Mr. Speaker, I have a tabled document from the community of Tulita. It’s for a Sahtu decision on fracking. They are asking for regional Sahtu decision.
Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. Mr. Bromley.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to table a letter with the express permission from the author of the letter, Itai Katz in Tsiigehtchic, NWT. It lists all the reasons that he’s concerned and leaving the Northwest Territories. I think something we all want to be aware of and respond to. Mahsi.
Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Kam Lake, that Bill 24, An Act to Amend the Student Financial Assistance Act, be read for the first time.
Bill 24, An Act to Amend the Student Financial Assistance Act, has had first reading.
---Carried
Mr. Lafferty.
Mr. Speaker, I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Inuvik Twin Lakes, that Bill 25, An Act to Amend the Education Act, be read for the first time. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.
Bill 25, An Act to Amend the Education Act, has had first reading.
---Carried
Item 19, second reading of bills. Item 20, consideration in Committee of the Whole of bills and other matters, with Mrs. Groenewegen in the chair.
I would like to call Committee of the Whole to order. What is the wish of the committee today? Ms. Bisaro.
Thank you, Madam Chair. We would like to consider Tabled Document 4-17(5) and Bill 18. Thank you.
Thank you, Ms. Bisaro. Does committee agree?
Agreed.
Thank you. We will commence with that after a brief break. Thank you.
---SHORT RECESS
I’ll call the Committee of the Whole to order. We are dealing with Bill 18, An Act to Amend the Legislative Assembly and Executive Council Act. I would like to ask Member Blake if he would please like to make opening comments on this bill. Mr. Blake.
I am pleased to provide opening comments for Bill 18 on behalf of the Legislative Assembly Board of Management. Bill 18 will amend the Legislative Assembly and Executive Council Act to revise the electoral districts of the Northwest Territories. In keeping with direction provided by Committee of the Whole of this Assembly on November 5, 2013, the bill proposes changes to the electoral boundaries within the communities of Hay River, Inuvik and Yellowknife, and moves the areas of Lutselk’e, Fort Resolution, Detah and Ndilo to a new Tu Nedhe and Weledeh electoral district. The status quo is maintained in the remaining seven constituencies. Bill 18 does not propose any increase to the number of MLAs in the Legislative Assembly.
On May 29, 2013, the report of the Electoral Boundaries Commission, 2012-2013, was tabled in this House. On behalf of the Board of Management and, indeed, all Members, I would like to thank the commission, consisting of the Honourable Justice Shannon Smallwood, Mr. Charles Furlong and Mr. Ian McCrea, for their hard work and thoughtful recommendations.
Once the commission’s report was tabled, the Legislative Assembly and all Members individually spent considerable time analyzing its recommendations. On November 5, 2013, a lengthy debate took place in Committee of the Whole. A motion was carried for the Board of Management to bring forward legislation to implement the 19 electoral districts recommendation of the Electoral Boundaries Commission, with an adjustment to the Kam Lake and Yellowknife South electoral district boundaries to more evenly distribute the populations between those two districts. Bill 18 implements this direction.
That concludes my opening comments on Bill 18.
Thank you, Mr. Blake. I’d like to ask Mr. Blake if he would like to bring witnesses into the Chamber.
Yes, Madam Chair.
Thank you, Mr. Blake. Does committee agree?
Agreed.
Agreed. Thank you. I will ask the Sergeant-at-Arms to bring the witnesses to the table.
Mr. Blake, I’ll ask you to introduce your witness.
Thank you, Madam Chair. I’d like to introduce Mr. Ken Chutskoff, legislative counsel, Department of Justice. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you, Mr. Blake. Bill 18, An Act to Amend the Legislative Assembly and Executive Council Act. General comments.
Detail.
Detail, okay. Does committee agree that we are ready for detail? We have said we are. Are we agreed that we stand down the clause and consider the schedule, page 2, Schedule A. Committee agreed?
Agreed.
Page 2, Schedule A. Mr. Bromley.
I have a motion, Madam Chair. I move that Bill 18 be amended
in item 11 of the Appendix, by striking out the heading “TU NEDHE – WELEDEH” and substituting “TU NEDHE – WIILIDEH”; and
in item 13 of the Appendix, by striking out “the electoral district of Tu Nedhe – Weledeh” and substituting “the electoral district of Tu Nedhe – Wiilideh”.
Mahsi.
Thank you, Mr. Bromley. The motion is in order. To the motion.
Question.
The motion is carried.
---Carried
To the schedule as amended.
Agreed.
Mr. Lafferty.
Madam Chair, I have a motion. I move that Bill 18 be amended by striking out items 11 to 19 of the Appendix and substituting items 11 to 21 as set out in the schedule to this motion.
Mr. Chair, I seek unanimous consent to have the schedule to this motion deemed read and printed in Hansard in its entirety.
---Unanimous consent granted
Premising that the 60th parallel of latitude forms the boundary between the Northwest Territories and the Province of Saskatchewan for description purposes.
Consisting of all that portion of the Northwest Territories bounded as follows: Commencing at the intersection of the 65°30' parallel of latitude and the Nunavut-Northwest Territories boundary (Lat. 65°30' N; Long. 112°30' W); thence south along the 112°30' meridian of longitude to its intersection with the 62°15' parallel of latitude; thence west along the 62°15' parallel of latitude to its intersection with the 114°31' meridian of longitude; thence south along the 114°31' meridian of longitude to its intersection with the 61°20' parallel of latitude; thence southwesterly in a straight line to the intersection of the eastern bank of the Buffalo River and the southern shore of Great Slave Lake; thence southerly along the eastern bank of the Buffalo River to its intersection with the northern shore of Buffalo Lake; thence easterly and southerly along the northern shore of Buffalo Lake to its intersection with the 60°18' parallel of latitude at the 115°05' meridian of longitude, approximately; thence west along the 60°18' parallel of latitude to its intersection with the centre of the main channel of the Nyarling River, at the 114°19' meridian of longitude, approximately; thence northeasterly along the centre of the main channel of the Nyarling River to its intersection with the 60°33' parallel of latitude at the 113°40' meridian of longitude, approximately; thence southeasterly in a straight line to the point of confluence of the centre of the main channel of the Klewi River with the centre of the main channel of the Little Buffalo River; thence northeasterly in a straight line to the intersection of the 61st parallel of latitude and the 110°20' meridian of longitude; thence east along the 61st parallel of latitude to its intersection with the 109°40' meridian of longitude; thence south along the 109°40' meridian of longitude to its intersection with the 60th parallel of latitude; thence east along the 60th parallel of latitude to its intersection with the Nunavut-Northwest Territories boundary (Lat. 60°00' N; Long. 102°00' W); thence north and northwesterly along that boundary to the point of commencement.
Consisting of all that portion of the Northwest Territories bounded as follows: Commencing at the intersection of the 65th parallel of latitude and the 120th meridian of longitude; thence south along the 120th meridian of longitude to its intersection with the 62°15' parallel of latitude; thence east along the 62°15' parallel of latitude to its intersection with the 114°20' meridian of longitude; thence north along the 114°20' meridian of longitude to its intersection with the southeast corner of the boundary of the City of Yellowknife as described in the City of Yellowknife Continuation Order; thence west, north and east along that boundary to the intersection of the 114°26' meridian of longitude and the 62°30' parallel of latitude; thence north along the 114°26' meridian of longitude to its intersection with the 62°55' parallel of latitude; thence east along the 62°55' parallel of latitude to its intersection with the 112°30' meridian of longitude; thence north along the 112°30' meridian of longitude to its intersection with the Nunavut-Northwest Territories boundary; thence northwesterly along that boundary to its intersection with the 116°00' meridian of longitude at the 66°40' parallel of latitude, approximately; thence south along the 116°00' meridian of longitude to its intersection with the 65th parallel of latitude; thence west along the 65th parallel of latitude to the point of commencement.
Excluding the electoral district of Behchoko.
Consisting of all that portion of the Northwest Territories bounded as follows: Commencing at the intersection of Yellowknife Highway No. 3 and the east bank of the West Channel of the North Arm of Great Slave Lake; thence northwesterly along the east bank to the intersection with the southern shoreline of Marian Lake at 62°47'26" parallel of latitude and 116°03'12" meridian of longitude, approximately; thence in a straight line northwest to the intersection of the 62°51'32" parallel of latitude and the 116°06'30" meridian of longitude; thence in a straight line in a northeasterly direction to the intersection of the 62°53'07" parallel of latitude and the 115°56'50" meridian of longitude; thence in a straight line in a southeasterly direction to the intersection of the 62°47'13" parallel of latitude and the 115°51'59" meridian of longitude; thence southwesterly in a straight line to the intersection of the 62°47'26" parallel of latitude and the 116°03'12" meridian of longitude; thence in a straight line in a northerly direction to the east bank of the mouth of the West Channel of the North Arm of Great Slave Lake at 62°46'39" parallel of latitude and 116°00'12" meridian of longitude; thence northwesterly along the east bank to the point of commencement.
All plans referred to in this description are deposited in the Land Titles Office for the Northwest Territories Land Registration District in Yellowknife.
Consisting of all that portion of the Northwest Territories bounded as follows: Commencing at the intersection of the 62°55' parallel of latitude and the 114°26' meridian of longitude; thence south along the 114°26' meridian of longitude to its intersection with the most northerly northwestern corner of the boundary of the City of Yellowknife as described in the City of Yellowknife Continuation Order; thence east along that boundary to its intersection with the centreline of the Vee Lake Road; thence southerly along the centreline of the Vee Lake Road to its intersection with the centreline of Ingraham Trail Highway No. 4; thence southerly along the centreline of Ingraham Trail Highway No. 4 to its intersection with the Yellowknife Yacht Club Road; thence following the centreline of the Yellowknife Yacht Club Road to the first curve; thence in a straight line in an easterly direction to the western shoreline of Back Bay at 62°29'07" parallel of latitude and 114°21'36" meridian of longitude; thence following the shoreline of Back Bay in a generally southerly direction to the eastern production of the northern boundary of Lot 863, Block 964, Plan 909; thence following that production and the northern boundary of Lot 863 to the eastern boundary of Lot 1001, Block Q85J/8, Plan 1334; thence in a generally southeasterly, southwesterly and southerly direction following that boundary to its intersection with the southern production of the eastern boundary of Lot 1001 and the centreline of Franklin (50th) Avenue; thence southwest following the centreline of Franklin Avenue to its intersection with the centreline of 44th Street; thence southeast following the centreline of 44th Street to its intersection with the centreline of 52nd Avenue; thence southwest following the centreline of 52nd Avenue to its intersection with the centreline of 49th Street; thence southeast following the centreline of 49th Street to its intersection with the centreline of School Draw Avenue; thence southwest along the centreline of School Draw Avenue to its intersection with the boundary of Lot 5, Block 203, Plan 4297; thence in a general southerly then easterly direction following the boundary of Lot 5 to the southeastern corner of Lot 5; thence northeasterly in a straight line to its intersection with the boundary of the City of Yellowknife as described in the City of Yellowknife Continuation Order at 62°26'42" parallel of latitude, approximately and 114°20' meridian of longitude; thence south along that boundary to the intersection with the southeast corner of that boundary; thence south along the 114°20' meridian of longitude to its intersection with the 62°15' parallel of latitude; thence east along the 62°15' parallel of latitude to its intersection with the 112°30' meridian of longitude; thence north along the 112°30' meridian of longitude to its intersection with the 62°55' parallel of latitude; thence west along the 62°55' parallel of latitude to the point of commencement.
All plans referred to in this description are deposited in the Land Titles Office for the Northwest Territories Land Registration District in Yellowknife.
Consisting of all that portion of the Northwest Territories bounded as follows: Commencing at the most northerly northwestern corner of the boundary of the City of Yellowknife as described in the City of Yellowknife Continuation Order; thence east along that boundary to its intersection with the centreline of the Vee Lake Road; thence southerly along the centreline of the Vee Lake Road to its intersection with the centreline of Ingraham Trail Highway No. 4; thence southerly along the centreline of Ingraham Trail Highway No. 4 to its intersection with the Yellowknife Yacht Club Road; thence following the centreline of the Yellowknife Yacht Club Road to the first curve; thence in a straight line in an easterly direction to the western shoreline of Back Bay at 62°29'07" parallel of latitude and 114°21'36" meridian of longitude; thence following the shoreline of Back Bay in a generally southerly direction to the eastern production of the northern boundary of Lot 863, Block 964, Plan 909; thence following that production and the northern boundary of Lot 863 to the eastern boundary of Lot 1001, Block Q85J/8, Plan 1334; thence in a generally southeasterly, southwesterly and southerly direction following that boundary to its intersection with the southern production of the eastern boundary of Lot 1001 and the centreline of Franklin (50th) Avenue; thence southwest following the centreline of Franklin Avenue to its intersection with the centreline of 44th Street; thence southeast following the centreline of 44th Street to its intersection with the centreline of 52nd Avenue; thence southwest following the centreline of 52nd Avenue to its intersection with the centreline of 47th Street; thence northwest along the centreline of 47th Street to its intersection with the centreline of 51st Avenue; thence southwest along the centreline of 51st Avenue to its intersection with the centreline of 48th Street; thence northwest along the centreline of 48th Street to its intersection with the centreline of Franklin Avenue; thence southwest along Franklin Avenue to its intersection with the southeasterly production of the eastern boundary of Lot 2, Block 122, Plan 2015; thence northerly along the eastern boundary of Lot 2 to the northern corner of Lot 2; thence northerly and easterly along the shore of Frame Lake to its intersection with the southwestern boundary of Lot 1, Block 310, Plan 2257, said point being the causeway across Frame Lake; thence southeasterly and northeasterly along the southern boundary of Lot 1, Plan 2257 to the western corner of Lot 11, Block 49, Plan 1940; thence northeasterly along the northern boundary of Lots 11 and 12, Block 49, Plan 1940 and the easterly production of Lot 12, Block 49, Plan 1940 to the intersection with the centreline of Ingraham Trail Highway No. 4; thence northerly along the centreline of Ingraham Trail Highway No. 4 to its intersection with the centreline of Yellowknife Highway No. 3; thence westerly along the centreline of Yellowknife Highway No. 3 to its intersection with the 114°26' meridian of longitude; thence north along the 114°26' meridian of longitude to its intersection with the eastern boundary of the City of Yellowknife as described in the City of Yellowknife Continuation Order; thence north along that boundary to the point of commencement.
All plans referred to in this description are deposited in the Land Titles Office for the Northwest Territories Land Registration District in Yellowknife.
Consisting of all that portion of the Northwest Territories bounded as follows: Commencing at the intersection of the centreline of Franklin (50th) Avenue with the centreline of a lane adjacent to Lot 1, Plan 717; thence southeasterly along the centreline of that lane to its intersection with the centreline of 51A Avenue; thence northeasterly along the centreline of 51A Avenue to its intersection with the centreline of 56th Street; thence southeasterly along the centreline of 56th Street to its intersection with the centreline of Burwash Drive; thence southwesterly along the centreline of Burwash Drive to its intersection with the centreline of Rycon Drive; thence easterly along the centreline of Rycon Drive to its intersection with the centreline of Con Road; thence northeasterly along the centreline of Con Road to its intersection with the centreline of 53rd Avenue; thence northeasterly along the centreline of 53rd Avenue to its intersection with the centreline of 54th Street; thence southeast along the centreline of 54th Street to its intersection with the centreline of 53rd Avenue; thence northeasterly along the centreline of 53rd Avenue to its intersection with the centreline of the lane adjacent to Lot 13, Block 48, Plan 140; thence northwest along the centreline of that lane to its intersection with the centreline of the lane adjacent to Lot 27, Block 48, Plan 2158; thence northeast along the centreline of that lane to its intersection with the centreline of a lane adjacent to Lot 28, Block 47, Plan 3082; thence southeast along the centreline of that lane to its intersection with the centreline of the lane adjacent to Lot 11, Block 47, Plan 140; thence northeast along the centreline of that lane to its intersection with the centreline of 52nd Street; thence southeast along the centreline of 52nd Street to its intersection with the centreline of 54th Avenue; thence northeast along the centreline of 54th Avenue to its intersection with the centreline of 49th Street; thence northwest along the centreline of 49th Street to its intersection with the centreline of 52nd Avenue; thence southeast along the centreline of 52nd Avenue to its intersection with the centreline of 47th Street; thence northwest along the centreline of 47th Street to its intersection with the centreline of 51st Avenue; thence southwest along the centreline of 51st Avenue to its intersection with the centreline of 48th Street; thence northwest along the centreline of 48th Street to its intersection with the centreline of Franklin Avenue; thence southwest along Franklin Avenue to the point of commencement.
All plans referred to in this description are deposited in the Land Titles Office for the Northwest Territories Land Registration District in Yellowknife.
Consisting of all that portion of the Northwest Territories bounded as follows: Commencing at the intersection of the 114°26' meridian of longitude and the 62°30' parallel of latitude; thence south along the 114°26' meridian of longitude to its intersection with the centreline of Yellowknife Highway No. 3; thence easterly along the centreline of Yellowknife Highway No. 3 to its intersection with the centreline of Old Airport Road; thence southerly to the centreline of Cemetery Road; thence southeasterly along the centreline of Cemetery Road to its intersection with the northerly production of the eastern boundary of Lot 37, Plan 1469; thence southerly in a straight line along the eastern boundaries of Lots 37 and 38, and Lots 3 to 7, Plan 515, Lots 8 and 9, Plan 1223, Lots 35 and 36, Plan 1340, Lots 11, 12 and 13, Plan 515, Lots 14-1 and 14-2, Plan 1191, Lots 15, 16 and 17, Plan 515 and Lot 42 and a northern limit of a short portion of Old Airport Road to the midpoint, said midpoint being the centreline of Old Airport Road; thence southwesterly along the centreline of Old Airport Road to its intersection with the centreline of Range Lake Road; thence southwesterly along the centreline of Range Lake Road to its intersection with the southeasterly production of the northern boundary of Lot 23, Block 560, Plan 2733; thence northeasterly along that production and the northern boundary of Lot 23 to the eastern boundary of Lot 971, Plan 1069; thence southwesterly and northwesterly along the southwestern and northwestern boundary of Lot 971 to the western corner of Lot 971, said point also being the northern point of Lot 6, Block 550, Plan 1971; thence southwesterly and southerly along the northern and western boundary of Lot 6 to approximately 114°26'05" meridian of longitude and approximately 62°26'30.8" parallel of latitude; thence westerly in a straight line to the southwest corner of Lot 56, Block 906, Plan 4216; thence northerly along the western boundary of Lot 10, Block 906, Plan 4214 to its intersection with the southern boundary of Lot 15, Block 906, Plan 4214; thence westerly and northerly along the southern and western boundaries of Lots 15, 14 and 10 to its intersection with the centreline of Yellowknife Highway No. 3; thence westerly along the centerline of Yellowknife Highway No. 3 to its intersection with the western boundary of the City of Yellowknife as described in the City of Yellowknife Continuation Order; thence north and east along that boundary to the point of commencement.
All plans referred to in this description are deposited in the Land Titles Office for the Northwest Territories Land Registration District in Yellowknife.
Consisting of all that portion of the Northwest Territories bounded as follows: Commencing at the southwestern boundary of the City of Yellowknife as described in the City of Yellowknife Continuation Order; thence northeast in a straight line to the west corner of Lot 63, Block 553, Plan 4089; thence in a northerly and easterly direction along the boundaries of Lots 63 to 60 to the southwestern boundary of Lot 6, Block 550, Plan 1971; thence southeasterly along the southwestern boundary of Lot 6, the southwestern and eastern boundaries of Lot 31, Block 546, Plan 1799, to the intersection of the northeasterly production of the eastern boundary of Lot 31 with the centreline of Bagon Drive; thence northerly along the centreline of Bagon Drive to its intersection with the centreline of Hordal Road; thence in a generally westerly direction along the centreline of Hordal Road to its intersection with the centreline of Lamoureux Road; thence in a northerly and northeasterly direction along the centreline of Lamoureux Road to its intersection with the centreline of Range Lake Road; thence northerly along the centreline of Range Lake Road to its intersection with the southeasterly production of the southwestern boundary of Lot 6, Block 548, Plan 1890; thence northwesterly along that production and the southwestern boundary of Lot 6 to the southeastern corner of Lot 7, Block 548, Plan 1890; thence northeasterly along the southeastern boundary of Lot 7 to the eastern corner of Lot 7, said point also being on the southern boundary of Lot 971, Plan 1069; thence northwesterly along the southwestern boundary of Lot 971 to the western corner of Lot 971, said point also being the northern point of Lot 6, Block 550, Plan 1971; thence southwesterly and southerly along the northern and western boundary of Lot 6 to approximately 114°26'05"meridian of longitude and approximately 62°26'30.8" parallel of latitude; thence westerly in a straight line to the southwest corner of Lot 56, Block 906, Plan 4216; thence northerly along the western boundary of Lot 10, Block 906, Plan 4214 to its intersection with the southern boundary of Lot 15, Block 906, Plan 4214; thence westerly and northerly along the southern and western boundaries of Lot 15, 14 and 10 to its intersection with the centreline of Yellowknife Highway No. 3; thence westerly along the centreline of Yellowknife Highway No. 3 to its intersection with the 114°31' meridian of longitude; thence south along the 114°31' meridian of longitude to the point of commencement.
All plans referred to in this description are deposited in the Land Titles Office for the Northwest Territories Land Registration District in Yellowknife.
Consisting of all that portion of the Northwest Territories bounded as follows: Commencing at the southwestern boundary of the City of Yellowknife as described in the City of Yellowknife Continuation Order; thence northeast in a straight line to the west corner of Lot 63, Block 553, Plan 4089; thence in a northerly and easterly direction along the boundaries of Lots 63 to 60 to the southwestern boundary of Lot 6, Block 550, Plan 1971; thence southeasterly along the southwestern boundary of Lot 6, the southwestern and eastern boundaries of Lot 31, Block 546, Plan 1799, to the intersection of the northeasterly production of the eastern boundary of Lot 31 with the centreline of Bagon Drive; thence northerly along the centreline of Bagon Drive to its intersection with the centreline of Hordal Road; thence in a generally westerly direction along the centreline of Hordal Road to its intersection with the centreline of Lamoureux Road; thence in a northerly and northeasterly direction along the centreline of Lamoureux Road to its intersection with the centreline of Range Lake Road; thence northerly along the centreline of Range Lake Road to its intersection with the centreline of Williams Avenue; thence southeasterly along the centreline of Williams Avenue to its intersection with the centreline of Woolgar Avenue; thence southeasterly along the centreline of Woolgar Avenue to its intersection with the centreline of Kam Lake Road; thence northeasterly along the centreline of Kam Lake Road to its intersection with the centreline of Taylor Road; thence southeasterly and easterly along the centreline of Taylor Road to its intersection with the northerly production of the southwestern boundary of Lot 19, Block 133, Plan 2259; thence southeasterly along that production and the southwestern boundary of Lots 19 and 20, Block 133, Plan 2259 to the most southern corner of Lot 20, Block 133, Plan 2259; thence southeasterly in a straight line to the southeast boundary of the City of Yellowknife as described in the City of Yellowknife Continuation Order; thence westerly along that boundary to the point of commencement.
All plans referred to in this description are deposited in the Land Titles Office for the Northwest Territories Land Registration District in Yellowknife.
Consisting of all that portion of the Northwest Territories bounded as follows: Commencing at the intersection of the centreline of Yellowknife Highway No. 3 and the centreline of Old Airport Road; thence along the centreline of Old Airport Road to its intersection with the centreline of Cemetery Road; thence southeasterly along the centreline of Cemetery Road to its intersection with the northerly production of the eastern boundary of Lot 37, Plan 1469; thence southerly in a straight line along the eastern boundaries of Lots 37 and 38, and Lots 3 to 7, Plan 515; Lots 8 and 9, Plan 1223, Lots 35 and 36, Plan 1340, Lots 11, 12 and 13, Plan 515, Lots 14-1 and 14-2, Plan 1191, Lots 15, 16 and 17, Plan 515 and Lot 42, Plan 2249, to the midpoint of the northern limit of a short portion of Old Airport Road, said midpoint being the centreline of Old Airport Road; thence southwesterly along the centreline of Old Airport Road to its intersection with the centreline of Range Lake Road; thence southwesterly along the centreline of Range Lake Road to its intersection with the southeasterly production of the northern boundary of Lot 23, Block 560, Plan 2733; thence northeasterly along that production and the northern boundary of Lot 23 to the eastern boundary of Lot 971, Plan 1069; thence southwesterly along the southwestern boundary of Lot 971 to its intersection with the northeastern corner of Lot 7, Block 548, Plan 1890; thence southerly along the eastern boundary of Lot 7 to the southwestern corner of Lot 6, Block 548, Plan 1890; thence in an easterly direction following the southern boundary of Lot 6 to the intersection of the southeasterly production of the southern boundary of Lot 6 with the centreline of Range Lake Road; thence in a southerly direction following the centreline of Range Lake Road to its intersection with the centreline of Williams Avenue; thence southeasterly along the centreline of Williams Avenue to its intersection with the centreline of Woolgar Avenue; thence southeasterly along the centreline of Woolgar Avenue to its intersection with the centreline of Kam Lake Road; thence northeasterly along the centreline of Kam Lake Road until it becomes Franklin (50th) Avenue; thence northeasterly along Franklin Avenue to its intersection with the centreline of Forrest Drive; thence in a generally easterly direction along the centreline of Forrest Drive to its intersection with the centreline of Burwash Drive; thence in a northerly direction along the centreline of Burwash Drive to its intersection with the centreline of 56th Street; thence in a northeasterly direction along the centreline of 56th Street to its intersection with the centreline of 51A Avenue; thence southerly along the centreline of 51A Avenue to its intersection with the centreline of a lane adjacent to Lot 2, Block 132, Plan 717; thence northwesterly along the centreline of that lane to its intersection with the centreline of Franklin Avenue; thence southwesterly along the centreline of Franklin Avenue to its intersection with the southeasterly production of the eastern boundary of Lot 2, Block 122, Plan 2015; thence northerly along the eastern boundary of Lot 2 to the northern corner of Lot 2; thence northerly and easterly along the shore of Frame Lake to its intersection with the southwestern boundary of Lot 1, Plan 2257, said point being the causeway across Frame Lake; thence southeasterly and northeasterly along the southern boundary of Lot 1, Plan 2257 to the western corner of Lot 11, Block 49, Plan 1940; thence northeasterly along the northern boundary of Lots 11 and 12, Block 49, Plan 1940 and the easterly production of Lot 12, Block 49, Plan 1940 to the intersection with the centreline of Ingraham Trail Highway No. 4; thence northerly along the centreline of Ingraham Trail Highway No. 4 to its intersection with the centreline of Yellowknife Highway No. 3; thence westerly along the centreline of Yellowknife Highway No. 3 to the point of commencement.
All plans referred to in this description are deposited in the Land Titles Office for the Northwest Territories Land Registration District in Yellowknife.
Consisting of all that portion of the Northwest Territories bounded as follows: Commencing at the southeast corner of the boundary of the City of Yellowknife as described in the City of Yellowknife Continuation Order; thence in a northwesterly straight line to the most southern corner of Lot 20, Block 133, Plan 2259; thence northwesterly along the southwestern boundaries of Lots 19 and 20 to its intersection with the northerly production of the southwestern boundary of Lot 19 and the centreline of Taylor Road; thence westerly and northwesterly along the centreline of Taylor Road to its intersection with the centreline of Old Airport Road and the centreline of Kam Lake Road; thence northeasterly along the centreline of Kam Lake Road until it becomes Franklin (50th) Avenue; thence northeasterly along Franklin Avenue to its intersection with the centreline of Forrest Drive; thence in a generally easterly direction along the centreline of Forrest Drive to its intersection with the centreline of Burwash Drive; thence in a northerly direction along the centreline of Burwash Drive to its intersection with the centreline of Rycon Drive; thence easterly along the centreline of Rycon Drive to its intersection with the centreline of Con Road; thence northeasterly along the centreline of Con Road to its intersection with the centreline of 53rd Avenue; thence northeasterly along the centreline of 53rd Avenue to its intersection with the centreline of 54th Street; thence southeast along the centreline of 54th Street to its intersection with the centreline of 53rd Avenue; thence northeasterly along the centreline of 53rd Avenue to its intersection with the centreline of the lane adjacent to Lot 13, Block 48, Plan 140; thence northwest along the centreline of that lane to its intersection with the centreline of the lane adjacent to Lot 27, Block 48, Plan 2158; thence northeast along the centreline of that lane to its intersection with the centreline of a lane adjacent to Lot 28, Block 47, Plan 3082; thence southeast along the centreline of that lane to its intersection with the centreline of the lane adjacent to Lot 11, Block 47, Plan 140; thence northeast along the centreline of that lane to its intersection with the centreline of 52nd Street; thence southeast along the centreline of 52nd Street to its intersection with the centreline of 54th Avenue; thence northeast along the centreline of 54th Avenue to its intersection with the centreline of 49th Street; thence southeast following the centreline of 49th Street to its intersection with the centreline of School Draw Avenue; thence southwest along the centreline of School Draw Avenue to its intersection with the boundary of Lot 5, Block 203, Plan 4297; thence in a general southerly then easterly direction following the boundary of Lot 5 to the southeastern corner of Lot 5; thence northeasterly in a straight line to its intersection with the boundary of the City of Yellowknife as described in the City of Yellowknife Continuation Order at 62°26'42" parallel of latitude, approximately and 114°20' meridian of longitude; thence south along that boundary to the point of commencement.
To the motion. Mr. Lafferty.
Mahsi, Madam Chair. This particular motion that’s before us has been debated for a number of years now.
[Translation] This bill is very important and it’s been very, very… We’ve been talking about it since 2005 until now, and especially since I’ve been elected we’ve been in discussions about it twice. We also wanted an extra MLA for the Tlicho region. In 2013 they wanted 19, 20 and 21. They also went to Rae region to ask the people and a lot of people attended the meeting at that time. So the Tlicho citizens want an extra MLA in their region and the elders have also requested that. In the Tlicho region we have approximately 3,000 people and we have about 35 percent. So, if you look at the numbers, it is right that we have an extra chair. We also know that Inuvik was like that, so they have received an extra and we have exceeded the population in order to have an extra seat. In our region, in the Tlicho region, we already have our own self-government, since 2005. When the commission travelled to the community all the people have talked about those issues that they were concerned about, especially about the population within the Tlicho region.
Tu Nedhe also spoke about that themselves. They have made it into one region, one electoral boundary and they wanted 19, it would have been 19 seats, but it seems that we’re not in agreement. We don’t live in the same way in the communities, so we ask them what they would want to do with it. I don’t agree with the decision that was made.
I want to also repeat this in English, but I want to speak in my own language for my own citizens. I talked about it in the Tlicho region already. I know that this has to be portrayed in my language because a lot of elders don’t speak English, but I know that a lot of elders have supported me, and because of their wishes I am speaking on behalf of them. They want an extra, so they want two MLAs; they want two chairs. That’s what we wish for in our region. [Translation ends]
So, to elaborate further in another language, since I’ve been elected to this Assembly, back in 2005, this is the second go around for the NWT Electoral Boundaries Commission process. The last one was in the 15th Assembly. In 2005 our Tlicho population was well beyond the 25 percent margin, hovering over 29 percent. At that time I also argued for an additional seat for the Monfwi riding. Today there is even more reason for this additional seat. The numbers speak for themselves.
Madam Chair, the 2013 commission final report stated that we should avoid a status quo position, present scenarios, 18, 19 and 21 seats. The commission held public engagement. The highest turnout for public consultation was in Behchoko from across the Northwest Territories. That alone should stand a point for requiring an additional seat for the Tlicho region. The public has spoken. For the last several Assemblies, the GNWT, Tlicho Government, elders, community members, have stressed the need for an additional seat in this Legislative Assembly. The current population in the four Tlicho communities is 3,183 and still growing. That is 39.5 percent, way beyond the 25 percent standard margin for an additional seat requirement. It’s time that we get the additional seat that we deserve. The commission did its report strictly on numbers. Back in the 15th Assembly we were at 29 percent. Now we’re at 39.5 percent plus. The next go around with the commission in the 19th Assembly, if we do come back, it will be 50 percent plus margin, double what’s required.
If you compare these numbers with two other communities, such as Hay River and Inuvik when they went through the process, which were granted an additional seat based on their 25 percent margin – the Monfwi population today is 3,183; Inuvik’s population is 3,321; a difference of only 138 today – it only makes sense that the Monfwi region be granted the same consideration as Inuvik; that is an additional seat.
We need equal representation throughout the Northwest Territories. The Tlicho region regional representation is almost four times compared to the smallest region, and that also needs to be taken into consideration. The Tlicho riding is very unique compared to other jurisdictions in the Northwest Territories.
As I stated in the Tlicho language, we have Tlicho land claims and self-government, the first of its kind in the North. Part of the commission’s consideration was to highlight lands, resources and self-government agreement, including language and culture preservation, transportation- communication within different areas. All of these elements have to be taken into consideration. We have to keep in mind that we are far beyond the 25 percent set margin; in fact, 14.5 percent plus and growing.
All four Tlicho communities are asking for this additional seat due to our ever increasing population in our region. There may be 3,183 in the Tlicho population today, but we also represent Tlicho populations living outside the Monfwi riding. Tlicho constituents living in Yellowknife feel comfortable accessing myself as Monfwi MLA because I speak their language and they feel comfortable speaking their language to me.
The opportunity now is to accept the 21 seats for our 18th Assembly coming. It will mean an additional seat for the Tlicho region and, yes, another seat for the Yellowknife riding, just the way it has been in the past, which in turn will balance the remaining numbers in the Northwest Territories.
At the same time, Madam Chair, the Tu Nedhe riding should stay the same representing Fort Resolution and Lutselk’e. I do not support amalgamating Tu Nedhe with YK Dene. There are various reasons for it: different language groups, different claimant groups, which the 19 seat status quo would do. We heard it loud and clear from the general public: this will divide the nation, the language, cultural way of life. We cannot and should not force this on to them. They’re two different, distinct nations. Forcing on to them is the old system of doing business and it would simply not work.
The electoral boundary was debated in the 15th Assembly. Now we’re the 17th Assembly today with the Tlicho margin at 39.5 percent above and beyond the 25 percent. We need to move forward and grant the additional seat in my riding. I certainly hope that we don’t have to come back to the same debate in the 19th Assembly for the Tlicho region’s additional seat, at which time we will be a 50 percent plus margin, double the standard rate. My recommendation is that we have two additional seats added, one for the Tlicho and one for Yellowknife and that Tu Nedhe remains as is. I think the numbers speak for themselves. Mahsi.
Thank you, Minister Lafferty. To the motion. Mr. Beaulieu.
Mahsi cho, Madam Chair. [Translation] We, the elected leaders here sitting in here, the people that I represent, the real people that I represent, the way they’re looking at us. The need to do electoral boundary seats that they’re going to put in there can’t be done that way. The people here, the real people, there used to be a lot of people before and we used to reside all over the place, here in Yellowknife, also some people lived in Hay River, some of our people lived in Fort Smith, and we were separated all over the place. Some of us lived around the great lake. There wasn’t much work, so the Lutselk'e people and the people from Fort Resolution had to seek work outside of the community, and the people didn’t have the right kind of work we wanted. In here, at least, I have been pleading for people to get some monies for them so they can employ some of the people in the communities, and that’s the way it is in Lutselk'e and Fort Resolution. Everybody sitting here knows how it is in the small communities. The Fort Resolution and Lutselk'e, they are the real Chipewyan people. The people from Yellowknife speak Dogrib also. All the people that come together here in Yellowknife, even though they think they are from the Great Slave Lake area, they joined the people here in Yellowknife. The people that are residing here are saying our land is outside of our area even though our land is here, even though the people that were here before the Yellowknife existence, they were always here before. A long time ago they lived here, even before the real people, the first white man came up, we were still residing here. In case they think that we want to be placed with the Lutselk'e people, that’s not the way it is. We, the people in the Northwest Territories, were the original people here, the first residents of the Territories.
In here, if we have 19 seats here, it wouldn’t be the people that are going to be sitting here to replace us. It’s not good for the future. All the people that are sitting here should be all sitting in here, all of mixed races. The Dogrib people are sitting here, the Inuit people are sitting here and all the real people. We have the Slavey sitting here. This is the kind of place that it’s supposed to be. These 19 seats that they’re talking about, it’s going to eliminate some of the people. Madam Speaker, Mahsi. [Translation ends]
[English translation not provided]
…people of Lutselk'e and Fort Resolution. In the way that we’re moving, and we’re trying to move to 19 seats to save a few hundred dollars, we are going to eliminate a nation of people in this House because someone thinks that two MLAs cost too much. It will cost too much if it’s at the expense of the Chipewyan people being represented in this House.
I went to a dinner at Christmastime and I didn’t even realize that they were not speaking English until I came home. When I told my spouse the story about what happened to me at a Christmas dinner in Lutselk'e, it was the only time I realized that no one was speaking English in there. If I couldn’t speak Chipewyan and if I couldn’t be a representative that spoke Chipewyan, I would have either been sitting there and have no idea what was being said or I wouldn’t have even been invited if I couldn’t speak the language. I spoke of that, how these elders sitting next to me were talking about people putting jam on their plates, cranberry sauce, so they spoke in Chipewyan. I grabbed the raspberry jam and handed it to her and she said, no, I prefer this one here. They took bannock and they spread the cranberry sauce on their bannock and ate. But that entire lunch that we had, I sat there with 26 elders in Lutselk'e; none of them spoke English.
When I go to Lutselk'e, nobody talks English to me. There are young people that speak to me, when I sit down in the band office, speak English, some of them. But, for the most part, I visit the elders. When I go for an election, I visit with the elders. I ask the elders to sign my nomination papers because they speak the language, they understand and they know what it’s like to be a Denesoline person or a Dene Tetlin person in Fort Resolution. I go around and I speak to the elders. An elder in Fort Resolution named Margaret, who went to residential school and can speak English but has difficulty with English, said to me, I learned how to speak English when I was nine years old. This is all in Chipewyan. She said it’s a beautiful thing to be able to sit here with a representative from the Legislative Assembly that can speak the language, because you know exactly what it is that we want. There’s no doubt in my mind when I speak to you in my language and you speak to me in my language that you understand 100 percent what it is that I have an issue with. When a Member comes in here and can’t speak my language, I don’t waste my time talking to them because everything’s always lost through interpretation.
I sit here and I say why in the world would we want to eliminate a language from the Legislative Assembly, and that’s what 19 seats does. Maybe not the next election but eventually we will eliminate the Chipewyan language from this Legislative Assembly. That’s not right, and that’s why I will not support the 19 seats, and I would support what we need to do is the 21 seats. I also feel that it will go to 21 seats anyway, but somebody else is going to make that decision. Somebody else is going to say through the courts, the Friends of Democracy. Those guys are going to go to the courts and say you’re going to have to put more seats in Yellowknife, which I agree with. One more seat will go into Yellowknife and one more seat will probably go into Monfwi through the courts. That will leave only one seat under-represented and that will be the Sahtu, and eight years from now when we find out how the resource play, the oil play in the Sahtu is and see how that region expands, we’ll then have an opportunity to address that issue, but today, what we’re doing today and what we’re trying to do today going to 19 seats is eliminating the Chipewyan people from this Legislative Assembly. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you, Mr. Beaulieu. To the motion. Mr. Bromley.
Madam Chair, before I speak to the motion, this is obviously a pretty complex amendment that is being proposed. I have not seen it before. It greatly, obviously, impacts my riding. I wonder if we might take a few minutes break so I could explore what, in fact, the boundaries are that are being proposed. As you can see from the fine print and the legal jargon, I have no way of knowing where the boundaries are that we’re debating here, and that would certainly help me be able to speak to the motion.
Thank you, Mr. Bromley. Mr. Bromley is proposing we take a break. Let’s do that. Let’s say let’s take 10 or 15 minutes and we’ll reconvene then. Thank you.
---SHORT RECESS
I’d like to call Committee of the Whole back to order. We were dealing with a motion that had been put on the floor. To the motion. Mr. Bromley.
Thank you, Madam Chair. I appreciate my colleagues bringing this motion forward and I will be speaking in support of the motion. Unfortunately, the option for 19 does not resolve the issues that I think we’re trying to deal with regarding the redefinition of boundaries.
Certainly, Monfwi is been left grossly under-represented and that gets converted to overrepresented, which is probably not appropriate for a few years. It is one of our fastest growing ridings and obviously they have been in an under-represented state for some time now.
I would say the same about my riding, Madam Chair. Weledeh, as everybody knows, is the largest riding currently, 42 percent greater than the average. It is a very large riding and definitely I recognize that some changes are needed to provide people with fairer representation. They’ve been grossly under-represented. Now again, unfortunately, even with the current 19 redefinitions, Weledeh is already, since the Boundaries Commission came out and we made our recommendations, over the 25 percent guideline.
My point is that the issue is not being resolved with a little bit of dallying such as 19 representatives. This motion, in contrast, tries to take a firmer hand and do things which will actually last a little bit longer than a month, 28 people for the Weledeh riding. I think it’s the same under the redefined Kam Lake situation. I suspect they will very quickly be over the 25 percent guideline.
That is no kind of resolution to the issues that I think we are trying to fix, whereas this motion does make some solid strides. You can look, for example, at the number of districts or ridings that are over and under 25 percent. It drops to four according to the paper, estimates for the option being recommended in this motion, as opposed to seven in the 19. It hardly resolves any of the issues of under and overrepresentation at all. Again, I appreciate that my colleagues are attempting to deal with the real issues here.
Certainly, when we look at a more democratic or political stance, the people of Weledeh did not want the people of Ndilo and Detah to leave the Yellowknife riding umbrella in which they currently fit. There’s a strong relationship between Ndilo, Detah and Yellowknife. Their MLA, that would be me, does not want that to happen. I look at Tu Nedhe where they would be shifted too. People of Tu Nedhe are not excited about that idea. I look at the representative, Mr. Beaulieu, for that riding. He, again, opposes this. I say to the House, how is this any kind of a justice or resolution to the issues?
Finally, and equally vital, I would say, is the problem of the seven Yellowknife ridings which, as I said, some of them already are under-represented again even should these boundaries be in place today. That means by the time this all happens, many of them, perhaps most, will likely be over the 25 percent guideline unless people will be grossly under-represented as in Monfwi currently. Again, a gross injustice in a democratic system.
If you look at the numbers, Yellowknife currently is under-represented by two Members. That is what it would take to really provide any kind of a cushion within the 25 percent guidelines that would last more than a few weeks. All Yellowknife ridings are essentially bumping up against the 25 percent. Again, I don’t think people are pushing for two people for Yellowknife, but obviously to delay this longer and longer, there needs to be some recognition. I think I see the way Yellowknife Members were here. Generally, they are strong at seeking solutions and political support that will benefit all residents of the Northwest Territories. I think Yellowknife representatives typically recognize that extra support is required, deserved and to be provided. I think the information shows that that’s provided by the Yellowknife MLAs for the small communities.
Yellowknife’s biggest growth factor is in fact Aboriginal residents moving here from other parts of the Northwest Territories. That’s the biggest source of growth for the City of Yellowknife. I think it’s something that theoretically could be supported by everybody, recognizing that their residents need fair representation, as well, even when they move into the centre of Yellowknife. Again, there are many reasons. I think Mr. Beaulieu and Mr. Lafferty provided other reasons as well. My main concern is that right now there really is gross under-representation in some ridings. It’s being perpetuated in Yellowknife. It even extends into the 21 Member option but less so, and gives a bit of a buffer for time, so there are plenty of reasons to support this motion and I will be supporting it and hoping that we can, again, respond to the concerns of the people in Ndilo/Detah as well as the Tu Nedhe riding and be fair to all, and certainly to Monfwi which is very under-represented right now. I think that wraps it up for me, Madam Chair. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Bromley. To the motion. Next I have Mr. Miltenberger.
