Thank you, Mr. Bromley. The honourable Member for Yellowknife Centre, Mr. Hawkins.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I, too, wish to make special recognition of a couple of people here today. Of course I would like to recognize Chase Yakeleya, who is a good friend of my kids. I as well would like to recognize someone special in the gallery: Kate Wilson. We’ve been good friends for many, many years; way back when we used to be neighbours in Willow Wood. Hello, Kate.
Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. The honourable Member for Mackenzie Delta, Mr. Blake.
I’d also like to recognize two Pages that are here with us today: Laura McLeod and Jessi Pascal from the community of Aklavik.
Thank you, Mr. Blake. The honourable Member for Frame Lake, Ms. Bisaro.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I, too, would first off like to recognize a hardworking Page from the riding of Frame Lake, Brenda Joyce-Hotte, who has been working with us all week. I believe she will be back next week to work hard for us again.
I would also like to recognize the members of the Homelessness Coalition who are with us, particularly Mayor Van Tighem, my mayor and also the president of the NWT Association of Communities; Lyda Fuller and Kate Wilson with the YWCA; Dayle Hernblad, who is the city’s homelessness coordinator; and last but not least, Amanda Mallon, who is a Homelessness Coalition co-chair but also my very hardworking constituency assistant. Welcome all.
Thank you, Ms. Bisaro. The honourable Member for Nahendeh, Mr. Menicoche.
Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to recognize one of the Pages who is going to school here in Yellowknife but comes from Trout Lake: Ms. Sheyenne Jumbo, daughter of Ruby Jumbo. Also of note, she is an author of a Slavey book. Welcome.
Thank you, Mr. Menicoche. The honourable Member for Kam Lake, Mr. Ramsay.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I, too, want to recognize the members of the Yellowknife Homelessness Coalition that are with us today. In particular I wanted to recognize Mayor Gordon Van Tighem, who has put in 12 years of great service to the city of Yellowknife and I know the Association of Communities is going to miss Mayor Van Tighem when he’s gone. I want to wish him all the best.
Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. I, too, would like to welcome Chase and Cheryl into the House today. Welcome. It’s always good to see you.
I’d like to thank our Pages for all the hard work you’ve done this week. Thank you very much.
I’d like to also welcome His Worship Mayor Gord Van Tighem. It’s always good to see you here in the House, Gordon. It was always good to be working with you in the past too. Thank you for all the hard work you’ve done.
I’d like to welcome all visitors in the public gallery here today and thank you for taking an interest in our proceedings here today.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Government of the Northwest Territories Aboriginal Languages Plan was tabled in the House just about a year ago. The plan states the vision of a time soon to come. The Aboriginal languages are used extensively on a daily basis to communicate in NWT homes and the communities as well as within the organizations and agencies providing services to the public. I want to ask the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment if he would look at advancing this further by establishing an Aboriginal languages agency or secretariat in the government to continue on with this plan.
Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. The honourable Minister responsible for Education, Culture and Employment, Mr. Lafferty.
Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Since we delivered that report in October 2010 on the NWT Aboriginal Languages Strategy, that is part of the plan. A recommendation came out of that document, enhancing even further, identifying an action on the establishment of a secretariat with the responsibility of oversight of the GNWT Aboriginal languages services. That is part of the recommendation that came into effect within the report. We are working towards those options that we are going to be discussing. We are discussing that at the current stage with our department and during the 2012-2013 business planning process there will be more discussion.
I’m very pleased to hear the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment talk about working towards this plan and also that it will be coming up in the business plans. I want to ask the Minister if in the interim, as we work towards this plan, there are mechanisms in place that will involve the regional translators as communities have different dialects and languages so that he’s already started to put together some plans in place where the regional input will be taken also into the office of the secretariat.
I think that’s the very reason why we gathered over 200-plus Aboriginal language experts in 2010, in March and April. Based on what we’ve heard from them, the report came as a package and it does highlight the importance of revitalizing and preserving our language. We are going to be reaching out to the regions. We need to hear their input into the project that we’re going to be working on. Definitely, by all means, we’re going to be reaching out to the MLAs and also to the regions as well. Mahsi.
Would this Aboriginal secretariat be one of the permanent secretariats within the government, or would it be just within the 17th Assembly’s business, or are we looking at 20, 30 years, maybe longer, to establish a strong, permanent secretariat office within the government?
When we first did a consultation and had a forum on the Aboriginal Languages Strategy, this is short term, and also we need to think long term how it’s going to have a potential positive impact into the regions, into the communities, into the whole Northwest Territories. In 2012-2013 it is a step forward for us and through the business planning process we need to identify funds to carry forward the wish of the people. We will continue the process. Mahsi.
Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. Your final, short supplementary, Mr. Yakeleya.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The territorial government receives funds for the French from the federal government as one of the recognized languages in Canada. Has the Minister communicated that to the appropriate Minister in Ottawa to advise them that there are other Aboriginal languages that need funding such as the one that we’re getting for this French and that this government will seek stronger dollars to implement our language programs? Can the Minister advise me?
I’d like to thank the Member for asking that particular question because it is an important question. Since we’ve tabled the document in the House in 2010, I’ve had two or three different visits and meetings with the Minister responsible and also correspondence, and he is fully aware of our Languages Strategy. I’ve also met with the national grand chief, Mr. Atleo, and delivered the same messaging. It’s a shared responsibility. The Northwest Territories, federal, the communities, we need to all work together. This is a big document that will see some positive impacts into the Northwest Territories nationally and internationally, so we will continue to press that with the federal government. Mahsi.
Thank you, Mr. Lafferty. The honourable Member for Hay River South, Mrs. Groenewegen.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. At the expense of starting to sound like a broken record, let me again ask the Minister, I don’t know, ITI, ENR, I don’t know who wants to answer this question. First of all, let’s confirm that Patterson’s ability to go out and cut timber this winter is being denied on the basis of a debt owed to this government of less than $120,000. Thank you.
Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. The Minister of Finance, Mr. Miltenberger.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. There are a number of timber licences. There is an existing operational licence for cutting firewood, I believe. Thank you.
That was not an answer to my question. I’m talking about Patterson’s involvement in the industry of cutting wood for commercial purposes other than firewood. I know that they have cut firewood this year, but they cannot operate their business on the revenue generated by firewood. The outstanding debt relates to the harvest of commercial grade saw timber in previous years and they were unable to pay the stumpage fees due to a number of economic difficult hardships, and this is not uncommon to many types of business. I would like to again ask the Minister if the Patterson sawmill is being precluded from cutting timber this winter for commercial purposes of a saw grade level because of a debt outstanding to this government of less than $120,000. Thank you.
I have considerable concern about talking about the details of a file and specific figures and all the issues related to that in this forum. I’m very happy to talk to the Member about this. The Member and I have had numerous discussions about this. I recognize the concern about Mr. Patterson, but I am not in the position, I don’t believe, as Minister, to discuss details of individual files. Thank you.
Well, I do have Mr. Patterson’s permission to discuss this in public on the floor, because we have exhausted every other possible avenue. Mr. Patterson has come here. He’s met with the Minister of ITI. I have sent numerous correspondence, letters, texts and e-mails to Mr. Miltenberger about this and I have not got satisfaction. This is where we are today out of desperation, because we cannot get a satisfactory solution to this problem.
Last week Mr. Patterson called me and offered to cobble together a $15,000 payment on this outstanding debt if he could just get out there, get this approved and continue to hold this debt on the books until such time as he has a chance to make the money to pay it back. I’m not asking for forgiveness of this debt, just asking for it to be put into abatement until such time as he can get to work and keep his business going.
I understand the Minister’s difficulty in that he doesn’t want to discuss the details of this, but I have been given permission to ask this. I would like to ask the Minister, in view of the value of waste wood that sits in Patterson’s yard, and this proposed pellet mill, and the value, the economic value that could be in that waste wood that sits in Patterson’s yard right now as a result of this new pellet mill coming on stream, has the department looked at some of the prospects, some of the good prospects that could see the economic viability of this business be improved as a result of this? Thank you.
There is activity; there is a proponent for a wood pellet plant that has done a lot of work. The issue of the supply of waste timber in the yard that the Member for Hay River South has raised has been raised with the proponent. At some point it may have that value, should the project go ahead, but at this point that is probably two to three years away. At this point the proponent had indicated that he was not in a position to buy that product in anticipation of his mill possibly going ahead. We are aware of it. We’ve looked at it. We’ve tried to consider it. We’ve talked very directly to the proponent and that has been factored into the considerations. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. Your final, short supplementary, Mrs. Groenewegen.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It will be short. I’d like to ask the Minister of ENR is there not a policy, a program, a loan, a fund, anything within this government that could bridge the gap so that Pattersons can go to work, harvest timber, partake in the pellet mill future, which is on the horizon. This is not like a business that has no prospect for the future. It’s the only one we have in the Northwest Territories. Is there not, in this government-wide system, anything that could help the Pattersons? Thank you.
In our dealings with Mr. Patterson we have come to the clear recognition, as the Member has commented about this, we need to respond as a government. We have polled the departments around the table. We have been acting on that collective advice and recommendations based on all of the aspects, not just ENR’s or not just ITI’s or not just Finance’s.
What I will commit to the Member is I will ask and we will do one more, another review and I will bring the parties around the table, keeping in mind the passionate plea from the Member to be as proactive and supportive as possible. I will commit and I will personally be involved in that review. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. The honourable Member for Deh Cho, Mr. Nadli.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In the Northwest Territories we boast about our natural resources, whether it be oil and gas or diamonds. We really have a lot of potential. One thing that I think in many instances that we take for granted is the sustainable potential for tourism. My question today is to the Minister of ITI. What is the GNWT or ITI doing to further tourism development in the Northwest Territories?
Thank you, Mr. Nadli. The honourable Minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment, Mr. Ramsay.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I am sure of the Member’s enthusiasm about the opportunities as I listened closely to his statement. I think it is by working with our folks across the Territories that we are going to develop a sustainable tourism industry here in the Northwest Territories. We are currently looking at a Tourism 2015 plan. A big component of that Tourism 2015 plan includes a component of Aboriginal tourism, which would certainly include cultural tourism as well. I know in the Member’s riding we are looking forward to the completion of the Deh Cho Bridge and using that as a springboard to further tourism in that area. Thank you.
I would like to thank the Minister for his response. Too often we are faced with many challenges presently here in the Northwest Territories and, for that matter, all over Canada. Small businesses sometimes are faced with challenges such as finding funding. One common response that people get in terms of trying to start their small businesses and implementing them is market disruption. What kind of commitment could the Minister make to small businesses that exist or plan on stating a tourism initiative in the Northwest Territories? Mahsi.
Before I was elected to the House in 2003, I worked for some time as a tourism development officer in the North Slave region. That is the role and the function of tourism development officers. I would suggest that businesses that are interested in getting into tourism and developing tourism product in the Deh Cho and the South Slave and my colleague’s riding would get in touch with the department officials in the region and work through how it is that we can help them get into business to provide further tourism products here in the Northwest Territories and specifically in the Member’s riding. Thank you.
Mr. Speaker, my final question is to the Minister. The Minister did mention that the department is looking at developing a plan for year 2015. I understand there are initiatives to ensure that people are involved from a broad perspective. How does he ensure that the community perspective, and also at the same time the Aboriginal perspective and also at the same time small businesses are involved with this initiative? Mahsi.
Mr. Speaker, there certainly is an Aboriginal component to Tourism 2015. There is an advisory panel, as well, on Aboriginal tourism that is part of Tourism 2015.
The future is very bright. I think we have a number of things that are putting the Northwest Territories on the map. Currently, I would like to suggest that the Northwest Territories is the reality show capital of Canada. We have Ice Road Truckers recently came back to the Northwest Territories to film the new season. We have NWT Ice Pilots, a very successful show, and also Licensed to Drill, a new television series is filmed in the Northwest Territories at sites I believe just outside Tulita and in the delta, and also Arctic Air. We have a number of commercials. I hope Members have seen that television show and saw the commercials.
We are doing our best to market the Northwest Territories. I think, in that effort the big winner is the beautiful landscape that we have here in the Northwest Territories and showcasing that to residents across this country and globally, as well, because that show is successful on-line as well. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. The honourable Member for Frame Lake, Ms. Bisaro.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions today are addressed to the Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs. I want to follow up on some of the points that I raised in my Member’s statement. I attended one of the two public meetings that were held here in Yellowknife. In listening to the back and forth and in listening to the responses from Municipal and Community Affairs staff, there was an indication that there was a possibility for more consultation. I would like to know from the Minister what process is intended to be followed now. What steps will MACA take? What is MACA going to do going forward? How are they going to ensure that they get the right information so that we get the right policy put in place? Thank you.
Thank you, Ms. Bisaro. The Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs, Mr. McLeod.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The steps going forward, we have released a discussion paper, as the Member had noted in her Member’s statement. We had to get something on the table for the public to latch on to. The next steps are to consult with all affected stakeholders and use all the information we gather to do the final framework. Again, this is just a discussion paper; it is not the final product. We will be working on getting the final product out by June 30th of this year. Thank you.
Mr. Speaker, thanks to the Minister. I hope by final product he means a report and not implementation, but I will come back to that.
One of the things that was glaring and obvious in the meeting that I was at, is that there has to date been no formal consultation with First Nations, the Yellowknives Dene whose traditional lands this area sits within. There has been no direct consultation with the users of the area, whether they be current leaseholders or day-use users. I would like to know from the Minister whether or not that specific consultation will be done. Thank you.
