Shane Thompson

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Due to COVID-19, no lease fees are being charged for the 2020-2021 fiscal year. Public land in the NWT is one of our most valuable resources, an asset, and must be priced accordingly. I can confirm that any changes we've considered and analyzed as we undertake the necessary work in developing a new Public Land Act regulation. Thank you, Madam Speaker.

Madam Speaker, it is with great joy and sadness that I learnt of Mark Gerlock's retirement from Enbridge in Fort Simpson. His dedication and service throughout the past years in the Northwest Territories has been greatly appreciated by the residents of the region and myself.

Mark has worked in the North for 43 years with 36 of them with Enbridge. Mark had worked road maintenance and construction for seven years before wanting to better himself and develop his career. He applied for the pipeline position with Interprovincial Pipelines in Fort Simpson in 1984, now known as Enbridge. Mark's...

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.

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...

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

For the Yellowknife peripheral area, it has become clear that land management consideration must consider a diverse set of land users. Planning needs to consider activities such as traditional use, tourism activities, mineral exploration, agriculture, residences, commercial use, and recreational use, and how these activities might coexist. The department is reviewing the work completed on the draft for Yellowknife recreation management and has been engaging with Indigenous governments and organizations. In light of these interests and input from Indigenous governments and organizations, the...

To just elaborate on the third question: yes, we continue to monitor, and we are continuing to do it with our transboundary agreements. This agreement is one of the most comprehensive of its kind, as it takes into account traditional knowledge, biological indicators, and indicators on early warning systems to detect changes in water quality before they reach the border. While there were some challenges this summer with its implementation, we have seen improved communications and notifications since then. Our bilateral management committee, which impacts the agreement, is led by ADMs from both...

In our conducted water quality monitoring in the North and South Slave regions on the Slave, Hay, Liard, Peel, and Coppermine rivers this spring, the department did additional monitoring on the Slave River at Fort Smith due to the concerns about flooding in Fort McMurray. Results for the July monitoring of the Slave in Hay River have been released, and analysis of the August sampling is under way. The department has committed to make these findings available to the public through our website, and we will also provide it to standing committee as soon as they become available. So far, the...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We have a strong and effective regulatory system in the Northwest Territories that relies on Indigenous, territorial, and federal governments working together to make wise decisions about the use of our land and water. This system is always evolving to serve the people of this territory better.

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources has a mandate to support the sustainable use of natural resources. Every five years, an independent auditor is appointed to conduct an environmental audit, as required under legislation and land claim agreements. The 2020...

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.