Mr. Speaker, later today I will be tabling the NWT Water Stewardship Strategy Action Plan. The action plan outlines how the Water Stewardship Strategy will be implemented and reflects the needs and interests of NWT residents. Implementing the plan will address this Assembly’s priority to ensure an environment that sustains present and future generations and protects our water supply and quality.
The action plan builds upon the multi-year, multi-million dollar Water Stewardship Strategy, and is the result of multiple water partner meetings, public input and multi-agency workshops. It represents the interests of the GNWT, Aboriginal governments, environmental non-government organizations, regulatory bodies, industry, federal government departments, NWT residents and interested parties across the North.
The action plan was developed by the GNWT, the Government of Canada and the Aboriginal Steering Committee, with active input from NWT residents. Water partners worked with Aboriginal governments to ensure Aboriginal and treaty rights as well as spiritual and cultural values are well respected. Both scientific and traditional knowledge continue to play a crucial role in informing decision-making and water stewardship by all users and regulators of water in the Northwest Territories.
The action plan identifies the key components central to the successful implementation of the strategy such as transboundary water agreement negotiations, community-based monitoring and a collaborative partnership approach to all implementation.
Mr. Speaker, the successful implementation is contingent on water partners working together. Many of the strategy’s actions address the means to routinely share information and work together with multiple agencies to plan priority actions and establish partnerships. Our partnerships with Aboriginal governments and the Government of Canada will ensure ongoing dialogue, and interagency collaboration continues to benefit all water partners.
Protecting our territorial waters remains a strong priority for this government. The action plan outlines the actions we will take to maintain and sustain our watersheds for the benefit of current and future generations. Development activities have the potential to alter the equality, the quantity and the timing of water flow. These changes can affect aquatic ecosystem health and, as a consequence, affect how we can rely on these water sources.
With increased pressure on our water resources being felt from both within the Northwest Territories and upstream in Alberta and British Columbia, we must ensure our rich natural resources are protected. It also requires a willingness at the political level to make change.
We believe the Water Stewardship Strategy and this action plan represent such a change. The collaborative, inclusive approach we’ve used to develop these initiatives should be seen as a model for how we, as a government, plan on managing water and land resources when responsibility is devolved.
The action plan will address a number of issues including the rapid pace of oilsands and hydroelectric development in the upstream reaches of the Mackenzie River Basin. It will also serve as a foundation as we continue negotiations on a bilateral transboundary water agreement with Alberta.
During the past fiscal year this government has helped form the Slave River and Delta Partnership that includes the GNWT and 15 different organizations as water partners working towards a community-based water quality and fish monitoring program. An expert was also contracted to assist in developing a source water protection model that will assist all communities in the NWT in developing their own personalized plan.
As water partners we must continue to show strong leadership in water stewardship to ensure the sustainable use of this valuable resource. Decisions on how the waters within our watersheds are used have the potential to affect many ecosystems. With this action plan, we can develop and execute sound and effective water management policies. Mahsi.
Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. The honourable Minister responsible for the NWT Housing Corporation, Mr. Robert McLeod.
