Mr. Speaker, I wish to table the following document entitled "Northwest Territories Tourism Marketing Plan 2018/19." Thank you, Mr. Speaker

That's going to depend on the level of funding. This is a significant project that's been submitted, like I said, with the National Trades Corridor Fund, which is application-based with all of Canada. That's where it's sitting presently. There's $2 billion for the whole country. Depending on the level of funding we're getting, it could done in various stages. We'd have to conduct some environmental studies and some engineering studies before we can move to an environmental phase. Depending, of course, on the amount of funding we get, we're going to have to involve consultation in engaging...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I was listening. Mr. Speaker, I would like to recognize a few people here today; Cathie Bolstad, the CEO of NWT Tourism. Welcome to the house, Cathie. Ainsley Lamontagne, marketing director from NWT Tourism. Everyone is going to get a kick out of this year. I'll do a little shout-out to Lillian Elias, my cousin from the Beau-Del. She is doing interpretation in Inuvialuit. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

As I said, this is early days of this project, but we are very mindful of the caribou, moving this whole project forward. Infrastructure has been working very closely with the Department of ENR to identify gaps, particularly around knowledge and opportunities around the caribou. We realize that, as this project advances, this type of work with ENR and others to explore the migration route options and to reduce the impacts of caribou on our proposed route would have to take place, and we will continue to do that.

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. The P3 business case, we continue to work on it and it should be done shortly, if it isn't done already. I'd have to check on that. We have submitted our comprehensive proposal to the National Trades Corridor Fund with the federal government; we did that last November. We're hopefully going to hear about this funding in the coming months from federal government on what the uptake on that is going to be. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, the Northwest Territories is just a bit different. Just a bit different is the tagline of NWT Tourism's new marketing campaign. It capitalizes on the unique Northern realities that make our territory a special and spectacular travel destination. As we continue to build our territory's tourism industry, the Department of Industry, Tourism and Investment is investing to maximize the economic growth and diversity that this sector can provide.

Guided by our Tourism 2020 plan, we are investing in training, capacity building, and product development. We are working to ensure that tourism...

As the Member knows, NTPC produces most of the electricity in the Northwest Territories. It owns and operates all the hydro facilities in NWT, as well as most of the diesel generations. He is right. It is correct that they are an important factor in how we are going to approach this. They are a critical partner of ours in reducing greenhouse gas emissions, but, at the same time, our action plan is closely aligned with their next 20 years strategic plan on how they are going to operate and their capital requirements doing this.

Our bilateral agreement that we are going to sign with...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The government is planning to release the Energy Strategy, the Climate Change Strategic Framework, and the NWT Petroleum Resource Strategy at the end of April in a coordinated, collaborative effort to bring this forward; but at the same time, Members have to realize we are working on finalizing our bilateral agreements with Infrastructure Canada, as well as Environment and Climate Change Canada, which will provide critical resources to move these strategies and action plans along. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Tulita Health Centre was approved by Legislative Assembly in the capital in 2018-2019, and on this project, very similar to the Norman Wells facility, there has been a number of people trained there that we will be able to utilize, I believe, when this thing goes out to tender. The experience that was gained on that facility, we will be able to transfer those skills over to the Tulita Centre.

We are doing a functional plan on this thing right now, and programming on it, and the design of the prototype, which should be completed here shortly. When this thing goes out to tender, I expect that...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Norman Wells health and social services facility has got a substantial completion date in December of 2017, so just right around Christmastime, and it will soon be in operation. The question is what benefits did the Sahtu region get out of this. It was a project that was carried on by a local development corporation and a major contractor, and I can inform this House that, directly through northern and local employment and business of goods and services, $20 million was spent in the North on this project. This is very impressive because this is a very high-level...