Caroline Wawzonek

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Yes, thank you, I'm happy to have the question. So this wasn't intended to be a blanket increase to every funding pot, every contribution agreement, every grant agreement, every program dollar that goes out the door to the nonprofit sectors across the Northwest Territories. This was to address the fact that for up to now, nonprofits were out offering services and conducting business really that, without their taking that on, the Government of the Northwest Territories would have to take it inside. So the easier examples often are around the health and social services side...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. And Mr. Chair, this is certainly an area that I know can be very popular in terms of having that SEED support. What we did during COVID was because there was other areas that weren't being fully utilized in light of the restrictions and changes during the pandemic, there was some ability to move money over to the SEED program to provide supports at times when small businesses were very much struggling. As far as what the future of the program is, we are you know, this is an area where there hasn't been a significant indepth review done in some time. It is still a...

Yes, thank you, Mr. Chair. Yes, that's correct. Thank you.

Mr. Chair, I'm going to suggest this go to the deputy minister, please.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. So the CAP, or the Canadian Agricultural Partnership agreement, is a bilateral agreement with the federal government. It does get renegotiated time to time. And there has been a new framework that was negotiated with the provinces and territories and the federal government. So we are expecting, as a result of that, a 25 percent increase to the overall funding envelope.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. This is yet another chance for ECC and ITI to work together. Minister Thompson and I have spoken about the Aurora Wood Pellets project many times. The deputy minister will likely have the latest on that. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. It's not going to the towards the Intergovernmental Council process or to the Intergovernmental Council itself. That has a separate funding arrangement. It is for nonIGC members. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I am familiar with at least one project in particular where I know there was definitely a story of an individual who I think in fact did go ahead and move away. But, Mr. Chair, simple answer, absolutely happy to work with Lands. I know the department officials are already working with Lands and there was, not that long ago, that myself and Minister Thompson often had regular checkins and meetings because we have overlaps such as this one. So what I can do on my end is confirm that we'll add that to a future meeting that we have between the two departments with Ministers...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. So, Mr. Chair, the call that went out to departments was under the forced growth process of business planning, and it was so that those NGOs or nonprofits across the Northwest Territories that provide services on behalf of government could now see increases to their budgets given that they are, you know, filling in where public servants would have to step in and provide those services in the alternative. And in that regard, the departments or I'm sorry, the organizations on behalf of ITI, who perform those types of functions, include the community futures organizations...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, again, the entire Government of the Northwest Territories is not reorganize itself into 19 ridings. The Beaufort Delta allocate region right now includes all of Nunakput, both of the Inuvik ridings and the Mackenzie Delta. So we're not drawn up into 19 different groups. There are public servants based in the communities of Lutselk'e and Fort Resolution. There are positions funded with YKDFN as well with respect, as I said, to the EDO for example. And there's funds that go out to individual community members. Some of it is done through the regional...