Mr. Speaker, I have a Return to Written Question 7-16(6) asked by Mr. Yakeleya on May 16th to the Honourable Robert R. McLeod, Minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment, regarding territorial parks and tourism initiatives.
You had asked the following questions, and I can provide the following information:
Please provide a list of all community parks and territorial parks located in the Sahtu region.
Jackfish Lake Park is the single community park located in the Sahtu region and is operated by the Town of Norman Wells.
McKinnon Territorial Park is the only territorial park located in the Sahtu region. It is a three acre territorial park that exists within the boundaries of the Town of Norman Wells. This park is operated by the Department of Industry, Tourism and Investment (ITI).
In addition, the Department of ITI also contributed to a number of tourism projects in Tulita in 2010-2011, including renovations to the historic church, development of a hiking trail to Bear Rock, and new tourism signage added to the airports in Tulita, Deline, Fort Good Hope and Norman Wells.
Please provide a breakdown of the budget for the expenditures that will be contributed to all aspects of parks and other tourism initiatives for 2011-2012.
The total amount of ITI’s budget for expenditures in support of parks and other tourism initiatives for 2011-2012 is $7.184 million.
Please provide a strategy that outlines a plan to increase the presence of Government of the Northwest Territories (GNWT) parks and other GNWT tourism initiatives in the Sahtu for 2011-2012.
In 2011-2012 the Department of ITI implemented the first year of “Tourism 2015: New Directions for a Spectacular Future,” which outlines a strategy to increase tourism enhancement in the Northwest Territories, including in the Sahtu region. The plan focuses on six investment areas: marketing, Aboriginal tourism, community and industry engagement, infrastructure, skills development, and tourism research and planning. It will guide investment by the GNWT in the tourism industry over the next four years. This is a plan for people, communities and business. It will build on the strength and experience of our tourism industry.
A copy of the “Tourism 2015: New Directions for a Spectacular Future” was provided to all Members of the Legislative Assembly and it was tabled in the House on Tuesday, February 22, 2011. It is also now available on the Legislative Assembly website and on the ITI website.
ITI is also taking steps to establish the Doi T’oh Territorial Park. The Sahtu Dene and Metis Comprehensive Land Claim Agreement included an obligation for the Government of the Northwest Territories to prepare a park management plan for the proposed territorial park. A park management plan was prepared, under the direction of a park management committee comprised of one representative from ITI and five representatives selected by Sahtu land claim organizations. The park management committee and its mandate were established in a memorandum of agreement between the Tulita Land Corporation and the GNWT. The committee’s role concluded on January 22, 2007, when the Minister of ITI approved the Doi T’oh Territorial Park and Trail Management Plan.
ITI is currently investigating the transfer of land for the CANOL Heritage Trail and proposed Doi T’oh Territorial Park. Concurrently, work on remediation of the CANOL Heritage Trail has been initiated by the Department of Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development through its contaminants and remediation division. Actual remediation and clean-up will not start until the summer of 2012 and could take as long as 10 years.
Later today, at the appropriate time, I will table the programs and operations maintenance budgets for tourism and parks for 2011-2012, which will provide you with the information you are seeking.
