Debates of October 25, 2010 (day 22)

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Basically, we are focusing on marketing and also we have been doing work to maintain our parks with utilizing more O and M money and it is a matter of when you have a limited amount of resources to work with, you have to prioritize your investments and focus on those areas that are the most…to do the work that’s most required. I think it must be working because our preliminary statistics 2010 camping season show that our camping permits are up by around 2 percent overall across the Territory and all regions have recorded an increase in camping permit numbers. We have done some surveys to make sure that we focus on the areas that our clientele feel are most important with regard to our parks. We are also focusing on developing marketing partnerships within the regions. Thank you.

David Krutko

Mackenzie Delta

The other area that I think we have to do more for by way of working with the aboriginal organizations that have established territorial parks and protected areas regardless if it’s the Gwich’in Territorial Park or the CANOL Trail. Again, those are areas that I think do have major economic potential and cultural potential, but more importantly, the ability to promote the regions and also the cultural and aboriginal groups that are basically represented in those parks and also build a sort of park management plan with them. I’d just like to know what we are doing to work with those aboriginal organizations to take advantage of the territorial parks that we do have in place under the establishment of the land claim agreements.

On the protected area side, we work very closely with aboriginal governments. We have been approached by a number of regions to sponsor some protected areas and we have looked very seriously at the proposals and very recently we’ve agreed to sponsor the Five Finger Lakes proposal out of Jean Marie. Also, through the Gwich’in Territorial Park Master Plan we met with the Nihtah Gwich’in Council and the Gwich’in Tribal Council to discuss their views on the future of the park, and we’ve hired a consultant to prepare a revised plan to address the future operation and maintenance of the park. We’ve also supplied a recently completed parks planning manual to all stakeholders to help us assist in revising the plan. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Committee, page 10-4, tourism and parks. Ms. Bisaro.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I have a quick question with regard to the two projects for the Sixtieth Parallel Visitor Information Centre. One of them references preliminary design and design guidelines, the other one talks about interior interpretive signage for the facility. In the backup documentation that we got on the second project, on the interior displays, it talked about the new facility being built, I think, in this year, which I don’t think is accurate. But if I could just get an explanation as to the difference between these two projects, please. Thank you.

Thank you, Ms. Bisaro. Minister McLeod.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I guess there are two parts to this project. One is improving the outside exterior part of the Sixtieth Parallel Visitors Centre, the facilities that people see on the outside; and then we are also, on the inside, it’s our plan to have interior displays. I think we are moving a large part of the equipment that we had at Canada’s Northern House that we will be moving inside, those types of displays so that people that come into the centre will be able to see a lot of these visual displays inside the visitors centre. Thank you.

Thanks to the Minister for those comments. I guess I would just like to know if the new visitors centre, if we are going to replace the current Sixtieth Parallel Visitor Information Centre, and if so, when would we be anticipating to start construction. Thank you.

I did go and visit the Sixtieth Parallel Visitor Centre and I know the construction was completed this year. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Now I’m really confused. Are we finished constructing a new centre? If so, why are we conducting preliminary consultations and preliminary design guidelines for a new visitors centre? Thank you.

I’m not sure what the Member is looking at, but in 2011-12 we are putting the finishing touches to the visitors centre at the border. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

I’m referencing page 10-5, third item down, description: conduct preliminary consultations and develop preliminary design and design guidelines for new visitors centre.

Well, that’s obviously incorrect. I’ll ask the deputy to clarify what we’re spending. We spent $740,000 in prior years to build a visitors centre. In 2011-2012 we are proposing to spend $60,000 to complete the work at the centre. So through you, Mr. Chair, I’ll ask the deputy to clarify that.

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Deputy Minister Vician.

Speaker: MR. VICIAN

Thank you, Mr. Chair. It is misrepresented. The preliminary consultations were complete as part of the project and in terms of referencing the specific spend proposed for 2011-2012, it will essentially be warranty work to complete the final finishing on the project. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Vician. Thank you, Ms. Bisaro. Committee, page 10-4, we have the Department of Industry, Tourism and Investment, activity summary, tourism and parks, infrastructure investment summary, total infrastructure investment summary, $599,000. Committee agree?

Agreed.

Thank you, committee. That wraps it up for detail. We’ll return to page 10-2 for the department summary. Industry, Tourism and Investment, infrastructure investment summary, total infrastructure investment summary, $599,000. Agreed?

Agreed.

Thank you, committee. Does committee agree that that concludes the Department of Industry, Tourism and Investment 2011-2012 Capital Estimates? Agreed?

Agreed.

Thank you, committee. I’d like to thank the Minister and his witnesses and ask the Sergeant-at-Arms to please escort the witnesses from the Chamber. Mahsi. Mr. Abernethy.

Glen Abernethy

Great Slave

I move we report progress.

---Carried

I will now rise and report progress.

Report of Committee of the Whole