Shane Thompson

I would like to thank the Member for that question. Simply put, yes. This was one of the reasons I asked for Department of Lands upon being elected as a Minister. I am happy to advise the House that we have identified a team who will focus on regulatory process. I have committed previously to this to engage Regular Members in the development of the public land regulations so that there will be opportunities for you to review and provide comments on any changes to public land pricing or administrative fees as part of the process. Again, I would like to thank the Member for her hard work in...

In the 18th Assembly, departments were tasked to find revenue or cut costs. The department realized that lease fees had not been addressed over 20 years. They used a cost-of-living index calculation, as well. As well, they were trying to align both territorial and Commissioner's land. Fees for exclusive use of land were increased at the beginning, in April 2018, almost after 20 years for no increases. Lease rent minimums have been set at $840 for all types of leases. Lease rent changes are being implemented through a phased approach. Lease rents will increase at the current rate until a lease...

Thank you, Madam Speaker.

What practices, policies, or rule amendments are required for a Member participating by teleconference or videoconference?

Any Member participating remotely has the same rights and privileges as if they were physically present in the Chamber.

The committee discussed various issues that could affect a remote sitting, including experiences of other legislatures during the pandemic. There are several rules that will need to be revised to allow for remote sittings. Other rules need to be clarified, and some new rules are needed. The committee is also recommending revised...

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, Rosemary Gill retired June 8, 2020, after spending her working life in education, management, and career development, mostly in northern Alberta, British Columbia, Yukon, and finally the Northwest Territories. Rosemary taught elementary, secondary, and post-secondary education and has worked in management and career development for provincial and territorial as well as First Nations governments.

Rosemary was born in Wrigley to Elizabeth and Albert Horesay. Her father moved the family to Fort Simpson to work for John Goodall when she was a...

Our education system needs to expand capacity to accommodate not only preparing our youth for academic post-secondary education but to make investments to meet the demands of the trades and technology fields. A solid grounding in literacy, numeracy, and technology will serve one well, no matter the path one takes in life.

Rosemary plans to stay close to home during the pandemic, gardening, reading, and working on her house, but once it's safe to travel, she will see some of the places she's only read and is curious about. Thank you, Madam Speaker.

As I mentioned, the department is engaging with Indigenous governments and organizations on a range of issues, including planning in and around Yellowknife. The Department of Lands also undertakes Section 35 consultation with IGOs and on all land distribution decisions, which will also include the process of completing a bulk land transfer of vacant public land to the City of Yellowknife. A technical review briefing has been offered to the MLA on related matters by EIA and Lands and may help answer these questions in their full context.

Thank you. I should just say no, but I won't this time. The department has prioritized the implementation of the Public Land Act. This is a major body of work that involves the development of multiple regulations to bring the Public Land Act into force in early 2022-2023, or earlier. This work is to be completed within existing resources and requires a dedicated team whose main focus will be on this important work. This is the important part that the Member has been asking for: yes, we will look at this. As we are working through this process, we will identify issues and challenges that we...

Healthy water is of critical importance to the Northwest Territories and its residents, and continuous long-term water quality monitoring is a critical part of the Transboundary Water Agreement. While water quality monitoring in Alberta was suspended, the GNWT conducted our own monitoring at borders throughout most of the pandemic, with only slight delays at the start of the season. Our results at the border are consistent with those in other parts of the basin and point to the impact of high water levels. All Alberta monitoring and most key federal sites, including all key sites downstream of...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. First of all, I'd like to thank the Member for Frame Lake for doing the Member's statement and asking these important questions and saying how good the work that the ENR staff are doing. The suspension of the long-term water quality monitoring in Alberta caused significant concerns this summer. The GNWT was not notified about the suspensions of water quality monitoring. However, I must inform the House here, it should be noted, that there are provisions within the Alberta and NWT water management agreement that allows either government to take urgent action where needed...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I wish to table the following document: "2020 Northwest Territories Environmental Audit Technical Report." Thank you, Mr. Speaker.