Mr. Speaker, I MOVE, seconded by the honourable Member for Thebacha, that, notwithstanding Rule 4, when this House adjourns on October 25, 2012, it shall be adjourned until Monday, October 29, 2012;
AND FURTHER, that any time prior to October 29, 2012, if the Speaker is satisfied, after consultation with the Executive Council and the Members of the Legislative Assembly, that the public interest requires that the House should meet at an earlier time during the adjournment, the Speaker may give notice and thereupon the House shall meet at the time stated in such notice and shall transact its business as it has been duly adjourned to that time.
Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. The motion is in order. To the motion.
Question.
Question has been called.
---Carried
Item 18, first reading of bills. Item 19, second reading of bills. Item 20, consideration in Committee of the Whole of bills and other matters: Tabled Document 64-17(3), Northwest Territories Capital Estimates 2013-2014; Bill 2, Miscellaneous Statute Law Amendment Act, 2012; and Bill 8, An Act to Amend the Securities Act, with Ms. Bisaro in the chair.
I call Committee of the Whole to order. We have before us: Tabled Document 64-17(3), Northwest Territories Capital Estimates 2013-2014; Bill 2, Miscellaneous Statute Law Amendment Act, 2012; and Bill 8, An Act to Amend the Securities Act. What is the wish of the committee? Mr. Menicoche.
Thank you, Madam Chair. The committee wishes to consider Tabled Document 64-17(3), Northwest Territories Capital Estimates 2013-2014.
Thank you, Mr. Menicoche. Does committee agree?
Agreed.
Thank you, committee. We will resume after a short break.
---SHORT RECESS
I will call Committee of the Whole back to order. Committee, we are beginning the Department of Industry, Tourism and Investment. We are on page 10-2. Industry, Tourism and Investment, department summary, infrastructure investment summary, total infrastructure investment summary, $2.060 million. We will defer this page until we have covered the various sections. We will move to page 10-4. Industry, Tourism and Investment, activity summary, tourism and parks, infrastructure investment summary, total infrastructure investment summary, $2.060 million. I will go to the Minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment and ask the Minister if he has any witnesses he wishes to bring into the House.
Thank you, Madam Chair. I do.
Thank you, Minister. Sergeant-at-Arms, if you would please escort the witnesses into the Chamber. Does committee agree?
Agreed.
Some of them are… That’s good. Welcome, witnesses. Mr. Ramsay, if you would introduce your witnesses for the record, please.
Thank you, Madam Chair. To my right is assistant deputy minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment, Ms. Kelly Kaylo, and to my left is Deputy Minister Peter Vician.
Thank you, Minister Ramsay. Committee, we are on page 10-4. Are there any questions? We’re on page 10-4, 10-5. Is committee agreed we are concluded activity summary, tourism and parks, total infrastructure investment summary, $2.060 million?
Agreed.
Okay, committee, we will go back to the department summary, page 10-2, department summary, infrastructure investment summary, total infrastructure investment summary, $2.060 million. Is committee agreed we are concluded with the Department of Industry, Tourism and Investment?
Agreed.
Thank you, committee. Thank you to the witnesses for your attendance here today. Thank you, Minister Ramsay. Sergeant-at-Arms, if you would please escort the witnesses from the Chamber.
Okay, committee, we’ll move onto the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, page 11-2, department summary, infrastructure investment summary, total infrastructure investment summary, $1.861 million. We will defer this page until we’ve concluded the department. We’ll move onto page 11-6, activity summary, wildlife, infrastructure investment summary, total infrastructure investment summary, $286,000. Minister Miltenberger, do you have any witnesses you wish to bring into the Chamber?
Madam Chair, I would if they were here, but I’m prepared to proceed in any case.
Does committee agree we will proceed without witnesses?
Agreed.
Thank you, committee. Thank you, Minister Miltenberger. Committee, we’re on pages 11-6 and 11-7. Any questions, committee? Page 11-6, 11-7, activity summary, wildlife, infrastructure investment summary, total infrastructure investment summary, $286,000. We are agreed?
Agreed.
Thank you, committee. We’ll move to page 11-8, 11-9, activity summary, forest management, infrastructure investment summary, total infrastructure investment summary, $1.510 million. Mr. Hawkins.
Thank you, Madam Chair. The Minister of ENR was explaining earlier to me about lightning rods and I’d like to know how many lightning rod detectors we have in the Northwest Territories. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. Minister Miltenberger.
Nine, Madam Chair.
I’m sorry.
Thank you. I’m speaking English, not German. Nine, Madam Chair.
---Laughter
Thank you, Minister, for the clarification. Mr. Hawkins.
Would the Minister be able to elaborate exactly where they are in proximity to Yellowknife and the Territories? Thank you.
We are discussing capital investment, Mr. Hawkins. Mr. Minister, would you care to comment?
Madam Chair, there’s nine of these detectors strategically located throughout the Boreal Forest that give us a network and grid for when lightning strikes to map the tens of thousands, if not hundreds of thousands of lightning strikes over the course of the year. The majority of them are located in the southern part of the territory and then there are some up the valley.
Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. Do you have anything further, Mr. Hawkins? Are there any other questions? We are on activity summary, forest management, infrastructure investment summary, total infrastructure investment summary, $1.510 million. Mr. Dolynny.
Thank you, Madam Chair. Welcome to the Minister here on the topic of forest management. I was wondering if we could get a bit of a description of what exactly is, according to the project listing, remote camera observation system. Can I get an idea of exactly what this is?
Thank you, Mr. Dolynny. Mr. Miltenberger.
Thank you, Madam Chair. Those are pieces of equipment that give us 24/7 capacity to survey the landscape tied into the various towers we have. They feed information into the system so that we can track what’s happening without necessarily having a person in the area.
Is this a replacement of product that we have in terms of system or is this a brand new technology to the Territories?
We’re taking advantage of an emerging technology that gives us this capacity, tied into some of the more conventional existing technology. It just enhances our capacity, mechanically or technologically, without necessarily having people on the ground.
Are these camera systems tied into what was referred to earlier as the nine observation towers or lightning towers that are unmanned?
They form part of the fire system that we have for detecting and responding to fires. The lightning system feeds into the Fire Centre in Fort Smith and tracks by computer, the lightning strikes that occur with the technology that’s installed in these lightning detectors. The cameras and the fixed observation sites are where we are surveying the landscape, and looking for signs of smoke and other signs that would lead us to believe that there may be fire activity.
I would assume that the predominant use of this remote camera observation program is for spring/summer/early fall. Does this camera system have any use during winter months? Is there a purpose that this equipment would have a potential opportunity for observation?
I must confess, I’m not sure if it’s put to use in the winter months. I know it’s installed predominantly and specifically for taking advantage of giving us an added tool during fire season.
Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. Thank you, Mr. Dolynny. Seeing no one on my list, we are on activity summary, forest management, infrastructure investment summary, total infrastructure investment summary, $1.51 million.
Agreed.
We will turn to pages 11-11 and 11-12, activity summary, environment, infrastructure investment summary, total infrastructure investment summary, $65,000.
