Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It has been five days now since the trapping season opened up on the Mackenzie Delta. Many trappers are being challenged right now with the price of gas. We are paying anywhere from $1.79 to $2.00 per litre. Many trappers need at least $400 to $800 just to get started, even more, depending on the distance you travel.
I would like to ask the Minister of ITI, are there plans to increase the Harvesters Assistance Program? Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Blake. Minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment, Mr. Ramsay.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. At this time there isn’t. I know I have fielded questions from other Members earlier in this session in regard to support for trappers around the NWT. On the Community Harvesters Assistance Program, or CHAP as it is referred to, we have just over $1 million. It’s $1.074 million. It goes to local wildlife committees to disburse the funds at the community level. If there are folks out there that feel that we should take another look at the funding, I know it was increased a few years back, but if, as I mentioned earlier, the pressures are there, that’s something that I can and would like to discuss with Members and communities. Thank you.
The pot of funding the Minister is talking about has a limit of $500 and it limits whether you can buy gas or groceries. A lot of trappers need the essentials like gas and groceries and skidoo parts.
I would like to ask the Minister, when is the department going to review that and increase that funding? Thank you.
Mr. Speaker, there are other programs that trappers can avail themselves of. Of course, there is the Genuine Mackenzie Valley Fur Program and the Grubstake Program that gets folks out. Based on the amount of fur that they think they are going to get, we can advance them some money before they go out and get to the trapping.
We have programs, but if the Member is calling on us to have a look at those programs and the level of support, that’s something that maybe, perhaps in next year’s business plans we could have a look at this and the level of funding that we do provide. Of course, like anything, there are cost pressures on government and, of course, there is cost pressures on trappers, as well, so we have to understand that and if we need to review that, I think, as I mentioned earlier, we can work with Members and communities and see that happen.
One thing I didn’t mention was in the community, for example, of Fort McPherson, we have between 50 and 60 applicants that apply for this funding, which is roughly $12,500 for the CHAP that the Minister is referring to.
Will the Minister work with those communities with high demand to work out something for next season? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker, of course, we have to continue to work with ENR on this with the delivery there and also with the local wildlife committees. As well, they are the ones that administer the funds at the community level and we wouldn’t be able to do this alone, so again, we would have to have a discussion with ENR and the LWCs around the territory that do administer these funds. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. Member for Yellowknife Centre, Mr. Hawkins.
