Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Northwest Territories parks and campgrounds attract thousands of visitors to our territory every summer. They are a vital element of our tourism sector, and one we continue to invest in heavily by ensuring they are maintained, improved and made more accessible to visitors. These facilities are also enjoyed by our own residents and contribute enormously to the quality of life that we enjoy here in Canada’s North.
The 2012 parks season formally opened on May 15th and two new initiatives from the Department of Industry, Tourism and Investment are making it easier than ever for visitors to access the territorial parks system.
We have developed a new NWT parks webpage to enable visitors to learn more about our extensive network of parks and recreation areas, book campsites and plan their visits to the NWT, all in an attractive, up-to-date and user-friendly format.
Our new webpage contains valuable information about all 34 parks in the Northwest Territories system. It includes interactive maps, events calendars and photo galleries, and promotes and increases tourism by highlighting nearby communities, cultural experiences and wilderness attractions.
Use of the on-line booking tool for NWT campgrounds has continued to rise, and campers can book sites at more parks on-line.
We have also introduced a multi-park seasonal day-use permit in the North Slave region, giving parks users in this region full summer access to day-use facilities at the Fred Henne, Prelude Lake and Reid Lake territorial parks for a single reduced fee.
We hope that this initiative will encourage and allow even more residents, especially families, to discover and experience the naturally spectacular parks facilities that we have right here in our backyard.
ITI invested over $1.5 million in infrastructure upgrades and enhancements to the parks system last year. We continue to work through our regional offices to identify project enhancements that will increase the attractiveness and accessibility of our parks.
Mr. Speaker, continued investment in the NWT’s spectacular parks infrastructure is key to supporting and growing tourism in the NWT, and reflects this Assembly’s priority and commitment to strengthen and diversify the NWT’s economy. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. The honourable Minister of Justice, Mr. Abernethy.
