Caitlin Cleveland

Thank you very much, Madam Chair. I hear what the Minister is saying, but I do think it's a lost opportunity, especially when the rest of the world is sitting at home with chequebooks waiting to fill their days with something other than Netflix. I'm going to move on, though, to SEED funding. I am wondering how many people took part or took advantage of the bookkeeping support through SEED funding? Thank you.

Thank you very much, Madam Chair. I am happy to hear that. I am wondering: this past week, the Minister and I spoke in regard to the camping season this year, and I am wondering if there was any movement or further conversation with the department. I believe that was only two days ago, so I understand if the Minister does not have an answer to this but just in regard to a road-trip program for people doing staycations this year.

Mr. Speaker, I give notice that, on Wednesday, March 10, 2021, I will move the following motion: Now therefore I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Inuvik Twin Lakes, that this Legislative Assembly calls on the Government of the Northwest Territories to prioritize the review of the Northwest Territories Housing Corporation as part of the government renewal initiative; and further, that the Northwest Territories Housing Corporation update its mission statement and policies to reflect its role in social wellness; and furthermore, that Northwest Territories Housing Corporation must...

Thank you, Madam Chair. I am ready now. Madam Chair, I see that, understandably so, there is a drop of about $2 million from the tourism and parks budget. I am wondering if, within that line item, ITI is still able to or they have already worked on kind of a robust domestic and international marketing plan for as soon as the borders do open so that we are ready to go and say to people, "Come back." Thank you.

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. It's interesting to me that, as someone who grew up in the North, a number of people who decided to become entrepreneurs, whether or not they're men or women, who I went to high school with. When I talk to people from different communities, people have different parts of their life that they're passionate about, and they want to be able to turn that into a business. I'm wondering if the Minister of ITI would commit to working with the Minister of ECE in order to develop high-school-based business curriculum for NWT students? Thank you.

Thank you very much, Madam Chair. I really appreciate that information. My next question is kind of a stretch, but I think it has relevance here. My next question is actually in regard to the surface rights board, which I know is a Lands line item; it is not an ITI line item. It is $303,000 that I learned that a constituent of mine and myself almost made NWT history in almost using it, and I think that that is something that could have been mitigated by improving and formalizing a process, an internal and external process, between Lands and ITI. Right now, somebody can come to ITI, and they...

I am wondering what percent of total BDIC loan funding goes to women entrepreneurs in the Northwest Territories?

Thank you very much, Madam Chair. I am seeing that this was contributions in support of Indigenous organizations to prepare and participate in mineral development in their area. I know that the Minister said that this is under program review, but was there no other way that this contribution could have continued in this year in another format while the program was being reviewed, to continue to invest in mineral development? Thank you.

Business is critical to the success of the North. There is opportunity for success in every single one of our NWT communities. Canada set its own International Women's Day theme of Feminist Recovery, but let's not just support recovery; let's inspire, aim higher, invest more, and leverage dollars that invest in women. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you very much, Madam Chair. I am running out of time, so I am just going to quickly say that one of the things that I am hearing from people in the riding I serve is that there is help needed for smaller fishery businesses to export fish and that they are running into kind of road blocks with the federal government and that they need the added support from ITI to be able to ensure that they are actually able to make some money off that investment that they have.

However, I want to, before I run out of time here, quickly ask about the BDIC. Today, on the floor, we had a conversation about...