Mr. Chairman, again, what we are finding even from the national organizations and also from the federal agencies and government is that they now have encompassed traditional knowledge in all of their discussions with the scientific community. I think that we have to embrace both types of knowledge regardless if it is scientific or traditional knowledge and working in conjunction with the scientific community and the Aboriginal communities to format the information, but make sure that we come at it from both sides looking from the scientific community and from the Aboriginal perspective on traditional knowledge. I think it is important that policy doesn’t simply... The policy has to devolve as you develop. The more information, the more idea of how the process will be confined and how that information is going to be used. I think that, from the Aboriginal community and also from the scientific community, they finally come to realize that they are both just as important. If not, they operate on the same playing field. I think that we have to make sure that everything we do, regardless if it is caribou counts, plants be seized or water quality issues, I think that we have to be able to use it in the format that is useable, but more importantly, retain as much of that information as you can.
I know the Aboriginal groups I represent have done a lot of logging information regardless if we are talking about plants or we are talking basically traditional clothing, and more importantly, the traditional activities in regards to migration patterns regardless if it is different types of animal species. I think that we have to not only use it or lose it, but more importantly, make sure that we have a continuance domain of how this stuff will be locked away and hide it on the shelf and put another report that can collect dust. I think that we have to develop whatever resources, but again looking at your budget, it doesn’t seem like we are spending much money in this area. Again, I would just like to know why not. We spend a lot of money on consultants. We spend a lot of money on the scientific community who comes up here mostly from the different universities across the country. Again, I would just like to regulate what type of long-term capital investment are we making, but more importantly, ensuring that we have a policy and devolving over time, and more importantly, improving in regards to the process moving forward.
Mr. Chairman, we are, as a department, spending, I believe, about $225,000 specifically on traditional knowledge. We have a Traditional Knowledge Policy as a government. We have a government-wide implementation plan. We are looking at best practices. In addition, there is traditional knowledge built into all the work that we are doing. When you look at all the money we are spending on Water Strategy, when you look at the work we are doing on caribou, when you look at the work that has been done on the development of the Wildlife Act in the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, it is part of our daily business and is not just a specific line item that stands off to the side. There is some money for that, but the reality for us is it now part of the fabric of the Environment and Natural Resources corporate way of doing business. It is reflected in just about every aspect of the work we do. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. Thank you, committee. We are on page 13-13. Mr. Abernethy.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I am not actually 100 percent sure this is the right area, but scanning through, I can’t seem to find the area that might be applicable. Given that this is policy and strategic planning, this I think is the right area.
Early in the life of this Assembly there was talk about a land use framework. I thought or understood that would be coming forward from the Department of ENR for the end of the life of this Assembly, but in looking through this document, I don’t find any reference to it. I am wondering what is the status of that. Is that something that has completely disappeared or is that hidden in here somewhere where I can’t see it? Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Thank you, Mr. Abernethy. Minister Miltenberger.
Mr. Chairman, the land use framework is a critical initiative of the Government of the Northwest Territories. It is critical as we look going forward with the agreement-in-principle. It is a frame within which would fit things like the Water Strategy and a lot of our individual land use plans and our approaches of government to doing that. That particular initiative is driven and managed out of the Executive. Thank you.
Mr. Chairman, I will make sure I ask the Executive then.
Thank you, Mr. Abernethy. Ms. Bisaro.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I want to follow up on the question from Mr. Abernethy on the land use framework. It may be led by the Executive, but from the information in business plans, there was a fairly large investment by ENR in 2008-09, not so much in 2009-10, but then an $800,000 investment in this current year for develop and implement a land use framework. In the upcoming budget year, the information shows a reduction of $83,000. What are the actions of ENR relative to the land use framework in budget year 2011-12? Thank you.
Thank you, Ms. Bisaro. Minister Miltenberger.
Mr. Chairman, we have $153,000 dedicated to our part of the work of the land use framework. The deputy sits on the working group. Many of the elements of the Water Strategy and the principles are being reflected and are reflected in the land use framework. It is an initiative that is, we think, very close to conclusion, but I will ask the deputy if he will speak a bit to some of the detail. Thank you.
Thank you, Minister. I will ask deputy minister to fill in the details. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. The main role of Environment and Natural Resources in regards to work on the land use framework is a thing called land use framework decision support tools. This is really around the geomatics and the mapping this year. One thing we have found is between the Government of the Northwest Territories, within the Government of the Northwest Territories, INAC, regulatory boards and a number of other agencies use a lot of different tools and mechanisms, geomatic systems for mapping out these types of things. That has been the main area we have been focussing on, is ENR and ITI are shared work thing promoting that particular issue. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Thank you, Mr. Bohnet. Ms. Bisaro.
Thanks, Mr. Chair, and thanks to both the Minister and the DM for the information. I guess I just would like to know with this reduction in funding specific to the land use framework, does that simply mean that this department is not putting quite as much into the land use framework and the other departments are taking over, or is this going to mean... I thought I heard that we’re nearing the end of this project. So is that another reason why there is a reduction in funds? Thank you.
No, in fact it hasn’t fallen off the table at this particular time, or in the foreseeable future. I think we realize the importance of that particular work and it’s just some of the money for that particular project shows up in the Department of Executive’s budget rather than ENR’s. The land use framework, as we move forward, is led by one of the strategic initiatives committees, Managing This Land. There’s a lot of good work that has gone into it and still a lot of work and it’s still a work in progress. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Bohnet. Committee, we’re on page 13-13, Environment and Natural Resources, activity summary, corporate management, operations expenditures summary, $10.995 million. Agreed?
Agreed.
Thank you. Page 13-14. Mr. Krutko.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. In regard to traditional knowledge funding, like I stated, there’s been a major reduction. In this it’s down to $65,000 from $110,000. Just going back to the previous page in grants and contributions it was some $415,000, but most of that was... I’d just like to know exactly, you mentioned that there’s some $225,000, why does that not show up in that line item where you’re showing $65,000?
Thank you, Mr. Krutko. Minister Miltenberger.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. That’s just the grants and contribution portion. I’ll ask Ms. Magrum to give us where the rest of it is.
Ms. Magrum.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. A portion of the funding is in compensation and benefits and in other O and M in addition to grants and contributions.
Thank you, Ms. Magrum. Mr. Krutko.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Do you have that particular page or line item you’re talking about? Thank you.
Thank you. I’ll call on Ms. Magrum for details.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. That information is just part of the details of other expenses within the corporate management page.
Thank you and I’ll also go to Deputy Minister Bohnet.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. The whole issue around traditional knowledge, again, a couple of years ago there was no traditional knowledge coordination position in the Government of the Northwest Territories. All we had was the Traditional Knowledge Policy. Under Managing this Land Strategic Initiatives, we got some funding to develop a position, a coordinator of traditional knowledge. From there we developed and we looked at and reviewed the policy, we developed a number of cross-government, interdepartmental things as far as the best practices guidelines, an implementation plan, an annual report that is funded particularly here. So a lot of the money under the strategic initiatives for traditional knowledge is to build that coordination position, and we also use a lot of it to hold workshops and we’re continuing to hold workshops in particular regions to develop that relationship with the holders of traditional knowledge in various regions among various tribal groups. Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman.
Thank you, Mr. Bohnet. Anything further, Mr. Krutko? Thank you. Again, committee, we’re on page 13-14, Environment and Natural Resources. Mr. Yakeleya.
Page 13-14, Mr. Chair?
That’s correct.
Mr. Chair, the traditional knowledge funding has dropped quite considerably from $110,000 to $65,000 for ‘11-12. Is that the funding that’s going to be continued in the future or is that the last of the funding?
Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. It’s sort of been asked and answered, but any additional details, Minister Miltenberger?
No, Mr. Chairman, but just to reiterate for the Member that this is only part of the $225,000. Under grants and contributions there’s other money listed under compensation and benefits and other areas. The intent, as the deputy indicated, is to move forward with our commitment to traditional knowledge. Thank you.
Thank you, Minister. I’m sure there are quite a few other details we’re provided as well that should be available in Hansard. Anything further here, committee, on page 13-14?
Agreed.
Let me just read out the specs, I guess. Environment and Natural Resources, activity summary, corporate management, grants and contributions, contributions, $65,000. Agreed.
Agreed
Thank you, committee. Moving on to page 13-15, Environment and Natural Resources, information item, corporate management, active positions. Agreed?
Agreed
Page 13-17, Environment and Natural Resources, activity summary, environment, operations expenditures summary, $8.662 million. Agreed? Mr. Yakeleya.
Mr. Chair, the alternative energy initiatives that are happening around the North there, I wanted to ask the Minister in looking at the biomass energy, I know there are some reports that have been out there on the Alternative Energy Initiative and the communities that would benefit greatly. I wanted to ask the Minister if they’ve come to a conclusion in terms of establishing something in the Sahtu to help them with the high cost of living, with opportunities and to reduce the greenhouse and all the other good stuff that goes on with the biomass, maybe a manufacturing plant. I also understand that they’re working in my community with some individuals and that they have implemented some initiatives to deal with woodstoves in our communities, or in the North here. When I look at the alternative energy initiatives, there’s not very much happening in the Sahtu on mega projects. There are some discussions around hydro. They haven’t gone very far. There are other projects that get a little more attention and our region is one of the highest costs, other than Nunakput. Our region, the Beaufort-Delta, has a high cost of living and doing business. So I wanted to see if there’s some initiative from the department to look at some of their alternative energy initiatives. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. Deputy Minister Bohnet.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Yes, and in fact I could report, too, that we plan on holding biomass workshops before the end of this fiscal year in all the Sahtu communities, taking a look at whether we have community and hopefully ultimately a regional biomass strategy plan for the Sahtu. There is some work going on by the Arctic Energy Alliance since we created that regional pathfinder position in Norman Wells last year that is working with the communities for some new types of woodstoves and some other alternative energy projects that fall under their mandate. But we do plan on working with that community in this fiscal year. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Thank you. I look forward to the workshops and the meetings that are going to be held in the Sahtu and how they’re going to work with this department and the other agencies to move forward.
On the woodstoves, I’ve been told -- and please correct me if so, Mr. Minister -- in terms of giving them to some of the people or putting them in some of the houses that need some professional, I don’t know if they have professional installers or they need to look at it in terms of however, or whatever, it became an issue that in our small communities that is more like... Maybe in the larger centres they need to do something like this, but in our smaller communities it makes it difficult to be asked to do something that is quite hard on the homeowner. So that is what I have been told and that is why some of the woodstoves are not going into some of the houses that were intended to. There is sort of a hiccup, that is my understanding and I ask to be corrected if I am wrong on this issue here.
Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. Minister Miltenberger.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. The installation of woodstoves brings with it a number of safety requirements and insurance requirements. One of the reasons, in recognition of that issue, funding was given to the Arctic Energy Alliance to help them assist and make sure we could get that level of care brought in to where stoves are being installed so they are put in safely and they would stand the test for insurance purposes as well. Thank you.
That is where the hiccup is in terms of having these woodstoves put into some of the houses for some of the communities. They have been using woodstoves for many, many years and I don’t think some of the old-timers had to have, for insurance purposes, anybody come in there and look and say we can’t put it in there. They just bought it and they put it in, so that is where there are some disagreements. I hope they can resolve that issue, and maybe not, I am not too sure how they could do it.
It seems to be something that seems to be putting a damper on a good thing by this department to help out with the high cost of energy and all the goals that we strived for in the opening of the 16th Assembly. That is just something that I don’t think will get resolved here. I just wanted to make sure that the department knew that this was told to me when I went into the Sahtu about a week or so ago. No more comment.
